Through a child's eye
Author: Susanna
Category: Drama, relationship
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ally is having bad dreams, and Paige is having a hard time at work. But somehow those two things link together, and they finally realise that the only child who can save a man's life is Ally. Phoebe and Cole must now teach Ally how to fight the unseen.
"Look at the time, I've really got to get to work!" Paige said to herself as she ran down the stairs from the attic. She was usually rushing in the mornings.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Phoebe asked her as Paige scrambled in to the kitchen trying to find her purse.
"Dammit, I knew I left my purse somewhere!" Paige mumbled. "I'm going to work, and I'll properly get fired by the end of the day if I don't leave now" she replied as she ran out the door. "Well goodbye to you to!" phoebe said to herself as she finished making Melinda's lunch for school.
"Mommy, Daddy!" Ally screamed. Phoebe immediately ran upstairs to her daughters' room to see what was wrong.
When she got there she found her lying on the floor covering her eyes.
"Where's daddy?
"Daddy's still sleeping, Allers please tell me what happened.
"It was like a dream except I saw it as it happened. There was you and Paige and this guy, and there's a thing coming out and it hurt you and Aunty Paige. Then I can't remember because I fell on the ground and then you came" Ally said shaking as she told her mum.
"What happened to Ally" Melinda asked Phoebe.
"I think she had a premonition," Phoebe said to Melinda.
"But I thought that you were the only one that could have premonitions?" Melinda said to Phoebe.
"Well you can freeze time like your mother can't you? Well Ally can probably have premonitions like me except not as good" she said hoping that Melinda wouldn't ask any more questions in front of Ally.
Back at the office Paige was talking to her boss.
"How do I know that next time you won't be late!" her boss said.
"Just trust me ok, please, just trust me!" Paige answered and walked away back to her desk.
"Great just what I need" Paige said to herself as her boss and another employee came over.
"Paige this is Steve, Steve this is Paige" he said,
"well now you two know each other I can go and get back to work… and Paige work or I will fire you!" he said and left..
"So I guess I'm gonna be working with you" Paige said turning to Steve. He winked at her.
"Yep you'll have to get used to my face…" he laughed a little. Steve walked to his desk and took out some papers. Paige sat down in her desk with the pile of papers she must do. "Dammit I'll never get this done in time" Paige groaned.
"Can I ask your help?" Steve asked.
"What?"
Steve didn't know how to use the photocopier. Paige did that, by lunch time, her papers were piling up.
Paige had become very annoyed at the end of the day. She was just going home when her boss caught her.
"So…Paige, I see you're not worki…." He started.
"LOOK, I had a really bad day, first you put me with sooooooooooo many papers, and then you send a new employee after me. He's not doing a thing, only playing around. Why don't you go and fire him" Paige grumbled.
"That's it, you're fired" the boss said.
"But.."
"The way you're speaking. Unless you can give me some very good reasons you should stay then I think you should go now"
Paige stormed out without taking anything.
When Paige got home, she wasn't that angry anymore. In fact she was cheered up when she saw a bouncing little girl to greet her.
"Aunty Paige" Ally cried and came to hug her.
"Aw hey sweetie" Paige hugged her back.
"You're the only one who I can't get mad at." Paige picked her up and went into the kitchen.
Paige patted on Ally's back.
"Honey what's wrong?" Phoebe asked. One look at Paige and she could tell the poor girl had some troubles at work.
Paige told her what happened with her boss.
"I'm so sorry" Phoebe said.
"But there's this guy Steve, he didn't seem normal. I mean he got employed but he doesn't know how to use a photocopier"
Phoebe looked at the tired Paige.
"Honey just take a big breath, and rest. You're too tired."
"I'll try" Paige said and walked upstairs carrying Ally.
"Oh Paige, would you mind putting Ally to bed" Phoebe called out.
"Yes"
Paige carried Ally upstairs. "Your Daddy will be home soon, and when he comes he can read you a story." Paige said, she was so tired.
"Aunty Paige can you please read me a story before daddy comes, he'll be talking to mommy" Ally pleaded. Even Paige was tired and want to sleep, she could not resist the little cute Ally.
"Alright" Paige said grabbing a story book out.
"I'm scared" Ally suddenly blurted out.
"Honey what's wrong?" Paige asked in concern.
All looked a bit shaken. She shivered and leaned close to Paige. In that way she felt warm and secure. She wanted her daddy so badly, but he wasn't home yet.
"Remember my dream this morning?" Ally said.
"What dream?" Paige asked.
"I had a bad dream"
"What was that about?"
Ally spoke slowly about what she had seen earlier. About what happened in her dreams. But in the same time, it had overwhelmed so much that it felt real.
"I know its real" Ally said.
