The attic was cold, and lit only by the light of candles. Five candles were arranged in a circle, forming the points of a pentagram, and the four Halliwell sisters sat within that circle. In the center was a cauldron with another circle of candles around it. A white fog poured out of the cauldron as the sisters prepared their spell.
Prue held the athame, and pricked her finger. She allowed a few drops of blood to fall on the golden broach, then passed both the objects on to Piper. In turn, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige each added their blood to the small, red pool on the broach. Then, the sisters began to chant.
"Penelope Halliwell
Blood of our blood
Our beloved grandmother
We summon thee."
Lights swirled around them, concentrating in one place. In an instant, a human form appeared within the light. The room darkened again, and their grandmother, alive again for a short time, was standing beside them.
They greeted each other, and Penelope hugged each of them. It had been a long time, over twenty years from her perspective, since she had seen them. Even so, she didn't forget that she had been called for a reason.
"Grams," Phoebe said as her arms relaxed. "It's great to see you again."
"I've missed all of you, too," Grams said. "But they wouldn't have let me come if you didn't have a good reason for calling me. What's going on?"
"It's the Book of Shadows," Prue said. "We think it was cursed by demons."
"We thought, since you're a high priestess, you might be able to dispel the evil," Piper added.
"I see," Grams said, walking over to the book. She looked at it for a moment, and seemed to be concentrating on it intently. She put her hand on the cover. Immediately, her body tensed and her eyes closed. Her eyes opened a moment later.
"Did you have a premonition?" Prue asked.
"Yes," Grams said. "I saw Piper in the attic with Wyatt in the past. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. I think you'd just vanquished a demon."
"That's impossible," Prue said. "Piper wasn't alive when Wyatt was growing up."
"I know," Grams said. "But I know what he looked like then. It was definitely Wyatt."
"Maybe we're supposed to change history," Piper said. "Maybe he was never supposed to grow up alone."
"I think you're right," Prue said. "But we still don't know how to do it. If we just send you back, things will still turn out the same way."
"I don't know," Phoebe said. "But I got the same premonition. Whatever it means, it must be important. It could be the explanation for everything that's been happening here."
"Unless it's a trap," Paige said.
"A trap?" Prue asked. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe this is just part of the curse," Paige said. "Cole knows what Phoebe's power is. When he cursed the book, he might've rigged a fake premonition."
"Can he do that?" Piper asked.
"There's an easy way to find out," Grams said. "I'll perform the ceremony for dispelling evil. If we get the same premonition again, we'll know it's real."
"Well, we'd better get started then," Prue said.
"This will probably work best in the basement," Grams said. "Being close to the nexus should help the positive energy flow to the rest of the house."
"Great, lead the way," Phoebe said. Grams headed towards the door, with Prue next to her. Piper, Paige, and Phoebe walked close behind.
They stopped in the living room, where the other four witches were waiting for them.
"Wyatt," Grams said, holding her arms out to him. "Oh, it's good to see you face to face."
"Ms. Halliwell," Wyatt said.
"Call me Grams," She said, putting her arms around him. "You know Prue, Patty, and I were watching over you all these years. Well, most of your ancestors were too, but we were the closest."
"Grams," Wyatt said, sounding unsure of himself. He looked at her for a moment, watching the expression on her face. "Thanks."
"We were glad to," Grams said. "I know things have been rough for you, but we were always there, and we helped you when we could. You have some of the most powerful witches in history looking out for you. You don't have to worry all the time."
Wyatt half-smiled at her. "I'll remember that."
"Good." Grams smiled and pulled him close again. She spoke softly in his ear. "And you don't have to keep everyone out all of the time either."
He looked at the floor, and answered just as quietly. "I know. I'll try not to."
Penelope exchanged greetings with the other witches, and the group headed down to the basement. She went first, though she hesitated at the top of the stairs. The others hardly realized the danger that the nexus represented.
"Hmm," Grams said as she descended the staircase. "Something doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?" Prue asked.
"I'm not sure…" Grams thrust her hands forward quickly, using her power on the basement floor. A massive rent opened in the cement, and the Charmed Ones jumped, their hearts already pounding from the knowledge of what was trapped below them.
"Don't worry, someone opened this long before we got here," Grams said. "The Woogy isn't here anymore, and it feels like most of the power from the nexus is gone too."
