Sisterly Stuff
By: Charmedgal005
READING AND REVIEWING IS GREATELY APPREIEATED
AN: This takes place during the fourth season, before "Black as Cole," with some minor changes, like Paige changed her last name to Halliwell and doesn't live in the manor. I think that that is all you need to know to understand this.
Disclaimer
If I owned these Characters (aside from the ones you don't recognize) I probably wouldn't be writing these. If I owned these characters, you would probably see this story on the show. Hey! You know what? I am writing these and you don't see this story line on the show, therefore, I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS!!! Oh yeah, I also don't own "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling (but boy do I wish I did.) So don't sue me!
* * * * *
Five Months Earlier
Marvalo stood impatiently as his messenger Zeus returned, again, with news that he had failed, again. The Charmed Ones still lived.
"If you want a job done right, do it your self." Marvalo muttered. With that he destroyed Zeus and looked at the obituaries page and smiled. "And, I'm always doing it myself."
Marvalo heart was blacker than night. He was so evil and was constantly hungry for a sip of human blood. All ways, he was willing to be the butcher for the higher power, whom he was driven by Marvalo was so atrocious that no other will even mutter his name for fear that he will hear and be driven by the hunger.
* * * * *
Present (Well kinda. See A/N above)
The three Halliwells walked into the manor laughing after a wild night at P3. "Wow, I, sorry we, haven't partied that hard since, since, since," Piper stated. She just couldn't bring herself to say that her older sister died. But it was ok. She could tell by her sister Phoebe's solemn face, and her half-sister's understanding face, that they knew what she meant. Every one was quiet. Accidentally, Piper had broken their good moods by mentioning Prue. Phoebe and Piper missed their sister so much that Paige, all though she wouldn't admit it, felt like an intruder.
"I've got to get to work early tomorrow. I'll see you later." Paige turned to go out to her apartment.
"Wait. You are not driving home that drunk. Tonight you are staying here. You can use Prue's old room." Ordered Piper. Phoebe smiled at her sister. She was glad that Piper was becoming more protective. She herself knew that she couldn't fill the "oldest child shoes." Her middle sister shoes were hard enough. If only you hadn't died Prue. Phoebe thought to herself. Memories flooded Phoebe's mind. Practically in tears, Phoebe made her way to her room.
"Going to bed?" Piper asked.
"Yes." Phoebe answered quietly.
She closed her door and fell into her bed and quietly began to sob. She missed her oldest sister so much. Prue was like the mother she never really had. A soft tap on the door made her sit up. "Come in." Phoebe said, drying her tears.
"What's wrong honey? You went to bed so quietly, and I know you too well to know that before I came in, you were crying." Piper asked. She shut the door and sat down next to her sister.
Phoebe starred at her sister with a look of disbelief. Could she really be that naive?
"Ok ok my fault. What made you think about Prue?" Piper admitted.
Again, Phoebe stared at her sister with a look of annoyance and disbelief.
"Ok, ok my fault again. It was the whole since Prue died thing wasn't it? Do you want to talk?"
Phoebe nodded her head. "When you said that earlier, it made me think about how she's not here anymore. Then when you offered Paige her room, it really did three things. One, it let me know that you were starting to move on, two it told me that she was really gone. In my head she is still so alive, but my heart knows Prue is gone. I wake up every morning expecting to see Prue sitting at the table sipping coffee. Third, it reminded me of the shoes we have to fill."
"What do you mean honey?"
"Well thing about it. You are now the oldest. 'Shoes' at require so much responsibility and you already have your protective instincts. Then I have these middle sister shoes that I've never worn before and I'm wearing them and it hurts. I just want my other sister back!"
* * * * *
Marvalo watched the sisters grieve over their lost one. He smiled mischievously. "That can be arranged."
* * * * *
Phoebe woke to the smell of coffee. As she passed Piper's room, she noticed that it was still closed. Paige must be an early riser. She thought. Quietly, not to wake Piper, Phoebe went down the stairs. She went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and her mouth dropped wide open when she saw what she did.
"PRUE?!" She screamed with both happiness and confusion.
"Yes Phoebe it is me," Prue said. She acted as if she had no idea what was going on. "All I am doing is making coffee like I do every morning. What is wrong with you Phoebe? You just spent the last couple of seconds staring at me in bewilderment."
"Stay here. I need to go get Piper!" Phoebe ran up the stairs and Prue just shrugged her shoulders. In a matter of seconds, Prue heard two pairs of feet run excitedly down the stairs.
"P-p-p-p-p-p-prue? Is that you?" Stuttered Piper.
"Yes? At least last time I checked." Prue looked so confused.
"Hey Phoebe, have you seen-oh!" Paige entered the kitchen and upon seeing Prue stopped dead in her tracks.
"Paige, come here," Phoebe started. "This is Prue. Prue, Paige."
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Paige asked.
"What? Who are you?" Prue exclaimed. Piper went over to comfort her older sister.
"Paige is our half-sister. She stayed here last night after getting kinda drunk last night." Piper construed.
"Half-sister." Prue was desperately trying to keep up.
"Yah. Sam and Mom apparently had a pretty serous relationship." Phoebe said, slowly drinking her coffee.
"Who's Sam?"
"What do you mean who's Sam? Sam was mom's whitelighter."
"What the hell are you talking about Phoebe? What is a whitelighter?" When that was said, the whole room grew silent. How could Prue not only be alive again, but how could she not remember what a whitelighter is?
"I know I'm new at this, but guys this seems really fishy." Paige said, pulling Piper and Phoebe aside and in a hushed voice said, "This just doesn't feel right. I mean she was dead, and now she's sitting there drinking coffee. She should also remember what a whitelighter is. Piper, you're married to one. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't feel right to me."
"As much as I hate to admit it, but I think that Paige here is right. This doesn't feel right." Phoebe agreed. The trio turned around to address Prue. "Prue, do you know what the Book of Shadows is?" Phoebe asked, talking to Prue slowly, to be sure that Prue heard and understood each word.
"No….." Prue answered.
"Ok then. Prue why don't you stay home from work today. I'll call you in sick, because, cuz, cuz you can't talk you are so sick, and we can have a sister day." Phoebe cleverly thought up. It was more of a command than a suggestion and Prue could tell.
"Fine. Whatever. But you have got to tell me what the hell is going on."
"Will do, but only after we know. Paige you get to work. We'll call you if anything comes up." Piper said.
"Hey, why does she get to go to work, and I don't I thought that she was our sister too?" Prue exclaimed.
"Because we went to P3 with her last night." Phoebe explained.
"Ok. Have you seen my keys? Wait, never mind. I'll just call for them. Keys!" Paige said, she turned and left leaving Piper, Phoebe and a very flabbergasted Prue behind. Prue hadn't looked up from Paige's former spot from where she just saw Paige's keys magically appear in her hands.
"H-h-h-h-how d-d-d-did sh-she do th-th-th-that?" Prue managed to stutter. Her shock made it hard for her to talk coherently.
"Are you saying that you don't remember anything about us?" Piper asked.
"About what?"
"About us being…" Piper started.
"Witches." Phoebe finished. Prue burst out laughing. To her this whole thing was just one big joke.
"Very funny guys."
"Piper, come. Prue, stay." Phoebe ordered. Phoebe led Piper into the sun room where they could talk without Prue overhearing and interrupting.
"What do we do?" Phoebe asked.
"I dunno." Piper answered, as she flopped down into one of the chairs.
"Let's call Leo. Maybe seeing a whitelighter might jumpstart her memory." Phoebe suggested. But Piper looked skeptical. "Phoebe, this isn't amnesia. Her memory won't come back just like that. I don't think it will ever come back."
"I know. But it is the only thing I can think of. Do you have anything better?"
"No," Piper admitted.
"Besides, Leo might help us by explaining what is going on."
"Fine. Really quick. Summon him in here, or do it in front of Prue?"
"Here."
"K. LEO!" Piper yelled. On cue, Leo orbed in.
"What's up?" Leo said going over to give Piper a kiss.
"We have a slight situation." Phoebe said.
"Meaning?"
"Leo, you should just see this." Piper said. She led her husband to the kitchen. Upon seeing Prue, he turned around and Piper and Phoebe went tailing after him.
"Sorry about that. I need to start that again. I thought I saw Prue in there." Leo said. The doorbell rang, and Phoebe left to go and answer it. Before leaving the room, she called over her shoulder, "You did!" Leo looked at the two with much confusion.
"Hello Phoebe." Inspector Darrel Morris greeted Phoebe. Without being invited, he came right into the manor.
"Something tells me this isn't a social call." She said, as she shut the door behind him.
"Bingo. Last night there was a break-in at the cemetery, and a body was taken. Phoebe, it was Prue's body. I'm here to do two things, one to tell you that it had happened, and second to clear your name."
"Clear our name?"
"Ok, I wanted to make sure that you guys didn't take it so that you could do some sort of ritual with it."
"We didn't. Darrel, there is something you will want to see."
"What?" Phoebe led Darrel into the kitchen where Prue was drinking coffee and talking to both Leo and Piper.
"Prue?" Darrel asked,
"Inspector Morris! Hi! I haven't seen you much since Andy died." Prue said. "Have you guys caught the bastard who killed him yet?"
"What?" Darrel asked.
"We don't know." Piper said.
"So it was you guys last night."
At the same time as Phoebe said "No!" Piper said "What?"
"There was a…" Phoebe covered Darrel's mouth, and still with her hand covering his mouth, led him into the living room. Once there Phoebe left Darrel with Piper and Leo for a side exchange.
"What are we going to do for sister day? Hmmm? So far sister day has sucked. Visitors left and right." Prue inquired.
"I'll have Piper rent us some movies. How does that sound?" Phoebe suggested.
"Fine, whatever."
"Great!"
"Wait. Let's go some where Phoeebes."
"Ummm…"
"Come on. Shopping?"
Phoebe made a frustrated face. "My weakness. Piper!"
"What?" Piper said, coming back into the kitchen. She found a cup of coffee someone had abandoned and took a sip. Though her clenched teeth, Phoebe said, "Piper, Prue wants to go shopping. I want to have a movie marathon, but I don't have the will power to turn down shopping."
"Prue, I have to agree with Phoebe, I'm not sure you look too well and should go out into the public."
"Fine, but Piper, when you get the vids, Pick up some popcorn."
"Will do sweetie."
"Oh oh." Leo said. He looked heavenward and looked ashamed. "They are calling. I gotta go. Must be something big. It's really important."
"Ok. See you soon." Piper kissed her husband. He started to orb out, when Phoebe quickly grabbed his arm, and dragging him into the dining room.
"What was he doing? It looked like he was 'beaming out' like in Star Trek." Inquired Prue.
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe quickly lied.
"I'm going to get the movies now." Piper said. She picked up her keys, and walked out the door."
"I'm still kinda hung over; I think I'll lie down." Phoebe said.
"I'll, I'll, I'll just stay here." Prue said. Prue looked around the kitchen but everyone had already left, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
* * * * *
"A sister day. How perfect. All I need is to give them time, and their 'sister' will possess all of their powers!" Marvalo said. "And powerless witches equal vulnerable witches. Vulnerable witches equal three dead little witches." He crackled and again tuned to the obituaries page. "I don't see why people like the sports section so much. The obituaries page is by far the best part."
* * * * *
Phoebe didn't lie down. She instead went upstairs to the attic to check the Book of Shadows. Prue, suspecting something was up, followed her into the attic.
"PHOEBE! Will you please tell me what is going on?" Prue yelled. Phoebe, so absorbed in the book, trying to find answers, was startled and jumped. Prue, not remembering anything about the craft, was surprised to see two things. One to see her littlest sister looking through a large, old, magic book. She was also amazed to see them both in the attic. Prue thought that the attic was locked shut so that no one could get in.
"Phoebe?" Prue said. Phoebe looked at her, just as confused as Prue was.
"Fine, you want the truth? I'll give you the truth. Prue, we are witches and you are dead." Phoebe said.
"You're joking?"
"Nope."
"So then Paige is…"
"Really our sister."
"Wow."
"I know."
"So, what are you doing?"
"I was looking through the Book of Shadows to find out why exactly you have returned to the 'real' world." Phoebe said, returning to look through the book again.
"The book of what?"
"Shadows. Our magic book of spells." Phoebe said offhandedly.
"Ok then. I'm just going to go downstairs and let this all sink in." Prue turned to go downstairs, when Phoebe stopped her mid stride.
"Prue, why don't you stay up here with me? You can help me look." Phoebe suggested.
"I won't be much help."
"That's ok. I have missed you so much that I want to spend more time with you until we have to send you back. I, I, I, really don't want to, but it's the natural order of things. Phoebe sobbed. Prue knelt down beside her little sister and held her really closed. "It's ok." She said. The two words meant the world to Phoebe.
"Thanks." Phoebe said gratefully.
"So, is that why you declared today a sister day?"
"Partly yes. But also, we couldn't risk being exposed because you were alive and showing up for work."
Prue laughed. "I understand your reaction to my shopping suggestion now!" Phoebe joined in with her and for that few moments Phoebe had forgotten that Prue had ever died.
When Piper returned with the videos, she found her sisters looking though the antique book. Without looking up, Phoebe said, "Hey Piper."
"Hey yourself." Piper returned the greeting. "Find anything about, um, you know."
"It's ok Piper. Phoebe finally told me everything. And I can't say that I accept it, but I do believe it." Prue said before Phoebe could say anything.
Piper looked at Phoebe with a slightly annoyed voice, "Oh. Ok. Well Phoebe?"
"Good news is, there are demons that raise people from the dead. Bad news is, there are twenty of them. We've vanquished none of them, and all twenty of them do it for purely evil proposes."
"Of course." Piper said. "Is there more?"
"Yep. Knowing that Prue's body, sorry Prue, is missing, I was able to narrow the twenty down to nineteen" Phoebe said. Phoebe went to reach for the Book of Shadows, when she was hurled into a premonition. When she pulled out of it, Phoebe was shaking and crying. Immediately Piper and Prue tried to calm their younger sister. After several minutes they had her calmed down enough for her to speak coherently.
"Get Paige." Was the first thing out of her mouth. "I don't want to say it more than once."
"Is it that painful?" Prue asked. Silently, Phoebe nodded.
"I'll go call her sweetie." Piper said. She went downstairs.
"We'll keep saying that we should add a phone up here. That and add an index to the book." Phoebe joked. Even though she wasn't in a joking mood, Phoebe continued to joke. IT kept her mind off of what she just saw.
* * * * *
Marvalo turned around and to see his master. He dropped to his knees, and bowing said, "What brings you here master? I was not expecting you here until I had successfully killed them, and might I add that the plan is unfolding nicely."
"Yes." The source said. His deep voice boomed throughout Marvalo's cave. A pin could have dropped and one could have heard it. "I have been watching the Charmed Ones as their destruction comes nearer, and I warn you; you are in their book. You are weak when it comes to battling, and they are not easy to defeat. Look at me, I am barely alive. You and one other know of my existence. This better work."
