Anianka – I actually have no idea how the law works in the states either! I just hope I don't get anything too wrong that would make the story look crap. I hoping that since Pam is 18, she's old enough to be considered their legal guardian until Piper and Leo get back. It's good you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Princess Pinky – Heh, I hoped I had covered all by bases with the arrest. Ha, I thought it would quite characteristic of Pamela to blow up Andy. And I'm so glad you're pleased with my portrayal of Persia, I thought she would be a good person for Pamela to talk to since Persia would probably react the same way if her father came back :P I'm glad you noticed the toys, I thought I would be sorta ironic to bring it up at that moment when Prue had wanted to save them for her kids. Thanks for taking the time to review.
Phoebe turner – Thanks!
Loz – Thanks! The final chapter is going to be quite Connor centered!
Prince Halliwell – Yeah, I'll find a happy ending for them, don't worry. Thanks for reviewing.
Clegs – Heh, you're welcome. Thanks for reviewing!
Piperfairy – I thought I would be good for Piper to blow up the urn instead of Paige just shaking out its contents. And yeah, I just keep them coming lol.
Chyp – Thanks!
Pyrena – Yeah, I've sorta been putting a lot of emotion into these last few chapters. I'm glad you liked all of it! Thanks for reviewing!
Fanmania – Thanks for reviewing!
Jadelouise – Thanks for the review!
Jailhouse Witches
Pamela lent back in the uncomfortable metal chair she was currently residing in, she had her legs crossed over one another, her right foot twitching vigorously as she glared at the officer on the other side of the glass. The witch frowned at the man, who kept a face of stone, matching her gaze. Pamela leaned over to Phoebe, who had her hands on the surface in front of the glass as she twiddled her thumbs nervously.
"You know, I could probably blow up the glass and take the guards out in five seconds if you want to organize a little jail break…" The teen whispered. Phoebe turned to her with a skeptical look.
"Don't even think about it…" She said in a hushed voice.
The metal door groaned as it was opened. Phoebe and Pamela immediately stood up, looking towards the open door on the other side of the glass that was supposed to separate them from criminals. Piper had her head bowed as she was led out gently by a female officer, who gave the Halliwell a compassionate smile before letting her walk to the desk on her own.
Phoebe couldn't believe it, even in jail her sister managed to look good. Immaculate white sneakers adorned her feet while her long dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, what was even more surprising was that Piper actually suited the orange jump suit that she was wearing. The only part of her that looked bad was her eyes, the spark and light that made her who she was seemed to have been snuffed, and was replaced by a look of sadness and shame.
The middle Charmed One groaned and rubbed her temples as her empathy channeled Piper's migraine, not to mention the numb feeling in her chest, something that could only be caused by her sister's depressed state.
"Hi." Piper beamed, trying to convince the two witches that she was okay, when her eyes told a completely different story all together.
"Hey," Phoebe waved her hand a little with a weak smile, "I would hug you, but…" She pawed at the glass and rolled her eyes before all three of them sat down, "How you doing, sweetie?" She asked, holding her hand up to the glass.
"Well, I-," Piper began, raising her hands to the glass to match her sister's hand, "I'm doing okay. Darryl came in and said he's do the best he could to keep Leo and I here for as long as possible before getting transferred to a prison."
Phoebe's eyes widened, "Prison? Oh my God…"
"I'm still trying to get over the fact that they think you killed Emma to get more kids. If anything, you would have killed her to get Lorna put into foster care or something, not to get custody. I mean, has that Payne guy even got children?" Pamela snapped and folded her arms again with a scowl.
"Yeah, cause that's really what Social Services want to hear!" Piper shot back with a raised an eyebrow before shooting a pleading look to Phoebe, who smiled at her.
"Don't worry, I'll be there to make sure she behaves herself tomorrow," The middle Charmed One turned to her niece, "The last thing we need is Lorna and the boys taken out of the Manor."
"How are you coping with four kids?" Piper asked, completely oblivious to all the proceedings that were taking place outside.
"I'm not," Phoebe said simply, "Brennan's staying at the house with Connor and I'm sleeping on the sofa at the Manor."
"Why? Pam's great with the boys."
"Yeah, the boys," Pamela interjected, "I don't do babies."
"But you can't do that." She looked at Phoebe, "If it looks like you have to help Pamela, they'll take the kids away. She, right now, is their legal guardian. If she's not seen fit to look after them, Social Services will take them away and-,"
"The worst thing that can happen is that Brennan and I get temporary custody of the kids. I mean, we can be trusted, Connor's almost two and has never had a bruise or cut grace his skin."
