A/N: Nck, I am currently experimenting with Paige's character. I was beginning to think that I had made her too serious. I can see that I may have gone from one extreme to the other here, but that is pointed out and explained in this chapter by the characters. However, over the next few chapters, Paige will be more open to the use of personal gain spells, because I am trying to make a balance between 'smart and resourceful' and 'immature' Paige – otherwise she seems like she should be older than Phoebe. Plus every character has their off day.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter!


Chapter Fifty: Out Of Sight (And Follow The Yellow Brick Road)

'Did you say we are after Grimlocks?' said Paige.

Prue and Piper nodded.

'You have heard of them?' said Prue.

'Yeah, we should get started on that vanquishing potion before they blind anymore innocents,' said Paige seriously.

'Have you read about them in the Book before?' Piper asked as the three of them headed to the kitchen.

Paige shook her head. 'There are some demons which I know by name, especially when they are common in the magical community.'

Prue laughed. 'So are you a walking-talking Book of Shadows?'

'I only know of them,' said Paige. 'I have no idea what the ingredients to the vanquishing potion are. Although I think I can guess that one ingredient is Schisandra root.'

Prue was putting the Schisandra root onto the kitchen counter.

Phoebe came straight into the kitchen when she got back to the manor. Prue, Piper, and Paige told Phoebe about Eric, who was staking them out from his car now. Phoebe explained how she had found the entrance to the storm drain.


The doorbell rang. Piper and Phoebe remained in the kitchen as they made the vanquishing potion, while Prue and Paige went to the front door. The two of them were expecting it to be Eric, and both of them wanted to confront him.

They opened the door to see Eric standing there, looking smug.

'I was surprised to see you here, Paige,' said Eric.

'What do you mean?' said Paige. 'This is my home.'

'Well, I followed your demon home to find out that you were here too,' said Eric.

'Demon?' said Paige. She and Prue had already discussed that they were going to play dumb just in case he was taping the conversation.

'Yes, demon. You told me that the person I had seen was a demon, and that you and your sisters were witches, and that you would vanquish the demon for me,' said Eric.

'What are you on about?' asked Prue. 'I am not a demon or a witch. Are you insane?'

Eric laughed. 'Prue, are we still debating this? I have been telling you all day that I know your secret.'

'What secret?' said Paige. 'We have no idea what you are talking about.'

'I think my videotape would beg to differ,' said Eric.

'What videotape?' said Prue.

Prue and Eric started debating about whether the videotape of Piper stopping time on their porch existed or not. This debate ended with Prue shutting the door on Eric's face.

'You told him,' laughed Paige.

'Paige, I doubt you have a job anymore,' said Prue.

'Yeah… I was kind of expecting that one as soon as I saw him filming the house,' said Paige.

'Sorry,' said Prue.

'It is not your fault, Prue. You never asked for him to see you use magic,' said Paige. 'I think this job was never meant to be for me. I just wish I could have gotten at least one pay check out of it before losing my job.'

Prue and Paige went into the kitchen. Piper and Phoebe were still working on the potion. Prue told her three younger sisters that she would finish the potion if they went down to the storm drains to start looking for the boys.

'How about getting past my ex-boss?' asked Paige.

'Don't worry, I will deal with him,' said Prue.

Prue went to speak to Eric, to distract him. Eric was facing Prue, so Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were able to sneak past Eric into Piper's car. Piper drove off.

'Okay, so we have Piper's freezing power to stop any Grimlocks, but how are we going to find the boys?' said Phoebe.

'I was hoping one of you two might have thought of something, because at the moment I am drawing a blank on that,' said Piper.

'I think I know the perfect spell,' said Paige.


Piper, Phoebe, and Paige had entered the storm drain, but Paige had still not told them about the spell she had suggested.

'Paige, we need to know what the spell is,' said Piper.

'I am trying to remember the exact wording to it,' said Paige.

'We will worry about wording later,' said Phoebe. 'We could bump into a Grimlock any minute.'

'Yeah, and Piper will freeze it,' said Paige.

'Yeah, but you said your spell will help us to find the boys,' said Piper.

'I know,' said Paige. 'And it will.'

Piper moaned as she stood in a puddle, and asked Phoebe which way they were supposed to be going in. Phoebe took out her map and looked. Piper turned her torch towards Phoebe so as she could see the map. Phoebe pointed them in the right direction and the three of them continued walking.

'Do you remember the spell wording yet?' Phoebe asked impatiently.

'Shush,' said Paige. 'We need to be quiet. We don't want Grimlocks to hear us.'

'If they hear us, I can freeze them,' said Piper. 'What is the spell, Paige?'

Paige did not reply.

'Paige, why are you procrastinating? Tell us!' said Phoebe.

