CHARMED

"Loganville"

by J. B. Tilton

email: aramath@isot.com

Rating: PG (for mild language)

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

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(Authors note: This story takes place between season 5 episodes "Siren Song" and "Witches In Tights".)

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The Charmed Ones must fight an evil tyrant in a small town where their powers don't work.

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ONE

Piper turned off the highway onto a country road. She flipped the visor back up into position. Heading north in the late afternoon she didn't need it to block the sun from her eyes. Phoebe sat next to her in the car reading a book. Paige was dozing in the back seat.

"Where you going?" Phoebe asked, noticing the turn off.

"I want to fill up on gas before we go much farther," Piper responded. "I'm not sure how far the next gas station is and we're getting low. There was a sign back there that said there was a town about ten miles down this road."

"Okay," Phoebe said, glancing in the back seat. "Looks like Paige is beat."

"Yeah," Piper said, "it's a long trip. But I think it did her some good. These yearly pilgrimages to the lake where mom died have a kind of cleansing affect. Paige may not have known mom, but I think in some ways she has her own demons about what happened."

"I know what you mean," Phoebe said. "I always feel better after visiting the lake. It's different without Prue being here but I'm glad Paige was."

"Well," Piper said, "it didn't take much to convince her to join us this year. I think she was kind of curious about mom's death. We really haven't told her that much about it."

'We'll have to remedy that," Phoebe said. "Once we get home I think we should tell her everything we know about how mom died."

"I'd like that," Paige said from the back seat. "You've told me some of what happened. I understand why she and Sam gave me up like they did. I'd like to know as much as I can about her."

"We'll tell you everything we can," promised Piper. "Not all of it's good but you do have the right to know about your mother."

"No one is perfect," Paige said. "Everyone makes mistakes. But she was my mother. I need to know who she was and understand her."

The car passed the city limit sign of a small town. As it did, Piper suddenly swerved off the road onto the shoulder. The car came to a screeching halt.

"What the hell was that?" Piper asked, holding her head.

"I don't know," Phoebe said, holding her head as well, "but I felt it, too."

"So did I," Paige added. "It felt like a hot poker in my brain. It's gone now but for a second I could hardly see straight."

"It seems to have passed," Phoebe said. "Maybe it was some kind of gas or something. Something we passed through on the road."

"I don't know," Piper said, "but everything seems to be okay now. I feel fine. How are you both feeling?"

"I'm okay," Paige said. "Like Phoebe said, it seems to have passed."

"The station is probably just ahead," Piper said. "Let's get the gas and get out of this town."

"Is the baby okay?" Phoebe asked, putting her hand on Piper's stomach.

"I think so," Piper said. "Whatever it was, I don't think it affected the baby."

Piper drove on into the small town wondering what had just happened.