Thanks, once again, to my reviewers: IDontBreakHeartsJustBones, 1treehillcharmed, LoveAngel 1705, Jedi Alanna, and my new reviewer Charmedgirl-AlyssaPhoebe.
Charmedgirl: lol, glad you like my style. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. But in answer to your questions, some of the revelations were planned from the beginning and some unfolded while I wrote. There's another bigger one coming but we'll have to see about the rest, okay?
Jedi Alanna: As for the rest, Piper may have a different perspective on the whole situation. Granted, she'll still have issues about the lying but we'll see.
Chapter 21: History Revisited
Underworld
In the depths of the Underworld, Lana crept through the winding pathway leading to Gideon's hidden lair. She was intent on seeking him out regarding the next stages of their plan. In truth, she had been growing rather impatient. They had made a decision to shift their focus from the Charmed Ones to the existing members of the Twice Blessed Generation but that had been days ago. Why hadn't she heard anything back from him?
As she reached the cavern, voices could be heard echoing in the distance. They were coming from inside the enclosed space. Abruptly, she stopped in her tracks only to place her back against the solid wall to remain hidden from sight. Then, in a slow and cautious manner, she used her head to peak around the corner in order to locate the source of the sound. There, inside Gideon's sanctuary, stood Gideon and the other Triad members engaged in some sort of discussion.
What are they doing here, she seethed.
It had been Gideon who stressed the importance of moving forward without alerting the others to their previous failure. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the rock and used her power to block her presence from being sensed by the collective. She had actually been getting pretty good at it. She listened intently to every word passing from their lips.
"This is the next best course of action to be taken," Gideon could be heard explaining to the others. "We gather the existing members of the next generation and lure them back in!" he explained.
"With the box?" the THIRD Triad asked. "But how are we supposed to tap into the power? We're can't even predict what the box will do when it's opened," he argued.
"What I don't understand is how you let them escape in the first place?" the SECOND Triad spoke up. "None of this would be necessary had you done the job right!" he spat.
Gideon turned on the second member.
"The job was done right! But we needed to keep the location detectable to lure the last sister in. We had all of them except her. It's Lana," he accused. "She's the problem. She's become a liability!" he reasoned before the others.
At the mention of her name, Lana tensed. Her eyes bulged and her fists tightened at her sides when she heard the accusation being made against her. It took every ounce of strength she had not to barge into their exclusive four man session in order to knock Gideon's lying ass flat on his face. How dare he? Deep down she always sensed he would turn on her and now here he was making a case to have her annihilated from the collective.
"What do you mean?" the FIRST Triad asked.
"I mean her use has run out. She's no longer useful in our quest to conquer the Ultimate Power or their progeny," Gideon explained further. "They used some type of magic to replicate her image and free the witches. So, by now, they most likely know that she's not Christy. Never was. Which means we can't even use her to get to Billie anymore," he finished.
"What about the status on the Nauscas?" interjected the THIRD Triad. "Has he had any luck in retrieving the child?"
Gideon huffed. "The Nauscas?" he parroted. "The Nauscas is nothing but a dead end. I sent two of them out but the second one failed to report back to me. Which means we assume he's been taken out. Besides, I only hired them to track the little girl so we could re-strip her powers again for Lana. What good would that be to us now?"
"Then they must know about us!" argued the THIRD Triad member. "If the Charmed Ones got a hold of them, there's no way they didn't talk!" he looked to the FIRST and SECOND members as he spoke.
Gideon turned around with his back facing the others and his hands behind his back as he began pacing.
"I took care of the first one myself," interjected Gideon. "He became a liability and was dealt with accordingly," he stressed. "But forget the child for now. We'll get her back when the time is right. Anyway, it's quite reasonable to suspect that the Charmed Ones already figured out her identity. Especially after reuniting with their dead sister. They probably have her back as we speak," he contemplated.
"So what's the idiotic plan, now?" the SECOND Triad snidely replied. "To sit back and let some mystical box do all the work for us, if and when the Charmed Ones decide to venture back into the Underworld?" he mocked.
