Author's notes: Hello and welcome to the the first part of the final installment of the story (I think)... This chapter was supposed to be up earlier but I spent today and yesterday on the beach, and I think my muses got sun burned :D I'd like to thank anyone reading this story, and specially those who're reviewing!
Reply to review by Pattie (): I'm not sure if you're going to read this far but here's my reply anyway: #1 I do know how the sisters talk to each other ( I have been watching the show for years) but I prefer to write their characters and the way they talk as I see fit to my story. #2 There are demon with souls (half demons) if you want examples from the show you have Cole, and that half manticore baby from season 6, and on my story there is one as well. #3 I do realize that when the sisters got magic school back it was protected, but that was on the show, I chose to change that for the purpose of my story and I explained it. If you're going to leave the story, and focus on the things that you don't approve of, you won't enjoy reading this; nevertheless, thank you for letting me hear your opinion!
Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its characters, if I did it wouldn't have taken me this long to finish the story!
P.S. Words in italics are either thought, dreams, premonitions, or telepathy.
Previously:
Jo: All you need to know that this is one battle you need to win! We can't afford it happening like last time if we want to save Wyatt. We have to change the results, we have to vanquish Mass.
Mass: It's time, that we end the Charmed Ones, time that we put this humiliation to an end...They weakened us and vanquished our leaders time and time again. But I say it is time for REVENGE!
Piper: Are you sure about this potion?
Paige: Yes, it's the strongest I've ever made.
Piper pushed Paige back into the couch right before the arrow would hit her, having no time to get out of the way herself, the arrow pierced through her heart. Piper's mouth was held open in a silent scream of agony as she dropped to her knees, then to the ground... dead.
Josephine: You came here originally knowing that Piper's death isn't something you can change, yet you turned your whole mission around trying to save her.
Jericho (getting the point): Good people in his life killing other good people.
Josephine: That planted the seed of reversing his morality, that made him grow up thinking that it was okay to kill people to protect the ones you care about, or to defend your own beliefs.
Phoebe: You said Wyatt was kidnapped and you had no idea who returned him. Mass brought Wyatt back with no one seeing him, because Mass got what he wanted.
Phoebe: ...Mass tricked him somehow, made him think that the innocent was him. Wyatt knew Mass harmed his mother, so he wanted to vanquish him, but instead he killed the innocent.
Jericho: The future is still the same. Which would mean Wyatt still kills an innocent, but just a little bit later.
Jo (starting to cry): I know I'm the fuckin' reason she's dead, both times! It should've been me the first time, and I should've been able to stop it from happening again, but I couldn't! I know it's my fault...
-Manor: Sunroom-
Jo was sleeping in the same position she was sitting in the night before. There was a book on her lap, and she held Piper's gift athame tightly in her hand -unbroken. She had her head resting against her arm, but she wasn't having a comfortable sleep. Nightmares of her sister's death plagued her every time she closed her eyes.
Phoebe walked in slowly balancing two cups of coffee, a plate and the newspaper, which of course wasn't easy done. But as a wave of emotions from Jo hit Phoebe, she gasped at the fear and pain she felt. Phoebe bit her lip as the plate slipped through her grasp and fell to the ground with a crash.
Jo jumped and landed on her feet with a fighting stance, book gripped in one hand and the athame in the other. Jo quickly assessed the situation only to realize that what she thought was an attack turned out to be Phoebe's clumsiness.
Jo (sighing): Again Phoebe?
Phoebe (apologetic to have woken Jo up): Oh God, I'm so sorry. I wanted to bring you coffee and breakfast so when you woke up, you'd find them but...
Jo (wondering why Phoebe was treating her nicely this morning): It's okay Phoebe.
Phoebe: God I feel so bad about waking you up, you never sleep...
Jo: Considering this the second day you wake me up the same way, I think I get plenty of sleep. I have no idea how I even fell asleep this time.
Phoebe: Maybe it's because you're exhausted.
Jo (suddenly getting this strange deja vu feeling): Right... Well we have a long day ahead of us. Did the cops contact you already about Piper?
