Takes place between "Enter the Demon" and "Size Matters"

All Hallows Eve, the night where the curtain grows thin between the worlds of the living and the dead, where the creatures of the night and demons of the underworld roam - when shadows menace, and eerie laughter and feral howls can be heard, if one strains to listen…

This Halloween is a night of scuttling gray clouds racing across the pale gibbous moon hung far overhead in the darkness of the night, and tonight, as every year, All Hallows Eve belongs to the spirits, vampires, demons and yes, even witches…

At dusk, the manor is aglow with soft candlelight, and decorated with cobwebs, bats, ghosts and jack o'lanterns featuring the questionable carving skills of the three girls, Leo, and Cole. Leo had attacked the task with an almost child-like gusto, while Cole had tried to modify an energy ball into a laser beam to make the carving Phoebe had insisted he participate in go more quickly. After several exploded pumpkins and the somewhat derisive comments of Leo, he'd conceded defeat and carved a pumpkin in the same tried-and-true manner as the others. The results of their labor sat casting a orange glow over the front porch where Piper and Leo stood. "Feels great out here, doesn't it?" said Leo idly, and Piper nodded, content.

"Leo, are we doing Paige any favors by leaving her with them?" and she pointed inside the front door where a costumed Phoebe and Cole stood, having just come downstairs. She smirked, and added, "Come to think about it, are we doing Cole and Phoebe any favors by leaving them with her," grinning in their direction. "They look great, don't they?" He peered inside and smiled to see Cole dressed as a pirate, and Phoebe as a sleek black cat. "But, seriously," Piper said, "I think maybe she gets irritated around them, the way they've been hanging all over each other lately. Or do you think I'm worried over nothing?"

"Honey," Leo said, "Paige is part of the family now, and I think she just needs to get used to us. Besides, she said she wanted to go to the party."

"You don't think maybe we should go with them to, uh…what's Phoebe's friend's name?"

"Charmaine?"

"Yeah, I think that's it - the girl that she used to hang around with in her psych class…anyway, should we go and make sure she doesn't feel left out?"

"Piper, Paige makes herself at home wherever she goes. Besides, maybe I'm being selfish, but I really, really like the idea of spending a few hours alone with my wife…anyway, honey, spending time with this family isn't such an ordeal, is it? Although with Cole, I can almost see why you worry…" to which Piper lowered her head and shot him a look.

Just then Piper saw Paige coming from the kitchen, and she grabbed Leo's arm. "Quite a costume…" she said with raised brow, and Leo looked in to see Paige dressed in devil red complete with horns, tail, black hose and heels. He exchanged glances with Piper, and so missed Paige's brief, crest-fallen expression, glancing at Phoebe and Cole before turning her back on them. She was feeling strangely melancholy, thinking about her former boyfriend, Shane. He'd written her off after a little adventure during which his body was taken over by the Source in an attempt to turn Paige into an evil witch. He didn't know exactly what had happened to him, but he sure as Hell knew that it had involved Paige, which resulted in the big kiss-off of yours truly. Normally, she could shake something like this off - plenty of other fish in the sea, and she definitely knew how to go fish - but for some reason, her mood was down. Paige knew herself - knew she was self-confident, independent and unafraid, but she also knew all too well the vulnerabilities that she hid so deeply. As happy as she was that she'd found her sisters, and excited by the thought of kicking some "demon ass", she knew she had a long way to go towards being fully accepted into this trio. Piper, especially, regarded her with suspicion -she wasn't ready to deal with her as a sister, and resented what she subconsciously saw as Paige "replacing" Prue. For her part, Paige resented being the token third witch, the one they needed but didn't necessarily want. And although she would never tell this to anyone, she wanted to belong. For once in her life. Damn it, she knew full well that she was being impatient, but things were not going to be on their terms alone.

Earlier that afternoon, Cole, in bed, leaned over to watch Phoebe as she napped. His eyes drank in her face and shining dark hair fanned over the pillow. The years had taught Cole to be closed-off, guarded - never revealing any more than he needed, deflecting curiosity about himself with anger and arrogance, or with humor when the occasion called for it. But Phoebe….a ghost of a smile crossed his lips. Phoebe had all of him - knew all of him - his wants and needs, deepest desires and terrible, darkest rages held, for the most part within his demonic side. Once she had known that they were meant to be together, she never flinched from her conviction. She stood strong and resolute, convinced that their love would stand against anything or anyone. He wished he could be that confident. Oh, not of their love - he was convinced their love would stand…as long as they managed to stay alive, that is. With someone like the Source, it was wise to take all possible precautions. He'd almost taken his conviction that they had to be ready too far, in fact, but he'd discovered that nothing was worth the threat of losing her.

