Disclaimer: Not mine, or I wouldn't have killed off Prue.
Author's Note: Shazzar can morph into anything that can cut. You'll see at the end of the chapter - the sharp nails. Sorry if I didn't get Finn's(?) name right. You know, clay guy... Oh! And dedicated to Charmingbecca and Hjordis. Thanks for great advice and reviews.
Chapter 2: Mixed human mermories
Paige sighed. Ever since the "death" of Finn she'd been withdrawn, and a bit down-in-the-dumpsish. Leo looked at his sister in law with concern in his eyes. Yet there was a sort of siblinghood between them, sharing their skills as whitelighters. Well... Paige was learning. She could orb at will now, though still on the spot, and her healing powers were growing. He grinned at the thought.
But now Paige could do with a pickup. Seeing Finn "die" had been a sort of "joining fee," evil's way of showing her exactly what she'd gotten into. She was also feeling Piper's sting. He grimaced inwardly. His wife could be extremely bitchy when she wanted to be. And Piper was still mourning the loss of Prue, while trying to come to terms with being the big sister. Not an easy thing to do, but that didn't mean she could take it out on Paige. However unjustly, she did blame Paige slightly, but why, he couldn't tell. He frowned and went after Phoebe. He found her in the kitchen, waving a large knife at a cookbook.
"I don't get it," she complained as he came in and took the knife from her, "I can brew potions, make up spells, and find anythihng I want in the Book Of Shadows, but for the life of me I can't understand this cookbook, decide how much pepper is in 'my taste', or cook this stupid meal! How does Piper do it? And it's Ok. I'm not about to stab you." She grabbed the knife back and savagely chopped at a carrot, the top half of which flew past Leo's ear, hitting the wall with a crunch.
"Nice shot," he teased, "and if that's what you're going to do with that knife, maybe you will stab me."
"Ha ha," Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Not funny."
"Speaking of Piper, do you know where she went?" Leo asked.
"Um, yeah. Problems at P3, she said." Phoebe replied. She looked around at the small noise that was Paige entering the room. "Hey honey."
"What? Oh, hey," Paige greeted her sister absently. Phoebe loked at Leo worriedly. He just shrugged. "Carrot," murmured Paige distractedly. She caught it and tossed it back to Phoebe.
"Thanks. Hey, are you Ok?" She looked in disbelief at the shadows under Paige's eyes.
"Yeah I guess. Couldn't sleep." Paige didn't elaborate. The way she'd felt the eyes on her until about 1am, and then the nightmares had kicked in. Nightmares of dying just like Finn, being blown up or found and killed by The Source. She couldn't tell anyone, because it would get back to Piper and she would scoff. Really, it was hell, the way everyone had to relate back to her.
"I think I'll go find Piper," Leo said, and orbed out.
That just proves my point, thought Paige. She rubbed at the small cut on her cheek. Phoebe noticed immediately, and rushed over to inspect it.
"What happened?"
"No idea. Must've cut myself in my sleep or something." Paige said honestly.
"Hmm," Phoebe murmured. She didn't quite believe her, but Paige had never lied to her, and why would she start now? It was pointless. But still... a niggling doubt ate at Phoebe's mind.
* * *
"I am not human," Shazzar hissed as he paced his chamber. He had been created by The Source, he had been told many times and did not doubt his master's story. Then why did he have this knowledge of human emotions? It must be an adaption so he would fit into the human world. Yes, that was it. He did not feel anything.
He had cut the girl to prove it. He had felt no remorse, creeping up while she was asleep, watching the small trickle of bright red blood seep down her cheek. He had had to mar her so he would not be distracted from his mission again.
But he had strange memories. A woman's face, looking down at him (?), her face blurred by light, and a tall, well built man with a scrubby beard. A window, through which he could see a tree.
He shook his head as if to clear it. He knew what he had to do. He would destroy the Charmed Ones, and make The Source - his "father" - proud.
* * *
Leo found Piper supervising the clean up of a drunken fight. He kissed her, then got straight to the point. "There's something wrong with Paige. She's been a bit down lately."
"Oh?" Piper asked indifferently. She really hadn't noticed. But then... she didn't notice a lot about Paige.
"I think you have something to do with it." Leo plunged in recklessly. He watched his wife's eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger.
"Why me?"
"Because you don't notice her. I know-" he held up a hand to silence her protest "- that she doesn't listen to you, but you don't see the fact that she needs you. She needs a family, and you and Phoebe are her sisters."
"She's -" Piper stopped.
"Go on..."
"She's taking Prue's spot!" Piper choked out. Leo shook his head and hugged her close to him. Piper held on for dear life. The grief and anger she still felt was threatening to sweep her off her feet, threatening to engulf and destroy.
