A/N: Title is from the movie, the Hills have Eyes
Angelically Charmed: The Walls have Scarabs
"Prue, all I'm saying is there has to be another way!" Paige followed the oldest charmed one into the nursery, gazing heatedly at Prue's back.
"There is no other way" Prue ground through a clenched jaw. Bending over the side of the toddler bed, Prue gently lifted Austin in her arms, sweeping a kiss across the babie's forehead.
"How can you be so sure?" Paige reached out, lightly grazing, Prue's arm prompting the charmed High Priestess to whirl around
"The Angel of Destiny told me I have to accept the things I can't change and Austin being Death is one of them"
"But we've already lost Phoebe!" Paige laminated, "She wouldn't want you to make the sacrifice!"
Prue closed her eyes pressing Austin close to her cheek as the room illuminated with Death. "Yeah, well making sacrifices for my sisters is what I do best"
The Angel stood with hands behind his back, his facial expressions unreadable. "I trust you have a decision"
Prue glanced over her shoulder with tears welling to see Paige shaking her head, her chocolate colored eyes teary. "We have" Prue said stoically keeping Austin close to her chest, "And you're not getting my daughter"
Death's eyes narrowed slightly with the appearance of white glowing lights entering the room. Phoebe appeared, dressed in Death's back robes.
"You get me instead"
"Phoebe" Prue felt her chest tighten, "What-"
"What did you do?" Death demanded grim faced.
"I think I just became you" Phoebe said smartly rounding on the angel. "The terms of the deal just changed. "Instead of Austin you have a willing apprentice plus a charmed one to boot"
"Phoebe no" Prue shook her head watching her sister shrug.
"What difference, does it make, I was destined to die anyway and now I have a cool destiny just like you"
"My destiny is hardly cool" Prue sniped with a smile, "I have to deal with cretins like him" She tossed her eyes to Death.
With a big grin, Phoebe tugged on the lapels of her robes, just think Prue you won't have to deal with him anymore"
"You can't be Death! You aren't a neutral" The angel ground, clutching his fist, "Your power of empath will get in the way!"
Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest, "that's kind of hypocritical don't you think, considering that Austin's main power is telempathy" Austin was empathy capable of absorbing human emotions.
"That's because the child was to be made Neutral!" Death roared with the clap of thunder behind him.
"Oh that's low, even for you!" Paige wrapped her hands on her hips, "Stealing the emotions of an innocent baby!"
"She's not a baby!" Death hissed, "She's an angelic immortal being who was created for the sole purpose of claiming my legacy!"
"Angelic Immortal Charmed One" Phoebe corrected curtly gazing down at her watch, "Now if you'll excuse, I have to go watch my own death," Once again bright swirls engulfed the charmed medium sending her back to her own time.
Standing in the living room, both Phoebe and Death watched the hands of the old grandfather clock. Slowly Phoebe started to count backwards, "5.4,3,2, 1" The sound s hounds snarling from the attic echoed down the stairs. "That would be the demon dogs would it?" She glanced quickly at Death pointing a finger "And if I'm right, Paige and Prue are off at Darryl's trying to save Andy from being pulled into the movie world of Capone" The witch nodded, "Piper's in the kitchen" she added watching the kitchen door swing open giving weigh to a nervous looking Piper. Somehow her power of premonition and her new found powers of death had combined, heightening her clairvoyance. She could now see Spirits who were destined to cross over to the other side.
"Phoebe?"
"Time to go" Phoebe crinkled her nose at Death calling upon her enlarged white orbs. She and Death appeared in the attic. The dogs were already attacking her petite body shredding it.
"Phoebe!" Piper stood in the doorway, frantically flicking her wrists at the beasts causing their eyes to glow a demonic red at the sight of her firey blasts. Deflecting the blast, the dog snarled at Piper and then disappeared in a warlock's blink.
"Phoebe, Phoebe no!" Piper fell to the floor, cradling Phoebe's bloodied and dismembered body. "Leo! Leo!"
Phoebe tapped a finger to her lips glaring at Death, "And now instead of Austin and Paige here you come". As if on cue, Death watched himself appear, reaching out to the bloodied Phoebe.
"No..no…Phoebe you can't go" Piper choked, her face a fluster of messy tears.
And instead of becoming a spirit, waiting in limbo for her destiny, I become this" Phoebe held out her arms, waving Death's robes as her bloodied body meshed with the spiritual one, creating Death's new appearance.
"Pretty cool trick huh?"
"This changes nothing" Death fumed flaring his nostrils.
"We'll see about that" Phoebe smirked primly following Death in a white swirl.
Paige and Prue were still standing in the darkened nursery when Phoebe returned alone. "Well?" Paige asked with anticipation.
