"Someone will be sent by the elders to train you. No one expected nor knows how this happened as the elders didn't give you the powers so you will have to learn to wield them."
Piper grunted.
"So everyone is in the dark about this power and it's supposed to be a good thing?"
Chris ignored Piper and turned to Paige who looked at him questioningly.
"No the power is good magic but it was unauthorised and if the elders didn't't send you them and it was not your destiny to have them it must have been the upper beings and the powers that be."
"Is that good?"
"Yeah I think so, after all they see all and are wiser than the elders so who knows? It just surprised them they were not consulted first."
Paige smiled, happy to just know what was going on.
"Them?"
"What Piper?"
"You said them which means she has more then one power right?"
"Um yes."
Chris looked slightly anxious.
"The powers Paige have been given are called the four points. Each power belonged to a powerful being at the beginning of time. They were the foundations of the ancient magic that has transformed into what we know it as today."
"The four beings ruled the magical realms quite peacefully until one of them became power hungry and his temptations turned him away from good which in turn created the side of evil."
"And?"
"Then he killed one of the other three beings who he saw as the weakest in his pursuit of power. The less beings, the more territory he could rule. This is what he thought anyway, however something happened he was not expecting."
Paige waited with baited breath, the searing pain she felt was becoming numb as all her attention was focussed on watching Chris's moving mouth and his words that seemed to echo around her.
"There was now an imbalance of power towards the side of good as there were still two good beings and only one evil one. That's why good always triumphs over evil in fairytales and sometimes in real life because of this imbalance. The two good beings left decided to sacrifice their own magic in an attempt to stop their dangerous friend. They cast a spell that would mean the survival of magic and balance of power or at least a more equal balance anyway."
"What did they do?"
"They cast a spell that meant they could spawn their own magical kind and with each new magical being created the less power they had. This way the magic and power was spread and equalized and it meant although some were still more powerful than others it was not enough to cause one being to rule like the source but of course that is a different story. Anyway not only were more magical kind created so were demons from the very shocked evil being. Eventually his power was diminished but he still sort of ruled his territory that eventually became the underworld when the good magic forced the evil magic into hiding."
"Wow."
"Yes and these were the ancient beings and ancestors that created and passed on magic. These beings split into factions such as elves, muses, faeries, mermaids etc depending where they lived and adapted to their surroundings. Then of course when humans came after the dinosaurs, good humans that encountered magic by chance were given the gift of being a witch or wizard. The more magical folk that were created or made the less magical the four point beings became. That's why some demons such as the one you fought today are stronger, they are older or come from an ancient blood line. Eventually the good and bad ancient beings become nothing more then spirits that the elders bottled and hid, for although they are not that powerful on their own, inside a human they are dangerously potent in humans."
"That's the main need for the training, so when you finally receive all of them in time that you can use the powers
"In time?"
"Yes, no one is sure when you will get them all, they may come together or one at a time it just depends. The uncertainty is the reason for someone coming as soon as possible."
"how do you mean?"
"Your powers are only released in a battle or fighting situations so your mentor will try and fool the powers into thinking they are needed and therefore you can learn to wield them in a controlled environment."
He paused.
"Because as you witnessed today - your powers could be dangerous to others."
Paige frowned.
"What are these powers then"
"Your shield which you know about, a sort of temporary invisibility. The last power has never been inside a human before so they don't know what it will be."
"What?"
"The last power was a type of unknown ancient adapting power that allowed the being to sort of become or camouflage itself in it's environment but Leo thinks it could transform into something different in humans."
Piper flinched every so slightly at Leo's name but she was glad to find there was no stinging in her stomach anymore and she didn't feel hurt as much.
Paige sighed, she didn't't need any more hassle and neither did Piper.
"Unless I can't count, weren't there four points not three?"
"Yes but the evil power was the wielding of flame and heat in all it's different forms."
"Like the guy we faced today?"