"I'm not completely incompetent," Pamela suddenly started, "I managed to wrangle Wyatt when he orbed away from the dinner table last night. I gave him a time out and told him not to use magic like that."
Piper smirked, "You're usually the one who lets him away with stuff too…"
"Yeah, he tried pulled the 'you used to be cool' card on me, but I stood my ground."
Phoebe nodded in agreement, "She did, and I would have given in to that."
"Why? Because your street cred with the kids is important these days, Pheebs?" Piper folded her arms and smiled.
"No, I will always be Cool Aunt Phoebe…" Phoebe pouted her lips and made a face while posing slightly making Pamela and Piper laugh. She laughed with them until she looked at her watch, "Oh, c'mon, we better get back to the house. How do you think your Dad's doing with the kids?"
Pamela's eyes widened, "Aw… crap! We better go; they might have tied him a chair… again. Little horrors…" She muttered. "We'll come and visit you tomorrow, hopefully with good news!"
"I'm really sorry honey; I'll bring you a basket of muffins or something." Phoebe offered.
"You don't bake." Piper pointed out.
"Oh… Well, I'll bring you something, just hang there, okay?" The middle Charmed One gave her sister a sympathetic stare and a nod before rising with her niece.
Phoebe rubbed her eyes gently, fighting the weariness that threatened to overwhelm her. This was all beginning to get too much for the empath to withstand. Everything had spiraled out of control since Grant's death. Lorna, Emma, the spirits that fought for control of her and Pamela… When would it all come to a stop? When would it finally end and let her and her family live peacefully?
"Hey, Pheebs, unlock the car." Pamela jiggled the handle on her side of the car.
"Oh… right… sorry," Phoebe murmured, not even realizing that she had walked to her car. She was scattered beyond belief, and it would only be a matter of time before she cracked.
Phoebe stifled a yawn as she waited for the lights to change, closing her eyes for a brief second until she felt a change in the light in front of her. She wrenched her eyelids apart and pushed down on the pedal. Pamela shifted in the seat next to her, deciding to speak after sitting silently for the entire journey.
"You know, these back streets are pretty dead at this time of night. You could have just gone through that." She offered with a slightly snappish tone.
Phoebe glanced at her niece, "With everything going on with Piper and Leo right now, I'm not taking my chances with the law, even with the smallest things you can't be too careful," She retorted, turning back to the road and leaning her elbow upon the door, holding her head up with her hand.
As if by chance, she noticed a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. Confused, Phoebe look around her immediate area, her nose crinkling up in thought before she glanced at her side mirror. Her eyes immediately widened when she did, she saw the black Jeep behind them, with a man leaning out of the back seat window, preparing to launch the energy ball in this hand.
Her body acted without her mind's consent, suddenly whipping the steering wheel to the left and causing the car to swerve violently onto the other side of the road. Phoebe ignored the curses flying from Pamela's mouth, as they were cut off when the teen saw the energy ball zip along side them, crashing into the ground and leaving a scorch mark on the tarmac.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Pamela bellowed as she looked back, seeing another demon leaning out the other side of the Jeep and preparing another attack. She looked ahead, "Right!" She screamed. Phoebe complied, spinning the wheel and returning the car to the right side of the road just in time to see the blue energy whistle past and fizzle out on the road.
"We need to stay away from the main areas!" Phoebe screamed, swerving again and seeing that the enemy's aim was getting better, and quicker than she would have liked. Looking to her niece for suggestions, she was only met with a strong wind hitting her face and Pamela on her way out the window. "What the-!"
"Keep it steady!" Pamela screamed, holding onto the roof as she positioned herself on the door. She took a moment to move her hair from her face as the wind howled in her ears, before using her free hand to attack. The driver must have seen and recognized her gesture, as the black vehicle immediately swerved and Pamela ended up blowing up a chunk of the road.
Phoebe rolled her eyes and snapped at her niece, "For God's sakes Pam! Send that thing to junk yard! Don't sit there making potholes!"
"Shut the hell up and drive, woman!" Pamela shrieked back, gesturing again and blowing up the road, causing a spew of concrete to erupt near the car and forcing them to turn off the road. The teen smiled at her efforts, "We've lost them!" She said, taking her hand off the roof as the car slowed down.
Phoebe grinned for a moment before gasped and slamming down on the brakes; the demon's car had somehow passed them and had cut them off, driving out in front of the Mini and blocking them off. Unfortunately, Pamela didn't brace herself in time and she was thrown from the car, flying forwards and hitting the cement as she fell.
