"Leo! We were worried about you," Piper cried, running to Leo and
hugging him tightly. She had gotten over her near death experience, as had
Prue. But Phoebe was still pacing the room nervously. She still had her
memory, and knew it was her fault that her sisters had nearly died twice.
She sighed and sat down on the couch.
"So, what did the Elders want?' Prue asked, crossing her arms and watching Leo closely.
"Nothing. It wasn't connected to Shax or what happened here. They didn't mention it, even. So I'm guessing that everything that happened was meant to happen," Leo lied.
Piper frowned, stepping back and examining Leo. "You're lying."
Leo turned red. "I am not. Why would I lie about something as important as this?"
"To keep us from finding out something we might not want to know. Like maybe we really did change the future, and maybe you really weren't meant to save us. Or maybe time wasn't meant to be set back. I don't know. But you're hiding something, I can tell," Piper replied.
Prue and Phoebe glanced at Leo, expecting an answer. Leo looked uncomfortable.
"I am hiding something, but it doesn't have to do with what happened today. And it isn't anything you three need to worry about," he said suddenly, defensively.
"Leo," Piper growled, her tone low and warning. She didn't look happy.
"It's nothing you three need to worry about, not for awhile. I mean, who says you'll ever end up meeting Paige-"Leo paused, realizing his mistake. He looked down.
Piper exchanged a confused shrug with her sisters, then looked back at her husband. "Leo, who's Paige?"
Defeated, Leo caved. "She's your half sister. A half witch and half Whitelighter. Or . . . she was supposed to be half witch. She was meant to take the place of a fallen Charmed One"
Prue, Phoebe, and Piper gasped in shock. It was hard enough to hear they had a half sister, and even harder to grasp the concept that one of them had been meant to die.
"Who?" Phoebe asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know if-"
"Who?" Piper asked, backing next to her sisters.
"It really isn't-"
"Leo, we want to know," Prue snapped, tears in her eyes.
Leo looked down, then up at the sisters. He was defying the Elders' orders by telling them. But he couldn't keep it from them any longer. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "Prue."
Silence feel among the sisters. Phoebe began to sob; Piper tried to keep her tears at bay; Prue's eyes became misty, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead, she stood and began to stomp out of the room. Confused, Piper and Phoebe stood and followed. Leo hesitated, then followed the sisters, up the stairs and into the attic.
Prue walked to the brown trunk where they kept the magical herbs and candles. She pulled out four white candles and made a circle in the middle of the floor. She lit them with a lighter, then went to the Book of Shadows. She flipped through it until she found the spell she needed. She began to chant, "Hear my words, here my cry, Spirits from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide."
Golden lights appeared in the middle of the circle and, moments later, Grams appeared, smiling.
"Girls! How wonderful it is to-"She paused, seeing their grim and sad faces. "-See you . . . What happened?"
"Tell us about Paige. Tell us why you and mom never told us we had a half sister," Prue asked. Well, begged.
Grams frowned and shook her head. "I can't."
"But I can," replied a voice. More white lights appeared and Patty joined Grams in the circle.
"Okay, so talk," Prue muttered.
Quickly, and skipping not one detail, Patty told the sisters of her affair with her Whitelighter, and of giving Paige up to keep her safe, and to ensure they got their powers.
The sisters were once again shocked into silence.
"I was meant to die. Did you guys know?" Prue asked, still trying not to cry.
Grams nodded. "We did. We knew Paige would take your place, and the Charmed line would continue on."
Prue was about to ask another question, when Grams and Patty looked skyward, then back at the sisters with an apologetic frown.
"We must be going. My darling daughters, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. Please, take care of yourselves. Be safe," Patty said, before disappearing.
"Take care of yourselves, girls. The future holds a lot of unexpected turns now," Grams said, then she too disappeared.
Prue slumped down onto the antique couch, chewing her lip.
Phoebe had to sit, too, because the shock was overwhelming. She leaned into Prue and sobbed more. The thought of loosing her older sister was unbearable. They had come so close . . . so close to loosing her. And now the news of a half sister . . .
"I lived, and our little half sister had to die because for it," Prue mumbled, feeling utterly guilty.
"Oh, honey. Don't blame yourself. At least she's a Whitelighter. She can do so much good," Piper said softly, trying to comfort her older sister.
Leo looked skyward and orbed out unnoticed.
Up in the heavens, Leo spoke with the same Elder he had spoken to earlier, Kernaphist, who was very angry with Leo.
"I had to. The girls saw right through me. I had no choice but to tell them," Leo argued.
"Nonetheless, you disobeyed me. The girls were not to find out yet. And now they have," Kernaphist replied. His voice was low, but filled with anger. His eyes held disappointment. "They were not meant to find out until later on, when it was necessary, and when Paige understood her new role as a Whitelighter."