"It will my lord. And may I say that is a great honor to be one of three that knows of your whereabouts."
"Shut up Fool!"
"Yes my lord."
"Will it be done soon? I NEED THEM DEAD!!" The source boomed.
"It will my lord."
"Good." The source said. With that he turned and left, leaving Marvalo alone. He looked at his magic window and watched the Halliwells work.
* * * * *
"Ok I'm here." Paige said. Her footsteps could be heard coming up the attic stairs. As they got closer, Phoebe got more and more uneasy. Sweat rolled down her face. Piper noticed this, and could tell that what ever her sister saw had to be both bad and hard to say. Paige burst through the door, looking halfway annoyed.
"Phoebe, now can you tell us what you saw?" Piper cooed.
After taking a deep breath, Phoebe started, "It was night and I saw Paige and I laying there on the floor, and Piper looking very weak in a chair, then..." Phoebe's voice started to trail off and tears streamed down her face. "There was Prue smiling very evilly, and then, then she levitated, kicking Piper then orbed a knife and, and, and, and" Phoebe continued to cry harder, "and stabbed Piper." Phoebe started to cry loud and hard. Piper and Paige looked astonished, and Prue looked stunned. Immediately, {Piper went over and began to comfort her sister. If it was any other demon, Phoebe would not have acted so hysterical, but this, this was her own sister, killing her other sister after using her and Paige's powers.
Paige broke the almost silence (Phoebe was still sobbing) "Now we have something to help us narrow our search." Paige looked at a piece of paper where Phoebe and Prue had written down some names of demons, then picked up the book, when Leo orbed in. Prue gasped. She was not used to people appearing in the middle of the attic. Especially out of no where.
"Still not used to seeing that, are you Prue?" Asked Paige.
"No, definitely not. Especially not someone I don't know." Prue said. Piper jumped up. She was all too eager to introduce her husband to her older sister.
"Prue this is my husband Leo." Piper introduced. Leo cleared his throat.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said.
Sheepishly, Piper said, "There are times that I would like to forget that part. Prue, Leo is also our whitelighter." Piper saw the puzzled look on Prue, and elaborated saying, "He's, well. Kinda like our guardian angel. He ha ha. You always wanted me to marry an angel." Piper laughed at the fond memory. Everyone joined in.
"I never thought you would take it literally." Prue laughed along.
Leo was the first to stop laughing. His face quickly changed form very cheerful to a sorrowful and serous one. His thin mouth was flat. Upon seeing such a sorrowful face, the others quickly stopped laughing and smiling. Piper turned towards her husband and said, "Honey, what it is?"
"The elders called me because they suspected that something very wrong was going on. They were right. They called me because they wanted to know if I knew anything about it. I told them everything I knew. Naturally they didn't like it. The reason it took me so long to get back is they want to get Prue back where she belongs. And something felt fishy to them. So after much research, they determined that this was the work of a demon..."
"Well duh!" Paige interrupted. Leo ignored Paige and kept talking. "…named Marvalo. He raises people from the dead and then uses the um… dead people to strip the powers slowly from the witches. Then, they kill the witches. Marvalo then goes and drinks the blood of the witches, and then re-kills the dead person." Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige grimaced at what Leo had just told them.
"I remembered reading about a demon that did that." Phoebe strived to recall, "but I don't think his name was Marvalo."
"Well, then I'll check you list." Paige said looking at the list of demons. "Would you look at that, Marvalo was on your list."
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was Marvalo. Either way, what does the book have on him?" Phoebe asked. Paige began to flip though the book. Prue watched over her shoulder, curious on what was in there. This made Paige very nervous. "Could you please step back a little Prue? You're making me kinda nervous here." Paige said. She tried not to sound rude about it, but that's the way it turned out. Prue almost hurt leaned back. "Sorry Prue, I didn't mean to offend you or anything." Paige apologized.
"It's ok." Prue said. "I'm supposed to be tolerant of little sisters. Right Phoebe?"
"Right. Like you were tolerant of me throughout high school?" Phoebe sarcastically joked. Smiles cracked the group. Suddenly, Phoebe put her hand to her head, and put out her other hand out, as if to steady herself. "Whoa. That was a weird feeling." Phoebe said.
"What was the feeling?" Piper asked.
"Like a load just came off my back." Phoebe said. Her face was stricken with fear as she said, "Leo, I'm going to hide in a different room in the house. In ten minutes to try to sense what room I'm in. Ok?"
Skeptical, Leo said, "Ok, I don't see what for."
"Just trust me." Phoebe said, with that she went running out of the room to hide. The four left in the attic, looked around with puzzlement.
"I found Marvalo!" Paige exclaimed with the book open to the page with Marvalo on it. "This guy looks like fun. Pretty much the same as what Leos said, only the blood he drinks gives him something close to immortality, making him virtually impossible to vanquish."
"Is there a spell, or a potion, or are we doing this blind?" Piper asked.
"There is a potion, but," Paige started.
"But…" Piper edged.
"A lot of the ingredients will be hard to get. Take a look for yourself."
Prue, Piper and Leo all looked at the ingredients list. The list had no relevance to Prue, but she still thought that it was interesting. Piper took one look, and her eyes opened wide. "This one we can only find and use a week after the full moon, and this one is really expensive. This one I haven't found in San Francisco, I've driven to L.A. to get it. Why does it always have to be the complicated potions?" Piper complained, as she pointed to items on the list. She was still complaining when leo announced that it was time to check for phoebe, and he need his wife to shut up so he could find her easier. He looked and looked, but to his dismay, he could only get the tiniest trace of Phoebe.
"All I can determine is that she is alive and not hurt. There is the smallest hint of her in the house." Leo informed Prue, Piper and Page. He was getting worried.
"Look for me Leo." Paige said. "Only I'm not going to hide."
Leo closed his eyes and concentrated hard. "I can find you easily."
"I'm going to hide, but only wait like three minutes." Paige said.
"Me too!" Piper exclaimed. Both girls left, and ran into Phoebe on their way out. Phoebe gave them a quizzical look then shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention to Leo, and said, "I waited for like, a while. Where were you? Couldn't you find me?"
Leo shook his head no, and replied, "Piper and Paige are hiding now, and I have to look for them. I could sense that you were alive and that was about it. I had problems telling that you were in the house.
Phoebe thought for a moment. She ran over to the Book of Shadows and read over Marvalo's page. She read it, then lifting her head asked Leo, "How do you sense us?"
"I first look for your soul, which is a weak sense. All I can get from finding your soul is if you are hurt or dead. Then I try to lock onto you powers, which is much stronger. That gives me a location." Leo answered. He went over to the book. "I see what you're getting at Phoebe."
Prue, who was standing along the wall of the attic stepped forward. "I don't. Can you guys please explain to me what you think is going on?"
"Just a second Prue. If we are right, it will be proved after I look for Piper and Paige." Leo said, with that he began to look.
"Piper is harder to find than Paige. Its weird are three of your powers are harder to find than normal. Piper's in the kitchen and Paige is in the dinning room."
"Why don't you go get them, and I'll explain everything to Prue." Phoebe said, shoving Leo out the door. Prue approached phoebe, but Phoebe held her back. "Prue, I'm sorry, but you kinda have to stay away from Piper, Paige and me. I don't want this to be, but it is."
"What? Why?" Asked a hurt Prue.
"Sweetie, do you remember what Leo said about Marvalo using you to take our powers away?" Phoebe began to construe. Prue nodded her head and Phoebe continued. "Well the more time we spend with you, the weaker we get. That's why I was barely detectable. I've spent the most time with you. You have much of my powers and some of my soul. That's why earlier I almost fainted. You took me. Paige is the strongest because she spent the least amount of time with you, and then Piper's next. My premonition is starting to make some sense now."
Prue collapsed into a chair. "Wow. This sucks."
"No kidding." Phoebe said, doing the same thing on the other side of the room. An awkward silence filled the room, but the silence was broken by Cole shimmering in. Prue gave a little yelp as she gawked at another visitor from nowhere. Cole, not noticing Prue went over and gave Phoebe a kiss. It was then that he noticed Prue on the other side of the room.
"Prue?!?!?!?!" Cole exclaimed.
"Prue, this is my boyfriend Cole." Phoebe introduced.
"Are you a whitelighter too?" Prue asked. She didn't know better. To her anyone that magically appeared from nowhere was a whitelighter.
"Actually…" Cole started, but Phoebe cut in.
"Actually, Cole's not a whitelighter. Cole's well, half demon." Phoebe said, but quickly added, "But he's good now," when she saw the look on Prue's face. IT was a look of pure hatred.
"Not much different form the first time she found out." Cole whispered into Phoebe's ear. She giggled then gave him a playful nudge. "Phoebe, out of sheer curiosity, what is your dead sister doing in the attic?" Phoebe looked at him and said, "Ever heard of Marvalo before?"
"Sure. We were good friends, why?" Cole asked. Prue looked at Cole with even more hatred. Phoebe looked at Cole with a look that said, "Come on."
For a few minutes Cole looked slightly confused, then it hit him. "Oh, that does explain the separate sides of the room.
Piper, Paige and Leo burst through the attic door. Piper's face was tear stained after being ordered by her husband to stay away from her sister. They went and stood near Phoebe.
"You've heard huh?" Prue quietly said.
"Yeah. You understand right?" Piper asked. Prue nodded. She felt like it was more of an apology than anything else. Piper quietly walked over to the book and began to write down the list of ingredients.
"Leo, does Prue absorb other people's powers also?" Paige asked.
"What do you mean?" Leo questioned.
"Well, Prue is taking our powers, but what about yours and Coles'?"
"No. Marvalo's people only absorb witches' powers." Cole answered for Leo.
"Oh,"
"I better go get these ingredients." Piper said her voice barely above a whisper. With nothing more, she turned and left the attic.
* * * * *
Marvalo threw an energy ball against the wall. It hit the stone wall with nothing more than a scorch mark to show.
"It's too early for me to strike! The girl hasn't developed their powers enough. She's too good and the Charmed Ones are still too powerful." Marvalo said. He paced his room trying to develop a plan. Several more energy balls were thrown, each one hitting the exact same location as the first. Marvalo was too distracted to see the figure standing in the shadows.
"Your aim is getting better. Last time I saw you, you couldn't get with in ten feet of your target." The figure said.
Without turning to see who was standing there, Marvalo said, "Been a long time Phenyl. Several years I suppose.'
"Yes well, I've been busy succeeding at my missions, which is more than I can say for you. You just keep failing."
"If I was such a failure, why did The Source assign me to kill the Charmed Ones?"
"Oh really?"
"Yes, now, let's put our petty differences behind. I've got a job for you. You would get an eighth of the reward for your help." Marvalo tempted.
"The Source pays large rewards. What do you want me to do?" Phenyl asked, very interested in the offer.
"Make one of the Charmed Ones return home."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Deal." With that, Phenyl blinked out leaving Marvalo alone.
"I hope this works. He knows the reward is high. And an eighth is quite a sum." Marvalo said. He turned and began to look through his magic window to watch the Charmed Ones work.
* * * * *
The manor was silent. Prue had isolated herself in her room, Phoebe was trying to write a spell that would hold Marvalo back until the potion was ready, Paige was trying to get some work done, Cole was running around 'down there' getting more info, and Leo was talking to Prue. He knew that eventually she would be driven by evil eventually and would go after Phoebe, Piper and Paige, and that he talking to her would slow that process.
"What rhymes with dead?" Phoebe asked Paige from across the table.
"Umm… Lead?"
"That doesn't help me. What about tread?"
"Dead-tread. Tread- dead. I think so."
"Thanks."
"What do you got?"
"Mind you, it's not complete, but so far its:
Marvalo with people from the dead,
With these words stay away,
At this house your feet shall not tread.
What do you think?"
"I don't think it needs anything more."
"Ok, well, this is a power of three spell, so I'm going to call Piper, and get her home soon."
"Why can't Prue help?"
"Because she's no longer part of the Charmed Ones. Our sister always, but she's dead and powerless. Kinda powerless. She has my powers, but she doesn't have hers any more."
"Oh." Phoebe left the kitchen to call Piper, but Phoebe didn't even touch the phone when Piper came through the door, empty handed.
"Wow that was fast." Phoebe exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"I was just going to call you."
"I came back because I was in line to buy some ingredients when I realized that I left my purse at home."
"You left with it."
"Damn it! That guy took it!"
"What?"
"I bumped into this guy, and I guess without realizing it, he took it."
"How could you not notice?"
"I'm a little preoccupied right now."
"It's a trap." Paige put in. "I know I'm new at this but hear me out. Marvalo must have made Piper turn around and come back to get her powers absorbed."
"Huh." Phoebe said. "You're right. Quick lets say the spell!"
Together the three huddled together around Phoebe's paper and together chanted:
"Marvalo with people from the dead,
With these words stay away,
At this house your feet shall not tread."
"I wonder if it worked." Phoebe said.
"I think so." Piper replied, looking out the window at the back yard. "All of our rocks are arranged to circle the house. My guess is to give us and invisible force shield that only we can see."
"That's good. Piper you go get the potions. I'll order them over the phone; put them on our tab so all you have to do is pick them up. I'll call you when I've got the first store called. Head towards Chinatown first." Phoebe said. "Your powers are the strongest. GO, get out of the house." Quickly, Piper turned and left.
"So, what happens now?" Paige asked.
"I don't know." Phoebe said, flopping herself in a chair. "I guess we wait."
Paige turned back to doing her work, and Phoebe, went to do, something. Phoebe didn't know what to do, she just knew that waiting around was going to drive her insane. Her feet lead her up the stairs. She stopped in front of Prue's room, where she could hear Prue and Leo talking. She tapped the door.
"Uh guys? Do you want anything to eat?" She asked.
Prue's voice raised behind the door. "I'd like a sandwich."
"Leo?" Phoebe pressed.
"Nothing. Thanks." Leo graciously declined.
"I'll be back in a minute Prue." Phoebe turned and left. The sound of a door latch forced her to turn around and see Leo.
"Phoebe, this does not look good. She is turning more evil by the minute. She won't confine herself much longer. And you and Paige are getting weaker and weaker." Leo said, in a hushed voice, so that Prue would not hear.
Exasperated, Phoebe sighed. "I know." Leo turned around and went back inside Prue's room. Phoebe went back downstairs to make Prue's sandwich.
* * * * *
"You failed fool!" Marvalo screamed at Phenyl.
"I made the witch turn around. She returned home." Phenyl retaliated. "No for my reward we discussed."
"You will get your reward when she is home again for GOOD and when all three are dead!"
"NOW!"
"Temper, temper." Marvalo observed. He turned and shot an energy ball at Phenyl. All that was left of Phenyl was a small pile of ashes. "No bounty for you."