Breaking into his reverie, Phoebe made a small moaning sound in her throat. He watched, alerted, as her brow creased and she tossed restlessly. "Oh, Prue…no, no, I won't let you die this time! Get away from her, damn you!"

He brushed her hair gently away from her face. "Phoebe, honey, it's a dream, wake up," he whispered in her ear.

Her eyes flew open, momentarily uncomprehending. "Cole!"

"Shh, it's O.K. now," he said softly, and smiled at her. She stared at him a moment longer, then relaxed. "You're dreaming about Prue?" he questioned.

"Yeah…I've been having this dream for a few weeks now, in my dreams she's dying again…"

"Sweetheart, you know nothing can hurt her now," he said.

"I know, I know…but this is weird…it's like she's with a friend, but then…something happens between them…its all kind of vague, but it seems as though he has a…a hand in her death…"

"She's O.K., she's with your mother and your grandmother. Listen to me, you know that, don't you? As soon as she can, she'll come to you, somehow, and you'll see that she's O.K."

"Yeah," she whispered, and turned over, touching his chest, "I'm all right. You're with me…"

"Forever, if you'll let me be," he said.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, mister," she replied. He ran his hand through her hair and pulled it lightly, urging her lips closer to his…

From within the car, Cole, Phoebe and Paige gazed up at the house where the party was being held. A sprawling mansion with large white columns was gloomily lit and spread with glowing cobwebs and black spiders. Two lines of sidewalk lights brightened their path up to the verandah. "Your friend must be loaded," said Paige.

"She's not hurting, that's for sure," agreed Phoebe. "Come on, I want to introduce you two to Charmaine - she's a lot of fun," she said as they stepped out, shutting the car doors. Cole cut a dashing pirate figure, Phoebe looked sleekly feline in her black cat outfit, and Paige smoldered in her sexy red costume. Looking up into the crowd just inside the house, Paige caught sight of a tall, slim man with pale eyes staring at her an instant before the crowd blocked him from her. She arched an eyebrow and looked interestedly at the crowd, but didn't immediately see him again.

The threesome crowded into the doorway and were soon greeted enthusiastically by the hostess. Phoebe made introductions. "Charmaine, this is my little sister, Paige." A young woman dressed as Lillian Munster smiled at Paige, but her expression turned puzzled.

"Not to be rude, Pheebs, but I didn't realize you had a younger sister."

"It's a long story, Charmaine, I'll tell you later. And this is Cole, my boyfriend." Charmaine looked Cole up and down with great interest. Cole wiggled an eyebrow at her, and she giggled.

Oh, my, Phoebe…where do you shop, girl?" Phoebe opened her mouth in pretended protest, looking pleased. Paige, rolling her eyes, excused herself from the group and strolled off through the crowd of party-goers. She hesitated for a fraction of a second at the bar, then moved towards a window and looked outside.

"Hi, I'm David," a male voice with a British accent greeted Paige. She turned and saw the tall blond man with icy, blue-gray eyes she'd seen earlier looking down at her. He smiled politely and added, "Sorry if I startled you."

"Oh, no," she said, "It's just…pleased to meet you. I'm Paige."

"Hi, Paige. How do you know Charmaine?"

"Oh, I don't, not really. She's a college friend of my…sister's, uh, Phoebe".

"Phoebe…I don't believe I know her, either. Oh well…the important thing is, knowing you…or getting to know you, I hope?" And he smiled a charming smile that warmed those intent and icy eyes.

Hell-o there, maybe tonight was not going to be so bad after all, she thought, eyeing the good-looking guy in front of her. As if sensing her thoughts, he flashed another quick smile at her.

"You look beautiful, Paige. What made you dress as a devil…of all things?" She thought for a moment, confused by the mocking expression she caught on his face, but it lasted only an instant and then was gone.

