Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.
A/N: I have about 5 fics in the process of being worked on. I'm still doing them, but I've started this one, as well. If I don't get enough review, I won't post more. So review! And enjoy [ PS: Please, please please go and check out my other new fic 'Magic Through the Ages' and review! Please!! ]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
Phoebe Halliwell collapsed onto the couch with her sisters, Piper and Paige. It had been a long day and an even longer night. Much was happening and she hadn't sat down until now, none of them had.
"Eight at night and I'm just getting off my feet," Piper complained. "I couldn't even come home for lunch today because they needed me at the club all day. What would those idiots do if I went on vacation for a week? They'd barely make it a day!"
Paige played with Piper's long brown hair, wondering if she wanted to dye hers again, which had already been every color of the rainbow and was cherry red as of now. "Don't complain. The club is doing great and business is booming."
Piper shrugged. "I guess you're right . . . I hate when you're right."
Paige simply smiled.
"You two have it lucky. All those demon attacks we had today – three, right? – gave me one hell of a headache. Between the premonitions and the empathy, I'm lucky to still have a head!"
"Well, we're done for the night. Let's just sit and watch TV and crap out until tomorrow when we have to do today all over again," Piper suggested.
"Good idea. I'll go get the popcorn!" Phoebe said, standing up and heading for the kitchen. She was halfway there when she absentmindedly touched a porcelain doll on an oak table. She gasped, went rigid, and nearly fell over as a vision hit her. It went as suddenly as it came, leaving a blinding throb in her temple. Shaking, she screamed for her sisters, quickly going back to them.
"What is it?" Paige asked, standing up. Piper followed suite.
"No," Phoebe said, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Don't get comfy yet. We still have work to do."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
Piper stopped her Jeep outside a particularly dark alley. The three sisters clambered out of the car and Piper locked it. They stared around; this was one of the 'bad' parts of town. Though, in a city where demons, warlocks, and everything nasty roamed around in the shadows, 'bad' parts of town ended up seeming good.
"Are you sure it's this one?" Paige asked, shivering in the cold chill of the night.
"Positive. Come on we have to hurry. She was really beaten up in my vision already and it took a long time to get here," Phoebe replied, hurrying to and down the alley. Piper and Paige followed.
"No! Stop it-please, stop it!" A woman's shriek could be heard saying.
The sisters upped their pace and hurried forward. A young woman – maybe in her early twenties – was lying helplessly on the ground, an ugly demon hovering over her with a dagger in its ugly, scabby hands.
"Hey!" Piper shouted, throwing her arms up to freeze the demon – which didn't freeze. "Uh-oh . . ."
The demon, which had scaly green skin, sharp-yellowed teeth, and small beady red eyes, hissed at the sisters. It plunged the dagger into the woman's chest.
Piper threw her hand up to blow the demon to bits. It worked this time and he screamed in agony.
"Oh god," Phoebe murmured, running to the woman. She heard Paige and Piper following, Piper screaming for Leo. Phoebe knelt beside the banged up and bleeding innocent. "It's okay. It will be okay. Just hang in there," she said soothingly.
The woman shook her head. "N-no. It's too late for me. I knew this d-day would come . . . knew t-they'd come after me and kill me. I knew I was risking my life by h-harboring The Secret. But I d-did. Before I d-die, I must tell you something and p-please listen carefully. I don't have l- long."
"LEO!" Piper tried again, gritting her teeth as she watched Phoebe and the woman.
The woman grabbed Phoebe's hand and held tightly. Phoebe gasped, not because it hurt but because the woman had shocked her. It felt more like a tiny pinprick than a shock, though.
"My d-daughter . . . she's home alone and she's only eight. She doesn't have anyone t-to watch her. No father and no other living relatives. Katrina, my dear Katrina," the woman paused. "I've been harboring a-a secret for many years a-and someone else needs t-to know it b-before I'm gone or m-my death will have b-been for n-nothing, all I've done will have b-been for nothing."
With all the energy she could muster, fighting to stay alive long enough to tell them everything she could, the woman – they later learned her name was Marianna – told them the secret she had been carefully protecting for years. The moment she finished, her eyes widened. She gasped, gripped Phoebe's hand tightly, and fell limp.
She was gone.
The sister's stared in shock at Marianna's lifeless body. They remained silent and unmoving for a long time. Finally, Phoebe took her hand out of Marianna's and placed it down gently. She stood, looking to her sisters with tears in her eyes.
"Let's go," she said in barely a whisper.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
It had begun to pour. The rain came down as if someone was pouring bucket loads of it. Completely soaked, the sisters knocked for what seemed like the tenth time.
"This is ridiculous," Piper grumbled. "Ow!" she cried, narrowing her eyes at Phoebe, who had hit her arm.
"Stop it. We have a job to do and-" Phoebe began, but stopped when the door opened a crack.
A little blonde girl peeked out at them, looking scared and nervous. She looked ready to slam the door.
"Katrina?" Phoebe asked gently. She smiled. "Hi. I'm Phoebe and these are my sisters, Piper and Paige."
Katrina stared at them silently.
"Your mom sent us. She – uh – got kind of busy and she wants us to take you to our house to watch you," Phoebe continued.
"Mommy said never to talk to strangers," Katrina said in a hushed tone.
Phoebe fished out a gold bracelet and held it out to Katrina. "She gave us this. She said she wanted you to have it."
Katrina eyes the bracelet then opened the door more. "Where is she?"
"She had some business to take care of, honey. She told us to take you with us; she didn't want you staying here alone," Piper informed the little girl.
"I need to get Mr. Puppy," Katrina said.
"Okay. I'll come with you and we can pack a bag of stuff for you. Your mom wasn't sure how long she'd be gone. Then we'll go to our house, okay?" Phoebe said, stepping inside.
She and Katrina went upstairs and gathered some stuff. When they came down, Phoebe put a tiny purple raincoat on her so she wouldn't get soaked, then they went to the car and drove back to the Manor.
Inside, they pulled off their coats. Phoebe helped Katrina out of her raincoat.
"Piper can make you some chicken soup to warm you up and after, I'll set up a hot bath. You can sleep in my bed for the night. I'll take the floor," Phoebe told Katrina."
Leo came walking out of the living room, looking wary and tired. He glanced at Katrina, then the sisters. "We need to talk."
"Katrina, why don't you go have a seat in the living room?" Phoebe said, pointing the way. Katrina walked off.
"What's up?" Piper asked her husband, not liking this at all.
"You can't keep her here," Leo said bluntly.
"Uh, excuse me – what?" Paige asked, blinking. "She has nowhere else to go, Leo. She's a little girl with no family. Her mom was killed by a demon. Of course she's staying here."
Leo shook his head. "She can't. The Elders have just told me-"
"Screw the Elders. Leo, she's staying. Deal with it or find somewhere else to sleep tonight," Piper said, stomping off to the kitchen.
Paige followed Piper and Phoebe went to get Katrina. Leo sighed and, a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, orbed out.