"You shouldn't have done that." The source warned after arriving in an instant flame.
"My lord!" Marvalo said, getting down onto one knee. "The plan is working better than expected. They will be dead before the new moon."
"Your bounty will be doubled if you rid of the witches before tomorrow."
"With all do respect my lord, but my plan requires time. Without time it will not be successful. To strike now is to commit suicide.. The Charmed Ones are still to powerful, and the girl is too good and weak."
"I NEED THEM DESTROYED NOW!!!!" The source boomed. "The new moon is too late. Perhaps I should find someone who can do it in less time?"
"No, it will be done by tomorrow.
* * * * *
"I'm back." Piper called putting the bags on the counter.
"Oh good. Now we can at least start on the potion now." Phoebe said coming into the kitchen. They began to unpack the ingredients in silence. Suddenly Piper slammed her hand onto the table.
"We can't send her back. She's our sister Phoebe. If we could just turn her good maybe we won't have to sender her back." Piper cried. Phoebe ran over to comfort her older sister. Piper just crumbled in her arms crying over and over, "She's our sister. She's our sister."
"Shhhhh Piper. It's ok. We'll worry about that later ok? Right now just worry about the potion for Marvalo. We need you to focus now." Phoebe comforted.
"You're right. I just don't know what came over me." Piper apologized, drying her tears.
"It's ok. I understand."
"Hey, did you notice that we were lucky enough to get a couple ingredients now?"
"Yep, I guess that calling it in saved time."
"Yep." The girls began to unpack the bags. They chatted but they were solemn for a long while.
* * * * *
"THOSE WITHCES!!!" Marvalo screamed. I can't get through. They put up some sort of block. I need to attack." Marvalo stated to pace his little cave. "I'll attack through the sister. I still have control over her. She won't be as powerful as I had hoped, but she will do." He sat down like he was about to meditate and began to chant some Latin.
* * * * *
Prue woke with a jerk. She looked over at the clock and noticed that it was almost midnight. Leo was asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. With an evil smile she left the room quietly, as not to wake Leo. She could hear voices in the kitchen. She easily recognized both Phoebe and Piper's voices. The third female voice she realized must be Paige's. Out of nowhere, a knife appeared in her left hand. Piper jumped back in surprise. She didn't know how she had done that. She turned around and ran back to her room. She realized what was happening. She was becoming evil. Prue slammed the door shut, waking Leo. "Help." She feebly cried.
* * * * *
"This isn't working! She is still too good. My master may want them now, but tonight will make no difference; they will not spend their time on the Source. No, they will work on my vanquish. By noon tomorrow, she should be ready."
* * * * *
"Prue, Prue, Prue!" Leo said, finally getting Prue's attention. "We knew that this was going to happen."
"No LEO! I was going to kill my sisters. There's nothing worse than that."
Cole shimmered into the room with two steaming mugs of coffee. "They heard you guys downstairs and thought that this might be helpful." He handed a mug to both Leo and Prue who took it and took a drink happily.
"Thanks Cole. But that wasn't all was it?" Leo inquired.
Sheepishly, Cole replied, "No. They also wanted to know how things were going. And they were thinking that they wouldn't get a straight answer without a bribe."
"Things are great! I'm no longer evil." Prue said optimistically. Cole looked at her suspiciously, and Leo caught it.
"Prue, that's evil you talking. At times you are still evil." Leo pointed out, trying to get Prue to get a greater grip on her good side.
"What are you talking about Leo? I was never evil." Prue said. She suddenly broke down crying. "I did it again, didn't I Leo? I'm scared. They're getting more and more frequent. I'm scared I'll hurt them. I can't hurt my sisters." Prue sobbed.
Leo gave Cole a silent nod, signaling him to leave. Cole shimmered out of the room. He didn't want to risk the chance of opening the door and having evil Prue escape. Downstairs, three pairs of eyes looked at Cole expectantly.
"Well?" Phoebe asked.
Cole shook his head somberly. "She's only getting worse. How is the potion going?"
"We just need to let it sit for a couple of hours." Piper said.
"We may not have a couple of hours." Paige commented.
"We might. Prue doesn't want to be evil, so that should slow down the processes." Cole said.
"I just wish I could go see her right now." Phoebe said. "I've missed her so much." Cole went over and put a comforting arm around Phoebe. He kissed the top of her head. No words were needed. His efforts were a success.
"No use in all of us exhausted tomorrow. Go to bed." Phoebe ordered. Piper and Paige turned around, thanking Phoebe and headed up to their rooms. Paige got to the top of the stairs, realized that she didn't have a bed at the manor and turned around. The night before she had used Prue's bed, but Prue was up in her room.
"Uh… Phoebe?" Paige asked.
Phoebe got her drift, "Sorry Paige. Forgot about that. You can use my bed." Phoebe generously offered.
"Thanks." Paige said. She turned around and went upstairs again.
"What about me?" Cole asked.
"Sorry Cole, why don't you sleep on the couch?" Phoebe said. She looked at Cole's pleading face. "Paige is our guest."
Cole shook his head annoyed but understood. He gave her a kiss and went to make himself a make shift bed in the living room.
Phoebe went to the attic. She wasn't ready to give up on sending Prue back. Her words said that she had to go, but her heart couldn't. She passed Prue's room and stopped. Pressing her ear against the door, she could hear three voices talking. Wait! She thought. Three? She strained to hear more. There's Leo's and there's Prue's. Phoebe pressed her ear even harder against the door. "Ow. Earring pressing into brain." Phoebe muttered to herself as she took some of the pressure off of her head, but she strived to hear harder. But the third voice never spoke. Curiosity got the better of Phoebe. Slowly, she opened the door. Sitting on the floor was Paige.
"Phoebe!" Prue said. "You shouldn't be in here. I'm having enough trouble getting Paige out of here."
"No Prue," Phoebe said stubbornly. "If you are going to kill me, and I got to spend one last night talking to you, it will be all worth while."
"Fine, but you'll die faster."
"I'm going to die eventually." Silence filled the room. Now that both Paige and Phoebe were there, no one knew what to say. It was as if the floor was littered with eggshells. Moments passed. Thoughts flew, but no one spoke. Finally, Leo said "Piper's going to kill you." But it wasn't much of a conversation spark. Phoebe and Paige shrugged their shoulders, and once again there was silence.
"I fell kinda bad fore Cole." Paige said. Prue looked at her with a question in her eyes. Phoebe laughed. "I mean he's sleeping on the couch downstairs because I'm supposed to be sleeping in your guys' bed." Prue cracked a small smile. But it didn't mater. It started a conversation. Prue, not knowing this kind of things then asked, "How long have you known Cole?"
"A year." The room started to come alive with everyone talking. Paige thought it was cool to find out things she had missed. It was ten when they heard Piper stir. The room grew silent when they heard the click of the bathroom door. Leo signaled Phoebe and Paige to leave. As quietly as they could, they snuck downstairs and into the kitchen. Cole was sitting there waiting for them.
"That was a stupid thing you did last night. She's getting more powerful, just with you in the house. The closer you are, the worse off you are. Slowly, you are becoming powerless and vulnerable." Cole scolded.
"Good morning to you too." Phoebe said, taking the cup of coffee from his hands.
"Phoebe," Cole said exasperated.
"Cole you don't know the pain I'm going through."
"Keep doing dumb things like that and I will." Phoebe gave him a quick kiss.
"Leo said we were helping. She only tried to kill us twice over six hours. She was making attempts hourly earlier. If you excuse me, I'm going to find a way out of vanquishing my sister." Phoebe turned and left, leaving a stunned Cole behind. Cole turned and looked at Paige who was stirring the potion.
"He did." Paige confirmed.
Piper came down the stairs half way peppy. Paige looked at Cole, and while Piper's back was turned mouthed, "Don't tell Piper." Cole looked at Paige with annoyance but complied.
"This tastes good, who made it?" Piper asked sipping her coffee.
"I did." Cole said.
"It's really good. How's the potion coming? She peered into the pot where the potion was now orange. "Let's see, twelfth hour, twelve left, orange is right."
"I didn't even need to answer." Paige joked.
"Is Phoebe up yet?"
"Yeah. She's up stairs looking through the book again. She's got it in her head that there is some loop hole and we don't have to send Prue back."
"I'm going to go up and talk to her."
Leo orbed into the kitchen. "Prue wanted me to get some orange juice and a muffin." Leo said, looking through the refrigerator. "Which we appear to be out of both."
"Gota make her happy. I'll go get some." Piper said. She grabbed her coffee and keys and went to the door, giving Leo a quick peck before leaving.
"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Leo accused.
"No, we fell that the less she knows the better." Paige admitted.
"I don't agree, but you guys were a big help. You set her back several hours. Where's Phoebe?"
"The attic."
"She's a little hot tempered." Warned Cole.
"What? You just read her wrong. She's more preoccupied than hot tempered." Paige argued. Cole rolled his eyes.
"I better be going back up there and tell Prue about breakfast." Leo said, orbing out.
"What?" Paige asked, looking at Cole, who was looking at her.
"Oh nothing."
"Cole, be helpful. Go see about any changes down there." Paige ordered. Once again Cole rolled his eyes, but complied. He shimmered out. Paige sat there stirring the potion. She heard a thump from upstairs, and went to investigate. She tapped on Prue's door, but they called to go check on Phoebe in the attic. Unsure of what to expect, she slowly opened the door. "Oh God!" She cried. Lying on the floor, not moving was Phoebe. Paige rushed to her sister's side. "Come on Phoebe, wake up. No jokes now, come on. Wake up!" Phoebe made no response. Relieved to see shallow breaths, Paige relaxed, a little. She stood up, ready to go get Leo, but hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should leave Phoebe alone. "Leo!" She instead called from the door way, one eye on Phoebe. Leo's footsteps were heard running up the stairs. Being in the house, he didn't feel the need to orb. "She won't wake up." Paige explained to Leo. Leo knelt over Phoebe and tried to heal her.
"Physically there is nothing wrong with her. But Prue must have taken too much of her." Leo informed Paige.
"Can we reverse what happened?" Paige asked.
"Only when you vanquish Marvalo. Help me carry Phoebe to her room and lie her down." Together the two laid Phoebe on her bed. "I want you to either always be in the attic, or the basement. After last night, you are at high risk of being next. I also think that it now time to tell Piper." Leo instructed. Paige nodded, and headed upstairs. The attic was a much friendlier feeling than the basement. If she was confined to only two rooms, Paige felt she should stay in the one where she was the most helpful, and where she felt more comfortable.
* * * * *
"One down, two to go. I wish I knew that they were so stubborn; I would have used that against them a while ago. Time is on my side. She is becoming more evil and powerful every second. Their shield is becoming weaker each passing minute. Soon I shall be able to penetrate it." Marvalo said.
* * * * *
Cole arrived in the underworld. Few had even heard that Marvalo was active again, much less that he was assigned to the Charmed Ones. The whole underworld knew Marvalo as a failure, and a screw up. Years ago he mistook the second to the source for a witch, and killed him. "No one even knew that Marvalo was active." Cole told Paige.
"So there's no news about what his next plan is?" Paige clarified.
"Yes. Where's Phoebe?" Paige froze. Cole didn't know that Phoebe was downstairs, hanging on a thread, and close to death. She didn't know how to break the news to him. She knew that he would be very angry at both of them. The night before Cole felt was irresponsible.
"Cole, I don't know how to break this to you, so I'm just going to show you." She left the attic with Cole following her. When they reached Phoebe's room, Cole looked at Phoebe lying there, and knew that she wasn't sleeping.
"Is she dead?" Cole dared to ask. He went over to Phoebe's bed and took her hand.
"No, Prue just has too much of her. We'll get her back when we vanquish Marvalo and free Prue. The way Leo explained it, when we vanquish Marvalo, she gets her soul back, then when we free Prue, she gets her powers back."
"How long until the potion is ready?" Cole asked, never taking his eyes off of Phoebe.
"I can't tell you. Piper is getting the last of the ingredients and Prue's breakfast as we speak. I need to get upstairs by orders of Leo. Just call if you need anything. Oh yah, one more thing. I want to be the one to tell Piper about last night." Paige said. Cole barely nodded. Saddened, Paige turned and left.
* * * * *
"The girl is almost ready. I will soon be able to make her kill." Marvalo said. He left his cave in search of his master. Her found him and bowed.
"Master, I should be able to attack today. The girl is finally ready to kill."
"As am I. I needed them dead by this morning. They may not be plotting my vanquish, but each passing minute gives them more knowledge on my destruction. You will kill them today, or I will kill you!"
Marvalo gulped. This was already his best plan yet, but with his past history of failures, things did not look optimistic when his life was on the line. "It will be done." He said bowing.
"That is what you said yesterday fool! Your bounty has already been cut in half, next it will be your head. Now, leave my presence."
Marvalo did as he was told, bowing once more before leaving. He had increasingly become more uncertain of his plan.
* * * * *
Piper was beyond mad when Paige told her about the night before. To tell the truth, mad is an understatement. "How could you be so irresponsible?!?!?!" She screamed.
Paige shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just wanted to know more about Prue. You guys practically worship her. Phoebe, I guess, she just missed her."
"I miss her too, but you don't see me doing something that stup-" Piper was cut short. Paige had collapsed. She was half on the couch and half on the floor, like a rag doll. Piper began to panic. She knew that they would be alright, but she was hoping to have help in vanquishing Marvalo. "Leo! Cole! Paige collapsed! Help!" She knew that Paige couldn't be helped. Quickly, Cole's heavy foot steps were heard coming up the stairs. Cole needed no explanation, immediately he picked up Paige and shimmered her down the stairs to Phoebe's room. Piper went running after him. "Will she be all right?" She knew that Phoebe was ok, but she needed reassurances that Paige was going to be ok.
"Yes, but vanquishing Marvalo will be your responsibility, and you'll want a spell to get rid of Prue. I don't know what will happen when you vanquish Marvalo. She may not go away." Cole said.
Piper showed no emotion. She was in too much shock. The lives of her three sisters rested in her ability to vanquish Marvalo. She suddenly didn't feel very confident at her abilities. Not knowing what else to do, she turned to absentmindedly stir the potion. Cole saw her distress. He knew that look. It was the look Phoebe had when she needed reassurances and to be held. In the house, there were only two people who could do that. Leo and Prue. Prue wasn't a good person to allow Piper to go near. Cole could hear her screaming for Leo to let her out. And Leo was holding Prue back. "If I take his place…" Cole thought. He leaned over and gave Phoebe a kiss on the forehead, and shimmered into Prue's room.
"LET ME OUT!!!!!!!!" Prue screamed, kicking at Leo. Leo held his ground in front of the door, wincing as each foot hit him in the chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cole shimmer in. Surprised, Prue stooped kicking and screaming. Leo shout a look of pure gratitude at Col, as he tenderly nursed his bruises.