"Ys but he was a very old ancient demon that had not surfaced for a long time so he inherited it directly from the four point being."
"Should we be worried about things to come if he hasn't surfaced for a while, after all why now?"
"Um well I wouldn't worry."
Piper snorted.
"Don't worry? How can you say that? As far as I am concerned no one knows jack all about this and we are just supposed to wait around until something happens?"Chris sighed.
"Look I was just trying to say that the reason Paige doesn't have this power is because the spirit is no longer in control of the elders and has been in the underworld for a long time. This is because the original source was a soon-to-be elder that turned to the dark side and stole the power from his superiors. He became powerful but as the story goes he was defeated and when the sources die the spirit just passes into the next worthy host or is contained by a dark priest until they find someone to use it to evil's best advantage."
"That must be why the powers that be didn't tell the elders I was getting the four points, perhaps they didn't trust the elders enough after last time to give them to me."
"Leo might not be perfect but he would never abuse his position! He gave up too much to get where he is!"
Piper's eyes began to water involuntarily and her face reddened in embarrassment of her outburst. She didn't want to seem stupid and emotional in front of Chris, especially if he may talk to Leo.
"Piper -"
Chris felt a great deal of sympathy for Piper but he knew if he said anything that sounded remotely like pity that he would just get shouted at, he didn't hate Leo but he wished he could sort out his own problems here on earth before ascending away and leaving them in his rather incapable hands. He wasn't kidding himself, demons, fighting and magic he could deal with. Emotional, depressed single mothers he couldn't.
"-Piper perhaps you should go tell Phoebe the news after all my head is sore and I need to rest."Chris was relieved Paige jumped in because he couldn't really explain himself very well and just wished Leo would do it instead.
Piper looked at Paige, surprised.
"Chris knows more than me shouldn't he do it? After all I'm your sister and I wanted to look after you."
Paige smiled awkwardly and squeezed Piper's hand.
"Please. I'm fine and besides I need to talk to Chris more about my training and you don't need to be worried by that."
Piper rolled her eyes but nodded.
"Fine I'll just sit complacently downstairs shall I?"
Paige grinned.
"Ignorance is bliss so I hear."
"Well it works for the rest of the world I may as well try it after I go find Phoebe."
Piper got up and looked suspiciously at Chris while passing him.
Chris felt like he was something very small under the microscope but he tried not to go red in the face.
When he heard that Piper was safely downstairs he got on the bed with Paige and kissed her.
He didn't stop kissing her until she half laughed half winced as he was leaning so far over it was putting pressure on her already fragile spine.
"Hey! Hey! Little jack horny you're crushing my back!"
Chris smiled into her neck and his warm breath sent pleasant tingling down her spine for once.
"I'm just finally able to show you how scared I was and how happy I'm am that you are okay. I mean I can't be openly romantic with Piper around."
Paige laughed.
"I think that's just an excuse, unless you think this is romantic and then we definitely have issues."
"It's not?"
Paige rolled her eyes, she reminisced to the days when romance was expensive wine, an expensive restaurant and if the night went well perhaps an expensive hotel afterwards.
Yet somehow although this wasn't exactly a movie moment it made her feel just as special as when she was wined and dined. Perhaps it was romantic after all? She forgot what romance really was, ask her every type of fear, pain and doubt there was and she could write a book but romance was sketchier. She didn't contemplate it anymore however and just enjoyed the time they had alone by rolling cautiously on top of him and returning the kisses.
It was wonderful, all she could hear was their heartbeats, kissing and occasional moans of approval and then deep breaths. Then Chris froze like a rabbit in the headlights.She raised her eyebrows in confusion and saw his wide eyes. A demon perhaps? "Piper!" He mouthed quickly before jumping up off the bed and standing awkwardly over the other side of the room. He straightened his top and flattened his hair quickly.
