Pruedence.Halliwell & Princess Pinky: Peanut is overwhelmed with holiday stress right now but I understand your point and you are right, I did rush the last chapter a bit. I'm sure I could have written volumes on just on Prue's death alone, but I think you will see in this next chapter why I didn't or at least forgive me for disappointing you. It's nice to know that you expect quality from me though (winks). Not to worry about Cole, he'll be back. Sci-Fi Gillian, PrueandAndy: Thanks for reviewing! CCMcKenna: Merry Christmas!
FYI: For those who depend on my speedy updates, I won't be able to post again until after the holidays. Happy Holidays and Blessed Be!
Charmed in the Afterlife: Sister Lost
Twenty-Four Hours later...
Piper stood behind the book of shadows with Phoebe both of their eyes were blazing. For hours they'd been trying to summon Prue but had only succeeding in receiving spiritual winds. Piper's eyes were red and swollen from where she'd been crying. The tear stained skin on her cheeks was chapped.
Andy had just stepped into the room after hours, of trying to calm a traumatized Amanda. The little witch was hysterical over coming face to face with the demon who'd taken her Mother's life. Nothing had be able to sooth her anguished cries for Prue. For the time being, Amanda was left unable to speak.
"I can't believe you and Prue kept the fact that she was going to die from me!" Piper snapped, restraining herself from blowing the Tracer into tiny bits of apparitional and mortal flesh. "You robbed me of the chance to say good-bye to my sister!"
"Piper" Phoebe scolded softly.
Piper's dark eyes narrowed sharply, "and you! Premonitions of Prue's death?" Piper pressed her hands to her face, "I hate it that this family has so many damn secrets! First Mom and Grams drop the bombshell about Paige, and now Prue? I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT!" Piper stared up at the ceiling, yelling like a mad women.
"I want my sister back damn it! You cannot take her from me!"
Andy's hand fell to her shoulder, causing Piper to whirl angrily, wagging a finger "don't touch me! As far as I'm concerned, you are no longer part of this family!"
"PIPER!" Paige stood in the doorway, holding Ally in her arms. Her eyes were narrowed. "It's not Andy's fault he was sworn to secrecy"
"By who?" Piper raged, believing that Paige had been in on the secret too.
"By me"
"And me" Apparitional lights appeared in the room forming images of Patty and Penny. "But mostly by Prue" Patty looked forlornly at her second child, "Prue has a new destiny that needs to fulfilled and the Elder's felt that it would be best handled if everything looked like a normal death."
"The only reason that Prue knew was because Amanda's and Ally's births threw off the timeline" Andy added. "Prue and I were never supposed to have reunited in this life"
"Only in the Afterlife," Penny continued clearing her throat, "but since things didn't go as planned, the Elder's decided to wait, so that she could have time with the girls and Andy. They wanted to give her the happiness that she always desired." Penny paused for a moment waiting for Piper to swipe tears from her eyes. "The kind of happiness that you have, Piper"
"But she's my Big Sister" Piper choked, "the power of three needs her...I need her"
"Without Prue the power of three is broken" Phoebe added, "It doesn't work the same way with Paige because she wasn't born from your chosen sire"
"The Power of Three will remain in tact, you will just have to improvise until Prue returns"
Piper's swollen red eyes swelled with hope, "Prue's coming back?"
"Not right away" Patty frowned, "she needs time to adjust and so do you"
"And how are we suppose to do that if you won't let us see her?"
"You move on," Patty replied, "just as if your sister had died a normal mortal death".
A normal death? That's impossible in this family" Piper snipped curtly, "so what do you want us to do have a funeral? No, not until you let me see Prue" Deep down, Piper refused to bury her sister. Burying Prue would mean that she was really gone.
"I can't do that," Patty said calmly watching Piper's eyes grow to the size of saucers.
"I don't believe this crap!" Turning squarely on one heel Piper marched over to Paige snatching Ally from her arms. Ally was the one key that could unlock the door, to bringing her sister back
Paige looked shocked, "Piper what are you doing?"
"We're all going to see Prue" Piper stood gazing threateningly at the two apparitions and Andy. She then adverted her eyes to Phoebe, "you in?"
"Are you kidding?" Phoebe was instantly at her sister's side.
"And what about you, Paige?" The look in Paige's eyes told Piper she didn't even need to ask.
"Just tell me when to orb"
Penny looked hesitant as the three joined hands, "Girls-"
"Don't try and stop them Mother" Patty warned gently watching the girls disappear into flurry of blue and white orbs accompanied by Allie's tiny red astral flash, "let them find out for themselves". Destiny was something they could not stop.
