Guardian from Above
Part Three
By: Silverstar
Hello again. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed or read this fic. I have an idea of where it is going, but I'm not sure how long it will be. Please be patient with me, this is my 1st Charmed fic and I'm trying my best. Thanks to you all again.
Disclaimer: I don't owned Charmed, or any of the characters. Please don't sue me. ^_^
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*(PAIGE)*
I sat down on my bed with a sigh. In my hands were 4 different potions, and there were more all around my room. Ever since the news of Dalei, the kitchen had been a potion factory. You couldn't walk two steps in the house without seeing a colorful bottle, and every day I found more in my purse, courtesy of Piper. The past three days have seemed endless. Demons have attacked us almost every night, and one even attacked Piper at P3. Luckily, no one had been around and her explosion power had been enough to defeat it. After this occurrence Piper urged Phoebe and me to take some time off work, so I've taken next week off. Phoebe consented to doing all her work at home and letting Leo turn it in for her. I think she is the better for it too, especially with her boss being such a jerk. She's also been able to spend more time with Cole...Whom, by the way, I haven't apologized to yet. Before I apologize to both of them I want to be sure that Prue won't get the best of me again. I remember her saying that I could learn to summon her in my dreams, so I'm going to try it tonight.
"Okay Prue, we need to have a little chat," I said with determination. I lay down on the bed and held a picture of her in front of me. I allowed my mind to fill with Prue's image and felt for the part of my soul that belonged to her. Then, I set the picture down and closed my eyes. With the all-time-of-the-night attacks, and the stress of trying to figure out where Dalei was, I was extremely tired and needed only a few moments before I fell asleep.
********************
A blast of cold air hit my face, and I stirred. It hit me again, but instead of covering my face, I laid there. The chilly air felt refreshing and summed up the mood I was in...Angry and fearful. I lay there a while before opening my eyes and looking around. I was in the same field as before, only now I was in a white dress and the sun was setting. It was beautiful. I watched the sun for a few minutes before remembering my mission. I had to speak with Prue, and I had to do it fast before too much of my strength was lost.
"Prue! Prue! I need to speak with you now!" I yelled out as I searched the landscape with my eyes. In a few moments I saw movement coming from the white mist and Prue appeared. She looked me up and down, and then came rushing to my side.
"Are you alright?" she asked franticly. "You're wearing a white gown...What's wrong? What kind of danger are you in? Are the others okay?" I looked at Prue with caution as she took my hand and looked into my eyes, searching for the answers. "I can feel the stress you're under..."
"Hold on a minute," I demanded, pulling away from her and taking a step back. "What's wrong with me wearing a white gown in my dream?" She looked at me with surprise, but then spoke.
"A white dress symbolizes angels. This means that death is near, or you think it is, and that you fear for your life." I looked at her and then realized that I did feel those things. She must've felt it when I realized this, for she stepped forward and embraced me. "Paige...I don't know you very well, but I have been able to feel your emotions through the connection in our souls. I feel closer to you even though we have only spoken twice. Please, tell me what is wrong." I stood in shock for a moment before returning the hug, and breaking away.
"I'll tell you what is wrong!" I said fiercely and with passion. Here was my chance to tell her what I came to say. "The demon Dalei has been after us for the past five days, and demonic attacks are happening 24/7! I barely have time to cope with this, because you are in my head all the time! I can feel your personality taking control of me, and I can't stop it! Because of you I made a mean remark to Cole, and I haven't been able to face Phoebe since. I want to apologize, but I feel your anger towards him surface every time he is in the room, and I don't trust myself to open my mouth. I can't think, because I don't know if it's me or you..." I slowed down and took a deep breath. All this time Prue had listened with concern, and although she looked a little shocked at the outburst, she looked like she understood.
"I'm...so sorry..." she whispered, casting her eyes down. "It's just that I never got over those feelings for Cole..." I looked at her and smiled a little.
"I had the same feelings when I found out he was a demon." She looked up with surprise and I nodded. "But I've gotten over them. Although I may still be a little wary of him, I've seen how happy he makes Phoebe, and I know he would do anything to protect her. You have to believe me when I say that Cole is good for Phoebe, and that he's a good and decent man. He would do anything for her, or any of the Halliwells. You have to look beyond his past and think about his future...His future with Phoebe." As I finished this little speech Prue raised her eyes and looked at me. She felt my trust and genuineness and I felt her acceptance and submission.
