Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just ask before using a concept or original character.
Summary: Rosabelle Branwen was a close friend of Phoebe and Piper in high school. She was just like a sister and with that always fighting with Prue. After she graduated she went on a trip and with little contact with her friends until she showed up apparently needing help from the Charmed Ones. Or is it that the Charmed Ones need her? Whatever called her back was meant to be. If only to lead her on her true destiny.
"Forgotten Coven"
Prologue
A young couple walked down a street walking two German Shepherds. It was a little after dusk so the street lights were dimly lit. One of the dogs kept looking to the other side of the street repeatedly. The other was pulling on the leash wanting to use a bush.
"Gremlin, boy, you cannot pee on that bush," said the woman holding the leash.
"I think we should hurry up," the man next to her spoke up, seeing the distracted female dog.
"James, relax. We've never had an issue with muggers," the woman didn't sound the least bit worried.
"That's not what I'm worried about," muttered James under his breath.
The woman looked down the street. She noticed something on top of the lamp posts down the entire street. It looked like bats. Bats? In the city? She was confused. The wheels started turning, but the dots weren't connecting.
"It's too late," said James.
"What is up with you?" asked the woman.
James forced a wooden stake into the woman's hands. She took it confused on where James even got it from. She looked at it and didn't know what to think of it.
"Stab them in the heart," said James.
The bats flew at the couple, but quickly doubled back when they got close. The female dog jumped up and caught a few bats in mid-flight. James was confused until he saw the necklace his girlfriend had on, a cross. He was just starting to lower the tension in his muscles when he was thrown twenty feet away. The woman looked around startled and her fists clenching preparing for a fight.
"You didn't think it would be that easy did you, witch?" sneered a woman with jet black hair in a leather suit.
The woman easily lifted James up by his neck strangling him. The woman froze up despite knowing what to do.
"Rosa, run," Gasped James.
As if a brick had hit Rosa she snapped out of her shock. She didn't run away. She looked at the stake her hand. It was as if a switch had turned on her brain.
"Hey, bitch! Put my boyfriend down!" yelled Rosa.
"What do we have here?" said the woman "A snack."
"No! Leave her alone. It's me you want!" yelled James desperately as the grip on his neck loosened.
The woman dropped James to the ground. James collapsed onto the sidewalk. He gasped for air, holding a hand to his neck. The woman stalked towards Rosa. Gremlin growled and snarled at the woman as the other dog had ran off barking at a house across the street.
"Stupid beast," growled the woman pulling her arm back to strike the dog.
"Don't even think about it," said Rose kicking the woman hard in the stomach sending her tumbling towards the ground.
"I've never met a mortal that strong before," Snickered the woman "Let's see how you do with this."
Four more pale skinned men and women appeared surrounding Rosa. She turned around, tight grip on the stake. Her heart was pounding. She saw the woman and James fighting in the background.
"You can't win, mortal."
"You will die a slow painful death."
Everything started to spin as they mocked Rosa. She was barely able to stay upright. Her fear was heightened and she couldn't focus on anything. She could hear James crying out in pain and the dogs barking and growling. She nearly doubled over. She couldn't see what she was fighting, but she swung the stake. She heard a shriek of pain. The spinning slowed down. Rosa pulled back on the stake and realized she had stabbed one of the people with the stake. She gasped in horror. Then the man exploded in a fireball. The three remaining people lunched at her. The fighting just came naturally as she blocked, hit and ducked. Rosa wasn't even thinking about it, just doing what felt natural. She stabbed a second person. There wasn't any time to feel any sort of regret or sorrow. It all blurred into automatic movements. Rosa stumbled backwards and found herself standing on the sidewalk with no one around her.
"How did you do that mortal!" yelled the woman throwing James into a wall.
Rosa looked at the stake in her hand. She couldn't understand what was going on. When the woman literally flew at her she just swung randomly hoping she hit something. She managed to kick back the woman, again stabbing her in the chest.
"You will pay for this mortal. Worse evils will come," screamed the woman, as she exploded in fire like the others.
"That would be if I was mortal," taunted Rosa.
The blast had knocked Rosa to the ground. There was no evidence on the street there had ever been a fight. Rosa's mind was still foggy, but she could still make out James crumbled body. She ran to him falling to her knees next to him.
A knife was stuck into James's stomach.. He was lying in a pool of blood. She tried to stop the bleeding with her sweater. She wasn't a doctor or a nurse, but she knew this amount of blood loss was deadly. A nagging voice in her head kept telling her she couldn't save him, but she refused to listen to it.
"Listen to me James. You are going to be alright," said Rosa her entire body repulsing at the pool of blood.
"Rosa. I-I am sorry," wheezed James, his eyes threatening to close.
"Damn it James! Stay awake! Don't you dare leave me!" pleaded Rosa "HELP SOMEONE PLEASE!"
"James-stay with me- please," begged Rosa.
A middle-aged couple had heard the pleas and had come out of their townhouse. The plump woman was wearing an evening gown and her husband had on a tuxedo. They had clearly been at a restaurant. The smell of lobster filled the air.
"Love, go call 911," said the man.
His wife ran up the stairs into the house holding a hand to her mouth. Her voice on the phone could be faintly heard from the house.
"Miss, what happened?" asked the man.
"There-was-I-I-just don't know," stuttered Rosa.
"Miss, I'm a doctor. Let me help," said the man.
"James don't leave me, please," said Rosa tears forming in her eyes "you were never supposed to be in danger."
"Occupational hazard," coughed James.
"This was never supposed to happen. They told me you would be safe," pleaded Rosa.
"It's not your fault," Gasped James his breathing becoming shallow and soft.
"Listen to me keep fighting it. Everything will be okay. Help is on the way," said Rosa.
"I love you. Never forget that," Said James.
"I love you too, always." Said Rosa "Stay with me please."
"Miss, I'm afraid-," Said the man.
"Don't say it!" sobbed Rosa unable to keep it together.
By the time paramedics arrived it was too late. Police officers stormed the street. Getting Rosa to let anyone take James away took two police officers to hold her back.
"Phoebe help her before it's too late," pleaded James though his mouth didn't move and he was clearly dead.
Phoebe woke up startled. She couldn't figure out why she was dreaming about Rosabelle and James again, it was the third time this dream happened. She wasn't sure if she wanted to share the dream with her sisters as they ate breakfast. She wanted to get hold of Rosabelle herself and figure this out on her own.
"Look a letter from Rosa," said Piper finding a letter at the bottom of a pile of letters. "Let me see!" said Phoebe clambering over the chair.
"Whoa there woman," said Piper pulling the letter out of Phoebe's grabbing range "she's my friend too."
"Weren't you two complaining about how she never sends any letters or calls us just last night?" asked Prue.
"Apparently we lost it," said Phoebe glaring at Prue.
"Hey, looks like she's coming back here. She also sent this two months ago. That means she's coming back today," said Piper looking at the letter.
Phoebe snatched the letter out Piper's hands. Piper looked at Prue, who wasn't paying attention. Piper snatched the pan she used to make breakfast and tossed it into the sink.
"Oh my god! We have to plan something for her!" said Phoebe "something small-yes-she doesn't like crowds."
"Why are you making a big deal out of this? Isn't this the same girl that ditched you at a party when you were a sophomore Phoebe?" said Prue.
"Don't be so hard on her Prue. You barely even know her and she's really a nice girl," said Piper.
"I would love to keep arguing over her, but I have to get to work," said Prue.
"Strange I had a dream about a man telling me Rosa needing our help, and now we find this letter from Rosa," said Phoebe to herself.
"What did you say?" asked Piper.
"Nothing-nothing," said Phoebe.
"That means it's something," said Piper.
"Really its nothing."
Phoebe pulled out an old high school yearbook. She found Rosa-well-Rosabelle's picture. She did look a lot like the woman in the dream minus the big fluffy 80's hair. She had seen Rosa. Despite having visited with Rosa several times in New York she did look totally different from high school. Phoebe looked through her address book looking for Rosabelle's phone number. All she had was an old disconnected phone number.
Phoebe was about to go into town and try to find Rosabelle when he noticed a familiar red car next door. She had seen that car enough while she was in New York to know it belonged to Rosabelle. Phoebe walked two houses to the left to the brown Victorian house and knocked on the door.
"Coming!"
Rosabelle swung the door open. She smiled seeing Phoebe, hugging her without any notice. Phoebe wasn't sure what to make of the hug. Rosabelle was a lot of things, but a hugger was not one of them. But Phoebe didn't want to upset her, if her dream wasn't really a dream like she was thinking it was.
"We just found your letter today. Would you like to stop by tonight for dinner?" asked Phoebe.
"Sure."
"If you don't mind me asking, what brought you back here?" asked Phoebe.
"That answer depends on how long you have," grinned Rosabelle.
"I have all day."
"Then come on in."
The house layout wasn't that different from the Halliwell manor besides it being slightly bigger. The entrance lead straight to the staircase then there were archways on the left and the right. The archway to the right led to the dining room and the one on the left led to the living room. The dining room had another archway that led to the kitchen and a small pantry. The living room had an archway that led into an indoor patio area and powder room. Upstairs there were four bedrooms and two bathrooms with access to the attic.
"This place hasn't changed a bit since the last decade," teased Phoebe playfully.
"You're telling me. No one has lived here since the last decade. My father moved to LA leaving me the house. You know I was in New York since we met there a few times," said Rosabelle.
"I moved back in with my sisters after Grams died," said Phoebe.
"Sorry to hear that. I really couldn't get here for the funeral. She was like a mother to me. I don't know where I would be without her," said Rosabelle.
"She really did like you," smiled Phoebe.
"Does Prue still hate me?" asked Rosabelle pushing a box out her way with her foot leading Phoebe into the living room.
"She doesn't hate you. She's just being Prue," said Phoebe.
"Meaning completive, way too honest, and judgmental," coughed Rosabelle "but she does a lot for you and Piper and cares a lot about her family. I've always admired that."
"I know she gave up a lot for us. But I need a sister not a mother," said Phoebe.
"Be glad you have her and you aren't trying to live on your own," said Rosabelle.
"Talking about being alone, where is James?" asked Phoebe.
"This place needs a lot of cleaning. I'm going to eventually have to replace the entire downstairs furnishings," said Rosabelle shaking dust off of a sofa pillow.
"I'm sure you'll get it done. You are the cleaning queen," said Phoebe.
"I can't decide if I want to take this wallpaper down," rambled Rosabelle.
"Rosa, you're changing the subject," said Phoebe watching her friend's body language closely.
"Maybe I shouldn't change everything so quickly though," added Rosabelle.
"Rosabelle," said Phoebe.
Phoebe was not able to get Rosabelle to speak about why she came back or about James. Phoebe gave up after a while and just let Rosabelle talk. It didn't take much to see that Rosabelle wasn't herself, but no one could tell like Piper could. In high school Phoebe was close to Rosa, but not like Piper was.
Piper was more than happy to have Rosabelle over for dinner. She had missed her cooking buddy. All throughout high school Rosabelle was always there for her even though her crowd and Piper's crowd didn't mix together. Piper used to wish she was brave enough to do what Rosabelle did. If anyone ever teased Rosa, Piper never heard it.
"There you are!" greeted Phoebe.
"Well it's hard to be late when I'm a few doors down," said Rosa rolling her eyes.
The silence was deadly while Prue, Rosa and Phoebe waited for Piper to finish dinner. Rosa looked around the room seeing nothing had really changed. She could say that about her house too. Prue was watching Rosa like a hawk and Phoebe was ignoring Prue.
"So what brings you back?" asked Prue.
"I guess it was just time," replied Rosa.
"I wonder what Piper is making," interrupted Phoebe trying to prevent an argument before dinner.
Piper came out with roasted chicken, garlic green beans and salad. She was trying to make a nice dinner without making it too special. She was stressing out over Rosa's reaction. After all they had spent high school learning from the same person. If anyone knew if she did something wrong it was Rosa.
"Looks amazing Piper," encouraged Prue glaring at Rosa, who hadn't said a thing.
Dinner was very quiet. Rosa picked delicately at her food. Phoebe was on cloud nine with the garlic green beans and salad. Piper was staring intently at Rosa trying to decide if she liked it or not. Prue continued to watch like she had all night.
"It was very good Piper," said Rosa as she folded her napkin back up.
"You didn't like it do you?" sighed Piper looking at her her own plate.
"No-No Piper it really is great. Nothing tastes amazing right now and that has nothing to do with you," stammered Rosa unable to reel out words quick enough.
"You hesitated."
"Piper. You know I like your cooking," Rosa sighed.
A convenient pause allowed Rosa to escape to the bathroom had Prue certain that Rosa knew they were witches and after the book. Check this sentence again, not really sure what you mean to say with it. Phoebe knew that Rosa was incapable of stealing even if it meant helping herself out of a jam. Piper was still lost in thought trying to figure out what she did wrong. The bickering went on for nearly fifteen minutes before Piper noticed how long it really had been since Rosa had left for the bathroom and went looking for her while her sisters were too deep into their squabble to notice her leave the table.
Piper knocked on the first floor bathroom door "Are you okay?"
There was a long pause. Piper knocked again a little louder. Prue and Phoebe had heard the knocking and had come up behind Piper in case Rosa turned into a crazed maniac wanting the Book of Shadows.
"Rosa, are you alright?"
"Prue can you unlock it?" asked Phoebe.
The lock clicked open. The three sisters stood slightly huddled as Prue pulled the door open. Rosa didn't coming rushing out at them like they had thought she would have. Actually she wasn't going anywhere.
"Oh my god," said Phoebe.
Rosa laid motionless on the bathroom floor. She didn't looked injured, but she certainly wasn't just sleeping. Phoebe had seen her literally suddenly crash and fall asleep in the bathroom, but not like that. Prue went in first to see if Rosa was breathing.
"She's breathing. I think she just passed out," said Prue.
"We have to move her, we can't just leave her there," said Phoebe.
Getting Rosa to a couch wasn't that easy though. She was taller than any of them and was more muscular than them, meaning she weighed more. Prue chose to keep watch, waiting for her to wake up. She was feeling guilty for how she judged Rosa, when she honestly wasn't feeling well.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I loved writing this and more is to come. Updates might be weekly or biweekly. If one doesn't show up one week there is likely a longer chapter the next week. Please feel free to review or message me if you have anything you would like to see and I'll try to work it into a chapter. Also if you feel like trying to make a cover for this story please PM me too.
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