DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters except the demon are mine.

The night was dark and stormy. The wind hollowed through the cracks between the boards in the attic. It was not unlike the night when Phoebe first entered the attic and found the destiny of the Charmed Ones. Phoebe sat on the old settee as she had many times pouring over the Book of Shadows. Being a book of magic, Pheebs never knew what she would find. Lightning flashed and a gargantuan clap of thunder sounded right next to the house knocking Pheebs off her seat.

"Boy, that strike was close. I hope nothing in the neighborhood was hit." thought Pheebs.

She went over to the colored stained glass windows and looked out. The effect of the blackness was complete. Pheebs could see absolutely nothing. The sky was full of black clouds and there weren't any house lights or streetlights to be seen. Then another flash of light streaked across the sky. In that instant, Pheebs saw that the ancient oak tree across the street had been split in two. The darkness returned just as quickly.

"THAT was TOO close!" she said out loud sweating profusely in the late spring heat. She turned and headed down the stairs for something cool to drink.

Across the street behind the remains of the great oak tree stood a shadowy figure. A crooked grin appeared from the darkness. The dark outline of the figure was barely human.

"Aw, to be back. I have returned to this world from the one, which I was banished. And I intend to stay this time. Those blasted witches must be dealt with first." he said with an otherworldly laugh. It echoed off the houses in the pouring rain.

In the kitchen Pheebs found Prue and her photography assistant cleaning her camera equipment. The air was filled with the stench of cleaning solvents. Pheebs' eyes began to water.

"OOOOOO! How can you stand the smell?" asked Pheebs.

"You get used to it." said Prue

"You should be in the dark room with all those chemicals on a hot summer night. I can never get the stench out. Afterwards I soak in a jasmine scented bath for a couple of hours. It's so soothing and it's the only way I know to get the smell out of my hair and skin." said Melanie.

"That sounds so cool. I may just take one myself." said Pheebs.

"I THOUGHT you were going to help out Piper in the basement. We're still trying to clean out all and catalog all of Gram's old.. um.. mystical stuff." said Prue waving her hand toward the basement. She wiped her tears from the fumes from her own eyes.

"You want me to go down in the basement in this storm at night? Right now?" said Pheebs stammering a bit and biting her lip. A little girl look appeared in her eye.

"What's wrong in the basement? Isn't it safe in storms?" asked Melanie a little worried.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with the house. It's all in Phoebe's head. She's been afraid of the basement since she was a child. BUT I THOUGHT she got over that LAST year." said Prue a little disgusted with her.

"Well, ya, sorta, but in this weird freakish weather. I haven't seen a storm like this since the night we.. you know." said Pheebs. The wind blow harder as the rain beat against the kitchen windows.

"I remember Pheebs. The night you CAME home after running away to New York. How COULD I forget THAT night!" said Prue speaking cautiously. "There is nothing wrong with going into the basement in a storm. You're probably safer there then any other place in the house."

"That's true. During hurricanes or storms you should wait in the lowest part of the house," said Mel washing the last of the chemicals off her hands.

"I don't know. There is something that would love to get me down there. And in this weather.." said Pheebs backing away. She backed right into the door jam.

"Pheebs, you promised to help Piper! There is nothing from this storm that is going to hurt you!" said Prue getting angry.

Then suddenly, "Crash!" A tree branch broke through the kitchen window spreading glass all over the counter. Prue and Melanie both screamed as Phoebe pulled them away also screaming at the top of her lungs. The rain was coming in the broken panes of glass in torrents. The scent of the rain, wet leaves and the damp humidity outside felled the air of the kitchen. Lighting struck again and the lights went out.

"Nothing to fear, Prue?" said Pheebs holding her sister in a grip that felt like a vise.

"That was quite a fright." said Mel, "We better get these chemicals picked up."

"And all this glass swept up." said Prue heading for the broom.

Then an indistinct noise came from the basement growing louder and louder.

"EEEEKKKK!" said Piper stumbling up the stairs. "Help. I can't find my way out of her. PRUE! PHOEBE! Where's the stupid fuse box!"

Prue pulled out the flashlight and shined it down the stairs. A column of light illuminated the steps showing poor Piper in a heap at the bottom of the steps with three boxes that had fallen on top of her. She was bleeding around the forehead.

"Oh, sweetie. Come up here. We'll fix you up." said Prue.

Piper got up, stomped up the stairs shielding her eyes with her hand.

"Can I help you out, PIPER?" said Pheebs.

"I don't need any help. What we need is some stupid emergency lighting down there in that.. that deathtrap.. dungeon.. hole in the ground." said Piper seething. She wiped her forehead and looked at the blood.

"Ooooo." went Melanie. "I'll go get the first aid kit and help you out."

"First drawer on the left." said Pheebs. "NOW you know why I don't like it down there. Are you sure you're all right. Piper?"

"Oh great! Just great! WHOA, that hurts," Piper said as Mel put on some antiseptic on her bleeding forehead.

"That's my brave middle sister." teased Pheebs as she smiled at her until she heard a large noise coming from up in the attic.

"ANOTHER tree branch?" asked Melanie while bandaging up Piper.

"Maybe," said Prue. "Definitely something in the attic. And I'll go check on it. Piper will you please help me out?"

"Oh, sure. Move around the sick person. Maybe she can fall down ANOTHER flight of stairs." said Piper glaring at Prue.

"Uh, Piper. I may need your power up there. It's the ATTIC, remember?" said Prue pointing to the ceiling hoping that Piper can figure it out.

"Sure, Prue. I'll stay here with Melanie while you and PIPER [tapping her on the shoulder] go and check out whatever or whoever is IN THE ATTIC." said Pheebs now pointing up to the ceiling. More sounds came from up there somewhere.

"OH, right. I do wonder what's up there in the attic. COME ON! Prue, this is certainly the night for it." said Piper as she hopped off the counter and headed upstairs.

"Thanks. Pheebs. Here's an extra flashlight. I'll call you if.. never mind." said Prue cautiously walking after Piper. The lightning flashed again illuminating the whole kitchen.

"That's was strange. What does Piper have that's so special?" asked Melanie.

"Shingles! She very good at fixing holes in the roof. There may be a mess up there." said Pheebs nervously as she started to sweep up glass.

"Oh." said Melanie who was very confused. "Let me help, Phoebe. We don't want anyone else hurt tonight."

"Amen." said Pheebs as she looked up the toward the stairs that her sisters had gone up.

Up in the attic Prue followed very closely by Piper inched their way up the steps to the attic. The steps creaked with every step they took. The stairs never seemed so narrow under the glare of the flashlight.

"What do YOU think it is?" asked Piper gripping her sister very tightly.

"I hope it's a manicurist. Your nails are DIGGING into my arm." said Prue in a whisper.

"Sorry sweetie." said Piper holding back just a bit.

At the top of the stairs a purple hue emanated from the attic.

As the sisters entered the room the strange glow seemed to originate from everywhere. Everything was in order. No broken windows, no holes in the roof and nothing that would have made the noise. Then a purple-faced ugly demon jumped out from behind a trunk raised his hand and froze the sisters too quickly for the still woozy Piper to freeze.

"Drat. One more sister to go! No problem." he said. Then he called out in Piper's voice. "Phoebe, get up here quick. Prue is hurt."

Pheebs heard the call even though she was down on the floor helping Melanie clean up the last of the glass. Phoebe jumped up.

"Stay here, Melanie. Whatever you do. STAY HERE!" she pleaded as she headed up the stairs in the dark while an occasional lighting bolt lit her way.

Running into the attic she saw her two sisters sprawled out on the floor.

"Prue, Piper!" she yelled. Reaching them she started to have a premonition but was likewise rendered unconscious. Her head hit the floor with a thud and the three Charmed Ones were out lying side by side on the dusty attic floor.

The demon laughed a bit. "What a pretty picture this is. The Charmed Ones all beaten and asleep on the floor. A pretty picture indeed. And I shall be the painter!"

He waved his hand over them and they lifted in place from the floor. Not disturbing them they flew together toward the far wall and hit it. Instead of bouncing off, they flattened out as if turned to paper and took the shape of the wall and beams and the texture and grain of the wood. Their three dimensional bodies had been turned into a painting on the wall. The image looked faded and as if it had been applied ages ago. The demon smiled at his handiwork and vanished in a puff of purple smoke. There was a scent of lilac in the air after he had left. The attic went dark. The next lightning bolt again struck closely to the house lighting up the whole attic, including the drawing of the Charmed Ones. When the thunder died down, only the Pitter-patter of the rain remained.

That last lighting bolt and thunder shook the entire house and was especially loud in the kitchen with the broken window. Melanie had been very nervous just listening to the pounding of the rain on the side of the house and the howling of the wind through the trees. The last crash and the vibrations of the thunder knocked Melanie off of her stool.

"Warning or not, I'm heading upstairs!" she said out loud to the storm.

She headed up the stairs to the second floor. The rain was louder on this floor. She wandered around and found the bedrooms. The stairs to the attic were extremely dark. She slowly walked up the creaky steps. In the attic the sound was almost deafening as the rain got harder and harder. She swept the flashlight around the attic. Nothing seemed wrong. No rain pouring in. Just the wind seeping through the cracks between the boards.

"Hello, Prue? Piper? Phoebe?" she called out. Only the sound of the storm could be heard. "Where were the Halliwell's?" she thought very worried.

