“Oh Greg, this is gorgeous…” Polly surveyed the neatly set up picnic as Greg removed his hands from her eyes.

“Better than any restaurant then?”

“Well” she replied, flashing him a coy smile, “restaurants have music.”

“That can be fixed.” He opened his mouth and breathed in. Polly knew he was about to start singing and nudged him in the ribs.

“Ow!”

“Sorry.” She kissed him on the lips and he wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her over to the blanket on the grass.

It was the perfect setting. Stars glistening in the night sky and the warm summer breeze blowing through the woodland trees. A little too strong and it blew out on of the candles. She sighed, looking over at Greg to make sure he wasn’t watching. Satisfied he wouldn’t notice, she clicked her fingers and the candle re lit. Pyrokenisis came in handy!

“Wow, champagne!” He handed her a glass and she watched the moonlight glint off the bubbles as they settled in the clear liquid. She sipped and he smiled at her.

“Want to eat then?” he asked.

“Uh uh” she shook her head. “Let’s just sit.”

He leant in and kissed her passionately on the lips. Just then there was a loud crack about 10 feet away. Polly jumped up, as a huge branch clattered to the ground. There was a flash of light and a demon with red skin and bright blue eyes appeared before them.

“What the?” Greg uttered but Polly pushed him to one side. He hit his head on a log and she grimaced, but decided fairly quickly that it was probably best that he was unconscious for this. It would be far easier trying to think up a lie than have to actually explain the truth.

“Charmed one…” snarled the demon, “at last.”

“At last what?” Polly asked sarcastically, staring at him. “At last I kick your ass?” She thrust her hand forward and a jet of bright orange flames shot out the end of her fingers.

The demon took a step back, looking slightly surprised. ‘Pretty pathetic enemy’ she thought ‘most of them at least research our powers.’

“This isn’t over” he growled, giving up fairly easily. For now at least, Polly was pretty sure he’d be back. He then vanished, leaving a puff of smoke behind him.

She gave a satisfied nod and bent down to check on Greg. He was out cold but still breathing, always a plus. She put her hands gently on his shoulders and orbed out in a shower of blue light, leaving their romantic evening behind. There were far more important issues now.

* * *

Priya and Joe quietly climbed the stairs to the attic, careful not to let their daughter and nieces know they were coming. They could hear frantic giggling coming from the other side of the large oak door and shook their heads.

They paused at the top of the stairs, looked at each other, and counted to 5. The door flew open and hit the wall with a thud. All three kids stopped what they were doing and froze. Robyn squinted at the too adults by the door and tried to concentrate. “Oh no” Priya warned, “you know your mind control won’t work on us. We’re immune, remember?”

The middle cousin shrugged. “Worth a try.”

“Oh oh” Becki whispered to Regan through gritted teeth, “Aunt Priya’s turning purple…”

“Dad…?” Regan tried to turn on the charm but the shake of his head and less than amused facial expression told her that it wasn’t going to work.

“We were only having a bit of fun” Robyn protested, “It’s not like it can’t be fixed.”

Priya took a deep breath to try and stay composed. She looked around her attic and found it very hard. The three darling children had created a makeshift swimming pool in the middle of the room and Regan, who was lying on a lilo in the middle of it, shrugged.

“We were trying to cheer Robyn up. She likes swimming! And I like using my powers, so everyone’s happy.” Apparently not everyone.

“Bet you’re glad she didn’t call one of the other elements” said Becki, highlighting the word ‘other’ very deliberately and giggled.

“Yeah, at least I didn’t set the house on fire.”

That was true. Priya began to soften, at least Robyn was smiling properly for the first time in weeks. And Becki’s power of regeneration could sort out the waterlogged rug and broken chair. And the broken beam they appeared to be using as a slide. It’s a wonder the roof didn’t fall in.

Everyone had been so scared of Priya exploding, they hardly noticed Joe anymore. He threw his hands up in defeat and walked out of the room shaking his head. “I can’t take this” he muttered, “One magical child was bad enough.”

* * *

”Is anybody home?!”

Polly yelled up the stairs just as Pippa walked in the door with a bag of groceries in her arms. She put them down on the table and took off her jacket. “What’s up?”

The sight of Greg unconscious on the sofa told her. She smirked, “I know you’re a bit of a knock out with the guys but…”

“Yeah yeah, funny” she replied sarcastically. “Demon attack.”

