Author's Note: Ok, I would like to apologize for the ridiculously long wait to all the people who have been begging me to update. I lost interest in this story and became CRAZY busy with college, but it was your reviews and pleas that drove me to whip up this chapter. I hope those of you who have stuck it out won't find it too disappointing!

Disclaimer: I own nothing….well I do own a few things riffles through purse and pulls out a piece of gum and two pennies but none of the Charmed Characters except my own creations being: Priscilla, Brennan, Petra, and Pandora. Most of the characters will probably be in the sequel instead of this installment. Please don't steal them. They like it here with me. :)

Chapter Nineteen

Paige, Piper, and Phoebe landed in battle positions, but it was deserted. The Book of Shadows lay on its pedestal, untouched. Phoebe strode quickly over and picked it up, never so thankful that couldn't be touched by evil. She petted the cover lovingly, "Oh, I love this book," and handed it to Paige to send back to Jason's with a quick swirl of orbs. She had been perfecting her ability to send things to specific locations as well as summon and deflect them, and it certainly came in hand now.

Just as she finished, Chris orbed Priscilla into the room, Wyatt in her arms. His little face was screwed up in concentration, as if he knew the serious situation they were in and that he had to do something.

Piper smiled proudly before focusing on the task at hand. "Ok," she whispered, "we'll go ahead, you two stay a bit behind and keep yourselves and Wyatt safe."

They nodded, waiting a bit as the Charmed sisters moved toward the stairs. They could hear voices downstairs, but didn't encounter any demons in the first few rooms they checked.

The first demon they came across was easily dispatched by Piper with a quick flick of her hand, and they continued forward. Dispatching the low level guards easily as they came across more, the closer they came to the stairs leading to the first floor.

Wyatt frowned and babbled, Priscilla shushing him, as they came upon the stairs. His frown deepened, and he squirmed in her arms, babbling some more. "Wyatt, shush, we have to be quiet."

Piper turned to take care of him, when all of a sudden he disappeared from Priscilla's hip in a whirl of orbs. The group gasped, eyes widening as panic began to settle in.

"What happened?" Phoebe quiried.

"Where'd he go?" Chris murmured worriedly.

Priscilla looked anguished, "I didn't do anything, I swear. He just started getting wrestles and then left. I don't understand."

"What do we do now? We needed him for this plan to work…" Paige fretted, turning to peer around the railing at the parlor downstairs.

"Let's see if Charnaurus is here, if he isn't, we'll dispatch as many as possible, and retake the Manor anyway." Chris suggested, discreetly taking Priscilla's hand in his to comfort her. He could tell she felt guilty for not being able to keep Wyatt from leaving.

"Sounds good to me, move out but stick close to each other so we can orb out if they become too much to handle or if Charnaurus appears. Move out." Piper ordered, leading them quietly down the stairs.

The parlor was filled with about a dozen demons, and the five witches immediately started in on them, Piper and Chris blowing them up, while Paige redirected any fireballs thrown at the group.

Priscilla stuck close to Chris, slipping into the minds of the demons.

One started screaming, clawing at himself. "It burns! Why does it burn?!"

While another looked down at herself in horror, "Get them off me! Get them OFF!"

Each was quickly dispatched in their distracted state by Piper, Chris, and Paige, while Phoebe kept a look out to make sure reinforcements didn't sneak in from the other rooms.

Demons did trickle in but with Phoebe's warnings, they were defeated as well, and they group began to feel a hint of security and hope that this plan might actually work.

OOO

In the basement, Charnaurus stood facing a dark corner. He smiled, his pointed teeth glittering. "It has begun my lord. The Charmed ones have no idea."

Turning, he addressed the only other demon standing in the light. "Lir, you know what to do. Go take care of them."

Lir smirked and bowed, before shimmering out of the room.

Charnaurus turned to the figure in the shadows. "It will not be long my lord."

From the darkness, Wyatt babbled his agreement.

OOO

Phoebe turned to the group, "That seems to be all of them, what do you think?"

Piper nodded, "It's been five minutes and no more have come, but something just doesn't feel right. That was too easy."

Chris nodded, "Like a trap. I don't like this. Maybe should regroup at Jason's and figure out what happened to Wyatt. Something is definitely wrong."

"What if that is what they want us to do though? Lead them back to the fathers?" Paige fretted, fiddling with the ring that now adorned her left hand.