"You're right," she said at last. "I've held this grudge too long. I've known in my heart for a while now that he'd do nothing to harm her...But I held on to that feeling of distrust because I didn't want to let go of who I was when I died..." I smiled at her and she returned the favor. "I'm really sorry about the mess I've caused," she said at last. "If you want, I will disconnect our souls and I will not bother you again." I starred at her in shock and shook my head as I rushed forward and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Prue...no..." I whispered, shaking my head as she looked up at me. "I'm just getting to know you...my sister. You can't just leave...Not with the demon attacks and all. I feel your determination inside of me, and it helps me to be strong. I want to get to know you..." I finished and she continued to look at me. Then, she gently picked up my hands and placed them back down at my sides.
"I will do this:" she said in a voice that seemed to portray that she had things under control. "I will extract most of the portion of my soul from you, but I will leave a small fraction within you. This way, you may feel my emotions, but you will be able to resist them. With this you will still be able to contact me, but you will probably be weaker after you wake up. It took you a few hours to recover before, but now it may take you up to a day. Are you willing to do this?" I smiled and shook my head.
"Yes, thank you," I replied. "I think it will work best that way."
"Alright, hold out your hand," she ordered. I did so and then I closed my eyes as she touched her fingertips to mine. A warm energy flowed from me to her, and I felt her hold on me from within weaken. When she let go I fell to the floor and took a few breaths. I opened my eyes to find that Prue was kneeling in front of me. I smiled, for I felt like myself again. She smiled too. "Truthfully, I wanted to do this too," she said to me. "Mom and Grams have been asking me why I've been acting so strange lately...You were in me as well. We are two very different people."
"Yes," I agreed. "But we are similar in some points." She nodded and I situated myself into a comfortable sitting position.
"So, tell me of Piper and Phoebe...and Leo too! How are they all?" she asked with eagerness. I smiled and thought of my family.
"Everyone is doing great," I replied. "P3 is still up and running, and Piper is very happy. She and Leo really want to have a baby, but because of the Source and the demons always attacking, Piper has said no. She wants to wait until it is safer before she brings a child into the world." Prue smiled and shook her head.
"That's just like Piper."
"Phoebe finally got a job..." Prue starred at me with her mouth open, in complete shock.
"Yeah, I know," I laughed. "She's working for a local newspaper writing the advice column. There is a big story on how she got the job...and of course it revolves around a demonic attack, but I won't get into that now. She's very happy. Cole is still on the run from bounty hunters, but he usually shows up around the house every other day or so. I think he misses Phoebe too much to stay away longer."
"What about Deryl?" Prue asked when I had kept silent for a few minutes.
"Deryl is still Deryl," I replied. "He helps me sometimes with work, and calls us whenever he thinks something magical has taken place. He's still wigged out about the magic, but he worries for us when he knows there's something wrong."
"What do you mean he helps you with work?" Prue asked. "What do you do?"
"I'm a social worker," I said, but then shook my head. "Let me rephrase that. I'm a social worker assistant. My boss hasn't promoted me to social worker yet, but I will be promoted someday." I nodded with confidence and Prue laughed.
"With that confidence I'm sure you will." I laughed too, but suddenly the ground started to shake. "Oh, your body wants to wake up!" Prue yelled as she jumped to her feet. I followed suit. "I have to release you, it could be a demonic attack. Good luck Paige," she said and gave me a hug.
"Thanks," I replied before Prue disappeared and I closed my eyes.
********************
I opened my eyes and jotted upwards. There was a crash from down stairs. Grabbing for the potions that I had laid on my dresser, I ran out my door and towards the commotion. As I rounded the bend in the stairs I saw an energy ball coming right for me.
"Paige!" Piper warned before jumping out of the way of another thrown at her. I didn't need the warning. I had already gathered what little strength I had and orbed into the safety of the kitchen. When I looked around I saw Phoebe on the ground with Cole beside her.
"LEO!!!" I shouted before running back to the battle. I heard the angelic chimes behind me as I rushed to aid Piper. When I got into the living room I saw Piper on the ground and struggling to get up. Figuring that she wasn't able to blow him up, I acted quickly. I threw every potion I had at him at once. The five bottles of who knows what were enough, and he turned to dust as the flames engulfed him. I looked around the room to see that the few potions that had been available had been knocked to the floor, and were useless. I rushed over to Piper and a second later Leo was by my side.
"I'm okay..." Piper said weakly, but she wasn't able to stand. Leo put his hands over her and they eventually found themselves at her stomach, where she had taken a nasty blow. When she was healed she reached out and wrapped her arms around Leo's neck. "Leo..." she whispered. He embraced her and then lifted her to her feet. I, on the other hand, was still sitting on the ground and didn't have the strength to get up. During the battle I had tapped into Prue's willpower, but now that the fighting was done I let go of that part of her and remained my regular old self.