"What do you want?" Prue demanded.
"Leo and I are trading places for a bit." Cole stated.
Unsure that he liked the idea, Leo questioned, "Why?"
"You kept her good longer. It's time for me to keep her in here. Face it Leo, I am slightly stronger than you." Cole said. It was a kind of code between the two. From the look that Cole shot at him, he could see that something was igging Piper, but saying that in front of Pure might not have a positive outcome. Gratefully, Leo orbed out. He found his wife sobbing over the potion. She looked up at him, her eyes searching for sympathy. Quickly, yet gracefully, he walked over and gave Piper a reassuring hug. "I love you." He whispered to her. Slowly her sobbing ceased.
"They're all counting on me. I don't know if I can do it." Piper said, her hands pouring potion into the bottles.
"Yes you can, I'll be there to help."
"You will?" Piper asked, looking up into her husband's eyes.
"Always."
With a new determination, Piper once again began to pay attention to the situation at hand. "Cole said something about Prue not going away once I've vanquished Marvalo."
"It's true. She may even be evil but I don't know."
"And the book doesn't say what to do. I love it when that kind of thing is left out." Piper sarcastically remarked.
Leo smiled, but Piper's semi good mood didn't last long. As quickly as she pulled out of her funk, she slipped right back in. She began to stir the empty pot. She silently put down the spoon, grabbed a potion bottle, for herself and handed one to Leo and left the kitchen. Leo paused and looked at the potion puzzled. Quzzeled, he followed Piper. She led him upstairs to the attic.
"Whacha looking for?" Leo inquired.
"Well, Cole said something that Prue might not go when Marvalo is vanquished, so I need to have a spell ready to vanquish her." Piper said, her voice quivering. They stood in silence. The only noises were the pages turning, and Prue's constant screaming. Leo found it nerve wrecking. He felt he needed to do something. Cole was watching Prue. Piper was flipping through the book, and there was nothing for him to do. He thought about orbing up there, his help was always needed there. Piper looked up from the book and smiled, and it was then that Leo knew that his presence was more than helpful. It was a necessity.
* * * * *
"There is no time like now. My master will be pleased." Marvalo said. HE grabbed a ceremonial knife off his alter, and blinked out. He arrived at the Halliwell attic. "There she is, the last standing, but not for long." He thought.
* * * * *
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Piper screamed. She wasn't expecting a demon to pop in right then.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Marvalo sarcastically remarked. He threw a fireball at Piper. She, on instinct, froze the fireball. And to her surprise, Marvalo froze.
"Leo, on three, we throw the potion and pray that it works." Piper ordered. Leo nodded, understanding Piper's orders. "One, two, THREE!" Piper screamed. The three potions hit Marvalo (Piper had two) and like acid he began to melt.
"Damn you witch!!!" He screamed as his body dissolved.
"That was easy." Piper said. "I wonder if Prue left with him." They were silent, straining to here Prue, but all they heard was silence. Piper began to cry, she was hoping that she could save Prue.
"That was my master you bastard! I needed to go!!" Prue screamed. Piper quit sobbing, and perked up.
"I can still save her." Piper said, half way glad at that.
"You should check on your other sisters first."
"Good idea!" Piper said, turning to head to Phoebe's room, where Phoebe and Paige ware waking up.
"Did anyone get the license plate of the truck that hit me?" Phoebe moaned. She sat up, only to fall down again from being dizzy
. "It's like a bad hangover without the fun the night before." Paige agreed. Phoebe tried to sit up again, and was successful, but it was obvious that sitting upright was tuff, and waking for a little while was out of the question.
"Piper, we're sorry about last night. Are you mad?"
"A little bit, but Leo and I vanquished Marvalo with out your help. This reminds me, I am upset enough that you guys got the clean up when you can move." Piper said.
Phoebe and Paige groaned, but they understood where Piper was coming from.
"You guys rest, I'm going to see what we can do to save Prue." Piper said, she left her sisters in Phoebe's room.
"I'm going to try to make my way over to the bathroom to get some pain killers." Phoebe said, slowly getting up from her place on the bed. She came back ten minutes later with a jar of pills and two bottles of water. "Can you orb?" Phoebe asked.
"Why?" Paige asked. Orbing required effort, something she didn't want to give.
"Because I still don't feel myself, like part of me is still missing. I tried to levitate, but couldn't it, and it's not like I can get premonitions on will." Paige understood. She closed her eyes, and concentrated, but nothing happened. She looked a Phoebe, who edged her on to try again. Paige tried, but alas, nothing happened.
"Nope. Phoebe, what does this mean?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, but here's my theory. Marvalo had Prue absorb our souls and powers, but once Prue had our souls, Marvalo took them for himself, leaving Prue with our powers. When Piper and Leo vanquished Marvalo, our souls became free, but Prue is still here, meaning that our powers are still being absorbed." Phoebe exclaimed.
"So Prue could orb out of the room?" Paige asked.
"Oh God! You're right. Confiding her won't help much longer." Phoebe realized. "Come on! We gotta go tell Piper. Prue should realize her powers soon." Phoebe grabbed a reluctant Paige, and began to go quickly as they could to the attic.
"But the world's still spinning!" Paige protested, but Phoebe e didn't listen or slow down.
"Piper we have a big problem." Phoebe said.
"I know! Acid Marvalo is still on the attic floor.": Piper complained. "It's really grossing me out." She pointed to a spot on the floor where Marvalo dissolved.
"Ewe!" Paige commented. Indeed it was gross. It looked as thought he had melted like the wicked witch of the east, only with acid and his remains, well, remained."
"Bigger than that, Paige and I don't have our powers, meaning that Prue still has them. As soon as she figures that out, she'll easily have the upper advantage."
"Oh. That is a problem. She can still absorb my powers." Piper said.
"Everything is coming together nicely. Well that's not a good thing. Oh never mind." Paige said.
"You're right, it is making sense." Phoebe agreed.
"Here, I found this spell and modified it." Piper said, handing Phoebe and Paige slips of paper with the spell on it. "If we say it to Pure, it should strip her powers, with out vanquishing her, and return them back to us."
The girls nodded their heads in understanding. Silently, they went downstairs to Prue's room where she could be heard pounding her fists against the wall. Piper gave a nod of her head, to her sisters, and boldly opened the door. Surprised, Cole and Prue turned to look. Phoebe started the spell. Piper and Paige quickly joined in. Prue began freaking out. "You can't do this to me! I'm your sister." She cried. She ran to make a lunge at Phoebe, but mid jump she orbed out.
"Where did she go?" Phoebe asked when it was apparent that she was no longer in the same room.
"I don't know, quickly! Search the house." Piper ordered. The band quickly dispersed to search for Prue.
"She didn't orb anywhere in the house." Phoebe said ten minutes later, once the five had thoroughly checked the house.
"Where could she have gone?" Piper asked.
"Where did she go to think while she was alive?" Paige asked.
Piper and Phoebe thought. "I don't know, when Andy was alive, and they were dating, it was his apartment, but after he died…" Phoebe said.
"She seemed to disappear to think more after he died." Piper observed.
"Maybe that spot where you can se that bridge?" Leo suggested. Cole and Paige looked puzzled.
"No… after her experience with that dark lighter she swore she would never go back."
"Maybe she sill went to Andy?" Piper said.
"Huh?" Phoebe asked.
"I… um… kinda do that… well like not exactly. I like to either go to P3 or Prue's grave. I dunno, it gives me some sort of comfort." Piper confessed.
"You think she might be at Andy's grave?" Phoebe asked.
"I dunno, maybe."
"Sounds good. We split up. Where else could she have gone?"
"Maybe that park where we went as kids?"
"So, Cole, Paige and I will go to Andy's and the park cuz they're close. And you two hit P3." Phoebe ordered. They piled into the cars and drove to their designated places. The car ride to P3 was silent. It was an awkward silence. Even thought she was only in the car with Leo, Piper felt nervous. To ease her nerves, she turned on the radio.
So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
Tears began to roll down Piper's cheeks. "This song reminds me of Prue." She mumbled, turning off the radio. Leo looked over at his wife. He knew his orders from the elders. Prue must return. She can't stay. He couldn't help get her back without orders. It pained him to see Piper this way. Phoebe was probably the same. If only Pure could stay. True, it would be impossible to get his old Piper back. There were too many changes. There was Paige. But Piper would be cheerful again. Piper tried the radio again, and caught the tail end of the song.
I know now just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you until the end of time
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
I'll go wherever you will go
"We'll be ok." Leo told Piper, putting an arm on her shoulder. Together, the two walked into P3.
The other car was just as quiet, well quiet wasn't the world, but tense. It was so tense that it was quiet event though everyone was talking. Nervous conversation was made. Useless topics. That song was cool; there was a cool pair of boots at the mall… Conversation seized to a halt when Cole pulled into a parking lot at the park. It was a large park, but one glance and it was obvious that Prue wasn't there. Phoebe took out her phone and dialed Piper's number. "Piper? She wasn't at the park… You're there now?... We're going to Andy's grave now… Not there?.... Then if she's not at Andy's grave, where else can we look?... Yeah… Meet us there." Phoebe said. She hung up the phone and turned her attention to Cole and Paige. "She wasn't at P3. Piper and Leo are orbing to the mausoleum and meeting us at the grave. Let's hope she's there." Phoebe said. The car fell into a real eerie silence. No one was talking. The radio was off. This time Phoebe's cell phone rang. "Hello?... She's there!... We're hurrying… Tell Leo to hold on… Knock her out if you have to… Yeah… Ok… Love ya!" Phoebe said. "She's there. Leo has her pinned to the ground. We need to get there fast." Phoebe told Cole and Paige. In a matter of moments, they were running across multiple graves.
"What did you do to her? I said knock her out, not kill her!" Phoebe exclaimed, looking at a motionless Prue lying on the ground.
"She's not dead. Come on, we got to say the spell." The three recited the spell, but nothing happened.
"Try again." Leo suggested. They tried it again and Prue's body began to violently shake. Three white orbs popped out of her body, and the shaking stopped. They stared at the orbs in awe. The three orbs then went into Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. The gasped as each one entered each sister.
"I feel me again. Whole." Phoebe commented.
"Leo, heal here. She could be bleeding." Piper said. Leo rushed to Prue's side. He put his hands over her head, making her regain consciousness.
"Did you have to use a brick?" Prue joked.
"It was the only thing heavy enough to knock you out." Piper admitted.
"It's ok." Prue said. She was her old self again. Phoebe and Piper began to cry. "I mean I was the one who have been trying to kill you these past days." She opened her arms because she saw that her sisters to hug her. It was beautiful in a way that only a sister could see. "Let's go home."
"We'll orb to the club and meet you and home." Leo said, leading Piper and Prue to the mausoleum. At home, more tears were shed, more hugs exchanged. Even Paige took part in the fun, even though part of her felt like an outsider.
"I was expecting this." Leo said, looking skyward. "I need to go."
"Hurry back." Piper said. Leo smiled and orbed up there.
"I bet I know what they want." Prue said.
"What?" Phoebe asked.
"Me, I don't belong here. My time has passed."
"You need to stay Prue, I need you." Piper said, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"What would I do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't go back to work. I'm dead, remember? And being out in public could expose you guys. Please tell me that you remember what happened last time, and hopefully only time, we were exposed."
"Yes." Phoebe and Piper mumbled.
"You will be fine without me. Look at what you've done already without me. You can do it again." Prue began to cry. She knew what she had to do, but it was just as hard for her. She was happy up there. She could see Andy, Grams, and her mom everyday, anytime she wanted to. But what she really wanted was her sisters, and here she was standing next to them in the manor. All three of her sisters. The Power of Three would be broken with her return. There was no power of four. Paige's jealousy might get the better of her. Even now, standing there, Prue could see Paige getting jealous. Piper, Phoebe had a special relationship that sometimes (unknowingly) excluded Paige. Add Prue to the mix and that bond will increase. Paige obviously wanted that kind of relationship with her sisters. But it was hard. She had only known them a few months. "I mean it guys. You'll be fine." Prue cried. They had sat down in the observatory now. Everyone was silent. Silent tears ran down Prue, Piper, and Phoebe's cheeks.
"You need to send her back." Leo pleaded when he returned to the manor. "She can't stay. Eventually the elders will take her by force. They're giving you a chance to do it on your own."
"He's right." Cole agreed.
"Please, as much as I want to stay, my time has passed. Please, I want to leave willingly this time. Not by force." Prue begged.
Phoebe suddenly stood up. "She's right." She said walking up the stairs. Minutes later she was joined by the others. She stood over the pedestal, flipping through the book. "Prue's right. She can't stay. The Power of Three doesn't exist with four sisters." Twenty minutes later Phoebe had a spell to send Prue back. The good byes were long. Prue took her time on each one… except with Cole (she still doesn't trust him…) She did however say good bye.
"Take care of Phoebe. She really does love you." She said as they gave each other a quick hug. Cole smiled. Sure, now she warms up to him.
"Leo, it was good seeing you again." Prue said.
"Yes. It was good to see you too Prue." Leo said. Phoebe noticed that there was something unspoken between the two. Like they see each other up there and aren't allowed to say anything. Phoebe decided it was best not to press the issue.
"Hey baby sis, don't let them give you too much crap." Prue said to Paige.
"It was nice to meet you." Paige said. They gave each other a hug. It was the first and last between the two sisters.
There were only two left. Piper and Phoebe. Tears were falling fast.
"Phoebe," Prue started before she chocked on her words. She couldn't do it. Words were not needed. They gave each other a long hug. "Take care Phoebe." Prue said.
"I'll see you later." Phoebe said, as if Prue was going to work, rather than dead. Prue smiled. Phoebe would be ok. It was now the last good bye.
"Piper." Prue said.
"Don't go!" Piper quickly blurted.
"I have to. You know that."
"Really?" Piper asked as they embraced.
"Yes, you'll be ok." Prue said. When they came out, she said "Pheebs, it's now or never." Tear-filled the three recited the spell. "Blessed Be." She whispered, and she was gone.
Two weeks later:
Phoebe, Piper, and Paige sat at a table at P3.
"How you holding up?" Phoebe asked as she did every night.
"Better." Piper said. "It's easier the second time around.
"We got to say good bye this time." Phoebe pointed out.
"I wish I got to say good bye to my parents." Paige wistfully said.
"Enough wallowing!" Phoebe brightly said. Piper and Paige looked at her now. Suddenly Piper perked up like she knew where Phoebe was going. "Paige, Piper and I have a question for you."
"And its entirely your choice…" Piper added.
"We have an extra room now, and it would be nice to have the Power of Three under one roof, and for multi day fights… we want you to take Prue's old room and move in with us."
Paige looked flabbergasted. "You sure?" She checked.
"100%" Piper said.
'Thanks guys." Paige said, accepting the offer.
