A/N: The paragraphing got messed up. So I had to space the
paragraphs. Sorry! Lol.
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"What? Prue, what are you talking about?" Piper asked shrilly, fear in her voice.
Prue chewed her lip and stared at the floor. "The Angel of Death. He doesn't stop until he gets who he's after. I was meant to die, so he won't stop until I'm dead."
"We won't let that happen, Prue. We saved you once and we'll keep saving you. We won't let them take you from us," Phoebe said weakly, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears.
"Prue's right, though, Phoebe. The Angel of Death won't stop coming after her. She was meant to . . . die . . . and he won't stop until he has her," Leo reminded them.
"But don't we live our own lives? Make our own destinies?" Paige asked, looking from one person to the other.
Piper nodded. "We do. We make our own choices. But sometimes things can't be helped. Sometimes, if something is meant to happen, it will, no matter what we do to try and stop it."
Phoebe frowned. "But if Prue dies, the Power of Three really will be broken, won't it?" No one said anything at that. Phoebe quickly added, "I mean, loosing a sister would be even worse than loosing a Charmed One. But- "
"Phoebe, calm down," Prue murmured, sighing.
"Calm down? Prue, you're talking about dying and you want me to calm down??" Phoebe shrieked
"Look, nevermind, okay? Right now we need to . . . I don't know," Prue said, looking at Leo. "What do we do? I was saved. But . . ." she looked at Paige, then back at Leo.
"What?" Paige asked, confused. "Oh, right." She looked away, suddenly sad. She wondered what her life would have been like, had she not died. That Elder, Kernaphist, he had told her little of what her future would have held if she had not died. She wondered if Leo knew.
Paige cleared her throat and the room silenced. Everyone stared at her. "Uhm, I was just wondering . . ." she said, looking at Leo, "if you knew what would have happened to me if I'd lived. I mean, I kinda get that I'm their half sister," she added, nodding at Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, "but I don't understand the rest. Kernaphist didn't really explain much to me."
Leo glanced at the Charmed Ones. "Fill her in. I'll be back." He kissed Piper and orbed out. "Okay, well I think we should go downstairs," Prue said, looking at Paige. "We have a lot to explain . . ."
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Piper entered the living room, holding a tray full of coffee cups and her homemade corn muffins. She set it down on the coffee table, then sat next to Prue on the couch. Phoebe and Paige sat opposite them.
"Paige, we don't really know what would have happened if you'd lived and . . . and I'd died," Prue began slowly. "You were meant to replace me as a Charmed One, the most powerful witches known. You'd be half witch and half Whitelighter. And, well, I really don't know after that."
Paige nodded slowly, sipping the hot coffee she held. She was about to say something when a shadow caught her eye. She looked up and behind Piper and Prue. Her eyes widened and she jumped up, dropping her coffee. "D-d-demon!" she cried.
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe went right into action, jumping up and spinning around. But what they saw scared the hell out of them.
Shax stood in front of the girls, an almost drunken look on his face. It seemed like a constant wind was surrounding him. He took few steps closer to the girls.
Prue squinted her eyes, trying to TK Shax away from them, but he barely flinched, advancing closer to them. Piper threw up her hands to blow him up and missed. Shax grinned, stepping closer and closer. Phoebe ran at him, jumping up, leg out, to kick him, but Shax simply grabbed her around the ankle and threw her aside. Phoebe screamed, hitting the wall pretty hard and landing on the ground in a motionless heap.
"Phoebe!" Prue cried. She and Piper moved close, keeping Paige behind them. "Piper, quick, the spell, the spell! What was it?" she asked, panicked.
"I . . . I don't remember!" Piper cried, just as panicked. "Think! Uhm . . .Uhm . . . Evil wind that blows, that which forms below . . ." she cut off, trying desperately to remember.
"Oh! Uhm . . . no longer may you dwell, death takes you with this spell, Piper finished.
Quickly, Prue and Piper chanted the spell together, three times.
Shax growled and hissed, turning into wind. The wind retreated and disappeared.
