Original Spell
Disclaimer : I don't own anyone. None of the characters including the children do I own. So , don't sue me.
Rating : T : Detailed death , frightening moments , medical terms , language , and some brief sexual implying.
Summary : There are some things I know for certain. Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck. And fall in love whenever you can.
Notes : Good things come to those who review and pay attention. Mostly all who reviewed with the right 'clue' word got a tiny spoiler to the story. You know who you are. (Hint , Hint)
Crossover : With Practical Magic (1998 film with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman , also one of my favorite books written by 'Alice Hoffman') If you haven't seen the movie that's perfectly alright. You don't necessarily need to.
I hope you enjoy my story. I worked rather hard on it. I warn it starts out slow , but will get better. Read on ... On to Chapter 3 ...
Chapter 3 - RosemaryBy Your Garden ...
"Piper ! You tried to kill us !" Paige shouted , eyes wide in a state of shock as she poked Billie's shoulder , trying desperately to revive her. She lightly slapped Billie's cheek and the blonde was brought back to life.
"I did not ! It's not my fault there was a deer in the road ! Okay , It's like mid-night ! It's hard to see , forgive me." Piper defended herself as she got off the back road and back onto the highway , moving her eyes over the concrete in front of her to identify the next and last exit they needed.
"Exit Twenty-Three." Phoebe interrupted smoothly. She flipped uneasily through the book atlas on her lap with a frown of discontent on her face. When Piper didn't answer , Phoebe hiked her voice up to over-come the screech Paige made when she noticed a greenish colored bruise growing on her shoulder. "Piper. Exit Twenty-Three towards Salem."
Piper glanced at Phoebe when she took the exit and her voice became slightly less venomous. "Alright , Sweetie. Are you sure your okay ? No scratches ? Bruises ? Nausea ?" She watched with a curious eye-brow as it seemed that the lights in the supposed town of Salem were all out.
"Oh , So you ask her if she's alright , but not me ?" Paige whined , shaking her head in disgust as she brought a mini-juice bar to her lips like it was a comfort to have something stable processing at that moment.
Phoebe pointed out a street to the left when they started traveling on the street in the middle of town. "Well , I'm nauseated , but that's not because you tried to kill me." She laughed in such a jittery voice that Piper thought she might have to pull over to make sure she wasn't panicking. "And I have to pee."
Piper nodded. "Oh , okay. We're almost there." Piper paused. She knew what it felt like to be pregnant in the way of great danger , even if it wasn't evil but a deer. Piper knew the fear that had been bothering Phoebe for the last two months and she had watched her freeze up in front of threats on countless occasions but she had never stayed so calm as she did tonight. Just like her whole entire world was no longer about protecting herself. Almost like she didn't care , but that wasn't true. "Are you sure ? No bruises ?"
"No bruises , but I really do have to pee ! ... Magnolia Street."
"Excuse me ?"
"No , Magnolia Street. That's it. Remember ? 6 Magnolia Street." Phoebe pointed down a long lane of no more than six houses itself that were at least three acres away from each other.
"Is that it ?" Billie yelled , for the first time since the deer incident only an hour before time. "The big gray one ? That's it , isn't it ?"
Piper made the turn and the car strolled down the street. They came to the very last house on the lane. It was a huge rustic looking home. With crystal-droplet windows like at the Halliwell Manor and the most oddest shade of Royal Blue shutters that obviously weren't exactly Royal Blue. There were roses everywhere and you could see them as clear as day even within the darkness of the night. Wisteria grew from the ground all the way up to the third floor. It was beautiful and an enchanting color of green.
When they pulled up into the driveway you could somewhat see the very edges of the ocean that started behind the house and it looked so gloriously picture-like that you just wanted to run your fingers over it. "It's like a wonderland." Billie noticed , sighing despite the objective sound Paige was making.
"It's like a house from the one scene in 'Imladris'. You know , Piper ? That movie with the old people that took over the planet ? Good times , very good times." Paige giggled. She really must have gotten flung through the car harder than Piper first thought.
"Hey , Paige." Piper said in an agitated tone. "Be quiet."
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"Mommy ! Mommy ! They're here , they're here !" Antonia Owens ran down the stairs from the second floor , her older sister falling behind her into the kitchen. Sally and Gillian were anxiously pacing around the island , they jumped in an excited fury when the little girls made their big announcement.
"Yea , sweetie." Sally caught Antonia on her hip and followed Gillian in her rush with Kylie to run out on the front porch to catch 'the cousins' pulling up the driveway. "Come on , Come on !"
The car stopped and the Owen's sister's hearts melted. There they were.
