Chapter 3
It had been two months since Prue and Piper had seen Phoebe. Occasionally Cole would shimmer in to let the sisters know that Phoebe was safe, or Leo would orb to the underworld to check on her. Word was out in the underworld that despite the fact that one of the Charmed Ones was trapped in the underworld, the Power of Three had been reformed. After a couple demonic attacks in her apartment one of her past lives coming to the present trying to destroy good magic, Prue and Piper were finally able to talk Paige into moving into the manor.
"You know, you're getting pretty good at that, Paige," said Piper as she watched Paige mix a droxy vanquishing potion.
"I was good at chem. lab in high school," said Paige. "It's sorta the same thing."
"Well, you're a natural."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah I do," said Piper. "Especially with all the demonic attacks that have happened lately. It's a real testimony that you were able to adapt so well in such a short period of time."
"Thanks, Piper," said Paige. "That really means a lot coming from you." She looked down and focused on cutting her burdock roots.
"What's wrong?" asked Piper.
"I don't know. It's just…well moving in…sleeping in Phoebe's room...what happens when we save her and she comes back?"
Piper smiled warmly. "We're not going to kick you out or anything," she said as she put her arm around Paige's shoulders.
"I know. It just feels weird, like I'm replacing Phoebe or something."
"No, no, sweetie," said Piper. "You're not replacing Phoebe. Whether you grew up here or not, you're our sister. When we get Phoebe back, it'll just mean that the four of us will finally be together."
"Hey," said Prue as she came up from the basement. "You two aren't having a sisterly moment without me are you?"
"Nothing like a stinky potion to bring out warm fuzzy feelings," said Paige and she began pouring the potion into vials.
Prue laughed. "Are we expecting a droxy attack?
"Always," said Paige. "The way the underworld has been barging in lately, I thought I'd stock up. This way I get plenty of practice making potions and we get stocked up in case of emergencies."
"Good thinking," said Prue as she grabbed some vials and helped Paige put the potion into them. "I'm really amazed at your dedication to learning the craft, Paige."
"Yeah, well frequent demon attacks are a powerful motivator," said Paige dryly. "I just have to control the urge to use these potions on people who hit their kids."
"How's the Adams kid doing?" asked Piper.
"He's being placed in a foster home as soon as he gets out of the hospital," said Paige. "I can't believe they let him go home with that bitch drunk mother and her loser boyfriend. I can't believe any woman would put up with a boyfriend who would hit her kid like that, but then again, she was only using her kid to collect welfare."
"Well, if your boss has half a brain, he'll make you a social worker and give you more power to stop this kind of crap," said Prue. She put an arm around each of her sisters. "What do you guys say we go up to the attic and do a little more sisterly bonding?"
"Sure, why not," said Paige. "There's still so much I don't know about."
"So let's get back to rectifying that," said Prue. The three of them headed up the stairs to the attic. Prue grabbed a box as they all sat on the floor. She pulled out some old pictures. She saw a picture of a seven-year-old Andy in an old west sheriff outfit.
"Prue?" asked Piper. Prue sighed and turned the picture around. "Oh."
"Who's that?" asked Paige.
"Andy," said Prue. Paige tried to think of something to say to comfort Prue. Piper had told her a lot about Andy and how he'd died trying to protect them. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a part of Prue still blamed herself for his death. Paige knew that Prue wasn't to blame, but could never find the words to comfort her when she (Paige) still blamed herself for her parents' death.
"Listen," said Paige. "We've spent a lot of time talking about the past, maybe we should start talking about the future."
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"I mean what are your plans? Your dreams? You know, stuff like that. You said you went to the future and saw you had a daughter. It seems like she should be born pretty soon."
"Well the little girl is the only part of that future I hope comes true," said Piper. "I don't want Leo and I to end up divorced, or Phoebe to get burned."
"Yeah, and I don't want to end up turning into some corporate bitch…or blonde," Prue added as an afterthought.
"Wait, you didn't tell me the part about you being blonde," said Paige with a grin.
"There's a very good reason for that," said Prue.
"Which is?" asked Paige.
"I'd simply rather forget I ever saw that," said Prue.
"Okay," Paige conceded. "What about Melinda, Piper? Any plans on bringing her into the world?"
"I'd like to," said Piper wistfully. "But I'm not sure I should bring a child into the world with the Source sending demons to take us out on a daily basis. How about you, Prue? I remember you wanting to experience motherhood a few years ago."
"I'm not sure that will happen," said Prue.
"Why not?" asked Paige. "You'd make a great mom."
Prue held up the picture of Andy. "The one man I've ever been able to see myself having children with is out of my life forever." Prue looked away from her sisters and blinked back tears. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd just been honest with Andy from the start. I mean he never would have exposed us."
"Prue, you can't keep dwelling on that," said Piper. "You'll drive yourself crazy. Besides," she added. "If anyone was meant to be a White Lighter, it's Andy. Now he can't help people without of confines of the San Francisco PD."
"Yeah, but he wanted to have a family some day. He would have made a great father and now he'll never get that chance." Said Prue.
"So you're punishing yourself, by not having kids of your own," said Paige.
"I'm not punishing myself," said Prue. "I just think children should be born out of love and I just can't see myself loving anyone enough to have children with them."
"C'mon, Prue," said Piper. "You've dated a lot of great guys. Surely you can fall in love with at least one of them. What about that reporter who ran you over when you were a dog and put up flyers to find you?"
"Sure, he was great, but given what happened last may, I don't think a reporter is the kind of guy I should be seeing."
"Wait a minute," said Paige. "Prue was turned into a dog and got hit by a car driven by a hot reporter?"
"Spell gone awry," said Prue. "And Piper, you of all people should understand how I feel. I distinctly remember you dumping a dorky, but cute grad student because you were always thinking about a certain geographically undesirable handyman. Oh and then there was the long term relationship with the contractor next door, but you never could see yourself having kids with him."
"Okay, you've got a point, but if I know Andy, he doesn't want you to give up on your dreams," said Piper.
"Well, well, well, isn't this touching?" said a voice from behind them causing the three sisters to jump.
"Phoebe?" said Piper as she took in her sister's appearance. Phoebe's hair was no longer long and blonde, it was short and black and her eyes had a cold look to them.
"Good to know you still remember me after all this time," said Phoebe coolly.
"How did you get out of the underworld?" asked Prue as she got to her feet. Piper and Paige quickly followed suit.
"By embracing my new destiny," said Phoebe.
"What exactly is that?" asked Piper.
"It's not important right now," said Phoebe. "What is important is that we vanquish the Source as soon as possible. He's become so obsessed with destroying the Charmed circle, he's willing to destroy all of existence in the process."
"What?" said Prue. "How is that possible. No demon has that kind of power, even him."
"He may not have, but the Hollow does," said Phoebe. She walked over to the book of Shadows and went to open it. It jumped off the podium in response."
"Phoebe, why can't you touch the book?" asked Prue.
"Like I said before: it's not important right now. Do you mind?" She gestured toward the book on the floor. Paige walked over and picked it up eyeing Phoebe nervously.
"You don't have to be afraid of me you know, Paige," said Phoebe with a stiff smile. "We're sisters after all."
"Sorry," said Paige. "Er…I was a little awkward around Prue and Piper at first too. It's not every day you go from being an only child to having three long lost sisters." Paige gave a nervous laugh.
"Oh that's perfectly understandable," said Phoebe airily. "Now would you mind being a good little girl and looking up the Hollow…thanks."
"Oh, right" said Paige looking slightly abashed. She began flipping through the pages as Prue and Piper gaped at a sister they barely recognized.
"You're not sure it's me, are you?" said Phoebe as she stared at the ceiling and twirled a lock of hair between her thumb and forefinger.
"We're feeling a little cautious at the moment," said Prue.
"Yeah," said Piper. "When you can't touch the Book of Shadows, something's a little off. Leo!"
Phoebe rolled her eyes and messaged her right ear as Leo orbed in. He looked stunned to see Phoebe as he materialized. "Phoebe wha-"
"Can you sense if it's really her?" asked Piper.
Leo closed his eyes. "It's Phoebe," he said. "But it's very faint. Phoebe, what's going on?"
"Like I told my sisters, it's not important right now. We have a certain Source of all evil to Vanquish."
"I found the entry on the Hollow," said Paige shyly.
"The Hollow?" asked Leo.
"Apparently the Source wants to use it to steal our Powers," said Piper.
"That doesn't make any sense," said Leo. "Both sides agrees Eons ago to contain the Hollow. Evil would have just as much to lose as good if it were released."
"The Source doesn't care about destroying everything," said Phoebe. "He's gone insane and he's willing to destroy existence in order to kill all of us."
"I think I've found something that we can use," said Paige. "It's a Power of Three Spell."
"This is the Source," said Phoebe. "It'll take more than a Power of Three Spell to Vanquish him."
"It's not just any Power of Three spell, look."
Prue walked over to Paige's side and looked at the spell. "This is brilliant. I can't believe we haven't thought of it before. Paige, you're a genius!" She put her arm around Paige's should and gave her a one armed hug. Piper walked to Paige's other side.
"You're right, Paige. This isn't just any Power of Three Spell."
"What is it?" asked Phoebe impatiently.
"It calls on our ancestors," said Prue. "We'd be using the magic of our entire line, all the way back to Melinda Warren."
"Well that's something," said Phoebe thoughtfully. "I'll be in touch. By the way, it was nice to finally meet you, Paige." She flamed out leaving three very stunned sisters and a dumb founded brother-in-law.
"What the hell was that?" Piper exclaimed.
"Hell being the operative word," said Prue.
"I'm thinking it has something to do with whatever isn't important right now," said Paige.
"I'm going to check with the Elders," said Leo and he orbed out.
"What do we do now?" asked Piper.
"I guess we get ready to fight the Source," said Prue.
"There's a spell to banish the Hollow," said Paige. "Only…"
"Only what?" asked Piper.
"Good and evil have to say it together."