'I don't know whether using this spell is the right call or not!' shouted Paige at no one in particular.

'Paige?' said Piper worriedly. 'Paige, what's wrong? You have always trusted your instincts, or at least that is one of the things you have always done since we met you.'

Paige sighed. 'Ever since I messed up on the case I helped my white lighter friend with…'

'Paige, you did not mess up…' said Phoebe. 'I don't know the specifics, but I know that you were adamant that you were in the right.'

Paige sighed again. 'Pheebs, maybe I was wrong. Maybe my judgement has been wrong this whole time…'

'What do you mean, Paige?' said Piper. 'Your instincts, your judgment, your impulses are always helpful.'

Paige looked at Piper. Paige's eyes were watery.

'Are they, Piper?' said Paige rhetorically. 'Just look at where my instincts, my judgement, my impulses… Just look at where they have led me recently… First I mess up my white lighter friend's plan… Then I hear a description of my eldest sister and my instincts tell me that she is a demon… Then I follow an impulse and take the Book of Shadows out of the manor, despite you telling me not to… Then I decide to blurt out to some rancid reporter that I am a witch… In what way would you call any of that helpful?'

'Paige… You are just having an off day…' said Piper.

'The white lighter complication happened last week! That is one blimming long day, Piper!' said Paige.

'Paige,' said Phoebe. Paige turned to look at Phoebe. 'Paige, you are letting that primary issue cloud your insight. You obviously feel guilty about that, but don't let it impact you so negatively. Follow your instincts. Tell us that spell…'

Phoebe trailed off. She was looking at the tunnel wall behind Paige. Piper and Paige turned to look at where Phoebe was staring.

'That sign! That sign was in my vision!' said Phoebe.

'Does that mean we are going in the right direction?' Paige asked.

Phoebe nodded, smiling. The smile disappeared when a rat ran past. Piper and Paige repeated Phoebe's expression as the rat went past them.

'Ew,' said Piper and Phoebe.

'This place is disgusting,' said Paige.

'It is a storm drain,' said Phoebe. 'What did you expect? A five star hotel?'


They carried on walking. There was a sudden crash as Piper fell into a big hole. Phoebe and Paige leant over where Piper had fallen into.

'Piper! Are you okay?' shouted Phoebe.

'Piper!' shouted Paige. 'Piper!'

'I think she is unconscious,' said Phoebe. 'Stay here with Piper. I need to go and call Prue.'

Paige nodded. Phoebe left the tunnel. Paige sat down next to the hole.

'Ew,' said Paige, realising that the floor she had sat down on was extremely damp.

'Leo…' Piper mumbled.

Paige frowned. Piper was unconscious, but was obviously dreaming of Leo. Wasn't Piper dating Josh at the moment? If only Piper knew Leo's secret, then she would know why she could never be with Leo. Paige did not want Piper to get her heart broken if Leo did decide to come back into the Halliwells' lives.

Paige tried to take her mind off of that. She began to think about the spell she was supposed to be using to help find the boys. It was a spell that she had learnt in magic school. Paige had never been a student at magic school, but Isobel and Wilson had been. Once or twice, when Leo had dropped Paige off with the Strattons, she had tagged along with the twins to magic school. On one of the days, Paige had accompanied the twins to an advanced class about demonic defence. The spell that was being taught that day had been a spell that allowed the caster to see an aura trail. However, could Paige trust her instincts? Would this be a helpful spell? Or would it just cause unnecessary hindrances considering Phoebe already knew that they were going in the right direction?

Paige knew that the Grimlocks could see a person's aura, but this spell would allow her sisters and her to find people, by following the scent of their aura. Therefore, maybe this was a good thing? Paige buried her head in her knees. She hated how lost she felt. She never realised before now how much she had depended on Leo to make her believe in herself.

Paige felt herself be thrown across the tunnel into the wall. She stood up in pain and saw a Grimlock staring at her. Paige began to feel herself choking. The Grimlock was strangling her with her own good aura.

Paige could hear footsteps, and then she heard Phoebe shout 'Prue!' Paige saw a metal pipe go flying at the Grimlock. It hit the Grimlock and the Grimlock ran away. Paige felt the choking sensation leave her. She fell to the ground as she tried to catch her breath.

Prue ran over to Paige to help her up, while Phoebe approached the hole that Piper had fallen into.

'Paige, are you okay?' Prue asked Paige.

Paige nodded slowly. 'We need to focus on helping Piper.'

Prue and Paige joined Phoebe by the hole. Prue used her telekinesis to lift Piper out of the hole. Once Piper was on her feet, Prue tried to persuade Piper that they would take her to the safety of the street before continuing without her to find the boys. Phoebe agreed with Prue, but Paige disagreed.

'Paige? Piper needs to get out of here for safety,' said Prue.

