A/N: ka-mia2286: no Shaylee is not Prue and Andy's daughter. I have other plans for her. Pruedence.Halliwell: Andy wasn't around at that moment or he would have done something. He and Amanda sense one another through their orbs. Zythe, the ice-scream truck is on the way. Thanks for noticing the little things with Amanda, I thought it would only be natural for her to try and copy Prue's powers. Wyatt333, thanks for the heads up on your story! Mandebella: when I can expect a sequel to your power of four story? Thanks for reading I am really touched by all of the reviews!
Charmed in the Afterlife: Peking Duck Spells Luck
"Mmm...Peking Duck?" Phoebe lowered her nose to the large adorned casserole dish, taking in it's tantalizing smell. "I didn't know you could cook duck? When did you find time to do this?"
"This afternoon, while you and Cole were out ring shopping," Piper pulled on a set of oven mitts and reached into the oven for side dish she'd prepared.
Phoebe's eyes shifted back and forth in suspiciousness. "Wait a minute, since when do you cook something as elaborate as Peking Duck?"
Since you decided to marry demon." Piper quipped, "I figure if you are going to try and woo Grams, you will need all of the help you can get" Phoebe then flung her arms around her middle sister kissing both of her cheeks. "Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me"
"Oh, I think I do" Piper grinned, "I just hope that Grams will understand." The back door swung open and Prue walked in, with her camera bag slung over one shoulder.
"Prue come join us, we're having a sister moment!" Phoebe screeched with a big toothy grin. Prue smiled sadly back at her sister, "I think I'll pass. I'm not really in the mood".
Phoebe's face fell as she tore herself from Piper's arms, "aw, come on Prue. We're having a family dinner, Grams is coming and Piper made Peking Duck"
"Peking Duck?" Prue moved closer to the stove peeking at Piper's creation. "Did you get some help from a handsome Chinese spirit named Mark?"
Piper felt her face flush, and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "Actually, I called his Mother. She just left about thirty minutes ago"
"I knew it," Phoebe blistered playfully, "So what you say, Prue. Will you have dinner with us?"
Prue shook her head, as she tried to make her way through the kitchen, "I'm not very hungry." She had just made it to the entry way of the dining room, when Phoebe's voice called her back.
"You owe me this dinner Prue"
"How so?" Prue challenged her with her green eyes narrowing.
"Two years ago, Cole saved Andy's ass when he tried to vanquish Natalie. He went to the Elders and fought for Andy's soul"
"That he did" Prue countered tersely, "but that still doesn't change the fact that he's demon."
"And what about the fact that you're my sister?"
"Fine" Prue huffed just don't expect me to take your side. Piper and Phoebe continued to watch as their disconnected sister trudged slowly up the stairs keeping her arms locked over her chest. It wasn't until Prue had opened the bedroom door did her demeanor change slightly.
Her eyes widened at the sight of rose pedals adorning her bed, glowing in an array of candlelight. "Very nice, I definitely see that somebody loves me" Unconsciously she giggled at the feel of invisible kisses pressing to the skin on her neck.
"Stop" she swatted playfully striking out at the nothingness behind her. Andy appeared wrapping his hands around her waist.
"I just wanted to do something nice for you" Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small square box, topped with a tiny bow and handed it over her shoulder. "Here"
"What's this?" Prue snatched the box from his hand tearing it open as she turned to the face him. Inside the box lay an antique style key laying in a perfect square of cotton." A key...an Old Key"
"It's from the Calistoga Spa," Andy replied, "I found it in the drawer. I thought it might bring back some happy memories."
Prue looked down at the key and then back up at him. He'd given her the key several days before her twenty-eighth birthday. "It does but If we go to the spa, then we can't leave the room" Still bound by the laws of death, Andy wasn't allowed to be seen by mortals in the present time who might remember him from his past life. His friend, Darryl was the only exception to the rule.
"I know" he grinned brushing a fallen hair away from her face, "I was thinking we could spend some time together, just the two of us, no sisters, no demons. Just you, me and our baby girl"
Prue cringed at the phrase baby girl. Although she knew he was referring to Amanda the words drove a stake right through her heart. "Thanks, but um, I'm not ready for that" she said kissing his cheek, "I need some more time"
Andy's hand wrapped around her forearm, drawing her in close, "we both need time to heal Prue and all I'm proposing is that we send it together. I'm not asking you want to another baby right now. I just think-"
Prue yanked her arm free, "I told you I can't!" She glared at him heatedly, "I have to concentrate on Source and his assassin. I can't allow for them to get one step ahead of us. I don't have time to sit and weep over a child who can never be, Andy." Prue paused for a moment, more, "I thought you understood that!"
Andy stepped closer, forcing Prue to step back "I do understand, Prue but I also know that I can't just stand aside and watch you try to commit demonic suicide night after night"
"Then don't. Amanda and I can get along just fine without you"
Dimension of the Lost
A dark haired warlock with handsome features stood before a swirling vortex. A small child dressed in rags stood beside him pointing, "that is the way to the cavern of the unborn," the little girl told him. "All you need to do is to look for swirling lights captured in the little cages". The warlock smiled evilly and then blinked out, concentrating on the child's words. The Source would pay handsomely for a child of a Charmed One's soul.
As soon as the warlock had disappeared, blue and white orbs illuminated the entrance of the dimension. "Well, well here we are again" Dressed in a pair of low rise jeans and a purple tank top, Paige felt goose bumps raise up to the surface her skin. The orphan plane was not a place she felt complete comfort with yet.
"Why are we back here?"
Paige held fast to Shaylee's hand as they made their way through an array of darkness and mist. "I told you I have to find Prue's baby and I need your help"
"But the unborn are kept in a special cavern guarded by the keeper". Shaylee shuddered. The unborns were to stay hidden away until their souls reached the normal time for their birth. Only then would their physical beings take shape.
"Which way to the cavern?" Paige asked whipping her head around.
"I do not know," Shaylee shrugged lowering her eyes to the ground, "Only the true guardian knows"
Paige's eyes narrowed at the young girl's attempt at sarcasm. "And that would be me, Gr-Great". Paige made a sour face, "I wish they would have given me a map or something."
Paige glanced down a long corridor as she had done before, again seeing the orphans with sunken eyes. A glowing light at the end shown brightly, giving her the signal she needed.
"C'mon let's try this way." Together to the witches walked hand in hand until they reached a dark swirling vortex.
"I don't want to go in there....people never come back" Shaylee pulled her grip free of Paige's hand. "Please don't make me. There is evil in there!"
Sensing the child's fear, Paige took in a deep breath and calmly released it, "okay, but if I don't come back out you don't have a way back to the manor."
Shaylee thought for a moment, "okay I'll go with you" Again she took Paige's hand and together they entered the vortex. Swirls of mist circled around them until they reached the end, where they were met by a ghostly figure holding an avenger style battle-axe.
"He looks creepy," Paige hissed staring into his dead eyes as they passed into the cavern. Ironically, the ghostly creature didn't move prompting shivers to race up Paige's spine.
"He is the keeper's guard" Shaylee warned as they entered a brightly lit room. Rows and rows of brightly lit lanterns with swirling lights were suspended in mid air, kept in place by a glowing red light.
Dumbstruck, by awe Paige placed her hands on her hips. "I never thought there would be so many. How do I know which is one is my niece?" It was then she noticed that the lantern directly in front of her began to scribe a name on the outer structure.
"Abercrombie," Paige read.
Moving quickly she began to see that all of the lanterns, were scribing, given family names, "Braincombs, Carter, Donovan..."
Several rows over, the warlock stood running his fingers over a gold plated nameplate that read, "Halliwell"