Chapter 9 - Shifting Witches

The strange folder that had appeared on his desk had been Ashlee's; he couldn't believe it and knew that it was no coincidence. Henry had a strange feeling when he woke up that morning and just knew he had to get the file, he had taken it home because whenever he put it in his cabinet it always appeared on his desk the next day so he took it home to stop it from looking suspicious to the other officers. It wasn't a very thick folder just vague detail on her foster homes and that Paige had investigated her last foster mother Bianca Bayne but hadn't found anything incriminating about her, Henry stood up and took the file with him as he went into their bedroom and found Paige dressing for the day. Paige knew Henry had walked in the room and knew he was watching her dress but she didn't mind, "yes Henry?" she teased as she finished dressing and saw his lustful eyes fixed on her.

Henry shook his head and handed Paige the file in his hands "this is the folder that kept appearing on my desk until I brought it home... look at whose it is," he commanded gently and watched as Paige's face went to shock and then guilt when she finished reading it and he knew what the guilt was about, "Bianca hide herself well Paige it wasn't your fault."

Paige closed the file and handed it back "I know but I could have gotten her out years ago if I had just found something," she just sighed heavily not willing to dwell on it because Bianca obviously had been using dark arts to hide everything from her. Paige sat on their bed and Henry followed suit "so her file ended up on your desk," Henry nodded with a shrug because he hadn't a clue how "obviously she's been our innocent for awhile and she clearly needs help."

The phone rang and Henry was closer so he answered and after a short conversation he placed it back in the cradle as he stood up "Piper wants us over at the house apparently Ashlee did something strange last night and Leo had to go to the elders to find out what it was and they have some bad news," Paige's face fell. What more could happen to the poor teenager than already had, apparently Fate was a bigger bitch than they knew, she stood up and took Henry's hand orbing them to Phoebe's Condo to pick her up to save the hassle of going back and doing it later.


Billie slowly started to wake and opened her eyes ready to start a new day only to snap them shut when the sun shone directly into them, with a yawn she stretched and realised she wasn't in a bed in fact she was still in a sitting position. The blonde turned her head and opened her eyes slowly wary of the sun, she noticed that she was on a familiar looking couch in a familiar looking apartment and it took her brain on a split second to remember that she was at Phoebe's apartment and that they had a sleepover the night before. Phoebe was curled up at the end of the couch and was slowly start to wake up as well, Billie stood up carefully from the couch stretching as she did and headed for the kitchen to get her and Phoebe a glass of water.

Phoebe opened her eyes when she heard a clink sound and saw that in front of her was a glass of freshly poured water, she turned her head and saw Billie smiling at her "morning" she croaked, her voice still thick with sleep.

"G'morning" Billie happily chirped as she sat down where she had fallen asleep. She watched as Phoebe took the glass of water and started to drink it and her eyes focused on the lips that were around the rim of the glass, she gulped and tried to suppress the urge to take the glass from Phoebe and kiss her senseless like they had last night.

Phoebe stood up and stretched she really shouldn't have slept on the couch but she just couldn't find it in her to leave Billie alone, it wasn't an uncommon feeling but she never knew why and just marked it down to feeling sorry for Billie and trying to help her but now she wasn't so sure. Phoebe took her glass into the kitchen and washed it out, she leant back against the counter and saw Billie watching her "what time do you want to go to the manor?" it was the easier topic she had on her mind the other one was the kiss last night. Before Billie could answer the phone rang, Phoebe scrunched her eyebrows wondering who would be calling so early but answered the phone quickly and her confusion turned to worry as she hung up the phone, "looks like we are going now."

Billie looked confused "what happened?" she asked if there was a really emergency Paige or Leo would have turned up by now. Billie's thoughts were cut off when Paige and Henry appeared between the two females, "guess it is an emergency" she murmured.

Paige looked at her older sister and saw the look of worry that was on her face, "Piper just call?" she asked and when she got a nod she approached her sister and pulled her into a one armed hug. Phoebe put her arm around her sister's waist and noticed her sister looked even paler than usual and she squeezed Paige's hip in enquiry, "I could have saved her years ago."