"Ally can you wait here, I'll be right back" Paige was about to orb out when Ally took Paige's hands. "I don't want to stay here by myself" The child said.
"Alright, we're going on a ride. Hold on" Paige said and orbed downstairs.
Phoebe was busy packing Ally's bag for the next day when Cole opened the door. He gave Phoebe a kiss.
"I think Ally wants you with her now." Phoebe said, before she could turn around, Paige and Ally orbed right in front of them.
"Daddy" Ally ran to Cole. He scooped her up and held on tight. "What's this dream I heard about?" Cole asked his daughter gently.
"Daddy can we go upstairs." Ally pleaded. Cole nodded and they both headed upstairs.
"Phoebe" Paige said.
"What's the matter?" Phoebe asked.
"Did ally have a bad dream this morning?" Paige asked.
"Yes, she did. This morning, she said she saw a bad guy killed us" Phoebe explained. "But I am worried like what if this is Ally's powers but there's nothing we can do at the moment.
"Oh"
"Mom!" Melinda came rushing in.
"She's out" Phoebe said. Melinda came running to Phoebe. "Aunty Phoebe, I saw someone. He was looking through my window" Melinda said breathlessly.
"Who?" Phoebe asked.
"A guy."
"Did you see what he looked like?"
"No" Melinda said.
Phoebe took Melinda back upstairs into her room. The guy wasn't there.
"Melinda would you like to sleep in my room?" Phoebe asked.. Piper and Leo are out on a trip till next week" Melinda nodded and headed down with Phoebe.
Paige had a restless sleep. She kept thinking about Ally's dream and the new employee. Somehow she felt some connection.
Middle of her sleep, she head a noise.
"Who's there?" she called. No one answered. She got out of bed and crept slowly out of her room. She saw Melinda and Ally in Phoebe's room.
Then she went out again. "Piper I wish you were here" Paige thought to herself.
Paige went back to her bed. She was almost asleep when she heard a small voice.
"Paige, Paige! Aunty Paige!" Ally was calling. She tried waking up Cole but it was no use.
"Whoa Ally what are you doing here?" Paige asked surprise. Secretly she was glad because she felt a bit scared herself and Ally there made her feel better.
"I want to sleep with you, Melinda is hogging the bed" Ally said.
"Alrighty sweetie pie you come lie down" Paige said.
Ally climbed in next to Paige.
"Ally, do you know who you saw that killed us?" Paige asked. That surprised Ally a bit. "I'm too scared" she felt shivering.
"That's ok, we wont talk about it" Paige laughed and tickled Ally.
Paige woke up with Ally beside her. For a moment she almost forgot how Ally came to her bed, but then she remembered about what happened the night before.
Ally was still asleep, her hair was a bit tangled but she looked sweet in her sleep.
The house was quiet so Paige knew Phoebe and Cole were still sleeping.
Paige wanted to be really quiet so she wouldn't wake Ally up. "Daddy!" Ally cried in her sleep. Paige put her hands on her. "Ally it's okay honey, I'm here, you're going to be okay."
Ally opened big blue eyes. They were taken after Cole
Ally lay next to Paige and pulling her closer. "I had the same dream." Ally whimpered. She was close to tears. A while later, Paige got up and Ally went outside to her own room. She suddenly felt a shiver and ran to Cole and Phoebe's.
"Daddy, Mommy please wake up."
Phoebe was awakening, and Cole was too, for the first time.
Ally cling on their bed, it was so warm.
They were talking and there was a knock on the door. Phoebe opened the door and came outside. "I was wondering if I can borrow Ally for a minute. I want her to come with me to the office. I think the guy in my work is weird so I want to see if there's any link to Ally's premonition.
"Sure, I'll go and get her."
In a sec, Phoebe came back with Ally. "See you later honey" Phoebe said and kissed her daughter.
Ally took Paige's hands and they went to the office.
When they arrived there, her boss was standing looking angrier than ever.
"What's with the kid?" he snapped.
Ally looked at him and held close to Paige. "Shh its ok sweetie" Paige cooed and whispered to him. "Will you keep your voice down. She's very scared"
"Fine whatever. But this isn't a childcare centre. You better take her away" He grumbled.
Paige shook her hands and left him standing there.
Soon the new employee came in.
As soon as he saw Ally, he rushed towards the child.
"Oh my god, a girl…" he said drawn into her. This scared Ally a bit, and she stepped back.
"Would you mind, this is my niece!" Paige snapped.
Steve stepped back. He looked as if he was drunk.
"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten her" he said.
Paige held on to Ally, making sure no one could take her away. She felt as if she was a prisoner here.
"We're going home now" she said.
"No, please don't go yet" he said, which made Paige more suspicious than ever.
"Why?"
