" Leo, what- whoa," Phoebe breathed when she opened her eyes. Swirling
clouds in the purest shade of white surrounded her, Leo, and Piper. " Are we-?"
"Welcome, Charmed Ones," a male voice welcomed them. The girls spun around to face a chocolate-skinned Elder dressed in flowing white robes. " I am Caelestis." He motioned to seven other gorgeous angels beside him. " We are the Elders."
Piper raised her eyebrows. Surprisingly, this was exactly what she thought the Elders would be like, right down to rings of gold around their heads. " So what are we doing here?" Piper asked suspiciously. " Want to kill off another sister?"
A curly-haired man with skin the color of caramel sniffed. " We understand how you would be upset. However, we will not kill Paige." His tone became strangled when he said "Paige."
" We wish to help you with your decision," an Asian seraph explained.
" How?" Phoebe inquired. She didn't trust the Elders. They'd screwed up her life too many times to count.
" To help with your decision," a fair blonde woman began, " we wish to show two versions of the future-one with Prue, the other with Paige."
" Really?" Piper exclaimed. This might be helpful.
A large cloud separated Phoebe and Piper from Leo and the Elders. "Imagine," Caelestis instructed, " that Prue did not die. You never met Paige, and she has no idea what a Charmed One even is." Phoebe and Piper began to feel dizzy…
***********************
Piper was standing at the bar in P3, wiping it with a wet cloth. " How'd I get here?" she wondered. Oh yeah, she realized. " I'm in the future. She noticed that P3 wasn't a club anymore. It was a restaurant. The décor was brighter and she noticed it was busy. Piper smiled. " Always good to know," she murmured cheerily.
She saw something sparkle in the corner of her eye, the sapphire blue orbs of a Whitelighter. Maybe it was Leo, or Paige. Piper walked into the backroom to see who was appearing.
When the orbs became human shaped, Piper gave a little gasp. A teenage girl stood there. She was maybe thirteen, with short brown hair, kind hazel eyes framed by chic glasses and a good-natured face. The girl gasped when she saw Piper and smiled. " Mom," she sighed, "you scared me."
" Melinda?" The word was like honey on Piper's lips.
" Uh, yeah," Melinda said. " Who else would I be?" She looked around. "Is Byron here yet?"
" Who?"
Melinda rolled her eyes. " Byron, my boyfriend." She took off her backpack and dropped it on a chair. " I'm gonna get something to eat."
" Piper!" called out Phoebe from the restaurant. Piper looked out and saw a very-excited Phoebe. She was dressed in dress pants and a thin sweater. In front of her stood a shy little girl, about nine years old, who looked just like Phoebe.
" Well, I just got back from the store," Phoebe explained with a grin. "You know, Halliwell Herbs and Charms? It's the most adorable shop, and it's so close to the school and Cole's law firm."
" That's great, Pheebs. Who's this little angel?" Piper wondered, bending down on one knee to look the girl in the eyes. The little girl looked at Piper in surprise.
" It's me, Grace, Aunt Piper," she told her aunt. " Who else would it be?"
Piper smiled at the little girl and stood up again. " Where's Prue?"
" Prue's on location. She's taking pictures of some new movie star." The future's turning out great, Piper thought.
" Hey, Grace, why don't you go have a snack with Mel?" Phoebe suggested. Grace hurried off and Phoebe turned to Piper. " So this, this is pretty good, huh? I called Cole and asked him about our latest vanquishes. He said there have only been three in the last two years."
" You're kidding!"
" I'm not. There are barely any demons left and no Source has been in charge for the last fourteen years."
Piper frowned slightly. " How about Paige? Do you know anything?"
Phoebe motioned to the newspaper sitting on the bar, left by someone. It was the obituaries. Piper scanned it and saw Paige's name.
" You're kidding," Piper breathed. " How?"
" Murder. In her own apartment. She was unmarried and had no kids, though."
Piper felt like her heart was being stamped on. " That's so sad."
" I know," Phoebe agreed mournfully. She looked at the clock. " So do we get to eat dinner free here?"
The middle sister smiled weakly. " Sure. Call Cole and I'll call Prue."
" Prue is here," announced the older sister as she walked through the door. " I'm starving." Despite the pain of Paige's death, Piper couldn't help but smile. This was how life was supposed to go. Prue wasn't supposed to die. Everything would be all right.
***********************
Prue walked into the kitchen, her hair wrapped in a towel, dressed in Piper's bathrobe. " Hello?" she called. " Hello?"
Blue orbs appeared. " Oh, Leo, I'm glad you're he-" It wasn't Leo. It was Paige.
" Hey, Paige," Prue welcomed her. " What's up?"
" Nothin'," she said, but apparently she was lying. Prue decided not to say anything. " Where are Piper and Phoebe?"
" I don't know," Prue told her baby sister. " I just got out of the shower-"
Something blinked in. " Hello," the warlock greeted them. A ball of energy collected in his palm. " If I kill you, I become the Source. So make things easy for me, will you?"
Instead, Prue waved her hand, flinging the demon into the wall. " Energy ball!" called Paige, and the energy ball zipped into her hand. She tossed it at the demon, who blinked out of the way. He blinked behind Paige. An athame formed in his hand and he stabbed her before she could react.
