Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the television show Charmed.
All characters belong to Spelling Television, and The WB.
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 31
"Okay, so are we clear on the plan?" Piper asked as she put on a thin jacket.
Phoebe nodded as she replayed the plan in her head. "Sounds simple enough."
"Paige, how about you?" The youngest witch didn't respond but instead fixed her gaze on the floor. "Paige?" Piper called once again.
"I got it. Guard the house and protect Wyatt," Paige answered.
"Exactly. And do not let Wyatt near Chris," Phoebe added.
"Chris said that we need to stay together or they'll defeat us," Paige protested.
Piper sighed in frustration. "Well, Chris is not exactly someone I trust right now."
"Don't worry," Phoebe offered, "we have everything that we need. Potions, spells, and what not. We can handle these demons."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Who is it?" Chris called out upon hearing a noise from the stairs. His question was quickly answered when Paige entered the room, holding Wyatt in her arms. A look of surprise was evident on the young Whitelighter's face. "Paige? What are you doing here?"
"They told me to guard the house and stay with Wyatt."
Chris groaned in frustration. "Didn't I tell you to stay together? I can't believe this!"
"Can you blame them?" Paige asked as she sat down.
Chris fixed an angry glare at her. "If you want to tell me that this is all my own doing because I never give straight answers, you can just save it. I've heard that lecture once too many times today."
"You still don't get it, do you?" she chastised. "It's always about other people. Always how other people don't understand you. Have you ever thought that maybe you should think about how other people would feel about your actions? It's not always about you, you know."
The anger rising was apparent even from where Paige was sitting. "Don't you even start accusing me of being selfish. I wouldn't be here if that was the case."
"You're not making any sense, Chris."
"Tell me, Paige. What have I gained from being your Whitelighter, aside from the constant accusations, mistrust, and talks behind my back?"
"That's so unfair, Chris," Paige protested.
"Oh, is it? You think I'm so oblivious that I don't know about Piper and Phoebe's discussion when I'm not around. How they've wished that I would go away and leave them alone? How they wished I would quit pestering them about vanquishing demons?"
"You don't know."
"And how many times did I have to defend myself against you three because you found it impossible to trust anyone aside from your precious Leo?"
"I never accused you of anything," Paige shot back.
"You didn't have to," Chris muttered softly, not wanting to continue the argument. "Just do me a favour. Go and help Piper and Phoebe."
"No way," she answered. "They asked me to watch Wyatt."
"I can watch Wyatt," Chris replied. "Just go and help them."
Paige hesitated as she thought about Chris' request. She wanted to believe Chris and help her sisters but she could not ignore the nagging doubts in her mind.
"Look," Chris continued, his voice betraying his frustration. "You can doubt me if you like. But unless you're really looking forward to living the rest of your life with the Power of One, then you better get to Piper and Phoebe real soon."
"What about Wyatt?" she asked weakly, her mind obviously made up already.
"I can watch over him. Nothing will happen to him if you manage to get rid of these demons tonight. Just trust me this time - please?"
"Fine," Paige sighed. "I'll trust you - one more time."
"Thank you," Chris said softly, his eyes looking at the floor. "Just go," he added in a near-whisper.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, so where are these demons?" Piper whispered as she and Phoebe felt their way around the cave.
"I don't know," Phoebe whispered back. "How big is this cave anyway?" They turned another corner before halting their advance. In the distance, they could see a faint fire with several demons gathered around it.
"Okay, I say we just get in and blow these demons to bits. Then we get out of here," Piper suggested.
"Good idea. This place gives me the creeps," Phoebe agreed.
"Are you guys alright?" another voice called out, nearly causing Piper and Phoebe to scream out loud.
"Paige, don't sneak up on us like that!" Phoebe admonished.
A look of disapproval could be seen on Piper's face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be guarding the manor!"
"Chris said that I needed to come help you."
"And you believed him??" Piper asked incredulously. "And what about Wyatt?"
