Just A Replacement
A/N: Okay. I'm here with a new fic. My other fics haven't been updated because my mom threw away my folder with ALL my outlines for my two Charmed fics and I've been having a hard time trying to gather back all the plots a details and the small specifics. :( I'm not sure when those will be updated. Anyhow, I hope you guys like this. Ciao.
Set start of season 4, after 'Hell Hath No Fury' I guess? Cole is not the Source and Paige already moved into the Manor. Other than that, everything onwards is my own plot.
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The night was still and the air was cold. Paige Matthews clenched her free hand, trying to regain its feeling back as she trooped down an empty alley.
"Come on." She said quietly to herself, eyes slowly darting from side to side. "I know you're here. Come out wherever you are."
She stopped in the middle of the alley way as she suddenly felt a certain chill creep into her.
Instinctively, she twirled around and raised her right hand, about to throw the vanquishing potion that she had made but before she could even do it, she was blasted of her feet and was soon soaring through the air.
Paige let out a scream, her hand dropping the vial which crashed to the ground, the contents spilling out. She felt her back collide with something hard, pain shooting up her arm as she fell into heap on the ground. She let out a moan.
"That's what you get when you mess with me." Said a deep voice.
Paige looked up and saw the demon she had been chasing standing exactly where he stood. He looked human enough except for the fact that he had bloodshot red eyes.
"Now, prepare to die witch." The demon grinned. "But don't worry, I'll make it nice and slow so that you'll feel every ounce of pain."
Paige carefully got to her feet. She straightened and the demon raised an eyebrow. "Like hell you will." Paige spat.
The demon shrugged. He raised a hand and an electric ball formed, throwing it unexpectedly at Paige who was not prepared. She was hit on her right thigh and she was once again thrown into the air, her back colliding with the wall for the second time. Her body was aching all over as she fell on her hands and knees.
"Ugh." Paige managed as she felt a burning sensation on her thigh. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea." She muttered to herself.
"Now," The demon said, coming up to her. "What do you say we end this?"
"What do you say we don't?" Another voice said from behind, a female voice.
The demon twisted around and his eyes widened. Paige sighed with relief.
Piper stepped closer, Phoebe following suit while Leo stood back, allowing the sisters to do their job.
"The Charmed Ones?" The demon stammered.
"You got that right buddy." Phoebe huffed. "That's our sister you got there." Phoebe pointed to Paige who had managed to sit up.
The demon then grinned evilly. "Well, I guess you'll just have to watch her die." Another electric ball formed in his hand and he got ready to throw it down at Paige.
Paige felt fear spread through her and she let out a gasp, raising her bloody hands to her face. She was engulfed in blue lights and the demon jumped back in surprise.
"What the ..?!" He yelped as the lights disappeared to reveal a very much unoccupied space.
Paige then appeared in front of Phoebe who pulled her up, helping her maintain her balance.
"She's half-whitelighter." Piper informed the demon who stared at Paige with loathing. "And you're an idiot messing with us." Piper raised her hands up and inflicted her powers on the demon, meaning to blow him up to no avail. He only stepped back.
"Uh-oh." Piper exclaimed.
"I forgot to tell you." Paige said weakly. "The only way you can vanquish him is with a vanquishing potion."
"Oh, thanks for telling us Paige." Piper hissed.
"What now?" Phoebe asked desperately.
"We better get out of here." Leo piped.
"No." All three sisters said together. The demon began to walk towards them.
"So what do we do?"
"Nothing." Paige answered.
They all looked to the young witch as if she were mental.
"You want us to die here?" Piper angrily questioned. "After we've saved your ass?!"
"No." Paige shook her head. "Trust me on this."
"Well, well, well." The demon said out loud, catching their attention, stopping a few feet away. "It looks like the Charmed Ones aren't so Charmed anymore. I'll have fun telling the whole Underworld of how you came to your demise."
"Not if I can help it." Paige countered. The demon frowned and Paige took a step forward, pulling herself from Phoebe.
"Paige." Phoebe warned.
"What are you talking about, witch?" The demon demanded.
"I'm talking about this. Potion!" Paige called out, her arm outstretched. She made a quick flicking motion towards the enemy and a flurry of blue lights hit him, causing him to scream and wither in pain before blowing up in a majestic red flame.
The four stood in silence for awhile, staring at the spot where the demon had been until Paige let out a sigh and turned back to her sisters and brother-in-law.
"That was fun." She stated, looking down at herself and her injuries.
Her words seemed to snap Piper back to reality. "Fun?" Piper haughtily began. "Fun?"
"Okay Piper!" Phoebe stepped in. She turned to Leo. "A little help with Paige?"
Leo nodded and stepped in between Piper and Paige. "Here, let me heal you."
"No, I'm okay." Paige lied, wincing as she shifted weight from her injured leg to the other.
Piper snorted. "Right."
Leo made a move to heal Paige. "No, Leo, really, I'm okay." Paige gave him a convincing look.
"Paige," Phoebe said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You've just managed to singe your thigh, your hands and arms are bleeding, let Leo heal you."
Piper let out another snort.