"Paige, are you hurt?" Leo asked. At this point Phoebe and Cole walked into the room. I knew it was my contact with Prue last night that was making me weak, so I changed the subject before Leo could ask any more questions.
"What happened Phoebe?" I asked, looking up at her.
"I'm not sure..." she replied. "I was getting some coffee when I got hit from the back..."
"I can explain," Piper said. We all looked at her, me still on the ground. "I heard Phoebe scream and I rushed from the sunroom to see what it was. A demon was standing over her, about to throw an energy ball that would have killed her. I tried to blow him up, but he came back together. I then tried throwing a potion at him that I had in my pocket, but it wasn't strong enough. At this point he definitely knew that I was there, so I ran into the living room and led him away from Phoebe. A minute later you came down, and that's that." I nodded, knowing that Cole must've sensed Phoebe's pain and shimmered in after Piper had lead the demon away. "It's a good thing you came down when you did," Piper said to me. "That's twice in less than a week that you've saved us." I smiled, and then saw Leo looking down at me.
"Paige...are you sure you're alright. You look sick...more pale than usual." I nodded, and decided that a cold was a good excuse.
"Yeah...I'm not feeling too well," I replied. "With the loss of sleep and all." Leo and Piper reached down to help me up and could see that I was struggling to stand.
"I think you should rest today," Phoebe said, coming over to help me as well. "You need to stay well, or else we'll have a hard time defeating Dalei." The others nodded, and I sighed with acceptance. I was too tired and felt too weak to argue.
"I'll bring you up some breakfast," Piper said before Leo grabbed both of my shoulders and the blue and white lights surrounded us. A minute later we were upstairs in my room and Leo set me down on my bed.
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*(LEO)*
I orbed into Paige's room with Paige collapsed in my arms. She was so weak...What had happened to her? I looked at her with concern, but her eyes were shut and she was struggling to stay standing. I gently took hold of her and set her on the bed. Her eyes were still shut, but she sighed in thanks.
"Paige?..." I questioned. "Paige?" I repeated when I received no response.
"Hmmn?" she said as she opened her eyes. I sat down next to her and situated us both so she was facing me.
"Paige, what is wrong? I know you haven't gotten much sleep lately, but you weren't hurt in that battle, and I was a doctor before I died. I know what normal exhaustion is. You've been sleeping, eating, and last night you were walking around the house healthily. Something has happened to you, and if you know anything you need to tell me. It could be a demon sucking your energy. Remember how Falfar said that Dalei would come for each of you separately when you least suspected it?" She looked at me with surprise and then closed her eyes and began to fall forward. I caught her before she could hit the ground and laid her down on her bed. "Paige! Paige!" I said loudly. She stirred, but didn't open her eyes. She had fainted for a second and was half-conscious now. Laying my hands over her head, I drew my power out and tried to make her come to. I knew it was healthy for her to submit and faint, but if a demon was behind this it wouldn't be safe for her to be unconscious. "Paige!" I said loudly again. She stirred, and took a deep breath, but still did not open her eyes. Getting worried, I propped her up so she was leaning against me, and gave her a good shake. This did the trick.
"Wha!..." she said with surprise as she opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Leo...?"
"Paige, please tell me. Did anything happen to you last night that could have caused this? Do you feel any strange powers or auras within you? This could be dangerous. Please tell me." I think I had gotten her attention, for although she wasn't strong enough to sit up by herself, her eyes were staring straight into mine.
"Leo..." she started, but then stopped.
"What?" I asked. "You can tell me Paige."
"No," she said with defiance, and she pushed herself away from me and sat up on her own. "I can't tell you." I stared at her with shock and worry. "But," she whispered as she slowly leaned on me again. "I can tell you that I wasn't visited by someone evil last night. It was by someone good. This is just the consequence of our meeting." She was putting her full weight on my shoulder, her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply.
"Paige, who visited you last night?" I asked calmly and with patience.
"I...can't tell you," she replied. "But you don't have to worry. I'll be better by tomorrow..." And with that she fainted into my arms and spoke no more.
"What is wrong Paige...?" I whispered as I put her under the covers of her bed. Worried, but somewhat assured of her safety, I mentally noted to tell no one of what she had just said. Paige had placed her confidence in me and if I said nothing then she might tell me later what had occurred last night. With this thought I rose from my seat on the bed and headed out of the room.
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*(PIPER)*
I stood outside Paige's room with a tray of eggs and toast, waiting for Leo to exit. He was a doctor in his past life, so he might know what is wrong with her. I jumped when the door suddenly opened and Leo came out. Seeing me and my tray, he left it open and walked over to me.