"Piper ! Phoebe !" Gillian held out her arms well before they had even unbuckled their seat belts. She opened the door on Phoebe's side and helped her out meanwhile giving her a big hug. "Pheebs ! How have you been ?" She kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful ! Oh my , look at your hair ! It's so gorgeous ! Is that red highlights ? Oh !"
"Gilly. Gosh , Calm down." Sally joked , letting Piper escape from the car without a force throwing her out and patiently waited until she was standing straight with her own arms wide open. "Sweetie. Hi ? You look so good!"
"Aw , Sal." Piper had such a bright smile that Paige swore she had never seen before. "It's been so long."
Paige got out of the car on Billie's side and stood with her arm around Billie like she was protecting her from the inferiority she herself was consuming.
"Gillian , I'd like you to meet Paige Matthews." Phoebe took Gillian to meet Paige. She had sensed the tension the whole drive there but she just couldn't find the courage or the love to ask her so.
Gillian looked the woman from her pale toes covered in hot pink paint to the tip of her dark maroon colored hair. To Gillian she looked just a bit clumsy and didn't seem the least bit responsible. Gillian smiled. She could get along with that. "Hi Paige. I'm Gillian. You can call me Gilly."
Paige hesitantly smiled and extended her hand , taking her death grip off of Billie and placing her pale hand against the other redheaded woman's. "Hi Gilly. It's nice to meet you. I've heard good things."
Piper watched the sight. Paige wasn't going to be as bored as she had earlier expressed. "Okay , now , Sal. This is Billie. She's not quite our sister , but I guess you can call her our closest friend. Sally this is Billie , Billie this is Sally."
Sally and Billie shared together a brief , awkward wave before Gillian suggested that she show everyone to their rooms inside. Kylie and Antonia quickly introduced themselves by small hugs to 'the cousins'. Antonia was already mesmerized by the women who were so much like her mother and aunt alone just by looks. Although Kylie on the other hand went ahead inside and went right back to the kitchen , checking on her baked cookies on the bake rack.
"Piper , honey , your room is the first room on your right. The one with the blue curtains. Paige and Billie , you two are sharing a room between mine and Sally's. And Phoebe , your room is the last one on your left , next to Kylie's. It has the pea green curtains."
"Speaking of which... Sally , It's been so long since I've been here , um , may I use your bathroom ?" Phoebe rubbed her stomach nervously. She was feeling very nauseous and her first impression of being a mature adult was not going to be her throwing up everywhere.
Gillian and Sally exchanged looks with Piper while Gillian answered. "Ah , Phoebe , It's next to the stairway. Go head." Phoebe gave her a thankful half smile and Phoebe pushed her way into the room across the stairs. Once she was gone and the group was walking up the stairs she had to turn and ask : "Is she alright ? She seems anxious ?"
Piper laughed , offering a shrug. "I don't know , really. She's been like that all week. Just excited I guess..." Gillian nodded. "..of course pregnancy does that to you." Piper nudged Sally's shoulder. They had both bore two children and had the stretch marks to prove it. Sally didn't budge or laugh at this though.
"Uh , I'm sorry ?" Sally offered , wrapping her hands around her long black hair and throwing it carelessly behind her shoulder.
"Phoebe's pregnant."
"Who ?" Gillian leaned against the stairwell. "Not childless Phoebe ? Are you serious ?"
"Yes. And what ?" That comment had never reached Piper's ears. Of course Piper and Sally had missed a lot of what when on between Gillian and Phoebe growing up in the years. "I thought she told you."
"No." Gillian stated , relaxing finally and walking down the hall. "She didn't tell me."
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"So .. How do you like school , Kylie ?" Piper inquired of the nine year old child , sitting at the island on a stool preparing a breakfast of sunny-side eggs and a crescent that looked good enough not to eat. Piper watched as the child carefully placed the white lilac inside the vase of maple syrup with concentration.
"Schools nice Ms. Piper." Kylie shared with a lip movement something short of a smile. Antonia handed her a glass of orange juice to put on the tray and Kylie carefully showed it to Piper.
"I spent two weeks trying to figure out how to drain oranges. The Aunts taught me how ... I'm not sure if it's right but if it isn't Aunt Francis is too far away to help me." Kylie wasn't asking what Piper thought of the immaculate glass or the clear liquid. She was simply stating that if her Aunt Gillian didn't care for her hard work than she couldn't be held accountable.
"Hm. Really ? That's very cool." Paige laughed , blind sided by Antonia who was now trying to pour another vase of syrup for the table center. Paige thought she looked so cute with her mouse ears atop her head and her little blue jumper to her seven year old chubby body.