FIN.
By: Charmedgal005
READING AND REVIEWING IS GREATELY APPREIEATED
AN: This takes place during the fourth season, before "Black as Cole," with some minor changes, like Paige changed her last name to Halliwell and doesn't live in the manor. I think that that is all you need to know to understand this.
Disclaimer
If I owned these Characters (aside from the ones you don't recognize) I probably wouldn't be writing these. If I owned these characters, you would probably see this story on the show. Hey! You know what? I am writing these and you don't see this story line on the show, therefore, I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS!!! Oh yeah, I also don't own "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling (but boy do I wish I did.) So don't sue me!
* * * * *
Five Months Earlier
Marvalo stood impatiently as his messenger Zeus returned, again, with news that he had failed, again. The Charmed Ones still lived.
"If you want a job done right, do it your self." Marvalo muttered. With that he destroyed Zeus and looked at the obituaries page and smiled. "And, I'm always doing it myself."
Marvalo heart was blacker than night. He was so evil and was constantly hungry for a sip of human blood. All ways, he was willing to be the butcher for the higher power, whom he was driven by Marvalo was so atrocious that no other will even mutter his name for fear that he will hear and be driven by the hunger.
* * * * *
Present (Well kinda. See A/N above)
The three Halliwells walked into the manor laughing after a wild night at P3. "Wow, I, sorry we, haven't partied that hard since, since, since," Piper stated. She just couldn't bring herself to say that her older sister died. But it was ok. She could tell by her sister Phoebe's solemn face, and her half-sister's understanding face, that they knew what she meant. Every one was quiet. Accidentally, Piper had broken their good moods by mentioning Prue. Phoebe and Piper missed their sister so much that Paige, all though she wouldn't admit it, felt like an intruder.
"I've got to get to work early tomorrow. I'll see you later." Paige turned to go out to her apartment.
"Wait. You are not driving home that drunk. Tonight you are staying here. You can use Prue's old room." Ordered Piper. Phoebe smiled at her sister. She was glad that Piper was becoming more protective. She herself knew that she couldn't fill the "oldest child shoes." Her middle sister shoes were hard enough. If only you hadn't died Prue. Phoebe thought to herself. Memories flooded Phoebe's mind. Practically in tears, Phoebe made her way to her room.
"Going to bed?" Piper asked.
"Yes." Phoebe answered quietly.
She closed her door and fell into her bed and quietly began to sob. She missed her oldest sister so much. Prue was like the mother she never really had. A soft tap on the door made her sit up. "Come in." Phoebe said, drying her tears.
"What's wrong honey? You went to bed so quietly, and I know you too well to know that before I came in, you were crying." Piper asked. She shut the door and sat down next to her sister.
Phoebe starred at her sister with a look of disbelief. Could she really be that naive?
"Ok ok my fault. What made you think about Prue?" Piper admitted.
Again, Phoebe stared at her sister with a look of annoyance and disbelief.
"Ok, ok my fault again. It was the whole since Prue died thing wasn't it? Do you want to talk?"
Phoebe nodded her head. "When you said that earlier, it made me think about how she's not here anymore. Then when you offered Paige her room, it really did three things. One, it let me know that you were starting to move on, two it told me that she was really gone. In my head she is still so alive, but my heart knows Prue is gone. I wake up every morning expecting to see Prue sitting at the table sipping coffee. Third, it reminded me of the shoes we have to fill."
"What do you mean honey?"
"Well thing about it. You are now the oldest. 'Shoes' at require so much responsibility and you already have your protective instincts. Then I have these middle sister shoes that I've never worn before and I'm wearing them and it hurts. I just want my other sister back!"
* * * * *
Marvalo watched the sisters grieve over their lost one. He smiled mischievously. "That can be arranged."
* * * * *
Phoebe woke to the smell of coffee. As she passed Piper's room, she noticed that it was still closed. Paige must be an early riser. She thought. Quietly, not to wake Piper, Phoebe went down the stairs. She went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and her mouth dropped wide open when she saw what she did.
"PRUE?!" She screamed with both happiness and confusion.
"Yes Phoebe it is me," Prue said. She acted as if she had no idea what was going on. "All I am doing is making coffee like I do every morning. What is wrong with you Phoebe? You just spent the last couple of seconds staring at me in bewilderment."
"Stay here. I need to go get Piper!" Phoebe ran up the stairs and Prue just shrugged her shoulders. In a matter of seconds, Prue heard two pairs of feet run excitedly down the stairs.
"P-p-p-p-p-p-prue? Is that you?" Stuttered Piper.
"Yes? At least last time I checked." Prue looked so confused.
"Hey Phoebe, have you seen-oh!" Paige entered the kitchen and upon seeing Prue stopped dead in her tracks.
"Paige, come here," Phoebe started. "This is Prue. Prue, Paige."
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Paige asked.
"What? Who are you?" Prue exclaimed. Piper went over to comfort her older sister.
"Paige is our half-sister. She stayed here last night after getting kinda drunk last night." Piper construed.
"Half-sister." Prue was desperately trying to keep up.
"Yah. Sam and Mom apparently had a pretty serous relationship." Phoebe said, slowly drinking her coffee.
"Who's Sam?"
"What do you mean who's Sam? Sam was mom's whitelighter."
"What the hell are you talking about Phoebe? What is a whitelighter?" When that was said, the whole room grew silent. How could Prue not only be alive again, but how could she not remember what a whitelighter is?
"I know I'm new at this, but guys this seems really fishy." Paige said, pulling Piper and Phoebe aside and in a hushed voice said, "This just doesn't feel right. I mean she was dead, and now she's sitting there drinking coffee. She should also remember what a whitelighter is. Piper, you're married to one. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't feel right to me."
"As much as I hate to admit it, but I think that Paige here is right. This doesn't feel right." Phoebe agreed. The trio turned around to address Prue. "Prue, do you know what the Book of Shadows is?" Phoebe asked, talking to Prue slowly, to be sure that Prue heard and understood each word.
"No….." Prue answered.
"Ok then. Prue why don't you stay home from work today. I'll call you in sick, because, cuz, cuz you can't talk you are so sick, and we can have a sister day." Phoebe cleverly thought up. It was more of a command than a suggestion and Prue could tell.
"Fine. Whatever. But you have got to tell me what the hell is going on."
"Will do, but only after we know. Paige you get to work. We'll call you if anything comes up." Piper said.
"Hey, why does she get to go to work, and I don't I thought that she was our sister too?" Prue exclaimed.
"Because we went to P3 with her last night." Phoebe explained.
"Ok. Have you seen my keys? Wait, never mind. I'll just call for them. Keys!" Paige said, she turned and left leaving Piper, Phoebe and a very flabbergasted Prue behind. Prue hadn't looked up from Paige's former spot from where she just saw Paige's keys magically appear in her hands.
"H-h-h-h-how d-d-d-did sh-she do th-th-th-that?" Prue managed to stutter. Her shock made it hard for her to talk coherently.
"Are you saying that you don't remember anything about us?" Piper asked.
"About what?"
"About us being…" Piper started.
"Witches." Phoebe finished. Prue burst out laughing. To her this whole thing was just one big joke.
"Very funny guys."
"Piper, come. Prue, stay." Phoebe ordered. Phoebe led Piper into the sun room where they could talk without Prue overhearing and interrupting.
"What do we do?" Phoebe asked.
"I dunno." Piper answered, as she flopped down into one of the chairs.
"Let's call Leo. Maybe seeing a whitelighter might jumpstart her memory." Phoebe suggested. But Piper looked skeptical. "Phoebe, this isn't amnesia. Her memory won't come back just like that. I don't think it will ever come back."
"I know. But it is the only thing I can think of. Do you have anything better?"
"No," Piper admitted.
"Besides, Leo might help us by explaining what is going on."
"Fine. Really quick. Summon him in here, or do it in front of Prue?"
"Here."
"K. LEO!" Piper yelled. On cue, Leo orbed in.
"What's up?" Leo said going over to give Piper a kiss.
"We have a slight situation." Phoebe said.
"Meaning?"
"Leo, you should just see this." Piper said. She led her husband to the kitchen. Upon seeing Prue, he turned around and Piper and Phoebe went tailing after him.
"Sorry about that. I need to start that again. I thought I saw Prue in there." Leo said. The doorbell rang, and Phoebe left to go and answer it. Before leaving the room, she called over her shoulder, "You did!" Leo looked at the two with much confusion.
"Hello Phoebe." Inspector Darrel Morris greeted Phoebe. Without being invited, he came right into the manor.
"Something tells me this isn't a social call." She said, as she shut the door behind him.
"Bingo. Last night there was a break-in at the cemetery, and a body was taken. Phoebe, it was Prue's body. I'm here to do two things, one to tell you that it had happened, and second to clear your name."
"Clear our name?"
"Ok, I wanted to make sure that you guys didn't take it so that you could do some sort of ritual with it."
"We didn't. Darrel, there is something you will want to see."
"What?" Phoebe led Darrel into the kitchen where Prue was drinking coffee and talking to both Leo and Piper.
"Prue?" Darrel asked,
"Inspector Morris! Hi! I haven't seen you much since Andy died." Prue said. "Have you guys caught the bastard who killed him yet?"
"What?" Darrel asked.
"We don't know." Piper said.
"So it was you guys last night."
At the same time as Phoebe said "No!" Piper said "What?"
"There was a…" Phoebe covered Darrel's mouth, and still with her hand covering his mouth, led him into the living room. Once there Phoebe left Darrel with Piper and Leo for a side exchange.
"What are we going to do for sister day? Hmmm? So far sister day has sucked. Visitors left and right." Prue inquired.
"I'll have Piper rent us some movies. How does that sound?" Phoebe suggested.
"Fine, whatever."
"Great!"
"Wait. Let's go some where Phoeebes."
"Ummm…"
"Come on. Shopping?"
Phoebe made a frustrated face. "My weakness. Piper!"
"What?" Piper said, coming back into the kitchen. She found a cup of coffee someone had abandoned and took a sip. Though her clenched teeth, Phoebe said, "Piper, Prue wants to go shopping. I want to have a movie marathon, but I don't have the will power to turn down shopping."
"Prue, I have to agree with Phoebe, I'm not sure you look too well and should go out into the public."
"Fine, but Piper, when you get the vids, Pick up some popcorn."
"Will do sweetie."
"Oh oh." Leo said. He looked heavenward and looked ashamed. "They are calling. I gotta go. Must be something big. It's really important."
"Ok. See you soon." Piper kissed her husband. He started to orb out, when Phoebe quickly grabbed his arm, and dragging him into the dining room.
"What was he doing? It looked like he was 'beaming out' like in Star Trek." Inquired Prue.
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe quickly lied.
"I'm going to get the movies now." Piper said. She picked up her keys, and walked out the door."
"I'm still kinda hung over; I think I'll lie down." Phoebe said.
"I'll, I'll, I'll just stay here." Prue said. Prue looked around the kitchen but everyone had already left, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
* * * * *
"A sister day. How perfect. All I need is to give them time, and their 'sister' will possess all of their powers!" Marvalo said. "And powerless witches equal vulnerable witches. Vulnerable witches equal three dead little witches." He crackled and again tuned to the obituaries page. "I don't see why people like the sports section so much. The obituaries page is by far the best part."
* * * * *
Phoebe didn't lie down. She instead went upstairs to the attic to check the Book of Shadows. Prue, suspecting something was up, followed her into the attic.
"PHOEBE! Will you please tell me what is going on?" Prue yelled. Phoebe, so absorbed in the book, trying to find answers, was startled and jumped. Prue, not remembering anything about the craft, was surprised to see two things. One to see her littlest sister looking through a large, old, magic book. She was also amazed to see them both in the attic. Prue thought that the attic was locked shut so that no one could get in.
"Phoebe?" Prue said. Phoebe looked at her, just as confused as Prue was.
"Fine, you want the truth? I'll give you the truth. Prue, we are witches and you are dead." Phoebe said.
"You're joking?"
"Nope."
"So then Paige is…"
"Really our sister."
"Wow."
"I know."
"So, what are you doing?"
"I was looking through the Book of Shadows to find out why exactly you have returned to the 'real' world." Phoebe said, returning to look through the book again.
"The book of what?"
"Shadows. Our magic book of spells." Phoebe said offhandedly.
"Ok then. I'm just going to go downstairs and let this all sink in." Prue turned to go downstairs, when Phoebe stopped her mid stride.
"Prue, why don't you stay up here with me? You can help me look." Phoebe suggested.
"I won't be much help."
"That's ok. I have missed you so much that I want to spend more time with you until we have to send you back. I, I, I, really don't want to, but it's the natural order of things. Phoebe sobbed. Prue knelt down beside her little sister and held her really closed. "It's ok." She said. The two words meant the world to Phoebe.
"Thanks." Phoebe said gratefully.
"So, is that why you declared today a sister day?"
"Partly yes. But also, we couldn't risk being exposed because you were alive and showing up for work."
Prue laughed. "I understand your reaction to my shopping suggestion now!" Phoebe joined in with her and for that few moments Phoebe had forgotten that Prue had ever died.
When Piper returned with the videos, she found her sisters looking though the antique book. Without looking up, Phoebe said, "Hey Piper."
"Hey yourself." Piper returned the greeting. "Find anything about, um, you know."
"It's ok Piper. Phoebe finally told me everything. And I can't say that I accept it, but I do believe it." Prue said before Phoebe could say anything.
Piper looked at Phoebe with a slightly annoyed voice, "Oh. Ok. Well Phoebe?"
"Good news is, there are demons that raise people from the dead. Bad news is, there are twenty of them. We've vanquished none of them, and all twenty of them do it for purely evil proposes."
"Of course." Piper said. "Is there more?"
"Yep. Knowing that Prue's body, sorry Prue, is missing, I was able to narrow the twenty down to nineteen" Phoebe said. Phoebe went to reach for the Book of Shadows, when she was hurled into a premonition. When she pulled out of it, Phoebe was shaking and crying. Immediately Piper and Prue tried to calm their younger sister. After several minutes they had her calmed down enough for her to speak coherently.
"Get Paige." Was the first thing out of her mouth. "I don't want to say it more than once."
"Is it that painful?" Prue asked. Silently, Phoebe nodded.
"I'll go call her sweetie." Piper said. She went downstairs.
"We'll keep saying that we should add a phone up here. That and add an index to the book." Phoebe joked. Even though she wasn't in a joking mood, Phoebe continued to joke. IT kept her mind off of what she just saw.
* * * * *
Marvalo turned around and to see his master. He dropped to his knees, and bowing said, "What brings you here master? I was not expecting you here until I had successfully killed them, and might I add that the plan is unfolding nicely."
"Yes." The source said. His deep voice boomed throughout Marvalo's cave. A pin could have dropped and one could have heard it. "I have been watching the Charmed Ones as their destruction comes nearer, and I warn you; you are in their book. You are weak when it comes to battling, and they are not easy to defeat. Look at me, I am barely alive. You and one other know of my existence. This better work."
