In the attic, I was sitting cross legged on the floor with the Book of Shadows in my lap.

I had finally found something about the baby. "Chris!"

My cousin orbed right by my side, looking down at me "Found something?"

"Yup" I answered, looking up at him, holding the book to my chest and reaching my hand to him.

Chris gave me an humorous look. "What happened to not orbing you?"

"I feel lazy to walk downstairs" I said innocently, wriggling my fingers insistently for him to grab. "I don't get nauseous if I'm expecting it, so take me down"

Chris rolled his eyes, grabbed my hand and orbed us down.

~8~

I was now sitting atop of a table in the conservatory with Piper and Chris.

I began reading the entry I found, about 'Manticore' demons. "Vicious demons with supernatural strength and venomous claws. Manticores communicate with high-pitch cries and tend to travel in packs."

Chris clapped his hands once, "Great. Well, I say we get rid of the little brat before the pack comes looking for him"

I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head.

"Okay, fine" Piper said. "What do you suggest we do with him? Call social services?"

Chris gave her a look as if it was obvious what he meant. "No, I suggest you vanquish it"

I bit my lip. They couldn't vanquish Wyatt's possible future best friend. He had been someone to keep Wyatt sane for a long time.

Piper glared at my cousin "Chris, I'm a mother, I can't go around vanquishing babies, no matter how evil they are"

"It's not how evil he is, it's how evil he's gonna be" Chris replied. "You gotta stop looking at him like he's a little baby and start looking at him like he's an unstoppable killing machine, because that's what he is"

Piper hesitated "I realize that, but still"

"But still nothing" Chris told her. I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're supposed to protect the innocents, right? Well, think of all the future innocents you can save by vanquishing him right now"

"Don't you think I know that?" Piper asked "I'm scared to death of what he can possibly do to Wyatt but I can't even separate them"

I looked between them.

Chris sighed, "Piper, there's one thing you can do and you know it. And you better do it fast before any other Manticore show up. There's no known vanquishing potion"

Piper shook her head "I just can't do it"

Chris rolled his head up to the ceiling, "Okay. Well, if you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to Leo"

My eyes widened as he orbed out.

Wait. He's going willingly to Leo to ask for help?

Chris was really serious.

I glanced at the babies with Piper. The Manticore baby was still playing 'peek a boo' shimmering in and out, laughing. Despite myself, a small smile twitched on my lips.

~8 ~

The Manticore baby wasn't that bad. I distracted him enough for Piper to pick up Wyatt and I didn't even realize where she went to as I kept playing with the baby making him laugh as I would find the place he'd shimmer back in.

One of those times, I managed to grab him as soon as he shimmered back in. "Gotcha"

The baby laughed as if amused I caught him. I shook my head, walking upstairs to the attic.

I knew no one was going to be there and if Piper - and Chris - wanted the baby far away from Wyatt, I had to do this.

I pointed my hand to the couch in the attic, conjuring and shifting it to a playpen. The baby shimmered out from my arms to the playpen. I rolled my eyes. At least it was this one and the one with Wyatt.

I eyed the baby who had a look of concentration. He was going to shimmer out. No, can't do. I immediately allowed my cupid powers to beam in and out too.

The baby didn't shimmer out, looking at me.

I tilted my head. "See? I can do something similar to you" the baby shimmered out and I sighed in defeat when a shimmer in the air on front of me appeared, making me hold my hands in alarm as the baby shimmered in on my arms, laughing. "Oh"

The baby shimmered back to the playpen. I narrowed my eyes, shaking my head, chuckling slightly.

~8~

Lesson one with dealing with Baby Manticore.

Don't make him cry.

I sighed in relief when the Manticore demon was vanquished, twisting my wrist to make the conjured athame disappear.

"You can lower that down, Wyatt" I said, turning to the playpen.

Wyatt and the baby were there under Wyatt's force field. In sync with him, I lowered my own force field.

Piper came running, having heard a crash, "What happened?"

I held out my hands, annoyed. The baby lizard shimmered to my arms. "At least I have found a way to get him off Wyatt. Oh and I just vanquished a Manticore Demon"

Piper looked impressed, "All in an afternoon's work, Bree" she said, picking up her son. I entertained the baby, conjuring confetti in my hands making him giggle his baby laugh. "Okay, I'll use that"

With that, Piper walked away, upstairs.

