A/N: Here's chapter four for those of you who are reading.Thank you for all who have stuck by this story thus far. There will be a better explanation in the next chapter, I promise.
Also I would like to thank: GoldxxSunlight and WelshCanuckfor thier wondeful, encouaging reviews on this story. Keep reviewing everyone!!! It's what keeps me going!!!
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Four: An Unnerving Dream
It had been about three days since the demon attack that had almost cost Phoebe Halliwell the ultimate price. She was home with Paytin; Coop had planned on staying home that day, but being Cupid was always a full time job and there was an emergency at the last minute. 'When hasn't there been?' Phoebe thought to herself.
She looked down at her daughter, who was now asleep, and wondered why she felt such a strange sensation when she held her. It was like a million needles were piercing her hands whenever she touched her. And with her powerful Empathy, she could sense an overwhelming evil within her. She'd become used to it, thinking, at first, it was Paytin coming into her powers (even though the powers were seemingly evil, which she still didn't understand fully and probably never would), but this feeling was more than that.
She'd told Piper and Paige about a day after and even though they'd tried to rid her of that, they couldn't find anything to be wrong. Her sister's believed her…she knew they did, but it seemed like nothing was wrong. And it scared her like nothing else that Paytin could become evil. They were a family of good witches not warlocks.
Phoebe stood and walked the short distance from the living room to the nursery to lay Paytin back in her cradle. She then returned to the couch and lay down pulling the quilt on the back of it over her, hoping to get, at least, an hour's rest… 'Although with her, it's not likely.' She thought as she quickly drifted to sleep.
Dream
She was walking into a dark room. It took her a few moments to realize that she was back in the Manor. She had an uneasy feeling…like something bad had just happened. Phoebe noticed that there were broken objects everywhere. There was a hole in the couch that she could see through…chairs were on their backs.
She looked left to see a young girl of about nine or ten. Phoebe thought she looked familiar…but felt as though she hadn't seen her in a long time. The young girl's next statement made Phoebe confused, not to mention scared.
"Hi Mom, did you miss me?" Her voice was cold and uncaring…how could this be the little girl that she had loved and raised? Was it even her at all?
"Paytin? Sweetie is that you? I don't even recognize you… No, you're not my daughter; you can't be…" Phoebe tried every possibility about who this young girl could be, but none of them fit, none that she wanted to anyway. Her hair, her clothes, her voice, even her powers seemed darker.
"Piper!! Paige!!!" Phoebe called, but no response. Her emotions were nearly uncontrollable…had her daughter—the daughter that she'd promised to love and always keep safe no matter what—really done all this? It wasn't until she saw blood that she knew what happened to them. "Where are they!!? Where are my sisters!!?"
"Oh, you mean the powerless, pathetic witches who were said to be the other two-thirds of the Power of Three?" Paytin mocked; her mother was torn up and she'd rip her to shreds without even laying a hand to her if she played her cards right. "They're in the kitchen—or rather what's left of them is in the kitchen, but I have to warn you Mom, it's not pretty…" She said, venom seeming to drip from her every word.
Not wanting to believe a word the girl who claimed to be her daughter had said, Phoebe ran into the kitchen.
"PIPER!! PAIGE!!!" She screamed collapsing into tears, upon seeing her sisters' lifeless forms. Her body shook uncontrollably, but somehow Phoebe managed to stand again to face her now-warlock daughter. "Why…h—how c—could you d—do that t—to them? They love you…how could you just kill them and write them off like just a common casualty?" She asked harshly walking toward her.
Phoebe could feel Paytin's emotion now, she'd managed to hide them at first. Paytin was realizing what she'd done, but it looked, on the outside, as though she didn't care.
"Mom, did I do this?" She asked sounding like the child she still very much was.
"Paytin…sweetie…I—" Phoebe tried to say, but Paytin shimmered out before she could say anymore. Dropping the kitchen floor, Phoebe turned toward her fallen sisters once more; laid her head on her older sister's chest, gripped Paige's cold, lifeless hand, and cried herself to sleep…
End Dream
"Phoebe…Phoebe!!! Come on, honey wake up!!" Coop said gently shaking her. He'd heard her screaming and crying in her sleep and he had to know why. She just wouldn't wake up. So, instead of trying to wake her, he tried a different tactic.
"Phoebe, what happened; what's wrong?" He asked sitting beside her, sitting her up and pulling her into his arms. Her tears were in torrents now…he couldn't believe a dream could cause the love of his life this much emotional, physical or mental pain. "Phoebe, you can tell me."
"P—Piper and P—Paige are…they're gone…I can't believe…her…of all people…" She spoke so softly that he almost had to read her lips to know what she was saying. He almost dreaded asking the next question, but Coop knew that he had to ask.