"Did we get him?" Piper asked, frowning.
"I hope so," Prue replied, running to where Phoebe was finally coming to.
Phoebe blinked and groaned in pain, sitting up. "Where's Shax?" she managed to ask, rubbing her aching arm.
"Gone . . . for now," Prue replied, helping Phoebe stand. "We need all three of us to say the spell and so far, we haven't been able to do that.
"Next time. We'll get him next time, when we're prepared more," Piper said, trying to sound confident.
Paige collapsed onto the chair, shaking all over with fear. Personally, she was happy she hadn't become a witch, even though it still ran in her blood. She didn't have to worry about practicing the craft or demons attacking daily.
"So Shax isn't gone for good, then?" She asked, frowning at the sister's. She bit her lip. "Isn't that spell meant to destroy him?"
Prue nodded. "It is. But it needs the Power of Three to work because Shax is a very powerful assassin." She paused. "We need Leo. He needs to start showing Paige how to use her orbing and healing powers so she won't be defenseless next time."
As if he had heard her, Leo orbed in. "Kernaphist said the same thing," Leo said. He walked to Paige. "Come on, let's go up to the attic." He took her hand and orbed her out of the room.
Prue sighed and sat down on the couch. "Shax won't give up until he kills us. We need to stop him." She looked up at her sisters, frowning.
"We will, Prue, we will. We just need to be prepared next time. We'll memorize the spell and stay close, that way if Shax attacks we'll be able to stop him," Phoebe replied.
Prue sighed. "I hope you're right. The sooner we vanquish Shax the better."
Leo circled Paige. The young Whitelighter had her eyes closed and was breathing slowly and deeply.
"Concentrate, Paige. Just imagine it happening. Picture the living room in your head," he coached.
Paige did as she was told. She tried to clear her mind of everything but the living room and what it looked like, down to every detail she could remember. Suddenly, she felt light as a feather, her fingers tingling. She felt warm and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of the living room.
"I did it!" she cried, smiling at Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, who were sitting on the couch talking.
Prue smiled. "Good. Now try going back to the attic."
Paige nodded and closed her eyes, imagining every detail of the attic. Her fingers began to tingle again. She felt light and warm. Seconds later, she opened her eyes to see a smiling Leo.
"Good. I think you have that one down. Now, healing . . ." Leo thought a moment. "Let's go downstairs."
Paige nodded and headed for the door, but Leo grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"We're orbing," he said.
Paige nodded, smiling a bit. She closed her eyes, pictured the living room, opened her eyes, and found she was in the living room, standing next to Leo.
"I need a volunteer to get hurt," Leo told them.
Piper frowned. "Leo . . .?"
"So Paige can try healing," Leo finished.
Prue stood. "I'll 'volunteer' to get hurt."
Phoebe reached into her pocket and handed Prue her pocketknife. Prue braced herself, then slit her palm. She hissed, then held her hand out to Paige.
Paige put her hand over Prue's and concentrated on healing it. A golden glow emanated between her hand and Prue's. When the glow faded, Paige lifted her hand up. Prue's hand was healed. The wound was closed and the blood was gone.
"You're a fast learner," Piper commented.
"That's a good thing, right?" Paige asked.
Piper smiled and nodded.
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"When do we strike?"
"Soon, Marcus, soon. We will strike when the time is right and when the witches do not expect it. The oldest was meant to be killed by Shax and she will be killed, one way or another."
Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Will the Source punish Shax? He failed, twice, to kill the witch. A failure as great as that is punishable by death."
"It is. And if the Source doesn't do the job, I will. Either way, I will get the credit for killing her."
"You? But I am going to kill her!" Marcus snarled.
"And the credit will go to me. Do you have a problem with that, Marcus?"
Marcus eyed the fireball that had been formed and shook his head. "N-no. You'll get the credit . . . "he replied.
"That's better. Now, be patient. They are preparing for another attack from Shax. If you strike now, you will be killed."