"Don't do anything that may make this baby cry" I warned up at her.

Piper sent me a thumb up without looking.

As I looked down at the lizard baby, I couldn't help but try and find the differences between him and Wyatt's friend.

Indeed he wasn't an evil one.

But he was playful.

I should have known it was a trait he picked up since he was born as soon as he shimmered out from my hands again. I groaned in defeat. I didn't even notice Phoebe walk past me and up stairs as I turned away.

However, I did look up in alarm at the crash coming from upstairs.

I beamed out to outside the attic, gasping when I noticed a demon just shimmering out with Piper in his arms.

I ran to Phoebe to help her out, glancing at the playpen.

"Didn't I tell you to not make that baby cry?"

~8~

Find Phoebe later scrying for Piper while I put the babies to sleep.

Paige walked in with an ice pack, handing it to Phoebe.

"You're good with babies" Paige commented.

I did not look up from the sleeping babies, "I don't like them"

Paige hummed skeptically before turning to her sister "I feel really bad that I wasn't there to help you earlier"

"Oh, I don't think you could have helped even if you were there" Phoebe said, accepting the ice "Thanks. That thing was just as powerful as the Manticore"

"I already apologized" I added, looking at them from over my shoulder "She won't have it"

Phoebe pointed at me, nodding with a hum.

I rolled my eyes.

Paige looked between us, "Are you sure it wasn't the Manticore?"

I frowned in thought.

"Yeah, I'm positive" Phoebe answered. "It was more, I don't know, beast-like"

"What do you think it wanted with the baby?" Paige asked.

Phoebe hummed. "I don't know, but I think it's really weird that it showed up right after the baby started crying"

I blinked in realization. "As if it could hear him too?"

"Yeah" Phoebe agreed.

Paige looked thoughtful "Maybe we can get the baby to cry again and lure the beast here and torture him into coughing up Piper"

"That's a great idea but we don't have a potion yet" Phoebe told her before looking down at the map she scrying on, frustrated "I can't believe I can't find Piper"

"Okay, let me get started on the potion" Paige told us. "The good news is if he wanted to kill Piper by now he probably would have. And undoubtedly he's holding her hostage somewhere, probably magically cloaked. And I think he's gonna use her as leverage to get that baby. Just you watch"

Phoebe and I watched her warily.

"Since when did you become an expert on hostage situations?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Paige smiled, shrugging "About an hour ago"

I shook my head, amused.

Leo and Chris orbed in.

"Hey" Chris said.

"Shh, shh, keep it down" Paige and I whispered furiously.

"You don't want to wake the baby" I warned. "Trust me"

They nodded in understanding.

"Where's Piper?" Chris asked, whispering.

Phoebe tilted her head aside "That's a really good question"

Leo widened his eyes in alarm "Wait, she's missing?"

Chris gave me look to which I pursed my lips at.

No. I'm not getting an 'I told you so' anytime soon from him. Nope.

Chris looked away from me and to the sisters "Did the Manticores take her?"

Phoebe shook her head "No, some other creature that wanted the baby"

Chris sighed in frustration "Damn it, you should have listened to me, you should have vanquished him when you had the chance"

"Well, it's good that we didn't because we're gonna need the baby to get Piper back" Paige retorted.

Phoebe frowned, looking at them "You guys, shh, keep your voices down"

Paige looked at her sister "I am not convinced that that baby is inherently evil" she looked back at us. "Which means he's probably not even responsible for any of this"

"Oh, come on" Chris groaned in frustration, looking toward Leo "Will you please talk to her?"

Leo frowned "Not everyone is born morally neutral, especially not demons. They're pre-disposed to evil"

"Pre-disposed, yeah, but it doesn't mean they can't be raised to overcome it" Paige pointed out "You can't predict whether a kid is gonna be good or evil based on his genetics"

"Paige, we're not talking about kids, we're talking about demons" Chris reminded.

Paige shook her head "No, we're talking about a demon kid who has so far played nothing but nice with Wyatt"

I sighed, standing up "Okay, you guys, this is all irrelevant" I gave Chris a pointed look. He frowned at me. "We need the baby to find Piper so let's just focus on that, shall we?"