"No!" cried Gideon impatiently. "By getting ahold of their next generation first we lure the Charmed Ones back to rescue them. The box will be used to trap the essences of the Twice Blessed Generation and we will take the Ultimate Power for ourselves!" he expressed with confidence.
"And how do you plan on getting to them, Gideon?" the FIRST Triad asked of him. "That's an impossible feat. Which is why we agreed to take out the Charmed Ones first. So we could acquire their new power while it's weak. Then, we'd defeat the next generation when they're left alone and vulnerable."
Gideon smirked. "I'm working on that as we speak," he answered confidently.
"And how is that? Please do tell," the THIRD Triad spat back in disgust.
Then, moments later, a flash of black orbs materialized in front of the Triad as a darklighter appeared before them, Billie held tightly in his grasp. He released the young witch by throwing her to the ground in a rough manner. She slid onto the hard rocky foundation skinning her hands in the process.
"Ouch!" Billie exclaimed. "Watch it!" she stubbornly protested.
She looked up into the face of a man she had never seen before. However, when she tilted her head sideways she could make out three familiar faces she had come into contact with earlier in the year. The Triad.
"Great," she mumbled to herself as she lifted herself up from the ground, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
The darklighter bowed before the The Triad Order. "Pardon me, my lords," he greeted. Then he turned to address Gideon as Billie looked between them. "I take it this is the one you wanted?" the darklighter asked.
Lana heard the scuffle taking place inside the cavern. Immediately, she heard the voice of the other young woman and recognized that it belonged to Billie.
X
Piper rolled over in bed feeling anxious about the days to come.
As hard as she tried, she just couldn't make herself fall asleep. The more she continued to force her mind to relax, the more all the possible obstacles facing them in the future continued to replay themselves over and over in her mind. Phoebe's words about Prue kept haunting her too.
There was still alot of ground to cover with Prue before she would be ready to help them take out the Triad. Then there was the baby news. Granted, Piper fully acknowledged that she was pregnant and had to be careful too. She wanted to be supportive. However, she also recognized that she had some extra years of experience on her side that Prue didn't. How was Prue going to handle all the quick and intense training needed without putting herself and the baby at risk?
There was no more time to waste.
Prue was definitely vulnerable. Piper didn't want to underestimate her sister's ability to jump back in or to take charge as a Charmed One again, but they did have cause to be concerned. Sadly, five years that should have been spent together with the four of them developing and strengthening this Ultimate Power base had gone to the wayside. And it was all because of one Elder in particular who they had never seen coming.
"Damn, it's too hot in here," she mumbled while tossing in her restless state. Piper lifted her head up and adjusted the pillow with her hands, hoping to somehow make herself feel more comfortable. Finally, she gave up, threw the covers off of her, and got herself out of bed. "Screw it," she muttered.
It had only been a few hours ago that she had settled the boys down for bed while waiting for Leo to return home. However, they hadn't heard anything since Coop went to retrieve him some hours ago.
There was also Billie. Phoebe shared the news that she was taking some time to be alone by moving back to the dorm full-time. Billie claimed she needed the space and because Piper hadn't gotten the opportunity to check in with Billie herself, it made her speculate. Maybe things didn't go so well between her and Prue, she figured. Piper hated to worry but it was natural for her to do so. She made a mental note to remember to check in with Billie later on just to make sure she was fine.
Piper opened the door and exited her bedroom. She was heading to the bathroom to get some water. It was hot. She brought up her hand to cover her mouth as she released a dry cough but as she made her way down the hall, she suddenly stopped. Cautiously, she approached the door on the left and began knocking softly.
"Prue?" she called out.
There was no answer.
"Prue, it's Piper." She waited but received no response back from the other side of the closed door. "Is it alright if I come in?" she pressed on, not ready to give up but there was still no answer. "Prue?"
The bright light was shining through the crack underneath the bedroom door.
"Prue, look, I just want to talk ... " she turned the knob and started to explain but was met by the sight of an empty bedroom. Prue wasn't sleeping, in fact, she wasn't even in the bedroom. Where did she go, Piper wondered.
"Hey," a voice sounded from behind her, causing her to jump and turn around.
"Leo!" she exclaimed upon noticing her husband's presence. He had startled her. "Don't do that," she sighed, while taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Where did you come from? I didn't even hear you," she finished, while lowering her voice.