The vase began to overflow and Sally was right at her side. "Antonia , could you possibly make a bigger mess ?" Sally took the syrup container and finished her job for her. "Antonia , why don't you set the table."
"So , what are you thinking for today Sally ? Vanquishing potions , reviewing our attack landmarks ? Scrying ?" Billie spoke up. She was already dressed for a day of demon fighting in her tight little blue jeans and tank top. "Salem is such a small town , scrying should be super easy."
"Uh , Billie , I was actually kind of hoping Gillian and Sally would take us through town. I've always wanted to tour Salem just never had the time or money to do so." Paige helped Antonia unfold the napkins by the breakfast table when she suddenly corrected Billie. "We could take Phoebe to the last crime scene and see if she can get a premonition off of anything."
Gillian smiled. "I was kind of thinking that too , weren't you Sally ?" Sally shrugged and Gillian went on. "We'll go after breakfast."
"Yea. Gillian why don't you go wake Phoebe up ? I forgot to set the alarm in her room and she probably is still sleeping."
Kylie finished with the tray she was preparing and slide it off the island. Griping it in her palms at it's edges and looking at her Aunt Gilly she creased her forehead. "I finished that tray Aunt Gillian. Do you want to take it up or do you want me to?"
"You go head , Kylie. I'm working on something for her and I don't want her to see."
Gillian watched Kylie go. She would show what she was working on to Phoebe after breakfast , when they relived their childhood experiences with the locals. "Tell her we're leaving in an hour , Kylie."
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"Ms. Phoebe ? Good morning. It's Kylie. I have your breakfast." Kylie sat the tray onto the night stand beside the queen sized bed . Kylie stifled a laugh when she saw Phoebe wrapped up in the covers with an abnormally large white bear being held tightly within her grasps.
"Ms. Phoebe ?" Kylie patted the exposed shoulder of Phoebe once again. "It's morning , it's time for breakfast. Come on , time to get up."
"Kylie ? Do you like to catch butterflies in a jar ?" Phoebe was wide awake and when she opened her eyes and startled Kylie , she knew she must not have looked that way.
"Yea ... I guess. Ms. Phoebe , I brought you some breakfast."
"Thanks. Kylie , when you catch butterflies do you keep them ?" Phoebe's voice was no more than a whisper. She had had the most terrifying dream last night yet for the life of her didn't have a clue what it was about. Her mind seemed so distorted and although she'd been told by both real doctors and elders that everything was fine and normal with her and her child she still felt like something was wrong or out of place.
Phoebe realistically had known and talked to this child for less than five minutes in the past eight hours yet when the little girl sat at the edge of the bed with a curious expression she felt like she had known her for something more than a decade.
"Mommy says it's not good to keep something so precious locked in such a tight space."
"That's really good advice."
Kylie nodded , she had been told that many times from her mother and never knew the meaning of it. She saw now that it probably had nothing to do with butterflies in the first place and something more to do with the oddly good-looking depressed type people that only ask you about butterflies. "Do you have butterflies in a jar Ms. Phoebe ?"
"How about you just call me Phoebe , and .. Yea , I guess you could say I have a jar full of butterflies."
"Ms. Phoebe , Aunt Gilly says you and her were best friends when you were little. You did spells and things." Kylie had the most fascinating of ties. Phoebe was amazed that she wasn't staring right into Gillian. Kylie had the longest of auburn red hair and had the clearest gray eyes that she had ever seen besides those of Gillian. Phoebe was staring into her past and she felt that the little girl was doing the same with her future.
"We all have special gifts." Phoebe said , knowing Kylie knew much more than she seemed to. "You do too and it's not that different from mine." Phoebe saw the nod she got in return. Why she was so random with this child for no reason was beyond anything they could tell but whatever it was she knew it had something to do with her dream.
"Momma and Aunt Gillian said that you were having a baby. I knew it before though. I remember when Momma was having Antonia. You have the same look. Is that why you slept so long in the morning ? Momma used to sleep this long after daddy died and Momma moved here." Kylie caught herself freely letting her words flow. She had never felt like that. Only when she was around her aunt Gillian.
"I'm having a baby. And I didn't set my alarm." The tension and everything that was rapidly flowing through her mind halted and she looked at Kylie like she was a kid in her bedroom simply handing her a tray full of food.
"You have to be careful about that." Kylie minded , coming off the bed. "That's what he does. That's what he does to your mind. You have to protect yourself and not let him in." Kylie touched the paw of the bear lightly with her finger tips before stopping at the door. "Aunt Gilly says we leave in an hour. Enjoy your breakfast Ms. Phoebe."