Salveta, amica! Quid agis hodie?
haha, a little Latin for all of you ;) Anyways, here I am...yes I know I'm adding yet ANOTHER story. Well, I'm honestly trying my hardest to write Return to Your Roots, but I'm honestly going to kill myself if I write another word. That story has just gotten so off track, its not even funny. Oh well. I'm gonna have to do SOMETHING...BECAUSSEEEEEEE...I have decided that everyday from now until December 19, I will be adding at least ONE new piece of writing! Why do you ask?
WELL...my school is in a nationwide competition here in the good Ol' US, to win a grant of $50,000 to renovate our auditorium! (We REALLY need the money) So, in order for us to win...we need votes!
If your a fan, or even if your just finding this now, I would appreciate it if you would take out ur phones and text the code 817pbf to the number 95248 every TWENTY FOUR HOURS from each text until DEcember 19th, 2012!
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Duplication
Chapter 1
The attic was dark, lit only by two small candles on the vanity in front of her. The air smelled of sage and herbs as she picked up the small atheme from the smooth wood surface. Looking into the mirror she saw a woman she could not recognize. A woman in her mid twenties stared back at her, her blood shot eyes letting slip another crystal tear. She could see the brown of that womans iris's, and the same brown hair that fell to her own waist line. She knew that the woman in the mirror is her, yet, she was someone completely different. That woman was the peace keeper, the one always in the middle, the quiet one, the secret dreamer. That woman was Charmed. And she was not. Not anymore.
"Blood to blood,
I summon thee,
Blood to blood,
Return to me."
Her words tugged at her throat, cracking as her lips moved to form the words. A single drop of blood from her newly slit finger fell into the basin among herbs and roots, seeds and leaves.
"Bring back my sister, bring back the power of three." With her words, a breeze blew through the attic, extinguishing the flame of each candle in turn. Her hair ruffled slightly as she waited, silently, for the spells completion. She waited for the sound of the front door swinging open and closed with the turn of a key. She waited for night to turn to day, for time to reverse. She waited for the swirl of white lights, jingling, followed by raven hair and a warm smile. She waited, but only the sounds of the night were there to geet her. Lowering her head, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed. The pale light of the moon reflected off her skin, turning it a shinning silver.
"Piper?" She lifted her head to the faint voice, her eyes shifting around, frantically trying to pierce through the darkness.
"Prue?" her call was heard as a silent whisper, as if her voice were the mere breeze that had caused this darkness. Soft footsteps creaked against the old floorboards of the manor. She watched intently as a shadow drifted against the wall lazily, the footfall only growing slightly louder. If the room had been lit, the younger woman now entering the room would have seen the older womans face fall. She stumbled over to where her sister sat, dressed in her night clothes and robe, still thick with sleep.
"Sweetie what are you doing up here?" she asked, her gaze shifting to the open book besides the basin. The letters curving and twisting to make out the words "To Call a Lost Spirit." she frowned, her eyes meeting the older womans identical ones.
"I just don't understand," the older woman began, "it's not like we haven't cheated death before! I don't understand why magic cant fix this!" she was growing hysterical, a fresh batch of tears began stewing in her eyes.
The younger woman pulled her up to her feet, locking her in a comforting embrace. "We lost our sister, how can we ever understand that?" the older woman cried silently into the younger womans shoulder for another moment. "Come on," the younger woman began, "Prue would never forgive us if we look bad at her funeral." she smiled, the action never reaching her eyes. She led the pair back down the staires and into their respective rooms. Though both wouldn't admit it, they dredded sleep, for they knew what awaited them in the morning.
Phoebe rushed around the room straightening bouquets and clearing dishes. The heels of her boots clicked against the floor of the foyer as she hurried to pick up a discarded tea cup, faces smiled down at her sadly as she passed them by on her way to the dining room. A single relative, a cousin, stood by the buffet of food. She put down the tea cup, replacing it with a china plate, and placed it into the hands of the woman. She didn't stop to acknowledge the nod of thanks the middle aged blonde gave her, instead she rushed off to busy herself with some other task.
Piper descended the staires just as Phoebe passed by. Her husband, Leo, following quickly behind as the now eldest Halliwell pulled her younger sister away from a bouquet, asking her what she was doing.
"Cleaning." was her simple response. She tried to go back to her work, but Piper grabbed hold of her arm.
"I just need something to take my mind off of this. Anything." Phoebe said.
The coversation ended when the front door opened, revealing two more guests. Darryl Morris walked into the manor followed closely by an unfamiliar face and badge. The girls turned as the man spoke, "Piper and Phoebe Halliwell?" he asked, the two woman nodded. "Inspector Cortez. I'm very sorry for your loss. I myself lost a sister, so I know what you two must be going through. I assure you, though, we'll catch the monster that did this."
The Halliwells flinched at the inspectors words. Picking up on it, he stopped. "Did I say something?" he asked.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other for a moment before Phoebe turned back to Cortez. "Just the word...monster."
"Well that's what he was. If the man who killed your sister is who we think he is, then he killed at least three others in the county."
There was a silence as Cortez waited for the sisters to say something. When they remained silent, he continued. "Miss. Halliwell if you're sister was involved in any-"
"No, no, not Prue." Phoebe cut in, interrupting inspector Cortez.
Upon hearing the conversation, the girls father made his way over to the group. "Is there a problem?" he asked.
Inspector Cortez gave him a solemn look, "We have to ask the sisters questions about what happened. They're the only witnesses."
"But not now." Victor responded, his voice stern and he was glaring slightly. All of the Halliwells could sense something about the inspector that made them all uncomfortable.