"Don't you like devils?" she said softly, leaning closer into him and lifting her face to his. His startling blue-gray eyes gazed intimately down into hers, welcoming her closeness, focusing the whole of his being upon Paige, leaving her a little flustered and yet excited. The room was crowded, yet she felt as though they were alone…not an unpleasant feeling, if she were honest with herself. She felt a warmth and exhilaration that startled her, and she lectured herself - stop acting like an adolescent! Suddenly his lips brushed hers lightly for the barest instant, then withdrew. Her heart thudded in her chest. Amazed at his behavior and her response to him, she stepped back and stared in his eyes, no longer cold but knowing, as if they'd known each other forever. I should turn around and leave, she thought.

"I'm…sorry," he said. I don't know quite why I did that…well, I know why - believe me, I know why - but it was unbelievably rude. I hope you'll accept my apology. I got caught up in…possibilities," and he flashed that intimate smile at her again. Paige, quite unlike herself, was unnerved and stumbled back another step, eyes locked on his face. He advanced upon her again, and as she tensed, a faint, bemused trace of a smile showed on his face for an instant, then vanished. She stared at his generous, (what the hell, sexy, she thought) mouth and then tore her eyes away. For God's sake! Act like an adult! She said to herself, and that seemed to do the trick, for the moment, anyway.

"I ought to be angry with you, but…just slow down, all right? I don't know anything about you, after all," she said, and that thought amazed her all over again, thinking that she was caught up in something she should walk away from, and would not.

"If I have anything to say about it, you will know me," he said, "If you want it." Their eyes locked again, and then she turned, breaking contact.

"Listen, I need to go to the restroom," she said.

He said, "And I need to make a phone call. After that, maybe we can start again. Paige? Is that all right?" and he reached down to brush her dark hair from her shoulder.

"Sure, sure," she said, and stepped away from him. She took a few steps further and then halted, looking back over her shoulder. He was gone. She sighed a huge sigh of relief and felt a pang of regret, all at the same time. Boy this is confusing, she though to herself, then mentally shrugged and headed towards the restroom. She felt light-headed, foolishly happy and suddenly, completely relaxed. She stopped short again. I feel like I've been drinking, she thought, and tensed immediately. As a recovering alcoholic, she knew how dangerous one drink could be to her sobriety, but of course, she was being ridiculous. She hadn't HAD anything. But, oh God! She felt as though she had. She suddenly caught sight of Phoebe and Cole across the room and headed towards them, relieved. Maybe a few minutes spent with them would give her a reality check. Yeah right, nothing like spending a little time with a witch and a demon to get grounded, she groused to herself.

"Hey, Paige", said Phoebe, giving her a warm smile and a pat on the back. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced you around, instead of abandoning you. Oh yeah, that's right, you abandoned us first."

"That's O.K. I've already met a …few interesting people," laughed Page.

"Well, you seem to be in a better mood. What have you done...uh huh, you've met a guy!" Phoebe crowed. Paige looked indignantly at her.

"Don't be ridiculous, I don't need a guy to put me in a better mood," Paige said.

"Oh ho, I'm right!" laughed Phoebe. "So where's the lucky guy?" Cole, at her side, snorted.

"Well, he had to make a phone call, and he does seem nice, but I've only just met him," protested Paige. She smiled at Cole, who seemed amused. And why isn't HE getting under my skin, she mused. Lately, Cole had a way of looking at her that, depending on her mood, either made her nervous or pissed her off. It was a calculating look that seemed to evaluate her and find her lacking. Ever since she had inadvertently cast the spell that caused her and Pheebs to switch bodies, she had the idea that he looked at her purely in terms of what she could do to help or hinder Phoebe, and that she definitely fell short in his book. At times he looked through her instead of at her, and as a result, she was forever saying obnoxious things whenever he was around. The funny thing was that at this moment, she felt she could understand a little bit of what he felt. After all, she said to herself, I'm new at being a witch, and God knows that he has NO patience at all, but it's nothing personal. He's just single-minded about Phoebe, she reasoned. Amazing herself again, she smiled generously, happily at him, and his mouth turned up quizzically on one side.