Billie and Phoebe's eyes widened at Paige's whispered confession but Henry was quick to step in "Paige I've already said it wasn't your fault," he could see the confused look on both Billie and Phoebe's faces "Ashlee's file appeared on my desk months ago and every time I put it away it always came back so I took it home and opened it this morning. I didn't know it was hers but I found a document saying Bianca was investigated by Paige Matthews and I've told Paige it wasn't her fault because Bianca hid it all with magic."

Phoebe squeezed Paige's hip lightly and the younger sister looked at her older sister with guilt still in her eyes "Henry's right Paige you couldn't have known about the signs of dark magic back then and certainly wouldn't have looked for it." Paige gave Phoebe a small smile showing they were getting through to her. Billie joined them in silent support for Paige and smiled goofily at Phoebe without realising it, Phoebe returned the smile involuntarily, Paige caught the looks and raised a mental brow wondering what had happened to have them smiling like big goofs, so many scenario's filtered through her head but she dismissed them knowing Phoebe wouldn't blatantly cheat on her fiancée. At the thought of Coop being married into the family a shudder race up her spine making her frown in confusion, she hadn't had a shudder like that in months and that was when they were attacked by a demon.

"I think we should get over to the manor before Piper blows a gasket about us being late... or just blows us up," Billie stated as she crossed her arms not liking the thought of living with an irate Charmed one with the power of molecular combustion, she liked her molecules the way they were.

Paige nodded and held out her hands for Billie and Henry seeing as Phoebe still hand her arm around her waist, as soon as they grabbed her hand she orbed them to the manor. Everyone expected Ashlee to come trotting out to greet them but the big cat never came, "I guess this is what Piper said about emergency" Paige muttered as they went into the front room.

Piper was sat on the couch frowning, she knew Ashlee would need help but she didn't know how to help. The teenager was with Leo at the magic school, Leo was doing marking and the safest place they could think for Ashlee to be was with him. They weren't afraid of her harming them or the boys but they wanted Ashlee to relax away from anyone she could harm permanently, with Leo Ashlee wouldn't have to worry because he would heal quicker than the others. Piper lifted her head to look at the others as they all situated in the seats, the eldest Halliwell sighed knowing this was going to be hard for her sisters as they had gotten really attached to the shifting witch. "We have a problem, it's about Ashlee and her shifting," Piper started with a shake of her head but didn't go further because she was interrupted.

"What about Ashe? Is she okay? Where is she?" Paige asked looking around; she knew Ashlee wasn't there because she didn't have any tingling in her spine and that worried her because Piper rarely let the shifting Witch out of her sight when she wasn't at work.

Piper nodded before answering knowing her sister was worried and she had the right to be, "Ashlee is with Leo at magic school and no she isn't okay... early this morning Leo was woken up and she found Ashe by the Attic, she had sensed a demon and quickly killed it but when she turned to Leo her eyes weren't how they usually were. She actually lunged at Leo with the intention to harm him but her eyes were literally Cat like before they changed back and she hid, Leo came and got me to help him with Ashe but when I got close to her she flinched away from me and expected me to hit her. Leo found some information out about shifting witches and it isn't good," Piper stopped there to see what the others reactions were and she saw everyone was shocked and upset about Ashlee's reaction and it was understandable because the poor teenager was still reacting from abuse she had suffered for years.

"What's the news?" Phoebe whispered not really wanting to know but they needed to know in order to help Ashlee with what she was going through, she could feels everyone's emotions and all she could detect was shock and upset and it was overwhelming her.

"Shifting witches have been nearly extinct and not because they were hunted, the used to be imprisoned to guard the Source but they weren't hunted. They eventually become full animals because they find life easier that way and forget how to turn back into a human," Piper sighed as she finished and knew the others were going to be sitting in shocked silence for a while.

\Silver-Eternal-Dragon/