'No I don't, I will be fine,' said Piper.

'Plus we don't have time to leave the tunnel,' said Paige. 'Or we might be too late.'

Phoebe smiled, and referencing their earlier conversation, she said, 'You know what. I agree with Paige. I trust her instinct.'

'Then what do you suggest?' said Prue. 'Traipse the tunnel looking for the Grimlocks' lair with Piper following us injured?'

'No,' said Paige, slowly finding her courage returning. Maybe she could trust her own instincts. Maybe she could finally have a good idea… 'I suggest casting a spell that will lead us directly to the boys and the Grimlocks, vanquish the Grimlocks, save the boys, and then get out of here.'

'I agree with Paige,' said Piper.

Prue nodded slowly.

'Do we get to hear this spell now then?' asked Phoebe excitedly.

Paige nodded. 'When I cast this spell, we will be able to see a golden or yellowy path, which should lead us directly to any pure hearted people in this tunnel, such as the boys. We will also be able to see a dark path, which would probably belong to the auras of the Grimlocks.'

'Okay,' said Prue. 'Nice plan. Tell us the words and the four of us can cast it.'

'Only one of us needs to say it for it to work. You are close enough for the spell to affect you as well,' said Paige, and then she began to recite the spell:

'Auras we seek,

Although this environment is bleak.

Please show us the way,

For the next half a day.'

All of a sudden, Paige could see many dark paths littering the ground. However, she also noticed five shimmering golden paths. Four of them led to her and her sisters. One of them led down the tunnel.

'Shall we follow it?' said Prue.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige nodded.

'Follow the yellow brick road,' laughed Phoebe.

The four of them began to follow the fifth shimmering golden path. Phoebe and Paige were supporting Piper, while Prue led the way.

Prue came to a stop. So did Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. The shimmering golden path split into two. One path went to the left, the other to the right as the tunnel separated into two.

'So which way do we go?' asked Piper.

Phoebe pulled out her map. Pointing to the right, she said, 'That way will only take us back to the street.'

'We will split up then. Good thing I brought more than one vial of vanquishing potion,' said Prue. Prue handed Phoebe a vial. 'I will go to the right with Piper. It means that Piper can get out onto the street while I find the lair, if the lair is in that direction.'

'Paige and I will go left,' said Phoebe.

Prue nodded. 'Good luck.'

Prue and Piper went down the tunnel to the right, while Phoebe and Paige went to the left.

'Why do you think the golden path split into two?' Paige asked Phoebe. 'Do you think they split up the kids?'

Phoebe shook her head. 'When I met Prue outside, she had brought that reporter with. She told him to stay outside, but I guess he came in anyway.'

Paige sighed. 'I am never going to work for a reporter again.'

Suddenly, they heard a little boy yelling for help.

'David!' shouted Phoebe.

Phoebe and Paige broke into a run. They came to a stop when they saw the cage that David and another boy were in.

Phoebe and Paige approached the bars.

'There must be a way to open this,' said Phoebe.

Paige remained by the bars while Phoebe wandered further into the lair looking for something to open the cage with.

Paige suddenly felt a familiar sensation of choking. She turned around to see a Grimlock standing at the entrance to the lair. He was snarling at her as he choked her with her aura. Paige fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

Phoebe came running up to the Grimlock and hit him with a crowbar before throwing the potion at him. The Grimlock screamed in pain as he melted away.

Phoebe helped Paige to her feet.

'Thanks,' said Paige quietly.

Phoebe smiled and then turned to the cage. With the crowbar that she had found in the lair, Phoebe bent the bars on the cage.

David was smiling at Phoebe and Paige.

'I can see!' David said.

Prue came running into the lair. She stopped when she saw David and the other boy standing safely next to Phoebe and Paige.

'Are the boys safe?' asked Prue.

Phoebe and Paige nodded.

'Good. I vanquished a Grimlock out there just now,' said Prue.

'We vanquished one in here too,' said Phoebe. 'I think that is all of them gone now.'

'At least that is one problem out of the way,' said Prue.

'There is another problem?' said Phoebe.

'Yeah, the fact that my ex-boss knows our secret,' said Paige.

'No, your boss was killed by a Grimlock. That is not the other problem I was referring to,' said Prue.

'What is it?' asked Paige.

'Andy had also followed me here. I had to use my telekinesis to save him from a Grimlock,' said Prue.

'Are you trying to tell me that Andy...?' began Phoebe.

Prue nodded. 'Andy knows.'


A/N: This is not really a cliff hanger ending. The next chapter will start with the next episode in season one. I did not want to write anymore to this one, because the next scene would be the police station, which would be exactly the same as the canon, except with Paige present. Also, I realise that they do not seem too shocked at Eric's death, but they never made much of a thing about it in the canon either. Please review!