Chapter 2
Once they'd returned home, Prue had quickly excused herself from the mourners gathered for the wake and went upstairs. Phoebe let her go, knowing there was nothing they could do about it. Besides, they had other issues.
She told Leo and Cole about the girl, and the premonition she had about her. In close proximity to people who knew nothing of their activities, they soon had to move to the side to continue their conversation. As they were discussing vanquish plans though, Prue returned. She did not look happy about what they were suggesting. And she quickly made it clear that her outlook on things had tipped to the 'opposing' camp.
"Don't ask me to go out and risk my life like that. Not anymore, alright? I've had it! How can you even think that I would go?" she asked Leo, almost daring him to try a response. She was almost shaking by now.
"Prue, please try to stay calm..."
"You want me to be calm? I would think you of all people would get why this can't happen again." She saw the pain in his eyes, making her dial it down. "No more Charmed Ones. No more fighting. I'm tired..." And she went back upstairs. Leo tried to follow, but Phoebe knowing her sister, knowing the feeling of total defeat trapped in her heart, held the whitelighter back.
"No, let her go. She needs to be alone... for now. I agree with her, Leo. But I can't let that girl die either... I can't let Shax do that again."
So the decision was made. Phoebe, along with Cole would go out and try to find this girl apparently targeted by Shax, and they would save her. After informing her father, who didn't seem too keen on letting her go, they started to leave. They were stopped by the arrival of Darryl and the Inspector in charge of the case. Once they'd managed to get away from him, thanks to Victor, the two left, hoping their 'target' wouldn't be too hard to find.
Up in the attic, a stone-silent Prue forcefully placed five candles in a circle and lit them before looking down at the Book of Shadows, reading over the spell, and readying herself for...
"Hear these words, hear my cry
Spirit from the other side
Come to me, I summon thee
Cross now the great divide."
Within the circle, lights began to appear, and suddenly Prue felt a hint of happiness, the one brought to her by her dear sister Piper. But that faded just a bit when she saw it wasn't her sister but rather her grandmother.
"Grams..."
"Hello, my darling. How are you?"
"How am I? Grams, do you know what's going on here?"
"I didn't mean it like that... How are you holding up?"
"Not even a little bit," she looked down, then curious, "But why are you here? Why now and not before when I..."
"I couldn't, Prue. I was... busy."
"What could have been so important?"
"I was with Piper." Prue's throat squeezed up, dry.
"I'm sorry..." Grams nodded. "How is she? Is she okay?"
"Your mother and I are helping her through this."
"But how is she?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you now... just like you're not allowed to see her, at least not for a while anyway.
"Why?" Prue asked, feeling like someone was kicking her in the gut repeatedly with every word her grandmother spoke.
"Because seeing Prue right now, speaking to her, keeps her alive for you. Which keeps you from being able to move on with your life, to continue your destiny."
"Destiny? We don't have a destiny, not that one, not anymore... Piper's..."
"I know, sweetie. I know... but if there's one thing you've learned over the last three years, it's that there's a reason for everything... which means there's a reason for this, too. Your destiny still awaits... Blessed be." And she disappeared in those same lights she appeared in, leaving behind a very baffled Prue.
*
Elsewhere in town, the girl of Phoebe's premonition was having herself a great time at P3, with her boyfriend Shane. And when she decided to take him to the roof, she felt energized, had no idea that within seconds everything would change for her in ways she could never have imagined.
As she was kissing Shane, a great wind caught up and from the corner of her eye she saw... a terrible great beast of a man. With a blast, the beast sent Shane flying before turning turning on the frightened Paige. He prepared for another blast, she could tell. Even though she knew it wouldn't do much, her arms flew up to her face to try and shield herself and all she could think at that moment was how much she didn't want to be there.
And then it happened. She felt herself get almost pulled apart. Only it didn't hurt. Everything became bright, almost serene for a second. That all went away quickly though and she was back on the roof, feeling scared. She looked up at the beast and saw it looked perplexed. She took that as her opportunity to run away and made a mad dash for the door.
As she ran down the stairs, trying to go faster than her legs would allow, but she could already hear the wind... he was coming back, coming after her again. She tried to go even faster and before she could get much further she saw a man and a woman appear before her. Despite her shock she listened to the woman who told her to leave.
Phoebe and Cole had a small 'brawl' with Shax before Phoebe was able to say the spell and Shax 'winded away'. It was only after that they realized they'd lost the girl again...
