Part 8
Prue and the Pipers had followed the girls to the attic to find Phoebe and Paige searching through the book.
"We want answers," Phoebe said.
"So who else are we going to get them from, but—'' Paige said.
"Grams," Paige and Phoebe said together.
"I doubt that it's going to work," Prue said. "She got pulled away from us."
"Well, they can't ignore us. I mean there are five of us. There is clearly an issue," responded.
Prue nodded in agreement. Each of them gathered around the book. The girls began to mutter the words.
Power of witches rise,
course unseen across the skies
come to us to call you near,
come to us and settle here
Finally, lights bathed the room. Three figured materialized in front of them.
"Leo?" muttered and started toward him but Phoebe held her back.
"Not yours, Pip," Phoebe whispered. They watched as the Piper from this alternate reality started toward him, but was then eyed by they other figure in the room.
"Who are you?" Prue asked to the strange third figure.
"My name is Giovanni, I'm an elder."
"Wonderful," both Pipers muttered in distaste.
"Grams," Paige said with an expectant tone.
"I expect you girls want some answers," Penny finally said with the same stoic tone that each of them all knew.
Prue gave her grandmother a small smile.
"As you all know Melinda Warren had a prophecy, The Power of Three," Grams began.
"And it was just that, a power that belonged to three witches," Giovanni interjected.
"What are you saying?" Piper asked agitated.
"Are you saying that because there were four of us, you were willing to do anything to avoid jeopardizing that all-mighty Power of Three?" asked with anger.
Giovanni held his ground but was beginning to feel threatened by the power in the room.
"I'm afraid. It's not that simple," he said with the calmest tone that he could muster.
"Isn't it?" Prue asked.
Giovanni then looked at the ceiling. He was being called.
"I will return," he said solemnly. "And yes, Prue it is that simple."
After he was gone, the girls turned to Penny and Leo who had so far been silent.
"What's happening, Leo?" Piper asked as she went over to him and embraced him.
"Whoever the man you girls saw that tipped you off must have been a very powerful man. He has ultimately throne the order off balance."
"No kidding! There are two sets of Charmed Ones in one universe!" Penny said with annoyance. "Giovanni wasn't telling you is that it was the Elders that did it. The Elders knew that the Charmed Ones would do great good so they intercepted. Your mother and Sam were going to give the baby up. It was such a difficult choice. When it came time to choose, the didn't have the heart to.—''
"That must have been what they did in our time," muttered to Phoebe.
She didn't notice Paige's look. Phoebe did and she couldn't read it. It was almost as if Paige was saddened that she was given up but grateful that Phoebe was spared.
Leo went on.
"The Elders knew that something had to be done before you girls came into your powers. Before Patty died, she bound all of your powers, but that wasn't good enough."
"So what you're saying is that the Power of Three can only be the power of THREE," Prue said anxiously.
"Yes, that morning before we all went to park, my whitelighter came to me. He told me that Elders had put Fate into action. Phoebe was going to get very sick. They wanted her to die slowly by a "natural death" so that their tracks could be covered. If you knew that your child whom you loved more than anything was going to go through pain for years, wouldn't you want to stop that?---''
"She could have fought, Grams," Piper said tearfully.
"No she couldn't have. Can't you see? The Elders set this all up. I needed to stop that sweet little girl go through something that was out of her control," Grams said with sad desperation.
The girls didn't know what to say. Paige, who had been standing next to Phoebe left the attic without any explanation. Phoebe started after her, but Piper stopped her and went after her herself.
Piper found Paige on her bed with her back against the door.
"Paige?" Piper asked as she entered the room quietly
"I can't do this, Piper," Paige said with her back still to her sister.
"Yes, you can Missy Paige," Piper said as sat down next to Paige and let her lean against her shoulder.
"Don't you understand, Piper? It's my fault," Paige whispered. "My presence, my existence killed her. They eliminated her because in their eyes I had the better power."
Piper enveloped her in a hug. She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to comfort her?
"Don't ever say that," a new voice said.
It was Phoebe. She walked over to the bed and knelt down in front of Paige.
"I'm sorry that I never knew you in my reality. However, I know that any Halliwell of any universe should never be ashamed of her power. Your power did not kill me, selfishness of the Elders did. Melinda Warren may have prophesized The Power of Three, but it doesn't mean that Power was limited to three women. They made that assumption." Phoebe took Paige's hands in hers. "You did not cause any of this, stupidity did."
Piper watched her sister that she never knew talk to Paige. Her heart broke because she knew that was what Paige needed to hear.
"And the four of you certainly do make a powerful team," a deep voice said from the darkness of Paige's room.
The three of them stood up. Piper was ready to blow him up but Paige stopped her.
"That's the man we saw," she whispered.
"Cole?"