Leo nodded in agreement "She's right. Although I think I should take Wyatt just to be on the safe side"

"What if the other baby wakes up?" Phoebe asked.

"They won't be able to follow me where I'm going" Leo said, walking toward Wyatt, picking him.

"He's gonna scream bloody murder and call half the Manticores in the city to come save it" Paige warned. "Maybe the beast too"

"I'll keep the baby entertained" I told them, picking up the baby, who nestled on my chest, still sleeping.

Phoebe cooed. "Awe. The baby likes you"

"Shut up" I murmured, watching Chris through the corner of my eye, frowning slightly as if just realizing something. "We'll be prepared" I looked toward Leo
"You can go now. Quietly"

Leo orbed out with Wyatt. Chris orbed out too.

Phoebe nodded, "Let's get started on that potion"

I smiled slightly, turning on my heel and walking out of the attic.

~8~

A little while later, figuring the sisters already finished the potion, I walked inside the attic, the baby in my arms, still peacefully sleeping.

The girls were finally finishing the potion, smoke leaving our of the cauldron.

"Well, can't think of anything else to add" Paige said, looking inside the cauldron. "This is the most powerful potion we've ever made"

I took a peek inside, trying to figure out what the potion was made of.

"I agree" Phoebe said, looking toward me. "I guess it's time to wake up the baby"

I nodded slightly, looking down at the baby, gently nudging his cheeks to wake him up.

A phone rang. I glanced up, seeing it was Phoebe's as she answered.

"Hello?" Phoebe said, pausing for a moment. "Oh, hey, Jason" a flare up of annoyance passed through me at the sound of that name. Phoebe chuckled nervously "Uh, I can't really talk right now. Kinda busy"

yes, Phoebe. Ignore him. The love of your life is coming soon. He's not it. Hang up.

Whatever Jason said over the phone upset Phoebe because she raised slightly her voice making the baby stir up, scrunching his face slightly. "Oh, I make things so difficult? And how exactly do I do that?" I tried to soothe the baby so he wouldn't cry, not yet at least. Not when we weren't ready. "By being honest with my feelings? And by making you be honest with yours?" it didn't work. The baby woke up, crying. I widened my eyes at Phoebe and Paige, alarmed. Phoebe widened her eyes. "Okay, I really have to go now. Have a good flight" Phoebe hung up. "Toss me a vile"

Paige did as asked.

A Manticore demon shimmered in, punching Paige making her fly across the room.

"Paige!" I exclaimed in worry, immediately summoning my protective shield as three more Manticore demons appeared. Phoebe threw her potion at the one that attacked Paige, vanquishing it.

"Paige, are you okay?" Phoebe asked in worry.

Paige groaned.

"Phoebe!" I warned.

Phoebe didn't manage to react on time as two of the newcomers shimmered behind Phoebe, punching her and sending her across the room. The third one appeared in from of me, punching my shield. A surge of energy went up through its arm, making it fly across the room. My shield pulsed with energy.

The creature that took Piper shimmered in, in front of me, going towards the two that attacked the girls. The creature reached into one of the Manticore's chest, ripping his heart out, vanquishing him, turning to the other Manticore and it shimmered out, leaving a puddle of green blood on the floor. He turned to the one I threw, picking its head up, ripping out its heart. The creature turned toward me, stalking closer.

I squinted my eyes, making my shield pulse with more energy. The creature shimmered out when Paige yelled at Phoebe for the vile.

Phoebe picked up the vile.

My eyebrows creased in confusion. "He ... Left?"

"Bree!" Paige suddenly yelled.

I sensed someone behind me, turning around, my shield fading. The creature ripped the baby away from my arms -however, I did sense the gentleness in the way he grabbed the baby, weirdly enough - before pushing me away making me fly across the room, crashing against a shelf, shattering it, falling to the floor, a flare of pain running through all my body as wood pieces fell on me.

Phoebe managed to throw the potion to the creature, but it only hit its shoulder, making him roar in pain, shimmering out.

Phoebe sighed "So much for our leverage"

I groaned in pain, trying to get up.

Paige ran to me, helping me up. I leaned on her, panting heavily. Woah. It had been a while now since I got hurt.