"Leo, what's wrong with Paige? Is she sick?" I asked with concern and urgency. If she didn't get well we wouldn't stand a chance against Dalei.
"Well...I'm not sure," he replied, looking down at the floor and avoiding my eyes.
"LEO," I said sternly. "You're a terrible liar. You know something, so tell me."
"Well, Paige did say something to me, but it was in confidence. I can almost assure you that she'll be well by tomorrow though..."
"ALMOST assure me!" I exclaimed in a whisper so not to wake Paige. The door was open.
"Just go give Paige her breakfast," Leo reprimanded. "She needs to build up her strength." With a sigh and an annoyed look at Leo, I walked past him and entered Paige's room. She was lying under the covers of her bed and her eyes were closed. She really was exhausted. But she had to eat, Leo had said so, and he was a doctor.
"Paige," I whispered while shaking her shoulder. "Paige." I heard a mumble as a response, but I continued to shake her until she opened her eyes.
"What?" she asked sleepily, eyeing me with suspicion.
"Come on, you have to eat," I ordered as I helped her into a sitting position. Picking up the tray I had set on Paige's dresser, I set it on her lap and looked down at her. "Paige, do you know how you got this sick?" I asked. "Leo said you should be better by tomorrow."
"Uh...I think it's just exhaustion, from lack of sleep and everything," she replied weakly before digging in to her breakfast.
"I'll come back for the tray later," I told her. "You eat and rest up." With that, I turned and exited Paige's room. I had to locate my husband and find out what was going on with my sister.
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*(PHOEBE)*
Cole wrapped his arms around me and I submitted to his embrace. It felt so good to be in his arms...It just felt so right...*sigh* Leo had taken Paige upstairs and Piper had followed with a tray of breakfast. We were alone and I was still jumpy from the attack.
"What are you thinking about?" Cole asked. I kept my head on his shoulder and sighed.
"I was just thinking how if Piper hadn't of come then I would probably be dead right now...And I was thinking about Paige too. She's been acting so strange lately...Like that outburst towards you the other day...I just don't understand it." He tightened his hold on me and I snuggled into his shoulder.
"Maybe you should talk to her," he replied, kissing my head gently. I smiled and leaned up, slowly moving my lips towards his. As our lips met I heard a sound behind me and I turned to find Leo coming down the stairs. Luckily, he was deep in his own thoughts with his eyes on the floor, and hadn't seen anything.
"Hey Leo, is Paige okay?" Cole asked, getting his attention. Leo looked up to see us standing there with Cole's arms wrapped around me, and he finished descending the stairs.
"She'll be okay by tomorrow," he replied, still having a far off look in his eye. "She just needs food and rest."
"That's good to hear..." I said, but Leo was already in the kitchen and hadn't heard me. "What's up with him?" I asked, and Cole shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, but why don't we start where we left off?" I smiled at him and as I reached up and put my arm around his neck I heard more noise behind me. Sighing with frustration, I turned to see Piper storming down the stairs.
"Where did my husband go?" she demanded, hands on her hips and eyes giving us an angry and frustrated stare.
"He went in there," I said, pointing towards the kitchen. And with that, Piper rushed out of the room and we were alone again. "I wonder what's wrong..." I mused as Cole wrapped his arms around me from behind and bent down to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," I replied as I melted into his arms.
A few minutes later Piper returned from the kitchen and she looked pissed. Cole and I were sitting on the couch discussing what could be wrong with Paige, for I was really worried and my thoughts always wandered to what could be the matter with her. Of course, when Piper stormed in, our conversation ended abruptly.
"Piper, what's wrong?" I asked as she sat down across from us.
"It's just my husband," she replied....She never used Leo's name when she was mad at him. "He knows something about Paige's condition and he won't tell me. He says she told him in confidence...But we should know! It involves Paige, so it involves us!" I looked at her for a moment before standing up, taking Cole's hand and dragging him with me.
"I'm sure Leo has a good reason," I replied.
"Yeah...Whatever," Piper mumbled. "And you know when we were in the kitchen he pretended to hear the Elders and orbed out! I can tell when he fakes it!" I smiled at her and started to walk towards the stairs, leading Cole with me.
"I'll go try to talk to Paige," I said over my shoulder before heading up. As I walked towards Paige's room I smiled to myself. Piper always looked so funny when she was mad at Leo.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I know I promised an apology from Paige and a confrontation with Cole in this part, but it took me longer than expected to get this far...*sigh* It's up to 7 pages, and I feel I should stop here. I would continue, but I'll be on vacation for a week, and I won't be able to write. I just felt like I should upload this before I left. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Keep it up!
