A/N. Thanks for the reviews. In response to a question, Eef will disappear from the Charmed Ones' lives soon, although if he is vanquished or not you will have to see!
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Chapter 24 – One week later"We're home!" Ryan nudged the front door of Halliwell Manor open with is foot, as he hands were occupied with Paige's bathroom supplies and baby necessities such as a car seat and pram. Behind him came Paige, a sleeping Kara snuggled close to her chest. Due to the fact that Paige had had a Caesarean, she and the baby had been kept in at the hospital for a week, and today was her first time home.
"Hello?" Ryan called when no one came to greet them.
"Maybe everyone's out," Paige suggested, gently shutting the door. It swung closed with a soft click.
"I don't think so. They knew what time we were getting home." Ryan grinned to himself as he dumped the bags and baby essentials. Paige didn't suspect a thing.
A small cluster of orbs appeared at Ryan's feet, and he stumbled back in shock. Once over the surprise of finding Prue in front of him, he bent down and picked her up. "Hey Prue, what are you doing here?" he cooed.
"Bah." Prue struggled to get away from her uncle's grasp and closer to her cousin.
"Well at least someone wants to see us," Paige said, feeling slightly annoyed that her sister's had not rushed to her side. The youngest Charmed One lifted up her baby so Prue could see her more clearly.
Prue squealed in delight and reached out with chubby arms. Kara's warm hazel eyes fluttered open, as if sensing her older cousin, and she gave a happy little yawn.
"Prue, there you are!" Piper exclaimed as she came barging in from the kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes widened when she noticed Paige and Ryan standing there. "Hey, Paige and Ryan," she greeted a little loudly, holding out her arms to hug the new parents.
"Oh, so someone is home," Paige said indignantly, a scowl on her face.
"Yeah." Piper ran her hands through her long hair and chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I was, um, busy."
"With what?" Paige asked suspiciously. Something was not right.
Piper glanced at Ryan, as if expecting him to come up with an answer.
Paige's eyes narrowed. "Okay, what is up with you?" She placed Kara in Piper's arms and planted her hands on her hips, her eyes flicking from her husband to Piper. "Come on, spill."
"Well, um," Piper began.
"And why are the dining room doors shut?" Paige stalked over to the room in question.
"Wait!" Ryan and Piper cried in unison. But it was too late.
"Surprise!" Loud bangs went off and bits of coloured string flew in Paige's face as she burst through the doors. When the party streamers had floated to the ground, the faces of Phoebe, Jason, Leo and Darryl and Sheila Morris were staring at her, beaming.
"What?" Paige gasped. "Is going on?" She spun around to face Piper and Ryan, guessing they had something to do with it.
"Surprise," Piper repeated, kissing Paige on the cheek and joining everyone in the dining room.
"It's a mini party. For you and Kara," Ryan explained. "We would've organised a proper party, but figured you'd be kind of tired."
"You did this for me?" Paige asked, her eyes filling with tears.
Ryan nodded. "I hope you enjoy it."
"I will." Paige squealed with joy and hugged Ryan. "This was so sweet. Thank you so much."
"Well we couldn't have you returning without celebration, now could we?"
"I guess not." Paige pulled away and scooped up her daughter. "Look Kara, all these people are here to see you," she cooed.
"Oh, let me see the baby!" Phoebe exclaimed, peering over her younger sister's shoulder.
"Phoebes, you've seen her every day since her birth."
Phoebe's lip stuck out in a child-like pout. "As her favourite auntie I have the right to."
"Hey!" Piper protested. "Who says you're her favourite aunt?"
"She does."
Paige laughed and stepped between the feuding witches. "Okay guys. No fighting. You can share her."
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Three months later"Paige." Phoebe's (or what sounded like Phoebe's) voice floated through the door and down the steps to meet Paige as she lay resting on her bed.
"I'll go," Paige said to Ryan, who was lying next to her. "You stay with Kara." Despite the fact that Kara was now three months old, Paige still didn't like to leave her on her own. She climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen. She pulled open the door and stepped into the kitchen.
The small, grey haired demon with a pointed nose and weasel-like face smiled as he stepped up to the youngest Charmed One.
Paige looked around the kitchen, feeling totally confused. She had heard Phoebe's voice. She was sure of it. So where was she?
"Oh Paige!"
Paige spun around, her heart jumping with fright. It wasn't Phoebe she saw. It was the grey haired demon, decked out in all black. "Barbas," she spat. She hadn't met this demon before, but had learnt all about him from her older sisters. This demon could read your fear, turn it against you. Completely freeze you and your power.
"Hmm," the demon of fear mused. "I haven't met you before. Let's see what your fear is, shall we?" Before Paige could call for help or orb away, Barbas had swept his arm through the air. He instantly disappeared from Paige's view, although to anyone else he would still be standing there, smirking as he watched the destruction of his power unfold.
Paige's eyes glazed over as she watched an invisible sight. Piper stood with Prue clutched close, next to her were Leo, Phoebe and Ryan holding Kara.
"Whe… where are you going?" she stammered, as one by one they all turned away from her.
"You were never part of this family, Paige," Barbas whispered in Paige's ear. To the disillusioned youngest Charmed One it was Piper who was saying the harsh words.
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed spitefully. "You were only Prue's replacement. And a crap one at that."
"Piper. Phoebe," Paige whimpered. But it was too late. The eldest Charmed Ones were gone.
