Chapter Four

The sun flooded the outdoor patio of the manor, which had brought the family outside for breakfast this morning. Penny, Patty, Prue and Victor all sat nursing various breakfast foods on their laps, around the small wicker table and chair set which had been moved outside from the sunroom for days such as this one.

"This is nice isn't it," Patty gushed, sitting back with Prue on her knee, in the cushioned wicker two seated chair which she shared with Victor.

"It is," Victor smiled, taking a sip of tea, which even on a day as warm as this one, was still his drink of choice. He couldn't begin the day ahead of him if he hadn't had at least one cup of tea.

"You're awfully quite this morning mom," Patty said, smiling friendly at her unusually silent mother who was sitting picking at an uneaten bagel.

"Oh, I'm just lost in thought that's all," she replied, only half lying. She was lost in thought, only it was about why she was randomly attacked yesterday by an invisible demon who wasn't in the Book of Shadows and when she tried to locate an I.D. she was drawn to a blank page. But she was also slightly worried for the exact same reason – why was she directed to a blank page? She hadn't shared that information with Patty however, simply due to the fact that even Penny herself didn't think it was overly important, just an odd curiosity and at this moment in time at least, that was what she was telling herself it was. Demons attacked the manor on a weekly, sometimes twice weekly basis, and sometimes they were in the Book, other times they weren't – this occasion however, just felt different. Penny couldn't shake the cold feeling which came over her just moments before the attack. It was almost like an innate warning system deep down was telling her that trouble was brewing. Either that or she was just being paranoid.

"Up for another shopping trip today? I'm determined to find you something to wear on your date," Patty offered, brining up yet again that dreaded date with Ron.

"No, not today darling, I'm going to visit Gail later this morning," she shook her head, taking a sip from a glass of orange juice.

"Oh, okay," Patty sounded disappointed, but not surprised that Penny was avoiding anything to do with her approaching date. "I guess you have me all to yourself," she smiled turning her attention to Victor, leaning over to kiss his rough check. "But before that you can go and shave, just because you have a day off doesn't mean you can just lounge around all day," she teased, stroking his stubbly chin.

"Actually I'm thinking of growing a beard," he replied mischievously winking at baby Prue.

"I think I am going to go and get dressed," Penny interrupted setting the glass down on the table and scrambling in doors, not waiting for a response from Patty.

"Do you think there's something on mom's mind?" Patty asked after she was sure Penny was far enough inside the house to be out of hearing distance. "She doesn't seem herself this morning." Patty wondered if Penny's strange behaviour had anything to do with the demon attack yesterday, but she couldn't raise her suspicions with Victor without having to come clean about the whole event and she knew that if she told him a demon had been near Prue an argument would inevitably break out and would spiral into something much bigger and out of control. She had learned that lesson the hard way when Prue was almost kidnapped six months ago by a demonic nanny, who thankfully was vanquished before she could get close enough to Prue to do anything. However, when Patty had confessed it all to Victor a huge argument broke out which resulted in Victor storming out of the manor and not returning for almost three days. He had mellowed slightly about the fact that Prue was a witch since then, however Patty did not want to take the chance of the same thing happening again.

"Maybe it's the date?" Victor guessed. He hadn't really noticed Penny's unusual behaviour this morning, he had been to busy relaxing in the warm morning sun contemplating his day off to pay much attention to how Penny was acting. "I'm sure she's fine," he added, noticing Patty's worried expression.

"I hope so, I'll try and talk to her later, I still haven't told her where we are moving to," Patty admitted, keeping her head down.

Victor made a face from under his cup. "Well you had better tell her fast, we are moving next week."

"I will, I'm just trying to make sure I word it just right," she said, stroking Prue's head. "In case you haven't noticed, my mother can be a bit touchy sometimes."

"Oh, I've noticed," Victor smirked.

(X)

"So when are they moving again?" Gail asked, sliding onto the couch next to Penny. Gail's living room was perfectly kempt, mirroring her own always pristine appearance. The curtains were neatly tied back, the hardwood floors were shiny enough to cast a reflection and the furniture didn't look a day older than when she bought it. The house was spotless. "Soon?"

"Next week sometime," Penny shrugged, picking up a piece of brownie from the plate Gail had set out for them. When Gail wasn't working at the beauty salon, she was either home baking or gardening, both of which she was a dab hand at. "I don't know, it's their business," she added dismissively, not wanting to face up the reality that Patty was moving out of the manor and into her own place for the first time. "This is delicious," she smiled taking a bite of the soft chocolate and walnut brownie. "Is this a new recipe?"