Leo released a small apologetic smile.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I just got back. From the Magic School," he elaborated. He released a heavy sigh. "There were some things I wanted to clear up with Dimitri first before I came home. How's Prue?" he asked with concern. "Dimitri told me what happened."
"Alive, thank god," Piper sighed. She stepped in front of Leo and leaned her body weight against the wall behind her. "But we're nowhere out of the woods," she stressed. "We still don't have any clue as to why there was a reaction in the first place."
Leo crossed his arms. "Yeah, that definitely shouldn't have happened," he acknowledged. "The poison from a darklighter's arrow is specifically tainted to take out its whitelighter counterpart."
"Right, which we already know," nodded Piper. "But that's why we came up with the idea that maybe the poison is now somehow tainted against witches too."
"No, not very likely," Leo refuted, shaking his head confidently. "The chemicals inside the poison are released into the whitelighter's blood. It attacks the bloodstream," he finished explaining for his wife.
Piper absorbed the information Leo shared with her but it did very little to ease her worries. "Great. So we're still left back at square one," she sighed. "With no answers."
"Well, unless, there's something we just don't know," he suggested after thinking about it some more. "But seeing as how the Elders aren't on our list of most favorite people at the moment, it's not like I can go off looking for the answers from them," he explained. "Especially, not now," he concluded firmly, thinking back to his meeting with the Afterlife Council. If anything, Leo fully recognized that his actions probably just brought on a war with them.
Piper sensed the change in her husband's demeanor. "Why?" she asked. "Dare I ask what you were off doing?" she probed even further. "And where's Coop? He was supposed to find you earlier," she inquired. "Phoebe was worried about him."
"Well, he found me," Leo admitted. "He left ahead of me after we got back to the school. We, uh, made an appearance before the Afterlife Council," he began explaining to her. "They're going to make a decision about Andy."
Piper's mood brightened a little. "Well, that sounds like some good news for a change," she replied. "Did it sound like they'd go for it?" she asked. However, immediately, she picked up that her husband appeared to be holding something back. "Leo, it is good news, right?" she sought clarification. "I mean, anything that doesn't involve the Elders, at this point, has to be a step in the right direction."
Leo fidgeted. His body language appeared unsure at best. "Uh, maybe," he began hesitantly. "Maybe not. They want to convene and hold a tribunal. To decide whether or not there should be an indictment against some of the Elders," he clarified for her. "Then they'll probably make their decision about Andy."
"Oh," Piper stammered, picking up where her husband was going with it. "So when you say Elders, you mean like ... " she started, while Leo completed his wife's thought.
"The higher-ranking members from the Elder Council, yes," he affirmed. "Members like Emeritus and others heading our Council," he finished solemnly.
Piper took in a deep breath of air and let it back out. Then, she shifted her gaze to the side of her husband. "So. Where does this leave us?" she questioned, although the answer almost appeared quite obvious. "Although, allow me to point out that this couldn't have come at a worse time with the Triad coming after us again," she pointed out.
"I know," he admitted. "I'm sorry about that. But we're lucky to be getting the hearing at all," Leo pointed out in return. "In fact, if it hadn't been for Coop and his quick thinking, we may not have. At least this way, Andy has a shot."
Piper shook her head. "Yeah," she relented. "Well, who are they?" she inquired. "This Afterlife Council?"
"Basically, they maintain order and oversee soul placement within the immortal or mortal realm," explained Leo. "And that includes keeping watch over us Elders and our affairs."
"Well, they've sure done a great job taking care of that over the last five years or so, haven't they?" Piper huffed with her typical sarcastic wit.
She couldn't help it. In light of everything that had come to pass, it seemed almost surreal that the Elders were actually held accountable to anyone for their actions. At least this was the first time she ever heard of that being true.
Leo flashed her another sympathetic smile. He reached out for her and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't worry," he tried offering reassurance. "We'll get through this together."
Piper accepted the hug and pulled back. "Well, we better!" she smiled back. "I haven't spent all this time and energy for nothing just so I would miss the opportunity to kick butt at Scrabble in fifty years," she joked. "And like I said before, I''ll be winning," she reminded him.
