Disclaimer: I don't own charmed, blah blah blah you already know all this. Just read the story.

Piper's POV

I sit on the floor, her head resting in my lap. I am sub-consciously stroking her hair; waiting for her to wake up even though I know it's impossible. My tears are falling onto her face, making her look like she's crying too. For all I know, she could be. I reach down and wipe them away. I gently brush her red hair off her face. She looks so peaceful. I am hardly aware of Phoebe behind me, fighting the demon with every ounce of strength she has. I am only aware of my baby sister lying dead on the floor, never to open those brown eyes again. Never to tease me about being a rebel to the Elders or laugh at Phoebe's attempts at cooking. She's gone. She's left us. Forever.

Phoebe's POV

It takes me a split second to understand what has happened. The demon. The energy ball flying towards Paige. Paige falling to the ground. Piper screaming. The demon's satisfied smirk.

Rage curses through me. "You killed her," I scream. "You killed her, you bastard!" I run at him and suddenly it's hand to hand combat. Odd for a demon but I don't care. I want to cause him as much pain as possible and then cast a spell to make sure the pain never goes away. He killed my sister and he's going to suffer.

He's not good enough for me. Well, I guess demons don't exactly take lessons. He knows I'll win. I see it in his eyes. He forms an energy ball in his hand but before he can throw it, I pull out the potion that we made in preparation for him and throw it. It needs the power of three to vanquish him completely but just one can weaken him enormously. He glares at me.

"I'll be back," he hisses. "Don't worry."

"I won't," I answer coolly.

He shimmers out and I run to join Piper, mourning over Paige.

Paige's POV

I look at my sisters sadly. I am standing right next to Piper, have my arms around her and Phoebe even but they can't see me. To them I'm not here.

"It's not fun is it?" a voice behind me says. I jump violently and turn around. I stare at the young woman standing before me.

"Prue?" I breathe. Prue smiles and steps forward to give me a hug.

"Nice to finally meet you," she says. Frowning slightly she goes on, "Though I would have preferred meeting you without all this mess."

"I know," I sigh. "Forgetting that Phoebe and Piper are going to be totally wrecked they also don't have the power of three so if a high level demon comes along they're pretty much screwed."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant…" Prue brakes off.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, nothing. Forget it. It doesn't matter." I'm not going to let her off that easily.

"Prue?"

"Oh, I can't tell you alright?"

"Says who?"

"Says me." Grams appears next to Prue. "But it's alright now. We can tell you."

"Tell me what?" I'm getting frustrated. Could they just say it?

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain but, it wasn't your time to die."

I'm confused. "What?" I don't notice Piper and Phoebe getting up and leaving the room, Piper looking more furious than I've ever seen her and Phoebe looking almost frightened of her.

"Well, when Prudence died it was because it was time for her to go. She had fulfilled her destiny and it was time to move on," Grams explains.

"Yeah," I prompt, not really getting what she's saying.

"So," Prue says. "You shouldn't have died. You haven't fulfilled your destiny. That demon shouldn't have killed you."

"So," I say. "To cut a long story short, we were supposed to vanquish that demon and go on our merry ways."

"Yeah," Prue clarifies. "And now destiny has been turned upside-down and the Elders don't know what to do about it."

"Can't they just turn back time and make sure everything goes right?" I ask.

"They can't do that," Prue tells me. Seeing my confused look she goes on, "They don't have the power to change the past."

"So what'll happen to me?" I ask. Prue and Grams exchange looks. "What?"

"Well, you might stay dead, you might be returned to Earth or…" Prue doesn't finish.

"Or what?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"Or you might stay here on Earth but as a spirit. No one will be able to see, hear or feel you."

"For how long?"

"Forever."

Leo's POV

I orb in and am shocked at what I see: Piper and Phoebe sobbing over Paige, who lies in their laps, still and cold. I stand, horrified, staring at them. Piper looks up and sees me. I don't know if she'll be furious with me for not being able to heal Paige, or if she'll just accept that I can't and let me join them.

Her eyes are red and filled with sadness. My heart is breaking for her. For the pain that she'll have to go through again. I don't know if she'll cope. I hear the Elders calling me. How can they call me at a time like this when I just want to be with my family? All they'll do is tell me some stupid stuff about the next witch that's going to join the power of three. Well, screw the Elders, I'm not going.

I walk over and kneel down beside Piper. She is holding Paige's body and Phoebe is stroking her hair. I gently put my hand on her cheek. It's stone cold. The Elders call again. Piper sees it in my eyes.

"Go," she whispers.

I shake my head. "No way. I'm not going anywhere."

"If you don't go, they'll only make you," Phoebe points out quietly. As if to prove her point, blue orbs surround me and I feel them pulling me 'Up There'. I fight but it's no use. I come face to face with the Elders.

Piper's POV

I'm seething with rage. How can they call Leo now? Just when we need him most.

"Come on Phoebe," I say, barely controlling the rage in my voice. She looks up at me. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to the attic to call Paige." Phoebe opens her mouth, them closes it again. The expression on my face makes it clear that I'm not going to stand any arguing.

All the way up to the attic I'm cursing the Elders. "How dare they?" I mutter. "How dare they think they can kill off another sister, expect us to find another damned witch and keep going? No bloody way. This time, I'm quitting for good. I don't care if another sister pops out from nowhere again, she is not, I repeat, NOT joining us." Not looking where I'm going, I bang into the attic door. I glare at it and viciously blow it up. I hear a gasp from Phoebe and turn to glare at her. She says nothing. She knows not to mess with me when I'm like this.

I walk into the attic and start placing the crystals on the floor. I almost break them; I'm banging them down so hard. I don't care if they shatter. Once they're in place I close my eyes and say the summoning spell. I hear a rushing sound, telling me that somebody has arrived. I don't open my eyes. I'm too scared I'll see Grams or someone else, someone other than Paige.