Heaven's Mistaken Gift
by: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell
Co-written by: That70sShoLova
Chapter 21: Careful, the Answers You Seek May Terrify You
Phoebe sighed, sitting on a stool at the island as Piper brewed multiple potions. They weren't going down to the Underworld unprepared, no matter how insistent her younger sister was. Piper had made a valid argument on that.
They'd searched the Book of Shadows 5 times before deciding on which potions to use as they had no prerequisite for what types of demons they would run across.
Phoebe looked down at her hands, still wondering, vaguely, why she'd even given Kali the option of killing her. She knew the answer was simple. Phoebe loved her, but Kali could've taken her out. She hadn't though and she had a chance.
"What are you thinking about?" Paige asked sitting beside her.
She shook her head. "Nothing that I think I can change."
"What are you talking about?" Piper asked. "That's why we're doing this, to save her! How can you have such a negative attitude?"
"Because Piper, I haven't been there! I don't care what you two say about it not being my fault. It feels like it is. Like if I would've been there, she wouldn't be so…cold, so cruel."
"You said you knew she didn't hate you, so isn't that some kind of victory?" Paige asked.
"Yes, but how much of one remains to be seen."
Piper looked up from the potions, only to notice how worn out Phoebe looked, though she wasn't surprised. "Phoebe, will you go up the attic and grab a couple Athames?"
"I could do it," Paige offered.
"No, I want Phoebe to. Will you?"
She scoffed. "Sure, having the one who feels guilty handle sharp objects. Always a win-win." She walked out.
"Why did you insist that she get them when I could've ju—" Piper covered her mouth, listening carefully to assure Phoebe wasn't coming back down for a few minutes.
When Paige realized what Piper was listening for, she removed her hand and placed it on the counter. "Okay, she's upstairs. What's up?"
"Melinda."
"What about her?"
"She's a demon. One we might have to—"
"No, no, no, Piper, you're—you're not thinking straight. She's our niece, Phoebe's daughter. We can't just—"
"—we will if she threatens us and something tells me, Melinda's not going to be the one in control down there. We'll be dealing with Kali."
"But how do we even know she'll be in the Underworld? She could be with Cole…or the Source for all we know! We're going in blind!"
"What's stopping her from coming up here and killing us in our sleep, Paige? Tell me."
She thought a moment. "Phoebe."
"In her sleep, Paige? Really?"
"Look, I'm not thrilled about our niece being a demon either, but we promised Phoebe we would give her another chance and, as far as I'm concerned, the chance is ongoing until something major happens." She sighed. "You know Piper, I always expected you to be more supportive of her than me because you grew up together. But I guess I was wrong."
Just as she was about to Orb out, making an argumentative point, she heard metal clashing to the floor as well as someone running upstairs. Paige walked out, seeing at least a dozen Athames on the floor, some having landed point down.
"Can Leo fix floorboards?"
"I don't know," Piper answered while filling potion vials, "why?"
"Why do you think?" Paige asked sarcastically as she Orbed out.
Piper sighed. This was going to be one hell of a fight between them. And hopefully it didn't break them up.
Underworld
Cronyn was dragged in by two guards. His gray hair was tussled, his clothes ripped by whips being thrown and energy balls tossed, marks and scratches scarred his aged face, but he slouched, unfazed.
The two guards held each arm and looked at the Source for what to do next. She motioned for them to leave and they threw Cronyn to the ground.
Kali knelt by the gray man's face and pouted sardonically. "Poor baby." He looked up at her with hazy green eyes. "I see my trusty guards gave you quite the treatment. That's what you get for disobeying me. Have you learned your lesson?"
"Yes, my liege."
"You're lying. You hate me. Even the idea of me. I took away your grand plan of raising the Twice-Blessed. You no longer have power." She smiled slightly.
"No, milady, I hold no anger towards you."
"Oh, but you do. Not that I care, I honestly don't give a rat's ass. Cronyn, you piss me off. You shared a secret that was not yours to share. In front of a whole crowd no less. And you know demons," she shook her head. "They like to talk. If this gets back to Balthazar, or worse, the Charmed Ones, who knows what could happen. Oh wait, I do. I'll kill you, a pain far worse than what you experienced with my boys. And then my plans for my mother and aunts will be destroyed. You know how the Charmed Ones are, you always have to have a plan to defeat them, winging it just won't work."
