Charming Swan
A/N: This story was inspired by 'Charming House' by the lovely Megan Faye. If you like even a smidge of my story you should definitely go and read hers.
Isabella, Bella, Swan was sitting on her bed typing away on her laptop an essay for her homework growing inwardly at the thought of her father visiting the school for Career Week the next day when the doorbell rang. Saving her work she made her way downstairs.
"Miss Halliwell?"
Isabella asked answering the door to see the young columnist. Phoebe Halliwell, a famous advice columnist had flown in from San Francisco for career day and had made her presentation that morning. Angela had loved her and had even interviewed her for the school newspaper.
Officially.
"Can I help you?"
She asked in a purposely clueless tone that had worked wonders with Edward.
"Yes you can. Can I come inside?"
Phoebe asked cursing mentally on why she had gone recruiting. Her premonition had showed her she would not succeed but she learned long ago that premonitions no matter how accurate they were usually they also tended to be up to the person. Bella nodded and ushered the young woman inside dropping the act.
"Okay, why are you here? I mean its great to see you, but I left this stuff last year"
"We need you... Your sisters have gone missing along with our whitelighter"
"I think you have me confused with someone else Miss Halliwell. I am an only child"
She stared at me and I stared right back. Unfortunately I always lost at staring contests and soon I was laughing shaking my head as Miss Halliwell joined me in laughter.
"I don't do that anymore. I'm sorry Phoebe but what do you want me to do about it?"
Bella deadpanned thanking her lucky stars, for the first time since September, that Edward dumped her. Phoebe bit her lip lightly.
"Did you miss the part about your sisters?"
"No, I didn't. My sisters are powerful but they also cut me off when I chose to fall"
"Try orbing. The Elders sent me to warn you that you've been brought back fully"
Bella glared at the ceiling before orbing from her position on the armchair to next to Phoebe on the sofa.
"They let us die without a second glance and now they need my help?"
"You have to understand…"
The journalist began to say but the teenager cut her off.
"Why are you here? You don't like Them any more than I do"
"Our whitelighter is married to my sister who is scary when she's pregnant. I'm also an empath"
Phoebe winced. Bella rolled her eyes and stood up.
"Not interested sorry. Please leave"
"What are you going to do?"
"Jump off a cliff"
Bella stormed out.
"Perfect"
Phoebe signed loudly and threw a bright green potion to the hardwood floors and was gone in a puff of smoke. Her premonition was correct!
*-*-*-*-* Scene Breaker *-*-*-*-*
"I really damn hope this works"
Bella deadpanned and ignored the protests of an imaginary Edward.
"Bella love please"
"Oh fuck off"
She flipped the vampire that would easily make her swoon any other day the bird and jumped from the high cliffs at La Push.
She screamed as she dropped through the open air like a meteor, but it was a scream of exhilaration and not fear. The wind resisted, trying vainly to fight the unconquerable gravity, pushing against her and twirling her in spirals that would make every single swimming judge give her a straight 10 in the Olympics as her body crashed to the water. Yes! The word echoed through her head as she sliced through the surface of the water. It was icy, colder than expected, and yet the chill only added to the high.
She was proud of herself as she plunged deeper into the freezing black water.
She was annoyed but resigned as she swam back to the shore alive and freezing but still alive. She sat down to the strangely warm sand and closed her eyes. She could hear it. Whitelighters could hear the sun rising, feel the flowers blooming. She missed the peace of it all.
For the past year she felt as if she had been living a double life.
In reality she was born in 1901 and died in 1918 and had two younger sisters. Her sisters, Iris, Ivy and herself were the Power of Three about 100 years ago in another Chicago. They were very young, Isabella was six when she met her first demon, Iris was four and Ivy was almost two years old.
Little Iris would get nightmares when they vanquished demons so the three sisters created a spell that instead of killing demons simply sent them back to the Underworld and 'locked' them there for a while. It worked for them but the Elders did not approve preferring the sisters to be ruthless killers.
Ten years later the Source himself came after them but they still refused to kill him. He killed her mommy and daddy so the Elders decided to force them into using magic; they allowed a large amount of people to fall sick with a brand new sickness that the doctors were unable to battle. It was called 'the Spanish Influenza' and it would be stopped by the Elders only after the source was killed.
The Charmed Ones refused to kill the Source of All Evil but feeling guilty over the various deaths they created yet another spell that would cause the Source to lose his powers. The Elders still didn't agree but were happy the Source was defeated even if it wasn't permanently.
In return they thanked the sisters by allowing them to put their magic away and be normal mortals.
In less than a month the three sisters died by the Spanish Flu.
To cover their political butts the Elder Council offered the sisters positions as guardian angels for witches and future Whitelighters. Unfortunately they weren't allowed to communicate with each other.
For more than ninety years Bella was a whitelighter and a damn good one but when she was forced to watch as a newborn baby died simply because its father was a demon she rebelled. She orbed to the highest bridge and Fell clipping off her wings and was left a human.
