Sorry it not only took so long, but it's so short. I'm kinda having a rough time right now, but I'll try to update more.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the idea for the plot line, which is made up as I go. (grins)
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"What do you think of this, Phoebe?" Paige asked, handing her older sister the spell, Phoebe scanned it and frowned slightly.
"This requires the Power of Three, in case you haven't noticed, we're short a sister." she said and re-read it. "Besides, it's always taken the Power of Three to take down Barbas. Well, for the most part anyway." Phoebe amended at Paige's doubtful look. Zankou reached over and held his hand out for spell. Phoebe handed it to him and Zankou caught a smell of the perfume she had put on that morning. Lavender and Roses. Extremely intoxicating. Shaking it off, he read the spell and mused over it for a moment.
"Hand me the pen and another piece of paper." he said and Grams passed them down to him. Scribbling something on the piece with the spell and then on the blank piece copied the spell with another piece of paper. After a few moments, he handed it back to Grams who looked at it approvingly.
"Nice job, fitting the spell to work with two witches, a ghost and a demon. I just hope it works." Grams said in low tone, trying to keep Barbas from hearing. Zankou nodded in agreement and glanced at Phoebe again. She was leaning back in the chair, eyes closed and breathing slowly. Zankou recalled the feeling of her lying on his arm and suppressed a shiver. The shiver that nothing to do with fear or cold. He pulled his thoughts away from that particular subject and concentrated on the task at hand.
"We have the spell, we have the potion, what do we do now?" Paige said. Zankou went over the various tactics he had learned over the years.
"We could set a trap." he said, Phoebe shook her head.
"He knows our tactics. We've set dozens of traps for him over the years, he knows us by heart." she said, Zankou smirked in a irritating way.
"Your tactics maybe, but not mine." he grinned, Phoebe nodded in sudden understanding.
"I get it, we set a trap in your style and he expects a trap in our style, but gets a nasty surprise." Phoebe grinned as well. Zankou nodded and Barbas appeared with a dozen other demons.
"Guess again, kiddies." he snarled and launched a dozen energy balls. Zankou intercepted most and Paige tossed the rest back at the demons. Phoebe used several of Piper's good knives to take care of several demons. Because she wasn't watching her back, Barbas shimmered in behind her, snatched her and shimmered away as Phoebe screamed.
"Phoebe!" Zankou roared and wasted several demons and tried to flame after Barbas, but landed on his back on the kitchen floor. "Dammit!" He growled and blasted the rest of the demons and slammed his fists on island top. Paige backed away to Grams and Leo carefully walked forward to stand next to the demon.
"Zankou?" Leo asked cautiously. Zankou turned away from the former Whitelighter and took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I'm going up to the attic to try find a way to break the shield." he said and flamed out.
"What's the matter with him?" Paige asked after a moment.
"I think he blames himself for not protecting Phoebe." Leo said quietly...
-----------The Attic----------
Zankou numbly flipped through the pages of other books, his mind still on what happened. Phoebe was gone and he couldn't save her because of that stupid shield. Then it struck him, the shield blocked certain forms of energy, like his flaming or Paige's Orbing, but it didn't stop Shimmering or Astral projection. Zankou grinned, then frowned. It had been a long, long time since he had shimmered, could he still do it? Well, only one way to find out now, wasn't there? Zankou closed his eyes and concentrated and Shimmered outside to the lawn. It worked. Zankou laughed and Shimmered to the kitchen.
"I figured out how to get out of here." Zankou said with a grin. Looking surprised, Paige spoke first.
"How?" she asked, Zankou collected his thoughts before answering triumphantly.
"If Barbas can Shimmer and you can Astral Project out, but can't orb or in my case, flame. Why not shimmer?" Zankou said, Paige laughed and shook her head.
"Excellent! All right, if you'll shimmer Leo and I out... Wait, Grams, how can you...?" Paige said, Grams smiled.
"I'm sure you three can handle it from here. Don't worry, you'll work it out." Grams said, hugged Paige and Leo and regarded Zankou slightly suspiciously. "I'm not hugging you." she said, Zankou smirked at her.
"That's a relief. I'll keep them safe and get Phoebe back." Zankou said seriously and Grams smiled and nodded.
"You know, I do believe you will." she said, shook hands with Zankou and disappeared in a swarm of yellow-white lights. Paige smiled and walked over and picked up the spell and potions.
"Shall we?" Zankou offered Paige his arm, which she took and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder and shimmered them out...
---------------Barbas' Lair----------
Phoebe was tied to a post with Barbas smirking at her. Phoebe twisted, wriggled and worked, but couldn't even loosen the ropes.
"I wouldn't try to escape. See those ropes are like Chinese Finger Traps. The harder you fight, the tighter they become. But, instead of loosening when you relax, they tighten further." Barbas smiled cruelly at her. Phoebe knew better than to trust what he said, but from what he said and the look on his face told her it was true. "Is your, boyfriend coming to rescue you with your sisters? Oh, wait, thats right. They can't escape from the shield. Not even Leather Boy." Barbas smirked again, turned and left. Phoebe rested her head against the post and felt the ropes tighten. Well, it looked like in this case, Barbas was telling the truth. Damn him for being truthful now of all times! What had he meant by boyfriend? He knew Cole was dead, the entire Underworld knew, it was common knowledge that Leo was married to Piper, so that left... Phoebe shuddered. He thought Zankou was her boyfriend! Well, he had protected her in the kitchen, tried to follow Barbas when he kidnapped her. Saved her from getting squashed and joked and flirted with her. Part of Phoebe shivered in disgust at the thought. The larger part however, felt excited at the possibility. It wasn't as if he was ugly, he was certainly powerful and...Attracted to her. Phoebe blinked as the realization hit her. He was attracted to her and...The feeling was mutual.
-------------Outside the Manor------------
Zankou landed them safely in outside, Paige and Leo broke away and they started to make plans.
"Zankou, return to the Underworld, try and find Phoebe and Barbas. Leo and I will return to Magic School and find a way to break the shield. We'll meet at the tomb we were at during the Avatar fiasco, deal?" she said, Zankou nodded and glanced at the rising sun.
"When do we meet?" he asked, Paige bit her lower lip as she considered all possibilities.
"Tonight, 8:30 at the tomb. We do our best work at night." Paige smiled grimly, Zankou nodded and flamed out to the Underworld. Leo frowned slightly.
"Do you honestly believe he won't betray us?" Leo asked as they walked over and leaned against the Four wheel Drive that was Piper's car.
"I honestly believe he care's a great deal about Phoebe and isn't about to let anything happen to her. Come on, Piper's probably worried sick about us." Paige said, linked her arm with Leo and orbed to Magic School, missing the echoing howl of frustration that came from within the Manor as Barbas discovered them gone...
------------------Magic School---------------
Magic School was far more chaotic than usual. Well, it was a directed Chaos, coming from Piper. Her ringing voice could be heard from one end of the home of magical studies to the other. She was worried, irritated at the lack of planning and frightened that her sisters might not survive. Piper was in fine form.
"Piper!" Leo called as he ran to his wife, Piper turned and was enveloped in much loved and much missed arms of her husband. Paige came a few moments later, out of breath from trying to keep up with Leo.
"I...Need...To join a gym." Paige panted as Piper hugged her as well.
"Where's Phoebe? And Grams and that spoiled specimen of a demon, Zankou?" Piper asked, Paige hung her head and dread crept into Piper's heart and must have shown on her face, because Leo quickly spoke.
"Barbas and some of his cronies appeared and kidnapped Phoebe. Zankou and Paige were holding demons off and Phoebe was throwing some of your knives, she was so busy she wasn't watching her back and we could help her, Barbas shimmered in behind her and they got away. Zankou tried to followed, but couldn't get through the shield. Piper, I need to tell you something. I think Zankou's in love with Phoebe and I think she's in love with him as well." Leo explained quietly.
"SHE USED MY GOOD KNIVES FOR DEMON VANQUISHING?" Piper's scream echoed through the School and sent Teachers, Students and all manner of class pets scrambling for any kind of cover they could find.
"Somehow, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting." Paige said, Leo shook his head and motioned Paige to one side of the bookcase and he went to the otherside and started digging.
TBC
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Please R&R!