"My, what a good mood we're in, all of a sudden," Cole remarked, and unbidden, the memory of their training session when she'd swapped bodies with Phoebe flashed through her mind. She saw his broad shoulders and chest, glistening with sweat, muscles flexed as he moved to strike. He was so poised, so serious. She remembered how he spoke sharply to her/Phoebe, urging her to keep strong, to keep trying, to even the odds against the Source.

Phoebe was saying something, but Paige wasn't paying attention. Far off, she heard her own thoughts - what is happening to me? But she didn't care. She was happy. Free. She licked her lips. Uninhibited. Phoebe grabbed her arms. "Paige, what is with you?" she yelled.

Paige blurted out, "Boy, it's hot in here," just as Cole's pirate shirt faded into white, luminescent points of shimmering light and reappeared almost instantly in her hands. Paige shrieked, startled, then realizing what had happened, burst into loud giggles. Cole's quizzical look turned disconcerted as he spread his arms out, peering at his own naked chest. He looked irritated and a second later, mildly amused. Phoebe's eyes grew huge and then darted around the room to look back at the people all around them, drawn by Paige's loud exclamation and staring now at the shirtless Cole. Cole looked taken aback at his audience, then smirked as he grabbed his shirt from Paige's hands. Phoebe said, "Uh…hey…what a trick, Paige. Instead of the pirate ravishing the maiden, we have…the maiden, ravishing the pirate! Uh, put your shirt back on, Sweetie, joke's over," and she turned to Paige to glare at her. "You have an explanation you want to give me?" she said. Paige found it hard to stop giggling but finally grinned, shame-faced, at Phoebe and lied.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about David."

"David?"

"Yeah - the guy I just met? I guess I need to practice controlling my powers a little more, huh?"

Phoebe's look turned speculative and teasing. 'That's not all you need to work on controlling, but, yeah, maybe you should work on that or you'll have the guy stripped naked before the end of the night. Uh, that didn't come out exactly right," she said, as Paige giggled again.

"I'll be careful to think pure thoughts, O.K.?" she said, smiling, and winked at Pheebs. And now, I've got to go look for someone, you know how it is…"

Cole said, "Yeah, we know. Just be careful. The Source is clever - this guy could be one of his henchmen, for all you know."

Paige looked startled, but then said, "No, not David. He's just a guy I met, O.K.?" and walked off in search of him. She scanned the crowd casually, not wanting to seem obvious. When she bumped into him a few minutes later, she had the uneasy suspicion that he'd been watching her.

"Hello!" he said, smiling down at her and touching her arm. "Are you ready to take up where we left off?" At her nod, he continued, "It's a warm night outside - would you like to join me?" and holding his arm, she walked with him out to a elegant gazebo in the deserted back lawn. The air was balmy for this time of year, and the pale moon glowed coldly here and there through dark, swiftly-moving clouds far above. They sat down on a bench inside the gazebo, silent. David watched her, a friendly, open look now in his gray-blue eyes, and he reached out as though to hold her hand, then withdrew. Impulsively, Paige touched his arm, and then he did grasp her hand in his own as he tilted his head towards the sky. Paige looked at the way the dim light played over his face, highlighting his hair and eyes, and a shiver ran through her. What is it about this guy? She thought, I don't know him and yet, I feel comfortable with him. I feel something… strong for him. I'm not thinking of consequences, or using common sense - its as though I have no inhibitions, no fear. Unbidden, a thought popped into her mind - You should. She shivered, then pushed the thought aside. The truth is, she thought, I don't care. I should be careful, this could be disastrous, even dangerous, but I'm not scared. In that instant, she felt very liberated. Paige broke the silence, saying, "So…we might as well start somewhere…what is it that you do for a living?"

He smiled at her and said, "I'm a writer. Of novels."

"Are you any good?" she asked him teasingly, to which he raised his eyebrow, leaned closer, and said "I'm tremendously good, ask any of the three people who've ever read my work and they'll say just that," and she laughed.

"What do you do, Paige….?"

"Halliwell," she said.

"What do you do, Paige Halliwell?"

"I'm a wanna be social worker, soon to be, hopefully," she said and added mentally, and a neophyte practitioner of white magic. He looked perplexed for a moment, almost as though he'd heard her thought.

