Hell of a Time

Chapter 4 – What Goes Around Comes Around

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Disclaimer: See previous chapters

San Francisco

The Halliwell's Victorian Home

The next day

Home is where the heart is or that is at least what Phoebe thought before her life turned literally into Hellsville. Being back in the Victorian house seemed a bit awkward after finally getting away from her sisters to experience freedom being married. What a paradox! There is freedom in marriage? Now that was a concept. After living almost half of her life with her sisters, it was only fitting to finally get a new crack out of life. If only she knew that she would be back at square one all over again. Life of a Charmed One never ends.

"Phoebe? Phoebe, get up! What on earth are you doing sleeping over your computer?" Piper asked, nudging her sister out of her slumber.

"Huh? Oh! I was just working on the letters from the Dear Phoebe Column."

"Cool! Can I see, Pheebs?" Paige asked, leaping over the table and elbowing Piper away to see if there were any letters from single guys in distress.

"I must have just fallen asleep a few minutes ago over this interesting letter from Italy. His name is Xander Harris a.k.a. Xanman, The Xanminator. Xander says he is my biggest fan and that he has been ordering the San Francisco Chronicles even after he moved to Italy."

"Aw…how sweet!" Paige beamed.

"Yeah, but it gets better! He says that he has problems dipping back into the dating pool. It says here that he is a chick-demon magnet and that he has been having trouble finding the one. I feel for him, in a way I can definitely relate.

He almost married an ex-vengeance demon named Anya and was head over heels in love with her until she died tragically in a hellmouth battle-What in the world is a hellmouth battle?"

"He sounds cute…. I don't know, but it looks like we aren't the only strange odd balls on the planet," Paige added with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I doubt I could help him. I have the same problem!" Phoebe replied with a sigh.

"Sounds more like a guy who has too much time on his hands. The Xanminator? Please! He's probably a comic book freak. Let's focus on the job at hand with P3," Piper cut in with impatience.

"What's all the fuss about sis? Where's the fire?" Phoebe interrogated, her perfectly plucked eyebrows raised.

"It's just that we need to make everything in the club spotless because the cleaning inspector is coming and if it is not perfect down to a T then we can all say goodbye to the main income and this house!"

"Oh my God, you're pregnant! My big sister is pregnant. I'm going to be an auntie!" Phoebe gushed with pride, sensing a hint of overwhelmed, protective emotion behind Piper's eyes.

"I'll make the baby shower invitations!" Paige concluded with a wink.

"Hold your horses, Pheebs. I don't know for sure yet…"

Piper was cut off by a bang coming from the basement.The girls rushed to the basement steps, but were suddenly attacked by three odd looking, unknown demons. Piper tried to blow them up, but their dust only recollected itself and reunited back into its solid body form, knocking her into a wall. Paige used her Whitelighter magic to summon and throw an out of date living room lamp at one of them, but the demon just caught it and threw it back to her, crashing it over her skull. Phoebe levitated and tried to fight them, but their touch alone took away all her physical strength and threw her into the living room coach. The demons were too quick and headed to the front door vanishing from their sight and trailing a red mist that the witches were too much in shock to become aware of as it traced its way to the attic.

"What the hell was that all about?" Piper asked, rubbing her head wearily.

"Beats me. Looks like they come just in time to crash our little party. They sure were not after the Book of Shadows. I wonder what they wanted that was so important in the basement?" Phoebe wondered out loud.

"Good question. How is Paige doing?"

"Can safely say that I am at least alive with my head still intact, but I have one hell of a headache."

"Good, at least you're alright. I've got an idea! Lets play a little Sherlock Holmes and Watson and take a tour of our basement," Pheobe replied, gesturing for her sisters to follow her down the steps.

"You go first, Pheebs."

"I get it…if all else fails send the middle child to get killed. Very nice, Paige."

"Anytime. What are sisters for? You scratch our backs and in the future if you are alive in a few moments we'll scratch yours."

"Lovely concept, Paige"

"Thanks, Piper!" Paige replied, high-fiving Piper playfully.

"Will you two talking heads quit playing and start helping me instead of granting me more stress?" Phoebe grumbled, giving the girls an ugly look.

"Wow, look who woke up on the wrong side of the desk this morning! What is her problem?" Paige asked, placing her hands in front of her as if surrendering.

"Maybe she was fantasizing about the Xanminator all night," Piper whispered with a laugh.

"Hey, I'm right here! I can hear you guys. Not deaf you know! Lets get some work done," Phoebe replied, waved her hands in the air to indicate her point. The two girls just laughed and followed their sister into searching for clues.

The basement was one room, dimly lit, covered with dust. It was messy with old antique lamps, picture frames, and hand-knit quilts that the Halliwell sisters did not have the time to organize and place in the attic. The basement held more than those antique memories though. In the past, Cole Turner trained Phoebe in fighting to help kill and defeat the Source. A hint of sadness temporarily passed over Phoebe's delicate facial features. Another memory and another moment lost forever. Healing would definitely take some time.

"Come over here, guys. I think I found something." Piper whispered loudly.

The two girls shrank beside their oldest sister to look at a gold and black inscription with a picture of a bull with horns engraved in the ground. The writing looked like it was in Latin and the picture created a dark aura. Its dark eyes seemed as if they were following and watching the witches' every move.

"I don't remember anything like that here when I was training with Cole. I don't think any of us had anytime to create any artwork either. Paige?"

"Don't look at me, Pheebs. I think that is the most ugly thing ever to be created. Someone would have to be dead or with bad taste to create something so hideous."

"Paige does have a point. I wonder what these markings in Latin are. Can you pick up anything Phoebe?"

"I can try, but I don't know how much this will help us."

Phoebe placed her palm onto the cold metal and took a deep breath to concentrate. The golden plate grew hot as she touched her palm on it. Its golden texture glowed into a red cloud.

Her breath left her as the vision hit her full blast and left her out cold.