Paige couldn't help but smile as she looked at the red marks on his neck and bits of lipstick on his face.He realised what she was looking at and decided to orb out altogether as an easier option and return with a well placed scarf later.
"Paige?"
"Yes?"
"Carrots or peas?"
"What?"
Paige appeared in the doorway.
"For dinner?"
"Oh um peas, you're cooking?"
"yeah, may as well get back into the routine and anyway it's easier to be distracted then complacent."
"So you told Phoebe?"
"Yes but she is out buying meat on my orders at the moment, she seems okay about it though, a bit shocked but that's to be expected."
"Uh huh"
Paige was distracted flattening her own hair subtly as she realised she wasn't the only one under suspicion.
Piper had an unreadable look on her face that made Paige uncomfortable.
"Find your earring?"
Paige looked at her like she was mad.
"What earring?"
"You know the earring you tore the bed up for a few days ago?"
"Oh um no not yet."
"By the looks of the bed you're still not satisfied it's not there huh?"
"Right, no, still not satisfied."
"You are a lousy liar Paige."
"Should I take that as a compliment?"
Paige laughed sheepishly hoping Phoebe would burst through the door any second.
"What's going on? You look like Prue when she was little and was
caught with her hand shoved in her 'hidden' birthday cake a week before her party."
"Was it the look of satisfaction at a baking masterpiece?"
Piper laughed hollowly and Paige hoped she hadn't got Phoebe's verbal diarrea.
"It was the look of guilt."
"Right, yes because what's a party without a cake? And of course the candles would have been useless and therefore no wish but of course she didn't need wishes because she was a witch, but when she was young she wasn't so maybe she did so she really didn't do anyone any favours nor grasped the gravity of the hand shoving."
Yep she definitely had a dose of verbal incompetence.
"Cut the crap Paige you know I'm not stupid and you are not exactly covering yourself that well."Paige dropped her head slightly.
"Here's the thing -"
Chris quickly orbed in and held out his hands.
"I love her! It's all my fault blame me not her, it's only been like not even a month but I'm not messing her around or using her for sex I really do love Paige!"
Silence.
Paige could feel her face literally boiling and she didn't want to see who Piper was staring at first.
She didn't think Chris could have been more verbally challenged then she was at that point. She wasn't even going to tell Piper about them, she was going to say she had been possessed periodically or something more plausible but definitely not the truth!Chris coughed but stood still and held his ground even if his legs felt like they were going to give way slightly.
"Is this true Paige?"
Piper voice was unreadable, she was good at doing that.
"Yes all of it."
There was no point lying now.
"I love Chris and he isn't using me for - for anyway I just mean we are in love and together but we didn't want to tell you -"
"Because of Leo right?"
Piper sighed heavily.
"I don't want you to keep things like this from me just because you think it will hurt me, I'm a bit girl okay? I just end up the fool and the last one to know anything. Ignorance isn't all it's cracked up to be and I wish you hadn't lied to me."
Paige felt tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Piper."
Chris choked out:
"Me too, especially the sex part."
Both Piper and Paige cringed.
"You sure pick them Paige."
Paige hid a smile under her hair unsure of whether it was a joke or not.
"Otherwise congrats."
And with that she forced a convincing smile and turned around to go back downstairs
"That was Piper right?"
He sounded puffed, Paige assumed he was literally holding his breath the whole time Piper had been talking.
"I think so."
Then Chris smiled a grin she had never seen before, she had seen him smile so many different ways that he seemed to smile or grin a different way every day just to annoy her. She needed to catalogue them or something but yet she hoped that he would never change that because it meant everyday with Chris no matter how uneventful was different somehow.
"What's that Cheshire cat grin for?"
She couldn't help but grin herself - it was a contagious grin.
Then he held his hands in the air as if he was about to slap some jock double high fives.
"We are in the clear baby!"
Then he slowly went over to her with his hands still in the air.
"baby?"
He nodded still grinning.
"About babies Chris um I have something to tell you.."