"I'm so sorry Paige. You just can't live up to Prue. She was too powerful. And, well, you're not," Leo said sadly before also walking away.
Tears pricked at Paige's eyes and her heart almost broke. How could they say that? She was their sister. She was a good witch. Ever since meeting them and learning about Prue, Paige had been afraid of not being able to step into her shoes. And now her worst fears had been confirmed. Paige's eyes flicked to her husband and baby. She could almost make it if her husband was there to support her. But Ryan's face was cold and emotionless.
"I can't stay Paige."
"Ryan," Paige pleaded, reaching out to him.
"You would make a terrible mother and I can't put my baby through that. She would be better off away from you, just as everyone else would," Ryan interrupted. "You're on your own." Ryan turned and marched away, leaving Paige, just as he had said, all alone.
Paige let out a heart-wrenching wail of despair and fell to the floor. Her heart was breaking and tears streamed down her face. "Please… come back." But no one did.
Barbas smiled triumphantly and shimmered upstairs as the real Ryan crashed his way into the room. The youngest had fallen.
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Upstairs, Piper silently made her way out of Prue's nursery, having just put her to bed. Leo had been called away, and Phoebe was out with Jason so it was just her, Prue, Paige, Ryan and Kara. Piper turned away from the door, a grin tugging at her lips. Her ears pricked up. She thought she heard something from downstairs.
'Probably just Paige or Ryan,' she decided, stepping backwards. She collided with something solid and fell to the floor with an "oomph" and gazed upwards. What she saw surprised her to no end. Barbas waved his hand in front of her face before another word was said.
"Prue?" Piper asked, forgetting about the demon and seeing the form of a small child lying in front of her. She crawled towards it and recoiled in horror. It was Prue, and a darklighter arrow stuck from her side. Her dark eyes were wide pen and frozen in fear.
"No!" Piper screamed. Her soul felt like it had been torn in two and the feeling like a thousand knives being plunged into her abdomen made her head swim. She couldn't breath. She could barely move. Her life, her soul, was dead. She scooped up the body of her baby. It was limp and cold. Piper's body wracked with sobs. Prue couldn't be gone. She couldn't. Never in her life had Piper felt so much pain. Not when she and Leo had split during her time with Dan, not when Phoebe turned evil, not even when her oldest sister had died.
Barbas cackled with glee as he watched the eldest Charmed One clutch at an invisible body and grieve over something that hadn't happened. He had reduced two of the Charmed Ones to snivelling wreaks in a matter of minutes, and how easy it had been! Now for the third.
"Hey!"
Barbas whipped around, the long tail of his black cloak fanning around his legs. "Ah! Just the person I wanted to see," Barbas said. "And I see you've brought a friend. How lovely."
"You leave him out of this," Phoebe growled, shoving Jason behind her.
"Phoebe, be careful," Jason warned, indicating to her six-month pregnant stomach.
"I will. You get Piper. Try and convince her it's all in her mind," she ordered.
Jason nodded and ran towards Piper. Barbas let him go, focusing all his attention on Phoebe. Before Jason could reach his soon-to-be sister-in-law, there was a ruby red flash and Phoebe appeared next to her.
"What?" Jason stopped short and looked back over his shoulder. His pregnant fiancé was still there. But as he turned to look back at Piper, she was also there. Jason's brow knit and his baby blue eyes clouded in confusion. The Phoebe near Piper vanished in another red flash, and Jason realised what had happened. Phoebe had told him about it before. What was it called? Astral projection. But Phoebe didn't have that power. Jason looked back at Piper, but she was no longer weeping and clutching something he couldn't see. She was getting to her feet, having apparently snapped out of Barbas' illusion. For Jason's first experience of magic first hand, this was pretty intense.
Barbas hurled a sickly green energy ball at Phoebe, who wrapped her arms around her stomach in an effort to protect her baby. She needn't have bothered, as the energy ball sailed straight through her and hit the wall behind. Once again the baby had saved her mother.
"Get out of my house."
Barbas twisted slowly to face Piper; his already ugly face made worse by the way it was screwed up in fury. "No… you can't," she stuttered.
"Save it," Piper snapped. She flicked her wrists and Barbas exploded. Not vanquished, but seriously injured by Piper's recovery and her power.
Phoebe jogged to her sister's side and slid her arms around her waist. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Water still pricked at Piper's eyes at the memory of seeing her daughter impaled, but she fought to keep them at bay.
"How did you escape the illusion?" Phoebe asked.
"When I heard your voice I remembered that I had just put Prue to bed, so she couldn't be lying on the floor in front of me, and then I realised Barbas had been standing over me. It all king of fell into place after that," Piper explained.
"Phoebe how did you…?" Jason asked.
"Astral project? I think it was the baby. She takes after her auntie Prue," Phoebe said proudly.
"Oh, you're so clever! Yes you are!" Piper babbled to Phoebe's stomach.
"Yes she is," Jason agreed, placing his palms on his unborn baby's home.
"Paige!" Piper cried suddenly, straightening up.
"Relax. Ryan's with her," Phoebe said.
"Was she effected too?"
"Yeah. But Ryan had it under control."
Piper sighed wearily. "We really need to vanquish that demon."
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A/N. You guys are probably fed up of Barbas, seeing as how many episodes he's appeared in, but I just had to include him in this story. It wouldn't be Charmed without him!
Please tell me what you think.