"Who Phoebe? Who killed them?" From that mere question, Phoebe's entire body shook and then he knew it was bad. The last time she'd been this bad was three days ago—the night she and Paytin had been attacked. Phoebe was now semi-awake, unknown to her husband, but he'd know soon enough as her arms came around his neck in a death-tight grip.
"Coop…i—it was Paytin…she was evil and—and…it was just…" Phoebe tried to say, but failed as her tears overcame her once again.
Coop's embrace became stronger and he tried to help, but to be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure how.
A dream can mean a lot of things…inner desires…anger and frustration that people won't deal with…but with Phoebe he never knew whether her dreams really were dreams or premonitions of what could occur. All he could think of to do, at that point in time, was just to sit with her and let her know that he wouldn't leave.
"Phoebe," He said softly pulling her back to see her face, wiping away a few tears along the way. "Do you want me to get Piper and Paige so you can try and figure this out?" Phoebe wanted to say yes, but she knew, in her heart, exactly why that dream had occurred.
"Not right now. I think I know why I had that dream, Coop." She waited for a response, but all that he did was sit patiently waiting for her to continue. "It's because I let this happen. I let those demons infect her; it's my fault." Coop seemed to be shocked by her response.
"Why—how is any of this your fault, Phoebe? You didn't know what would happen, how it would happen, or even exactly when it would happen. It's not your fault."
"Yes it is. I didn't use my powers…if I had maybe then—" Coop silenced her with a tender kiss.
"You did what you could; you were afraid…for her safety as well as yours. You tried to save her, Phoebe, all of those injuries told us so. You were probably so shocked that you couldn't really think straight…" Coop said.
"All I could think about was getting her out of there and…I couldn't even do that. What kind of mother am I if I can't even protect her?" Phoebe asked her tears running in currents.
"Phoebe, don't ever doubt your instincts when it comes to Paytin. You are a good person, an extraordinary witch, a perfect wife and a wonderful mother." Coop stated confidently. He saw her smile widen then added, "And if you don't think so, I know two other women who can and will convince you of that."
"I know…" She replied, wiping away the last of her tears and leaning into her husband's arms once more. "It wasn't like a normal dream…but I hope I'm wrong."
"Yeah, but maybe it was only a dream, Phoebe. Maybe you don't need to worry…" He tried to assure her, but he had a feeling that the dream that she had wasn't a dream. Still, there wasn't much of a reason to worry, yet, that he knew of.
"Phoebe, come back with me." Coop said scooping her into his arms.
"Coop, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked laughing as he carried her across the living room.
"Well, as you can't seem to sleep peacefully here…" He told her turning back toward the couch and then turning back around. "I'll just have to protect you in your dreams." Coop said as he walked back to their bedroom.
"Hm. Well that can only work if you stay with me." She stated as he turned on the light after entering the room. Coop walked over and gently laid her on their bed, placing a swift, passionate kiss on her lips after doing so.
"Wouldn't dream of leaving." Coop replied as he lay down beside her, pulling the puffy comforter over the two of them.
"I always feel better when you're here; nothing ever feels right when you're gone." Phoebe said yawning and snuggling into his arms yet again.
"You don't have to worry now. I'll make sure you sleep without nightmares this time."
"Don't you…always?" Phoebe said softly as she let sleep take her once more. Coop's arm came around her waist and within minutes he too was asleep.
Manor
Paige was in the attic working on a potion from the Book of Shadows to vanquish the two demons, 'there just had to be two' Paige thought that had attacked Phoebe and Paytin.
Phoebe claimed that since the attack, it hurt Phoebe to hold Paytin or touch her in anyway…which she found odd, but then again with what Phoebe had gone through three days previously…she could see her older sister being shaken because if it. It didn't happen to her or Piper whenever they held her, but maybe it only affected Phoebe, she being Paytin's mother after all. Whatever the reason for the attack was, she was determined to find it.
There wasn't anything in the Book about any demon named Teemus or Temcara, but that didn't mean they didn't exist—somewhere. Over the seven years that she'd been a witch, there had been many new entries in the heirloom. So maybe they were somewhere—but where? The Underworld was always the first place they looked because, after all, most demons lived in the Underworld. Obvious, she knew, but there were many that shape-shifted or masqueraded as humans, which meant that they always had to be cautious.
Paige was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of light footsteps making their way to the attic. She looked up from her concoction, which was now a light bluish color, to see Piper enter with Chris asleep on her shoulder. Piper walked over and laid a sleeping Chris in the playpen, then walked over to her youngest sister.
"Still trying to figure things out I see." Piper told her as she flipped through the ever-thick Book of Shadows.