"Well, Paige Halliwell, I'm David Stratford, I'm 28 years old, and I've been here in the States for about three years now… practicing my craft," to which she blanched before recovering. He raised a questioning eyebrow to her, then said, "Tell me more about yourself," and she found herself telling him all about having found her sisters and Prue's death, minus the magical details.

He listened attentively and said, "So you've suddenly got an extended family. That must be nice, after having felt alone for so long," and she wanted to ask him how he knew that, but then he said, "I've been… alone for quite some time now, and while I do love it here in San Francisco, you get tired, after awhile, of having dinner alone and going to bed alone…don't you, Paige?" and he ran a finger under her chin until she looked directly into those gleaming eyes. I could get lost here, she thought and as his lips touched hers, she leaned back, kissing him languorously. She knew she hadn't been drinking, but she WAS drunk, she was delirious, and his kisses set her on fire. I'm not even Paige anymore, she thought. I don't know who I am, I just know that I want to be with him.

Inside the mansion, Phoebe was talking with Charmaine while Cole sat on a couch nearby, mumbling to himself, "Hi, I'm Cole, a 142 year-old demon, and the Devil Himself is out to get me, my girlfriend and her sisters. We blew up one bad guy before breakfast and burned up another one before lunch. What's that? You failed your calculus test? Well, I can certainly relate to that," when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Phoebe gasp and drop her glass, falling suddenly to her knees.

Phoebe was listening to Charmaine gush about a new clothing store and thinking about how she'd like to go, too, when suddenly the world dimmed out and was replaced with the dream of Prue. She was with - who was that? Was it Andy? Phoebe's heart pounded. She bent over and grabbed her head. Oh God, what's he doing, he's hurting her - "STOP IT!" Phoebe cried, and fell to her knees. Cole rushed to her side as Charmaine knelt beside her, concerned, saying, "Phoebe, are you O.K.?"

"I'm sorry…I'll be O.K., Charmaine," and she reached, blindly, for Cole. "Cole, it was Prue…he killed her, and I couldn't stop it…" she sobbed. He cradled her in his arms.

"Phoebe, listen to me carefully. Why are you having this dream here? Is this a premonition?"

"Cole, it's about Prue, how can it be?" Phoebe said. She wiped her eyes and stood up. Looking up at the people who were again watching herself and Cole, she attempted a weak smile, but her heart was crying out to Prue - Why? why now, Prue? And then, as if in answer, she saw Prue standing in front of her in a heart-breaking flash of clarity.

She sobbed - how beautiful Prue looked! - and reached for her, but Prue said, urgently, "No time, Pheebs, it's not about me, all right? I'm O.K., its-" and then she was gone, simply vanished, and Phoebe's heart lurched in her chest.

"Oh my God, Cole, it's Paige!" and she ran down the hallway, searching, screaming Paige's name.

With each kiss, she felt herself sinking in a strange feeling of warmth… and weakness. His lips moved over hers and trailed down her neck, grazing her with his teeth. She moaned and pushed herself closer to him. I am out of control…and totally defenseless, she thought, and finally a faint alarm went off inside her mind. She shrugged it off. David drew back to look at her, eyes gleaming, breath ragged. He smiled at her and whispered, "I've never met anyone who's made me feel this way…" and then as the moments passed between them, they grew gradually still together. Paige looked into his eyes, puzzled. Something strange was happening, was changing between them, something monumental. His smile faded. A long, silent moment passed as David watched her, unsmiling, and Paige realized she was holding her breath. The thought bloomed within her - The man I met is no longer here. I'm in danger - and that thought, coupled with an overwhelming feeling of resignation and regret, terrorized her. She pushed at him, but her strength was as a child's and she grew still again. A shiver ran up her spine as the silence stretched on.. Think, think - what the Hell should I do? She screamed in her mind. She stared at him, trapped like a fly caught in a spider's web, as warm eyes turned cold, pale, and deadly. The sensuous mouth turned brutal as he whispered softly, idly, "Looks like Halloween night could be? or will be? your last…night, that is." And she jerked as he tenderly pressed his lips against hers, while the hand that had touched her so gently tightened around her neck.

She had known, somehow, hadn't she? Playing with fire, and now it was time to get burned. Badly. Fatally. She tried to move again and found that she couldn't. She felt paralyzed. Astonished, she felt tears slowly sliding down her face and onto his. He pulled back, startled, and she saw a look of puzzlement and pain flash across his face. He touched his cheek to hers again, deliberately, fingers rubbing the wetness from her face and his. His breath slowed, and he put his forehead against hers.