"But is it so wrong that they do know? Why hide it from them now? What's the point?" Leo wanted to know.
"Because now, at a time when the sisters are at a great risk, they are distracted by thoughts of a half sister, meant to replace Prue. Of a future in which, had it not been tampered with, there would have been a new sister among them. Of a future that did not include Prue in it," Kernaphist explained.
"What do you mean? What risk? What'd going to happen to them?" Leo asked, desperate to know and to warn the sisters.
"I cannot say," Kernaphist explained gently. "The future has been tampered with too much at this point. But you must make sure they are prepared. Also, Leo, Paige will be your responsibility. You will train her as a Whitelighter until she can proceed on her own. You will take her to meet her sisters."
Leo nodded. Kernaphist called for Paige, who seemed less confused and scared. He explained what was about to happen. Paige nodded and stepped next to Leo.
"Let's go. I'm ready to meet them," she said calmly.
Leo took her hand and orbed Paige back to the Manor, into the attic where Prue, Piper, and Phoebe still sat. The new arrival shocked them at first, but then they knew. They realized that this girl was Paige, the half sister that died because they had saved Prue.
Paige, nervous, walked up to the sisters and extended her hand. "I'm Paige. Paige Matthews."
Prue stood with a slight sigh. "I'm Prue. That's Piper, and that's Phoebe."
Paige forced a smile. The sisters seemed nice enough. "Well, this is kind of awkward."
Prue nodded. "Don't worry. We can talk, get to know-"Prue cut off and pushed Paige to the ground. An arrow pierced her stomach. She howled in pain.
Piper jumped up and blew up the Darklighter that had let the arrow fly. Leo, followed by Phoebe, ran to help Prue. Phoebe pulled the arrow out and Leo healed her. They stood, Piper helping Paige to her feet.
"What the hell was that?" Paige cried, eyes wide.
"That was a Darklighter," Prue said, sighing.
"Okay, I know the Elders mentioned them and stuff. But why come after me? I know they go after Whitelighters, but . . ." Paige cut off, confused.
Suddenly, it dawned on Prue.
"Because if they sent a Darklighter to attack, it would finish you off. And then if I were to die, like I'm meant to, there would be no way to reconstitute the Power of Three."
Piper frowned. "What do you mean, if you were to die like you were meant to?"
Prue sighed. "Because I escaped the Angel of Death once. I won't be able to again."
"So, what did the Elders want?' Prue asked, crossing her arms and watching Leo closely.
"Nothing. It wasn't connected to Shax or what happened here. They didn't mention it, even. So I'm guessing that everything that happened was meant to happen," Leo lied.
Piper frowned, stepping back and examining Leo. "You're lying."
Leo turned red. "I am not. Why would I lie about something as important as this?"
"To keep us from finding out something we might not want to know. Like maybe we really did change the future, and maybe you really weren't meant to save us. Or maybe time wasn't meant to be set back. I don't know. But you're hiding something, I can tell," Piper replied.
Prue and Phoebe glanced at Leo, expecting an answer. Leo looked uncomfortable.
"I am hiding something, but it doesn't have to do with what happened today. And it isn't anything you three need to worry about," he said suddenly, defensively.
"Leo," Piper growled, her tone low and warning. She didn't look happy.
"It's nothing you three need to worry about, not for awhile. I mean, who says you'll ever end up meeting Paige-"Leo paused, realizing his mistake. He looked down.
Piper exchanged a confused shrug with her sisters, then looked back at her husband. "Leo, who's Paige?"
Defeated, Leo caved. "She's your half sister. A half witch and half Whitelighter. Or . . . she was supposed to be half witch. She was meant to take the place of a fallen Charmed One"
Prue, Phoebe, and Piper gasped in shock. It was hard enough to hear they had a half sister, and even harder to grasp the concept that one of them had been meant to die.
"Who?" Phoebe asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know if-"
"Who?" Piper asked, backing next to her sisters.
"It really isn't-"
"Leo, we want to know," Prue snapped, tears in her eyes.
Leo looked down, then up at the sisters. He was defying the Elders' orders by telling them. But he couldn't keep it from them any longer. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "Prue."
Silence feel among the sisters. Phoebe began to sob; Piper tried to keep her tears at bay; Prue's eyes became misty, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead, she stood and began to stomp out of the room. Confused, Piper and Phoebe stood and followed. Leo hesitated, then followed the sisters, up the stairs and into the attic.