“Becki, clear that mess up!” They both turned around to see Priya walking down the stairs.

“What’s she done now?” Pippa implied.

“Nothing, never mind. What’s going on here.”

“Demon” the other two girls chorused in unison.

Priya nodded. She should have known.

* * *

“What they up to?” Becki asked as she bounced up behind her cousins. The three of them peered through the banisters.

“Demon again” Regan announced, like it was noting more unusual than a dog in the back yard.

“Yep” Robyn clarified, just incase it wasn’t clear already, “Power of three stuff.” She stopped and turned around, completely loosing interest in the subject. “Wanna play ‘power of three’?”

“Better not” said Regan, shaking her head, “I think we’ve done enough magic for one day, and it’s late.” She yawned.

“Bed time?” asked Becki.

“Not the magical kind” Robyn warned.

“I know.”

All three of them charged at their door and closed it behind them.

* * *

The next morning, Pippa wandered downstairs in her dressing gown and found Priya and Joe in the kitchen, already dressed and ready for work. “Coffee?”

“No thanks” she said, trying to stifle a yawn, “I think I might go back to bed.”

“Lazy” replied Joe from behind the paper but she ignored him.

“What are you doing up so early anyway?”

“Early?” Priya looked at her. “It’s 9 O’Clock. Someone has to earn the money around here.”

“So, how was Greg last night? Not too damaged I hope.”

“Nah, mild bump on the head. Sent him home with an Asprin, he was fine. Polly had a bit of explaining to do though.”

Pippa scoffed. “I’ll bet. So what did she say?”

“I have no time to stand around and gossip to you, I’ve got work to be doing. I didn’t hear anyway, not all of us are as nosey as you.”

Pippa looked hurt but knew it was true. Priya kissed her husband on the top of his head and disappeared towards the front door.

“Morning!”

Becki galloped into the room with a beaming grin across her face and plonked herself down at the table.

“Morning sweetie” Pippa greeted.

“Pancakes please!” Becki said enthusiastically, anticipating the next question. “With Maple syrup!”

Pippa rolled her eyes. She had that most days, All that sugar probably wasn’t good for an already hyper active four year old but she wasn’t in the mood to argue. She sleepily wandered over to the cupboard and fished about for a frying pan.

“Where’s Polly this morning?” she asked Joe, as she lit the hob.

“She left really early” he told her, finishing the last sentence and placing the paper neatly on the table. “Went to see Greg would be my guess. He’s a nice guy, I hope she can give him a satisfactory explanation.”

“I have no doubt” said Pippa, reaching for the whisk. “That girl can talk her way out of anything.”

* * *

“That all it was then? I could have sworn I saw some red guy standing in front of us.”

“Don’t be stupid” Polly replied, hitting him playfully on the arm. “You’d think I’d notice something like that.” She tried to sound dismissive but she couldn’t help sounding a little bit worried. They still had no idea who this demon was. But she’d had enough practice of explaining the supernatural to innocent by standers without thinking she was crazy to be able to think up an excuse.

“So it really was my imagination?”

“Greg, we’ve been over this. Don’t you believe me?”

He smiled and dropped his defenses. “Yes, of course.”

“Quite with the questions then!”

They were strolling through the park on this nice warm summer morning and sat down on a bench by the lake.

“I’d love to talk but I have to get to work. What are your plans for lunch?” Polly tried to shift the conversation.

“Well, funny you should say that” he said, leaning closer. “I thought we might have another go at a romantic picnic, since our last one was thwarted my a flying log apparently.”

Polly gave a nervous laugh but leaned into him too. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Pick you up from your building at 12 then?”

“Uh huh”

“Hadn’t you better get going then?”

“Yup.” Polly kissed him quickly on the lips and stood up to leave. “See you later.”

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Pippa put the last of the pancakes on a large dish in the middle of the table and walked into the living room as Regan, Robyn and Becki all made a grab for it.

She reached for the handle, slightly more awake now than she had been before and smiled when she saw who was standing at the door.

“Dad!”

“Hello” said Ben, with a bit grin on his face and hugged his daughter. She pulled away and looked at his kind loving eyes. He was a tall man, in his early fifties and he had already gone grey years ago. Yet he still had a certain charm usually found in 20 year olds. “How’s my girl?” Polly nodded and smiled again.

“Hey Granddad?” Robyn greeted as all three came bounding into the room and wrapped themselves around Ben’s legs. “You’ll never guess what we were doing yesterday…”