Piper had finished up in the kitchen with the dinner dishes and pre-washed some vegetables for the next night. She was concentrating so thoroughly on keeping herself busy that Piper barely heard the knock at the front door. "I hope that's not some magical creature needing any help right now. We have more than enough to deal with as is," Piper spoke aloud to herself. The knocking continued once more. 'Phoebe must be on whitelighter duty still' Piper thought; otherwise the sound of 'I'll get it!' would have shrieked through the manor. Phoebe always made herself known.

As Piper was coming through the swinging kitchen door, Leo was walking off the landing of the stairs to go to the door. "I got it, honey," Leo told her as he caught his wife out of the corner of his eye. He opened the door revealing Eve, Ava's assistant. "Hello, Eve. Thanks for coming by. Come in." Leo greeted her. "Hi, Eve," Piper said to her. "Hi, Piper. Last time I saw you I believe we were trying to get you accustomed for the big home birth and using the birthing ball," Eve reminisced. "Yeah, don't remind me. I promise you it won't ever happen again. I'm having this kid in a hospital this time around...and no one is going to change it," Piper retorted firm in her conviction. Eve smiled. She knew Piper was right. It was hard enough to bear a child as is, but they had done it for thousands of years prior.
"I'm here for the sick one to do a preliminary check on her. Where would Paige be at this time?" Eve asked. "The barker is upstairs in bed where she belongs at this point...and stubborn as ever," Piper added. "We're never quite the same while sick, Piper," Eve told her as she headed for the stairs. "Well, let's just say Paige has many more issues at the moment than just being sick," Leo stated. Piper instantly fixed him with a look. "Like what?" Eve asked in curiosity. Piper mouthed, "Dammit, Leo!" as she left the room to begin a new project.
"Uh, well Paige is also pregnant and she and her husband had a little disgruntlement going on lately," Leo answered hesitantly. "Oh, well the less stress the better for Paige, and the child. Let's go and check on her," Eve said. Leo nearly let out a heavy sigh of relief. He thought for sure the twenty questions and answer ceremony would begin, considering that he was dealing with a gypsy psyche major.
"I'll escort you to her room," Leo said. "Thank you," Eve replied. "She was asleep last time I checked but...." Leo was cut off immediately as they heard a loud coughing fit. "I think she's awake," Eve stated. Leo was grateful for Piper being downstairs because Eve had left herself wide open to a sarcastic attack.
Leo and Eve entered Paige's room as Paige was sitting up reaching for her spit bowl. As Paige was ready to eject the unwanted resident from her mouth she noticed her visitors, who had not knocked to come in. She motioned for them both to turn around and spat out a mouthful. "Okay, you can turn around now," Paige hoarsely stated. "Hi, Paige," Eve said sympathetically. "Hi, yourself, " Paige retorted. Eve knew Paige wasn't in a good mood. "Ava sent me over to check you over before she comes in the morning. So, I need your blood pressure, just a little bit of blood from you, and your temperature and a small amount of anything you might expectorate."
"No shortage on the last part," Paige told her. "Okay, well I'm going to leave you two and go downstairs to see what else Piper might be up to," Leo told them. Just then Peyton started to cry, followed by Garrett. "Change of plans," Leo said as he went into the nursery to check on the kids. "Paige, I brought a butterfly needle to make it easier to draw your blood since the cough is so bad. But first I'm going to check your blood pressure," Eve proceeded.