"Chris is looking after him," Paige answered sheepishly.
"What?" Piper hissed. "Just what were you thinking? How could you leave Wyatt with him?"
"Let's just finish up these demons and get back to the manor, okay?" Phoebe suggested, trying to stop a full-fledged argument from flaring.
"Why don't you give Chris a chance?" Paige continued, refusing to drop the subject.
"I think we've given him plenty of chances. He's nothing but a lying, conniving demonic being with an agenda that we still know nothing about."
"What about all the times that he helped us?" Paige challenged.
"Only to advance his own agenda."
"Why can't you accept the fact that he might actually be good?"
Piper glared at Paige, her anger apparent. "Trust me, Paige. Chris is as evil as they come. He's bad news, okay?"
"Girls!" Phoebe cut in once again. "Can we just focus and vanquish these demons? Then we can go back to the manor and sort everything out, okay?"
After a moment of silence, the Charmed Ones agreed to a temporary truce. The three of them advanced on the demons and launched their attack. To their dismay, their power had no effect on the demons at all. Even more strange was the fact that while the demons were not effected by the attack, neither did they make an effort to attack the Charmed Ones. All they did was move around to evade the three witches.
It took a couple of minutes before Phoebe called for her sister's attention. "Okay, this does not look good."
"What?" Piper asked, still wondering what was going on.
"Uh, I think we've been played."
"What are you talking about?" Paige asked.
Instead of answering, Phoebe walked towards one of the demons. Piper and Paige gasped in horror as Phoebe walked right through the demon.
"They're not real," Piper whispered.
Paige felt her knees buckle as she slid to the ground, her heart breaking to pieces. "There were no demons to vanquish," she said to no one in particular.
"This was all a setup!" Phoebe cried out, furious at being fooled. At that moment, all the "demons" disappeared, confirming that they had spent the last few minutes fighting against hallucinations and illusions.
"Wyatt!" Piper suddenly called out in alarm as the realization of this setup hit her like a ton of bricks.
~ to be continued ~
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 31
"Okay, so are we clear on the plan?" Piper asked as she put on a thin jacket.
Phoebe nodded as she replayed the plan in her head. "Sounds simple enough."
"Paige, how about you?" The youngest witch didn't respond but instead fixed her gaze on the floor. "Paige?" Piper called once again.
"I got it. Guard the house and protect Wyatt," Paige answered.
"Exactly. And do not let Wyatt near Chris," Phoebe added.
"Chris said that we need to stay together or they'll defeat us," Paige protested.
Piper sighed in frustration. "Well, Chris is not exactly someone I trust right now."
"Don't worry," Phoebe offered, "we have everything that we need. Potions, spells, and what not. We can handle these demons."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Who is it?" Chris called out upon hearing a noise from the stairs. His question was quickly answered when Paige entered the room, holding Wyatt in her arms. A look of surprise was evident on the young Whitelighter's face. "Paige? What are you doing here?"
"They told me to guard the house and stay with Wyatt."
Chris groaned in frustration. "Didn't I tell you to stay together? I can't believe this!"
"Can you blame them?" Paige asked as she sat down.
Chris fixed an angry glare at her. "If you want to tell me that this is all my own doing because I never give straight answers, you can just save it. I've heard that lecture once too many times today."
"You still don't get it, do you?" she chastised. "It's always about other people. Always how other people don't understand you. Have you ever thought that maybe you should think about how other people would feel about your actions? It's not always about you, you know."
The anger rising was apparent even from where Paige was sitting. "Don't you even start accusing me of being selfish. I wouldn't be here if that was the case."
"You're not making any sense, Chris."
"Tell me, Paige. What have I gained from being your Whitelighter, aside from the constant accusations, mistrust, and talks behind my back?"
"That's so unfair, Chris," Paige protested.
"Oh, is it? You think I'm so oblivious that I don't know about Piper and Phoebe's discussion when I'm not around. How they've wished that I would go away and leave them alone? How they wished I would quit pestering them about vanquishing demons?"