Chris froze again and stood with his mouth open.
"Oh my god!"
Paige nodded solemnly.
"I don't think we should have them until we are at least thirty because I think we are too immature to nurture and bring up a well rounded human being."
Chris smiled the smile when he knew he had been tricked.
Paige threw her head back and snickered.
"Your face! You should have seen you!"
Chris shook his head smiling."That's your punishment for calling me baby!"
"I'll show you punishment!"
He jumped next to her and began to blow raspberries on her stomach making her shriek and squirm.
"Um Piper?"
Piper snapped out of it quickly and looked up.
"Where do you want the ham?"
"Just put it in the fridge for the moment."
"Okay. Are you alight?"
"I found out about Paige and Chris."
"Who told you?"
"Chris."
"Really?"
"Really. And he couldn't have put it in a worse way."
"Well you know Chris.."
"Not really no but I trust Paige does and is making the right choice."
"Yeah well Chris is a good guy and that's obvious."
"Uh huh, well as long as she is happy."
With that she began shaking salt into the pot.
"You are okay with it then?"
"It's none of my business who Paige dates really, we are both adults and I can handle Chris being around more as long as he keeps their relationship details to himself."
Phoebe laughed and hugged Piper from behind.
"You are amazing."
"So everyone keeps telling me."
They both smiled.
"And you know what's different around here now Piper?"
"What?"
"Now one of us is actually getting some."
Piper giggled.
"Yeah so maybe shout before going upstairs."
"What? They're? Now?"
They were both silent and their eyes drifted up to the roof as a continuos thudding noise could be heard.
Both of them immediately began making unnecessary noise to avoid the thought and made useless conversation. Phoebe also resisted putting her coat upstairs and instead draped it over the sofa and turned on the TV loudly.
Piper was banging pots and pans and singing to herself.
Half an hour later Paige appeared downstairs red faced.
Both Phoebe and Piper looked at her smugly.
"Out of breath are we Paige?"
Phoebe giggled and looked knowingly at Piper.
"Yeah what a work out! I am never letting Chris near my stomach again!"
The siblings laughed even louder.
"Perhaps that's too much info Paige, after all you don't need you to make us miss what we don't have even more then we do."
Paige looked at Phoebe confused and then with wide eyes.
"Oh no you thought! Oh! Oh gross no! I wouldn't talk to you guys about, oh gross! I meant he was tickling me! That's all!
Phoebe's eyes twinkled.
"Whatever you want to call it fine, just perhaps get a hotel next time because I mean Wyatt's asleep up there too you know."
"Oh sick we wouldn't - It isn't what you think! I was being tickled that's all!"
"What was the banging noise then Paige?"
"I was kicking my legs against the end of the bed in protest! I promise! I am puffed from screaming at him to stop!"
Phoebe winked quickly at Piper.
"Stop? Or harder? Cause that's we heard!"
"No that was Chris saying if I wanted to be tickled harder and I said stop!"
Paige was beginning to sweat slightly in embarrassment, she could see how it was an unlikely story but it was true. She wasn't about to flaunt her new relationship just because she could now. In fact she wanted to keep it low key, it obviously wasn't working.
"Uh huh whatever you say Paige!"
Paige began to get angry - she didn't want her sisters to harass her for having a boyfriend and she hated having to defend herself against them when they were like this.
"Just shut up okay?"
She went and sat down on the opposite sofa pouting.
Phoebe and Piper were staring at each other and then the empty space where she had been standing.
"What's wrong now?"
Phoebe turned and looked straight past her.
"Um Paige we can't see you!"
"What?"
"Where are you? You were just there and then you weren't."
Paige looked down at herself to find she was looking at the ugly floral patterns of the sofa and not her legs or body.
"This is by far one of the weirdest experiences of my life."
Thanks for your patience I finally got this chapter out! It took a while to think up of a way to explain everything so I hope it's okay and the spelling isn't too bad!