Marcus nodded. "Yes. Then I will wait and the moment the witches don't expect it, I'll attack."
"What? Prue, what are you talking about?" Piper asked shrilly, fear in her voice.
Prue chewed her lip and stared at the floor. "The Angel of Death. He doesn't stop until he gets who he's after. I was meant to die, so he won't stop until I'm dead."
"We won't let that happen, Prue. We saved you once and we'll keep saving you. We won't let them take you from us," Phoebe said weakly, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears.
"Prue's right, though, Phoebe. The Angel of Death won't stop coming after her. She was meant to . . . die . . . and he won't stop until he has her," Leo reminded them.
"But don't we live our own lives? Make our own destinies?" Paige asked, looking from one person to the other.
Piper nodded. "We do. We make our own choices. But sometimes things can't be helped. Sometimes, if something is meant to happen, it will, no matter what we do to try and stop it."
Phoebe frowned. "But if Prue dies, the Power of Three really will be broken, won't it?" No one said anything at that. Phoebe quickly added, "I mean, loosing a sister would be even worse than loosing a Charmed One. But- "
"Phoebe, calm down," Prue murmured, sighing.
"Calm down? Prue, you're talking about dying and you want me to calm down??" Phoebe shrieked
"Look, nevermind, okay? Right now we need to . . . I don't know," Prue said, looking at Leo. "What do we do? I was saved. But . . ." she looked at Paige, then back at Leo.
"What?" Paige asked, confused. "Oh, right." She looked away, suddenly sad. She wondered what her life would have been like, had she not died. That Elder, Kernaphist, he had told her little of what her future would have held if she had not died. She wondered if Leo knew.
Paige cleared her throat and the room silenced. Everyone stared at her. "Uhm, I was just wondering . . ." she said, looking at Leo, "if you knew what would have happened to me if I'd lived. I mean, I kinda get that I'm their half sister," she added, nodding at Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, "but I don't understand the rest. Kernaphist didn't really explain much to me."
Leo glanced at the Charmed Ones. "Fill her in. I'll be back." He kissed Piper and orbed out. "Okay, well I think we should go downstairs," Prue said, looking at Paige. "We have a lot to explain . . ."
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Piper entered the living room, holding a tray full of coffee cups and her homemade corn muffins. She set it down on the coffee table, then sat next to Prue on the couch. Phoebe and Paige sat opposite them.
"Paige, we don't really know what would have happened if you'd lived and . . . and I'd died," Prue began slowly. "You were meant to replace me as a Charmed One, the most powerful witches known. You'd be half witch and half Whitelighter. And, well, I really don't know after that."
Paige nodded slowly, sipping the hot coffee she held. She was about to say something when a shadow caught her eye. She looked up and behind Piper and Prue. Her eyes widened and she jumped up, dropping her coffee. "D-d-demon!" she cried.
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe went right into action, jumping up and spinning around. But what they saw scared the hell out of them.
Shax stood in front of the girls, an almost drunken look on his face. It seemed like a constant wind was surrounding him. He took few steps closer to the girls.
Prue squinted her eyes, trying to TK Shax away from them, but he barely flinched, advancing closer to them. Piper threw up her hands to blow him up and missed. Shax grinned, stepping closer and closer. Phoebe ran at him, jumping up, leg out, to kick him, but Shax simply grabbed her around the ankle and threw her aside. Phoebe screamed, hitting the wall pretty hard and landing on the ground in a motionless heap.
"Phoebe!" Prue cried. She and Piper moved close, keeping Paige behind them. "Piper, quick, the spell, the spell! What was it?" she asked, panicked.
"I . . . I don't remember!" Piper cried, just as panicked. "Think! Uhm . . .Uhm . . . Evil wind that blows, that which forms below . . ." she cut off, trying desperately to remember.
"Oh! Uhm . . . no longer may you dwell, death takes you with this spell, Piper finished.
Quickly, Prue and Piper chanted the spell together, three times.
Shax growled and hissed, turning into wind. The wind retreated and disappeared.
"Did we get him?" Piper asked, frowning.