"Pam!" The middle Charmed One quickly undid her seatbelt and left the car, running towards her unconscious niece and cradling her head, knowing that if Pamela didn't regain consciousness, she would be dead.
Phoebe looked up, seeing four demons advancing on her, all of them bouncing energy balls in their hands in an arrogant manner. Knowing she wouldn't go down without a fight, the Halliwell took an offensive stance and prepared to do battle.
"Aboleo!"
There was a flash before a pulse of golden energy flew outwards. It ripped through the demons, their screams becoming distant echoes as they were vanquished instantly, before the wave of gold went through the Jeep. The destructive power caused a large explosion in the engine, which literally threw the car up into the air, consumed in flames before falling back to the road with a clang and one last explosion which forced Phoebe to the ground.
She groaned as she opened her eyes, only to see her niece's ankles as she stood confidently. Phoebe managed to get onto her feet, waiting her Pamela to turn around, but she spoke first, and when Phoebe heard the rich Scottish accent, her heart sunk.
"How foolish. I suppose it won't be long until all of this century's… creations, are consumed in flames…" Pamela said with a hint of disdain and superiority
The middle Charmed One let out a sigh, "Prudence…." She whispered.
The teen suddenly whipped around, revealing a fading golden shimmer in her eyes, "You're a clever witch… I can see that my decision to send Charlotte to the New World was indeed to my advantage. Although I would have liked for my resurrection vessel to have been a little closer to home, but I shall work with what I have." Phoebe began to move towards her, taking a fighting stance, "Lucus," Prudence said firmly, holding her hand in front of her victim.
"What…. Did you do?" Phoebe breathed, struggling to move her limbs as the spell effected her.
"This will hold you, at least until I am far from here. Farewell, my daughter." She said mockingly with a smirk, before striding off down an alleyway and leaving Phoebe suspended where she stood, struggling to move.
A long sliver of moonlight shone through the tall window in Paige's room. The silver light was thrown across the youngest Charmed One's face as she slept, her body covered by a heavenly silk sheet while her dark locks were splayed out on the royal blue pillow beneath her head. She stirred in her sleep, subconsciously pulling the sheet up more around herself when a chilling wind flew through the room.
Sandy, who had been lying on the end of the bed, instantly raised her head, scanning the room with her deep brown eyes, a low growl passed from her mouth before the Labrador went back to lying on the bed. There was a creak on the floor, again Sandy was instantly awake, ears twitching madly and growling at something in the room. The noise caused Paige to stir again. This time, she awoke, squinting against the moonlight and sitting up to see what had woken her, the witch sighed when she saw the dog crouched in a stance, growling at something.
"Sandy, be quiet." She hissed, "You'll wake up the girls," The golden furred canine continued to snarl at something. "Bad dog, lie down." Paige clicked her fingers, still Sandy continued to growl.
Paige rolled her eyes and was about to lie back down, when she saw something put pressure on the sheet at the base of the bed. The sheet was pressed down, and before Paige could do anything, something clamped around her mouth. All she could do was whimper as a sharp pain suddenly sprouted in her abdomen; the witch looked down and saw blood pouring from her stomach, before a familiar sting erupted in her eyes.
Her vision changed, instead of the room around her, she was met with the face of a person. Blue skin, shock white hair and a look of perverse pleasure as the person raised a bloodied athame to strike her again. It was the maid from the previous day! Using the last of her strength, Paige closed her eyes and concentrated. A red glow appeared right next to her as her astral self was conjured in a scarlet flare. There was just one problem; she didn't have her multi-dimensional sight in this form. It was then she noticed a line of crimson liquid floating in midair, the athame. She was about to launch herself at the invisible assailant, before there was a feral growl as Sandy leaped onto the attacker, teeth bared as she tackled her off the bed. Paige felt her astral self being pulled back to die with her body, she bowed her head, and just as a ruby red light consumed her, one hoarse whisper of a word passed her lips.
"Aidan…"
She was silenced as her projection dissolved and returned to its vessel. The last things Paige heard were the screams of the maid as Sandy mauled her owner's attacker, and the cries of her children as they felt their mother's light being snuffed from the world………
Aidan awoke with a jolt; sitting bolt up right and wide awake with his heart pounding. It hurt, he couldn't think what was hurting, but something was causing a painful feeling of dread to tug at his heart. He had never felt anything like it before, it was as if something was being ripped away from him.
A needing urge suddenly washed over the elemental, he pushed off the covers of his bed and threw himself onto his feet, running out of the room just in boxers and a wifebeater, and sprinting down the long hall, his feet pounding on the carpeted floorboards as he ran. Without a millisecond of hesitation, he threw open the door to Paige's room and his heart hurt even more when he saw his ex bleeding to death on the bed.
