Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long coming. I haven't had the time to
write, but I do have another two chapters for those few people who are
still reading this. I'll stop blabbering now and go. Enjoy.
Chapter Eight: Fear of Demons
Phoebe looked at Paige worriedly as Leo joined them outside the attic door. Using her empathic abilities, Phoebe sensed her older sister there and could sense the confusion and the anger and fear that was pulsing through her sister at that moment. Turning to Leo, they shook their heads, telling him that she wouldn't unlock the door.
"We'd orb in, but we don't want to scare her," Paige said. "I think she has had enough of that already."
Nodding, Leo moved to the door and knocked lightly. "Piper, honey? It's me, Leo. Why don't you open the door and let us in? We need to talk."
"I don't want to talk!" she shouted through the door. "What did you turn me into? This isn't happening! This isn't real!"
Phoebe rolled her eyes, then, hearing a muffled cry. She left the attic door and went into the nursery to hush her daughter, but found her nephews doing it for her instead. "Wyatt, Chris?"
Chris turned to his aunt as Wyatt rocked the bassinette. "We heard her cry, and dad wanted us to stay together in case that demon attacked again. We thought we'd come in here and watch her, so that we can protect her if we need to."
Phoebe ruffled Chris' hair. "You boys are angels."
"Is mom all right?" Wyatt asked.
Phoebe sighed, not exactly sure how she was supposed to tell them that it wasn't really their mother who was with them in the kitchen at breakfast. Thinking, she came up with a simple lie that would tide them over until everything was straightened out. "She was just scared about the demon. She was afraid that it was going to go after you and she doesn't want anything to happen to her boys. So, you stay here and keep an eye on my girl, will you?"
Smiling, the boys nodded and Phoebe left the room. Making her way to the attic, she saw that the door was open and that Leo and Paige had just walked in. Running to catch up, Phoebe entered the attic and found a distraught Piper sitting in the center of the room, her hands around her legs and shaking.
"Piper, you okay?" Paige asked.
"Okay? I've turned into a witch and you want to know if I am okay?" she snapped.
"Good point," Paige relied.
Piper looked up and rolled her eyes. She scooted away as Leo made his way toward her and she watched him stop. "I told you to stay away from me."
"Piper, you need to tell us what's wrong," he said.
"What's wrong?" she shouted. "You turned me into a being that was hunted down and killed hundreds of years ago and you want to know what's wrong?"
"But that was hundreds of years ago, Piper. Witches are different now a days," Phoebe said.
"Oh, so I could walk down the street and easily use my powers in front of others?" Piper asked. Hearing no response, she knew she was right. "The point is, you turned me into something that I don't want to be. I want to go home, and I want to wake up and be in my bed in my room with my grams and my sisters down the hall, not in some house with a man who claims to be my husband and a woman who claims to be my sister and where I have children. I didn't ask for this. I'm not ready for this!"
Phoebe knelt down beside Piper and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Neither did I, Piper. When we first found out about who we really were and what we could do...none of us wanted to accept it, but we had to. It's our destiny. It's a part of us. Sure, it's been hard over the years, but we have had each other and we have dealt with everything that had been thrown our way."
Piper stared at her sister. "When did you turn into me?"
"Ever since I became the middle sister. Now, will you help us defeat the demon?"
Taking a deep breath, Piper looked away. "I'm not sure that I can. But, I can try."
Smiling, Phoebe helped Piper up and went to the Book of Shadows. She flipped through the pages and motioned for Piper to come and read. The page showed a picture of the demon they were to fight, and Piper read each word. It was an annilla, a female demon with the wings and talons of a bird. Reading the last few lines, Piper turned to Leo, a worried look in her eyes.
"It says that annillas prey on children," she said.
"So, it wasn't after us," Paige added. "It was trying to get through us to get to the kids."
Leo nodded at Piper, knowing what she was thinking. "We have to get Wyatt, Chris and the baby out of the house."
Phoebe shook her head. "No good. The annillas know their target and will go after them no matter where we send them."
"But if we keep them here, we can't watch them," Piper shouted. She turned away. Just moments ago she was angry that she had had a pair of children thrust on her, but now her motherly instincts were taking over and she would do anything to protect them. "We have to keep them safe. Who's going to watch them while we fight the demon?"