"You don't know."
"And how many times did I have to defend myself against you three because you found it impossible to trust anyone aside from your precious Leo?"
"I never accused you of anything," Paige shot back.
"You didn't have to," Chris muttered softly, not wanting to continue the argument. "Just do me a favour. Go and help Piper and Phoebe."
"No way," she answered. "They asked me to watch Wyatt."
"I can watch Wyatt," Chris replied. "Just go and help them."
Paige hesitated as she thought about Chris' request. She wanted to believe Chris and help her sisters but she could not ignore the nagging doubts in her mind.
"Look," Chris continued, his voice betraying his frustration. "You can doubt me if you like. But unless you're really looking forward to living the rest of your life with the Power of One, then you better get to Piper and Phoebe real soon."
"What about Wyatt?" she asked weakly, her mind obviously made up already.
"I can watch over him. Nothing will happen to him if you manage to get rid of these demons tonight. Just trust me this time - please?"
"Fine," Paige sighed. "I'll trust you - one more time."
"Thank you," Chris said softly, his eyes looking at the floor. "Just go," he added in a near-whisper.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, so where are these demons?" Piper whispered as she and Phoebe felt their way around the cave.
"I don't know," Phoebe whispered back. "How big is this cave anyway?" They turned another corner before halting their advance. In the distance, they could see a faint fire with several demons gathered around it.
"Okay, I say we just get in and blow these demons to bits. Then we get out of here," Piper suggested.
"Good idea. This place gives me the creeps," Phoebe agreed.
"Are you guys alright?" another voice called out, nearly causing Piper and Phoebe to scream out loud.
"Paige, don't sneak up on us like that!" Phoebe admonished.
A look of disapproval could be seen on Piper's face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be guarding the manor!"
"Chris said that I needed to come help you."
"And you believed him??" Piper asked incredulously. "And what about Wyatt?"
"Chris is looking after him," Paige answered sheepishly.
"What?" Piper hissed. "Just what were you thinking? How could you leave Wyatt with him?"
"Let's just finish up these demons and get back to the manor, okay?" Phoebe suggested, trying to stop a full-fledged argument from flaring.
"Why don't you give Chris a chance?" Paige continued, refusing to drop the subject.
"I think we've given him plenty of chances. He's nothing but a lying, conniving demonic being with an agenda that we still know nothing about."
"What about all the times that he helped us?" Paige challenged.
"Only to advance his own agenda."
"Why can't you accept the fact that he might actually be good?"
Piper glared at Paige, her anger apparent. "Trust me, Paige. Chris is as evil as they come. He's bad news, okay?"
"Girls!" Phoebe cut in once again. "Can we just focus and vanquish these demons? Then we can go back to the manor and sort everything out, okay?"
After a moment of silence, the Charmed Ones agreed to a temporary truce. The three of them advanced on the demons and launched their attack. To their dismay, their power had no effect on the demons at all. Even more strange was the fact that while the demons were not effected by the attack, neither did they make an effort to attack the Charmed Ones. All they did was move around to evade the three witches.
It took a couple of minutes before Phoebe called for her sister's attention. "Okay, this does not look good."
"What?" Piper asked, still wondering what was going on.
"Uh, I think we've been played."
"What are you talking about?" Paige asked.
Instead of answering, Phoebe walked towards one of the demons. Piper and Paige gasped in horror as Phoebe walked right through the demon.
"They're not real," Piper whispered.
Paige felt her knees buckle as she slid to the ground, her heart breaking to pieces. "There were no demons to vanquish," she said to no one in particular.
"This was all a setup!" Phoebe cried out, furious at being fooled. At that moment, all the "demons" disappeared, confirming that they had spent the last few minutes fighting against hallucinations and illusions.
"Wyatt!" Piper suddenly called out in alarm as the realization of this setup hit her like a ton of bricks.
~ to be continued ~