He ran to the bed, not noticing the pool of crimson on the floor as he sat next to Paige, holding his hands over her wound and mustering as much healing power as he could. Aidan squinted his eyes from the harsh blue light emitting from his palms, before breathing a sigh of relief as Paige gasped for air to renew her life.
"Hey…" He stroked her hair as she looked her surroundings, "You okay?"
Paige lifted herself up, moving away from his touch, "Yeah…"
"What the hell happened?" He asked with a hint of fury in his voice, angry that could this happen in his castle, especially to Paige.
She looked around the room, trying to remember the turn of events, "Um… She was about to stab me again, my powers advanced at the last minute… Then, Sandy…" Paige looked around for any signs of her beloved pet, beginning to worry when there was no sign of the dog, "Where is she? Are the kids okay?"
Aidan smiled at her a little, "The kids are fine. They slept right through whatever happened, and Sandy…" He quickly scanned the room, "She's not here."
"What?" Paige breathed, putting her heart to her chest, "Did she maybe run out of the door when you came in?"
The elemental shook his head, "I think I would have noticed if a fully grown Labrador had run past me. Just calm down and we'll-," He just interrupted by Paige throwing off her covers and look down at her pajamas as she stood up.
"Aw… crap. I got blood on this." She pouted, looking at her top.
"And my bed…" Aidan murmured, avoiding her gaze.
Paige frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I thought you would have figured it out by now." He smiled, "This is my room."
The witchlighter spun around on the spot, looking around and observing that, out of all the rooms in the castle, this one had seemed to be the grandest. With its high ceilings, amazing view of the city, and unbelievably comfortable bed, Paige couldn't believe she hadn't realized sooner. It now explained why the maid had been so icy that previous day, she probably thought that Paige wasn't deserving of this room, of her king. She would have to dwell on it later though, as she saw a pool of blood next to the bed.
"Aidan…" She whispered, catching his attention and pointing to the blood, thinking the invisible attacker.
He looked over the bed, somehow knowing that Paige thought her assailant was cloaked on the floor. Aidan pounced to the floor, hitting the carpet with the thud. There was no one there, just blood. The elemental looked back, shaking his head at Paige, whose nose crinkled in thought.
Not wanting to have to rely on her MDS advancement, the witch quickly threw together a spell that would have the desired effect she wanted, "Within these walls, evil has been, reveal to me, expose the scene." Paige waited for the murdering maid to show herself, but when nothing happened, she sighed, "I don't get this…"
"Unless…" Aidan began, standing up and groaning, burying his face in his hands, "Unless the whole thing was planned and they've taken Sandy for mauling their key fighter… How could I have been so stupid?"
Paige narrowed her eyes in anger, "They? You mean they've united to take me out? Aidan, lemme tell you, your staff aren't friendly people. Go get dressed; we're going to find my dog."
"Okay, I'll just summon the nanny and-,"
The witch let out a laugh, "If you think I'm leaving my children in the clutches of your homicidal staff, then you are seriously mistaken. They can come with us,"
Aidan gaped, "But they're asleep and-,"
"Vulnerable to athame wielding maids. Now get out, I need to get dressed." She announced before making her way over a dresser.
The elemental rolled his eyes, "It's not I haven't seen what's under there. The birth mark on your thigh, the little scar on your side, the tattoo on your left-,"
"Stop it." Paige said with a hint of amusement in her voice, turning her head and glancing at her behind, "You don't get to see anymore. Now go, shoo," She began to push him out of the room, "And just so you know… you're not the only one who can remember certain…" She looked him up and down with a smirk, "Defining characteristics or their ex's body." Paige then proceeded to slam the door in his face, leaving Aidan to turn a dark shade of red before walking back down the corridor
Paige got to thinking as she pulled out clothes from the dresser. How was it that Aidan had known to come and heal her? She hadn't been able to scream at all and she certainly hadn't been able to use her powers to contact him. No, she thought, it had been something of his; something had called out to him. It was there it hit Paige hard; the thing that had called out to Aidan had been a burst of love activated by her pain.
A love between soulmates.
"Dammit…" Phoebe growled as the umpteenth drawer proved to hold no scrying crystal. She knelt down, pulling out another drawer of the dresser and cursing again when it was filled with useless trinkets. The witch turned to her husband who was standing at the Book of Shadows, "You know, I used to be able to find stuff in this attic,"
Brennan smirked, turning another page in the book, "Well, you haven't lived in this house for about three years. Piper's probably moved stuff around since then." He replied calmly.