Phoebe (confused): Why would the cops contact me?
Jo: I thought you agreed to deal with them as Leo wasn't really... up to it.
Phoebe: I seriously have no idea what you're talking about.
Familiar female voice (yelling from the kitchen): I NEED SOME HELP IN HERE!
Jo's eyes widen in disbelief and fear. But before Phoebe can put the cup of coffee down, Jo bolted to the kitchen.
Jo ran in to see Piper was flicking her wrists trying to freeze a demon who was coming at her and Wyatt, but it wasn't working. Jo froze in her place at seeing her dead sister alive and fighting... the same demon she vanquished yesterday.
Piper: Jo, I can't blow him up he's too close to Wyatt!
Jo: Wha...? I...
Piper: Jo, move your ass before he kills us!
That seemed to knock some sense into Jo because she immediately charged at the demon, knocking him to the ground.
Demon: You think you can vanquish me by knocking me down stupid witch.
Jo (angrily): Not really...
Jo jumped as the demon regained his balance, landed behind him and snapped his neck, the demon fell to the ground and Piper flicked her wrists blowing him to oblivion.
Piper: Now you mind telling me what the hell you just did?
Jo: You mind telling me how the hell you're alive?
Piper (mockingly): What? Did you think a petty demon would kill me after all these years?
Jo: A not so petty demon killed you yesterday.
Piper: What the hell are you talking about? We haven't been attacked by demons in days and I sure as hell didn't die recently!
Jo started breathing heavily. Her sister who died right in front of her yesterday, was standing here in front of her talking to her like she was a crazy person. Maybe she was really losing it.
Phoebe (from behind): Are you okay?
Phoebe who was standing in the doorway, started coming in, but tripped on one of Wyatt's toys, sending the athame she was holding in her hand -Jo's athame- to the ground. The athame flipped twice, then landed broken under Jo's feet.
Jo got on her knees and held the broken athame in her hand in disbelief.
Piper: It's just an athame...
Jo: Yeah, I know... But it broke before... twice.
Piper: Well then just fix it or get another one.
Jo: It was a gift.
Piper (not understanding why it would matter): Okay...
Jo (standing up suddenly): You're alive again and the athame broke again...
Jo started pacing with her hand on her head.
Jo (muttering to herself): She was dead, but now she's alive... the athame was broken last night, yet it was good this morning, then it broke again. And Piper was dead but she's now alive!
Phoebe was confused with Jo's feelings, Jo was sad yet happy, focused yet disoriented, guilty yet relieved. Phoebe started thinking that Jo was losing her mind.
Phoebe: Jo?
Before Jo can reply, Billie and Paige orbed in.
Billie: Morning everyone!
Sensing the tension, she paused.
Billie: Are we interrupting something?
Jo: Now I'm supposed to say: Don't be ridiculous, what could you probably have interrupted?
Piper and Phoebe were still staring at Jo confused and worried.
Paige: Okayyyy...
Phoebe (focusing on the task at hand hoping Jo will snap out of it in a second): How did it go?
Paige and Billie share a smile and Paige gets out two potions in ancient vials.
Jo/ Paige: We got them.
Billie: Which wa-
Jo (interrupting): You're going to say something about it not being easy, then Paige is going to reply with something along the line of a lot of people hate Barbas, and these ones were willing to help.
Paige: How did you know I was going to say that?
Billie: You took the words right out of my mouth.
Jo groaned, buried her face in her hand and started shaking her head.
Piper: Jo are you okay?
Jo: I'm losing my mind!
Phoebe: Would you care to explain before we admit you to the nut house?
Piper: Wait... So you're telling me, this is the second time you live this day?
Jo: Yes... Well third if you count my past, but this day goes nothing as it should have.
Phoebe: And me breaking the dish and the athame proved that to you?
Jo: Well yeah, but along with the demon's attack, Billie and Paige's potion related news, and oh... Piper's still alive even though I... …
Piper: Even though you what?
Jo clamped her mouth shut knowing that this really falls under the future consequences category, but then she thought, she already lived through that day without telling them and look how it ended.