The past was making me soft and weak.

"Here, sit" Paige guided me to the couch.

I gestured toward the Manticore's blood "More potion?"

Phoebe and Paige exchanged a look, nodding.

Paige grabbed an eyedropper, using it to suck some of the blood into it, handing it to Phoebe "This had better work"

"Oh, it will" Phoebe told her.

Leo and Chris orbed in.

"We just got back to talking to the Elders and they're at an agreement" Leo told us. "If we can't return the baby safely to the Manticores-"

"We'll vanquish it" Chris finished.

Paige scoffed "Talk about your moot points, people"

Chris and Leo frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked.

Phoebe rolled her eyes "Well, do you notice anything missing?"

Chris and Leo looked around, first at the empty playpen and then at me.

I waved tiredly.

"The baby?" Leo asked.

Chris looked at me, furrowing his eyebrows "What happened?"

"The beast took him" I informed. "Right after he kicked my ass and the Manticores kicked their asses"

"This is all Jason's fault" Phoebe told them.

I nodded eagerly in agreement, glaring at Phoebe.

Chris had to look away to hide his grin of amusement from my expression.

Leo frowned, not understanding "How's that?"

Phoebe waved a hand dismissively "Oh, you're a guy, you wouldn't get it"

Chris looked back at us, seriously. "Wait, how are we supposed to get back Piper if we don't have the baby?"

The sisters and I exchanged, grim looks.

"Well, we're gonna try to have another little get together with the Manticores, see if we can't start some sort of deal" Paige said.

"If we can join forces with them to kill the beast, then they can get their baby back" I continued.

Paige clapped her hands, gesturing at herself and Phoebe "And we can get our sister back"

Leo crossed his arms, curiously "And what if they don't want to join forces?"

I grinned mischievously.

Paige held up a vile "Well, we hope we have enough of these fancy little things to go around"

Chris shook his head, immediately protesting "No, no way, it's too risky"

"They're still alive for a few more years so..." I shrugged, pointing at Chris.

Chris narrowed his eyes at me.

Phoebe chuckled at me, shaking her head. "Doesn't matter if it's risky. Blood is thicker than water"

Phoebe poured some Manticore blood on the crystal to start scrying.

I looked at Chris, determined.

Chris sighed silently at my look.

~8~

Considering I got hurt, Chris banned me from going with the sisters to that Manticore suicidal mision - that how he called it -

I had protested, but when I tried to get up, my body ached in pain, and it wasn't until that moment that I realized a piece of wood had been stabbed in my side. Leo healed me but the traitor agreed with Chris to stay back.

Chris hadn't left my side since then.

And the two of us waited for the girls, sitting in the living room.

"Talk" Chris told me, pacing around the room.

"About?" I asked innocently, my knees tucked into my chest, on the couch.

"There's a reason you didn't want to vanquish that baby" Chris pointed out.

I sighed, dropping my legs to the floor, placing my elbows on my thighs, resting my chin on my hands. "Wyatt's best friend"

Chris stopped walking, closing his eyes. "So, that's why you were protecting him"

"He kept Wyatt sane for a long time" I whispered. "Because of his dad, he had been good, remember? We called him Wyatt's conscience once in a while. And he was"

"Until Wyatt stopped listening to him" Chris sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Yeah, I remember him now. But we don't know if he's this baby" he looked at me. "For all we know, this baby grows up to corrupt Wyatt"

"We don't know that" I countered.

"But we don't know either if he's his best friend" Chris argued. "Besides, his father's human. This baby's? He's not-"

He was interrupted by a swirl of orbs, the three sisters appearing.

We looked at them. I stood, walking closer, stopping next to Chris.

Piper looked freaking out, "What the hell are you doing?"

Paige and Phoebe exchanged confused looks.

"Saving your life" Paige answered.

Piper shook her head, panicking "No, no, no, you don't understand. We have to go back, hurry!"

Without a warning, the three girls orbed back out.

I blinked. "Uh...."

Chris rocked on his heels, clicking his tongue, gesturing at the empty space where they had been "Well, that just happened"

"Eh" I shrugged.

We looked at each other, allowing a small chuckle passing through our lips, because that had been normal behavior when growing up.

Orbing in and out in less than a second because someone forgot something for magic school.

Or because someone was running away from a pissed off family member after a prank or something else.

Good times.

The swirl of orbs again made us wipe away the nostalgic expression of our faces as the three sisters appeared again, Paige orbing a man onto the couch.

I exchanged a wide eyed look with Chris.

What the hell?!

"Leo, we need you!" Piper shouted. Leo orbed in next to Chris, "Hurry, he's dying"

Leo ran to the man, kneeling at his side "Who is he?"

"The beast" Phoebe answered quickly. "Heal, heal, hurry"

"Where's the baby?" I asked, looking at the man, frowning. He was human all this time?

"Manticores have him" Paige answered.

Leo started to heal the man.

Chris crossed his arms "Oh, so the plan worked?"

Phoebe cringed "Yeah, a little too well"

Paige tilted her head "Yeah, now we just have to get the baby back"

Chris uncrossed his arms, skeptically "What?"

I elbowed him, harsh.

Chris glared at me.

I gave him a pointed look.

"Paige, will you go fill up some potion viles, please?" Piper asked.

"Yeah" Paige nodded, walking out of the room.

"Lots of them" Piper called after her.

"What, hold up" Chris told them. I passed a hand through my hair, frustrated with Chris. "Are you serious? You finally get rid of the demon child and now you wanna risk your lives trying to get it back?"

Leo finished healing the man completely.

The man sat up. "He's not a demon child. That's my son"

Piper placed a hand on his shoulder, concerned "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

The man looked down at himself "I can't believe I'm human again"

Piper looked a little smug "Aren't you glad you didn't kill me now?"

"Not funny, I don't think that's funny" Leo said, shaking his head.

"Agreed" Chris added.

Because you can't be born if she dies, I thought to myself quietly. Indeed we had to make sure they lived, that they had their lives intact for our future to exist.

Chris also needed to make sure he was conceived at some point within this year and I had to keep my mother safe for a least the next six years if I wanted Prue and I to exist.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow, amused at Leo and Chris agreeing to something for the first time in a while "Oh, what, are you two on like the same team now?" she looked at the man "We're gonna get your baby back, I promise"

Chris looked annoyed "Do we not have a say in this?"

"I don't think we do" I said, rubbing my arm.

Leo gave me a slight, amused smile, looking to Chris "No, we don't. One thing you gotta learn about being their Whitelighter is once they make up their mind, that's it. Besides, I'm a father first".

"So we're gonna have to separate the baby before we attack" Phoebe said, looking at the man. "You know that, right?"

The Man frowned "Why?"

"The potion vanquishes Manticores" I explained, "The baby, your son well, he's a Manticore?"

"Half-Manticore" Piper corrected.

The man nodded in understanding.

~8~

The baby was safe.

The moment he saw me, he shimmered our of the playpen. I sighed out in amusement, holding my arms out, the baby shimmering in my arms, giggling softly.

I smiled as I let him shimmer out again back to the playpen.

I felt his dad stand next to me, watching his son.

"He likes doing that a lot" He said, there was a smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, don't I know it" I said with a small laugh.

"He likes you" The man noted softly.

"I can see that" I joked slightly.

And if indeed he was Wyatt's best friend, then I would understand because there was a time, maybe around a month or so where he was very very friendly with Phoebe's daughters. Specially Prue.

"Thank you for looking out for him" The man told me. "I'm Derek"

"Bree" I shook his hand, smiling, looking toward Piper as she walked closer with a stroller and a brown paper back. "Take care of you and your son"

Derek smiled, nodding as I walked away, past Piper who began talking to him.

Almost at the top of the stairs, I turned around to face Derek, sensing Chris orb behind me.

I hummed "Wyatt's bestie indeed"

Chris leaned forward, wrapping an arm around me in an embrace, resting his chin on my head, sighing. "So you were right, after all"

"I'm always right" I grinned up to my cousin. "And don't you forget it" Chris rolled his eyes, pulling me back into his arms, making me shriek in surprise "Chris!"

"Get ready, little cuz" Chris grinned mischievously, before orbing out.

"Chris!" I whined in annoyance but laughed as the swirl of blue lights surrounded us, taking us somewhere else.