"Oh right!" Leo teased back, dramatically nodding his head. "So, have you figured out yet whether Zankou is spelled with that Z or with that X?" he laughed, earning a playful swat from his wife in the process.
"Nah, this time I'm thinking about going with E for Evil Elder!" she shot back, all in good fun. Then their smiles slowly faded as their serious expressions returned.
Leo sighed. "So, you coming to bed?" he inquired.
"Uh, give me a minute, okay?" Piper answered him. "There's something I need to do first."
"Okay," Leo replied.
He smiled at her while bending down to kiss her cheek. Before walking past her, he rubbed her arm in a comforting manner and then headed in the direction of their bedroom. She watched until his form retreated around the corner and then she sighed.
There's only one other place she can be, Piper thought.
The attic.
X
At the sound of the door clicking, Phoebe bolted up from the couch, surrounded by the pitch darkness. It had to be well after midnight. Quickly, she reached over for the small antique lamp positioned on the stand and switched it on. The sudden flash of light thrown at her retinas caused momentary blindness, until her eyes adjusted. She flinched at the sight of the man who had just awoken her from her slumber.
"Coop?" Phoebe called out in a muffled tone. "Where have you been, it's late?"
She pulled herself off of the couch into a sitting position as Coop slowly made his way over to sit down beside her. She began to fiddle with the engagement ring that sat upon her finger.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," he whispered back. "Your sister's good, I hope?"
"Prue?" Phoebe asked, still feeling somewhat disconnected from the conversation as her mind tried to catch up with being awake. "Yeah, she's fine," she confirmed, nodding her head. "But when did you and Leo get back? Just now?"
Coop looked down to the floor. "Um, a little while ago," he answered. "We, uh, met with the Afterlife Council. They're going to hold a hearing about what the Elders did. And to decide what to do about your sister's husband," he finished explaining.
"Oh, well, good!," Phoebe exclaimed. "It's about time somebody did something," she argued. Then she yawned and stretched her limbs above her head. "Andy shouldn't have to pay for what they did."
Coop just nodded.
Phoebe, now feeling more alert, turned to look at her future husband only to catch a far off look in his eyes as he remained silent, staring at the wall ahead of him. "Hey," she called out to him. She reached out her hand and gently placed it on his arm to grab his attention. "Is something else the matter?" she questioned.
Coop quickly turned to look at her. "No, I'm fine," he desperately tried to reassure her. "Why?"
"Well, you kind of look like you're somewhere else," Phoebe pointed out. "Like something else is on your mind," she clarified. "Whatever it is, you know you can tell me?"
Coop laughed, covering up the moment. "Phoebe. Don't be ridiculous," he replied. "There's nothing wrong," he denied. "I'm just tired that's all," he concluded, while closing his eyes and using his fingers to rub the bridge of his nose. "Anyway, we can talk more about all this in the morning," he suggested, trying to make a hasty exit to the bedroom.
Phoebe stood up with him, intent on following him to the bedroom but that was until he interrupted her. He stopped and turned around. "Uh, would you mind if I got some sleep by myself tonight?" he interjected. "I can take the couch, you can have the bed."
Phoebe threw him a glare, completely thrown off by his request.
Coop laughed. "I just really need some rest and that might be hard to get if we're sharing the same bed?" he tried to cover up. "If you catch my drift?" he winked at her.
"Uh, fine, but you can use the other side of the bed. I promise not to disturb your precious sleep," she threw out, feeling some slight irritation.
Coop sighed as she moved to walk around him to go to the bedroom.
"Phoebe, please don't turn this into something it's not, okay?" Coop pleaded, grabbing for her arm and stopping her. "I'm just exhausted and need some time to think about how Leo and I are going to handle the Council," he offered up the best excuse possible. "That's all. I said we could talk more later."
He bent down to kiss her but she turned her face away from him.
"Right, okay," he nodded.
Phoebe sensed something was off but he was refusing to be honest with her about it. Her empathetic pull towards people made it virtually impossible for them to get away with lying to her about how they really felt and this was definitely one of those moments. It was the downside about her gift of empathy because sometimes it seemed like it would be better not to know. Just to be able to avoid arguments.