Downstairs

As Leo descended the staircase with his son and niece in either arm, Phoebe orbed into the dining room. "Hello? I'm back. Anyone there?" Phoebe queried. "Hey, how are my charges doing?" Leo asked as he saw her. "They're great. I just came from the Seattle area. The witch there with the power to bend light was in trouble. I had to heal her, but in order to do so I had to save her first."
"What did you do?" Leo asked. "Ever seen a pregnant whitelighter high-karate a demon to the ground?" Phoebe asked. "No; but you'd better be careful! You're almost nine months after all," Leo reminded her.
"Yeah, I know...." Phoebe sighed.
"So, what happened?" Leo knew she was dying to tell the rest of the story. "She used her power to somehow capture the light, from a headlight of a car, no less, and concentrated it into a powerful ultraviolet beam. The demon literally boiled and burned alive until vanquished. It was gross but what a cool power. I asked her if she needed anything else because I needed to get away before the smell got to me. Vanquished flesh is not pleasant to the nose of a pregnant woman if you get what I mean," Phoebe explained. "Understood," he replied. "Where's Piper?" she asked. "I really don't know...but would you mind taking Peyton here for a moment and holding her? These two have slept most of the afternoon away and didn't eat dinner, so I'm going to give them a snack."
"Sure, Leo; and if you see Piper tell her I'm back," Phoebe said.
"Hello little Peyton. How are you my little precious niece? I could just kiss you all over!" Phoebe baby talked. "I still can't believe you're going to be a year old already in just a few months...heck I can't believe you were my sister at one time? Who's bigger now, Prue?" Phoebe joked. "Don't test the baby, Phoebe. She does have Piper's powers right now after all," Leo reminded her. "Haha! Yeah, I guess I forgot about that," Phoebe said meekly.
"Why don't you, and your next little addition to the family, go and rest for a little while. You've had a long day with our charges. My days don't even last that long, usually. Oh, by the way, Piper said you better eat a snack like the babies are or she's going to make you. She's doing some laundry right now," Leo said with a smile. "Some things will never change will they, Peyton?" Phoebe brushed the hair off of her niece's head with her hand as she handed her off to Leo and kissed Garrett, who affectionately called her "Peebee," and headed into the kitchen to get some chamomile tea and butter and crackers. Piper peeked into the kitchen to see Phoebe and commended, "Good girl!" Phoebe could only chuckle as she carried her tea and snack to the living area where she would sit in her favorite chair and read her magazine.

5 or 10 Minutes Later

Paige was choking so badly that she wasn't able to hold the thermometer in her mouth. Eve told her she had no choice other than to take it rectally, then. Paige shrieked, "Oh no! You are NOT going there!" and orbed out, leaving Eve to screech, "PAIGE!!!" Piper went tearing up the stairs to see what was wrong, as Paige appeared, with her orbs dissipating, on the couch downstairs, scaring Phoebe, who was engrossed reading in the chair and causing her to orb out and back in. Phoebe scolded, "You nearly scared the kid right out of me!" Paige grimaced and began to choke out the word sorry. Leo ran in asking, "What's the matter?" His attention was drawn to the coughing of Paige, laying on the couch and he began to rebuke, "What are you doing out of bed? And where is Eve? She hasn't left yet."
"I didn't even know that Eve was here. She came to do the check up procedure didn't she?" Phoebe asked. "Check up has a whole new meaning, sis!" Paige told her.
Meanwhile, Piper, unaware of what had happened, entered Paige's room, only finding Eve.
"What's the matter; where's Paige? What were you screaming for? In this house shouts like that are reserved for attacks only," Piper interrogated Eve. "I was in the process of getting Paige's temperature, after taking her blood pressure and a blood sample, and then she teleported, or something," Eve told Piper. "PAIGE!!!" Piper shrieked. "I thought you said screaming like that was for attacks only?" Eve asked. "I'm in attack mode!" Piper retorted.
"Uh oh" Phoebe said warily as Paige pleaded, "Quick, hide me!" Leo told her, "Nope, you brought this one on yourself."
"Dude, you don't EVEN want to know where she was headed with that thermometer of hers!" Paige announced with a shudder. Piper and Eve walked down the stairs and Piper said, while pointing to Eve, "Paige, you let the nice medical examiner take your temperature."
"Like hell!" Paige shouted hoarsely. "What?!" Piper challenged. "Are you crazy lady?! She comes near me with that thing and she'll find herself nursing a lovely sunburn!" Paige proclaimed.
"Like hell?" Leo echoed. Suddenly, the meaning of Paige's words dawned on him and he rebuked, "Paige!"
"Whaaaat?" she drawled. "You're dead! You have no feeling there, so back off!"
"If her head starts spinning and she vomits split pea soup, I'm doing a Wiccan exorcism," Phoebe informed them, trying to add a little humor but somewhat serious at the same time. Leo snickered a little but Piper was in no mood for games now. "Paige," Piper began, a saccharine sweet smile plastered on her face despite her frustration, "Just let Eve take your temperature, and it will all be over."
"You're damn right it will be! She is not getting near me with that thing," Paige continued. "Dammit, Paige! Would you stop being so stubborn! Maybe I will perform the exorcism on you myself because there's obviously something wrong with you!" Piper threatened.
Paige stood up ready to orb out again if need be, and instead began another coughing fit as Phoebe laid a hand on her back to comfort her. "Serves you right," Piper mumbled. Paige heard just enough of Piper's mumble to finally rest her case. "You bend over and let her stick that thing in you! See how you deal with it!" Paige declared. "Aww, Paige!" Phoebe groaned. Piper's eyes grew as big as full moons at the prospect. She turned and looked at Eve, saying, "Yeah, see? You failed to mention that part. I wouldn't let you put that up me, either!"
"Piper! Little ears...." Phoebe reminded her sister as she covered her large abdomen. "Phoebe the only thing that baby is hearing, if nothing else is just some noise. You act as if he's psychic and omnipotent," Piper said.

Piper raised her hands in the peace-making surrender position and took a deep breath to relax. "Okay, every body. Emotions have been running extremely high lately. Eve, there is a better way to take her temperature and you know it. Either use her armpit or come up to modern day technology and use Garrett's ear thermometer," Piper told her. "I'm sorry." Eve said with a soft voice. "It's okay..." Paige fought out through a thick deepened voice from the coughing. "Yeah you sound great," Piper and Phoebe said at the same time. "You both owe me a Coke when I'm better," Paige told them. "I just...I have this thing about my behind being touched. It's just not going to happen," she ordered. Piper brought out the ear thermometer and took her baby sister's temperature. "102° F!" Piper gasped.

"Okay," Eve said as she wrote her data, "I'm going to call Ava with the information and see what she wants to give her for the fever. Right now the best thing to do would be to just keep her on the couch, here, where we can monitor her. Get a cool washcloth for her forehead and keep the rest of her covered. For now we're going to have to sweat it out of you." Eve informed them. "Let me fix the couch up for sleeping on it," Piper said. "Leo, get the washcloth and whatever else might be needed. And Phoebe, you shouldn't be near Paige right now," Piper told her. "She's right. A woman in her final trimester should stay away from illnesses like this as much as she can," Eve concurred as Piper shook her head in the yes manner. "I'm also a little worried about your blood pressure at this point. I know things have been tense lately, but it is relatively high at this point on top of the pneumonia...I'm concerned for your baby. If we can get the cough suppressed a little bit and the blood pressure down some, we'll be in the clear. Excuse me," Eve ended as she pulled out her cellular phone to call Ava, and Leo and Piper headed to their duties for the moment.

"Paige; are you okay?" Phoebe asked sensing her sister's pain. "Yeah, sure...My husband was gone for almost three days, I fell off the wagon, Glenn got sucked into the Nexus earlier and is gone with nothing to bring him back, I've got pneumonia and feel like I'm drowning when I'm not coughing to death with a 102° F fever, and my blood pressure is up further endangering my child...I'm just wonderful!" Paige cried and choked. "Honey calm down. I know everything is in a hand basket going to hell but getting this much more upset and crying isn't going to fix it. We're going to get through this together like we always do. All things will work out. Trust me...." Phoebe held her sister, who put her head into Phoebe's lap, so to avoid coughing directly on her.

Piper came back and began making the couch up just after overhearing the end part of Paige's rant. Moved with pity and compassion, she also began to water up. She knew it was time to come up with something and fast to get Glenn back. Magic owed them big this time Piper believed...if it took Glenn away then it will bring him back she thought. The sisters three were connected whether Charmed at the same time or not. Leo entered with a small bowl of cool water and a washrag for Paige, and sat them on the table. He saw the pain within the family and helped his wife make the couch into a bed for Paige and Eve came in to prescribe what could be given to Paige until Ava came the next morning.

"Ava says it's safe to give her Tylenol every four hours for the fever, and if it climbs any higher, you're to put her in a cool bath to bring her temperature down. Give her Vicks as often as she needs to use it, and keep a warm-air vaporizer running at all times for her." Piper, Leo, and Phoebe all nodded in understanding, as Eve continued, saying. "She also said to make a syrup of bloodroot, cherry bark, eucalyptus and honey, and give her a tablespoon at a time, when you give her the Tylenol. Be sure you don't give her too much, as it will upset her stomach." Phoebe could not hide her grimace of disgust at this revelation, and Piper, seeing it, hid a grin behind her hand. "Don't worry, Phoebs... you're supposed to stay away from her, so you won't have to witness any accidental overdoses till I get it right," Piper assured her.