Part Three
By: Silverstar
Hello again. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed or read this fic. I have an idea of where it is going, but I'm not sure how long it will be. Please be patient with me, this is my 1st Charmed fic and I'm trying my best. Thanks to you all again.
Disclaimer: I don't owned Charmed, or any of the characters. Please don't sue me. ^_^
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*(PAIGE)*
I sat down on my bed with a sigh. In my hands were 4 different potions, and there were more all around my room. Ever since the news of Dalei, the kitchen had been a potion factory. You couldn't walk two steps in the house without seeing a colorful bottle, and every day I found more in my purse, courtesy of Piper. The past three days have seemed endless. Demons have attacked us almost every night, and one even attacked Piper at P3. Luckily, no one had been around and her explosion power had been enough to defeat it. After this occurrence Piper urged Phoebe and me to take some time off work, so I've taken next week off. Phoebe consented to doing all her work at home and letting Leo turn it in for her. I think she is the better for it too, especially with her boss being such a jerk. She's also been able to spend more time with Cole...Whom, by the way, I haven't apologized to yet. Before I apologize to both of them I want to be sure that Prue won't get the best of me again. I remember her saying that I could learn to summon her in my dreams, so I'm going to try it tonight.
"Okay Prue, we need to have a little chat," I said with determination. I lay down on the bed and held a picture of her in front of me. I allowed my mind to fill with Prue's image and felt for the part of my soul that belonged to her. Then, I set the picture down and closed my eyes. With the all-time-of-the-night attacks, and the stress of trying to figure out where Dalei was, I was extremely tired and needed only a few moments before I fell asleep.
********************
A blast of cold air hit my face, and I stirred. It hit me again, but instead of covering my face, I laid there. The chilly air felt refreshing and summed up the mood I was in...Angry and fearful. I lay there a while before opening my eyes and looking around. I was in the same field as before, only now I was in a white dress and the sun was setting. It was beautiful. I watched the sun for a few minutes before remembering my mission. I had to speak with Prue, and I had to do it fast before too much of my strength was lost.
"Prue! Prue! I need to speak with you now!" I yelled out as I searched the landscape with my eyes. In a few moments I saw movement coming from the white mist and Prue appeared. She looked me up and down, and then came rushing to my side.
"Are you alright?" she asked franticly. "You're wearing a white gown...What's wrong? What kind of danger are you in? Are the others okay?" I looked at Prue with caution as she took my hand and looked into my eyes, searching for the answers. "I can feel the stress you're under..."
"Hold on a minute," I demanded, pulling away from her and taking a step back. "What's wrong with me wearing a white gown in my dream?" She looked at me with surprise, but then spoke.
"A white dress symbolizes angels. This means that death is near, or you think it is, and that you fear for your life." I looked at her and then realized that I did feel those things. She must've felt it when I realized this, for she stepped forward and embraced me. "Paige...I don't know you very well, but I have been able to feel your emotions through the connection in our souls. I feel closer to you even though we have only spoken twice. Please, tell me what is wrong." I stood in shock for a moment before returning the hug, and breaking away.
"I'll tell you what is wrong!" I said fiercely and with passion. Here was my chance to tell her what I came to say. "The demon Dalei has been after us for the past five days, and demonic attacks are happening 24/7! I barely have time to cope with this, because you are in my head all the time! I can feel your personality taking control of me, and I can't stop it! Because of you I made a mean remark to Cole, and I haven't been able to face Phoebe since. I want to apologize, but I feel your anger towards him surface every time he is in the room, and I don't trust myself to open my mouth. I can't think, because I don't know if it's me or you..." I slowed down and took a deep breath. All this time Prue had listened with concern, and although she looked a little shocked at the outburst, she looked like she understood.
"I'm...so sorry..." she whispered, casting her eyes down. "It's just that I never got over those feelings for Cole..." I looked at her and smiled a little.
"I had the same feelings when I found out he was a demon." She looked up with surprise and I nodded. "But I've gotten over them. Although I may still be a little wary of him, I've seen how happy he makes Phoebe, and I know he would do anything to protect her. You have to believe me when I say that Cole is good for Phoebe, and that he's a good and decent man. He would do anything for her, or any of the Halliwells. You have to look beyond his past and think about his future...His future with Phoebe." As I finished this little speech Prue raised her eyes and looked at me. She felt my trust and genuineness and I felt her acceptance and submission.
