Chapter 25: Vision Quest

A/n: Thanks to all my reviewers. I'm so glad you seemed to enjoy the last chapter. I did promise I would bring Prue back eventually. She will be a part of the next chapter as well. I really enjoyed writing this, and I'm so glad it's not over yet. Enjoy this chapter! Check out my friend P3forlife's story "Magic Tricks are for Mortals." I promise you its pretty good.

"LEO!" Past Piper yelled desperately. She had tried everything to revive Paige, but her baby sister remained unconscious. Her ex-husband appeared immediately in a swirl of blue-white lights. "What is it Piper?" Leo asked with a worried crease in his brow. He was still so concerned about her even after all this time. "Paige", she breathed. She didn't need to say anymore. Leo rushed to Paige's side, and put a glowing healing hand over her head. After several minutes, Paige still did not wake.

"What's wrong? Why isn't it working?" Piper asked, her voice constricted in terror. Leo looked up at her, a grave expression on his face.

"I don't know", Leo said grimly, "I just can't heal her…"

Paige followed Prue, not really understanding why she was doing so. "Are you real? What are you going to show me? Why am I here?" Paige asked her oldest sister quickly. Prue merely smiled at her. She suddenly stopped her serene walk.

"Look", was all Prue said. The white mist surrounding Paige abruptly vanished, replaced by a familiar place. It was the church she went to as a child, the place she was abandoned as a baby. She saw Sam and Patty appear in a swirl of blue-white lights. They carried a bundle in her arms wrapped in a pink blanket. It was her, as a baby. There was a flash of white, and she saw her adoptive parents enter that same church. They picked her up and looked at her with such love. It was pure and unconditional love.

"I have watched you Paige, and I know how much those two instances have affected you. You felt abandoned by your biological parents. You thought they didn't want you. You didn't think your adoptive parents loved you either. All you ever wanted was to be loved."

Paige began to cry profusely. Tears streamed down her face with wide eyes. "They said they loved me but I didn't care. Sam told me how he and Patty were trying to protect me from the demons. All – all they ever did was love me. I've been so stupid", Paige chocked. She continued to sob openly, her head in her hands.

Prue put a hand on her baby sister's shoulder. She never meant to be so blunt. Still, Paige had to understand what she was shown, or she would never learn what she was meant to learn. Prue had to beg the elders to let her guide Paige. Who better to take you through scenes that had changed your life, than your sister? "It's okay Paige, just let it out", Prue whispered comfortingly. Prue stood there, watching her baby sister crying her eyes out. Minutes later, Paige was calm again, and it was time to continue their journey…

The commotion Piper caused by calling for Leo made the entire family rush to the living room. Paige was still splayed on the floor, unconscious. "What happened to her?" Chris asked. "She cast a spell, and Leo can't heal her", Past Piper replied. When future Piper caught sight of her sister, she paled. It brought back painful memories of the day Paige died in the future. She vowed that Paige would not die again. It was future Piper who asked the question they were all dreading to hear. She asked, "What are we going to do now?"

Paige followed Prue through the white mist once again. She was a bit nervous as to what she was about to be shown. If this time it was something she actually remembered it would be all the more difficult to deal with. They stopped, and a familiar scene unfolded before her eyes. It was her most painful memory, and she had experienced it not once, but twice. She saw her parent's car turn around the corner. Another car swerved around the corner and slammed into them head on. She turned away as she saw her younger self orb out of the car.

Paige couldn't watch anymore. Not this memory, it hurt too much. If she had to learn by reliving her most painful memories, she wouldn't do it. Great, now she was crying again. She ran through the mist, crying, and not watching the rest of the memory play out. Paige bumped into Prue as she passed, but she did not stop until she was far enough away that she didn't hear the memory anymore. She heard Prue walk up to her, but she didn't move, and she didn't look up. Only when Prue sat down beside her, did she look at her oldest sister.

"I'm sorry I had to show you that Paige", Prue said softly, "but it was at that moment that you felt truly alone. I know that feeling has faded over the years, but it has never gone away completely. When you met Piper and Paige, you were afraid to let them into your heart, because you didn't want to loose them. I understand Paige, and after you're done with your quest, you'll understand too." Prue rubbed Paige's back as she cried, just as she had done with Piper and Phoebe many times before. As the two sisters sat there in silence, Prue wondered if she was really doing the right thing…

While Paige was unconscious, the Jorgen King continued to watch the remaining Charmed Ones. This unexpected turn of events was going to be very useful to his attack…

After several minutes, Prue managed to calm Paige down and convince her to follow her once more. 'At least this memory will be a less painful one', Prue thought. Prue sighed as she stopped again. After this memory, there were only one or two more. Paige had to regain confidence in her, and learn what she was meant to learn, or Prue may never be able to see her sisters again. A much more recent scene unfolded before them.

In quick succession, Paige saw a number of moments that made her smile through her tears. She saw the day she met her sisters, the day Wyatt was born, the day she saw her adoptive parents once again, and many other happy memories. By the end of the sequence, Paige had stopped crying, ad began to smile. Prue wrapped her arm around Paige's shoulder. Paige saw that she too was beaming. "I know that magic has taken a lot away from you, but look at what it's given you. Look at what it will continue to give." Paige merely smiled, and Prue knew she did the right thing…

Back at the manor the Halliwell family saw that Paige was stirring. She did not wake, but this was the first sign of movement she had shown in hours. Whatever was happening to Paige seemed to almost be over…

"I'm glad that you showed me that, Prue. I really needed to see it", Paige said to her oldest sister. They were sitting on the misty ground, taking in their surroundings. Paige new that the quest wasn't over or she would have woken up already. "I'm glad you learned from it Paige, but there's one more thing you must see", Prue said. Paige merely nodded. She already knew that her journey wasn't finished.

Paige saw Chris talking to all of them. It was the conversation they'd had just recently. Chris was telling them about his cousins. He was being honest with them for once. There was something slightly off about the conversation, though. The sound of his voice was sort of muffled. Paige could make out very little of what he was saying. Then very suddenly, Paige could make out Chris' voice, clear as a bell. Chris said, "They were very powerful alone, of course, but they were much more powerful when they were together."

Paige sat bolt upright very suddenly. She knew exactly what they had to do. She was overcome with a rush of excitement, and clarity of purpose. It was a wonder she had never thought of this before now. "Thank you so much Prue. I understand what we're supposed to do now", Paige said smiling. Prue beamed at her. "I knew you would get it", Prue said. Prue was beginning to fade. "Blessed be", Prue whispered. After that she faded completely. "Blessed be", Paige said to the white mist, knowing Prue could hear her.

She felt herself floating gently downward. Paige slowly opened her eyes. Above her were the faces of Phoebe, Past Piper, Chris, Future Piper and Leo. All of them looked extremely worried. They looked even more worried when she bolts upwards. "I know what we have to do!" She exclaimed. Her entire family looked at Paige as if she was crazy…

TBC…

Up next… Chapter 26: Saved by the Prue