Disclaimer: I don't own charmed, or any of its characters.
Author's note: I probably should wait, hopefully, for more reviews, but this story don't seem to be attracting 'em! I want to get it all up though, so I can concentrate on 'Blessed be... a little prematurely.'
Thank you: halli-halliwell, and Hide-N-Seeker424, for reviewing. (I lost my reviewers from chapter five!
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Can I make a suggestion?" Cole asked above the rising panic.
"Vanquish her. Simple as."
"We cant." Piper told him.
"The spell won't work. None of us are dead."
"I'll write a new one." Phoebe offered.
"And I'll call Darryl, and make sure he's still Darryl." Paige said.
With that, the Halliwell's, plus two departed from the kitchen. Phoebe and Cole headed for the attic, and Paige wandered into the living room. Piper was about to join her, when Leo gently took hold of her arm.
"Can we talk?" He asked weakly.
"No." was her answer. Simple. Direct.
"Right now our main priority. We'll talk later. But just so you know? We are not okay. And I am so mad at you right now. But like I said. Later."
"I think we should talk now." Leo said, completely ignoring her elaboration.
"Did you hear a word I just said?" she demanded.
"Piper, its one spell. One phone call. They can manage."
Piper knew that he was right. Phoebe was the gifted one, when it came to rhyming, and anyone could make a phone call. But she wasn't about to tell him that.
She straightened up, shook her arm out of his loose grip and walked out of the kitchen, and the conversation.
Leo followed her.
"Piper. Piper! W-will you just listen to me? Hear me out?"
"Why should I?" She countered.
"Leo, you lied to me, deliberately excluded me, and now you're trying to justify it? I don't want to hear you out."
"I know, okay? I know I messed up, and I'm not trying to justify it. Piper, I went to talk to Prue, because she knows her stuff, when it comes to antiques."
"Knew." Piper choked.
"She knew her stuff Leo. She's dead. You know how much it hurts me! And now you can go and see her whenever you want, and I cant."
"Don't." Leo interrupted.
"Don't act like you're the only one who misses her, Piper. I know how you feel. I knew how you'd feel. But I also knew that Prue would have been a hell of a bigger help than the elders. And I didn't do it to hurt you. I did it to get a result. Which we did."
You still hurt me." Piper said, heartbroken.
"I just don't understand why you couldn't tell me where you were going."
"Yes you do." He disagreed.
"You would have wanted to come. You would have gotten upset, when I said no. And this argument would have been ten times worse."
"Argument? I thought I was 'listening to you', 'hearing you out'?"
Leo sighed, rubbing his head. He was fighting a loosing battle, and Piper knew that he was realizing that.
"There's really nothing I can say here, is there?" he asked, studying her emotionless face.
"Piper? Look, just know that I'm sorry, and that I dint do this deliberately to hurt you."
She looked up, glaring slightly.
"I know."
Paige appeared in the doorway, shortly followed by Phoebe and Cole.
"You guys," She said, deliberately stepping between them.
"Sorry to interrupt your incessant screaming, but we've got the spell. Darryl's not answering. Come on lets go."
I turned the key in the lock, grinning delightedly, when it clicked in response. Pushing open the solid oak door, I stepped inside and inspected the hallway. Lovingly framed photographs proudly decorated the walls. Two doted children. A happy couple. A wedding photo.
There he was. There I was, arms draped around a woman who was radiant in a beautiful dress. I smiled, anticipating ending that disgusting happiness.
"Darryl? Honey is that you?" a voice asked, flouncing down the stairs. It was followed by a door opening. Closing. Footsteps.
"Yeah. Its me Sheila." I answered, my lie, echoing in a deceiving voice.
"Hi." She said, appearing on the stairs, looking relieved.
I smiled. I had no intention of greeting her with words… I gripped the athame in Darryl's deep suite pocket. She was just like Emma…
Now how should I do it? Should I slit her throat? I revealed the athame. She screamed…
In a cloud of glittering blue and white, Paige, Piper and Phoebe orbed into the, now very crowded, hall.
Sheila was shaking, cowering away from the impending knife attack. Darryl was looming over her, wearing a very un-Darryl like expression.
"Oh my god!" Sheila whimpered, when Phoebe delivered a swift kick to Darryl's face.
"Oh my god, what's wrong with him?"
"He's possessed." Paige said, in a mater-of-factly way.
"Temporarily." Piper added, before stepping out of the way, when another one of Phoebe's kicks, sent Darryl flying towards her.
"Phoebe!" she snapped.
"The spell."
Phoebe huddled between her sisters, and produced a crumpled piece of paper. They automatically began to chant:
"Powers that be,
Hear we three,
Work the charmed ones will.
Banish this spirit,
Vanquish this spirit,
Before again, she can kill."
Nothing happened.
"Powers that be,
Hear we three,
Work the charmed ones will.
Banish this spirit,
Vanquish this spirit,
Before again, she can kill."
Darryl laughed. He stood up, recovering fast from Phoebe's attack. He started to advance on them. Piper threw up her hands, in an attempt to freeze him, but he stayed mobile. Natasha was a witch.
"Powers that be,
Hear we three,
Work the charmed ones will.
Banish this spirit,
Vanquish this spirit,
Before again, she can kill."
He was practically on top of them now. Well within swiping distance. FLASH. The athame bit into the nearest person. Drawing blood. Prompting a scream.
Piper stumbled back, light headed. Scarlet blood throbbed from the gash in her abdomen. Her last thought, was of the ground coming up to meet her, before she slammed harshly into it. Then everything went black.
(Oooh... a cliff hanger! PLEASE review people. The next chapter will be the last.)