"She's filling a gap in the Charmed Circle," Leo said quietly. "She never will be, or replace, Prue. She's a different sister altogether."
"But she keeps trying to!"
"Piper, listen to me." He held her at arms length and looked into her eyes. "She didn't know Prue. She's Paige, and that's who she's trying to be. But you don't approve of that, so she's trying to fit in. She wouldn't try to replace anyone. You wouldn't think it of anyone else, so why Paige?"
Piper looked at him, shocked. "I think you're right," she said slowly. "But what do I do about it?"
"Start by talking to her. Then, I don't know, she needs a pick up."
"Sugar!" Piper cried with a grin. She wondered if she could do this right. She was used to Phoebe and her ways and feelings, but Paige... She would do it, for Prue's sake. The Charmed One's would not be destroyed again. She had to do it right.
* * *
Shazzar looked at the photograph. The two old witches, and the dead one, standing together. He commited the dead one to memory... Someone was coming. He shifted quickly into a paperclip, then waited to see who it was.
It was one of the old witches. He drew her mind to him, making sure she'd see him on the floor and pick him up.
* * *
"Ow!" Piper cried as she felt the paperclip she held in her hand stick into her finger. Paige came out and looked curiously at her.
"Piper? Are you Ok?" she asked nervously. Piper looked up with a grimace.
"I shoved a paperclip through my finger. Damn," she looked at the small bead of blood at the fingertip.
"Well, that was a stupid thing to do," Paige joked. She was rewarded for this with a glare from Piper.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" said Piper, annoyed. She placed the small item on the coffee table and walked up to Paige. "Sorry. Hey, would you like a coffee? And then, I don't know, we'll make it a Halliwell Movie Night."
"Me too?" Paige asked, frankly astounded. She looked at Piper as if she would suddenly say, no, sorry, but you're not a Halliwell.
"Of course. Just because your name is different doesn't mean you're not our sister. Come on, lets go find Phoebe." Piper led her little sister out of the room.
* * *
Shazzar morphed back and grinned at the door. They were getting along so well. It would be so wonderfully sad to split them up again. He shifted again... into Prue. He knew that the old witch missed her the most. His/her fingernails sharpened into points.
"Don't trust Paige," he whispered in Prue's voice. "She's evil." Not, he thought. That would be me. He laughed quietly.
Authors Note: Reviews would be most welcome =P
Author's Note: Shazzar can morph into anything that can cut. You'll see at the end of the chapter - the sharp nails. Sorry if I didn't get Finn's(?) name right. You know, clay guy... Oh! And dedicated to Charmingbecca and Hjordis. Thanks for great advice and reviews.
Chapter 2: Mixed human mermories
Paige sighed. Ever since the "death" of Finn she'd been withdrawn, and a bit down-in-the-dumpsish. Leo looked at his sister in law with concern in his eyes. Yet there was a sort of siblinghood between them, sharing their skills as whitelighters. Well... Paige was learning. She could orb at will now, though still on the spot, and her healing powers were growing. He grinned at the thought.
But now Paige could do with a pickup. Seeing Finn "die" had been a sort of "joining fee," evil's way of showing her exactly what she'd gotten into. She was also feeling Piper's sting. He grimaced inwardly. His wife could be extremely bitchy when she wanted to be. And Piper was still mourning the loss of Prue, while trying to come to terms with being the big sister. Not an easy thing to do, but that didn't mean she could take it out on Paige. However unjustly, she did blame Paige slightly, but why, he couldn't tell. He frowned and went after Phoebe. He found her in the kitchen, waving a large knife at a cookbook.
"I don't get it," she complained as he came in and took the knife from her, "I can brew potions, make up spells, and find anythihng I want in the Book Of Shadows, but for the life of me I can't understand this cookbook, decide how much pepper is in 'my taste', or cook this stupid meal! How does Piper do it? And it's Ok. I'm not about to stab you." She grabbed the knife back and savagely chopped at a carrot, the top half of which flew past Leo's ear, hitting the wall with a crunch.
"Nice shot," he teased, "and if that's what you're going to do with that knife, maybe you will stab me."
"Ha ha," Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Not funny."
"Speaking of Piper, do you know where she went?" Leo asked.
"Um, yeah. Problems at P3, she said." Phoebe replied. She looked around at the small noise that was Paige entering the room. "Hey honey."
"What? Oh, hey," Paige greeted her sister absently. Phoebe loked at Leo worriedly. He just shrugged. "Carrot," murmured Paige distractedly. She caught it and tossed it back to Phoebe.
"Thanks. Hey, are you Ok?" She looked in disbelief at the shadows under Paige's eyes.
