Title: A Witch Lost in Time

Rating: T (Teen +)

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. I just enjoy pretending. Ha-ha ... lol.

Summary: Alternate Universe fic. This is set between the season 2 finale (Be Careful What You Witch For) and season 3, then will continue on into the future.

What if Piper hadn't returned back home from her trip with Leo after leaving Prue and Phoebe behind in the season 2 finale? When the Elders fail to come up with answers, the sisters struggle to uncover the truth behind Piper and Leo's disappearance along with maintaining the Power of Three after a fourth sister enters the picture.

The Pairings/Eventual Pairings will include: Prue/Andy; Phoebe/Cole; Piper/Leo; Paige/Henry

Author's Note: Hi. Just wanted to leave a quick note to any readers out there. I'm currently working on another piece titled Revelations of the Ultimate Kind but the idea for this story happened to just come to me. Therefore, I felt the need to put this out there now instead of waiting until my other one was finished. Unfortunately, that does mean I can't promise frequent updates for this one only because I feel obligated to finish my other work first. This is more of a side piece; however, I intend to complete it. I may be able to work around posting a new chapter each time I post for my other fan-fiction, but that would definitely mean shorter chapters. And I know those of you who are reading my other work are familiar with the longer chapters in that one, lol.

Hope that doesn't scare anyone away. But now without further delay, here's the first part to:

A Witch Lost in Time...

Prologue

Prue flipped through the Book of Shadows, worry etched all over her face. Phoebe stood to the side of her, arms folded, with the same mask of concern gracing her own beautiful features. They were in the attic and both sisters had the same burning question on their minds.

Where the hell were Piper and Leo?

"Prue, we've already tried spells to summon them!" Phoebe objected. "And it hasn't been working, so what makes you think it's going to work this time, huh?"

"Phoebe, I'm not giving up, okay?" Prue protested strongly. "There's got to be some other way for them to hear us. We're just missing it!"

"Missing it? Prue, it's been over two months and there's no sign of either one of them. Something's wrong. Maybe they can't hear us because they're in trouble," Phoebe countered. "And for the record, I'm not giving up either!"

Prue slammed the Book of Shadows shut. She brought both hands up to cover her face, while resting her elbows against the podium. "I know, I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry. Look, I really don't want to fight. I'm just really worried now. Piper should have been back."

Phoebe sighed, reaching out to gently rub against her sister's back. It was meant as a comforting gesture. "I know, sweetie. Me too," she responded, reassuring Prue of the fact that she felt just as worried. "But we'll find a way to bring her back home."

"We better. Because with the Source all over us and now this new threat with the Triad, we're way beyond being screwed without the Power of Three!" Prue pointed out. "What if she doesn't come back? And what if we can't find her?"

Prue hated to admit it but those burning questions were her worst fears. Those same troubling questions kept replaying over and over again in her mind. What if this situation was one completely out of her control? Prue was so used to being in control and looking out for her sisters. Just the idea alone, of having to sit back and wait for things to work out on their own, absolutely scared her to death. Was she sick? Was she hurt? Prue pleaded with the universe that the answer to those questions was a resounding 'no', especially when she was powerless to do anything about it.

"Hey. Maybe we can talk to Cole?" Phoebe suggested out of the blue.

Prue stared at her sister like she had just lost her mind. "The ADA?" she questioned. "How exactly is that supposed to help us find Piper?"

"No, I mean just in case we need a cover story. Until Piper gets back," Phoebe clarified what she meant. "Prue, I want to be able to find her just as much as you do. But if she doesn't return home soon, we're going to have to report her missing. And Cole's got alot of connections in his field, so if I talk to him, maybe that can help take off some of the attention that would fall on us."

Cole Turner.

Prue was well aware that her sister had taken an immediate liking to the brooding Assistant District Attorney. And the interest appeared to be mutual for they had already gone out together on a couple dinner dates this month. Granted, Prue had to admit that the man did generate sex appeal and his attraction almost came off in a rather dark and mysterious way. Just the type Phoebe usually went for, she reflected. But still. There was something about him that just felt very off to Prue. She couldn't quite place her finger on it yet but she would keep a close eye on him. After all, she didn't want her baby sister to get hurt down the road.

"Maybe," Prue relented. "But I still think we should try something else first." Then she walked into the center of the attic, looking up to the ceiling.

Phoebe sent her a questioning look. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Trying to call the Elders."

"Uh, whoa. Prue!" Phoebe began to protest as she walked over to join her sister. "I thought we agreed contacting them wasn't a good idea. You know? Because of that whole witch and whitelighter forbidden thing they got going on up there," she dramatically waved her hands about, before using a finger to point up towards the ceiling. "The plan is to bring them back alive," she cracked. "We don't want to get them in trouble."

