A/N: This takes place after the events of UXM 423. I have always believed that Charmed and the X-Men take place in the same universe. Both have strong magic in them.
Summary: The Charmed Ones attend a funeral in Salem Center, New York.
Disclaimers: I don't own the Charmed Ones, Leo, Wyatt, Chris or the X-Men. They are owned by their respective creators. I'm not making any money from their use. I will return them a little banged up but alive.
Chapter 1
San Francisco, California
"May I speak with Paige Matthews?" the cultured baritone voice asked.
"That's me," Paige replied. His voice sounds sexy, she thought.
"My name is Charles Xavier," the beautiful voice continued. Paige was enthralled with the smooth silk of the voice. "I understand you were a friend of Angelo Espinoza. Is that correct?"
"Yeah," she began suspiciously. "Wait a minute. What do you mean 'was'?"
"I'm sorry, my dear," his voice full of sympathy.
"Oh god," she breathed, pain filling her voice. "What happened?"
"…….."
"What happened?" her voice hardened.
"He was crucified," the man said in a sad, defeated tone.
"WHAT?" she yelled. She heard the thunder of running feet from upstairs as her sisters reacted to her holler. In the distance, from Piper's room, a baby began to cry. "What do you mean 'crucified'? Who crucifies people now a days?"
"Crucified?" Phoebe gasped from the landing on the stairs.
"LEO!" Piper yelled. A blue-white light stream appeared beside her. The tall form of her husband appeared as the light faded. "Can you take care of the boys? Something has happened."
"Sure," he agreed. The lights streamed over him and he disappeared.
Paige was becoming more and more upset as she listened to the caller. Color drained from her face as the details were explained to her. She dropped the phone as she slid down the wall to the floor, tears of shock slipping down her pale skin. Piper rushed over to her youngest sister and wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to hold off the demon attacking the young woman's heart.
Phoebe grabbed the phone. "I'm sorry," she told the caller. "Paige isn't handling this very well."
Piper watched as Phoebe listened to the story, her eyes hardening as the caller continued. "Who did this?" she demanded her voice rough with anger. Her eyes widened as she got her answer. "How can a church do something like that?" Phoebe's face reddened in anger. "We'll be there. Thank you for calling." she hung up the phone and turned to her sisters.
"Something evil is going on in Salem Center, New York." she told Piper. "Let's get Paige to bed. We need to talk."
Phoebe and Piper got their shocked sister to bed, tucking her in with kisses and assurance that this deed wouldn't go unpunished. They closed the door with a soft click and fell into each others arms. It was then they realized they were trembling. Paige's collapse has frightened them badly. She had faced down several demons on her own and never blinked. The horrifying death of her friend had hit her hard. Arm in arm, they descended the stairs and went to the parlor.
They flopped onto the sofa and curled in each others arms.
"What happened?" Piper asked softly, dreading the answer.
"A friend of Paige's was crucified last night in Salem Center New York," Phoebe began. "He was one of several people killed. According to the owner of the property they were found on, there was only one survivor. He says that a religious group called the Church of Humanity was responsible."
Piper laid her head on the younger woman's shoulder. "Who are the Church of Humanity?" she asked.
"They're a cult on the east coast," Leo answered as he walked into the room. "I don't know that much about them, just that they deal in hate." He sat down beside his wife and gathered both women in his arms. "What did they do that has Paige so upset?"
"They crucified a friend of hers," Piper told him with a shudder. He stiffened and his arms tightened around the women. "Uh, Leo?" Piper said in a strangled voice. "Need air here."
"Oh," he said startled. "Sorry." He relaxed his hold and the two women took deep breaths. "I can't believe that we haven't heard about this on the news."
"Mr. Xavier said they didn't call the police for reasons he couldn't go into," Phoebe told them. "I think we may have a demon in that area and we need to check it out."
"You don't know that, Phoebe," Leo cautioned her. "You can't go barging in like a knight in shinning armor out to vanquish the demon. We need more information."
"Who is this friend of hers anyway?" Piper asked.
"His name was Angelo Espinosa," Paige told them from the door. "He kept me alive after my parents were killed."
"Honey, you shouldn't be out of bed," Piper said as she got up and went over to the shaking woman. Gathering her into her arms, she lead the girl to the sofa and sat her down beside Phoebe. Curling up on Paige's other side, the three sisters comforted each other as they had done so may times before.
"I'm fine," Paige assured them with a sniff. "I need to tell you why he was so important to me." Leo moved behind the group and slithered his arms around Paige and hugged her warmly. She laid her cheek on his arm and sighed. "Angelo and I met in LA a week after my parents died in the wreck. I couldn't stay in San Fran. The pain was too much so I ran. He was in a street gang that ruled the area I was in. They found me one night, sleeping in a abandoned house and were going to kill me. Angelo saw how depressed I was and took me under his wing. He protected me from the others in the gang and made sure I ate. He taught me how to survive on the streets. If it wasn't for him, I would have died in the first month. After a while, he convinced me to go home and face my fears. It wasn't long after I came back that I found you guys. He made me what I am today. If I didn't understand what it is to live on the streets, I would have never become a Social Worker." She gave Leo's arm a kiss and lifted her head. "I wouldn't be the witch I am today without him." she said softly, tears streaming down her face.
The room was silent except for the weeping of the youngest Charmed One. "I miss him," she whispered.
"I know, Sweetie," Phoebe said as she stroked Paige's hair. "We'll go to Salem Center for the funeral and stay for a while. It won't hurt to find out exactly what is going on there." She looked at Leo defiantly, daring him to comment.
One by one, all three sisters turned their eyes toward Leo. He held his arms up in defeat. He knew better that to argue when they wanted something. "Alright," he said. "I'll watch the boys but I want you to be careful."
Paige jumped up and hugged her brother-in-law. "Thanks Leo," she said with a watery smile. "I need my sisters with me."
"I know," he said as he hugged her back.