"Yeah, but we agreed that the magical stuff should always be in that dresser." She pointed towards the cabinet, "So the three of us could find it in an emergency, and I think a psychotic, power driven, body snatching, 17th Century witch taking over Pam sorta qualifies."
"Hey," Andy greeted as he came into the room, slowing down from a jogging pace, "Is this what you're looking for?" He held up a deep red crystal attached to the metal cradle and a metal chain.
Phoebe raised an eyebrow, taking it from the man, "No, the crystal is purple, and…" She trailed off when she noticed the letter P engraved into the side of the red rock and that the cradle was made of silver, "Oh my God…"
"What?" Andy frowned, "This not what you're looking for?"
"No, it's not. It's a whole lot better than what I was looking for!" She pointed out the letter to Andy and Brennan, "This is Prue's personal scrying crystal." Phoebe stared at it with marvel before hitting Andy on the chest, "You were a detective for most of your adult life and you can't even find a scrying crystal? Not to mention you've been a whitelighter for nearly a decade and you had to ask me what a scrying crystal even looks like."
"Honey…" Brennan came up behind her and rubbed her shoulders, "What's so important the crystal?"
Phoebe sighed, "It belonged to Prue. She had it made out of a garnet, very powerful scrying gem, not to mention expensive. We never saw the need to spend so much money on magical equipment, but…" She looked up at Andy, "You know Prue…"
He smiled, "Yeah…"
"I can't believe it. Piper told me it got lost years ago when we were packing away Prue's stuff after…" She trailed off, the death of her sister being a sensitive subject, "Where did you find it?"
"In Pam's room." He replied simply, glaring at nothing in particular as he summoned his memory, "Wasn't that Prue's room before Paige moved in? Then Paige moved out and Pam got her room."
Phoebe frowned, "How do you know all that? Prue switched rooms with Piper after you died." She smirked, "Just how long have you been watching us?"
He grinned in response, "Nearly a decade," Was his reply, mimicking her from earlier, "It was under the bed, and I know for a fact that that bed hasn't been moved in years, so that explains where it went."
"Can you use it?" Brennan asked, staring at the garnet as it was caught in the light.
"Are you kidding? Garnets are highly sensitive and responsive to magic; I'll find that three hundred year old teenager in a heartbeat! Now where the hell is that damn map?" Phoebe clutched the gem in her hand as she began to look around the attic.
"Yeah, but even if we find her, who says we have the power to stop her without your sisters?" Brennan argued, "From what I've heard, she's pretty strong and I don't think she's going to give up Pam's body without a fight,"
"Well…" Phoebe began, "I'm thinking we won't have to, I mean she has to have a limit to how much she can use her magic. With any luck, we'll be able to weaken her enough for Pam to take control again."
"And what about without any luck?" Andy added solemnly.
Phoebe didn't answer as she pulled a map out of a wooden chest, "Then we do the best we can," She replied, before murmuring something only she could hear, "Until I'm put in mortal danger…" The witch added quietly, silently concocting a Plan B.
Paige walked down the dark castle corridor, clutching protectively to a drowsy Melinda who had rested her head on her mother's shoulder. Emma however, was much more alert, scanning the hall with big emerald green eyes before reaching for a shield that was resting on the wall. Aidan struggled to keep his daughter in his arms as she reached for anything that was bathed in moonlight.
"Emsy, no." He gently brought the infant's arm back from its pointing gesture and pulled her back to his chest. It wasn't long before Emma succumbed to her fatigue and fell asleep in her father's arms, "These kids could sleep through a nuclear holocaust!" Aidan hissed to Paige.
She grinned at him, "I know," She lovingly stroked Melinda's head, "That get it from me. So do you know where we're going?"
"Yeah, the throne room."
"Why there?"
Aidan narrowed his eyes, "Because I can sense them there, it's as if they're taunting me to come to them." He growled, his voice dripping with venom as he spoke. "Here we are." The elemental announced.
Paige looked up at the large glass doors, water swishing around within them as the Atlantian crest glowed eerily on the surface. She hated these doors. These doors represented everything that had caused her pain in the last two years. The witchlighter glared at them as moonlight from the throne room shone through, illuminating the water in the doors and casting a rainbow of colours across the four of them.
"What do we do?" She asked, turning to her ex as he surveyed the doors.
His brow creased in thought, "Okay," He began, "These doors are an optical illusion. It may look like there's not a lot of water, but there are thousands of gallons in the glass. So, you shatter the glass with a spell, and I'll send the water into the throne room like a tidal wave."
