I stared glumly down into my cup of...well, whatever was floating in there. Come to think of it, I hadn't really been paying much attention when I got to P3 and Phoebe ordered for the four of us. I just hoped it was something alcoholic. I couldn't take much more of this...

See, the truth was - I'd been avoiding Chris. Okay, yes, again. But not because I didn't want to see him - actually, the opposite. I was still confused about everything between us and what we were or weren't. I had been scared to death, absolutely terrified he would die last week. I still remember cradling his head in my lap, fingers threading through soft brown locks with a heavy feeling of dread lodged in my chest.

I thought I was going to lose him...and I wasn't prepared for how unprepared I was for that possibility. Or just how happy it made me when Leo came and healed him. I didn't know how attached I had become.

Now things were more than a little awkward between us because of it and I had no idea what to say or do to fix it. So yes, I was being a child about it and avoiding him - maybe it was best this way...

Not to mention I still had to figure out a way to tell the girls about my little demon power problem...

"Yeah, the thing is we've just gotta be careful because if we stay too far away from each other, demons take advantage. We've learned that lesson the hard way a few times," Piper pointed out as I tuned back into the conversation, turning in my seat at the bar to face them.

Paige sighed, "I know, I know, I get it. I just really don't want to think of us living together in fifty years,"

"Ah, twenty, thirty years tops," Piper joked, making a face.

"We can always move to Hong Kong so I could see Jason whenever I want to," Phoebe suggested with a sly smile.

"How do you say "dream on" in Chinese?" she asked her sister mockingly.

"Ni Tsai Tsua Mung," Phoebe answered immediately and I burst out laughing, unable to stop myself.

"Impressive," I briefly arched my eyebrows with a smile on my face before taking another sip from my cup.

"Hey, nice of you to join the conversation - thought you may have been on a hot date with your drink over there," Phoebe countered with a teasing smile.

I rolled my eyes, pushing back a strand of ebony hair from my neck as I did.

"Sorry, I've had a lot on my mind..." I trailed off.

"Yeah? Spill it then," she grinned back at me.

Piper waved her off, objecting, "Look, if Mattie doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't want to talk about it. We won't force her."

I turned a blinding smile on my surrogate older sister, "Thank you."

"So, um...what seems to be going on with you and Chris then?" she suddenly asked innocently.

"Piper!" I groaned and the girls broke into laughter at the reddening of my cheeks that must have been apparent, even under the fluorescent lighting of the club.

"Seriously though, what's up with you and our Whitelighter? Because when we got to that cave, you seemed to be holding onto him a little too tightly, if you know what I mean," Paige wiggled her eyebrows and I restrained the urge to punch her on the arm for that one.

A sigh escaped my lips and I shook my head, "I honestly don't know. Things are just...different between us lately. Not a bad different but I...well, I think I might..."

"You might..." Paige encouraged me, her red hair catching in the light.

"Might be falling for him, I guess..." I said quietly, feeling the blush return to my cheeks at the confession.

"Well, honey, that was a little inevitable, don't you think?" Phoebe asked, putting a hand on my arm gently, "With the way you two look at each other, I can't say I'm surprised,"

"But what does that even mean? This can't ever work out! I still remember how hard it was for Piper and Leo - how much you two struggled," I said, my voice softening as my eyes caught Piper's, "The Elders would never allow that. Not a second time,"

Piper was silent a moment, brow furrowed in thought before her features smoothed out and she met my gaze, "Mattie, if this is something you truly want then...you have to fight for it. Fight for him. And you know that we would do anything for you. After all, you're one of us, kiddo,"

I shot her a shaky smile of gratitude as she continued, "Besides, I can tell how much you care about him from just the way you two are around each other,"

"Mm, annoyance at first sight - that's true love, right there." Phoebe pointed out, face mock-serious.

We all burst into laughter then at the memory just as a familiar voice piped up from behind.

"What are you guys talking about?" Chris asked as he glided past us.

"Stuff," Phoebe said evasively.

The scent of his cologne was intoxicating and his eyes green eyes flicked towards me, I turned my head, feeling my cheeks flame.

"Hey, where are you going?" Piper asked.

"I gotta go work on the next demon... stration," he corrected himself.

"Chris, why don't you relax and come have a drink with us?" Phoebe asked, leaning over the counter to meet his eyes.

My face paled and I kicked her from under the stool. She mouthed an 'ow', shooting me a glare to which I shook my head vehemently.

Chris frowned in confusion at the two of us but declined, "Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax."

He walked off then and I tried hard to shake the image of his white shirt and dark jacket out of my mind. It was more than a little unfair for him to go around looking that attractive, if you ask me.

"That is one feisty Whitelighter," Phoebe commented, emphasizing the 'one'.

Piper almost scoffed, "You're telling me,"

"Hey, Mattie, why don't you go talk to the guilt machine over there?" Paige suggested then and I sighed.

"No, don't make me! Can't Piper do it?" I whined, pouting into my drink.

"Why me?" Piper asked with a humorless laugh.

"Because you're the oldest!" I pointed out, "And it's your job to do things like this. It's in the handbook,"

"Come on, Mattie, you were just talking about how you felt about this boy. Now go do what I told you to - fight for it," she encouraged, using her 'mom' voice on me.

I couldn't help but groan at that, mumbling under my breath as I slid off my stool, "This is so unfair..."

Finally, she laughed, rolling her eyes, "Fine. I'll go talk to him with you. You're being such a child about this, though, Mattie."

Following after him, we made our way through the packed bodies on the dance floor and into the back room of P3.

As I opened the door, we both stepped inside and Piper started to speak, "You know, all work and no-hey!"

She abruptly cut herself off then, our eyes landing on the scene before us at the same time. Removing her glowing arm out of Chris' chest was a girl with ebony hair and cocoa-brown eyes, her skin a deep olive. But as she slowly turned to face us, a flaming ball of fire erupting in her palm, a gasp ripped from my throat. Her eyes met mine and I suddenly felt cold all over.

Because the girl standing in front of us, the one who had just attacked Chris was...was...was me.

The girl - me? - snarled then and heaved the fireball at Piper but not fast enough. Piper's hands went into a defensive position and her molecules exploded, fading into mist. I felt like I could barely breathe... how was that even possible?

A groan of pain emitted from Chris' lips then as his back slid down the locker on the opposite wall, holding a hand to his chest. I all but ran to his side as Piper knelt down as well, checking him for any injuries.

"Are you okay?" I asked him softly, willing his eyes to open again.

Slowly, he began to nod and together, Piper and I helped him to his feet, "Yeah, I think so,"

"What happened? How is that possible?!" Piper asked, panic and confusion mixing in her voice.

"I don't know..." Chris said quietly, shaking his head.

I felt my heart catch in my throat, unable to think or speak. Because if that was some freaky clone version of me or some messed up demon doppelganger, it looked like we were in a world of trouble. Not to mention the fact that she seemed to possess my demon powers, too.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

The worst part was...she was after Chris.