"Let's search the rest of the house again, just to be sure." Piper suggested, glancing at them for their reactions. When her gaze rested on Priscilla, she paused, "What is it?"

"We didn't check the basement." She murmured, gazing in it's general direction. "There's something…..something off about the basement. I can't pinpoint it though, it's like my telepathy is reflecting off a mirror….."

"Risa what is it?" Chris asked, seeing the apprehension that was growing in her eyes.

"There's only one person that has ever been able to do that……Wyatt."

Piper gasped, darting toward the basement before Paige grabbed her arm to stop her. "What are you doing?! If Wyatt's down there we need to go get him!" She barked at her sister.

Paige shook her head, "Something still doesn't feel right, we can't go in half-cocked."

Chris and Phoebe nodded their agreement, while Priscilla continued to have a far off look in her eyes.

"Maybe Wyatt felt something and went down there to take care of it? It wouldn't be the first time he's done something impulsive." Phoebe suggested. "Don't worry Piper, he can take care of himself, I'm sure he's alright. With our luck, he'll have already taken care of Charnaurus."

Piper sighed in frustration, "We can only hope, but we can't know until we get down there!"

Priscilla finally seemed to snap out of her haze and turned to her family, "I think we need to go down there. Now."

They looked at her questioningly, but seeing that that was all she was going to say, they began moving towards the basement.

Lir stepped out of the kitchen into their path, his wrists snapping his hands forward and two sickly yellow orbs of swirling energy connected with Piper and Priscilla before anyone could react. "Charmed Ones, we meet at last. Too bad this shall be the last time."

Piper and Priscilla collapsed to the ground, while Chris staggered second after them and went down as well. Phoebe and Paige yelled in fear for their loved ones and Paige orbed a nearby vase at Lir as a destraction so she could orb them to safety.

When Lir straightened back up from ducking the antique vase, they were gone. He smirked and shimmered back to the basement, bowing before Charnaurus. "It is done my lord."

Charnaurus grinned evilly, "Perfect. You have done well Lir." He turned again to that dark corner of the basement and trumpeted triumtphantly, "Your plan has been executed precisely to your orders my lord!"

Wyatt's babbling was the only response.

OOO

As soon as the group landed, Paige and Phoebe were screaming for Leo.

He ran into the room, his eyes growing wide as he took in the sight of his wife, son, and niece out cold on the ground, and the distinct absence of Wyatt. "What happened?!" He darted forward, moving to Piper and looking her over.

Jason and Richard ran into the room then, looking over the situation in horror.

Leo looked up from Piper and growled in frustration, "Where's her injury?"

Phoebe, fluttering over Priscilla, yelled back, "What do you mean where is it?! She was hit with an energy ball right to her chest, you should be able to see it!"

Leo pulled apart the charred patch on Piper's shirt but underneath the skin was flawless. Though on closer inspection, her entire coloring had turned a decidedly yellow hue. He scrambled over to Priscilla, it was the same. He tried healing them both anyway, but the yellow only became brighter, and they began to toss and turn as if in a fever. Chris on the other hand, just lay there unmoving. There was no scorch mark on him, and his skin remained free if the sickly yellow tinge, though it had grown paler.

"What's wrong with them Leo?" Paige questioned, her worry filtering clearly into her voice. "Why can't you heal them?"

He looked stunned and raked a hand through his hair, "I can't believe this…..I thought they had been completely wiped out….."

"Leo! Tell us what the hell is going on!" Phoebe ordered, becoming shrill as her daughter and sister only seemed to get worse. "What about Chris? He wasn't even hit, he just collapsed."

"Piper's pregnant. Anything that happens to her now directly impacts the future Chris…" He murmured, the shell shocked expression not leaving his face.

"Leo, what aren't you telling us?" Richard queried, studying Leo's reaction to the entire situation with a growing feeling of dread.

"They've been poisoned by a Lir demon…" Leo replied, swallowing hard. "They're only going to get worse as the poison spreads through they're bodies and there's nothing I can do."

"Why not Leo?! Why can't you heal them?!" Phoebe screamed at him, her panic taking over.

Leo turned to her, his expression full of disbelieve and horror. "Only a Lir demon can reverse it's attack…..if we don't want to loose them, we're completely at the demon's mercy."