Jo (reluctantly): Even though I watched you die...
Phoebe (shaking her head): Jo... don't you think this is a bit far fetched?
Jo (in disbelief): What?
Piper: Come on, we're witches but there's this thing called "Deja vu", it doesn't have to be you repeating that day!
Jo: But how would you explain the broken stuff?
Piper: Phoebe's really clumsy!
Phoebe: HEY!
Piper: This is the third set of dishes I have to buy this year.
Jo: What about what Billie and Paige were saying? How would I know that?
Billie: You do come from the future, you must've lived this day before if our Paige is living it.
Jo: But... but... what about Piper's death?
Phoebe (sympathetically): Jo... You have nightmares about people dying all the time, and I am guessing Piper's death in the future really affected you.
Jo remained silent and looked to the ground as tears pooled in her eyes.
Phoebe: You just had a nightmare, I sensed your fear and pain while you were sleeping.
Jo: That doesn't make sense... I'm living this day again, it was yesterday and now it's today!
Piper: No honey, it's just a weird sense of Deja vu coupled with a bad nightmare, okay? Besides you already lived this day before -in your past- did it go anything like this?
As much as Jo didn't want to believe what everyone was saying, she couldn't help but think it made sense. She wasn't meant to change Piper's death, then why would she repeat the same day... But then again, if today is yesterday, and yesterday didn't happen that would mean Piper's death is what turns Wyatt evil, not the unbelievable theory about Wyatt killing an innocent.
Piper (seeing Jo freshening up): Great, now we need to get working on the plan, because everything depends on today. We have to get to Barbas if we want to get to Mass!
Jo took a deep breath but didn't know if she could face Barbas or Mass again, after they have been plaguing her dreams again.
(In the underworld, Jericho and Jo were sneaking around trying to get to the cave where Barbas is trapped.)
Jo: Remind me again how we ended up doing this.
Jericho: You have very annoying sisters... *cough* I meant persuasive.
Jo stopped before she can step on a human skull.
Jo: I've seen this before!
Jericho: Yeah, so have I. (pointing at a row of skulls next to the wall)
Jo (annoyed): I still think this is a bad idea.
Jericho: All the better reason to move quicker. We vanquish Barbas, go back to the manor where your sisters will be waiting for any demons we might bring on our tails.
Jo: I don't feel it is a good idea to leave them unprotected.
Jo was starting to get frustrated by the whole feeling that she lived the day before but she shook it off.
Jericho: They're not, they have Billie and they're the Charmed Ones.
A little bit later, Jo and Jericho were still looking for the right cave.
Jo: This part of the Underworld is awfully quiet today.
Jericho (sing-sung): It is a trap...
Jo: We already know it is a trap, but we need to get rid of Barbas.
Jericho brushed against the wall revealing some Greek letters. He tracked the letters with his fingers.
Jericho: Well, it is probably better that we don't cause a lot of commotion, the underworld sort of can't stand you and any one would be glad to try to kill you.
Jo: Oh thanks a lot, I feel so loved. (recalling) Only Shadows and Darkness lie ahead, walk in on your own responsibility!
Jericho (impressed): I didn't know you knew Greek!
Jo: I don't. I am repeating the day, I couldn't have possibly known that any other way, damn it I should've trusted my instincts! Which means that this is a trap to delay us, so the demons could attack the sisters at home!
Jericho (shrugging): That would make sense, what do you suggest?
Jo: Come with me!
Jo extended her hand to Jericho, who took it without a question. They both orbed out.
In a different cave with a cage in the middle, two sets of orb land to reveal Jo and Jericho.
Jericho (as he sees Barbas in the unprotected cage): I'll be damned.
Jo: You said that before, only this time we're early which means the demons won't be expecting us. Now let's get rid of him.
Jericho was about to touch the cage when Jo stopped him.
Jo: It's protected.
Magic forces black and white,
travel now through the darkest night,
the powers were abused to protect the enemy,
so aid us now to end this blasphemy!
Electric currents ran around the cage, then the air around it shimmered.
Jericho: Nifty spell, did it work?