"It worked, I'm death's new apprentice" Phoebe crossed over Prue and gently laid her fingers into Austin's hair, "She's free, she's finally free"
"But you're not" Prue lifted her eyes from her daughter's face. "This isn't a destiny you're suppose to have"
"Who cares?" Phoebe's face was radiant, until a voice boomed from behind her. The Angel of Destiny stood with her arms crossed her chest. Death was beside her.
"I do, your sister is right this was not a destiny you were suppose to have"
Phoebe dipped her head slightly feeling a but coming on. There was something about the Angels tone that told her they weren't about to undo the magic that Phoebe had unleashed.
"But in light of the sacrifice your own destiny, we have decided to let you live with the consequences. From now on you shall be an angel of death and given the fact that you are a Charmed one we have decided that you shall remain here on Earth living in the capacity of a mortal. You will be able to see and hear spirits which are about to cross over"
Phoebe's face crinkled slightly. "What? Like the ghost whisperer?"
"Precisely" Death cleared his throat, "Spirits will attached themselves to you needing assistance with their unfinished business"
"Oh so that's what you meant by consequences" Paige put in a mock chuckle, "hmph…It figures"
The angel flicked her dark eyes to Prue, "Your daughter is now free of her original destiny. From now on, she shall be simply angelic like her sisters."
"That means that Paige is free too" Prue looked over her shoulder to see the youngest Charmed clap a hand over her mouth, hiding a smile. No longer did she have to accompany Austin on the retrieval of lost souls.
The angel nodded lowering her head in departure. Slowly she and death faded into the background, allowing the three sisters to rejoice in Phoebe's altered destiny.
"Thank you" Prue whispered sandwiched in between her two sisters. The threesome held tight for a moment before Phoebe stepped back, swiping at her eyes. "You're my sister, it's the least I can do"
Paige's hands returned to her hip, disclosing her concern "Speaking of sisters where is Piper?"
The threesome found Leo in the attic. The whitelighter sat crossed legged, meditating in mid-air. "Any thing?" Prue questioned entering first.
Leo opened his eyes, shaking his head as his body slowly floated to the floor until he was low enough to stretch his legs to a standing position. "I can't sense Piper anywhere"
Paige's heart started to pound, it was like their middle sister had just vanished. "She has to be somewhere. She can't just disappear without us getting some sort of …something" her voice trailed as she crossed over to map of San Francisco that was layed out across an old oak table. Mechanically she picked up the scrying crystal, clutching it in her hand.
No one seemed to notice a small scarab appear in the corner of the attic and start to crawl towards the center of the room. On it's back was attached a small diamond shaped holograph. Visions of Piper cowering on a bed of white sheets reflected brightly against the moonlight shining through the stain glass window.
3 Days later…
Paige covered her mouth stifling a huge yawn. She was still standing over the scying table dressed in the same clothes she'd been wearing when Phoebe returned. "I can't believe we can't find Piper!" Angry she tossed the scrying the crystal across the room and watched it bounce off a set of boxes.
"That's no way to treat the only piece of equipment that might help you find your sister"
"In case you haven't noticed you now have a computer to help us with our scrying" The witch-guardian glanced over her shoulder and then raked a hand through her hair. Drake was standing in the doorway freshly showered, with his hands shoved into his pockets.
"I did but Prue isn't having any luck with it" Crossing the room, Drake knelt down just missing the holographic scarab as it scurried under some boxes. Gingerly, Drake picked up the crystal before walking over to Paige where she stood with her hand extended. "Give it over, I have to keep to trying"
"No, not until you have rested." Drake shook his head, sliding the crystal into his pocket. A lover of learning the Demon had studied the Charmed one and her sisters observing that their powers fed off of their emotions. "If you really want to find Piper, you have to be at your best"
"I can't-" Paige covered her mouth, letting out another yawning. "I can't stop yawning"
"My point exactly" The reborn Demon placed his hands on her shoulders, steering her from the attic, guiding her downstairs towards the bathroom.
"What's all this?" Paige looked into the bathroom to see the tub filled with mound of bubbles and several flickering candles. She lifted his nose to smell the scent of lavender filling the air.
"You like it?" Drake smiled.
Paige smiled at him sympathetically, "Yes. but I can't. Piper is missing and Prue would go nuts, if she found me up here just fooling around with you"
Drake's hands again fell to white rainbow jacket, sliding from her shoulders. "Actually it was Prue's idea" he whispered, kissing her neck. Paige shuddered at the feel of his touch as Drake undressed her, making certain, he caressed all the right places.