"I apologize, Kali."
She grabbed him by the throat and dragged him into the air, forcefully pushing him against the wall to get a tighter grip against his neck. "But again, you don't mean it, and I just don't like you, especially after that little stunt you pulled. So you shall be punished." She left a blazing trail of fire down the path of his wrinkled cheek. She looked him in the eye and said, "Take this knife," she pulled the blade out of her boot, "and stab yourself in the stomach."
He glared at her as he knew she was using a power of the Source's, mind control. He took the dagger and plunged it into his side, pulled it out with a hiss before stabbing himself again. And again, and again, and again.
Kali looked on, amused. "Stop."
He dropped the knife and tried to squirm from her clutches, but the blood gushing from his abdomen stopped him and made him cry out in pain.
His leg twisted painfully by an unseen force, he heard his bone cracking. His arm bent at an unnatural angle, the bones breaking. One by one all of the bones in his body went against him, twisting, curling, bending impossibly. He fell to the ground as his body could no longer support his weight with every bone in his body breaking.
She smiled, a twisted smile that would have made any human shudder as she said, "Goodbye Cronyn," and thrust the cool medal into his heart with a sickening squirt.
She heard approaching footsteps and shimmered the body away, already knowing it was her 'father'.
He looked around the Source's cave. "Where is the Source?" he asked Kali.
"How would I know?" she retorted dully.
He shrugged, not really caring where his Liege was. "Come, Kali. We have to talk."
With Phoebe
Phoebe ran upstairs into her room, slamming the door behind her before locking it. How could Piper even suggest that? She was her sister for Heaven's sake! Piper? Prue yeah, seeing as she thought Phoebe was irresponsible.
She sighed, even Cole wouldn't pick up. And that gave her a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Though she couldn't apologize for how she felt.
Yes, she loved Melinda because she was her daughter, but at the same time, how could anything that cruel…that heartless, be her daughter? It just didn't seem possible.
She sighed, laying down on her bed and dialed Cole's number again, only to chuck it across the room when it went straight to voicemail.
Maybe I should go check . . . nah, I didn't hear it crack or break, she thought. She relaxed and closed her eyes, falling asleep.
Underworld
"About?" she asked in the same bored tone.
"Your mother isn't very happy with you," he said, enunciating slowly as to not upset her.
She rolled her eyes. "Phoebe's a pain in the ass."
"That's your—"
She held up her hand, interrupting him. "I wouldn't go there. I barely know the woman. She may have carried me in her womb, but she is nothing to me. Now of course I feel something because of the, how do you say it? Good side of me."
"Kali," he said, extremely annoyed at the smirk on her face, she knew that and smirked wider.
"Get to the point, Cole," Kali said impatiently. "You aren't just here to inform me that mother," she snarled the word, "is mad at me, are you?"
He smiled. "You know me too well. What exactly is your plan, Kali?"
"Well, I can't tell you. I already said too much. That bitch," she seethed, "called me out on not being Melinda and made me angry. You know how I am when I'm angry. I tend to blurt things out."
"K—"
She stood up taller and kicked Cole in the knee, causing him to unintentionally bend down to her level. She roughly grabbed his face and stared into his eyes. "You will forget why you wanted to come here and leave."
He looked at her, his mind being manipulated easily with the Source's powers coursing through her blood. Why he came was wiped from his mind and he walked backwards slightly before shimmering away, leaving Kali in the cave grinning triumphantly.
Piper corked the last vial, dividing them into three piles, then placed them into three satchels and grabbed the ends. Scaling the steps, she wondered how this conversation would go.
Lightly, she knocked on her sister's door.
Phoebe rolled over and opened her eyes, sitting up. "Come in," she said through a yawn.
Piper hesitantly opened the door. "Sure you don't want to take that back?" she asked while leaning in the doorframe.
Phoebe shook her head wondering, vaguely, how her sister had opened the door if she had locked it, but came to the conclusion that she must not have done so all the way. The house was so old even if you came a fraction from locking a door, you could still open it if you turned the knob enough. "Yeah, I'm sure." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Piper sat beside her after closing the door.