"Fine. Goodnight!" she spat.
"Phoebe?" Coop pushed.
Phoebe threw herself back onto the couch, turning her back so it deliberately faced him. "I said good-night."
Coop sighed and rolled his eyes. "Night," he offered.
Coop reluctantly made his way for the bedroom. He turned back around just as Phoebe flicked off the light, darkness once again enveloping the living room. After he entered and closed the door, he reached his hand around to his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of newspaper. As he slowly unfolded it, the headline came into focus. Coop stared at the content and read it.
The Los Angeles Times (May 20, 1986 )
Woman's Mutilated Body Found Discarded On Railroad Tracks: Missing Baby Presumed Dead.
X
Lana continued to listen in on the events unfolding.
Somehow, Gideon had gotten to Billie but managed to keep her out of the loop. Her apparent exclusion from the Triad's plans was beginning to draw on her insecurities. These hidden insecurities were buried feelings that she had worked hard to suppress and keep buried deep inside of her over the years.
"Well, well," Gideon mocked, as he took in the sight of Billie before him. "I must say that it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Although, I must admit that I thought you'd prove to be much more of a challenge in getting ahold of," he sneered. "But, apparently not." He proceeded to laugh.
"Go to hell!" Billie declared in complete defiance. She looked between the Triad members and back to the darklighter one more time.
"We already are!" the THIRD Triad member spat back at her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And you'll be staying here with us."
Billie ignored him and looked straight into the eyes of the man before her. "Who the hell are you?" she boldly asserted. "And what do you want from me?"
Gideon chose not to answer her questions right away. Instead, he turned his attention back to the darklighter and addressed him. "Well done," he smirked, congratulating him on successfully completing his task. "That's one down. Three more to go," he sneered, while he made silent reference to Wyatt, Chris, and Molly. At this point, they were the only other existing members of the Twice Blessed Generation.
Billie immediately put the pieces together. Three more to go? That couldn't be the sisters. They totaled four. No, he had to be talking about Wyatt and Chris. And Molly, her little sister. So as the eldest put into place of leading the next generation, she took immediate steps forward and protested adamantly.
"Leave them alone!" she declared with a touch of protectiveness.
However, in the same instant she stepped forward, the darklighter pulled an arrow out from the sling behind his back. He stepped up behind her, grabbed her, and placed the tip of the arrow just underneath her chin. When she moved, she felt the sharp pressure only a mere prick away from piercing her skin.
Lana caught sight of the man grasping Billie from behind. So Gideon recruited a darklighter in place of me, she thought very bitterly. It was times like these were she could clearly feel the sting of rejection or crave the need for acceptance until her inner darkness did battle to beat it out of her.
Gideon watched on. "Ah, yes," he mocked. "You may want to reconsider your next move carefully. Considering your mother's own near death experience with our pointy friend there," he cracked, referring to the arrow, "I have a pretty good feeling there won't be a PG-rated ending this time."
Billie didn't falter. Her response was a defiant stare.
Gideon smirked before continuing on. "Sorry, but I don't think Auntie Paige or Uncle Leo will be orbing in to the rescue," he sneered.
"Now why would they do that when they can just vanquish your sorry ass straight back into oblivion where it belongs," she challenged him through clenched teeth.
The darklighter used his free hand to pull her hair back. "Shut up, witch!" he scowled.
"Ouch!" Billie let loose upon feeling her hair and head tugged back.
However, the other Triad members were quickly growing bored and impatient with the scene playing out before them so one of them spoke up.
"Enough of this nonsense!" the SECOND Triad bellowed. "She's not worth the trouble she's putting out. Get rid of her now and be done with this!" he demanded.
Gideon put his hand up to signal them. "Wait!" he announced. "Not yet. We need her to lure the Charmed Ones here. Then we unleash the Box on her and the others."
"Gideon," the FIRST Triad addressed him. "Use the box and be done with her. We can still bring the others here with or without her around. Eventually they'll come to learn that she's missing. Which in turn, will lead them straight to us."