The rest of the reception was uneventful, and all of the Halliwell's were relived once it was over. Phoebe was carrying piles of dishes into the kitchen while Piper washed them. Leo stood in the back corner of the room, staring at the tiled flooring. Phoebe had stopped moving when she noticed her brother in laws behavior. He knew that look. It always meant that the Elders were making them do something Leo knew the sisters would be against.
"Leo, what's going on?" she asked hesitantly.
Piper stopped scrubbing long enough to look over to her husband. "Oh no." she shook her head slowly, her voice turning sturn "No, you can tell your damn bosses that we buried their precious Charmed Ones when we buried our sister. Were done risking our lives!" she was shouting by the end, Leo looked hurt and Phoebe held a glint of sorrow in her eye.
"What is it this time?" she asked as calmly as possible.
Leo was hesitant to tell the girls their newest task. Piper tuned back to her dishes, leaving the conversation completely. "Well, do you remember hearing about those 4400 people that went missing, only to be returned in Seattle? Without having aged, and with no memory of where they've been all this time?"
"What does this have to do with us?" Phoebe asked. "They don't think theres something demonic behind this do they?" she asked, gesturing towards the ceiling at the word "they."
Leo shifted his weight "Not exactly...but there have been recent reports of a 4400 with abilities." he paused, but Phoebe didn't respond. "Orson Bailey, a returnee, developed the power of telekinesis. The Elders are concerned about where he got that power, and how many others will develop similar abilities."
"So what do they want us to do? Go and ask him who gave him supernatural powers? Leo, they don't remember anything. Even a truth spell wouldn't do us any good."
A dish slipped from Piper's grip and banged as it fell into the soapy water filling the sink. "You cant go talk to him because...well he's in intensive care. One of the agents assigned to bring him in was forced to shoot him down. His abilities almost killed both her and her partner."
"Are they all okay?" Phoebe asked, concerned. Leo nodded.
"But the Elders want you two to look into this. Try and find out where they came from, and who took them-"
"Well we might as well go, after all, the dishes are all out. We can just have another funeral tomarrow since we pretty much know who to invite." Piper cut in, dropping the dish in her hand and storming past her husband and sister.
Phoebe and Leo followed Piper into the attic, standing back as she stomped over to the Book of Shadows. "Piper, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't care what the Elders say, I need to talk to Prue." she flipped through the pages quickly before slamming the book back down on its stand. "Here these words, hear my cries spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide."
A swirl of light appeared in the center of the attic. The two witches looked down in disappointment as their grandmother appeared in front of them. "How are you, my dears?" she asked.
"How are we? Grams, did you not get the news up there?" Piper asked, exasperated.
The old woman looked down slightly, "I meant how are you holding up?"
Piper shook her head, "I need to talk to Prue."
The woman smiled sadly "It's too soon, my dear. If you were to see Prue now, it would keep her alive for you. You need to move on in order to begin your new destiny."
"New destiny? Our sister is dead, Grams. That's it. Our destiny, whatever the Hell it was, is over. We're not Charmed anymore."
"You'll always have your destiny, Piper. It never goes away. Now you should go to Seattle and look up on the 4400-"
"Wait, how did you know the Elders wanted us to look into them? We only found out two minutes ago." Phoebe cut in.
"News travels fast?"
"Grams you were a terrible liar when you were alive, and now that you're dead...you're worse." Piper stated.
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked, "What's really in Seattle?"
Grams looked at the girls for a moment, her jaw clenched. "I've been sworn to secrecy." she stated.
Phoebe's eye brows scrunched in confusion, "Sworn to secrecy?" she asked skeptically, "By who?"
The room was silent for a moment, Grams not knowing what to tell them, and the girls not knowing what was so important that every knew about it but them. Leo stood behind Phoebe, not saying a word, as if he were worried he might give something away.
"By me." a woman's voice echoed across the room. Patty Halliwell appeared next to Grams in the same white light that she had. "By me." she repeated.
Pipers mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Mom...what's going on?"
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but we had no choice except secrecy."
"Mom?" Phoebe prodded.
"You...what I mean is Prue...girls, you have a sister. An older sister, a sister witch. Which means that the power of three is still out there, and the Charmed ones can be reconstituted. Your destiny is still possible, just with her-"
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Piper broke her mothers rant. "We have a what? How is that even possible? Why didn't you tell us?"
Patty was silent for a moment. "Prue's fraternal twin." she said. "No one knew about her except for the Elders and me-"
"And me, of course." Grams said.
"Of course. The two of them got a lot of attention down in the underworld. They were being attacked at only a week old, and almost died on multiple occasions...so, your father and I decided that it would be...best...to bind her powers and give her up. To save her...and Prue." Patty paused as her voice cracked, "If we hadn't, Diana would probably be dead as well right now."
"And that's why you need to go to Seattle, to find your sister." Leo said, both spirits of the Halliwell woman nodded in agreement.
"Leo, we just lost Prue for God's sake! I'm not ready to go searching for some long lost sister!" Piper yelled, Phoebe placed her hand gently on her shoulder.
"Piper, she's family."
"And if the Source finds out she's alive he'll be sending his demons after her." Patty said, her eyes pleading with her third child.
"How are we even suppose to find her? We can't scry for her."
The Halliwell's looked over at their whitelighter. "Well the Elders did want you to look into the 4400, maybe they're the key to finding her."
"Do you know anything else about her?" Phoebe asked her mother.
"Just that she lives in Seattle."
Piper looked at the floorboards knowing that her younger sister had already made up her mind. There was no going back now.
"Then I guess we're going to Seattle."
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