"Phoebe, I—you shouldn't be so—we should—" she sighed. The right words just wouldn't come from her mouth.
Phoebe smiled, seeing how flustered she was. "It's okay. I-I f—forgive you."
"But Phoebe, I was horrible to even consider it. Your daughter, my niece? I—I—how can you forgive me just like that?"
"Because, to some point, you're right. She is a demon and we do need to be careful around her."
Piper wrapped an arm around her. "But?"
"But I wish I could force my powers on her and try to make her see things differently. I love her. Both sides of her no matter what she thinks of me. It'd be so much easier if she believed that," she said, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.
Piper sighed. "It's gonna take one hell of an event for her to believe you, but I know you can do it."
"I just wish I knew how. I want her to trust me, trust us."
"Sooner or later, something will clear the doubt from our hearts and it'll happen."
She sighed. "Yeah."
Cole sighed, laying down on the couch. He'd looked everywhere and couldn't find the Source. And, no matter how many demons he threatened, none would breathe a word to him of Kali's plans, which made his life so much more complicated.
How was he supposed to protect Phoebe and her sisters if he didn't know what to protect them from? He grabbed his cell from the coffee table, seeing he has 3 missed calls and they were all from Phoebe.
Well, he could save himself some wondering by telling himself she wasn't calling to apologize. He knew that much. Though he didn't blame her. It was his fault Melinda/Kali was like this.
From a broken promise. She'd trusted him with all she had and how did he repay her?
He sighed and sat up. An idea hit him. Maybe if they—meaning him and Phoebe—started acting like a family that might take a bit of the edge off of Kali. She might realize that Phoebe isn't so horrible. Though he knew to make real amends she'd have to hear the truth and he wasn't ready to tell her…yet. He'd need to ask Phoebe too.
It was a long shot, but he figured he owed it to them to try it. At least once. Standing, he shimmered away.
Hearing a knock at her door, Phoebe pulled up from her sister's shoulder wiping the stray tears from her eyes. "Who is it?"
No one answered, so Piper got up and opened the door. She sighed, stepping away from the door. "Phoebe, Cole's here."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got that. I can see his hair over your head." She stood up and walked over.
"O-kay, so I'll just…" she slipped out behind him.
"Hi," he said hesitantly.
"Hi, please come in," she said walking over to her bed and sitting down.
He nodded, walking in and closing the door. "I'm sorry I missed your calls," he said as he sat beside her. "I had a couple meetings I couldn't get away from."
She sighed. "It's okay. I know I shouldn't have said all that, but she's just so evil and I'm not. I don't understand it. Shouldn't I remember being that vindictive?"
"You would if you hadn't taken those pills I had made especially to keep you good while Melinda grew evil from the elixir."
"Wait. If I had been evil, you wouldn't have had to do all this. I wouldn't have had to forget. I could've been with you, couldn't I?"
"Technically, but with your witch powers being dormant it wouldn't have been the smartest move. They could've surfaced in severe stress or fear in order to protect you and if that happened, no matter how much I would've tried, I wouldn't have been able to protect you for long."
"You could've swapped like you did Melinda! Why di—" He kissed her to cut off her sentence. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, kissing harder.
He pulled her into his lap and then pulled back. "Everything you said is true, but I didn't want you to change. Not like that." His hand caressed the side of her face. Her eyes closed slowly. "I want you to have a choice, if it even happens." He took his hand away.
Her eyes opened. "We need to find her."
He nodded in agreement. "Let me help you."
She locked her eyes with his and nodded. "Take me to my sisters and we will."
They shimmered away.
Kali halted in her movements, sensing that someone was coming. Four someones that made her skin crawl. She growled, knowing she didn't have time to shimmer away as the ripples and bright blue and white dots already formed in the musty cave air.
When the ripples stopped, and the nausea cleared away she ran to Melinda and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry!"
Kali rolled her eyes and pushed the older woman away. "Who are you talking to?" she grinned.
"Melinda? Or Kali?"
"Kali," she said surely, "I'm sorry!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, and I really don't care."
