The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 4: The New Arrival

Previously:

"You are now leaving Sunnydale. Please come back soon!"

"I'm not finished," Leo interrupted, "The Elders want her to stay with us because they claim her to be your youngest sister."

"Her name is Tara MaClay," said Patty.

The Halliwells orbed off to finally meet their baby sister.

SAN FRANCISCO BUS STATION

Tara sat alone on a bench overlooking the nearly empty parking lot. She took a moment to take in her surroundings and sighed in frustration. Her coming to the city was a spur-of-the-moment type deal. Now, she was confused with what she should do. She didn't have much money with her, so a hotel was nearly out of the question. Tara did not know anybody in the city, so far, so the only place she available at the moment was this bench.

"Hey," said a voice behind Tara, which she found to belong to a man as she turned around, "Do you need help?"

"You could say something like that," replied Tara, "But you're not really interested in that, now are you. I mean, I can just look at you and know you're thinking 'Ooooooh, dinner at last!'"

"Clever little witch," said the vampire as he shifted into his "game face," but quickly turned to dust as Tara took a stake she hid in her sleeve and plunged it into the offending vampire's heart.

"Yeah," responded Tara to the now dead vampire's statement, "I guess I am."

"Though not clever enough to know that my girlfriend is cheating on me," Tara thought, as she held back any tears that were threatening to be released.

In her grief, Tara never noticed the demon that appeared in a shimmer of air right behind her, until he spoke out, "Alone at last," and throwing an energy ball at the distracted wicca.

Just in time, Tara saw the incoming energy ball and ducked to the side, only to have another energy ball thrown her way.

Again after again, Tara ducked energy balls until she could gather enough power to cast a spell to negate an equally powerful energy ball.

When her power finally reached it's peak, Tara chanted, "Reflect," which sent an incoming energy ball back to the demon, who exploded on impact.

Tara thought she had finally gained a moment of peace, but was mistaken as another wave of demons, shimmered in. Tara ducked behind her trusty bench, to avoid the onslaught of energy balls and fire balls that were headed her way. Tara quickly prayed to the goddess that help would come soon.

Her prayers were answered as three women appeared in a swirl of bright blue and white lights. Together they fought off the demons with what Tara assumed to be potions, which seemed to be as lethal as the energy balls.

Individually, each woman showed great feats of power. The youngest, with the red hair, deflected the demon's powers by teleporting them in blue and white light, similar to how they came in. Another woman who had short brown hair, fought the demons off physically with precision, force and great skill in martial arts, and at times, Tara thought she saw her levitating in the air. The third woman, who Tara thought was the oldest, froze and vanquished the demons with a flick of her hands.

When only a minority of the demons were left, the three chanted together,

"Hell threw you from it's inner core,

but earth won't hold anymore,

since heaven cannot be your place,

your flesh and blood we now erase."

When they finished, all of the remaining demons erupted in flames, leaving Tara in awe.

"Are you Tara?" Piper asked, "Tara MaClay?"

Tara was surprised that her saviors knew her name, and replied, "Who wants to know?"

"Well, my name is Phoebe Halliwell," answered the middle sister, "this is my older sister, Piper, and my younger sister Paige," pointing out each girl in turn.

"What do you want with me?" asked Tara.

"If you will come with us," Paige replied, "We can talk somewhere else."

While Tara's common sense was screaming at her to decline the offer, something deep in her heart and head told her to go with them. She felt some bond with these women, some kinship, which compelled her to say, "Alright."

"Okay," said Piper, "Let's go."

In seconds, Paige orbed the group of four into the foyer of the Halliwell Manor, where Tara left her things in a corner.

"Alright, what is all this about?" asked Tara, getting straight to the point.

"Well," Piper spoke up, "Let's say a friend of ours knows of you and knows something you don't, concerning you."

"And what might that be?" replied Tara.

"More straight to the point," said Phoebe, "Did you know that you were adopted at birth?"

"What are you talking about," responded Tara, confused, "I'm no..."

Tara took some time to think. She had always wondered why their was no record of her birth, no video tapes, no photos, nothing. It only went to prove that she was adopted.

"If what you are saying is true," asked Tara, "Then who are my birth parents, and why was I adopted?"

"You see," started Paige, coaxing Tara into what she was going to say, "Our mom is your birth mother, making you our half-sister. And you were given up at birth to protect you from the demons, like the ones we vanquished at the bus station."

Tara had loved her mother very much, but she had died years ago. She was never close to her other family especially her father, and the Scoobies weren't really an option at the time. All of this led Tara to believe what they said more and more.

"What do I do now?" asked Tara, everything was moving too fast and she didn't know if she could handle it.

"If it makes you feel any better," said Paige, feeling for her confused, younger sister, "I know exactly what you're going through. You see, I was given up at birth, too. And the circumstances were all too much the same as what you are going through, now. You're not alone in this."

Paige's comforting words made Tara more visibly relaxed, and the blonde gave Paige a thankful smile.

"When we first met Paige," said Piper, "We shared something with her, that we want to share with you, now."

"What?" asked a curious Tara.

"What good magic can really do," stated Phoebe.