"You know" she grinned sinking into the tub. "I've never been bathed by a guy before. This might be kind of sexy"
In the hallway an elderly woman with long stringy gray hair appeared. Her face was worn like leather and pale eyes clearly showed her age. In her hands she held a pocket watch which was carefully counting down the minutes.
Keeping a close eye on Drake the woman frowned as she watched him dip a large bath sponge into the water and then ring it out along Paige's back "Just remember, Mr. Drake your days are numbered" she whispered in a raspy voice before blinking out of sight.
Downstairs, another scarab sat underneath the computer table where Prue uselessly rolling the mouse over a huge map of the San Francisco underworld. "Where are you Piper?" she said staring at the screen until bright red letters started to flash. "No Match"
Frustrated Prue slammed her finger into the button at the button of the monitor turning it off. If only Andy were here. He was magical expert at finding witches and demons. Andy could find Piper. She thought dismally raking a hand through her long raven hair before resting her back against the straight back of the chair.
A thought then occurred to her. She still had Andy's letter in the pocket of her jeans. Shifting, she slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the rumpled scrap of paper. Carefully she unfolded it, until it was flat, spread out into it's five by seven shape.
Her eyes had just started to skim over the letters when Leo came up behind her "Hey, Prue? Did you find anything" he said quietly, not wanting to startle her.
"No…no…I haven't" A small frown fell to the witches face as she realized the letter would again have to wait. Folding it quickly, she slipped it back into her pocket.
At the penthouse, a small scarab sat on the wall watching as Phoebe propped herself up onto one elbow, facing Cole. The demon was laying on his back, sprawled out in the king size bed. "You know I feel just a little guilty about this" Phoebe admitted watching Cole lock his fingers behind his head. "I shouldn't be here with you, when Piper is still missing"
Cole turned his head slightly, facing the new Witch Whisperer, "Phoebe it's been three days, even Prue and Leo know that you have to sleep"
Prue and Leo. Phoebe bemused mentally. "Prue and Leo are partially immortal they don't need sleep."
"And now that you're death apprentice, so are you" Cole smiled with pride.
Rolling over, Phoebe sat up and tossed back the covers, reaching for her white robe. "That's my point. Now that I've been dead, I should have the stamina to keep up with them. What good is being partially immortal if I can't help find my sister?"
She stood tightening the sash. "I need to go home, can you shimmer me?" she asked watching Cole push up to his elbow. Smiling he looked past Phoebe to see Declan walking into the bedroom carrying a long stemmed rose.
"I think you are home" he smiled quietly.
Shyly the little boy handed the flower to Phoebe, speaking softly. "Will be my new Mommy?" Kneeling Phoebe felt her heart swell as she took the rose into her hand.
"I'd love to be your Mommy sweetie," She replied hugging the little demon tightly.
Tomb of the Egyptians
A sarcastic moan escaped Piper as she rolled her head to find that she'd been chained to a grid style wall covered with scarabs. Gold shackles encased her ankles and wrists, securing her in an almost spread-eagle position. "Isis have a thing for chains or something?" Piper shouted, her voice echoing through the near empty tomb.
"Sacrifice" Jeric appeared dressed in typical black, slacks and a black shirt. His long hair was slicked back and tied back neatly resting against his neck and shoulders. "Isis loved her people" he continued moving close enough so that Piper could feel his warm breath on her face.
Piper turned her head as he reached out and traced her jaw line with his index finger. "She loved them so much that we are going to offer you up as a possible sacrifice for her return"
"What you get tired of using my body for your own private pleasure?"
"Hardly" Clutching her jaw in his hands, Jeric kissed her harshly, so harshly in fact that the enamel of his teeth scrapped against Piper's in an awkward fit. "I'd take you right here, if I thought Isis would be able to join us, " he whispered watching with delight as Piper jumped back violently when his hand slid up against her thigh. "But projection makes her weak. So for now, we will have to wait."
Jeric turned one heel, vanishing into a whirl of sand, leaving Piper a the mercy of the scarabs who seemed to be multiplying on the grid. Uselessly she tugged at her bonds, screaming for all that it was worth."Wait you can't leave me!"
PRUE!
PAIGE!
LEO!
YOU ALL CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE. YOU CAN'T!
The captive witch struggled for several seconds until she felt like her limbs were being pulled from their sockets Scarabs were all over her like she was some sort of prize to be had. Sobbing, she lowered her head in defeat, "Somebody has to help me, please" The captive wtich cried until her throat was raw, and her vision gone.
"There's no one here who will help you" A voice replied, instantly making Piper's head, perk up.
"Who said that?" she sniffled glancing about through teary-eyed vision.
From out of the shadows, stepped another version of Piper dressed in brown cords, and matching lighter brown tee. Her long hair was flowing free behind her. "I did" she replied calmly shoving her hands into her pockets.