"I'm sorry you're like this! It's my fault. It's all my fault! I-If I hadn't taken those pills that kept you evil and not me you wouldn't be like this."
Kali backed away slightly. "What are you babbling on about?"
"I-It doesn't matter." She shook her head slowly. "Just, please let Melinda come out."
She smiled. "But I am Melinda."
Phoebe glared. "You know what I mean."
"I can't." She said simply. "She'll see the two women over there that look like they want to kill me and give control back over to me. It's an endless cycle."
"Just tell us what your plan is, Kali," Paige said.
Kali raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Why would I do that?"
"Cut the crap, Kali!" Piper snapped.
Kali smiled and winked before closing her eyes and collapsing on the ground. She opened her eyes, looking dazed and confused.
She scrambled backwards when she saw Piper and Paige They looked so angry...were they mad at her? Oh no! She turned towards Phoebe. "M-Mommy?"
"Mel?" she asked hesitantly.
She nodded. Phoebe looked at Cole.
"She's telling the truth. She really is Melinda," Cole said.
Phoebe grabbed Melinda and pulled her close. "Thank God! How are you sweetie?"
Melinda didn't answer, but continued to stare at Paige and Piper. They weren't . . . that scary, now that she focused on them. They actually looked...concerned? "H-Hi." she said shyly.
Paige grinned. "Hello." She walked slowly towards Melinda.
Piper hit her lightly. "Don't scare her!" Phoebe scolded.
Melinda smiled and ducked her head in Phoebe's waist, her golden hair fanning around her. She lifted her head and walked unsurely towards Paige. When she finally stood in front of her, she held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Suddenly, as Paige grasped Melinda's hand, a shimmer formed in the corner of the room and energy balls whizzed past them.
Piper growled and froze the energy balls and Paige tried to orb them back at the demon. Cole shimmered up to the demon and grabbed him by the throat, ceasing his efforts of attacking.
"Who sent you?" Cole demanded in a growl.
"I-I..." the demon stuttered and looked at Melinda unsurely. "Can't breathe," he managed to choke out with the rest of the air that he had locked up. Cole loosened his grip a hair. "It war Kali's plan, but I did not expect to see you here, Balthazar. You were strictly forbidden from being attacked."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Phoebe demanded, not wanting to even think it.
The demon's eyes widened as he took in account that he just leaked the liege's plan. His eyes begged forgiveness. "I'm so sorry, my liege!"
Melinda cowered in fear. "What are you talking about?" Of course she knew, she may not have been in control of the body, but she was aware of her double's plan.
The Charmed Ones whipped around faster than humanly possible, forming a formation where they could easily protect each other from attacks, but still able to fight Melinda...or Kali.
Phoebe was still in shock. Melinda, her Melinda was the Source? Of all evil? That seemed unbelievable, but then again, it was most likely Kali.
Melinda scuttled backwards, they...they were going to attack her! They were going to kill her. She couldn't bare it, so she gave in to Kali and let her have control of the body. Kali pushed herself against the back wall, pretending to be afraid, before giving up and smirking. "Thank you, Abaddon."
He nodded, and Cole cuffed his throat tighter.
Kali rolled her eyes, she loved Cole like a father, but he was an idiot at times. She waved her hand and Abaddon shimmered next to her.
"You will be rewarded, my pet. Now go."
He nodded, bowed gracefully and shimmered away.
"I wouldn't act so surprised and defensive, ladies. It's not like you didn't expect it," she said casually while sitting on the Source's throne, her throne.
"Why are you doing this?" Phoebe asked painfully.
"Because I don't like you!" Kali snapped. "Why do you think? The most powerful witches known to man, dying by my hands? I would go down in history! Abaddon was just a distraction. It disappoints me that he shared my secret, but it would have leaked out at some point." She sighed heavily, bored. "Just a matter of time. He's such a good little follower. You three should get some, they're quite fun. Make you feel powerful."
"Cu-"
"Yes, yes, cut the crap," Kali interrupted. "You really need a new catch phrase, Piper. That one is really wearing down."
"So what?" Paige asked, "You kill us, that was your plan? Just that?"