"It will my lord. And may I say that is a great honor to be one of three that knows of your whereabouts."
"Shut up Fool!"
"Yes my lord."
"Will it be done soon? I NEED THEM DEAD!!" The source boomed.
"It will my lord."
"Good." The source said. With that he turned and left, leaving Marvalo alone. He looked at his magic window and watched the Halliwells work.
* * * * *
"Ok I'm here." Paige said. Her footsteps could be heard coming up the attic stairs. As they got closer, Phoebe got more and more uneasy. Sweat rolled down her face. Piper noticed this, and could tell that what ever her sister saw had to be both bad and hard to say. Paige burst through the door, looking halfway annoyed.
"Phoebe, now can you tell us what you saw?" Piper cooed.
After taking a deep breath, Phoebe started, "It was night and I saw Paige and I laying there on the floor, and Piper looking very weak in a chair, then..." Phoebe's voice started to trail off and tears streamed down her face. "There was Prue smiling very evilly, and then, then she levitated, kicking Piper then orbed a knife and, and, and, and" Phoebe continued to cry harder, "and stabbed Piper." Phoebe started to cry loud and hard. Piper and Paige looked astonished, and Prue looked stunned. Immediately, {Piper went over and began to comfort her sister. If it was any other demon, Phoebe would not have acted so hysterical, but this, this was her own sister, killing her other sister after using her and Paige's powers.
Paige broke the almost silence (Phoebe was still sobbing) "Now we have something to help us narrow our search." Paige looked at a piece of paper where Phoebe and Prue had written down some names of demons, then picked up the book, when Leo orbed in. Prue gasped. She was not used to people appearing in the middle of the attic. Especially out of no where.
"Still not used to seeing that, are you Prue?" Asked Paige.
"No, definitely not. Especially not someone I don't know." Prue said. Piper jumped up. She was all too eager to introduce her husband to her older sister.
"Prue this is my husband Leo." Piper introduced. Leo cleared his throat.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said.
Sheepishly, Piper said, "There are times that I would like to forget that part. Prue, Leo is also our whitelighter." Piper saw the puzzled look on Prue, and elaborated saying, "He's, well. Kinda like our guardian angel. He ha ha. You always wanted me to marry an angel." Piper laughed at the fond memory. Everyone joined in.
"I never thought you would take it literally." Prue laughed along.
Leo was the first to stop laughing. His face quickly changed form very cheerful to a sorrowful and serous one. His thin mouth was flat. Upon seeing such a sorrowful face, the others quickly stopped laughing and smiling. Piper turned towards her husband and said, "Honey, what it is?"
"The elders called me because they suspected that something very wrong was going on. They were right. They called me because they wanted to know if I knew anything about it. I told them everything I knew. Naturally they didn't like it. The reason it took me so long to get back is they want to get Prue back where she belongs. And something felt fishy to them. So after much research, they determined that this was the work of a demon..."
"Well duh!" Paige interrupted. Leo ignored Paige and kept talking. "…named Marvalo. He raises people from the dead and then uses the um… dead people to strip the powers slowly from the witches. Then, they kill the witches. Marvalo then goes and drinks the blood of the witches, and then re-kills the dead person." Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige grimaced at what Leo had just told them.
"I remembered reading about a demon that did that." Phoebe strived to recall, "but I don't think his name was Marvalo."
"Well, then I'll check you list." Paige said looking at the list of demons. "Would you look at that, Marvalo was on your list."
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was Marvalo. Either way, what does the book have on him?" Phoebe asked. Paige began to flip though the book. Prue watched over her shoulder, curious on what was in there. This made Paige very nervous. "Could you please step back a little Prue? You're making me kinda nervous here." Paige said. She tried not to sound rude about it, but that's the way it turned out. Prue almost hurt leaned back. "Sorry Prue, I didn't mean to offend you or anything." Paige apologized.
"It's ok." Prue said. "I'm supposed to be tolerant of little sisters. Right Phoebe?"
"Right. Like you were tolerant of me throughout high school?" Phoebe sarcastically joked. Smiles cracked the group. Suddenly, Phoebe put her hand to her head, and put out her other hand out, as if to steady herself. "Whoa. That was a weird feeling." Phoebe said.
"What was the feeling?" Piper asked.
"Like a load just came off my back." Phoebe said. Her face was stricken with fear as she said, "Leo, I'm going to hide in a different room in the house. In ten minutes to try to sense what room I'm in. Ok?"
Skeptical, Leo said, "Ok, I don't see what for."
"Just trust me." Phoebe said, with that she went running out of the room to hide. The four left in the attic, looked around with puzzlement.
"I found Marvalo!" Paige exclaimed with the book open to the page with Marvalo on it. "This guy looks like fun. Pretty much the same as what Leos said, only the blood he drinks gives him something close to immortality, making him virtually impossible to vanquish."
"Is there a spell, or a potion, or are we doing this blind?" Piper asked.
"There is a potion, but," Paige started.
"But…" Piper edged.
"A lot of the ingredients will be hard to get. Take a look for yourself."
Prue, Piper and Leo all looked at the ingredients list. The list had no relevance to Prue, but she still thought that it was interesting. Piper took one look, and her eyes opened wide. "This one we can only find and use a week after the full moon, and this one is really expensive. This one I haven't found in San Francisco, I've driven to L.A. to get it. Why does it always have to be the complicated potions?" Piper complained, as she pointed to items on the list. She was still complaining when leo announced that it was time to check for phoebe, and he need his wife to shut up so he could find her easier. He looked and looked, but to his dismay, he could only get the tiniest trace of Phoebe.
"All I can determine is that she is alive and not hurt. There is the smallest hint of her in the house." Leo informed Prue, Piper and Page. He was getting worried.
"Look for me Leo." Paige said. "Only I'm not going to hide."
Leo closed his eyes and concentrated hard. "I can find you easily."
"I'm going to hide, but only wait like three minutes." Paige said.
"Me too!" Piper exclaimed. Both girls left, and ran into Phoebe on their way out. Phoebe gave them a quizzical look then shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention to Leo, and said, "I waited for like, a while. Where were you? Couldn't you find me?"
Leo shook his head no, and replied, "Piper and Paige are hiding now, and I have to look for them. I could sense that you were alive and that was about it. I had problems telling that you were in the house.
Phoebe thought for a moment. She ran over to the Book of Shadows and read over Marvalo's page. She read it, then lifting her head asked Leo, "How do you sense us?"
"I first look for your soul, which is a weak sense. All I can get from finding your soul is if you are hurt or dead. Then I try to lock onto you powers, which is much stronger. That gives me a location." Leo answered. He went over to the book. "I see what you're getting at Phoebe."
Prue, who was standing along the wall of the attic stepped forward. "I don't. Can you guys please explain to me what you think is going on?"
"Just a second Prue. If we are right, it will be proved after I look for Piper and Paige." Leo said, with that he began to look.
"Piper is harder to find than Paige. Its weird are three of your powers are harder to find than normal. Piper's in the kitchen and Paige is in the dinning room."
"Why don't you go get them, and I'll explain everything to Prue." Phoebe said, shoving Leo out the door. Prue approached phoebe, but Phoebe held her back. "Prue, I'm sorry, but you kinda have to stay away from Piper, Paige and me. I don't want this to be, but it is."
"What? Why?" Asked a hurt Prue.
"Sweetie, do you remember what Leo said about Marvalo using you to take our powers away?" Phoebe began to construe. Prue nodded her head and Phoebe continued. "Well the more time we spend with you, the weaker we get. That's why I was barely detectable. I've spent the most time with you. You have much of my powers and some of my soul. That's why earlier I almost fainted. You took me. Paige is the strongest because she spent the least amount of time with you, and then Piper's next. My premonition is starting to make some sense now."
Prue collapsed into a chair. "Wow. This sucks."
"No kidding." Phoebe said, doing the same thing on the other side of the room. An awkward silence filled the room, but the silence was broken by Cole shimmering in. Prue gave a little yelp as she gawked at another visitor from nowhere. Cole, not noticing Prue went over and gave Phoebe a kiss. It was then that he noticed Prue on the other side of the room.
"Prue?!?!?!?!" Cole exclaimed.
"Prue, this is my boyfriend Cole." Phoebe introduced.
"Are you a whitelighter too?" Prue asked. She didn't know better. To her anyone that magically appeared from nowhere was a whitelighter.
"Actually…" Cole started, but Phoebe cut in.
"Actually, Cole's not a whitelighter. Cole's well, half demon." Phoebe said, but quickly added, "But he's good now," when she saw the look on Prue's face. IT was a look of pure hatred.
"Not much different form the first time she found out." Cole whispered into Phoebe's ear. She giggled then gave him a playful nudge. "Phoebe, out of sheer curiosity, what is your dead sister doing in the attic?" Phoebe looked at him and said, "Ever heard of Marvalo before?"
"Sure. We were good friends, why?" Cole asked. Prue looked at Cole with even more hatred. Phoebe looked at Cole with a look that said, "Come on."
For a few minutes Cole looked slightly confused, then it hit him. "Oh, that does explain the separate sides of the room.
Piper, Paige and Leo burst through the attic door. Piper's face was tear stained after being ordered by her husband to stay away from her sister. They went and stood near Phoebe.
"You've heard huh?" Prue quietly said.
"Yeah. You understand right?" Piper asked. Prue nodded. She felt like it was more of an apology than anything else. Piper quietly walked over to the book and began to write down the list of ingredients.
"Leo, does Prue absorb other people's powers also?" Paige asked.
"What do you mean?" Leo questioned.
"Well, Prue is taking our powers, but what about yours and Coles'?"
"No. Marvalo's people only absorb witches' powers." Cole answered for Leo.
"Oh,"
"I better go get these ingredients." Piper said her voice barely above a whisper. With nothing more, she turned and left the attic.
* * * * *
Marvalo threw an energy ball against the wall. It hit the stone wall with nothing more than a scorch mark to show.
"It's too early for me to strike! The girl hasn't developed their powers enough. She's too good and the Charmed Ones are still too powerful." Marvalo said. He paced his room trying to develop a plan. Several more energy balls were thrown, each one hitting the exact same location as the first. Marvalo was too distracted to see the figure standing in the shadows.
"Your aim is getting better. Last time I saw you, you couldn't get with in ten feet of your target." The figure said.
Without turning to see who was standing there, Marvalo said, "Been a long time Phenyl. Several years I suppose.'
"Yes well, I've been busy succeeding at my missions, which is more than I can say for you. You just keep failing."
"If I was such a failure, why did The Source assign me to kill the Charmed Ones?"
"Oh really?"
"Yes, now, let's put our petty differences behind. I've got a job for you. You would get an eighth of the reward for your help." Marvalo tempted.
"The Source pays large rewards. What do you want me to do?" Phenyl asked, very interested in the offer.
"Make one of the Charmed Ones return home."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Deal." With that, Phenyl blinked out leaving Marvalo alone.
"I hope this works. He knows the reward is high. And an eighth is quite a sum." Marvalo said. He turned and began to look through his magic window to watch the Charmed Ones work.
* * * * *
The manor was silent. Prue had isolated herself in her room, Phoebe was trying to write a spell that would hold Marvalo back until the potion was ready, Paige was trying to get some work done, Cole was running around 'down there' getting more info, and Leo was talking to Prue. He knew that eventually she would be driven by evil eventually and would go after Phoebe, Piper and Paige, and that he talking to her would slow that process.
"What rhymes with dead?" Phoebe asked Paige from across the table.
"Umm… Lead?"
"That doesn't help me. What about tread?"
"Dead-tread. Tread- dead. I think so."
"Thanks."
"What do you got?"
"Mind you, it's not complete, but so far its:
Marvalo with people from the dead,
With these words stay away,
At this house your feet shall not tread.
What do you think?"
"I don't think it needs anything more."
"Ok, well, this is a power of three spell, so I'm going to call Piper, and get her home soon."
"Why can't Prue help?"
"Because she's no longer part of the Charmed Ones. Our sister always, but she's dead and powerless. Kinda powerless. She has my powers, but she doesn't have hers any more."
"Oh." Phoebe left the kitchen to call Piper, but Phoebe didn't even touch the phone when Piper came through the door, empty handed.
"Wow that was fast." Phoebe exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"I was just going to call you."
"I came back because I was in line to buy some ingredients when I realized that I left my purse at home."
"You left with it."
"Damn it! That guy took it!"
"What?"
"I bumped into this guy, and I guess without realizing it, he took it."
"How could you not notice?"
"I'm a little preoccupied right now."
"It's a trap." Paige put in. "I know I'm new at this but hear me out. Marvalo must have made Piper turn around and come back to get her powers absorbed."
"Huh." Phoebe said. "You're right. Quick lets say the spell!"
Together the three huddled together around Phoebe's paper and together chanted:
"Marvalo with people from the dead,
With these words stay away,
At this house your feet shall not tread."
"I wonder if it worked." Phoebe said.
"I think so." Piper replied, looking out the window at the back yard. "All of our rocks are arranged to circle the house. My guess is to give us and invisible force shield that only we can see."
"That's good. Piper you go get the potions. I'll order them over the phone; put them on our tab so all you have to do is pick them up. I'll call you when I've got the first store called. Head towards Chinatown first." Phoebe said. "Your powers are the strongest. GO, get out of the house." Quickly, Piper turned and left.
"So, what happens now?" Paige asked.
"I don't know." Phoebe said, flopping herself in a chair. "I guess we wait."
Paige turned back to doing her work, and Phoebe, went to do, something. Phoebe didn't know what to do, she just knew that waiting around was going to drive her insane. Her feet lead her up the stairs. She stopped in front of Prue's room, where she could hear Prue and Leo talking. She tapped the door.
"Uh guys? Do you want anything to eat?" She asked.
Prue's voice raised behind the door. "I'd like a sandwich."
"Leo?" Phoebe pressed.
"Nothing. Thanks." Leo graciously declined.
"I'll be back in a minute Prue." Phoebe turned and left. The sound of a door latch forced her to turn around and see Leo.
"Phoebe, this does not look good. She is turning more evil by the minute. She won't confine herself much longer. And you and Paige are getting weaker and weaker." Leo said, in a hushed voice, so that Prue would not hear.
Exasperated, Phoebe sighed. "I know." Leo turned around and went back inside Prue's room. Phoebe went back downstairs to make Prue's sandwich.
* * * * *
"You failed fool!" Marvalo screamed at Phenyl.
"I made the witch turn around. She returned home." Phenyl retaliated. "No for my reward we discussed."
"You will get your reward when she is home again for GOOD and when all three are dead!"
"NOW!"
"Temper, temper." Marvalo observed. He turned and shot an energy ball at Phenyl. All that was left of Phenyl was a small pile of ashes. "No bounty for you."
"You shouldn't have done that." The source warned after arriving in an instant flame.
"My lord!" Marvalo said, getting down onto one knee. "The plan is working better than expected. They will be dead before the new moon."
"Your bounty will be doubled if you rid of the witches before tomorrow."
"With all do respect my lord, but my plan requires time. Without time it will not be successful. To strike now is to commit suicide.. The Charmed Ones are still to powerful, and the girl is too good and weak."
"I NEED THEM DESTROYED NOW!!!!" The source boomed. "The new moon is too late. Perhaps I should find someone who can do it in less time?"
"No, it will be done by tomorrow.
* * * * *
"I'm back." Piper called putting the bags on the counter.
"Oh good. Now we can at least start on the potion now." Phoebe said coming into the kitchen. They began to unpack the ingredients in silence. Suddenly Piper slammed her hand onto the table.
"We can't send her back. She's our sister Phoebe. If we could just turn her good maybe we won't have to sender her back." Piper cried. Phoebe ran over to comfort her older sister. Piper just crumbled in her arms crying over and over, "She's our sister. She's our sister."
"Shhhhh Piper. It's ok. We'll worry about that later ok? Right now just worry about the potion for Marvalo. We need you to focus now." Phoebe comforted.
"You're right. I just don't know what came over me." Piper apologized, drying her tears.
"It's ok. I understand."
"Hey, did you notice that we were lucky enough to get a couple ingredients now?"
"Yep, I guess that calling it in saved time."
"Yep." The girls began to unpack the bags. They chatted but they were solemn for a long while.
* * * * *
"THOSE WITHCES!!!" Marvalo screamed. I can't get through. They put up some sort of block. I need to attack." Marvalo stated to pace his little cave. "I'll attack through the sister. I still have control over her. She won't be as powerful as I had hoped, but she will do." He sat down like he was about to meditate and began to chant some Latin.
* * * * *
Prue woke with a jerk. She looked over at the clock and noticed that it was almost midnight. Leo was asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. With an evil smile she left the room quietly, as not to wake Leo. She could hear voices in the kitchen. She easily recognized both Phoebe and Piper's voices. The third female voice she realized must be Paige's. Out of nowhere, a knife appeared in her left hand. Piper jumped back in surprise. She didn't know how she had done that. She turned around and ran back to her room. She realized what was happening. She was becoming evil. Prue slammed the door shut, waking Leo. "Help." She feebly cried.
* * * * *
"This isn't working! She is still too good. My master may want them now, but tonight will make no difference; they will not spend their time on the Source. No, they will work on my vanquish. By noon tomorrow, she should be ready."
* * * * *
"Prue, Prue, Prue!" Leo said, finally getting Prue's attention. "We knew that this was going to happen."
"No LEO! I was going to kill my sisters. There's nothing worse than that."
Cole shimmered into the room with two steaming mugs of coffee. "They heard you guys downstairs and thought that this might be helpful." He handed a mug to both Leo and Prue who took it and took a drink happily.
"Thanks Cole. But that wasn't all was it?" Leo inquired.
Sheepishly, Cole replied, "No. They also wanted to know how things were going. And they were thinking that they wouldn't get a straight answer without a bribe."
"Things are great! I'm no longer evil." Prue said optimistically. Cole looked at her suspiciously, and Leo caught it.
"Prue, that's evil you talking. At times you are still evil." Leo pointed out, trying to get Prue to get a greater grip on her good side.
"What are you talking about Leo? I was never evil." Prue said. She suddenly broke down crying. "I did it again, didn't I Leo? I'm scared. They're getting more and more frequent. I'm scared I'll hurt them. I can't hurt my sisters." Prue sobbed.
Leo gave Cole a silent nod, signaling him to leave. Cole shimmered out of the room. He didn't want to risk the chance of opening the door and having evil Prue escape. Downstairs, three pairs of eyes looked at Cole expectantly.
"Well?" Phoebe asked.
Cole shook his head somberly. "She's only getting worse. How is the potion going?"
"We just need to let it sit for a couple of hours." Piper said.
"We may not have a couple of hours." Paige commented.
"We might. Prue doesn't want to be evil, so that should slow down the processes." Cole said.
"I just wish I could go see her right now." Phoebe said. "I've missed her so much." Cole went over and put a comforting arm around Phoebe. He kissed the top of her head. No words were needed. His efforts were a success.
"No use in all of us exhausted tomorrow. Go to bed." Phoebe ordered. Piper and Paige turned around, thanking Phoebe and headed up to their rooms. Paige got to the top of the stairs, realized that she didn't have a bed at the manor and turned around. The night before she had used Prue's bed, but Prue was up in her room.
"Uh… Phoebe?" Paige asked.
Phoebe got her drift, "Sorry Paige. Forgot about that. You can use my bed." Phoebe generously offered.
"Thanks." Paige said. She turned around and went upstairs again.
"What about me?" Cole asked.
"Sorry Cole, why don't you sleep on the couch?" Phoebe said. She looked at Cole's pleading face. "Paige is our guest."
Cole shook his head annoyed but understood. He gave her a kiss and went to make himself a make shift bed in the living room.
Phoebe went to the attic. She wasn't ready to give up on sending Prue back. Her words said that she had to go, but her heart couldn't. She passed Prue's room and stopped. Pressing her ear against the door, she could hear three voices talking. Wait! She thought. Three? She strained to hear more. There's Leo's and there's Prue's. Phoebe pressed her ear even harder against the door. "Ow. Earring pressing into brain." Phoebe muttered to herself as she took some of the pressure off of her head, but she strived to hear harder. But the third voice never spoke. Curiosity got the better of Phoebe. Slowly, she opened the door. Sitting on the floor was Paige.
"Phoebe!" Prue said. "You shouldn't be in here. I'm having enough trouble getting Paige out of here."
"No Prue," Phoebe said stubbornly. "If you are going to kill me, and I got to spend one last night talking to you, it will be all worth while."
"Fine, but you'll die faster."
"I'm going to die eventually." Silence filled the room. Now that both Paige and Phoebe were there, no one knew what to say. It was as if the floor was littered with eggshells. Moments passed. Thoughts flew, but no one spoke. Finally, Leo said "Piper's going to kill you." But it wasn't much of a conversation spark. Phoebe and Paige shrugged their shoulders, and once again there was silence.
"I fell kinda bad fore Cole." Paige said. Prue looked at her with a question in her eyes. Phoebe laughed. "I mean he's sleeping on the couch downstairs because I'm supposed to be sleeping in your guys' bed." Prue cracked a small smile. But it didn't mater. It started a conversation. Prue, not knowing this kind of things then asked, "How long have you known Cole?"
"A year." The room started to come alive with everyone talking. Paige thought it was cool to find out things she had missed. It was ten when they heard Piper stir. The room grew silent when they heard the click of the bathroom door. Leo signaled Phoebe and Paige to leave. As quietly as they could, they snuck downstairs and into the kitchen. Cole was sitting there waiting for them.
"That was a stupid thing you did last night. She's getting more powerful, just with you in the house. The closer you are, the worse off you are. Slowly, you are becoming powerless and vulnerable." Cole scolded.
"Good morning to you too." Phoebe said, taking the cup of coffee from his hands.
"Phoebe," Cole said exasperated.
"Cole you don't know the pain I'm going through."
"Keep doing dumb things like that and I will." Phoebe gave him a quick kiss.
"Leo said we were helping. She only tried to kill us twice over six hours. She was making attempts hourly earlier. If you excuse me, I'm going to find a way out of vanquishing my sister." Phoebe turned and left, leaving a stunned Cole behind. Cole turned and looked at Paige who was stirring the potion.
"He did." Paige confirmed.
Piper came down the stairs half way peppy. Paige looked at Cole, and while Piper's back was turned mouthed, "Don't tell Piper." Cole looked at Paige with annoyance but complied.
"This tastes good, who made it?" Piper asked sipping her coffee.
"I did." Cole said.
"It's really good. How's the potion coming? She peered into the pot where the potion was now orange. "Let's see, twelfth hour, twelve left, orange is right."
"I didn't even need to answer." Paige joked.
"Is Phoebe up yet?"
"Yeah. She's up stairs looking through the book again. She's got it in her head that there is some loop hole and we don't have to send Prue back."
"I'm going to go up and talk to her."
Leo orbed into the kitchen. "Prue wanted me to get some orange juice and a muffin." Leo said, looking through the refrigerator. "Which we appear to be out of both."
"Gota make her happy. I'll go get some." Piper said. She grabbed her coffee and keys and went to the door, giving Leo a quick peck before leaving.
"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Leo accused.
"No, we fell that the less she knows the better." Paige admitted.
"I don't agree, but you guys were a big help. You set her back several hours. Where's Phoebe?"
"The attic."
"She's a little hot tempered." Warned Cole.
"What? You just read her wrong. She's more preoccupied than hot tempered." Paige argued. Cole rolled his eyes.
"I better be going back up there and tell Prue about breakfast." Leo said, orbing out.
"What?" Paige asked, looking at Cole, who was looking at her.
"Oh nothing."
"Cole, be helpful. Go see about any changes down there." Paige ordered. Once again Cole rolled his eyes, but complied. He shimmered out. Paige sat there stirring the potion. She heard a thump from upstairs, and went to investigate. She tapped on Prue's door, but they called to go check on Phoebe in the attic. Unsure of what to expect, she slowly opened the door. "Oh God!" She cried. Lying on the floor, not moving was Phoebe. Paige rushed to her sister's side. "Come on Phoebe, wake up. No jokes now, come on. Wake up!" Phoebe made no response. Relieved to see shallow breaths, Paige relaxed, a little. She stood up, ready to go get Leo, but hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should leave Phoebe alone. "Leo!" She instead called from the door way, one eye on Phoebe. Leo's footsteps were heard running up the stairs. Being in the house, he didn't feel the need to orb. "She won't wake up." Paige explained to Leo. Leo knelt over Phoebe and tried to heal her.
"Physically there is nothing wrong with her. But Prue must have taken too much of her." Leo informed Paige.
"Can we reverse what happened?" Paige asked.
"Only when you vanquish Marvalo. Help me carry Phoebe to her room and lie her down." Together the two laid Phoebe on her bed. "I want you to either always be in the attic, or the basement. After last night, you are at high risk of being next. I also think that it now time to tell Piper." Leo instructed. Paige nodded, and headed upstairs. The attic was a much friendlier feeling than the basement. If she was confined to only two rooms, Paige felt she should stay in the one where she was the most helpful, and where she felt more comfortable.
* * * * *
"One down, two to go. I wish I knew that they were so stubborn; I would have used that against them a while ago. Time is on my side. She is becoming more evil and powerful every second. Their shield is becoming weaker each passing minute. Soon I shall be able to penetrate it." Marvalo said.
* * * * *
Cole arrived in the underworld. Few had even heard that Marvalo was active again, much less that he was assigned to the Charmed Ones. The whole underworld knew Marvalo as a failure, and a screw up. Years ago he mistook the second to the source for a witch, and killed him. "No one even knew that Marvalo was active." Cole told Paige.
"So there's no news about what his next plan is?" Paige clarified.
"Yes. Where's Phoebe?" Paige froze. Cole didn't know that Phoebe was downstairs, hanging on a thread, and close to death. She didn't know how to break the news to him. She knew that he would be very angry at both of them. The night before Cole felt was irresponsible.
"Cole, I don't know how to break this to you, so I'm just going to show you." She left the attic with Cole following her. When they reached Phoebe's room, Cole looked at Phoebe lying there, and knew that she wasn't sleeping.
"Is she dead?" Cole dared to ask. He went over to Phoebe's bed and took her hand.
"No, Prue just has too much of her. We'll get her back when we vanquish Marvalo and free Prue. The way Leo explained it, when we vanquish Marvalo, she gets her soul back, then when we free Prue, she gets her powers back."
"How long until the potion is ready?" Cole asked, never taking his eyes off of Phoebe.
"I can't tell you. Piper is getting the last of the ingredients and Prue's breakfast as we speak. I need to get upstairs by orders of Leo. Just call if you need anything. Oh yah, one more thing. I want to be the one to tell Piper about last night." Paige said. Cole barely nodded. Saddened, Paige turned and left.
* * * * *
"The girl is almost ready. I will soon be able to make her kill." Marvalo said. He left his cave in search of his master. Her found him and bowed.
"Master, I should be able to attack today. The girl is finally ready to kill."
"As am I. I needed them dead by this morning. They may not be plotting my vanquish, but each passing minute gives them more knowledge on my destruction. You will kill them today, or I will kill you!"
Marvalo gulped. This was already his best plan yet, but with his past history of failures, things did not look optimistic when his life was on the line. "It will be done." He said bowing.
"That is what you said yesterday fool! Your bounty has already been cut in half, next it will be your head. Now, leave my presence."
Marvalo did as he was told, bowing once more before leaving. He had increasingly become more uncertain of his plan.
* * * * *
Piper was beyond mad when Paige told her about the night before. To tell the truth, mad is an understatement. "How could you be so irresponsible?!?!?!" She screamed.
Paige shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just wanted to know more about Prue. You guys practically worship her. Phoebe, I guess, she just missed her."
"I miss her too, but you don't see me doing something that stup-" Piper was cut short. Paige had collapsed. She was half on the couch and half on the floor, like a rag doll. Piper began to panic. She knew that they would be alright, but she was hoping to have help in vanquishing Marvalo. "Leo! Cole! Paige collapsed! Help!" She knew that Paige couldn't be helped. Quickly, Cole's heavy foot steps were heard coming up the stairs. Cole needed no explanation, immediately he picked up Paige and shimmered her down the stairs to Phoebe's room. Piper went running after him. "Will she be all right?" She knew that Phoebe was ok, but she needed reassurances that Paige was going to be ok.
"Yes, but vanquishing Marvalo will be your responsibility, and you'll want a spell to get rid of Prue. I don't know what will happen when you vanquish Marvalo. She may not go away." Cole said.
Piper showed no emotion. She was in too much shock. The lives of her three sisters rested in her ability to vanquish Marvalo. She suddenly didn't feel very confident at her abilities. Not knowing what else to do, she turned to absentmindedly stir the potion. Cole saw her distress. He knew that look. It was the look Phoebe had when she needed reassurances and to be held. In the house, there were only two people who could do that. Leo and Prue. Prue wasn't a good person to allow Piper to go near. Cole could hear her screaming for Leo to let her out. And Leo was holding Prue back. "If I take his place…" Cole thought. He leaned over and gave Phoebe a kiss on the forehead, and shimmered into Prue's room.
"LET ME OUT!!!!!!!!" Prue screamed, kicking at Leo. Leo held his ground in front of the door, wincing as each foot hit him in the chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cole shimmer in. Surprised, Prue stooped kicking and screaming. Leo shout a look of pure gratitude at Col, as he tenderly nursed his bruises.