"You're right," she said at last. "I've held this grudge too long. I've known in my heart for a while now that he'd do nothing to harm her...But I held on to that feeling of distrust because I didn't want to let go of who I was when I died..." I smiled at her and she returned the favor. "I'm really sorry about the mess I've caused," she said at last. "If you want, I will disconnect our souls and I will not bother you again." I starred at her in shock and shook my head as I rushed forward and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Prue...no..." I whispered, shaking my head as she looked up at me. "I'm just getting to know you...my sister. You can't just leave...Not with the demon attacks and all. I feel your determination inside of me, and it helps me to be strong. I want to get to know you..." I finished and she continued to look at me. Then, she gently picked up my hands and placed them back down at my sides.
"I will do this:" she said in a voice that seemed to portray that she had things under control. "I will extract most of the portion of my soul from you, but I will leave a small fraction within you. This way, you may feel my emotions, but you will be able to resist them. With this you will still be able to contact me, but you will probably be weaker after you wake up. It took you a few hours to recover before, but now it may take you up to a day. Are you willing to do this?" I smiled and shook my head.
"Yes, thank you," I replied. "I think it will work best that way."
"Alright, hold out your hand," she ordered. I did so and then I closed my eyes as she touched her fingertips to mine. A warm energy flowed from me to her, and I felt her hold on me from within weaken. When she let go I fell to the floor and took a few breaths. I opened my eyes to find that Prue was kneeling in front of me. I smiled, for I felt like myself again. She smiled too. "Truthfully, I wanted to do this too," she said to me. "Mom and Grams have been asking me why I've been acting so strange lately...You were in me as well. We are two very different people."
"Yes," I agreed. "But we are similar in some points." She nodded and I situated myself into a comfortable sitting position.
"So, tell me of Piper and Phoebe...and Leo too! How are they all?" she asked with eagerness. I smiled and thought of my family.
"Everyone is doing great," I replied. "P3 is still up and running, and Piper is very happy. She and Leo really want to have a baby, but because of the Source and the demons always attacking, Piper has said no. She wants to wait until it is safer before she brings a child into the world." Prue smiled and shook her head.
"That's just like Piper."
"Phoebe finally got a job..." Prue starred at me with her mouth open, in complete shock.
"Yeah, I know," I laughed. "She's working for a local newspaper writing the advice column. There is a big story on how she got the job...and of course it revolves around a demonic attack, but I won't get into that now. She's very happy. Cole is still on the run from bounty hunters, but he usually shows up around the house every other day or so. I think he misses Phoebe too much to stay away longer."
"What about Deryl?" Prue asked when I had kept silent for a few minutes.
"Deryl is still Deryl," I replied. "He helps me sometimes with work, and calls us whenever he thinks something magical has taken place. He's still wigged out about the magic, but he worries for us when he knows there's something wrong."
"What do you mean he helps you with work?" Prue asked. "What do you do?"
"I'm a social worker," I said, but then shook my head. "Let me rephrase that. I'm a social worker assistant. My boss hasn't promoted me to social worker yet, but I will be promoted someday." I nodded with confidence and Prue laughed.
"With that confidence I'm sure you will." I laughed too, but suddenly the ground started to shake. "Oh, your body wants to wake up!" Prue yelled as she jumped to her feet. I followed suit. "I have to release you, it could be a demonic attack. Good luck Paige," she said and gave me a hug.
"Thanks," I replied before Prue disappeared and I closed my eyes.
********************
I opened my eyes and jotted upwards. There was a crash from down stairs. Grabbing for the potions that I had laid on my dresser, I ran out my door and towards the commotion. As I rounded the bend in the stairs I saw an energy ball coming right for me.
"Paige!" Piper warned before jumping out of the way of another thrown at her. I didn't need the warning. I had already gathered what little strength I had and orbed into the safety of the kitchen. When I looked around I saw Phoebe on the ground with Cole beside her.
"LEO!!!" I shouted before running back to the battle. I heard the angelic chimes behind me as I rushed to aid Piper. When I got into the living room I saw Piper on the ground and struggling to get up. Figuring that she wasn't able to blow him up, I acted quickly. I threw every potion I had at him at once. The five bottles of who knows what were enough, and he turned to dust as the flames engulfed him. I looked around the room to see that the few potions that had been available had been knocked to the floor, and were useless. I rushed over to Piper and a second later Leo was by my side.
"I'm okay..." Piper said weakly, but she wasn't able to stand. Leo put his hands over her and they eventually found themselves at her stomach, where she had taken a nasty blow. When she was healed she reached out and wrapped her arms around Leo's neck. "Leo..." she whispered. He embraced her and then lifted her to her feet. I, on the other hand, was still sitting on the ground and didn't have the strength to get up. During the battle I had tapped into Prue's willpower, but now that the fighting was done I let go of that part of her and remained my regular old self.