On the far wall she saw the painting.

"Oh how cute! They painted themselves on the wall. My, how lifelike." She said admiring the work. "Wait a minute. Are they putting me on? They're wearing the same clothes they were downstairs. This must be a joke. But the pictures look so very old! This is a mystery!" said Mel very perplexed.

She looked on the second floor, first floor and even ventured into the basement. No one was to be found. She was all-alone. But something drew Melanie back to the attic. Some strange force called to her and caused a yearning that wouldn't be satisfied until she returned. She stared at the painting for several long minutes. It was almost too real she said to herself. Look at Prue. That is the exact same expression she has when she falls asleep! Funny, very funny. Then she turned around and saw a faint glow from the Book of Shadows. As she approached the book the pages began to turn. Melanie that was a draft from the wind caused it. The pages of the book settled on the story of the Charmed Ones. The lightning flashed again as Melanie started to read.

"Witches! My boss is a witch? Some employees may think theirs is, but mine really is. And that must be them on the wall. This is totally freaky! Real X File stuff. They seem to be trapped by something and are in trouble, but what can I do?" said Melanie to the empty attic.

The book flipped through a few more pages and Melanie read again. "A Spell to Reanimate Witches! The book, I guess, is telling me to read this. That's crazy! I'm talking to a book. I can't help them!" Melanie cried to the ceiling.

The attic lit up with white light for a second and Mel heard, "Oh yes, you can. Anyone innocent of heart can cast a spell. Especially with a little coaching."

Melanie turned around quickly and saw a very friendly looking blond blue-eyed guy. "I've seen you with Piper, haven't I? How DID you get in here?" Mel asked.

"That's not important. I'm Leo and I want to help the Halliwell's as much as you do. Let's read the whole page and set up the incantation. We haven't much time before their souls depart and they will remain imprisoned forever."

"All right. I'll do anything for them." said Melanie. She read the page and followed the instructions. She drew a circle and pentagram on the floor, found eleven red and blue candles and with Leo's help found and mixed the ingredients for a potion.

"All this magic mumbo-jumbo really exists?" asked Melanie.

"OH definitely. Its not common knowledge, but many of the legends, myths and stories you hear are either true or based on real things. Witches are just one thing. The battle for good and evil is also very real. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are always battling evil and helping others. I watch over them, but obviously not well enough." said he sadly.

"Whew, this stuff stinks. I thought those chemicals were bad. They do this all the time?" she asked.

"Only when they're needed. Add a little jasmine. That will help the smell." suggested Leo.

The rain started coming down harder, the shutters banged against the side of the house and the wind hollowed down the chimney.

"OK, I'll spread this goo on their painting, put it between the candles, light the candles and step inside the circle. Now what?" she asked Leo.

"You have the incantation. Empty your mind and repeat it over and over. Don't stop until it appears to be working. I'll let you know when to stop." said Leo.

"All right. I don't believe it, but hear it goes."

Hear my plea, hear my strife,
O blessed be, bring back life,
Witches here that have left us now,
Bring them back and us endow,
Them with life we beseech thee,
And now return them unto me."

She chanted it over and over. After a dozen times Leo could she her losing her concentration.

"Come on, Melanie. You CAN do it. You have faith. I can feel it. You want to help. You want Prue and her sisters to return. Keep it up, YOU CAN DO IT!" said Leo trying to match her chant.

Melanie stopped for a moment took a big breath and continued. After three or four more times, the candle flames started to burn brighter and higher. Melanie started getting hotter within the circle. The potion between the candles began to steam and emit a jasmine smell.

"It working Melanie. KEEP IT UP!" encouraged Leo.

Melanie kept on chanting as the flames got higher and higher. Sitting on the floor she could no longer see the painting. The heat in the circle became unbearable, but she continued.

Leo could no longer see her behind the flames. The potion brushed on the painting also began to steam and emit an odor. The painting began to bubble and throb. It seemed to lift off the wall and fall back down again. The rain lessened up, but the lightning increased as the spell wound it way toward a conclusion.

"Come on Piper. Come on Piper. Come BACK to me." Leo whispered under his breath. "Keep it up, Melanie!" he cried to her.

Then the painting finally lifted up, first the arms and legs, then the head and bodies. The texture of the wood and rafters disappeared and a paper-thin cut out of the sisters floated in front of the wall with small bubbles floating across their flat surfaces trying to bring them back. The bubbles got larger and large as the limbs, then the heads and finally the torso became three-dimensional again. When the spell was completed the flames of the candles extinguished. Melanie stopped chanting and the sisters fell in a heap in front of wall knocking their heads very hard against the floor.

"You DID it Melanie!" shouted Leo excitedly. "Piper!" he yelled running over and grabbing her tightly.