Steve looked at the child.
"Because she's the only one who could save me."
"What?" Paige became confused. "What do you mean save you?"
Ally was staring into his hands. She back away every time Steve came closer
"The child doesn't like you, so stop " Paige yelled and slapped him when he tired to hold Ally.
The boss came in.
"What the hell is all that noise? And Paige, didn't I tell you to take that kid back, or I'll have to take her myself" He said coming towards them. Ally screamed and tried to run.
"Don't you dare touch her." Phoebe warned. Her voice was so firm he backed away.
"If you don't take that child away the whole office will be annoyed to death" he looked at Steve, mouthing him to take her. If she's still there the next time I come in, you both will be fired.
"No, I won't. Ally's here because I took her. I need her there for while…." Steve answered. "It's all my fault. I told Paige to bring the child"
The boss had more respected for Steve than Paige so he let it go for now. "Alright. Not all day" he said and left.
"Why did you say that?" Paige asked in surprise.
"Because I really really need your niece's help." Paige still couldn't understand.
"Why do you need a child's help?"
Steve looked at Paige then Ally. "What's her name?" He asked Paige. "Ally"
"Hi Ally" He said in a soft voice.
Somehow, to Paige's surprise, Ally wasn't afraid of him anymore. In fact, she seemed to take some interest in Steve.
"I told you I wouldn't hurt her" he said.
"But why do you need her help" Paige asked, wondering what he wanted.
"I'm sorry its better if you don't know" he answered.
Paige was determined to see what he was up to.
"No, I will not/I cannot help you unless you tell me what is bothering you!
Steve sat down. "Alright. I've got this strange thing like a shadow after me." He said.
"What shadow?" Paige asked in confusion. Ally sat on Paige's lap and looked at Steve.
Steve began to explain. "When I was 8 years old, a black shadow had been following me. And every night, it feeds"
Paige looked very shocked.
Steve pulled his long sleeves up. Paige almost fainted. Her arms were filled with scars and scratches.
"Only a one child can see that shadow, and when I see her, I will know." He continued. Paige couldn't stand looking at his arms. There so badly scratched and the scars weren't healing.
"How do you know it's Ally?" Paige asked.
"Can you see it?" he asked.
"See what?"
"That's my point, Ally was so scared when she saw me, because she saw the shadow but then it was weakened so it disappeared. And that's why Ally wasn't scared of me just now." Steve said.
"How come the shadow's weakened?"
"Because he becomes vulnerable to vision. If anyone sees him he'll be weaker. Unfortunately Ally is the only one that can see the shadow.
Paige believed his story. She felt sorry for accusing him before.
"I'm sorry about before, would you like to come home with me…you'll be safe in my house" Paige said.
"No place is safe for me." Steve signed sadly.
"That is not true. You saw Ally for a reason, now there's got to be an ending. Follow me." She held Ally's hands and grabbed Steve's hand. They orbed home to the manor.
It was midday and Piper was returning in 2 days. Paige took Steve to a spare room.
"Ally are you coming with me or staying here?" Paige asked, but seems like Ally really trusted Steve. She shook her head. "I'm staying here for a while."
Paige found Phoebe in the attic with Cole. They had been a bit worried about her. "Paige you're back, hows Allers?"
Paige sat down next to them. "The guy at my work is in serious trouble. He has this shadow after him and apparently only Ally can see it, and it feeds on him."
"What should we do?"
"I think we should look in the book of shadows to see if there's a vanquish for the shadowy thing."
Ally was with Steve. She giggled when he tried to make her laugh.
"Does Steve know who we are?" Phoebe asked.
"I haven't told him" Paige replied.
"Do you think he knows?"
"Probably, that's why he's being trying to get close to me. He's probably telepathic."
They flipped through. And suddenly something caught their eyes.
"The unknown shadow"
The page said.
It is a shadow that feeds on mortals by staying in them as long as they wanted and gradually will kill them. The only way to destroy it is through they child's eye. When a chosen child will have the powers to banish it. But she must be taught those powers, by using a part of her eye to weaken the shadow.
"Ally did that today, she looked at Steve and he said the shadow left." Paige said.
Cole looked at the page. His daughter was obviously the chosen girl.
"We better start teaching her." Phoebe said, even though she had no idea how.
"I know how to," Cole said, he went downstairs to find Ally. "Daddy," Ally cried and ran into his arms. "Steve is it?" Cole greed him with a smile. "I'm Cole."
Cole took Ally upstairs into her room.
"You know this man Steve, he needs your help." Cole said. "I Know daddy. What do I do?"
"I'm going to teach you."