"Yes, 'just that'," she mocked. "What is any demon's wish, hmm? To kill the mystical, magical, all- powerful Charmed Ones? Just following the herd, I suppose."
"Don't make me blush," Piper said sarcastically.
"What about you, Mother? You've been awfully quiet."
"I have nothing to say," Phoebe said stiffly.
"Oh boo-hoo." Kali growled. "So I'm the Source. It's not like you didn't see that one coming. You would know after all, Phoebe, you had sex with him."
"I was drunk!"
"Even while intoxicated you could tell there was something wrong with him. Demons are naturally greedy by nature. It's no surprise that I killed my own father so I could have his power." she grinned. "Being the Source, I know everything. I'm not the only one keeping secrets, isn't that right, Balthazar?"
Phoebe turned around. "If you mean that he used to be the Source's most devoted servant, I already knew that."
"No, no, there's more to it. More that involves evil," she smirked as she looked to Balthazar. "If you don't tell her, you know that I will. The only question that remains is who she'll take the news easier from, me or you?"
It couldn't come out. Not now. Not this way. Though Phoebe wouldn't be new to the proposition, her sisters would no doubt rail against it…against him. If that happened there was a possibility of never getting the real Melinda back.
He took a breath. "Odessa," he breathed.
Not a moment later, she appeared at his side. "Feed her this in small doses," she said, handing him a satchel.
He turned to her. "What will it do?"
She smiled. "It will render her incapable of telling your most precious secrets until you give her permission."
He cocked an eyebrow and she laughed. "Do not ask such heavy questions, Balthazar. They will give us both headaches." And with that, she disappeared.
Cole shifted forms, knowing as Balthazar he had more stealth, though he doubted it would work.
Kali kept her eyes trained on her so-called family. What Balthazar was doing now, she assumed, was none of her concern. She grinned widely, bringing and energy ball into her right hand. She noticed how her mother flinched as she juggled it.
"What's wrong, Mom?" she mocked, standing and walking over to her. "Afraid of little me?"
Phoebe gulped. Looking into the girl's eyes, she saw no remorse or humanity of any kind. She wanted to drop everything and try to convince her again that they weren't there to kill her. Suddenly, something Prue had said many years ago popped into her head, 'Does it really matter, Phoebe, if the demon is a kid? In the end, your judgment may be the end of you. They may look innocent, but to us they will play on our emotions and test our very last nerve. Sometimes, it's simple: kill or be killed.'
She looked to her sisters, seeing them poised and ready for attack, but she knew none of their attacks would make a dent. Kali's demonic senses would sense them long before they were hit. She'd seen Cole shift forms and disappear into the shadows, probably waiting like her sisters were and she was grateful, but it couldn't be a direct attack, no.
Kali needed to be surprised and, even though she knew it'd put the trust issue in even more jeopardy, Phoebe knew she had to be the one to do it.
But how? Sure she was evil—the worst evil actually—but...
She steeled her eyes to show nothing as she walked forward slowly.
"Phoebe," Piper warned.
"I know what I'm doing," she said, not even bothering to look back.
Paige nodded. "Just be careful." She pushed the potions further into her pockets.
Phoebe nodded. She smirked. "If you're that sure of yourself, Kali, do it." She relaxed. "This is the last time I'll ever ask, after this I'll stop at nothing to get you to believe me."
"Phoebe, if she does then—"
"I know Piper, but as demonic as she is, if she really is my daughter, she's part witch too."
"Stop whining!" Kali yelled, throwing the energy ball at her aunts, but Paige called for it and it reformed in her hand. "God, don't you three ever quit complaining!"
"Kali, choose now," Phoebe said.
She grinned. "You're making the game too easy." She shimmered away and the Charmed Ones got uneasy as she didn't appear for a couple minutes.
"Did you leave?" Piper asked, turning suspiciously and holding her hands up, ready to strike.
"It would make sense..." Paige trailed off while shifting from foot to foot.
"Maybe she's thinking of a plan on how to kill us," Phoebe mused more dejectedly than she wanted to sound.
Kali formed behind Phoebe and conjured a dagger and stabbed her near the heart before throwing Chinese stars at her aunts' chests. She threw a triumphant wink towards Cole in the shadows before shimmering away, knowing it was only the beginning.