Prue tried to throw the demon into the wall, but he blinked away. She knelt beside Paige who gasped for breath. The older sister swallowed hard. " Leo!" she cried. "Leo!"
clouds in the purest shade of white surrounded her, Leo, and Piper. " Are we-?"
"Welcome, Charmed Ones," a male voice welcomed them. The girls spun around to face a chocolate-skinned Elder dressed in flowing white robes. " I am Caelestis." He motioned to seven other gorgeous angels beside him. " We are the Elders."
Piper raised her eyebrows. Surprisingly, this was exactly what she thought the Elders would be like, right down to rings of gold around their heads. " So what are we doing here?" Piper asked suspiciously. " Want to kill off another sister?"
A curly-haired man with skin the color of caramel sniffed. " We understand how you would be upset. However, we will not kill Paige." His tone became strangled when he said "Paige."
" We wish to help you with your decision," an Asian seraph explained.
" How?" Phoebe inquired. She didn't trust the Elders. They'd screwed up her life too many times to count.
" To help with your decision," a fair blonde woman began, " we wish to show two versions of the future-one with Prue, the other with Paige."
" Really?" Piper exclaimed. This might be helpful.
A large cloud separated Phoebe and Piper from Leo and the Elders. "Imagine," Caelestis instructed, " that Prue did not die. You never met Paige, and she has no idea what a Charmed One even is." Phoebe and Piper began to feel dizzy…
***********************
Piper was standing at the bar in P3, wiping it with a wet cloth. " How'd I get here?" she wondered. Oh yeah, she realized. " I'm in the future. She noticed that P3 wasn't a club anymore. It was a restaurant. The décor was brighter and she noticed it was busy. Piper smiled. " Always good to know," she murmured cheerily.
She saw something sparkle in the corner of her eye, the sapphire blue orbs of a Whitelighter. Maybe it was Leo, or Paige. Piper walked into the backroom to see who was appearing.
When the orbs became human shaped, Piper gave a little gasp. A teenage girl stood there. She was maybe thirteen, with short brown hair, kind hazel eyes framed by chic glasses and a good-natured face. The girl gasped when she saw Piper and smiled. " Mom," she sighed, "you scared me."
" Melinda?" The word was like honey on Piper's lips.
" Uh, yeah," Melinda said. " Who else would I be?" She looked around. "Is Byron here yet?"
" Who?"
Melinda rolled her eyes. " Byron, my boyfriend." She took off her backpack and dropped it on a chair. " I'm gonna get something to eat."
" Piper!" called out Phoebe from the restaurant. Piper looked out and saw a very-excited Phoebe. She was dressed in dress pants and a thin sweater. In front of her stood a shy little girl, about nine years old, who looked just like Phoebe.
" Well, I just got back from the store," Phoebe explained with a grin. "You know, Halliwell Herbs and Charms? It's the most adorable shop, and it's so close to the school and Cole's law firm."
" That's great, Pheebs. Who's this little angel?" Piper wondered, bending down on one knee to look the girl in the eyes. The little girl looked at Piper in surprise.
" It's me, Grace, Aunt Piper," she told her aunt. " Who else would it be?"
Piper smiled at the little girl and stood up again. " Where's Prue?"
" Prue's on location. She's taking pictures of some new movie star." The future's turning out great, Piper thought.
" Hey, Grace, why don't you go have a snack with Mel?" Phoebe suggested. Grace hurried off and Phoebe turned to Piper. " So this, this is pretty good, huh? I called Cole and asked him about our latest vanquishes. He said there have only been three in the last two years."
" You're kidding!"
" I'm not. There are barely any demons left and no Source has been in charge for the last fourteen years."
Piper frowned slightly. " How about Paige? Do you know anything?"
Phoebe motioned to the newspaper sitting on the bar, left by someone. It was the obituaries. Piper scanned it and saw Paige's name.
" You're kidding," Piper breathed. " How?"
" Murder. In her own apartment. She was unmarried and had no kids, though."
Piper felt like her heart was being stamped on. " That's so sad."
" I know," Phoebe agreed mournfully. She looked at the clock. " So do we get to eat dinner free here?"
The middle sister smiled weakly. " Sure. Call Cole and I'll call Prue."
" Prue is here," announced the older sister as she walked through the door. " I'm starving." Despite the pain of Paige's death, Piper couldn't help but smile. This was how life was supposed to go. Prue wasn't supposed to die. Everything would be all right.
***********************
Prue walked into the kitchen, her hair wrapped in a towel, dressed in Piper's bathrobe. " Hello?" she called. " Hello?"
Blue orbs appeared. " Oh, Leo, I'm glad you're he-" It wasn't Leo. It was Paige.
" Hey, Paige," Prue welcomed her. " What's up?"
" Nothin'," she said, but apparently she was lying. Prue decided not to say anything. " Where are Piper and Phoebe?"
" I don't know," Prue told her baby sister. " I just got out of the shower-"
Something blinked in. " Hello," the warlock greeted them. A ball of energy collected in his palm. " If I kill you, I become the Source. So make things easy for me, will you?"
Instead, Prue waved her hand, flinging the demon into the wall. " Energy ball!" called Paige, and the energy ball zipped into her hand. She tossed it at the demon, who blinked out of the way. He blinked behind Paige. An athame formed in his hand and he stabbed her before she could react.
Prue tried to throw the demon into the wall, but he blinked away. She knelt beside Paige who gasped for breath. The older sister swallowed hard. " Leo!" she cried. "Leo!"