"And what's to stop that water from coming down on us? Can you divert that much?"
"Well, I'm an elemental, not to mention a divine spirit," Aidan smirked in response, "Don't you trust me?"
Paige laughed and looked at her sleeping daughter, "Let's not get into that right now." She looked up at the doors, "You ready for this?" He nodded in response, "Alright… Glass that holds the water in, shatter it now, in a din."
Just as the spell instructed, the glass was smashed in a thunderous pulse. Paige felt strange as Emma's watery shield went through her, protecting the four of them from the shards of glass that were raining down on them. The witch expected to see Aidan make a gesture, but he just stared at the water with an intense glare, almost willing it to move forward. As if on command, the torrent flew into the throne room, a whooshing sound hit Paige's ears as it hit the floor, before screams of anguish could be heard and she realized the one major flaw in their plan.
"Sandy!" Paige screamed, running into the hall as the water subsided and unconscious forms of the servants could be seen. The witchlighter had suppress a laugh when she saw her dog, shaking vigorously, water flying from her coat as she tried to dry herself off. "Hey girl!" She beamed, kneeling down and scratching Sandy's ear.
Aidan grabbed the collar of his advisor Gerald, who was currently spluttering as he coughed up water. The elemental lowered his head and began to talk so quietly that he knew that Paige wouldn't be able to hear him. He turned away slightly so that Emma wouldn't see.
"I suppose you're responsible for this?" He snarled.
"That… animal is a monster!" The old man breathed, trying to get air into his water filled lungs as he spoke, "We brought it here to end its life of ferocity… It mauled-,"
"It's owner's attacker? Pretty loyal dog, don't you think? You could a thing or two about loyalty from her. Do you remember what I said would happen to you if you acted in anyway that suggested you thought Paige and my daughters were below me?" Aidan's once kind, peaceful deep green eyes were now steely and harsh.
"You said that I would roam the Royal Tunnels until my dying day…" Gerald choked, before breaking out into a malicious grin, "But I've known you most of your life, sire. You don't have the will to take a life."
Aidan cocked an eyebrow, "Really?" He suddenly threw his head forward, head butting the man and rendering him unconscious as he fell to the floor, "Enjoy the tunnels…" He made a rough hand gesture, causing Gerald to be consumed in a searing steam before evaporating completely.
"Alright…" Paige suddenly announced, walking towards him with her hand gripping Sandy's collar, "What are you going to do with these guys?" Aidan guessed that she hadn't seen what he had just done, it was better that way. He looked around at all the unconscious staff members that were currently drenched in water. The elemental could only think of one thing to say as he turned to Paige with a smile on his face.
"Fire them."
Prudence kept close the side of the crate, skulking in the shadows and quickly taking a step back as two men who worked in the docks passed by. Her haunting blue eyes followed the two people as they walked away from her. The only obstructions left were the three men talking to one another as they ate sandwiches outside the trailer meant for workers of the docks.
"Instigo…" The witch whispered, making a small gesture at the group and watching as the three men suddenly groaned, holding their stomachs and running towards a row of portable toilets. The witch smirked at her magic working before creeping out the darkness.
"Stop her now, don't let her go far, snare my victim, as if in tar!"
Prudence felt a surge of magic flow around her, constricting and binding her where she stood. This power was familiar to her, extremely similar to her own brand of magic. "The witch…" Prudence growled, hearing the clicking of moving feet and seeing a person coming towards her out of the corner of her eye.
"How do you like my powers?" Phoebe gave her ancestor a glare as she folded her arms, scrunching up the spell in her hand and dropping it to the ground.
The immobile witch bared her teeth slightly as the spell became stronger, only enabling her to move her eyes and mouth, "You think you can stop me with your powers? They come from me! I created them! That is where your abilities lie and not in my failure of a granddaughter."
"Don't you dare talk about Melinda like that." The Charmed One spat, fighting the urge to bring the back of her hand across her niece's face as it would hurt Pamela more than Prudence in the long run.
The teen's hand twitched without Phoebe noticing, "Although, I must admit that her prophecy has come to pass with extreme benefits. If your sister hadn't been Charmed…" She sneered at the use of that word, "She wouldn't have been able to spawn a daughter strong enough to withstand my powers."
"We're your family. You're the reason Pam and I exist, why do you want to fight us?" Phoebe pleaded, admitting that she didn't understand why their ancestor had fought and attempted to kill them ever since her existence had arisen.