"Yeah I guess. Couldn't sleep." Paige didn't elaborate. The way she'd felt the eyes on her until about 1am, and then the nightmares had kicked in. Nightmares of dying just like Finn, being blown up or found and killed by The Source. She couldn't tell anyone, because it would get back to Piper and she would scoff. Really, it was hell, the way everyone had to relate back to her.
"I think I'll go find Piper," Leo said, and orbed out.
That just proves my point, thought Paige. She rubbed at the small cut on her cheek. Phoebe noticed immediately, and rushed over to inspect it.
"What happened?"
"No idea. Must've cut myself in my sleep or something." Paige said honestly.
"Hmm," Phoebe murmured. She didn't quite believe her, but Paige had never lied to her, and why would she start now? It was pointless. But still... a niggling doubt ate at Phoebe's mind.
* * *
"I am not human," Shazzar hissed as he paced his chamber. He had been created by The Source, he had been told many times and did not doubt his master's story. Then why did he have this knowledge of human emotions? It must be an adaption so he would fit into the human world. Yes, that was it. He did not feel anything.
He had cut the girl to prove it. He had felt no remorse, creeping up while she was asleep, watching the small trickle of bright red blood seep down her cheek. He had had to mar her so he would not be distracted from his mission again.
But he had strange memories. A woman's face, looking down at him (?), her face blurred by light, and a tall, well built man with a scrubby beard. A window, through which he could see a tree.
He shook his head as if to clear it. He knew what he had to do. He would destroy the Charmed Ones, and make The Source - his "father" - proud.
* * *
Leo found Piper supervising the clean up of a drunken fight. He kissed her, then got straight to the point. "There's something wrong with Paige. She's been a bit down lately."
"Oh?" Piper asked indifferently. She really hadn't noticed. But then... she didn't notice a lot about Paige.
"I think you have something to do with it." Leo plunged in recklessly. He watched his wife's eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger.
"Why me?"
"Because you don't notice her. I know-" he held up a hand to silence her protest "- that she doesn't listen to you, but you don't see the fact that she needs you. She needs a family, and you and Phoebe are her sisters."
"She's -" Piper stopped.
"Go on..."
"She's taking Prue's spot!" Piper choked out. Leo shook his head and hugged her close to him. Piper held on for dear life. The grief and anger she still felt was threatening to sweep her off her feet, threatening to engulf and destroy.
"She's filling a gap in the Charmed Circle," Leo said quietly. "She never will be, or replace, Prue. She's a different sister altogether."
"But she keeps trying to!"
"Piper, listen to me." He held her at arms length and looked into her eyes. "She didn't know Prue. She's Paige, and that's who she's trying to be. But you don't approve of that, so she's trying to fit in. She wouldn't try to replace anyone. You wouldn't think it of anyone else, so why Paige?"
Piper looked at him, shocked. "I think you're right," she said slowly. "But what do I do about it?"
"Start by talking to her. Then, I don't know, she needs a pick up."
"Sugar!" Piper cried with a grin. She wondered if she could do this right. She was used to Phoebe and her ways and feelings, but Paige... She would do it, for Prue's sake. The Charmed One's would not be destroyed again. She had to do it right.
* * *
Shazzar looked at the photograph. The two old witches, and the dead one, standing together. He commited the dead one to memory... Someone was coming. He shifted quickly into a paperclip, then waited to see who it was.
It was one of the old witches. He drew her mind to him, making sure she'd see him on the floor and pick him up.
* * *
"Ow!" Piper cried as she felt the paperclip she held in her hand stick into her finger. Paige came out and looked curiously at her.
"Piper? Are you Ok?" she asked nervously. Piper looked up with a grimace.
"I shoved a paperclip through my finger. Damn," she looked at the small bead of blood at the fingertip.
"Well, that was a stupid thing to do," Paige joked. She was rewarded for this with a glare from Piper.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" said Piper, annoyed. She placed the small item on the coffee table and walked up to Paige. "Sorry. Hey, would you like a coffee? And then, I don't know, we'll make it a Halliwell Movie Night."
"Me too?" Paige asked, frankly astounded. She looked at Piper as if she would suddenly say, no, sorry, but you're not a Halliwell.
"Of course. Just because your name is different doesn't mean you're not our sister. Come on, lets go find Phoebe." Piper led her little sister out of the room.
* * *
Shazzar morphed back and grinned at the door. They were getting along so well. It would be so wonderfully sad to split them up again. He shifted again... into Prue. He knew that the old witch missed her the most. His/her fingernails sharpened into points.
"Don't trust Paige," he whispered in Prue's voice. "She's evil." Not, he thought. That would be me. He laughed quietly.
Authors Note: Reviews would be most welcome =P