Lana actually felt a tugging sense of admiration aimed at the other young woman preparing to meet her doom. Billie stood her ground, even in the face of uncertainty, not willing to back down. Well, that, and part of Lana received some gleaming satisfaction that somebody attempted to put Gideon in his place.
During the entire time Lana had spent with her earlier in the year, part of her training had involved viewing Billie as nothing more than ammunition. Ammunition that was to be used in bringing down the Charmed Ones. The sole purpose of her role had been to take the place of her mortal sister and to break Billie down systematically until she was their weapon for the taking.
However, during this time, there were also these small inconsequential moments when her role collided with those buried feelings of humanity. True enough, Billie wasn't her sister and the Jenkins hadn't been her real parents. But some inner part of her sought it out, embraced the idea, and willed for it to be something she could have in her life. Worst of all, the Triad had sensed it too.
Dumain had taught her from a very young age the importance of suppressing her human side. It was a lesson he had indoctrinated to the best of his ability. As a result, Lana had worked extra hard to construct an emotional wall, one she made sure Dumain could never read through because she knew her survival in the Underworld depended on it. Human emotions are a weakness, he had admonished. Never let them ensnare you. However, that admonishment hadn't necessarily prevented human emotion from rising up to the surface every now and then. Like now.
Silently, Gideon turned around and walked in the direction of the hidden box and stones. With a wave of his hand, the hole in the ground unsealed itself revealing both items. He bent down and picked them up.
"Actually, I have a better idea for the time being," he announced. Then he walked back towards Billie and the darklighter. Gideon proceeded to place the stones in a circle in front of Billie, while one stone remained in his hand. "Since we don't want to take any unnecessary risks by opening the box more than once," he continued, "I'll use the stones to keep her immobilized. This way, it'll buy us the time we need until we can gather the others with her," he concluded.
Billie looked around in desperation, searching for some possible source of escape. I have to find a way out of here, she pleaded with herself. Finally, the situation was beginning to settle in. So this was Gideon? The same Gideon who use to be an Elder and claimed to be a protector of the greater good? The same Elder responsible for all the troubles associated with her new found family? It had to be him. She had heard the story and from the bits and pieces of information, he appeared to fit the description. How the hell does one even go from being an Elder to being a part of the Triad, she speculated. Especially when he's supposed to be dead?
"No!" Billie hollered, as the darklighter pulled the arrow back and used his hand to shove her inside the circle.
She fell to the ground but immediately began to feel a strange energy coursing throughout her body. The tingling continued to grow in intensity as it created a numbing effect. Soon, she realized she was beginning to loose sensation within her whole body. Billie rolled onto her back and struggled to move but she couldn't.
The darklighter released an evil grin and an insidious laugh. "I'll be sure to give JD your best," he taunted her one last time while hovering from above. Then he vanished from sight as he backed up and away from her.
As the darklighter approached the exit, Lana swiftly swayed behind the rock to shield herself from his sight. However, in the process, her arm slammed against the loose gravel on the rock wall sending scattered pieces flying to the ground floor. Immediately, the darklighter was alerted to the sound and he stopped. A questioning glare graced his features and he arched his suspicious brow while slowly resuming his steps in the direction of the exit. He remained alert for any impending signs of a possible intruder.
Quickly, Lana shimmered out of sight as the darklighter made his way around the corner. He took a moment to take in the surroundings and upon finding no one there, he orbed out from the Underworld. Then, Lana allowed herself to reappear. She took the opportunity to take one last look at Billie lying paralyzed on the dirt ground. Gideon was using the Vicarian Stones to keep her imprisoned there. She contemplated her next move before leaving and decided she would be back.
Billie lay flat on her back, unable to move her body one way or the other. Her eyes moved back and forth, in place, as she contemplated a way out of this whole mess. Damn, she cursed to herself. She had been thrown right into a trap. Now what was she supposed to do? She sighed wearily as all hope began to dim. Let's face it, Billie, you're totally screwed this time. That was her final thought.
X
Piper slowly made her way to the closed attic door as the steps creaked beneath her feet. After reaching the door, she opened it and peered inside.