She rolled her eyes in response, "I don't fight you, you are the ones who stand in my way." Prudence grinned as she felt the spell ware off, "And right now…" She shook her body and smirked, "You're in my way. Altivolus!" The witch's hand shone with a golden white glow as she hit Phoebe on the side of the face, sending her flying across the dock and crashing through a tower of shipping pallets.
"Hey!" Brennan's voice boomed as he ran down the midsection of where many entrances to different warehouses were, swirling his wrists and summoning all the electricity he could muster in his hands. The elemental mutant threw out his arms, slews of voltage flying from his fingertips and heading for his possessed niece.
"Avoco!" Prudence screamed, power surging from her voice as the two tesla coils Brennan had thrown suddenly bent around her body before making contact. The electricity came into contact with a large suspended net of fish, causing the ropes to break for hundreds of large fish to fall directly onto Phoebe, who was still recovering from Prudence's throw.
Although he would never admit it, Brennan had to suppress his laughter when he heard a squeal of horror from Phoebe underneath all the fish before turning his attention back to Prudence, who also found amusement in her descendant's predicament.
"Is this all you have to offer in ways of a fight?" The witch taunted, a white glow appearing in her hands as silently cast another spell, "Pathetic." She spat, before throwing out her hands and releasing two powerful plumes of golden flames towards her enemy.
Thinking quickly, Brennan clenched his fists and charged them up with electricity before opening them and being propelled into the air by the pent up voltage in his palms as blue sparks flew from his hands. He winced as the fire ripped through his feet, this caused the mutant to lose his balance mid-flight and fall to the ground in a crumpled heap.
"No!" Phoebe hissed as she regained her feet, only to slip on the fluid that was on the ground after the fish had fell, "My foe is strong, my need is dire, trap her in a cage of fire!"
A ring of hot orange flames encircled the witch, who smirked at her descendant before raising her hands and casting another enchantment, "Abolesco illa flamma." She said calmly as the fire began to rise around her. A chilling wind flew from her hands, causing the fire to be swept up and fade away magically.
"Damn…" Phoebe cursed as she stood back up to face her attacker.
"This is getting weak." Prudence stated, walking towards Phoebe, "As are you." She snarled, raising her hand and rolling her wrist, playing with the jet of golden flames that was wound around her arm like a snake before the fire began to take the shape of a dragon's head.
Phoebe gave her a fearful look, "In this night and in this hour, I call upon…" She closed her eyes as she tried to remember the rest of the spell, "upon… the ancient power!" The witch shouted triumphantly before realizing the rest of the charm was a blank to her.
Prudence smirked as her descendant closed her eyes and waited for the fire to come to her. She was about to fire when she felt someone tap her shoulder. Turning round, the witch was met with a pair of glowing, sparking, voltage filled eyes. Before she knew it, something struck the side of her face and she was thrown high into the air before crashing through the roof of a warehouse and landing onto the ground with her nose and head bleeding.
"Brennan?" Phoebe breathed, before flinching at the sound of a booming clap of thunder rumbling the sky. She frowned when she realized the sky was completely clear, where had the thunder come from.
Her attention was diverted to the sight of her husband. Brennan was walking into the warehouse that Prudence had just landed in, and within his hand, there was a biggest hammer Phoebe had ever seen in her life. It was entirely made of some sort of deep blue metal that gleamed even though no light was upon it. The head was covered in intricate and beautiful carvings as the mutant had the weapon slung over his shoulder. The handle seemed to quite long, covered in the same patterns that covered the head, except from the jagged metal that covered everywhere apart from the spaces for holding.
Prudence barely managed to hold herself up by her elbows. The left side of her face had completely caved in after the hammer's assault as she tried to speak and protect herself with a spell. The witch mumbled something outstretched her hand, staring into the humming blue eyes with her one good green one.
"You have endangered Magni's guardians for the final time." Brennan growled, his voice sounded almost mechanic as spoke. He was about to bring the hammer down on his prey and finish her off, when it glowed with a whitish gold and tried to rip itself from Brennan's hands. The elemental just smirked and yanked at the hammer, breaking Prudence's last attempt at a spell and preparing to crush the teen into a lifeless pulp.
"Hey." Someone said, tapping him on the shoulder. Brennan turned around with a smirk to see Phoebe standing behind him, staring into the sparking eyes before suddenly swinging a large fish in his face. It made a high pitched slapping sound at the wet scales contacted with his skin, rendering him unconscious as he fell to the ground and dropping the gigantic hammer with a resounding clang.
