Book One - Revelations (4/?)
by: Brandy Leigh
~*~
Another night in the Halliwell manor. Phoebe and Paige had gone to bed early, complaining they were both tired beyond reason. Phoebe did stay up long enough, though, to have a rather heated phone discussion with Cole. Both Piper and Brandy opted to stay up after the others to so that they could talk, seeing as there was much to be discussed.
The two sat in the kitchen with candybars and coffee, two things sure to keep them up and running through most of the night. Both were nervous and tense with being alone together, seeing as that hadn't been the case since the incident earlier that morning.
"You know," Piper mumbled around a mouthful of Hershey, "I'm not mad at you."
Brandy sat down her own chocolate and tilted her head to the side a bit, regarding Piper. She sighed lightly and said, "I'm glad you said that, I was worried you would be. I know it takes two to tango, but I wasn't sure if you regretted it or not."
"I don't regret it. Brandy, when we met, I was a total bitch to you. I didn't trust you, even when I had every reason to. Then I realized I was attracted to you, but I didn't stop being rude. I know I already said I'm sorry, but I don't want you to always be afraid I'm going to snap at you."
Brandy smiled and reached across the table to take Piper's hand. She stroked it gently with her thumb and said, "You don't have to apologize Piper, I understand. It's a new experience, and I don't want to scare you. I'll back off, I promise."
"See, that's the thing," Piper replied, biting her lip. "I'm not so sure I want you to back off."
"Piper are you sure?" Brandy asked, although her heart was near pounding out of her chest with joy and excitement. "I don't want you to get involved with something you're not ready for."
"I wasn't ready," Piper began, then took a deep breath, "until I met you. After this morning, I know that... I want to do this."
Brandy broke into a huge grin, and it took her almost a minute to find her voice. When she did, she said, "I'm really glad you said that, Piper. And now, I want to take you out to dinner. How about we go out tomorrow if you're not too busy?"
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Piper asked with a grin.
"You bet your sweet ass I am!"
"Then you've got yourself a deal!"
Brandy stood up and held her hand out to Piper, who took it and stood up as well. She gazed down into her eyes and over her face, memorizing every line and muscle. She slowly leaned down and let her lips brush against Piper's, arms slipping around her waist.
Piper's heart was beating a mile a minute, but she didn't back away. She slipped her own arms around Brandy's neck and kissed her back, sighing contentedly. Neither hesitated to deepen the kiss, and both were severely lost in the moment. They were both oblivious to the man in the shadows, watching and waiting.
The rest of the night went uneventful, the two heading off to bed shortly there after. They slept soundly in each others arms, both dreaming about how their date would go. No one in the house was awaken or disturbed until the morning, when all hell was sure to break loose. And the sun rose.
"Phoebe, where is my shirt?!" Piper exclaimed as she barreled down the stairs, running late for a meeting.
"Which one?" Phoebe called back, shoving her jacket on so she could leave for the office.
"The one that you're wearing," Piper muttered as she reached the living room and saw Phoebe.
"Heh, yeah, sorry Piper. You know you love me; I'll have it back in mint condition tonight!"
"Do you people ever have a peaceful morning?" Brandy grumbled as she shuffled past them towards the kitchen. "I mean really, blah blah blah... where's the damn coffee?"
"I'm with you," Paige said, right behind her.
"It's not my fault I'm a morning person!" Phoebe called after them, grabbing her keys and flitting a smile to Piper. "See ya!"
"Paige, just because you have the day off doesn't mean you can sit around and do nothing," Piper said as she turned to follow Phoebe out. "Try doing some laundry maybe?" With that, she left.
Brandy glanced at Paige over the rim of her coffee cup, the steam blurring her vision a bit. She sighed and said, "Laundry? I have a better idea. How about we rent some movies, pig out like there's no tomorrow, and leave the mess for them to clean."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Paige said with a grin, leaning across to slap Brandy a high five. Since both girls were half asleep, neither of them quite made contact with the other.
"Mmm, speaking of plans, guess what?"
"Uh oh, do I really want to know this?" Paige asked with a weary sigh.
"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Piper and I talked last night about everything that's been going on, and we came to a decision. She and I are going out to dinner tonight."
"As in, you guys are going on a date?"
Brandy nodded and took another sip of her coffee, reaching back with her other hand to grab a bagel. Meanwhile, Paige sighed and slapped herself in the forehead, then propped her chin up on her hand. She waited for a moment, then laid into a line of questioning.
"You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious? Have you two lost your minds? Can you sit there and tell me that you two are honestly going to go out on a date? Together?"
Brandy just sat there for a minute, then she replied, "Yes, no, yes and yes. We were just going to go to P3, but I think we're going to go to a sit down restaurant instead. We want to take some time to just get to know each other, and figure out if this thing is really going to work."
Paige sighed again and shook her head. As much as she loved her sister, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. Alas, it seemed as if the two were actually going through with it, and she had no choice but to get over it and accept it.
She finally snapped out of her revere, stood and said, "I don't want to think about this anymore. I'm going to get dressed, then we can go rent some movies or something."