"So what does that mean?" Jill asked.
"It means that something in the underworld got a lot more powerful." Grams said.
"I think I know who that was," Paige said, glaring at the chasm.
Phoebe shook her head sadly. "If it can make me evil, I don't want to think about what it must have done to Cole."
"Well, we can't worry about that now. I'm sure you and Cole will find a way to work it out. After all-" Grams winced. "After all, we've got a house to purify."
"Wait," Phoebe said, coming the rest of the way down the stairs to stand next to Grams. "That isn't what you were going to say, was it?"
"We've got work to do," Grams said.
"It can wait," Phoebe said. "What were you going to say? 'After all' what?"
"Phoebe, even I have to follow the rules sometimes. You'll figure it out when the time comes," Grams said. "Now, we really have to get going, or they'll take me back. Death isn't something you can just come back from whenever you feel like it."
"Yeah. Tell that to Cole," Paige said.
Grams looked back at Paige, and there was worry in her eyes. But she quickly turned back, and sat cross-legged in front of the fissure leading to the weakened nexus. Her back was straight, and her head tilted slightly upwards. Her arms were spread to the sides, in a way somewhat resembling the lotus position. She began to chant in a long-dead language. Waves of light began to emanate from her, and the waves were echoed by the nexus, like two stones dropped in a pool. After a few moments, Grams became silent, and the waves ceased. She stood up, and turned to the others.
"Well, that should take care of any curses on the house," Grams smiled. She looked rejuvenated.
"Thank you so much. We don't know what we would have done without you," Phoebe said.
"Yeah." Prue smiled. "Thanks."
"I'm always glad to help." Grams walked over to Prue at the foot of the staircase. "Before I go, I just wanted to tell you not to be in a hurry to get back. You should treasure the time you're getting to spend with your sisters, even though we all miss you on the other side." Grams leaned closer. "Especially Andy."
"Andy…" Prue said. "What happened with him after I died?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Grams asked.
"Well no, I'm undead."
"I know, but you shouldn't just forget everything that happened," Grams closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating. "What was the name of that demon that brought you back?"
"It called itself the Anubite," Prue said. "Why?"
Grams eyes widened. "I- They're calling me. I really have to go back. Goodbye, all of you. I love-"
Grams vanished before she could finish, and her gold broach fell to the floor.
Prue held the athame, and pricked her finger. She allowed a few drops of blood to fall on the golden broach, then passed both the objects on to Piper. In turn, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige each added their blood to the small, red pool on the broach. Then, the sisters began to chant.
"Penelope Halliwell
Blood of our blood
Our beloved grandmother
We summon thee."
Lights swirled around them, concentrating in one place. In an instant, a human form appeared within the light. The room darkened again, and their grandmother, alive again for a short time, was standing beside them.
They greeted each other, and Penelope hugged each of them. It had been a long time, over twenty years from her perspective, since she had seen them. Even so, she didn't forget that she had been called for a reason.
"Grams," Phoebe said as her arms relaxed. "It's great to see you again."
"I've missed all of you, too," Grams said. "But they wouldn't have let me come if you didn't have a good reason for calling me. What's going on?"
"It's the Book of Shadows," Prue said. "We think it was cursed by demons."
"We thought, since you're a high priestess, you might be able to dispel the evil," Piper added.
"I see," Grams said, walking over to the book. She looked at it for a moment, and seemed to be concentrating on it intently. She put her hand on the cover. Immediately, her body tensed and her eyes closed. Her eyes opened a moment later.
"Did you have a premonition?" Prue asked.
"Yes," Grams said. "I saw Piper in the attic with Wyatt in the past. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. I think you'd just vanquished a demon."
"That's impossible," Prue said. "Piper wasn't alive when Wyatt was growing up."
"I know," Grams said. "But I know what he looked like then. It was definitely Wyatt."
"Maybe we're supposed to change history," Piper said. "Maybe he was never supposed to grow up alone."
"I think you're right," Prue said. "But we still don't know how to do it. If we just send you back, things will still turn out the same way."
"I don't know," Phoebe said. "But I got the same premonition. Whatever it means, it must be important. It could be the explanation for everything that's been happening here."
"Unless it's a trap," Paige said.
"A trap?" Prue asked. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe this is just part of the curse," Paige said. "Cole knows what Phoebe's power is. When he cursed the book, he might've rigged a fake premonition."