Two of her charges, Charlie Swan and Renee Dawyer, wizards and high school sweethearts that simply weren't a match for each other anymore helped her be a normal teenager again and took her in as their daughter. After spending a year with Renee and seeing her find happiness again Bella decided to stay with Charlie.
Rubbing her temples at the annoying jiggling she looked at the sky and admitted to herself that this was more important than just her.
"Fine, you win"
*-*-*-*-* Scene Breaker *-*-*-*-*
Piper ran into the conservatory when Chris' crying stopped suddenly and found the brunette white lighter cuddling him close and healing his scraped knee. When the flesh wound was closed and the only reminder of it was the torn fabric, Bella raised her eyes to meet those of the older woman.
"I'm in"
"Remember how to do potions?"
Piper asked Bella and the eternal teenager rolled her eyes
"I was mixing potions long before you were even a distant thought"
Bella deadpanned and Phoebe who was an empath as well felt her older sister's irritation while the playful Paige muttered
"Burn!"
Hours of silence, teamwork and research passed as the four women wracked their brains for new spells and potions before they were ready. Phoebe folded the parchment with the spells on them, Paige started filling small glass jars with potions, Piper ran her kids to her father to babysit and Bella packed four small leather pouches with their 'weapons'. The four women held hands as Paige and Bella orbed them out.
Back in Forks Charlie listened to the message Isabella had left him on the answering machine and was sending prayers that his great grandmother would come back to him safely.
*-*-*-*-* Scene Breaker *-*-*-*-*
The caves were dark, rusty, damp, and full of mud. They were far worse than Bella remembered although she was pretty sure Esme never went down here to help the demons to redecorate. Bella loved being in places bright, warm, and full of light and positive energy.
"Even Forks is better than this"
She muttered to herself. The four women walked blindly and soon Piper made a hand motion to get the attention of the others. The current Charmed ones (version 2 because there are no secrets in the wizarding world) started communicating in a sign language understandable only to them making Bella feel even more like an outsider.
"Fire"
Paige whispered to her and the four women armed themselves with potions and threw them at a group of advancing demons.
Fire. Earth. Air. Water.
The demons shrieked in an extremely high pitched voice as a hole opened up below him and made him explode. A putrid scent was all that was left of him as bright green goo covered up everything.
"Good work"
"still got it"
Phoebe and Bella said at the same time before Paige led them feeling the warm ray of energy to the cave where the hostages were. Whitelighters could sense their own and witches.
A narrow cave led them into a large room. Hundreds of white-lighters and witches were gathered. Piper searched for Leo frantically.
"Leo?"
"Piper, what are you doing here? This is an ambush"
as usual his wife ignored what she didn't want to hear
"You remember Bella, right?"
"Bella!"
"Hey Leo"
she said hugging the older man tightly choosing to ignore his wife's glare
"I haven't seen you since you fell. How are you?"
"I followed your advice."
"Normal teenager with a normal boyfriend?"
She nodded.
"Normal teenager with a vampire boyfriend, but yeah same difference"
Leo chuckled.
"Never take the easy way, huh?"
"The high has a far better ride"
The two shared a laugh as the Charmed ones first cast a spell to break the invincible bars that held the hostages back and then started spreading the message that they were free. The room emptied in a flash as the Whitelighters and Elders took the witches away.
"Bella?"
A lone blond guy rushed their way
"shit"
"What are you?"
"Out of your league"
She deadpanned but at his hurt look she took the harsh words back
"I'm a whitelighter Mike, and you?"
"Wizard"
Bella nodded knowing there was just no way the human golden retriever she called a friend would leave her alone now.
The group orbed quickly back to the sisters' manor before any demons noticed them
*-*-*-*-* Scene Breaker *-*-*-*-*
A few moments after landing two more people orbed in the large living room
"Bells"
a young girl that looked to be about twelve jumped around her in a fierce hug.
"Your part is done now"
The other girl said. All three girls shared the same eyes and smile only this one was about fourteen.
"Guys, these are my little sisters, Iris and Ivy"
A chorus of 'hello' greeted them but Mike only nodded. He knew from experience that you do not get Bella Swan mad at you because you'll get a tennis ball to the groin.
"You have to choose, Bella,"
Iris said but before she could finish her sentence Bella nodded still holding Ivy close
"I'll keep the job but I'm staying in Forks"
her tone was clear and made him smile. Maybe he could ask her on a date now that they shared something. Bella shared a few more hugs with her sisters and thanked the Halliwells for going to her.
"If you need anything, I'm just an orb away"
she took Mike's hand and the two orbed back to Forks.
"so... will you... gooutonadatewithme?"
Mike asked quickly scratching the back on his neck. Rolling her eyes Bella nodded and walked to her house.
"Charlie, I'm home"
she shouted and lightly kicked the door closed.
THE END