From the shadows Zaleir watched with an ever knowing grin. With two of the Charmed Ones gone, only one and a dimwitted protector left, this would be easier than he expected. He silently moved across and through the shadows, sizing up the two, waiting for the right moment to strike.
He continued to look on as Paige stood and made her way up the stairs, his eyes barely glancing at her before going back to Brandy. Once Paige was completely up the stairs, he began to advance towards Brandy, his eyes beginning to glow a dark red.
Brandy continues to sit, oblivious, sipping her coffee. She suddenly felt a distortion in the aura waves around her, and her body tensed at the evil that filled the room. "Behind you," she heard herself mutter, but she did not move.
"Don't even want to see your killer?" Zaleir said on a growl, his hands clenching into fists.
Brandy closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, willing the one power she had yet to master to kick in to play. Around her she could now feel exactly where the demon was, and what he was capable of. She shivered and stood, still keeping her back to him.
"You will die now," Zaleir told her, advancing slowly.
"No," Brandy replied, dashing suddenly as a fireball whizzed by her head. She rushed into the livingroom and screamed up the stairs for Paige to come.
"No need to call her, she will be too late!" Zaleir exclaimed, trying to pitch another fireball at the girl before him.
Brandy concentrated and waved her hand to the side, accessing Prue's power to deflect the ball and send it back towards Zaleir. The demon easily dodged it, laughing. He looked up to see Paige making her way down the stairs, then used his powers to grab her from the stairs and send her flying across the room and into the wall.
"Bastard!" Brandy exclaimed, narrowing her eyes to send him flying back as well. He slammed into the china cabinet, shattering the dishes.
"You have no idea of your powers, Protector," Zaleir managed to say as he pulled himself up. "I see now that I will fail, but you, you will fail as well. Your lack of knowledge will be your undoing!"
"Oh shut up," Brandy grumbled, waving her arm again. When she did, a knife from the kitchen rose and flew into Zaleir's chest, vanquishing him painfully.
"What the hell was that all about?" Paige asked, groaning as she pulled herself up. There was a visible dent in the wall where she had hit.
"I have no idea," Brandy said as she ran over to Paige, looking her over for any major injuries. "Whoever he was, he knew that I'm The Protector. If he knew, then every other demon is sure to know."
"We better call Phoebe and Piper," Paige told her, cracking her neck.
"I'm on it," Brandy replied, leading her to the couch. "You rest, I'll make the phone calls."
After Brandy had Paige all settled down, she ran back over to the phone and grabbed it up. She ran through the speedial numbers and found Piper's cell phone, then hit talk. As she waited for Piper to pick up, she sat down beside Paige. She wasn't convinced that she wasn't hurt worse than she was admitting.
"Hello?" Piper answered.
"Piper, it's Brandy. We've got just the slightest problem here."
"What kind of a problem?" Piper asked, dreading the answer.
"A demon just broke into the manor and tried to kill me. Slammed Paige against the wall too, but I vanquished him before he could do any more damage. If I'm right, I don't think he's going to be the only one. He knew I'm The Protector, Piper."
"Damnit," Piper cursed. "Okay, just stay there, call Leo and see if he can find out something from the Elders. I'm going to call Phoebe and have her meet us back at the manor. Did you happen to catch the demons name?"
"I was a bit too busy trying to keep him from killing me and Paige," Brandy told her.
Piper just sighed and nodded, though she knew Brandy couldn't see it over the phone. She then said, "Alright, I'm on my way."
Brandy hung up the phone, then looked over at Paige. She'd never called a whitelighter before, so she didn't know exactly what to do. Finally she shrugged, looked up at the ceiling, and shouted, "Leo! Hey, Leo!"
Familiar blue lights filled the room, and there stood Leo. He had a concerned look on his face, the concern deepening when he saw the mess in the room. It was obvious there had been a fight, and it was also obvious that Paige was hurt.
"What happened?" he asked, walking over to kneel beside Paige.
"I'm fine," Paige muttered, pushing his hands away.
"We were attacked by a demon, or rather, I was attacked. He was here to kill me, and he knew I'm The Protector," Brandy told Leo.
"Have you told Piper and Phoebe?" he asked, trying to get Paige to sit still long enough for him to heal her.
"I called Piper, and she told me I should talk to you, that maybe you could get some information from the Elders."
Leo smiled lightly, then said, "Why don't you ask them, Brandy?"
Brandy raised her eyebrow at his comment as she asked, "Me? How exactly do you expect me to do that?"
"As The Protector, you have the power to translocate. It's like orbing, but it's more powerful. For me to orb someone else, I'd have to have physical contact. You could just connect to them astrally and take them with you. You also have full access to," he gestured with his hand, "up there."
"How exactly do I access this power?" Brandy asked, baffled that she actually had this ability and never knew it.
"The same way you use your aura perception. Just take it to a higher level, and imagine yourself where you want to be."