"Paige, are you hurt?" Leo asked. At this point Phoebe and Cole walked into the room. I knew it was my contact with Prue last night that was making me weak, so I changed the subject before Leo could ask any more questions.
"What happened Phoebe?" I asked, looking up at her.
"I'm not sure..." she replied. "I was getting some coffee when I got hit from the back..."
"I can explain," Piper said. We all looked at her, me still on the ground. "I heard Phoebe scream and I rushed from the sunroom to see what it was. A demon was standing over her, about to throw an energy ball that would have killed her. I tried to blow him up, but he came back together. I then tried throwing a potion at him that I had in my pocket, but it wasn't strong enough. At this point he definitely knew that I was there, so I ran into the living room and led him away from Phoebe. A minute later you came down, and that's that." I nodded, knowing that Cole must've sensed Phoebe's pain and shimmered in after Piper had lead the demon away. "It's a good thing you came down when you did," Piper said to me. "That's twice in less than a week that you've saved us." I smiled, and then saw Leo looking down at me.
"Paige...are you sure you're alright. You look sick...more pale than usual." I nodded, and decided that a cold was a good excuse.
"Yeah...I'm not feeling too well," I replied. "With the loss of sleep and all." Leo and Piper reached down to help me up and could see that I was struggling to stand.
"I think you should rest today," Phoebe said, coming over to help me as well. "You need to stay well, or else we'll have a hard time defeating Dalei." The others nodded, and I sighed with acceptance. I was too tired and felt too weak to argue.
"I'll bring you up some breakfast," Piper said before Leo grabbed both of my shoulders and the blue and white lights surrounded us. A minute later we were upstairs in my room and Leo set me down on my bed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(LEO)*
I orbed into Paige's room with Paige collapsed in my arms. She was so weak...What had happened to her? I looked at her with concern, but her eyes were shut and she was struggling to stay standing. I gently took hold of her and set her on the bed. Her eyes were still shut, but she sighed in thanks.
"Paige?..." I questioned. "Paige?" I repeated when I received no response.
"Hmmn?" she said as she opened her eyes. I sat down next to her and situated us both so she was facing me.
"Paige, what is wrong? I know you haven't gotten much sleep lately, but you weren't hurt in that battle, and I was a doctor before I died. I know what normal exhaustion is. You've been sleeping, eating, and last night you were walking around the house healthily. Something has happened to you, and if you know anything you need to tell me. It could be a demon sucking your energy. Remember how Falfar said that Dalei would come for each of you separately when you least suspected it?" She looked at me with surprise and then closed her eyes and began to fall forward. I caught her before she could hit the ground and laid her down on her bed. "Paige! Paige!" I said loudly. She stirred, but didn't open her eyes. She had fainted for a second and was half-conscious now. Laying my hands over her head, I drew my power out and tried to make her come to. I knew it was healthy for her to submit and faint, but if a demon was behind this it wouldn't be safe for her to be unconscious. "Paige!" I said loudly again. She stirred, and took a deep breath, but still did not open her eyes. Getting worried, I propped her up so she was leaning against me, and gave her a good shake. This did the trick.
"Wha!..." she said with surprise as she opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Leo...?"
"Paige, please tell me. Did anything happen to you last night that could have caused this? Do you feel any strange powers or auras within you? This could be dangerous. Please tell me." I think I had gotten her attention, for although she wasn't strong enough to sit up by herself, her eyes were staring straight into mine.
"Leo..." she started, but then stopped.
"What?" I asked. "You can tell me Paige."
"No," she said with defiance, and she pushed herself away from me and sat up on her own. "I can't tell you." I stared at her with shock and worry. "But," she whispered as she slowly leaned on me again. "I can tell you that I wasn't visited by someone evil last night. It was by someone good. This is just the consequence of our meeting." She was putting her full weight on my shoulder, her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply.
"Paige, who visited you last night?" I asked calmly and with patience.
"I...can't tell you," she replied. "But you don't have to worry. I'll be better by tomorrow..." And with that she fainted into my arms and spoke no more.
"What is wrong Paige...?" I whispered as I put her under the covers of her bed. Worried, but somewhat assured of her safety, I mentally noted to tell no one of what she had just said. Paige had placed her confidence in me and if I said nothing then she might tell me later what had occurred last night. With this thought I rose from my seat on the bed and headed out of the room.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PIPER)*
I stood outside Paige's room with a tray of eggs and toast, waiting for Leo to exit. He was a doctor in his past life, so he might know what is wrong with her. I jumped when the door suddenly opened and Leo came out. Seeing me and my tray, he left it open and walked over to me.