Cole contemplated just leaving them, but knew he had to help them and ran to Phoebe, she being the one the most in danger of losing her life.
Paige growled in annoyance and yanked the metal out of her stomach and then ripped part of her shirt to stop the blood. She walked over to Piper and pulled out the star that was lodged in her shoulder. It was safe to say that Kali didn't have the greatest aim. She ripped another part of her shirt and wound it around Piper's hand and pressed her hand on her shoulder.
"I'll take Piper and you take Phoebe. Follow me to the Manner and I'll call Leo," Paige ordered, stepping into the Whitelighter role effortlessly.
Cole nodded, pretending to be concerned...or was he really? The dagger looked like it hurt and he did feel bad for Phoebe, but he didn't care about her, did he? He gave up those feelings long ago, yet, it was so easy to fall for her. He internally scoffed, for a mortal perhaps, but I'm a demon! Kali was right, demons don't feel.
He shifted forms and picked up Phoebe, not wanting to scare her if she woke up and saw a gruesome figure towering over her. Damn it! There he went again. Caring. A weakness. He shimmered Phoebe away who was clenching her eyes and pain and refused to open them. How could she actually think Kali wouldn't take the chance of killing Phoebe and actually be concerned of hurting her mother? Such a fool, she was.
Phoebe felt something cushiony under her back and she touched the dagger and tried to heave it out, but suddenly got scared and stopped.
"Leo!" Paige called, only half feigning to be in pain. "Please, Leo, I need help!"
It took a second, but Leo orbed down and immediately ran to Piper to heal her and then started his way to Paige, but she motioned to Phoebe whose gash was bigger.
He jerked the blade out quickly like it was a band aid and it would hurt less. Phoebe clenched her teeth, but took the pain easily and was relieved when the warm golden glow spread throughout every contour of her body and gave her a fuzzy happy feeling.
"I didn't think she would actually do it," Phoebe uttered quietly while sitting up. "How stupid of me. I thought she was bluffing, but why would she pass up an opportunity like that?"
"Oh sweetie," Piper soothed while hugging her shoulders as she sat next to her. "We'll get her next time. She's only–"
"The daughter of the strongest demon in the world and a Charmed One, and the Source of all Evil," Phoebe said darkly.
Cole sat next to Phoebe and pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her head. He wanted to push her away, all of a sudden. She disgusted him. She was a witch, revolting! His eyes widened slightly when he realized where all of the mixed feelings were coming from. His demon side was resisting against his feelings for Phoebe.
He did love her. In truth, he always had, but Balthazar hated him for it. That side was hard to resist. It was part of him. In his very instincts of survival. He'd fought with it 10 years ago, but hadn't realized how much until now.
Balthazar was clawing to get out, to break free from his restrictions. To kill the witch in his very arms. To kill them all.
Phoebe wound her arms around him, feeling better physically, but mentally and emotionally she was drained. She couldn't believe her daughter was the Source of All Evil. It just seemed impossible. Sure she knew her daughter was evil, but this evil was on a whole new level.
She sighed. "What am I supposed to do now?"
Cole could feel himself shaking and knew how dangerous it was for him to be here. He'd brought up to possibility that if she were to stay with him she would have to abandon all she'd even known in her life and all she'd ever become since gaining her powers, but would she ever really consider it? Without prodding from him?
He let go of Phoebe and sat her back against the couch. She looked at him, slightly hurt. She'd almost died. He'd stepped in and now she was asking for advice—specifically from him—and now he was ignoring her?
He stood up, but she grabbed his hand. "What is it?" she asked.
"I can't stay, Phoebe."
"But wh-why? I need you to stay. Please stay!" she begged.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he pulled his hand away and shimmered out.
"Phoebe," Piper began, but her sister stood up.
"I'm going to bed," she announced, wiping her eyes and standing up.
"But it's only—"
"Don't care, Paige," she said both defeated and annoyed as the dragged her feet up the long antique staircase.
Author's note: So what do you think?
Reviews are much appreciated. Please?
Review thanks to: That70sshowlova, HalliwellMB, BikerChick101
Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell & That70sShowLova