Jo slowly touched the cage, and smiled as she wasn't shocked or thrown back. She did see Barbas starting to smile at them evilly.
Barbas (speaking to himself mostly): I can't believe that idiot's plan actually worked.
Jo (smiling): Oh it didn't, as you see there are no demons to delay us and I will just vanquish you and go back home!
Barbas's smile faltered as he looked in anticipation behind them, waiting for the demons to come but none showed up.
Jo: That's right Barbas... Game Over!
Jo threw the potion at Barbas's feet and flames started engulfing got vanquished, this time however, he wasn't smiling because this time he truly died for nothing.
-Manor, attic-
Piper: Oh I know honey. But you need to be with the boys just in case, besides with you having no powers I will be more worried about you getting hurt than concentrating on the vanquish.
Leo: Are you girls ready for this?
Paige: As ready as we can be. (Jo and Jericho orb in)
Piper: Back so early?
Jo: We were able to vanquish him without any problems.
Phoebe: Are you sure? This looks to be so easy.
Jo (referring to how they did it the day before): Trust me, it wasn't!
Leo: Well that's great, and you're ready in case demons come back to avenge him.
Jo: Oh demons are coming alright, but not for Barbas's sake!
Piper: What?
Jo: Leo, you need to take the boys and leave, it isn't really safe here right now.
Leo (trusting Jo's judgment): Okay, we should get going.
Leo kissed Piper, then Piper hugged her boys.
Wyatt: Bye mommy... bye aunt Phe-eby... bye aunt Pa-ge... bye Biwee!
Phoebe: Awww You're so cute. I can eat you up, oh yes I can!
Paige: ahh... Phoebe I thought you were done with the weird baby talk.
Jo rolled her eyes and waved her hand at Leo and the boys orbing them out.
Jo: Now let's talk potions!
Piper (ignoring Jo's weird attitude): Paige are you done with those potions already?
Paige: Yeah, I'm just doing one for Mass just in case.
Phoebe: How are you making one for him? We have nothing to start with.
Paige: Well remember those potions I made back then when Cole was invincible.
Phoebe: Yeah...
Paige: Well I combined them together along with a drops of demon and darklighter blood, and it should hurt him bad if not vanquish him.
Piper: Are you sure about this potion?
Paige: Yes, it's the strongest I've ever made.
Jericho gave Jo a questioning look and she shook her head.
Jo: It's not going to work!
Paige (annoyed): How do you know?
Jo: I can't tell you, it's not important, but we need to start working on a plan before the underworld attacks.
Billie: The underworld? Don't you mean demons?
Jo: No, unless you mean an army of demons! I'm telling you this potion isn't going to work on Mass, so we need to figure out something else and fast.
Piper: Well... It was a back up potion, so we don't really need it today.
Jo: Oh we need it today! Mass is going to attack when he finds the opportunity. If he was any other upper leveled demon, what would you have done?
Phoebe: I would've started working on a power of three spell.
Jo: You do that!
Billie: Are you positive the potion isn't going to work?
Jo: Yeah, it -
Jericho: If I recall correctly it's how Wyatt vanquished Mass.
Jo (confused): But I know for a fact the potion doesn't work, I made it in the past, and we used it on Mass but it didn't work.
Jericho (trying to remember something): I asked Wyatt about it and he said he changed something, or added something. I'm not sure what though.
Jo: Well this doesn't help! We'll have to depend on the spell, if that doesn't work then we'll just have to attack him with everything we've got and hope it's enough to injure him and make him retreat.
Piper: And if that doesn't work?
Jo: Then we're really screwed, because not only will we probably die, but also Wyatt will grow up to be evil.
T.B.C
Author's notes: Another long chapter. I'm not really happy with how this one turned out, for some reason I envisioned it in a different way but I just don't seem to be able to write it the way I want it to be.
Oh before I forget, the idea of the whole thing about the day being repeated was inspired by the movie: "If Only", which is also the title of the chapter!
Let me know what you think! Next chapter will be the last (unless there's an epilogue).
Thanks for reading!