"Do you know something that I don't? If you do, I wouldn't mind being filled in." Paige told her. Piper was usually the one in the lead when it came to finding out these types of things...followed closely by herself. Piper glanced up at her youngest sister and shook her head. "In that case, would you mind helping out?" Piper grabbed the Book, open-faced so she wouldn't lose the page, and walked over. She had to admit, over the years this heirloom had become considerably heavier.
"It looks like you're doing just fine Paige; why do you need my help?" Piper asked, but she knew the answer. It wasn't the potion, demons or the Book she was interested in; it was Phoebe. Piper could see it in her eyes. "Ok Paige, what's on your mind?"
"A lot of things...but first and foremost what are we doing? We know virtually nothing about the demons that attacked or why." She waited for her sister to jump in and contradict her, but Piper's eyes possessed the same far off, distant look that hers did.
"I honestly don't know about that, but we've fought with knowing a lot less about a demon, Paige—"
"This is different!!" Paige voiced. "Phoebe—my sister—was almost killed because I didn't...I didn't..." Her voice trailed off and she looked down at the potion she was brewing, hoping that Piper couldn't see the clear liquid that was escaping down her cheeks. 'What color is this supposed to be again?' She thought, trying to focus on anything but the fact that she very well could've been the last person to ever see Phoebe.
Paige was so caught up in her own self-guilt, she hadn't even noticed when Piper stood up and walked behind her. In fact, she didn't notice Piper at all until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Paige looked behind her and noticed her older sister. The youngest Charmed One saw her own fears and doubts in Piper's eyes and she immediately leaned back into her arms with tears streaming down her face.
"It's not that different. Paige, every time we get into demon battles there's always a risk... Both Phoebe and I felt that something would happen; she didn't ask me to stay instead of going to P3 because she knows my responsibilities aren't completely limited to family or the heritage we have."
"Isn't part of my responsibility to look after the two of you? I'm part Whitelighter too, like Leo, Wyatt, Chris and Henry Jr. Shouldn't my most important charges be those within my own family?" Paige asked as their eyes met in the same curious stare.
"Yes, but being the youngest of us—" The word youngest earned Piper a glare. Even though Paige knew she was and would always be the youngest, she hated it when her sisters called her that (well maybe not hated as much as she felt like she always had to be looked out for). "We're supposed to look out for you too. Yes, you are a Whitelighter, but that's not all you are. It's not your fault...it's not Phoebe's fault—"
"Wait, how do you know she feels that way?"
"Trust me, she does. It's not her fault though...and even though it feels like it, I know it's not my fault either." Paige was about to say something, but Piper answered it beforehand. "I'm the oldest now and I'm going to be forever...even though the two of you have husbands and families of your own, I'll always be the one who feels like I need to protect you."
"Always the sheltering one, aren't you?" Paige asked as she turned her head in Piper's direction.
"Sheltering? Nah, you guys have your own lives and I can't always tell you what to do anymore." Piper grinned at the realization of her words. She could make suggestions...even give advice in times of need, but she couldn't be the role model witch and sister anymore. Everyone needed to live out their lives by their own accord, no matter how close they were. "So what are you making anyway?" She asked as Paige stepped back up toward the concoction.
"Funny you should mention that..." Paige told her laughing slightly. "...because I really don't know; I just started to turn pages and I stopped on a potion that looked like it might help us figure out little Paytin's problem." Piper walked up behind her and read the passage from the Book.
"To view a witch's dreams? But it wasn't a dream; it was real. And anyway that little girl will never drink this." Piper said looking at the potion which had turned a light shade of blue.
"Not Paytin, Phoebe." Piper gave her a puzzled look. "If Phoebe drinks this with Paytin in her arms, with her powers of Premonition, she should be able to see exactly what happened before and during the attack."
"Before...how? None of us were there." This was getting more confusing by the minute.
Piper looked over at Chris asleep in the playpen. So sweet...so innocent to what was going on in this chaotic life of theirs at the moment. She turned her attention to her youngest sister yet again.
"Read the passage." Was all she said. Piper turned toward the Book.
"Whoever drinks this potion shall be pulled into the memory of another and be able to move about freely invisible to those currently there, even if they are already present. Also, if the person touches an object that they believe is the cause of the event they will be pulled into when the event was started."
Piper finished reading and turned back to her. "So let's say she drinks this, and sees what really happened; how are we supposed to know?"
"Piper, think about it; why would she lie? It's her daughter." Piper knew that Paige was right about this, but still she couldn't help but get a feeling that Phoebe would see much more than they bargained for.
A/N: So what do you think? Will Phoebe agree to this dangerous task to save her daughter? What really happened in the Underworld? The mystry crystal??? Stay tuned to find out.
Please R&R if you like it.
Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell