Piper watched her sister from across the hall as she leaned against the doorframe to Phoebes room. Even from that distance and from the back she could see the worry on Prue. When it came to Phoebe they both worried more then if it was one of them. Maybe it was because she was the baby of the family, and no matter how old they got she would always be the baby.
Prue leaned up against the doorframe starring at the empty room and the made bed. A bed that was not slept in that night by her little sister. Her eyes scanned through the room as she took in everything that was there. Her eyes stopped when she saw a picture of the three of them from last summer. It was one of them at the park that Leo had taken for them. It had started as a tickle war with Piper and her trying to get at Phoebe. In the end they all ended up in a pile on the grass, all tangled together. She remembered that neither one of them could stop laughing and it was then that Leo had snapped the photo.
Prue felt the arm coming gently across her shoulders as she leaned her head against Pipers shoulders. Not one of them said a word as they both thought of their baby sister somewhere in the hands of a demon. It was hard to tell just how long they had stood there but to them it was an eternity until they got her back
"She's ok Prue. She's probably giving him a piece of her mind right now."
Laughing slightly, "Yeah giving him hell because he was cutting in to her Christmas shopping time."
"Yeah." Piper replied tightening her hold on her big sister. "We'll get her back Prue."
"I know. It's just not the same around her now with her gone." Prue turned her thoughts of when her sister was in New York that one year at Christmas. She had let her own pigheadedness stop her from really letting Phoebe know how much she had missed her at that special time of year. A time when they should have been all together.
"I know honey. So let's go find away to get her back in time for Christmas." Piper said softly as she took Prues hand and led her away from the empty room, and making their way down the stairs.
When they entered the kitchen they found the coffee already on waiting for them. Hoping beyond hope that it was Phoebe, they went and searched the bottom level of the Manor, only to come up empty. Making their way back to the kitchen they each took a cup of coffee and sat down starting the process of looking for Phoebe all over again.
"So any suggestions on where we go from here?" Piper started.
"Not really." Prue answered though not taking her eyes off her coffee. "Damn it. Can't they even leave us alone during the holidays. Especially this one." Prue hollered as she banged her fist on the table.
"Prue we'll figure it out. Between you, Leo and me. Like we always do." Piper said getting up and resting a reassuring hand on her sisters' shoulder.
"I just want her back Piper." Prue cried as she calmed slightly.
"I know honey so do I. Look why don't you look on your laptop and I'll take another look in the BOS." Piper knew that she had to get Prue looking and searching to keep her mind busy. If she sat around not looking for Phoebe she would go crazy. She knew that that would also be true with herself as well.
"Ok." Prue said as she went to the living room in search of her sister in her own way.
Prue sat at her laptop looking for anything that would lead her to find Phoebe. She silently scorned herself for letting her emotions get the best of her instead of taking charge and finding her sister.
Meanwhile Piper was upstairs doing almost the same thing, getting after herself for losing it the night before. She knew that Phoebe would do anything to get her or Prue back. Now here were Prue and her falling apart. As a gentle tear escaped down her face she felt the gentle touch of her boyfriend wiping it away, and then his strong arms around her as she let go of her fears into his shoulders.
"We'll get her back Piper." He sounded more confidence then she or Prue felt, but she trusted him. After all he was their whitelighter. He would help get her sister back. After all what would happen to the world of they lost the Charmed Ones.
"I'm scared Leo. We found nothing last night and so far..." She stopped before she admitted defeat again so soon.
"I know, I'm scared too, but we have to have faith in Phoebe as well as the three of us."
"Did they tell you anything new?" she asked with hope though she somehow knew the answer.
"No, they have no idea, I'm sorry." He said as he pulled her closer to him. "What do you say we take the book downstairs and the three of us can work this out together?" he said looking down into her red eyes, as he once again wiped away the tears.
"Sure." As she gave him one last hug and then reached for the BOS and started her way downstairs.
He watched them from his home in the woods, his snow globe once again acting as a window to another world. As it had for him to show the two oldest Charmed Ones their sister, it now allowed him to see them. He laughed to himself as they scoured through their book of magic, though knowing that they would find nothing
He wondered how he could make them still believe he had their sister. He knew how but it was risky. He had to hope that when he showed her that there was no one else around. He knew that she was injured and now was probably the best time, when he knew that she would be sleeping.
Blinking out he soon reappeared in the Manors solarium. Smiling to himself he listened to them first before making his entrance.
--- ----
"Leo there has to be something that they can do?" Prue yelled.
"I'm sorry Prue they don't know anything. I've even tried some of my other sources. Nothing."
"This is ridiculous Leo. How can they not know where she is?" Piper asked as she paced back and forth in the living room.
"That is because none of you witches have ever come up against the likes of me." He entered the room almost smiling, "Oh. And no throwing me Prue. I may have to hurt you sister again." He smiled evilly
"What do mean again? If you've hurt her I swear."
"Now where will that temper get you Prue? Nowhere that's right."
"What do you want? I thought you gave us a week?" Piper asked as she stepped in behind Prue
"I'm a demon. I changed my mind." He once again waved his hand at them revealing his tell all snow globe.
"Oh god Phoebe." Piper whispered as she watched her sister sleeping on a bed with a large bandage covering her forehead.
"You bastard. What did you do to her?" Prue stepped towards him as her anger flared.
"She did it to herself trying to escape."
"Well she wouldn't find the need to escape if you hadn't taken her in the first place now would she." Prue shot back as she turned to look at her baby sister.
Phoebe tossed in her sleep, that much they could tell. He couldn't have wished for anything better. Bandage on her forehead indicating an injury and now this oblivious nightmare. He smiled as she suddenly bolted awake screaming for her sisters. It was then that he closed the window, knowing that soon someone would come to her.
"Well have you seen enough. Do I get your powers in trade for your sister? Or doss she suffer even more?"
"Prue, Piper, you can't. Phoebe wouldn't want you too. Not for her." Leo put in as he looked at the demon before them
"Hey whitelighter this is not for you to decide its for them, now shut up." The last thing he wanted was for their do-gooder to give them any ideas. "Well ladies. What do you say?"
Prue looked at Piper and knew that they were both thinking the same thing. That once again they would release their powers to save a sister.
"We need till tonight to make the potion. It needs to set first." Prue told him, only partially lying. She hoped that that would buy them a bit more time to figure it out, and to hopefully get Phoebe back.
"Fine, I will be back in." he looked at the grandfather clock on the wall, "shall we say twelve hours."
"Just bring her back or no deal." Piper added before he could disappear on them again.
"Sure. What ever you say." He commented as he blinked out of existence once again. Leaving the Halliwells and their Whitelighter to once again try and get back the youngest. Only now their clock had been substantially shortened.
Phoebe tossed in her sleep restless from the previous day events. She ran through the snow only to find herself falling. The next thing she knew she was chained to a wall in a dimly lit cave. She could feel the cold piercing through her clothes and skin. She looked up and saw her sisters chained to a wall across from her. They were looking so lifeless.
"They can't help you now Phoebe. You're powerless now. They gave me your powers. Now you will all die as powerless witches." He smiled at her as he turned towards Prue and flew out his hand releasing a shower of ice spikes straight at her.
"NOOOOOO!" Phoebe sat bolt up right as she was quickly woken from her own nightmare. The perspiration glistened on her body as the morning chill brushed against her damp skin. The door opened and the light shone through. "Prue?" she whispered forgetting that she was no longer in the safety of the Manor
"Sshhh Honey its ok." The figure approached and took her in her arms.
Phoebe pulled back from the voice but the arms held her tight. There was a comfort in them that reminded Phoebe if Grams. As she slowly relented and cried out into the arms of the stranger.