Cole sat down on Ally's bed and she lay next to him. "You have to look at an object, and keep staring at it. Do not take your eyes off all costs, and when you've looked at this shadow long enough, a light will come out, and it will gradually kill off the shadow. Why don't you try it on--"
He looked around the room. There was nothing he wanted to destroy. Finally he spotted a old sculpture.
"Try it on that." He pointed to the sculpture.
Ally starred at it. Finally her eyes were getting sore. "Daddy I can't do this anymore." Ally was about to give up. "You can do it, Allers, I know you can do this. You have to think, it's a person's life we're dealing with. You can do this!" Cole kept urging her to keep going.
Ally tried again and again, and soon she was starting to feel strange. "My eyes feel hot."
Cole looked in her eyes. He could see it turning colour. It was starting to glow, in a reddish yellow colour. "Ally it's working, don't give up now."
A loud bang shot across the room and the sculpture fell into pieces. "Ally you did it!" Cole gave her a hug. Ally smiled. "I'm so tired daddy."
"Ally's right," Cole said to Phoebe and Paige when they got upstairs. Ally was still amazed at what she can do.
"Do you think it's time to save Steve?" Paige asked. Phoebe and Cole both nodded. "It is."
They went downstairs, but heard a scream.
"Ahhhh" Steve cried.
Phoebe saw him fighting against something she couldn't see what it was, but it was scratching him badly. "Ally, it's all up to you now."
Ally could see a dark shadow, it terrified her so much. But she remembered what Cole said. They're dealing with somebody's life. Ally was young but she understood that a life is worth saving.
She started to stare at the shadow. It was moving around, and Ally could see it big and clear. It was so hard to keep focus, but forced herself to.
"Are you alright Ally?" Phoebe asked. Ally managed to say a 'yes'.
She kept staring, and staring. Wouldn't take her eyes off, and the shadow kept spinning, almost giving her a headache.
"Daddy I can't…it's too fast." Ally cried.
Cole moved by her side. "You can do it Allers, please keep trying."
Ally forced back, and with all her strength, kept her eyes right on the shadow. It moved by Ally's eyes moved with it. Finally the shadow was weakened and started to stop.
Ally didn't give up yet, she could feel the flames again, and it felt hot. And she could feel it.
Cole kept squeezing her, and telling her not to give up. The light in Ally's eyes started to rise again.
"Look in Ally's eyes." Paige whispered to Phoebe. They saw the red light. Before they knew, it shot out and slammed into Steve, nearly knocking him out.
There was a loud bang, and Cole knew she did it. He was so proud of his daughter. She is an amazing girl.
Steve lay on the ground. He wasn't moving though. "Steve can you hear me?" Paige bent down next to him.
"We need Leo"
"He and Piper can't always be there Paige." Phoebe said. "But you can try…"
Paige looked at Steve, then at Phoebe. She knew what her sister was trying to say. Could she? But she never tried before. If she fails, all that Ally done would be for nothing.
Come on Paige, you can do this.
Paige put her hands across, she starred at Steve. His arms were so bruised, and they looked worse, and some parts were bleeding.
She had to concentrate very hard. She always depended on Leo in the past but those days are over. She knew that power lay within her, and she had the key to open it.
"Paige! It's working" Phoebe cried.
Paige saw Steve's arms starting to heal. She could see a light that looked so familiar. It was her doing it. She could hardly believe it but it was true.
Steve opened his eyes. "Paige, what happened?"
Paige felt so relieved. She had done it. He was going to be okay.
"You got to thank Ally for this. She destroyed the shadow that was haunting you."
"Really? Thank you Ally, and Paige. I know you healed me…"
Paige was surprised. "How do you know?"
"I don't feel the scars, and you were next to me."
"You know who I am?"
Steve smiled. "I always knew who you were. It was hard keeping it quiet for so long, but I had to believe you and your family could help me."
Ally was very tired, after what she did. She almost collapsed on Cole. "Sweetheart, I'll take you to bed now." Cole wrapped her in his arms and walked upstairs.
"I guess I have to go back home, and tomorrow we got a day of work to go." Steve got up, and thanked Paige and Phoebe once again.
"I almost forgot. We are going to have a great time working together." Paige smiled and waved goodbye. It was a good feeling to know she could also heal.
The phone rang from another room. Phoebe ran to get it.
"Hello"
"Hey Phoebs, How are you?"
It was Piper.
"Piper, we miss you so much, where are you?" Phoebe asked excitedly. She could hardly wait to see Piper.
"I will be back in less than a hour, how's Paige and my sweetheart Melinda?"
Phoebe smiled at Paige as if nothing had happened.
"They're all fine honey, they're all fine."
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Melinda cried as Piper stepped through the door, she threw her arms around Piper, and wouldn't let her go.
"Aw Melinda, I really missed you honey." Melinda smiled to her mom. "I missed you too!"
The End