"That was a month ago, when we let it slide," Prue countered. "Before we thought something was really wrong. But right now, I'm willing to try anything to get Piper back safely. Even if that means with consequences attached."

Phoebe relented with a weary sigh and then Prue began calling above them.

"Hello? Anybody up there?" she shouted. "If you can hear us, we can really use some help down here! Hello?"

"Hello up there!" Phoebe joined in with her sister.

"Hello?" they both shouted together.

Then, with their backs turned, orbs materialized in behind them.

"We can hear you just fine!" a voice sounded from behind them. "Please stop shouting!"

Prue and Phoebe both jumped at the sound of the unexpected voice. Turning around, they came face to face with two Elders. One was a man, as the voice clearly indicated, while the second one was a woman.

"Oh!" Prue's voice resounded. "Hi there."

Phoebe gritted against her teeth and issued a quick wave without saying a word.

"What seems to be the problem?" the woman Elder spoke next. Thankfully, she did come across more friendly and alot less annoyed by their summoning.

"The problem?" Prue reiterated. "Uh, yeah. We're sorta', kinda' having a little trouble locating our sister," she stated cautiously, scrunching up her eyes as she addressed the Elders. "And we were maybe hoping that you would be able to sense for her?"

"Sense for her?" the man Elder inquired suspiciously. "Where's Leo?" he questioned. "That's what your whitelighter is for," he asserted.

Phoebe laughed nervously. "Right. Uh, see, that's sorta' where the other problem comes in," she stated while glancing over at Prue. "He's kinda' missing too."

"Missing?" the man Elder reiterated, rather annoyed. "You mean as in together?"

Both Prue and Phoebe glanced between each other, guilty expressions plastered all over their faces. The woman Elder picked up on it immediately. She felt sympathy go out to them and for the predicament they now found themselves in; however, she also acknowledged that there was little they could do if Piper and Leo had decided to break the rules.

"They left together, yes," Phoebe settled on, without going into the finer details regarding Piper and Leo's relationship. "But that was two months ago. And we haven't heard back from them or seen them since. We were hoping that you had."

"You mean they left together because they're currently cohabitating with one another," the man Elder accused with disgust. "Which in that case, the matter is completely out of our hands. If and when they are found they will be dealt with accordingly."

Prue held her hand up straight away, momentarily putting aside the Elder's warning about consequences for both Leo and Piper, as she asked what they needed confirmed. "Wait, hold on a minute," she declared. "Are you saying you haven't seen or heard from Leo at all? In all of that time?" Prue looked between the two Elders.

"No!" confirmed the man Elder. "But time is not a measurable quantity in our realm. We go for periods without seeing whitelighters who are assigned to charges. So it would not give us cause for any concern whatsoever."

Prue and Phoebe shared a knowing look. Okay, so now they were sure something went terribly wrong. Leo was supposed to take Piper with him, back up there. So if they never even reached there, where did they end up going instead? More disturbingly, how?

"But something's not right," protested Phoebe. "It's like they just vanished."

"And we need to find them," Prue added. "Without Piper, we won't have the Power of Three we need to take on the Source or the Triad."

"That is not our problem," the man Elder replied.

Phoebe snorted in disbelief. "Wait, not your problem? Uh, aren't you guys supposed to help protect the greater good? Innocents and all that good stuff? And yet now it sounds like you're basically telling us that you won't do a damn thing to help?" She was getting mad.

Prue stood with her arms folded as she observed her upset sister. After looking back at the two Elders, she addressed them herself.

"So that's it? We're supposed to just let it go? Hope that the Source or the Triad doesn't come after us or kill us while you sit back and let it happen? And what about our sister? And Leo? You're telling me neither of them are worth saving for the greater good?"

The woman Elder answered Prue's question this time around.

"This isn't about letting anything happen, Prue," she addressed the oldest Charmed One with some regret mixed in with what she about to say. She wished that she could do more to help, but she just couldn't. "It's about free-will. Yes, we have rules that both our kind and our charges are bound to abide by. But with that said, that doesn't mean we have the power to stop you from breaking the rules or from making the wrong choices. That's what the consequences are there for. To teach you so you can learn from them."

"If Piper and Leo cut their ties from serving the greater good to be together," the man Elder interjected. "There is little we can do about it."

"No! Piper wouldn't do that!" Phoebe protested. "She would never just leave me or Prue behind like that. Not ever." She refused to believe it. She knew very well how much Piper wanted to have a normal life. More than any of them. But she would never just abandon them.

The woman Elder shook her head sadly. "Now you can understand why we have the rules we do in place. To prevent something like this from happening. The only thing we can tell you is that they aren't dead. That much about them we can sense. But other than that they do feel cut off from us. We must go now," came her parting comment.

Before either Prue or Phoebe had the opportunity to respond back to the words, both Elders disappeared within a flurry of orbs, taking them back from whence they came.

"Great," Phoebe announced, throwing her arms up in the air. "Alot of good that did us. We should start digging our graves now and save the Source the trouble. I really think we just made things worse for ourselves, Prue. Which is why I'm back to what I was thinking before. We're definitely going to need Cole's help as soon as we can come up with a cover story."

Prue began walking back in the direction of the podium and to the Book of Shadows.

"Okay, now what are you doing?" Phoebe asked her sister despondently, while watching Prue's movements. She then resigned herself and moved to join her sister back at the podium.

"You heard them, didn't you?" Prue countered. "They can still sense them. So we're back to trying the To Call For a Lost Witch spell. Gather some of the candles."

Phoebe sighed. "But Prue, they also said they felt cut off from them too. Which probably explains why magic hasn't been working."

"Yes, but if they can be sensed by magic," Prue explained, "maybe it'll just take a little longer for the magic to reach them?" she reasoned. "It doesn't hurt to keep trying at this point."

Prue grabbed the Book of Shadows, already opened to the page that they needed. Then she headed to the center of the attic and sat down. Giving in, Phoebe went to retrieve some candles. She then grabbed for a pot and a knife which would also be needed for the small summoning ritual. She sat down across from Prue and after positioning the candles on the floor, both sisters began lighting them. Prue then reached across for Phoebe's hands. With the Book of Shadows opened up to the side of them, hands held together, they began chanting the spell together.

"Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us we call you near, come to us and settle here."

Then Prue grabbed for the knife. She pricked her finger tip with it and then reached over to hand it to Phoebe, who repeated the same action. Both sisters deposited a drop of blood into the pot and finished reciting the spell.

"Blood to blood we summon thee; blood to blood return to me!"

Both sisters felt a wind pick up around them as the candles began to flicker against it. A slight chill could also be felt as both sisters wrapped their arms up around themselves. Hopefully, it was a good sign, an indication that the spell had worked this time. Prue just waited, looking around. Closing her eyes, Phoebe pleaded with herself.

Please please let this work.

(-X-)

Underworld

Through the winding pathways found everywhere within the Underworld lair, the hooded figure moved at a quick pace. He was so close to achieving his goal. Already he had managed to successfully infiltrate the Charmed Ones lives. But soon, very soon, they would be a threat no longer. They had a plan, one that had already been set into motion. A plan that would make the mortal realm none the wiser.

The figure reached the entrance he sought and then bowed before the two demonic guardsmen. It was a display of obedience for they weren't any average, lower-level, demon guards but instead demons whose direct purpose was in serving the Source. After this initial show of respect, the hooded figure pulled the hood back, revealing his identity.

It was Cole.

The guardsmen stepped aside, allowing him entrance. As he stepped inside, he was greeted by the sight of the Source, sitting on top of his elaborate throne. Immediately, he bowed down before him, down on one knee.

"Well?" the Source demanded.

"So far the plan has been a success, my lord," Cole informed the Head Master of the entire Underworld. "One sister along with their whitelighter have already been dealt with. And the youngest should be the easier one to get to next."

Cole swallowed, trying to ignore the guilt and that gnawing sensation being felt in the pit of his stomach, feelings that were given birth to after those words had passed through his mouth. He knew how dangerous it was to be giving into that human side of himself, the one he had worked so hard to suppress for many years. But on a very subconscious level, he acknowledged that he was starting to fall for the witch.

"Very good, Belthazor!" the Source's booming voice rang out. "We should be ready to complete the next phase of our plan soon."

"Which is what, my lord?" he inquired.

The Source waved his hand and pounded the tip of his heavy sword against the hardened gravel found beneath them. Out of the Source's actions, a whirlwind appeared, bringing along with it two figures who each stood to the side of the Source's throne. One a man and the other a woman. Cole's eyes widened in shock but quickly he covered up his reaction. He wasn't aware of all the specifics relating to the Source's plan for the Charmed Ones. However, he couldn't help but be taken aback by the sight in front of him.

The man and the woman were both dressed in dark, leathery attire. And with their form of dress, their faces carried a deep and dark expression. The feeling surrounding their presence was dark and evil but that was not what caused Cole to react.

It was because the two people staring back at him were Piper and Leo.

To Be Continued? ...

Okay. So I'll end it there for now and wait a little bit to update again. And if there appears to be enough interest shown in it, then I'll definitely continue with it. If not, I may not continue or I might just put it on the back-burner for awhile before coming back to it.

With that said please don't forget to review. :o)

And to those of you waiting for the next chapter to Revelations of the Ultimate Kind, it should probably be ready in a few days time. ;o)