Chapter 1 Adrenaline
Receiving a pass, Phoebe Halliwell swung herself 180 degrees to get herself away from her opponent. Her face glistening with sweat, she aimed and coolly placed the ball off the board and into the hoop. As she got a series of hugs and high-fives, she smiled triumphantly. It wasn't her first, or her last. She had been on fire all evening.
After the game her sister met up with her.
"When you said you had a surprise for me, I never would have I guessed this. Going to the courts, I though 'Phoebe's got a new basketballer boyfriend!'" Paige said.
Phoebe smiled at her younger sister. "Is it because I'm short?"
"No" "
Or aren't I the sporty type?"
"No, you are." Said Paige.
"It's just well... Why didn't you tell us?"
"I always wanted to play basketball, I did in high school but once I got my powers, I never really had time for anything. Although levitation would be good for slam-dunking, if I still had my powers there's no way I would have time." Phoebe said. "And I guess I wanted to get good before I let you guys come watch me."
Their brother-in-law Leo Wyatt had been working in San Francisco Hospital since the girls had sacrificed their powers for the greater good. He was enjoying living a human life, without the responsibilities he had as a whitelighter, a guardian angel.
"Doctor Wyatt?" A nurse called him over to an emergency room. "37-year-old female, unknown bite to the leg."
Leo rushed in and as soon as he saw her left leg, he knew that no animal on earth could have caused it. It was a magical injury, probably from a toad-demon, one that no doctor could fix. Only a whitelighter had that sort of power. But you're not a 'lighter anymore. He reminded himself. You're as helpless as everyone else in this room. The only thing you can do for this woman is give her a painless death. His eyes threatened to water as he gazed at the purple wound. He couldn't bring himself to look at the face of the woman, a woman not much older than his wife, and no doubt had kids like her and a husband like her. He put his hands above her leg, fake-healing her, and then with a sigh, jabbed the needle into her thigh.
Piper Halliwell was throwing a tennis ball against the wall, while her eldest son looked on curiously, when her sisters came home. "
What are you doing?" Paige asked, one eyebrow rose.
"Wyatt didn't want to play with me." Whined Piper, never keeping her eye of the ball. "
What are you doing?" Phoebe repeated.
"I'm learning to catch! You have no idea how many plates I've smashed since we stopped being the Charmed Ones!" Piper swore as the ball went out the window.
Paige couldn't sustain a giggle.
"Have you made dinner yet?" asked an ever-hungry Phoebe.
"Yep." Piper said. "And I took your coat the drycleaners, posted all your letters, got you a new toothbrush and made your bed."
Paige laughed again.
"Thanks, sis." Phoebe hugged her pregnant sister and headed for the food.
Piper looked at Paige. "Do you want to play me?" she said holding up the ball.
"No thanks." Paige joined Phoebe inside.
After dinner Piper threw an idea across the kitchen table. "Bad Manners is playing at P3, you guys want to go?"
"Yeah, why not?" Paige said and they started getting ready.
"Ugh, Paige." complained Phoebe, pointing to Paige's outfit, a maroon baggy sweater and jean shorts. "You sure you wanna wear that? P3 is a total babe magnet. You want to look your best."
Paige rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll put on my sexy black dress. But unlike you, I don't need it."
"No fighting girls." Said Piper, aware of the fact she was acting more and more like their mother everyday.
She punched Daryl's number in their cordless phone but Leo grabbed it off her and turned it off.
"I'll look after the kids tonight." He announced. "You guys have a girl's night."
"You sure?" Piper frowned.
"Yes" He said planting a kiss on her lips. "Now go, have fun!"