"Ow! What happened? Ow, my head!" said Piper hanging onto her beau.

"What the hell did happen?" asked Prue. "Investigating something in the attic was the last thing I remember." Prue stood up with every muscle in her body aching.

Pheebs got to her feet and looked around. Melanie was getting out the circle of candles sopping wet due to the heat. She had a sheepish grin. "What were you doing Melanie? What's going on here Leo? I don't remember a thing!"

"I just performed some magic. Who thought such a thing is possible! It's soooo cool. I'm a witch!" she said grinning from ear to ear.

"Is that right?" Piper asked Leo.

"Technically no. She did perform one hell of a feat of magic, but she isn't a witch. Just an innocent helping the Charmed Ones. Thank you Melanie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for bring back my PIPER!"

"Hey. Hey. Hey. What about us!" said Pheebs.

"AND her sisters." said Leo smiling at Melanie.

"So you guys are real witches?" asked Melanie. "What's it like?"

"Mainly very dangerous as you saw. And we really don't want others to know. It's a very dangerous secret to know, Melanie. We need to trust you with it." said Prue.

"OH, no problem. Others would probably lock me up if I told them. YOU have my word." said Melanie holding up her hand.

"Thanks, Mel. I believe you." said Prue giving her a hug.

"Yea, and thanks from me too. I never thought of myself as the Mona Lisa type." said Pheebs.

"I want to thank you very much, too." said Piper taking Melanie's hand.

"Hey, no problem. I couldn't have done it without Leo here." she said smiling.

The rain let up, but than another lighting bolt stuck next to the house and the demon again appeared in the attic.

"NOOOOO! You were not to be let out again. Who did this?" he roared.

"I did!" said Melanie in a very small voice.

A lightning bolt came out of the demon's hand and struck Melanie square in the chest slamming her back again the wall.

At the same time Piper raised her hands and froze the demon solid.

"Melanie!" cried Prue running over to her. She was still covered in sweat and was now severely burned across the chest. Her clothes were charred and seared to her skin.

"Oh, Melanie, not this! Not another friend! Not like Andy! Come back to me, Melanie." she cried.

"Leo, go help her. She was helping the innocent. US this time." said Piper quietly.

Leo went over to Melanie and put his hands over her wound. They glowed white putting off just a little heat. Melanie's head was slumped over to one side, but her wounds began to glow white, too. The charred area began to recede and her wounds completely healed. Melanie began to stir and she woke up.

"What happened?" she said.

"Lay quiet, Mel." said Prue. "You were injured and Leo healed you. You'll be just fine." Prue said with tears in her eyes.

Looking perplexed Melanie asked, "Can you do that?"

"Only when it comes in the fighting of evil or if you're an innocent. You were both." said Leo.

"Um, guys! What about this grotesque statue over here. If he comes back were really screwed," said Pheebs. She placed her hand on him and saw many victims past and future, but most importantly she got a name. "Braxus."

"According to the Book of Shadows he has many powers. But the strange thing is we vanquished him along with a bunch of other demons months ago. Somehow he came back. Let's send him even farther this time. I do have the spell right here." said Prue.

"Everyone:

Blessed be the quiet peace,
Send this demon to another place,
End his rein and make it cease,
SO we NEVER again see his face."

The demon just melted away with a very low moan leaving a mucky goo on the floor that smelled worst then rotten eggs.

"Another one gone, but not forgotten. We need to open a window after this rain stops." said Piper. "Phew!"

"It has let up a bit," said Pheebs looking out the window.

"I'm going to move these candles downstairs. We can use then until the lights come back on. Melanie, you're welcome to spend the rest of the night. Tomorrow we have a mess to pick up in the kitchen," said Prue calmly.

"Am I missing sometimes, but how do you go back to your normal life. after an experience like that? Real National Inquirer type stuff." asked a frantic Melanie.

"Well, you see we never really get used to it, but if we don't revert back to our normal lives, then we will keep dwelling on it and could drive us crazy." said Piper. "A constant threat of death is a terrible burden. But that is the lot in life for the Charmed Ones."

"Believe me, the best thing you can do is put it behind you, Melanie. You want to share my room tonight?" asked Prue.

"Sure. I could use the company after tonight." she said as they headed downstairs.

"Leo, coming to bed?" asked Piper.

"Right behind you!" he said smiling as they left the attic..

"Well, Phoebe. Now what about you?" Pheebs said talking to herself. "I guess it's just the cat and me. Oh Kit! Oh Kit! No cat even. Oh well. Good night all." said Phoebe crying out to an empty attic. And she headed down the staircase, too.

The far wall that had been their prison was now blank. The curse of the demon had ended as the rain continued to hit roof. And the dark and stormy night continued.