Letting Piper's will guide them back through the time, the girls arrived back at the manor, just minutes before Shax was due to strike. Prue, Piper and Andy were standing in the living room with Dr. Griffiths.
Phoebe! Phoebe We need you!" Prue shouted.
The doctor laughed, "is this a joke? Did my second wife put you up to this?"
"I'm here Prue" Phoebe from the future stepped out, from the dining room with Paige right on her heels. Piper brought up the rear still holding tight to Ally.
"What?" The Piper and Prue from the past looked at one another bewildered making their innocent Doctor shudder.
"What in the hell is going on?"
"We're about to-" Prue from the past felt the chill of Shax's arrival.
"What?" Piper from past asked, signaling the Piper from the future.
"It's Shax! Paige quick do something!"
"Force Field!" Paige from the future threw up her hands surrounding the Prue and Piper from the past with her blue protective barrier just as Shax entered the room with his tornado like wind.
An unusual sense of terror gripped them as they came face to face with their sister's executioner. Shax had the look upon his face as if he was expecting them.
"Okay what do we do now?" Phoebe asked backing into Piper.
"Spell, Spell, Phoebe say the damn spell!"
Phoebe's entire body shook. "Evil wind that blows, that forms from below no longer may you dwell death takes you with this spell!" A small explosion sounded and Shax yelled in pain turning into the wind. A moment later he returned standing directly behind Piper and grinning evilly. He was going to kill Piper and Ally.
In a brave move, Paige orbed in front of her sister and niece, taking the brunt of Shax's power.
"Paige!" Piper screamed as she watched her sister go flying over the dining room table and crash through the china cabinet. The heavy remains of cabinet crumbled around Paige, burying her in it's rubble.
The force field evaporated freeing Prue and Piper from the past.
"NO!" Prue yelled in a combination of both fear and anger drawing back her arm. Once again her power alone proved to be no match against Shax. The demon merely wavered in the wake of her telekinetic blast. Shax thenhit Prue with an energy ball sending her through the wall followed by Piper of the of past.
Andy fired his cross bow, only to have Shax send the arrow straight back at him with a tornado like blast of breath. Both Phoebe and Piper jumped at the sight of brother in law flying through the window, along with the doctor.
"Spell, Phoebe, we both have to say the spell!"
Phoebe held tight to Piper's arm as they both began to chant, "Evil wind that blows, that forms from below no longer may you dwell death takes you with this spell!" A bigger explosion occurred this time, injuring Shax badly enough for him to want to retreat, just as Amanda orbed into the room.
"Mommy?"
With tears of horror streaking down her face, Phoebe scooped the little girl into her arms, not realizing the angel of death had appeared behind them. Both witches jumped at the sound of finality in his voice.
"Well now, instead of losing one sister, you have managed to lose two"
Phoebe's face went white, as her eyes adverted to Paige. "What? No!"
The angel raised his hands causing the apparitional forms of both Paige and Prue to appear. "If you try again you shall lose a third" Leo had arrived on the scene and started to try to heal past, Piper, Prue and Andy.
"We can't lose them both!" Phoebe looked at Piper, her blazing with intense fear.
"The very least you can do is to use the child to return back to the future in which you came, to prevent your younger sister's death" The angel continued calmly as apparitional Prue and Paige looked at one another shocked.
"Prue, are we?"
Apparitional Prue looked at all of three of her sisters speaking with authority, "Piper and Phoebe aren't going to let you die Paige"
"But what about you?"
"Prue?" Piper and Phoebe began to cry hysterically, as the Angel's white-tunneled light began to appear. "Prue please don't leave us! We need you!"
"No you don't, not anymore" Apparitional Prue shook her head, letting tears flee down her face. Her destiny for the moment was over.
Clinging to one another, Piper and Phoebe wailed uncontrollably, "Prue, please…We love you! We need you!"
"I love you" Prue whispered, as Andy walked over to her, with emotion clouding his eyes.
"Prue" he whispered, his voice choked.
Forcing a smile, Prue placed her apparitional hands on top of his. Tears continued to glisten in her eyes. "Hey, everything happens for a reason right?"
Leaning in, Andy kissed her apparitional cheek, causing the angel to roll his eyes. "You don't have much time, if you want to save your younger sister". The angel then offered Prue his arm.
"I trust that you are now ready to accept your fate"
"I am" Prue whispered, bitterly smiling through her tears. Prue looked back at her sisters one more time and sighed, "will I still be Charmed in the Afterlife?"
"Most definitely" the angel grinned.
"The power of three will set you free" Prue said one last time.
"The power of three will set you free" Phoebe and Piper repeated through inaudible voices.