Once they'd returned home, Prue had quickly excused herself from the mourners gathered for the wake and went upstairs. Phoebe let her go, knowing there was nothing they could do about it. Besides, they had other issues.
She told Leo and Cole about the girl, and the premonition she had about her. In close proximity to people who knew nothing of their activities, they soon had to move to the side to continue their conversation. As they were discussing vanquish plans though, Prue returned. She did not look happy about what they were suggesting. And she quickly made it clear that her outlook on things had tipped to the 'opposing' camp.
"Don't ask me to go out and risk my life like that. Not anymore, alright? I've had it! How can you even think that I would go?" she asked Leo, almost daring him to try a response. She was almost shaking by now.
"Prue, please try to stay calm..."
"You want me to be calm? I would think you of all people would get why this can't happen again." She saw the pain in his eyes, making her dial it down. "No more Charmed Ones. No more fighting. I'm tired..." And she went back upstairs. Leo tried to follow, but Phoebe knowing her sister, knowing the feeling of total defeat trapped in her heart, held the whitelighter back.
"No, let her go. She needs to be alone... for now. I agree with her, Leo. But I can't let that girl die either... I can't let Shax do that again."
So the decision was made. Phoebe, along with Cole would go out and try to find this girl apparently targeted by Shax, and they would save her. After informing her father, who didn't seem too keen on letting her go, they started to leave. They were stopped by the arrival of Darryl and the Inspector in charge of the case. Once they'd managed to get away from him, thanks to Victor, the two left, hoping their 'target' wouldn't be too hard to find.
Up in the attic, a stone-silent Prue forcefully placed five candles in a circle and lit them before looking down at the Book of Shadows, reading over the spell, and readying herself for...
"Hear these words, hear my cry
Spirit from the other side
Come to me, I summon thee
Cross now the great divide."
Within the circle, lights began to appear, and suddenly Prue felt a hint of happiness, the one brought to her by her dear sister Piper. But that faded just a bit when she saw it wasn't her sister but rather her grandmother.
"Grams..."
"Hello, my darling. How are you?"
"How am I? Grams, do you know what's going on here?"
"I didn't mean it like that... How are you holding up?"
"Not even a little bit," she looked down, then curious, "But why are you here? Why now and not before when I..."
"I couldn't, Prue. I was... busy."
"What could have been so important?"
"I was with Piper." Prue's throat squeezed up, dry.
"I'm sorry..." Grams nodded. "How is she? Is she okay?"
"Your mother and I are helping her through this."
"But how is she?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you now... just like you're not allowed to see her, at least not for a while anyway.
"Why?" Prue asked, feeling like someone was kicking her in the gut repeatedly with every word her grandmother spoke.
"Because seeing Prue right now, speaking to her, keeps her alive for you. Which keeps you from being able to move on with your life, to continue your destiny."
"Destiny? We don't have a destiny, not that one, not anymore... Piper's..."
"I know, sweetie. I know... but if there's one thing you've learned over the last three years, it's that there's a reason for everything... which means there's a reason for this, too. Your destiny still awaits... Blessed be." And she disappeared in those same lights she appeared in, leaving behind a very baffled Prue.
*
Elsewhere in town, the girl of Phoebe's premonition was having herself a great time at P3, with her boyfriend Shane. And when she decided to take him to the roof, she felt energized, had no idea that within seconds everything would change for her in ways she could never have imagined.
As she was kissing Shane, a great wind caught up and from the corner of her eye she saw... a terrible great beast of a man. With a blast, the beast sent Shane flying before turning turning on the frightened Paige. He prepared for another blast, she could tell. Even though she knew it wouldn't do much, her arms flew up to her face to try and shield herself and all she could think at that moment was how much she didn't want to be there.
And then it happened. She felt herself get almost pulled apart. Only it didn't hurt. Everything became bright, almost serene for a second. That all went away quickly though and she was back on the roof, feeling scared. She looked up at the beast and saw it looked perplexed. She took that as her opportunity to run away and made a mad dash for the door.
As she ran down the stairs, trying to go faster than her legs would allow, but she could already hear the wind... he was coming back, coming after her again. She tried to go even faster and before she could get much further she saw a man and a woman appear before her. Despite her shock she listened to the woman who told her to leave.
Phoebe and Cole had a small 'brawl' with Shax before Phoebe was able to say the spell and Shax 'winded away'. It was only after that they realized they'd lost the girl again...