"Right," Brandy muttered, sighing before taking a deep breath. She let her eyes drift closed, and she expanded her mind out to feel the auras around her. She concentrated a bit more, taking it to a 'higher level' as Leo had suggested. Finally she focused on where she wanted to go; to the Elders.
A warm, pleasant buzz shot through Brandy's body, and before she knew it she was enveloped in a white light. The light dissipated and she was no longer in the Halliwell manor. Paige looked around for a moment, a perplexed look on her face. She looked back over to Leo with a raised eyebrow.
"That was interesting," she said.
Several long minutes passed after Brandy left, and Paige finally decided to let Leo check over her. She still wasn't back when he was done, nor was she back by he time Piper and Phoebe made their way back to the manor. It wasn't until several minutes after they arrived that she returned.
"Well it's about damn time!" Piper exclaimed. "What took you so long?"
Brandy smiled then said, "I got a guided tour, it's pretty nice up there!"
"Yeah, and what about the demon? Did you even think to ask them about that while you were gallivanting around up there?"
Brandy rolled her eyes and flopped back on the couch next to Phoebe and Paige. She looked up at Piper and Leo and said, "I asked, but they didn't exactly have the answers I was hoping they'd give me. They gave me the whole 'you're The Protector, figure it out for yourself' speal."
Leo nodded and looked over to Piper to say, "I told you, I don't make it up. They never have answers for me either."
Piper rolled her eyes and asked, "What now? We have no idea what they could be planning right now. As powerful as the four of us are, we can't exactly take on every frickin' demon out there all at once."
"Piper's right, we have to have some sort of a battle plan," Phoebe agreed.
"There's no way to plan for something when we have no idea what we're up against," Brandy told them, leaning back. "We just have to make sure that we're prepared at all times."
"And you should never be alone, not when you're likely to be attacked at any time," Piper replied.
"No, don't worry about me. I'm supposed to be protecting you, not vice versa."
"Brandy's right," Leo said. "It's her job to make sure nothing happens to you. Technically, once her powers are fully developed, nothing should be able to kill her. Legend says The Protector is meant to be an immortal, but only if she trains to become one."
"We can't just go by a legend, and we can't just expect her to face every demon that comes our way on her own," Piper replied.
"I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is that Brandy should begin training as soon as possible to strengthen her powers. The best way to do that would be to contact the Elders, and let them train her personally," Leo suggested.
"Immortal?" Brandy asked out of nowhere, as if that was the only part of the conversation she had heard.
Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, you'd be like a whitelighter, but with greater powers. And you'd be living, of course."
"Okay, so let's say she does go and train with the Elders, what happens to us while she's gone? If the demons can't find her, I'm sure they'd settle for one of us," Phoebe asked.
Brandy sighed and said, "In that case, I'm not going anywhere. I'm sure if I meditate and train on my own I'll be able to get stronger. As for demon attacks, I'll just have to be careful."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Piper asked, concerned. "You're not immortal yet, you could seriously get hurt."
"It's a risk I'm going to have to take," Brandy replied, her eyes locking on Piper's.
Piper sighed and closed her eyes, then nodded her agreement even though she was worried. Despite the fact the relationship wasn't developed, the first date had not been had, proper time for love feelings had not passed, there was still a deep connection. Piper knew deep in her heart that she couldn't lose Brandy. This thing, this relationship, it was meant to happen.
"I know I'm not exactly the Elders," Leo began, "but I can help you meditate and focus on expanding your powers. I can't show you everything, most you'll have to learn on your own, but I can show you the basics."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Brandy replied, smiling faintly.
"In the meantime, the rest of us need to check the Book of Shadows and see if we can find anything that would be helpful," Phoebe said, motioning to herself and her sisters.
"Book of Shadows," Brandy said softly, having never seen it.
"The official one, not some dollar store rip off," Phoebe said with a grin.
Piper and Paige nodded, then stood along with Phoebe. Piper turned to Brandy as they were leaving the room and said, "So much for tonight."
Brandy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked up at Leo. Her eyes were a bit distant and unfocused for a few seconds, but were back to normal so fast Leo almost had to wonder if he really saw it or not. She ran a hand through her hair, then tilted her head to the side.
"Where do we start, oh master?" she asked.
"We need to start by going to a quiet place to practice, where there wont be any distractions. Meet me in the basement." With that, Leo orbed out of the room.
"Two can play that game," Brandy muttered, before translocating out of the room as well.
Once upstairs in the attic, Piper quickly made her way to the Book of Shadows. She pulled it open and began flipping through page by page, furiously looking for anything and everything that may be helpful for Brandy. Her sisters watched over her shoulder and tried to keep up with the speed of the turning pages.
"Piper, would you take it easy? How can you even tell what you're reading when you go that fast?" Phoebe asked.
"I know what I'm doing," Piper muttered, shuffling through the Book of Shadows for a second time.
"If you say so," Paige muttered in return, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Nothing!" Piper exclaimed, slamming the book shut. She sighed and sat down in the chair nearest to her, then sighed.
"Well, you flipped through the damn thing so fast I'm surprised you could read anything," Phoebe told her.
"Oh shut up," Piper grumbled, putting her face into her hands.
"Look, everything is going to be alright. I'm sure if Brandy trains, she'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to her or us."
"I hope you're right Pheebs, I really do."
A loud crash from downstairs kept Phoebe from answering, and she and Paige were left to run to catch up with Piper who was already halfway down the stairs. Once down the stairs they were greeted by a fireball, which missed them by mere inches.
"What the hell is going on?" Piper exclaimed, looking around for the source of the fire.
"I told you not to do that," they heard Leo say as he and Brandy ran into the room.
"How was I supposed to know it was going to fling a fire ball at me? All you said I to do was concentrate!" Brandy called back.
"Care to explain why there are now two holes in the wall instead of one?" Piper asked.
"Ask Leo, he's the one who neglected to mention I'd be dodging fire."
"You should have sensed it coming, and you sure as hell shouldn't have deflected it without looking," Leo interjected.
"I sensed it coming, which is why my eyes were closed!"
"Hey!" Piper exclaimed. "Let's all just calm down, here."
"Boy do we have a habit of trashing this house," Phoebe muttered, trying not to trip over debri.
"Maybe you guys should be more careful," Paige added, sighing.
"Wouldn't have happened if he had warned me," Brandy muttered.
"Then what would have been the point?" Leo asked, frowning.
"Alright already," Piper said with a frustrated pout, taking Brandy by the arm.
Once in the kitchen, Piper let go of Brandy's arm and sat down. She still looked rather upset, her eyes cast down to the floor. It wasn't until Brandy knelt down in front of her that she dared to make eye contact.
"What's wrong?" Brandy asked softly.
"I'm just worried," Piper replied in the same tone.
"If it's me you're worried about, don't be. Leo just took me by surprise, I wasn't prepared. It won't happen again, because I'm going to work extra hard so I can keep you safe."
Piper smiled and said, "I know, I just don't want anything bad to happen. So much has happened lately, I don't know how much more I can take."
"Feel that strongly about me already?" Brandy joked.
"Yes," Piper replied honestly. "I do. I feel a strong connection to you, like I've known you my whole life."
"I feel it too, Piper. I was afraid to admit it because, let's face it, we've only known each other for a two days. But," she took Piper's hands into her own, "I know what I feel."
Piper smiled fully, and squeezed brandy's hands to reassure her. If they both felt as strongly as they did it couldn't be wrong. The Elders chose her for a reason, and maybe this was it.
"I'm glad we found you," Piper said, gazing into Brandy's eyes.
"Me too," Brandy replied, before the two women leaned in and met in a soft kiss.
About that time, Leo was summoned by another one of his charges, and exited the living room of the manor. Paige and Phoebe turned to make their way into the kitchen to see what Brandy and Piper were doing, both stopping short upon the sight before them.
"Ooo!" Phoebe exclaimed from the doorway, catching the two in the act.
Brandy pulled back from Piper, blushing furiously. Piper buried her face into Brandy's shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Ugh, get a room," Paige said from behind Phoebe.
"We have one, thank you very much," Piper mumbled into Brandy's shirt.
"And you, missy," Phoebe said, mock angry, to Brandy, "need to get back to training. Leo's gone, but he said you should take some time and meditate. Try not to break anything else, huh?"
"Bite me," Brandy replied, nuzzling a kiss into Piper's neck before standing.
"Save me from the horror!" Paige exclaimed, moving to walk past them and get something to drink.
"Better get back to work," Brandy said, casting one last look at Piper.
"Be careful," Piper told her.
"I will."
The rest of the day was surprisingly quiet, only a few crashes coming from the basement every now and then. No more demon attacks, no more startling discoveries. It was almost a normal afternoon; as normal as one could be within their lives.
Evening came, and Brandy emerged from the basement. She was out of breath and tired, her eyes half closed with exhaustion. A few trickles of sweat made their was down her neck, causing her to shiver as she slowly made her way up towards her room.
"Hey you," Piper said with a smile when she saw Brandy enter.
"Hey yourself," Brandy replied, flopping down next to Piper on the bed.
"Eww, sweaty," Piper said with a giggle, pushing Brandy away.
Brandy pouted and said, "You don't love me anymore."
Piper just laughed softly and replied, "How did your training go? You look tired."
"It went well, but it's hard work. Although I'm mostly working my mental skills, it still wears me down."
"Did you learn anything new?"
"Leo's got me working on a mental shield to help protect me or someone else from demon attacks. Hence the new hole in the wall downstairs," Brandy said with a grin.
"Don't worry about that, Paige already fixed it."
"Good. Now I'm going to take a shower so I smell decent, then maybe we can salvage part of our date. You up for a sappy love movie?"
"Always! And I know the perfect one," Piper replied, jumping up to go pick it out.
"Sleepless In Seattle!" both girls exclaimed, Brandy running off to take a shower.
For the rest of the night the girls watched their movie, talked, and tried to keep their minds off of the problems at hand. They both seemed to enjoy the night, and fell asleep on the couch in each others arms.
~*~
End part four
~*~
by: Brandy Leigh
~*~
Another night in the Halliwell manor. Phoebe and Paige had gone to bed early, complaining they were both tired beyond reason. Phoebe did stay up long enough, though, to have a rather heated phone discussion with Cole. Both Piper and Brandy opted to stay up after the others to so that they could talk, seeing as there was much to be discussed.
The two sat in the kitchen with candybars and coffee, two things sure to keep them up and running through most of the night. Both were nervous and tense with being alone together, seeing as that hadn't been the case since the incident earlier that morning.
"You know," Piper mumbled around a mouthful of Hershey, "I'm not mad at you."
Brandy sat down her own chocolate and tilted her head to the side a bit, regarding Piper. She sighed lightly and said, "I'm glad you said that, I was worried you would be. I know it takes two to tango, but I wasn't sure if you regretted it or not."
"I don't regret it. Brandy, when we met, I was a total bitch to you. I didn't trust you, even when I had every reason to. Then I realized I was attracted to you, but I didn't stop being rude. I know I already said I'm sorry, but I don't want you to always be afraid I'm going to snap at you."
Brandy smiled and reached across the table to take Piper's hand. She stroked it gently with her thumb and said, "You don't have to apologize Piper, I understand. It's a new experience, and I don't want to scare you. I'll back off, I promise."
"See, that's the thing," Piper replied, biting her lip. "I'm not so sure I want you to back off."
"Piper are you sure?" Brandy asked, although her heart was near pounding out of her chest with joy and excitement. "I don't want you to get involved with something you're not ready for."
"I wasn't ready," Piper began, then took a deep breath, "until I met you. After this morning, I know that... I want to do this."
Brandy broke into a huge grin, and it took her almost a minute to find her voice. When she did, she said, "I'm really glad you said that, Piper. And now, I want to take you out to dinner. How about we go out tomorrow if you're not too busy?"
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Piper asked with a grin.
"You bet your sweet ass I am!"
"Then you've got yourself a deal!"
Brandy stood up and held her hand out to Piper, who took it and stood up as well. She gazed down into her eyes and over her face, memorizing every line and muscle. She slowly leaned down and let her lips brush against Piper's, arms slipping around her waist.
Piper's heart was beating a mile a minute, but she didn't back away. She slipped her own arms around Brandy's neck and kissed her back, sighing contentedly. Neither hesitated to deepen the kiss, and both were severely lost in the moment. They were both oblivious to the man in the shadows, watching and waiting.
The rest of the night went uneventful, the two heading off to bed shortly there after. They slept soundly in each others arms, both dreaming about how their date would go. No one in the house was awaken or disturbed until the morning, when all hell was sure to break loose. And the sun rose.
"Phoebe, where is my shirt?!" Piper exclaimed as she barreled down the stairs, running late for a meeting.
"Which one?" Phoebe called back, shoving her jacket on so she could leave for the office.
"The one that you're wearing," Piper muttered as she reached the living room and saw Phoebe.
"Heh, yeah, sorry Piper. You know you love me; I'll have it back in mint condition tonight!"
"Do you people ever have a peaceful morning?" Brandy grumbled as she shuffled past them towards the kitchen. "I mean really, blah blah blah... where's the damn coffee?"
"I'm with you," Paige said, right behind her.
"It's not my fault I'm a morning person!" Phoebe called after them, grabbing her keys and flitting a smile to Piper. "See ya!"
"Paige, just because you have the day off doesn't mean you can sit around and do nothing," Piper said as she turned to follow Phoebe out. "Try doing some laundry maybe?" With that, she left.
Brandy glanced at Paige over the rim of her coffee cup, the steam blurring her vision a bit. She sighed and said, "Laundry? I have a better idea. How about we rent some movies, pig out like there's no tomorrow, and leave the mess for them to clean."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Paige said with a grin, leaning across to slap Brandy a high five. Since both girls were half asleep, neither of them quite made contact with the other.
"Mmm, speaking of plans, guess what?"
"Uh oh, do I really want to know this?" Paige asked with a weary sigh.
"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Piper and I talked last night about everything that's been going on, and we came to a decision. She and I are going out to dinner tonight."
"As in, you guys are going on a date?"
Brandy nodded and took another sip of her coffee, reaching back with her other hand to grab a bagel. Meanwhile, Paige sighed and slapped herself in the forehead, then propped her chin up on her hand. She waited for a moment, then laid into a line of questioning.
"You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious? Have you two lost your minds? Can you sit there and tell me that you two are honestly going to go out on a date? Together?"
Brandy just sat there for a minute, then she replied, "Yes, no, yes and yes. We were just going to go to P3, but I think we're going to go to a sit down restaurant instead. We want to take some time to just get to know each other, and figure out if this thing is really going to work."
Paige sighed again and shook her head. As much as she loved her sister, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. Alas, it seemed as if the two were actually going through with it, and she had no choice but to get over it and accept it.
She finally snapped out of her revere, stood and said, "I don't want to think about this anymore. I'm going to get dressed, then we can go rent some movies or something."
From the shadows Zaleir watched with an ever knowing grin. With two of the Charmed Ones gone, only one and a dimwitted protector left, this would be easier than he expected. He silently moved across and through the shadows, sizing up the two, waiting for the right moment to strike.
He continued to look on as Paige stood and made her way up the stairs, his eyes barely glancing at her before going back to Brandy. Once Paige was completely up the stairs, he began to advance towards Brandy, his eyes beginning to glow a dark red.
Brandy continues to sit, oblivious, sipping her coffee. She suddenly felt a distortion in the aura waves around her, and her body tensed at the evil that filled the room. "Behind you," she heard herself mutter, but she did not move.
"Don't even want to see your killer?" Zaleir said on a growl, his hands clenching into fists.
Brandy closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, willing the one power she had yet to master to kick in to play. Around her she could now feel exactly where the demon was, and what he was capable of. She shivered and stood, still keeping her back to him.
"You will die now," Zaleir told her, advancing slowly.
"No," Brandy replied, dashing suddenly as a fireball whizzed by her head. She rushed into the livingroom and screamed up the stairs for Paige to come.
"No need to call her, she will be too late!" Zaleir exclaimed, trying to pitch another fireball at the girl before him.
Brandy concentrated and waved her hand to the side, accessing Prue's power to deflect the ball and send it back towards Zaleir. The demon easily dodged it, laughing. He looked up to see Paige making her way down the stairs, then used his powers to grab her from the stairs and send her flying across the room and into the wall.
"Bastard!" Brandy exclaimed, narrowing her eyes to send him flying back as well. He slammed into the china cabinet, shattering the dishes.
"You have no idea of your powers, Protector," Zaleir managed to say as he pulled himself up. "I see now that I will fail, but you, you will fail as well. Your lack of knowledge will be your undoing!"
"Oh shut up," Brandy grumbled, waving her arm again. When she did, a knife from the kitchen rose and flew into Zaleir's chest, vanquishing him painfully.
"What the hell was that all about?" Paige asked, groaning as she pulled herself up. There was a visible dent in the wall where she had hit.
"I have no idea," Brandy said as she ran over to Paige, looking her over for any major injuries. "Whoever he was, he knew that I'm The Protector. If he knew, then every other demon is sure to know."
"We better call Phoebe and Piper," Paige told her, cracking her neck.
"I'm on it," Brandy replied, leading her to the couch. "You rest, I'll make the phone calls."
After Brandy had Paige all settled down, she ran back over to the phone and grabbed it up. She ran through the speedial numbers and found Piper's cell phone, then hit talk. As she waited for Piper to pick up, she sat down beside Paige. She wasn't convinced that she wasn't hurt worse than she was admitting.
"Hello?" Piper answered.
"Piper, it's Brandy. We've got just the slightest problem here."
"What kind of a problem?" Piper asked, dreading the answer.
"A demon just broke into the manor and tried to kill me. Slammed Paige against the wall too, but I vanquished him before he could do any more damage. If I'm right, I don't think he's going to be the only one. He knew I'm The Protector, Piper."
"Damnit," Piper cursed. "Okay, just stay there, call Leo and see if he can find out something from the Elders. I'm going to call Phoebe and have her meet us back at the manor. Did you happen to catch the demons name?"
"I was a bit too busy trying to keep him from killing me and Paige," Brandy told her.
Piper just sighed and nodded, though she knew Brandy couldn't see it over the phone. She then said, "Alright, I'm on my way."
Brandy hung up the phone, then looked over at Paige. She'd never called a whitelighter before, so she didn't know exactly what to do. Finally she shrugged, looked up at the ceiling, and shouted, "Leo! Hey, Leo!"
Familiar blue lights filled the room, and there stood Leo. He had a concerned look on his face, the concern deepening when he saw the mess in the room. It was obvious there had been a fight, and it was also obvious that Paige was hurt.
"What happened?" he asked, walking over to kneel beside Paige.
"I'm fine," Paige muttered, pushing his hands away.
"We were attacked by a demon, or rather, I was attacked. He was here to kill me, and he knew I'm The Protector," Brandy told Leo.
"Have you told Piper and Phoebe?" he asked, trying to get Paige to sit still long enough for him to heal her.
"I called Piper, and she told me I should talk to you, that maybe you could get some information from the Elders."
Leo smiled lightly, then said, "Why don't you ask them, Brandy?"
Brandy raised her eyebrow at his comment as she asked, "Me? How exactly do you expect me to do that?"
"As The Protector, you have the power to translocate. It's like orbing, but it's more powerful. For me to orb someone else, I'd have to have physical contact. You could just connect to them astrally and take them with you. You also have full access to," he gestured with his hand, "up there."
"How exactly do I access this power?" Brandy asked, baffled that she actually had this ability and never knew it.
"The same way you use your aura perception. Just take it to a higher level, and imagine yourself where you want to be."
"Right," Brandy muttered, sighing before taking a deep breath. She let her eyes drift closed, and she expanded her mind out to feel the auras around her. She concentrated a bit more, taking it to a 'higher level' as Leo had suggested. Finally she focused on where she wanted to go; to the Elders.
A warm, pleasant buzz shot through Brandy's body, and before she knew it she was enveloped in a white light. The light dissipated and she was no longer in the Halliwell manor. Paige looked around for a moment, a perplexed look on her face. She looked back over to Leo with a raised eyebrow.
"That was interesting," she said.
Several long minutes passed after Brandy left, and Paige finally decided to let Leo check over her. She still wasn't back when he was done, nor was she back by he time Piper and Phoebe made their way back to the manor. It wasn't until several minutes after they arrived that she returned.
"Well it's about damn time!" Piper exclaimed. "What took you so long?"
Brandy smiled then said, "I got a guided tour, it's pretty nice up there!"
"Yeah, and what about the demon? Did you even think to ask them about that while you were gallivanting around up there?"
Brandy rolled her eyes and flopped back on the couch next to Phoebe and Paige. She looked up at Piper and Leo and said, "I asked, but they didn't exactly have the answers I was hoping they'd give me. They gave me the whole 'you're The Protector, figure it out for yourself' speal."
Leo nodded and looked over to Piper to say, "I told you, I don't make it up. They never have answers for me either."
Piper rolled her eyes and asked, "What now? We have no idea what they could be planning right now. As powerful as the four of us are, we can't exactly take on every frickin' demon out there all at once."
"Piper's right, we have to have some sort of a battle plan," Phoebe agreed.
"There's no way to plan for something when we have no idea what we're up against," Brandy told them, leaning back. "We just have to make sure that we're prepared at all times."
"And you should never be alone, not when you're likely to be attacked at any time," Piper replied.
"No, don't worry about me. I'm supposed to be protecting you, not vice versa."
"Brandy's right," Leo said. "It's her job to make sure nothing happens to you. Technically, once her powers are fully developed, nothing should be able to kill her. Legend says The Protector is meant to be an immortal, but only if she trains to become one."
"We can't just go by a legend, and we can't just expect her to face every demon that comes our way on her own," Piper replied.
"I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is that Brandy should begin training as soon as possible to strengthen her powers. The best way to do that would be to contact the Elders, and let them train her personally," Leo suggested.
"Immortal?" Brandy asked out of nowhere, as if that was the only part of the conversation she had heard.
Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, you'd be like a whitelighter, but with greater powers. And you'd be living, of course."
"Okay, so let's say she does go and train with the Elders, what happens to us while she's gone? If the demons can't find her, I'm sure they'd settle for one of us," Phoebe asked.
Brandy sighed and said, "In that case, I'm not going anywhere. I'm sure if I meditate and train on my own I'll be able to get stronger. As for demon attacks, I'll just have to be careful."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Piper asked, concerned. "You're not immortal yet, you could seriously get hurt."
"It's a risk I'm going to have to take," Brandy replied, her eyes locking on Piper's.
Piper sighed and closed her eyes, then nodded her agreement even though she was worried. Despite the fact the relationship wasn't developed, the first date had not been had, proper time for love feelings had not passed, there was still a deep connection. Piper knew deep in her heart that she couldn't lose Brandy. This thing, this relationship, it was meant to happen.
"I know I'm not exactly the Elders," Leo began, "but I can help you meditate and focus on expanding your powers. I can't show you everything, most you'll have to learn on your own, but I can show you the basics."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Brandy replied, smiling faintly.
"In the meantime, the rest of us need to check the Book of Shadows and see if we can find anything that would be helpful," Phoebe said, motioning to herself and her sisters.
"Book of Shadows," Brandy said softly, having never seen it.
"The official one, not some dollar store rip off," Phoebe said with a grin.
Piper and Paige nodded, then stood along with Phoebe. Piper turned to Brandy as they were leaving the room and said, "So much for tonight."
Brandy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked up at Leo. Her eyes were a bit distant and unfocused for a few seconds, but were back to normal so fast Leo almost had to wonder if he really saw it or not. She ran a hand through her hair, then tilted her head to the side.
"Where do we start, oh master?" she asked.
"We need to start by going to a quiet place to practice, where there wont be any distractions. Meet me in the basement." With that, Leo orbed out of the room.
"Two can play that game," Brandy muttered, before translocating out of the room as well.
Once upstairs in the attic, Piper quickly made her way to the Book of Shadows. She pulled it open and began flipping through page by page, furiously looking for anything and everything that may be helpful for Brandy. Her sisters watched over her shoulder and tried to keep up with the speed of the turning pages.
"Piper, would you take it easy? How can you even tell what you're reading when you go that fast?" Phoebe asked.
"I know what I'm doing," Piper muttered, shuffling through the Book of Shadows for a second time.
"If you say so," Paige muttered in return, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Nothing!" Piper exclaimed, slamming the book shut. She sighed and sat down in the chair nearest to her, then sighed.
"Well, you flipped through the damn thing so fast I'm surprised you could read anything," Phoebe told her.
"Oh shut up," Piper grumbled, putting her face into her hands.
"Look, everything is going to be alright. I'm sure if Brandy trains, she'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to her or us."
"I hope you're right Pheebs, I really do."
A loud crash from downstairs kept Phoebe from answering, and she and Paige were left to run to catch up with Piper who was already halfway down the stairs. Once down the stairs they were greeted by a fireball, which missed them by mere inches.
"What the hell is going on?" Piper exclaimed, looking around for the source of the fire.
"I told you not to do that," they heard Leo say as he and Brandy ran into the room.
"How was I supposed to know it was going to fling a fire ball at me? All you said I to do was concentrate!" Brandy called back.
"Care to explain why there are now two holes in the wall instead of one?" Piper asked.
"Ask Leo, he's the one who neglected to mention I'd be dodging fire."
"You should have sensed it coming, and you sure as hell shouldn't have deflected it without looking," Leo interjected.
"I sensed it coming, which is why my eyes were closed!"
"Hey!" Piper exclaimed. "Let's all just calm down, here."
"Boy do we have a habit of trashing this house," Phoebe muttered, trying not to trip over debri.
"Maybe you guys should be more careful," Paige added, sighing.
"Wouldn't have happened if he had warned me," Brandy muttered.
"Then what would have been the point?" Leo asked, frowning.
"Alright already," Piper said with a frustrated pout, taking Brandy by the arm.
Once in the kitchen, Piper let go of Brandy's arm and sat down. She still looked rather upset, her eyes cast down to the floor. It wasn't until Brandy knelt down in front of her that she dared to make eye contact.
"What's wrong?" Brandy asked softly.
"I'm just worried," Piper replied in the same tone.
"If it's me you're worried about, don't be. Leo just took me by surprise, I wasn't prepared. It won't happen again, because I'm going to work extra hard so I can keep you safe."
Piper smiled and said, "I know, I just don't want anything bad to happen. So much has happened lately, I don't know how much more I can take."
"Feel that strongly about me already?" Brandy joked.
"Yes," Piper replied honestly. "I do. I feel a strong connection to you, like I've known you my whole life."
"I feel it too, Piper. I was afraid to admit it because, let's face it, we've only known each other for a two days. But," she took Piper's hands into her own, "I know what I feel."
Piper smiled fully, and squeezed brandy's hands to reassure her. If they both felt as strongly as they did it couldn't be wrong. The Elders chose her for a reason, and maybe this was it.
"I'm glad we found you," Piper said, gazing into Brandy's eyes.
"Me too," Brandy replied, before the two women leaned in and met in a soft kiss.
About that time, Leo was summoned by another one of his charges, and exited the living room of the manor. Paige and Phoebe turned to make their way into the kitchen to see what Brandy and Piper were doing, both stopping short upon the sight before them.
"Ooo!" Phoebe exclaimed from the doorway, catching the two in the act.
Brandy pulled back from Piper, blushing furiously. Piper buried her face into Brandy's shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Ugh, get a room," Paige said from behind Phoebe.
"We have one, thank you very much," Piper mumbled into Brandy's shirt.
"And you, missy," Phoebe said, mock angry, to Brandy, "need to get back to training. Leo's gone, but he said you should take some time and meditate. Try not to break anything else, huh?"
"Bite me," Brandy replied, nuzzling a kiss into Piper's neck before standing.
"Save me from the horror!" Paige exclaimed, moving to walk past them and get something to drink.
"Better get back to work," Brandy said, casting one last look at Piper.
"Be careful," Piper told her.
"I will."
The rest of the day was surprisingly quiet, only a few crashes coming from the basement every now and then. No more demon attacks, no more startling discoveries. It was almost a normal afternoon; as normal as one could be within their lives.
Evening came, and Brandy emerged from the basement. She was out of breath and tired, her eyes half closed with exhaustion. A few trickles of sweat made their was down her neck, causing her to shiver as she slowly made her way up towards her room.
"Hey you," Piper said with a smile when she saw Brandy enter.
"Hey yourself," Brandy replied, flopping down next to Piper on the bed.
"Eww, sweaty," Piper said with a giggle, pushing Brandy away.
Brandy pouted and said, "You don't love me anymore."
Piper just laughed softly and replied, "How did your training go? You look tired."
"It went well, but it's hard work. Although I'm mostly working my mental skills, it still wears me down."
"Did you learn anything new?"
"Leo's got me working on a mental shield to help protect me or someone else from demon attacks. Hence the new hole in the wall downstairs," Brandy said with a grin.
"Don't worry about that, Paige already fixed it."
"Good. Now I'm going to take a shower so I smell decent, then maybe we can salvage part of our date. You up for a sappy love movie?"
"Always! And I know the perfect one," Piper replied, jumping up to go pick it out.
"Sleepless In Seattle!" both girls exclaimed, Brandy running off to take a shower.
For the rest of the night the girls watched their movie, talked, and tried to keep their minds off of the problems at hand. They both seemed to enjoy the night, and fell asleep on the couch in each others arms.
~*~
End part four
~*~