"Don't change the subject," Gail shook her head. "Am I getting the impression that you aren't all too happy about the move?" Gail asked, perceptive as ever and finely tuned into the inner wavelengths that Penny Halliwell tried to hide behind a tough exterior. Gail, in comparison to Penny, who lately had been a lot more active in perusing demons causing her too look very tired and exhausted, looked immaculate. Her dark brown dyed hair was perfectly placed in a tight bun, and she was dressed stylishly in an off-white coloured cardigan and black trousers looking like she had just stepped out of a fashion catalogue. Penny on the other hand had dark circles under her tired eyes and her greying hair sat loosely on the tips of her shoulders. "In fact, you look a bit tired, is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, everything is fine," she lied, which was becoming a habit of hers lately. "Well, sort of," she found herself opening up, which for Penny was unusual, but she had known Gail since their youth, if there was anyone she could trust it was her. Penny was faithful that deep down, Gail would never betray her trust. "I just think Patty's moving has put me off my game a little that's all," she said quietly, almost under her breath.

"You don't want her to go?"

"Not really, but I can't make her stay with me forever, she needs her own life I completely understand that, I was young once after all," Penny explained softly. "I only wish she was doing it with someone other than him," she added, returning to her usual stern and slightly critical self.

"You need to lighten up on that man. And for the record, we are still young enough, look at us, we've still got it," Gail joked.

"One of us maybe. I just can't help but think that with her moving, it will have some kind of effect on our powers. I know they aren't connected, but we have been vanquishing demons together for years, I don't want any demons thinking that we are vulnerable apart," she confessed. "Of course Patty isn't thinking of it like that, and Victor just can't wait to get her away from me."

"Here we go again," Gail rolled her eyes. "I know you don't like him, I'm not too keen on his anti-magic attitude myself, but Patty loves him," Gail reminded Penny, sounding almost like a parent lecturing their young child. "You can't deny that they are in love, you know what that feels like." Penny smiled, remembering her string of failed marriages, engagements and romance with the Necromancer. She definitely knew what love felt like, just not what long lasting love felt like.

"To be honest I think I was just spooked yesterday when I was attacked by an invisible demon, it reminded me that very soon I won't have Patty around to help. And I know most of the time I can take care of demons myself," Penny said fluttering her eyes, "but I like to be reassured."

"I was wondering what this bruise was," Gail said softly, looking at a small, yellow bruised spot on Penny's left wrist. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I wasn't hurt, but if it wasn't for Patty I don't know what would have happened," Penny said, almost doubting herself as the memory of the cold feeling came over her again, sending a sharp shiver down her spine.

"I'm sure you would have done something, you are the strongest witch I know! Nothing gets past Penny Halliwell," Gail smiled, noticing the friend's strangely humble attitude.

Although what she said wasn't exactly true. One demon did get past Penny a long time ago, killing her grandmother. But this was a secret which she had kept buried inside since her childhood and oddly enough, up until recently she had not thought about it at all.

However, since Patty announced that she was moving out, subconsciously Penny had been fearing that living alone, a demon would be able to get close enough to kill her just as one did to her grandmother. Penny had never learned the name of the demon who took her grandmother's life, he wasn't in the Book, although his face remained a constant reminder of why she kept fighting. If there was ever one demon she hoped to vanquish, it was him.

"Enough about me! I came here to chat not depress you," Penny said, eager to change the subject. "Tried any new spells lately?"

"Oh, well I tried some new ones last night, just basic spells," she straightened up smiling, eager to tell Penny of her success. "I managed to find a lost earring and an old pair of shoes I thought I'd thrown away years ago," she sounded ecstatic. Gail was only a witch practitioner which meant that although she wasn't magical she was able to cast spells thanks to the guidance and teachings of Penny over the years.

Gail reminded Penny of all the good that magic could bring into the world, the joy it could create and the wonders it could show where such simplistic things like a lost and found spell could bring so much happiness to a person. It was a side of magic, that these days Penny didn't see enough of, instead she was surrounded by the darkness of the underworld and the fear that surrounded dark magic.

"That's great, I remember once I used a spell to find lost items and all sorts of things turned up, lost socks, Patty's old toys – everything!" she laughed. "That's magic for you, so wonderful and amazing at one moment, and so scary and terrible the next."