"I hope so," Prue replied, running to where Phoebe was finally coming to.
Phoebe blinked and groaned in pain, sitting up. "Where's Shax?" she managed to ask, rubbing her aching arm.
"Gone . . . for now," Prue replied, helping Phoebe stand. "We need all three of us to say the spell and so far, we haven't been able to do that.
"Next time. We'll get him next time, when we're prepared more," Piper said, trying to sound confident.
Paige collapsed onto the chair, shaking all over with fear. Personally, she was happy she hadn't become a witch, even though it still ran in her blood. She didn't have to worry about practicing the craft or demons attacking daily.
"So Shax isn't gone for good, then?" She asked, frowning at the sister's. She bit her lip. "Isn't that spell meant to destroy him?"
Prue nodded. "It is. But it needs the Power of Three to work because Shax is a very powerful assassin." She paused. "We need Leo. He needs to start showing Paige how to use her orbing and healing powers so she won't be defenseless next time."
As if he had heard her, Leo orbed in. "Kernaphist said the same thing," Leo said. He walked to Paige. "Come on, let's go up to the attic." He took her hand and orbed her out of the room.
Prue sighed and sat down on the couch. "Shax won't give up until he kills us. We need to stop him." She looked up at her sisters, frowning.
"We will, Prue, we will. We just need to be prepared next time. We'll memorize the spell and stay close, that way if Shax attacks we'll be able to stop him," Phoebe replied.
Prue sighed. "I hope you're right. The sooner we vanquish Shax the better."
Leo circled Paige. The young Whitelighter had her eyes closed and was breathing slowly and deeply.
"Concentrate, Paige. Just imagine it happening. Picture the living room in your head," he coached.
Paige did as she was told. She tried to clear her mind of everything but the living room and what it looked like, down to every detail she could remember. Suddenly, she felt light as a feather, her fingers tingling. She felt warm and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of the living room.
"I did it!" she cried, smiling at Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, who were sitting on the couch talking.
Prue smiled. "Good. Now try going back to the attic."
Paige nodded and closed her eyes, imagining every detail of the attic. Her fingers began to tingle again. She felt light and warm. Seconds later, she opened her eyes to see a smiling Leo.
"Good. I think you have that one down. Now, healing . . ." Leo thought a moment. "Let's go downstairs."
Paige nodded and headed for the door, but Leo grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"We're orbing," he said.
Paige nodded, smiling a bit. She closed her eyes, pictured the living room, opened her eyes, and found she was in the living room, standing next to Leo.
"I need a volunteer to get hurt," Leo told them.
Piper frowned. "Leo . . .?"
"So Paige can try healing," Leo finished.
Prue stood. "I'll 'volunteer' to get hurt."
Phoebe reached into her pocket and handed Prue her pocketknife. Prue braced herself, then slit her palm. She hissed, then held her hand out to Paige.
Paige put her hand over Prue's and concentrated on healing it. A golden glow emanated between her hand and Prue's. When the glow faded, Paige lifted her hand up. Prue's hand was healed. The wound was closed and the blood was gone.
"You're a fast learner," Piper commented.
"That's a good thing, right?" Paige asked.
Piper smiled and nodded.
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"When do we strike?"
"Soon, Marcus, soon. We will strike when the time is right and when the witches do not expect it. The oldest was meant to be killed by Shax and she will be killed, one way or another."
Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Will the Source punish Shax? He failed, twice, to kill the witch. A failure as great as that is punishable by death."
"It is. And if the Source doesn't do the job, I will. Either way, I will get the credit for killing her."
"You? But I am going to kill her!" Marcus snarled.
"And the credit will go to me. Do you have a problem with that, Marcus?"
Marcus eyed the fireball that had been formed and shook his head. "N-no. You'll get the credit . . . "he replied.
"That's better. Now, be patient. They are preparing for another attack from Shax. If you strike now, you will be killed."
Marcus nodded. "Yes. Then I will wait and the moment the witches don't expect it, I'll attack."