"I don't think that will be too much of an issue, Piper," Eve stated. "Here are the mixing instructions that Ava gave me, and she will be here in the morning to check on Paige. If you have any problems or questions before then, my cell number is on the bottom, and I'll be available if you should need me."

"Thank you, Eve," Piper answered as she walked with her to the Manor's front door. "You're very welcome, Piper," Eve answered. "I'm glad I was able to help your sister. Have a good night," she added as she stepped out onto the porch.

"Shut the door!" Phoebe shouted from the living room as Paige began to cough again. "Orb yourself upstairs and shut it, cranky!" Piper shouted back as she stepped onto the porch with Eve, closing the Manor's heavy door behind herself. She shivered in the cold January night, wrapping her arms around herself. "You'd better get yourself back inside," Eve told her. "I don't want to have you getting sick on us, also."

"Yeah, that would pretty much suck." Piper stated. "Goodnight Eve, drive safely."

"I will. Goodnight, Piper, take good care of your sister." With that, Eve made her way down the remaining stairs to her car and drove away. Piper shivered once again and went back into the house.

Paige's Dream:

After several hours of constant coughing fits, Paige finally reached her sleep nirvana as well as the rest of the house. All seemed well and peaceful within the Halliwell Manor...as well as could be at least. Paige slept on the makeshift bed, that Piper made out of the couch, where she reached the rapid eye movement stage. Recalling the events of the previous day, Paige's subconscious mind was like a one-reel wonder.

'Piper I heard something,' Paige told her big sister. 'You heard me step on the squeaky toy for that damn cat!' Piper told her. Paige orbs and Piper screams after her 'Dammit Paige!' Reappearing on the basement staircase she sees Glenn. Over joyous, yet something didn't seem right, Paige held her scream of her husband's return. 'Paige? Where'd your Half-Breed orbing ass go to this time?' Paige heard extremely muffled. 'Let us begin,' another voice said to Glenn. Paige's eyes grew large. She watched as a demon with yellow eyes walked toward Glenn out of the shadows of the basement. Paige waited to see how Glenn would defend himself. After all, what could a half-whitelighter with pneumonia do at such a time?

'Give me your hands, Glenn,' Khain commanded as they formed a ring with their arms connected by their hands. 'I shall now take the power of the Nexus for my own and save your kin, and revamp the Underworld forever!' Glenn gave a cynical smile to the demon. It was clear on the demon's face that something was wrong now. Paige's face contorted in fear and she found it even more difficult to breathe as she began to wheeze.

The demon began to chant, 'Natum adai necral,' but interrupted by Paige shrieking, 'Glenn!!!!' Glenn jerked his head around and peered at Paige with the darkest bloodshot eyes she had ever seen. 'Stay out of this, Paige,' he commanded her in a deep warlockish tone. Paige began to cough and cry at the same time. 'Glenn....' she pleaded with a whimper. 'Finish the incantation, dammit!' Glenn told Khain. 'Daya intaylayok!' the yellow-eyed demon finished as the earth between them crumbled and fell in. The Shadow wasted no time pummeling to the surface and enshrouded them both circling. As Khain released his hold of Glenn's hands he threw his arms up and open in welcoming triumph for the Shadow to take him. Glenn had other plans. Suddenly, the demon flew through the air and slammed into the wall. 'You betrayed me!' the demon screamed.

The Shadow encompassed Glenn suspiciously until it decided finally to take him. 'GLENN!!!!' Paige screamed as Glenn showed the black eyes of evil to her. Piper then shrieked in fear, 'Paige!' from wherever in the manor she may have been. The demon suddenly slapped his hands together forming a bright orb of plasma as large as a full size watermelon. 'You devious mortal! You betrayed me you bastard!' Khain shouted. As he threw the ball the power at Glenn's back, but the Shadow within Glenn reached out grabbing the flying plasma ball and dispelled it. Sensing the fear and conflict within Glenn, and the extra presence of good controlling the Nexus, the Shadow pulled out of Glenn, smashing him to his knees hard, and went into the Nexus where it grabbed hold of the demon who screamed in pain as he was sucked in and pulled Glenn in also as Paige desperately tried to reach her husband.

'Glenn!!! He's gone!' Paige cried as the floor magically sealed itself shut. 'What's the matter Paige?' Piper opened the basement door to descend the steps seeing her sister in hysterics. 'He's gone!' Paige kept saying. 'Who?! Who is gone?' Piper asked. 'Glenn....' Paige told as she began coughing and