Paige closed her eyes and tried to bite back a retort. "I'm okay." Paige said for the third time, opening her eyes. "Look, the demon's dead. Let's just go home and-"
"Is it that easy for you?" Piper asked in a chilling tone, an eyebrow raised. "Cuz I think we could have been nearly killed… um… two minutes ago?"
"Uh-oh." Phoebe muttered. Ever since Paige had come into their lives, Piper and Paige had been arguing with one another, never seeming to agree on anything and it killed Phoebe to see them not get along.
"We're alive, aren't we?" Paige challenged. "And that's one less demon in our life, isn't it?"
"It doesn't work like that Paige." Leo told her. "We don't go after demons unless needed."
"And why exactly is that? Isn't it our job to protect the good from the evil? Wasn't that what I was doing?"
"We don't do it because we don't want to end up dead!" Piper exclaimed. "But you, you seem to have this death wish on you!"
"Well excuse me if I want to protect the greater good unlike you!" Paige refuted.
"And what is that suppose to mean?!"
"Guys." Phoebe voiced. "Guys." She looked to Leo for help who merely shrugged, a worried expression on his face.
"Oh, come on Piper, you worm your way out of vanquishes and everything else we have to do magically!"
"Paige, Piper." Phoebe tried again.
"You have no right to say that!" Piper stammered.
"And why not!?" Paige yelled.
"Because you don't know me!" Piper shouted back. She was visibly shaking with angry.
Paige let out a laugh and shook her head. "No, you won't let me know you! Every time I try to, you push me away, you fight against me and you just push me! You guys just push me away!"
Phoebe's mouth dropped open. "Paige, that isn't-"
"What? True?"
"Well, you aren't Prue." Piper muttered.
"Piper!" Leo admonished.
Paige gritted he teeth. "See. You know, why don't you just say it Piper? I'm nothing to you. I'm just here to make sure that the 'Power of Three' isn't over. A replacement. Other than that I'm nothing because I'm not Prue. Am I right?"
Piper looked away but that was enough of a confirmation for Paige who blinked, feeling the onslaught of tears coming.
Phoebe, all the while had been staring at Piper, a shocked expression on her face. "Piper… Tell her that isn't true."
Piper said nothing.
"Piper…" Phoebe turned to Paige, a pleading look on her face. "Paige, come on, that's not-"
"Take me to the Manor." Paige demanded to Leo, ignoring Phoebe.
"Paige…"
"I want to go." Paige firmly stated.
No one made a move.
A tear fell from Paige's eye. "Just take me back already." She hissed angrily.
Leo looked down at the ground and stepped forward. He grabbed hold of Paige's hand and took Piper's arm in the other while Phoebe put a hand to his back. Without another word, he orbed out, leaving the alley way an empty void of sorrow.
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Once they had arrived back at the Manor, Paige let go of Leo's arm and instantly made her way to the stairs.
"Paige!" Phoebe called out. Paige went up the steps as quickly as her injured leg would take her.
Phoebe followed after her, Piper trailing behind.
"Paige!"
"What's going on?" said a male voice. Cole stepped into the room, having come out from the kitchen and looked to Leo for answers.
"Another fight." Leo answered.
"Oh." Cole nodded. "It'll die down."
"I don't know about that." Leo said quietly as he watched Piper and Phoebe disappear from view.
Meanwhile, Paige had already reached her room and had taken out a duffel bag from the chest of drawers and had begun to shove clothes into it.
"Paige." Phoebe repeated, entering the room. Piper stopped by the door. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Paige retorted, she moved to her closet and opened it up, taking various clothing from there and shoving a few shoes in.
"Come on, you're running away? Isn't that childish?"
Paige ignored her.
This time, Piper spoke. "Paige-"
"NO!" Paige whirled around. Her jaws were clenched and she was crying. "You've said what you've needed to say and you've made it clear!"
"I-"
"I SAID NO!" Paige bellowed and Piper closed her mouth. "I've had enough of trying to fit in! I've had enough and I'm done with it! You hear me? Done! I'm not your sister and I'm not a part of this family! I'm out!" And with that, Paige stormed out the door.
Phoebe gave Piper a look and they both went after the younger witch.
"You can't just leave!" Phoebe desperately told her as they descended the stairs.
"Watch me." Paige growled as she reached the bottom step. She made her way to the front door but Cole, who had been waiting downstairs with Leo, grabbed her arm.
Her duffel bag fell from her shoulder with a thud. "Let go of me!" Paige yelled, jerking her arm away. She just wanted to get away from everything. The hurt was killing her and she couldn't handle it.
She picked up her bag from the floor.
"Paige," Phoebe pleaded one last time. "Think about what you're doing. Please."
"I know what I'm doing."
"And what about being a witch?" Cole asked her, hoping it would stop her. "What about being a Charmed One?"
Paige's face contorted with pain. "...I'm done." She replied in a defeated tone.
She walked towards the front door and without a second glance, left her sisters behind.
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A/N: So? What do you think? review if you must. This was rushed cuz I just wanted to post something but next chapter'll be good. Thanks for reading!