Suddenly, she heard her sister and Cole, calling her at the top of their voices, and then the back door opened and the warm glow of the house shone through the open door for an instant before closing. They ran down to the gazebo and saw the darkened silhouettes of a motionless Paige and David, who leaned menacingly over her. "Stay away from her, you bastard!" shouted Phoebe.

Cole, who had started out the back door before Phoebe and was slightly in the lead, yelled, "Get away from her, NOW!" and unleashed a fireball that sailed by Paige to explode as it hit the railing. But David had disappeared.

Paige sat on the couch at the Halliwell manor, sipping hot tea that Piper had insisted she drink and wishing for a massive swig of alcohol. She was dazed and not at all sure of just what the hell had happened on this night. Phoebe and Piper sat on either side of her, questioning her. She was so tired and groggy, almost as though she had a hang-over, but it was kind of sweet, being fussed over this way. It was a new experience and one that she may not have tolerated, actually, before now. But tonight had twisted her up inside, leaving her confused and vulnerable, and she hated those feelings. What had she done, for God's sake? Where was her control, her strength, her ability to think on her feet? She had lost herself on this night. Unwanted, the thought came: and found yourself, too.

Phoebe was saying, "I know we said that you're not one of us until you've dated a demon, but this is ridiculous! That wasn't even a date, unless that's what you call a couple of hot hours with a guy! ….hmm, maybe it was. What was he, anyway -- a demon, a warlock, a guy with a bad attitude?" Paige opened her mouth to reply, but Phoebe rushed on. "Piper, I know I should have told you about this before…" Phoebe trailed off, sneaking a look at her sister. Paige rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.

"I thought you told me no more secrets, ever, after the Cole business," Piper snapped at Phoebe.

"I know, but Piper, I didn't want to upset you…I've been having dreams about Prue for several weeks. I think she sent me the dream and hoped I would see it for what it was - a warning. But I didn't, the imagery in the dream was just too vague, and since it seemed to be about Prue, I thought it was just something my subconscious had to work out. And tonight, I finally understood in time for Cole to stop David, or whoever, whatever, he was."

"What makes you think that Prue sent you this dream?" asked Piper.

"When I saw the dream again at the party, I understood it must be a premonition of some sort to be breaking into my consciousness while I was awake, but I didn't understand the warning because I thought it was about Prue. I couldn't understand how I could help HER now. I was taking it too literally."

"So what are you saying, Phoebe?" Piper asked intently.

Phoebe said, softly, "Prue came to me tonight, against THEIR wishes," and she pointed heavenwards, "and told me that Paige was in trouble. She appeared before me, just for a moment, and then she disappeared. But it was long enough."

Piper's eyes watered. "Good old Prue… still trying to take care of us," she said, voice wavering. "And now, you too, Paige," and she smiled at her youngest sister.

"Listen, Paige… I have to ask you this," said Phoebe, "Why didn't you at least try to kick his ass, or orb out - something!" she demanded.

"It sounds crazy, but sometime after I met him, I began to feel like I was drunk, or high…something very weird," said Paige, adding to herself, and I didn't want to leave him, no matter the consequences. But that was something she could not make herself tell them. Not tonight. "But just before you two got to me," and she nodded towards Phoebe, "He'd threatened me, told me that I wouldn't live to see the sun rise, basically. He held me by the throat and he looked at me, and I…well, then he just seemed to come out of it, somehow, to go back to being…normal, I guess. He looked…sorry, and he whispered, 'I can't, Paige, I can't hurt you now,' and then he said…well, he said, 'Watch out, Paige. I don't think I can stop myself from seeing you again.' And he vanished…"

"He vanished? You mean, he exploded, burned up, kablam - Cole hit him with a fireball, right?" said Piper, cocking an eyebrow.

"He vanished. Or he left…I know, I should know what happened, I was there, but I was out of it, everything was blurry…the whole thing is like a dream. But there are two things I'm very clear on," and she made eye contact with both girls before she continued, "One, he left on his own power, and two," she continued, "he will come for me, sooner or later. And I don't even begin to know how to fight him. Or if I can."