A/N. Hi everyone. Thanks for the reviews.
In answer to a question I got, Eef only returned once because the Charmed Ones did not have enough power to vanquish him, only wound him greatly, so he did not die, but went into hiding to recover. You'll find out later in the story what it takes to vanquish him. Hope that cleared things up for you!
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Chapter 20 – Four months laterPaige unenthusiastically traipsed after Ryan as he followed the estate agent around the tiny apartment. Her swollen feet were killing her, and she was exhausted after nights of vomiting and back pain. Paige really didn't understand why they called it morning sickness if it lasted all day. And she was four months pregnant, for crying out loud. Wasn't morning sickness only supposed to last the first trimester?
Paige caught up with Ryan and grabbed his arm. He stopped in his tracks. Unaware of this, the estate agent carried on rambling about how great the apartment was.
"Ryan, this place is crap," Paige hissed in her husband's ear.
"I know," Ryan agreed. "But we can't just leave."
"Can't we?" Paige scuttled over to the estate agent, who's name-tag read Emily. "Excuse me?"
"Yes?" Emily turned to Paige with a false smile plastered on her pretty features.
"We." Paige motioned to include Ryan. "Don't think this is the apartment for us."
"Are you sure? You haven't seen all of it yet."
Paige glanced disdainfully around the apartment. Wallpaper hung from paper-thin walls and mould was slowly creeping into the corners. The place was barely big enough for two, let alone three and it certainly wasn't a place to bring up a baby.
"We're sure," Paige replied, her smile just a fake as Emily's.
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"Hey! How did the house hunting go?" Piper asked the instant Paige and Ryan trailed through the door. On her hip was an eight-month-old Prue. Even though she was only young, Prue resembled Piper more each day. With her dark, chestnut brown hair and large, mocha brown eyes, she was the image of her mother. The Blessed One now had full control over her powers and could orb, freeze and create force fields on command.
"Not well," Ryan answered glumly as Paige slouched into the living room.
"Can we please not talk about it?" The youngest groaned, dropping down onto the sofa as elegantly as she could considering her little bump. "Where's Phoebe?"
"Out with Jason," Piper replied, placing Prue in her playpen.
"Again?" Ryan exclaimed. Phoebe and Jason had been on a date every night that week.
"Again," Piper confirmed.
Paige jumped to her feet as a demon appeared from shimmers and Prue put her shield up. The demon was tall and bulky, with lime green shiny skin and black tribal markings covering half of his face. In fact, he looked almost like a green Belthazar. He launched a crackling bright blue energy ball and Ryan watched in horror as the demonic weapon sailed towards his pregnant wife.
Paige whipped her hands out, attempting to encase the energy ball in ice. However, a neon yellow bolt of electricity shot from her palm and sent the energy ball whizzing back. The demon dodged the attack and the ball scorched the couch.
"Ill be back," the demon growled in a deep, menacing boom. He even sounded like the human/demon.
"Well that has to be the shortest demon visit ever," Piper quipped.
Paige stared at her hands, not quite believing what had happened.
"The baby has another power!" Ryan cried, hugging his wife.
From her playpen Prue giggled in delight and squealed as her uncle spun her youngest aunt around the room.
"I'll get the book," Piper announced, shaking her head slightly in amusement at her brother-in-law's enthusiasm.
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"Jason, I need to talk to you," Phoebe said from the red, leather sofa in her boyfriend's plush apartment.
"We've been talking all evening," Jason joked, handing Phoebe a bowl of Carte Dor ice cream.
"This is serious." Phoebe pulled Jason down so he sat next to her.
"Oh God, you're not pregnant are you?"
"No," Phoebe said emphatically, stressing the word. Phoebe's brand new empathy power kicked in, and she felt a flood of Jason's emotions. Relief. Then concern. Empathy was the ability to read people's feelings and was sometimes a blessing, at other times a curse.
"Phoebe, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
Phoebe dug her fingernails into her palm. She knew Jason loved her. She could feel it. But did her love her enough to handle the truth. "It's about who I am," she said finally.
"I know who you are. You're a beautiful, sexy, funny and caring woman," Jason said sincerely.
"Jason, I'm a witch," Phoebe blurted out.
Jason instantly burst out laughing, and Phoebe felt his amusement. She almost wanted to giggle as well, but that was the effect of her not completely under control power. His reaction was far from funny to Phoebe.
"That's a good one," Jason howled, wiping tears from his eyes. "You had me worried there."
"Jason, it's the truth," Phoebe said desperately.
Jason's smile faded and he frowned. "You don't expect me to believe that. Do you?"
"Just watch." Phoebe got to her feet and closed her eyes. She levitated a few feet in the air, gently lowered back down and sat next to Jason.