"Can he do that?" Piper asked.
"There's an easy way to find out," Grams said. "I'll perform the ceremony for dispelling evil. If we get the same premonition again, we'll know it's real."
"Well, we'd better get started then," Prue said.
"This will probably work best in the basement," Grams said. "Being close to the nexus should help the positive energy flow to the rest of the house."
"Great, lead the way," Phoebe said. Grams headed towards the door, with Prue next to her. Piper, Paige, and Phoebe walked close behind.
They stopped in the living room, where the other four witches were waiting for them.
"Wyatt," Grams said, holding her arms out to him. "Oh, it's good to see you face to face."
"Ms. Halliwell," Wyatt said.
"Call me Grams," She said, putting her arms around him. "You know Prue, Patty, and I were watching over you all these years. Well, most of your ancestors were too, but we were the closest."
"Grams," Wyatt said, sounding unsure of himself. He looked at her for a moment, watching the expression on her face. "Thanks."
"We were glad to," Grams said. "I know things have been rough for you, but we were always there, and we helped you when we could. You have some of the most powerful witches in history looking out for you. You don't have to worry all the time."
Wyatt half-smiled at her. "I'll remember that."
"Good." Grams smiled and pulled him close again. She spoke softly in his ear. "And you don't have to keep everyone out all of the time either."
He looked at the floor, and answered just as quietly. "I know. I'll try not to."
Penelope exchanged greetings with the other witches, and the group headed down to the basement. She went first, though she hesitated at the top of the stairs. The others hardly realized the danger that the nexus represented.
"Hmm," Grams said as she descended the staircase. "Something doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?" Prue asked.
"I'm not sure…" Grams thrust her hands forward quickly, using her power on the basement floor. A massive rent opened in the cement, and the Charmed Ones jumped, their hearts already pounding from the knowledge of what was trapped below them.
"Don't worry, someone opened this long before we got here," Grams said. "The Woogy isn't here anymore, and it feels like most of the power from the nexus is gone too."
"So what does that mean?" Jill asked.
"It means that something in the underworld got a lot more powerful." Grams said.
"I think I know who that was," Paige said, glaring at the chasm.
Phoebe shook her head sadly. "If it can make me evil, I don't want to think about what it must have done to Cole."
"Well, we can't worry about that now. I'm sure you and Cole will find a way to work it out. After all-" Grams winced. "After all, we've got a house to purify."
"Wait," Phoebe said, coming the rest of the way down the stairs to stand next to Grams. "That isn't what you were going to say, was it?"
"We've got work to do," Grams said.
"It can wait," Phoebe said. "What were you going to say? 'After all' what?"
"Phoebe, even I have to follow the rules sometimes. You'll figure it out when the time comes," Grams said. "Now, we really have to get going, or they'll take me back. Death isn't something you can just come back from whenever you feel like it."
"Yeah. Tell that to Cole," Paige said.
Grams looked back at Paige, and there was worry in her eyes. But she quickly turned back, and sat cross-legged in front of the fissure leading to the weakened nexus. Her back was straight, and her head tilted slightly upwards. Her arms were spread to the sides, in a way somewhat resembling the lotus position. She began to chant in a long-dead language. Waves of light began to emanate from her, and the waves were echoed by the nexus, like two stones dropped in a pool. After a few moments, Grams became silent, and the waves ceased. She stood up, and turned to the others.
"Well, that should take care of any curses on the house," Grams smiled. She looked rejuvenated.
"Thank you so much. We don't know what we would have done without you," Phoebe said.
"Yeah." Prue smiled. "Thanks."
"I'm always glad to help." Grams walked over to Prue at the foot of the staircase. "Before I go, I just wanted to tell you not to be in a hurry to get back. You should treasure the time you're getting to spend with your sisters, even though we all miss you on the other side." Grams leaned closer. "Especially Andy."
"Andy…" Prue said. "What happened with him after I died?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Grams asked.
"Well no, I'm undead."
"I know, but you shouldn't just forget everything that happened," Grams closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating. "What was the name of that demon that brought you back?"
"It called itself the Anubite," Prue said. "Why?"
Grams eyes widened. "I- They're calling me. I really have to go back. Goodbye, all of you. I love-"
Grams vanished before she could finish, and her gold broach fell to the floor.