Prue walked to the brown trunk where they kept the magical herbs and candles. She pulled out four white candles and made a circle in the middle of the floor. She lit them with a lighter, then went to the Book of Shadows. She flipped through it until she found the spell she needed. She began to chant, "Hear my words, here my cry, Spirits from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide."
Golden lights appeared in the middle of the circle and, moments later, Grams appeared, smiling.
"Girls! How wonderful it is to-"She paused, seeing their grim and sad faces. "-See you . . . What happened?"
"Tell us about Paige. Tell us why you and mom never told us we had a half sister," Prue asked. Well, begged.
Grams frowned and shook her head. "I can't."
"But I can," replied a voice. More white lights appeared and Patty joined Grams in the circle.
"Okay, so talk," Prue muttered.
Quickly, and skipping not one detail, Patty told the sisters of her affair with her Whitelighter, and of giving Paige up to keep her safe, and to ensure they got their powers.
The sisters were once again shocked into silence.
"I was meant to die. Did you guys know?" Prue asked, still trying not to cry.
Grams nodded. "We did. We knew Paige would take your place, and the Charmed line would continue on."
Prue was about to ask another question, when Grams and Patty looked skyward, then back at the sisters with an apologetic frown.
"We must be going. My darling daughters, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. Please, take care of yourselves. Be safe," Patty said, before disappearing.
"Take care of yourselves, girls. The future holds a lot of unexpected turns now," Grams said, then she too disappeared.
Prue slumped down onto the antique couch, chewing her lip.
Phoebe had to sit, too, because the shock was overwhelming. She leaned into Prue and sobbed more. The thought of loosing her older sister was unbearable. They had come so close . . . so close to loosing her. And now the news of a half sister . . .
"I lived, and our little half sister had to die because for it," Prue mumbled, feeling utterly guilty.
"Oh, honey. Don't blame yourself. At least she's a Whitelighter. She can do so much good," Piper said softly, trying to comfort her older sister.
Leo looked skyward and orbed out unnoticed.
Up in the heavens, Leo spoke with the same Elder he had spoken to earlier, Kernaphist, who was very angry with Leo.
"I had to. The girls saw right through me. I had no choice but to tell them," Leo argued.
"Nonetheless, you disobeyed me. The girls were not to find out yet. And now they have," Kernaphist replied. His voice was low, but filled with anger. His eyes held disappointment. "They were not meant to find out until later on, when it was necessary, and when Paige understood her new role as a Whitelighter."
"But is it so wrong that they do know? Why hide it from them now? What's the point?" Leo wanted to know.
"Because now, at a time when the sisters are at a great risk, they are distracted by thoughts of a half sister, meant to replace Prue. Of a future in which, had it not been tampered with, there would have been a new sister among them. Of a future that did not include Prue in it," Kernaphist explained.
"What do you mean? What risk? What'd going to happen to them?" Leo asked, desperate to know and to warn the sisters.
"I cannot say," Kernaphist explained gently. "The future has been tampered with too much at this point. But you must make sure they are prepared. Also, Leo, Paige will be your responsibility. You will train her as a Whitelighter until she can proceed on her own. You will take her to meet her sisters."
Leo nodded. Kernaphist called for Paige, who seemed less confused and scared. He explained what was about to happen. Paige nodded and stepped next to Leo.
"Let's go. I'm ready to meet them," she said calmly.
Leo took her hand and orbed Paige back to the Manor, into the attic where Prue, Piper, and Phoebe still sat. The new arrival shocked them at first, but then they knew. They realized that this girl was Paige, the half sister that died because they had saved Prue.
Paige, nervous, walked up to the sisters and extended her hand. "I'm Paige. Paige Matthews."
Prue stood with a slight sigh. "I'm Prue. That's Piper, and that's Phoebe."
Paige forced a smile. The sisters seemed nice enough. "Well, this is kind of awkward."
Prue nodded. "Don't worry. We can talk, get to know-"Prue cut off and pushed Paige to the ground. An arrow pierced her stomach. She howled in pain.
Piper jumped up and blew up the Darklighter that had let the arrow fly. Leo, followed by Phoebe, ran to help Prue. Phoebe pulled the arrow out and Leo healed her. They stood, Piper helping Paige to her feet.
"What the hell was that?" Paige cried, eyes wide.
"That was a Darklighter," Prue said, sighing.
"Okay, I know the Elders mentioned them and stuff. But why come after me? I know they go after Whitelighters, but . . ." Paige cut off, confused.
Suddenly, it dawned on Prue.
"Because if they sent a Darklighter to attack, it would finish you off. And then if I were to die, like I'm meant to, there would be no way to reconstitute the Power of Three."
Piper frowned. "What do you mean, if you were to die like you were meant to?"
Prue sighed. "Because I escaped the Angel of Death once. I won't be able to again."