"Is this some kind of practical joke?" Jason asked, his tone the complete opposite of amused.
"No. It's totally real."
Jason dropped back onto the sofa and rested his head in his hands. Phoebe didn't need her power to tell he was having a hard time with this.
"Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked, putting a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder.
"I… I just need some time."
Phoebe nodded sadly. " I understand." Without another word, Phoebe rose from the sofa and left the apartment.
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"Hello?" Phoebe called, poking her head around the doorway to the living room. No one was there and it was quiet. The only time it had been this quiet in the Manor was when Eef had returned, but that had been four moths ago. He couldn't be back. Could he?
"We're up here!"
Relief washed over Phoebe like a tidal wave as the soft voice of Paige floated down the stairs from the attic. But wait. Why were they in the attic? Had a demon attacked? This terrifying thought in mind, Phoebe sped up the stairs. She reached the attic, breathless, and relief flooded over her. All of her family members were there.
"We have a demon to vanquish," Paige said, looking up from the piece of paper she was scribbling on.
"Oh goody," Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Just what I needed," she mumbled.
"What was that?" Piper inquired.
Phoebe waved her hands dismisively. "Never mind." She stalked over to the table Paige was leaning on and dumped her white leather bag. "Who's the demon?"
"Exton, upper-level demon. Can be vanquished with a potion containing a slice of his flesh," Ryan summarised, jiggling Prue on his hip so he could read from the book.
"Does that sound slightly familiar to you?" Phoebe wondered, noticing the similarity to her ex-demonic husband, just as her sisters had.
"Belthazar," Piper and Paige answered simultaneously, without looking up from their tasks.
"This is gonna be a long night," Phoebe sighed, flopping back into her chair.
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Half an hour later, Piper ducked as the energy ball whizzed above her head. Only a few minutes ago they had summoned Exton, and already he had proved a challenge. Firing incessant weapons and shimmering from counterattacks were just some of the tricks he had pulled. So far not one sister had got close enough to slice his flesh.
"I've had enough of this," Piper muttered, springing up from behind the old sofa she had taken solace in and throwing out her arms.
Time stopped just in the right moment; Exton was about to dodge a kick from Phoebe. The middle Charmed One fell to the floor with a thud, her foot no longer having anything to connect with. She picked herself up and dusted off her jeans, glowering at her oldest sister.
"Thanks for warning me," Phoebe grumbled.
"Well if I did Exton would know what the plan was, wouldn't he?" Piper shot back.
"Why didn't you think of that before?" Paige wondered, stalking over to the demon with an athame clutched in one hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just trying to survive the energy balls," Piper replied sarcastically.
Paige rolled her eyes and poked her tongue out at her sister, while swiping the athame sharply across Exton's neck. The lime green demon roared back into motion and lunged for the pregnant witch, but she was too quick and orbed out the way, the slice of flesh plopping to the floor while Piper froze the demon again.
Paige orbed back in between her sisters and called for the flesh. It materialised into her hand and instantly covered the pale skin in blood. Paige heaved, but kept hold of the vital ingredient.
"Oh, I'm glad Prue was taken to bed," Piper muttered, gagging. "You two go make the potion. I'll handle this guy." Piper flexed her fingers, ready to blast Exton.
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"Okay, now we add the flesh," Phoebe instructed, watching as Paige stirred the simmering, acid green potion.
"I have done this before you know," Paige told her. "Remember the Seer?"
"How could I forget?" Phoebe mumbled. Her mind filled with thoughts of what her life would now be like if her demonic baby had survived and she choked back a sob, knowing it would do no good to dwell on the past.
"Stand back," Paige commanded, backing up and depositing the skin into the bubbling potion. There was a loud bang; a puff of smoke and an acrid smell filled the room.
"Uhg, gross," Paige complained, waving a hand in front of her mouth.
Phoebe poured some potion in three glass vials and handed one to Paige. "Let's get this upstairs to Piper."
The witchlighter grabbed her sister and orbed them up to the attic. When they arrived, Piper was flying through the air.
"Piper!" Paige screamed, orbing her oldest sister onto a sofa before she could crash through a window.
"Thanks," Piper said, rising unsteadily from the seat and joining her sisters. Each one threw the potion, and Exton burst into flames.
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A/N. I know Exton was a little bit pointless, but I wanted to show the Charmed Ones don't just get attacked by Eef.
I have also recently decided to write another story, named Charmed In More Ways Than One (crap title I know). It will contain all four sisters, their partners, children (not until later in the story), new demons and new powers. Please check it out, it's better than it sounds. And don't worry, I'll still continue with this story, although I may not be able to update as frequently anymore. Please review and look out for Charmed In More Ways Than One.