"Victor," Paige said.
Chapter Eight: Fear of Demons
Phoebe looked at Paige worriedly as Leo joined them outside the attic door. Using her empathic abilities, Phoebe sensed her older sister there and could sense the confusion and the anger and fear that was pulsing through her sister at that moment. Turning to Leo, they shook their heads, telling him that she wouldn't unlock the door.
"We'd orb in, but we don't want to scare her," Paige said. "I think she has had enough of that already."
Nodding, Leo moved to the door and knocked lightly. "Piper, honey? It's me, Leo. Why don't you open the door and let us in? We need to talk."
"I don't want to talk!" she shouted through the door. "What did you turn me into? This isn't happening! This isn't real!"
Phoebe rolled her eyes, then, hearing a muffled cry. She left the attic door and went into the nursery to hush her daughter, but found her nephews doing it for her instead. "Wyatt, Chris?"
Chris turned to his aunt as Wyatt rocked the bassinette. "We heard her cry, and dad wanted us to stay together in case that demon attacked again. We thought we'd come in here and watch her, so that we can protect her if we need to."
Phoebe ruffled Chris' hair. "You boys are angels."
"Is mom all right?" Wyatt asked.
Phoebe sighed, not exactly sure how she was supposed to tell them that it wasn't really their mother who was with them in the kitchen at breakfast. Thinking, she came up with a simple lie that would tide them over until everything was straightened out. "She was just scared about the demon. She was afraid that it was going to go after you and she doesn't want anything to happen to her boys. So, you stay here and keep an eye on my girl, will you?"
Smiling, the boys nodded and Phoebe left the room. Making her way to the attic, she saw that the door was open and that Leo and Paige had just walked in. Running to catch up, Phoebe entered the attic and found a distraught Piper sitting in the center of the room, her hands around her legs and shaking.
"Piper, you okay?" Paige asked.
"Okay? I've turned into a witch and you want to know if I am okay?" she snapped.
"Good point," Paige relied.
Piper looked up and rolled her eyes. She scooted away as Leo made his way toward her and she watched him stop. "I told you to stay away from me."
"Piper, you need to tell us what's wrong," he said.
"What's wrong?" she shouted. "You turned me into a being that was hunted down and killed hundreds of years ago and you want to know what's wrong?"
"But that was hundreds of years ago, Piper. Witches are different now a days," Phoebe said.
"Oh, so I could walk down the street and easily use my powers in front of others?" Piper asked. Hearing no response, she knew she was right. "The point is, you turned me into something that I don't want to be. I want to go home, and I want to wake up and be in my bed in my room with my grams and my sisters down the hall, not in some house with a man who claims to be my husband and a woman who claims to be my sister and where I have children. I didn't ask for this. I'm not ready for this!"
Phoebe knelt down beside Piper and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Neither did I, Piper. When we first found out about who we really were and what we could do...none of us wanted to accept it, but we had to. It's our destiny. It's a part of us. Sure, it's been hard over the years, but we have had each other and we have dealt with everything that had been thrown our way."
Piper stared at her sister. "When did you turn into me?"
"Ever since I became the middle sister. Now, will you help us defeat the demon?"
Taking a deep breath, Piper looked away. "I'm not sure that I can. But, I can try."
Smiling, Phoebe helped Piper up and went to the Book of Shadows. She flipped through the pages and motioned for Piper to come and read. The page showed a picture of the demon they were to fight, and Piper read each word. It was an annilla, a female demon with the wings and talons of a bird. Reading the last few lines, Piper turned to Leo, a worried look in her eyes.
"It says that annillas prey on children," she said.
"So, it wasn't after us," Paige added. "It was trying to get through us to get to the kids."
Leo nodded at Piper, knowing what she was thinking. "We have to get Wyatt, Chris and the baby out of the house."
Phoebe shook her head. "No good. The annillas know their target and will go after them no matter where we send them."
"But if we keep them here, we can't watch them," Piper shouted. She turned away. Just moments ago she was angry that she had had a pair of children thrust on her, but now her motherly instincts were taking over and she would do anything to protect them. "We have to keep them safe. Who's going to watch them while we fight the demon?"
"Victor," Paige said.