"Leo, what's wrong with Paige? Is she sick?" I asked with concern and urgency. If she didn't get well we wouldn't stand a chance against Dalei.
"Well...I'm not sure," he replied, looking down at the floor and avoiding my eyes.
"LEO," I said sternly. "You're a terrible liar. You know something, so tell me."
"Well, Paige did say something to me, but it was in confidence. I can almost assure you that she'll be well by tomorrow though..."
"ALMOST assure me!" I exclaimed in a whisper so not to wake Paige. The door was open.
"Just go give Paige her breakfast," Leo reprimanded. "She needs to build up her strength." With a sigh and an annoyed look at Leo, I walked past him and entered Paige's room. She was lying under the covers of her bed and her eyes were closed. She really was exhausted. But she had to eat, Leo had said so, and he was a doctor.
"Paige," I whispered while shaking her shoulder. "Paige." I heard a mumble as a response, but I continued to shake her until she opened her eyes.
"What?" she asked sleepily, eyeing me with suspicion.
"Come on, you have to eat," I ordered as I helped her into a sitting position. Picking up the tray I had set on Paige's dresser, I set it on her lap and looked down at her. "Paige, do you know how you got this sick?" I asked. "Leo said you should be better by tomorrow."
"Uh...I think it's just exhaustion, from lack of sleep and everything," she replied weakly before digging in to her breakfast.
"I'll come back for the tray later," I told her. "You eat and rest up." With that, I turned and exited Paige's room. I had to locate my husband and find out what was going on with my sister.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PHOEBE)*
Cole wrapped his arms around me and I submitted to his embrace. It felt so good to be in his arms...It just felt so right...*sigh* Leo had taken Paige upstairs and Piper had followed with a tray of breakfast. We were alone and I was still jumpy from the attack.
"What are you thinking about?" Cole asked. I kept my head on his shoulder and sighed.
"I was just thinking how if Piper hadn't of come then I would probably be dead right now...And I was thinking about Paige too. She's been acting so strange lately...Like that outburst towards you the other day...I just don't understand it." He tightened his hold on me and I snuggled into his shoulder.
"Maybe you should talk to her," he replied, kissing my head gently. I smiled and leaned up, slowly moving my lips towards his. As our lips met I heard a sound behind me and I turned to find Leo coming down the stairs. Luckily, he was deep in his own thoughts with his eyes on the floor, and hadn't seen anything.
"Hey Leo, is Paige okay?" Cole asked, getting his attention. Leo looked up to see us standing there with Cole's arms wrapped around me, and he finished descending the stairs.
"She'll be okay by tomorrow," he replied, still having a far off look in his eye. "She just needs food and rest."
"That's good to hear..." I said, but Leo was already in the kitchen and hadn't heard me. "What's up with him?" I asked, and Cole shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, but why don't we start where we left off?" I smiled at him and as I reached up and put my arm around his neck I heard more noise behind me. Sighing with frustration, I turned to see Piper storming down the stairs.
"Where did my husband go?" she demanded, hands on her hips and eyes giving us an angry and frustrated stare.
"He went in there," I said, pointing towards the kitchen. And with that, Piper rushed out of the room and we were alone again. "I wonder what's wrong..." I mused as Cole wrapped his arms around me from behind and bent down to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," I replied as I melted into his arms.
A few minutes later Piper returned from the kitchen and she looked pissed. Cole and I were sitting on the couch discussing what could be wrong with Paige, for I was really worried and my thoughts always wandered to what could be the matter with her. Of course, when Piper stormed in, our conversation ended abruptly.
"Piper, what's wrong?" I asked as she sat down across from us.
"It's just my husband," she replied....She never used Leo's name when she was mad at him. "He knows something about Paige's condition and he won't tell me. He says she told him in confidence...But we should know! It involves Paige, so it involves us!" I looked at her for a moment before standing up, taking Cole's hand and dragging him with me.
"I'm sure Leo has a good reason," I replied.
"Yeah...Whatever," Piper mumbled. "And you know when we were in the kitchen he pretended to hear the Elders and orbed out! I can tell when he fakes it!" I smiled at her and started to walk towards the stairs, leading Cole with me.
"I'll go try to talk to Paige," I said over my shoulder before heading up. As I walked towards Paige's room I smiled to myself. Piper always looked so funny when she was mad at Leo.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I know I promised an apology from Paige and a confrontation with Cole in this part, but it took me longer than expected to get this far...*sigh* It's up to 7 pages, and I feel I should stop here. I would continue, but I'll be on vacation for a week, and I won't be able to write. I just felt like I should upload this before I left. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Keep it up!