"What do you want?" Prue demanded.
"Leo and I are trading places for a bit." Cole stated.
Unsure that he liked the idea, Leo questioned, "Why?"
"You kept her good longer. It's time for me to keep her in here. Face it Leo, I am slightly stronger than you." Cole said. It was a kind of code between the two. From the look that Cole shot at him, he could see that something was igging Piper, but saying that in front of Pure might not have a positive outcome. Gratefully, Leo orbed out. He found his wife sobbing over the potion. She looked up at him, her eyes searching for sympathy. Quickly, yet gracefully, he walked over and gave Piper a reassuring hug. "I love you." He whispered to her. Slowly her sobbing ceased.
"They're all counting on me. I don't know if I can do it." Piper said, her hands pouring potion into the bottles.
"Yes you can, I'll be there to help."
"You will?" Piper asked, looking up into her husband's eyes.
"Always."
With a new determination, Piper once again began to pay attention to the situation at hand. "Cole said something about Prue not going away once I've vanquished Marvalo."
"It's true. She may even be evil but I don't know."
"And the book doesn't say what to do. I love it when that kind of thing is left out." Piper sarcastically remarked.
Leo smiled, but Piper's semi good mood didn't last long. As quickly as she pulled out of her funk, she slipped right back in. She began to stir the empty pot. She silently put down the spoon, grabbed a potion bottle, for herself and handed one to Leo and left the kitchen. Leo paused and looked at the potion puzzled. Quzzeled, he followed Piper. She led him upstairs to the attic.
"Whacha looking for?" Leo inquired.
"Well, Cole said something that Prue might not go when Marvalo is vanquished, so I need to have a spell ready to vanquish her." Piper said, her voice quivering. They stood in silence. The only noises were the pages turning, and Prue's constant screaming. Leo found it nerve wrecking. He felt he needed to do something. Cole was watching Prue. Piper was flipping through the book, and there was nothing for him to do. He thought about orbing up there, his help was always needed there. Piper looked up from the book and smiled, and it was then that Leo knew that his presence was more than helpful. It was a necessity.
* * * * *
"There is no time like now. My master will be pleased." Marvalo said. HE grabbed a ceremonial knife off his alter, and blinked out. He arrived at the Halliwell attic. "There she is, the last standing, but not for long." He thought.
* * * * *
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Piper screamed. She wasn't expecting a demon to pop in right then.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Marvalo sarcastically remarked. He threw a fireball at Piper. She, on instinct, froze the fireball. And to her surprise, Marvalo froze.
"Leo, on three, we throw the potion and pray that it works." Piper ordered. Leo nodded, understanding Piper's orders. "One, two, THREE!" Piper screamed. The three potions hit Marvalo (Piper had two) and like acid he began to melt.
"Damn you witch!!!" He screamed as his body dissolved.
"That was easy." Piper said. "I wonder if Prue left with him." They were silent, straining to here Prue, but all they heard was silence. Piper began to cry, she was hoping that she could save Prue.
"That was my master you bastard! I needed to go!!" Prue screamed. Piper quit sobbing, and perked up.
"I can still save her." Piper said, half way glad at that.
"You should check on your other sisters first."
"Good idea!" Piper said, turning to head to Phoebe's room, where Phoebe and Paige ware waking up.
"Did anyone get the license plate of the truck that hit me?" Phoebe moaned. She sat up, only to fall down again from being dizzy
. "It's like a bad hangover without the fun the night before." Paige agreed. Phoebe tried to sit up again, and was successful, but it was obvious that sitting upright was tuff, and waking for a little while was out of the question.
"Piper, we're sorry about last night. Are you mad?"
"A little bit, but Leo and I vanquished Marvalo with out your help. This reminds me, I am upset enough that you guys got the clean up when you can move." Piper said.
Phoebe and Paige groaned, but they understood where Piper was coming from.
"You guys rest, I'm going to see what we can do to save Prue." Piper said, she left her sisters in Phoebe's room.
"I'm going to try to make my way over to the bathroom to get some pain killers." Phoebe said, slowly getting up from her place on the bed. She came back ten minutes later with a jar of pills and two bottles of water. "Can you orb?" Phoebe asked.
"Why?" Paige asked. Orbing required effort, something she didn't want to give.
"Because I still don't feel myself, like part of me is still missing. I tried to levitate, but couldn't it, and it's not like I can get premonitions on will." Paige understood. She closed her eyes, and concentrated, but nothing happened. She looked a Phoebe, who edged her on to try again. Paige tried, but alas, nothing happened.
"Nope. Phoebe, what does this mean?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, but here's my theory. Marvalo had Prue absorb our souls and powers, but once Prue had our souls, Marvalo took them for himself, leaving Prue with our powers. When Piper and Leo vanquished Marvalo, our souls became free, but Prue is still here, meaning that our powers are still being absorbed." Phoebe exclaimed.
"So Prue could orb out of the room?" Paige asked.
"Oh God! You're right. Confiding her won't help much longer." Phoebe realized. "Come on! We gotta go tell Piper. Prue should realize her powers soon." Phoebe grabbed a reluctant Paige, and began to go quickly as they could to the attic.
"But the world's still spinning!" Paige protested, but Phoebe e didn't listen or slow down.
"Piper we have a big problem." Phoebe said.
"I know! Acid Marvalo is still on the attic floor.": Piper complained. "It's really grossing me out." She pointed to a spot on the floor where Marvalo dissolved.
"Ewe!" Paige commented. Indeed it was gross. It looked as thought he had melted like the wicked witch of the east, only with acid and his remains, well, remained."
"Bigger than that, Paige and I don't have our powers, meaning that Prue still has them. As soon as she figures that out, she'll easily have the upper advantage."
"Oh. That is a problem. She can still absorb my powers." Piper said.
"Everything is coming together nicely. Well that's not a good thing. Oh never mind." Paige said.
"You're right, it is making sense." Phoebe agreed.
"Here, I found this spell and modified it." Piper said, handing Phoebe and Paige slips of paper with the spell on it. "If we say it to Pure, it should strip her powers, with out vanquishing her, and return them back to us."
The girls nodded their heads in understanding. Silently, they went downstairs to Prue's room where she could be heard pounding her fists against the wall. Piper gave a nod of her head, to her sisters, and boldly opened the door. Surprised, Cole and Prue turned to look. Phoebe started the spell. Piper and Paige quickly joined in. Prue began freaking out. "You can't do this to me! I'm your sister." She cried. She ran to make a lunge at Phoebe, but mid jump she orbed out.
"Where did she go?" Phoebe asked when it was apparent that she was no longer in the same room.
"I don't know, quickly! Search the house." Piper ordered. The band quickly dispersed to search for Prue.
"She didn't orb anywhere in the house." Phoebe said ten minutes later, once the five had thoroughly checked the house.
"Where could she have gone?" Piper asked.
"Where did she go to think while she was alive?" Paige asked.
Piper and Phoebe thought. "I don't know, when Andy was alive, and they were dating, it was his apartment, but after he died…" Phoebe said.
"She seemed to disappear to think more after he died." Piper observed.
"Maybe that spot where you can se that bridge?" Leo suggested. Cole and Paige looked puzzled.
"No… after her experience with that dark lighter she swore she would never go back."
"Maybe she sill went to Andy?" Piper said.
"Huh?" Phoebe asked.
"I… um… kinda do that… well like not exactly. I like to either go to P3 or Prue's grave. I dunno, it gives me some sort of comfort." Piper confessed.
"You think she might be at Andy's grave?" Phoebe asked.
"I dunno, maybe."
"Sounds good. We split up. Where else could she have gone?"
"Maybe that park where we went as kids?"
"So, Cole, Paige and I will go to Andy's and the park cuz they're close. And you two hit P3." Phoebe ordered. They piled into the cars and drove to their designated places. The car ride to P3 was silent. It was an awkward silence. Even thought she was only in the car with Leo, Piper felt nervous. To ease her nerves, she turned on the radio.
So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
Tears began to roll down Piper's cheeks. "This song reminds me of Prue." She mumbled, turning off the radio. Leo looked over at his wife. He knew his orders from the elders. Prue must return. She can't stay. He couldn't help get her back without orders. It pained him to see Piper this way. Phoebe was probably the same. If only Pure could stay. True, it would be impossible to get his old Piper back. There were too many changes. There was Paige. But Piper would be cheerful again. Piper tried the radio again, and caught the tail end of the song.
I know now just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you until the end of time
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
I'll go wherever you will go
"We'll be ok." Leo told Piper, putting an arm on her shoulder. Together, the two walked into P3.
The other car was just as quiet, well quiet wasn't the world, but tense. It was so tense that it was quiet event though everyone was talking. Nervous conversation was made. Useless topics. That song was cool; there was a cool pair of boots at the mall… Conversation seized to a halt when Cole pulled into a parking lot at the park. It was a large park, but one glance and it was obvious that Prue wasn't there. Phoebe took out her phone and dialed Piper's number. "Piper? She wasn't at the park… You're there now?... We're going to Andy's grave now… Not there?.... Then if she's not at Andy's grave, where else can we look?... Yeah… Meet us there." Phoebe said. She hung up the phone and turned her attention to Cole and Paige. "She wasn't at P3. Piper and Leo are orbing to the mausoleum and meeting us at the grave. Let's hope she's there." Phoebe said. The car fell into a real eerie silence. No one was talking. The radio was off. This time Phoebe's cell phone rang. "Hello?... She's there!... We're hurrying… Tell Leo to hold on… Knock her out if you have to… Yeah… Ok… Love ya!" Phoebe said. "She's there. Leo has her pinned to the ground. We need to get there fast." Phoebe told Cole and Paige. In a matter of moments, they were running across multiple graves.
"What did you do to her? I said knock her out, not kill her!" Phoebe exclaimed, looking at a motionless Prue lying on the ground.
"She's not dead. Come on, we got to say the spell." The three recited the spell, but nothing happened.
"Try again." Leo suggested. They tried it again and Prue's body began to violently shake. Three white orbs popped out of her body, and the shaking stopped. They stared at the orbs in awe. The three orbs then went into Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. The gasped as each one entered each sister.
"I feel me again. Whole." Phoebe commented.
"Leo, heal here. She could be bleeding." Piper said. Leo rushed to Prue's side. He put his hands over her head, making her regain consciousness.
"Did you have to use a brick?" Prue joked.
"It was the only thing heavy enough to knock you out." Piper admitted.
"It's ok." Prue said. She was her old self again. Phoebe and Piper began to cry. "I mean I was the one who have been trying to kill you these past days." She opened her arms because she saw that her sisters to hug her. It was beautiful in a way that only a sister could see. "Let's go home."
"We'll orb to the club and meet you and home." Leo said, leading Piper and Prue to the mausoleum. At home, more tears were shed, more hugs exchanged. Even Paige took part in the fun, even though part of her felt like an outsider.
"I was expecting this." Leo said, looking skyward. "I need to go."
"Hurry back." Piper said. Leo smiled and orbed up there.
"I bet I know what they want." Prue said.
"What?" Phoebe asked.
"Me, I don't belong here. My time has passed."
"You need to stay Prue, I need you." Piper said, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"What would I do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't go back to work. I'm dead, remember? And being out in public could expose you guys. Please tell me that you remember what happened last time, and hopefully only time, we were exposed."
"Yes." Phoebe and Piper mumbled.
"You will be fine without me. Look at what you've done already without me. You can do it again." Prue began to cry. She knew what she had to do, but it was just as hard for her. She was happy up there. She could see Andy, Grams, and her mom everyday, anytime she wanted to. But what she really wanted was her sisters, and here she was standing next to them in the manor. All three of her sisters. The Power of Three would be broken with her return. There was no power of four. Paige's jealousy might get the better of her. Even now, standing there, Prue could see Paige getting jealous. Piper, Phoebe had a special relationship that sometimes (unknowingly) excluded Paige. Add Prue to the mix and that bond will increase. Paige obviously wanted that kind of relationship with her sisters. But it was hard. She had only known them a few months. "I mean it guys. You'll be fine." Prue cried. They had sat down in the observatory now. Everyone was silent. Silent tears ran down Prue, Piper, and Phoebe's cheeks.
"You need to send her back." Leo pleaded when he returned to the manor. "She can't stay. Eventually the elders will take her by force. They're giving you a chance to do it on your own."
"He's right." Cole agreed.
"Please, as much as I want to stay, my time has passed. Please, I want to leave willingly this time. Not by force." Prue begged.
Phoebe suddenly stood up. "She's right." She said walking up the stairs. Minutes later she was joined by the others. She stood over the pedestal, flipping through the book. "Prue's right. She can't stay. The Power of Three doesn't exist with four sisters." Twenty minutes later Phoebe had a spell to send Prue back. The good byes were long. Prue took her time on each one… except with Cole (she still doesn't trust him…) She did however say good bye.
"Take care of Phoebe. She really does love you." She said as they gave each other a quick hug. Cole smiled. Sure, now she warms up to him.
"Leo, it was good seeing you again." Prue said.
"Yes. It was good to see you too Prue." Leo said. Phoebe noticed that there was something unspoken between the two. Like they see each other up there and aren't allowed to say anything. Phoebe decided it was best not to press the issue.
"Hey baby sis, don't let them give you too much crap." Prue said to Paige.
"It was nice to meet you." Paige said. They gave each other a hug. It was the first and last between the two sisters.
There were only two left. Piper and Phoebe. Tears were falling fast.
"Phoebe," Prue started before she chocked on her words. She couldn't do it. Words were not needed. They gave each other a long hug. "Take care Phoebe." Prue said.
"I'll see you later." Phoebe said, as if Prue was going to work, rather than dead. Prue smiled. Phoebe would be ok. It was now the last good bye.
"Piper." Prue said.
"Don't go!" Piper quickly blurted.
"I have to. You know that."
"Really?" Piper asked as they embraced.
"Yes, you'll be ok." Prue said. When they came out, she said "Pheebs, it's now or never." Tear-filled the three recited the spell. "Blessed Be." She whispered, and she was gone.
Two weeks later:
Phoebe, Piper, and Paige sat at a table at P3.
"How you holding up?" Phoebe asked as she did every night.
"Better." Piper said. "It's easier the second time around.
"We got to say good bye this time." Phoebe pointed out.
"I wish I got to say good bye to my parents." Paige wistfully said.
"Enough wallowing!" Phoebe brightly said. Piper and Paige looked at her now. Suddenly Piper perked up like she knew where Phoebe was going. "Paige, Piper and I have a question for you."
"And its entirely your choice…" Piper added.
"We have an extra room now, and it would be nice to have the Power of Three under one roof, and for multi day fights… we want you to take Prue's old room and move in with us."
Paige looked flabbergasted. "You sure?" She checked.
"100%" Piper said.
'Thanks guys." Paige said, accepting the offer.
FIN.