Phoebe looked towards Prudence, hoping that she wouldn't attempt another attack. But when she saw a golden glimmer pass over the green eyes, the middle Charmed One began to panic as she realized Pamela was back. She caught her niece just before she was about to fall back to the floor, silently wishing she wasn't alone.
Leo brought his hands away from Pamela's face as he finished healing her. She gave him a silent thank you with a smile before standing up and looking out of the small barred window. She rubbed her left temple and winced before turning towards her uncle and giving him a weary glance.
"I really don't think my face is ever going to be the same again." She whispered, looking into the small mirror above the sink in the jail cell.
Phoebe smirked, leaning on the wall as she stretched her legs out on the floor, "You look fine, no one would ever know that your uncle had just smacked half your face off with a hammer the size of a wrecker ball." She looked up at Brennan, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded.
"I said was sorry, and I wasn't even in cont-," He was cut off when he suddenly fell through the wall, there was a yelp of pain and the wall suddenly became solid. Phoebe grinned when she heard her sister.
"Dammit Brennan!" Piper hissed. The wall became a mass of fuzzy particles as the eldest Charmed One walked through with Brennan in tow, slapping him on the shoulder once they were both through, "Couldn't you have just sat on the bed? I could have been crushed!" She raved.
Brennan rolled his eyes and plopped down on the floor next to Phoebe, "Are all female members of your family as dramatic as Pam and Piper?"
She gave him a smile, "Pretty much," She replied, giving him a peck on the cheek and holding his hand until he grimaced and stood up.
"Sorry honey, but being caught in a downpour of fish just doesn't agree with you." He chuckled slightly, only to be kicked in the shin by his wife.
"It's your fault I stink right now! Besides, that cheek of yours wasn't exactly heaven to kiss either, but neither would mine if it had just been slapped with a trout." She shot back with a smirk.
"The last thing I remember is being thrown out of the car when those demons where chasing us." Pamela suddenly piped up, frowning as she recalled the final moments before her possession.
"They must have been lower level if they had to chase us in a car. It was the most ridiculous demon fight I've ever seen…" Phoebe commented, groaning as she remembered.
"Where's… Dad?" Pamela finally said, looking down to avoid the beaming faces of her relatives after using that word.
"He's looking after the kids." Brennan replied, "We had to go and get you back after your past life almost made off with your body."
Pamela shivered slightly, "Ugh… You got possessed too. And at least I didn't knock someone's face off."
"Yeah…" The mutant looked down at his feet, "The last thing I remember is coming down to the ground after blasting into the air." Brennan mused, "Although I got a glimpse of the hammer before it disappeared."
"I think it must have been the same force that took over Phoebe, or at least something akin to it," Leo added, "It seems to just center on the two of you."
Footsteps were suddenly heard outside of the cell, the beam from a flashlight ignited the corridor. Someone was coming. Piper suddenly grabbed Pamela before taking Phoebe's hand and urging her to take Brennan's. Once all four were connected, the eldest Halliwell suddenly began to disappear from sight, this was channeled towards the other three and soon they were invisible.
Once the warden once in front of the cell, he shone the flashlight in Leo's face, who turned away and winced from the harshness. He was about to move on and check Piper's cell, when he suddenly stopped moving in mid stride. The four witches became visible again and Piper turned to the others with a hint of urgency.
"Quick, write a spell and get out of here."
"Wait, when did you get your freezing power back?" Phoebe pointed to the guard who was suspended in motion.
Piper rolled her eyes, "Does that really matter? Just get out of here!" She hissed, before turning into a body of fuzzy particles and phasing back through the wall.
Phoebe sighed as she began to think of a spell. At was four a.m. and they still hadn't prepared for the visit from Social Services that would be happening in around six hours. The middle Charmed One had considered calling Paige back for the meeting, as her experience and know how would have come in handy in a situation like this, but Phoebe realized that her sister would need more time. It was at times like this when she missed Emma extremely; she hadn't realized just how important she had become to their cause, even just as an extra set of hands when you needed them. As they were enveloped in a swathe of lights from Phoebe's spell the three of them began to realize that the very future of the family lay in the success of tomorrow.
For to fail, would mean dire consequences.
Well, I thought I should cut it off there and leave the Social Services visit for the next chapter. Can any of you guess what took over Brennan? I have you enough info in this chapter to figure it out!
NEXT TIME: Demons attack at the worst possible time when Social Services come to visit. Phoebe and Pamela take drastic action, including busting Leo and Piper out of jail and using their magic in public for too many times. As her family comes crashing down around her ears, Piper makes a plea to whoever may be listening… But just who is listening?
Chapter 34 will be up soon!