Inside the attic, Prue sat curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over her. Molly could be seen with her, stretched out over her mother, her head resting in Prue's lap. The arm of the couch was supporting the Book of Shadows while she slowly flipped through its content, page by page, absorbing each piece of information. After hearing the door opening, she quickly shifted her gaze to locate the source of the intrusion.
"Hey," Piper whispered, after taking notice that Prue was not alone. Molly was fast asleep on the couch with her.
"Hey," Prue smiled back. She rested her head back against the palm of her hand. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She returned her attention to the Book.
Piper sighed. "Couldn't sleep," she admitted, trying to find a way to break the ice with her sister.
Prue looked back at her sister. "Yeah, me either," she agreed. Slowly, Prue gently lifted Molly over to the other side to make room for her sister to sit down.
"Oh, no, don't," Piper tried to protest not wanting to wake her niece. "Don't wake her up."
"No, it's fine," Prue insisted.
Piper sat next to her sister. "So, a little late night reading?" inquired, glancing down at the Book of Shadows now sitting on Prue's lap.
"Uh, yeah," Prue went to close the book. "Just reminding myself of everything I have to look forward to in the coming days," she rolled her eyes.
"Hm," Piper hummed in agreement. "Well, those pesky demons sure do have a way with really really bad timing," she nodded. "You'll get no argument from me there. Must be the whole evil thing."
Prue took a moment to stare at the peaceful sleeping form of Molly. "But it could have cost me her forever," she reflected sadly. "I didn't have a clue."
Piper looked away. "It didn't though."
"Yes, but it could have," Prue stressed. "And I know what you're going to say," her frustration suddenly came out. "It's my own fault, right? For agreeing to leave, for agreeing to forgot everything about this life?"
"Prue?" Piper attempted to argue. "I didn't say that."
"But you were thinking it?" Prue accused. "I know you were."
"Okay, fine, maybe I was," Piper's voice rose a notch as she relented. "So what?" She sighed. She didn't come up here to argue with her sister; she was attempting the complete opposite. "Prue, look. We can't change the past. But Molly is fine, she's safe."
"For now," Prue muttered.
"Yes, for now, but she's a witch. She'll grow into her powers just like we did and learn how to protect herself," Piper tried to reassure her sister.
"Sometimes it's hard to believe I'm even here with her now," Prue reflected. "She was gone for so long but then when I look at her, it feels like she never left at all."
"Well, it's natural to feel that way. Especially when it's your own child. I know when Leo and I thought we were going to lose Wyatt to evil, it felt surreal for us too. I mean, one minute we're looking at this sweet innocent little boy and the next thing we know his future self poses a threat to everything we've worked so hard to protect."
Prue listened. This was obviously a sensitive subject for her, so Prue treaded lightly. "Wyatt," she muttered. "He's going to be okay now though. Right?" she asked, displaying sisterly concern.
"Well, yeah, now," Piper sighed. "But only because alot has been sacrificed to make it happen," she stressed, thinking of the sacrifice her son, future Chris, made with his life. "I mean, constant battles against the Underworld, clashes we had with the greater good, visitations from the future. The list goes on," she listed off to her sister. "Even some loss of life. It hasn't been easy."
Piper quickly took a moment to contemplate the possibility of whether or not that future version of Chris had known the truth about Prue and their new power in his future. Prue smiled sadly shifting her gaze towards the floor and away from her sister.
"I guess what I'm saying is that there just aren't any guarantees," Piper finished. "We take the risks, hope for the best, and then accept some of the inevitable consequences. It's just the way it is. Escaping this life has been virtually impossible."
"And then there's me," Prue stated with a touch of remorse. "I escaped it but left you and Phoebe behind."
"Yeah, but did you really?" Piper argued looking her sister straight in the eyes. "Escape it, I mean? Because you're back here with us again, aren't you?"
Prue didn't say anything. In truth, she didn't know what to say because it did appear that way. Destiny had pulled her back to her Charmed life and into the lives of her two sisters. Plus one. There had been a third sister she had never known the truth about.
"So that part about me being a coward?" Prue treaded, thinking back to their very first confrontation after being rescued from the Underworld.
"Prue," Piper pleaded, not wanting to delve into everything she had said in anger.
"You can say it," Prue pushed. "I think it's fairly obvious by this point why you've been so angry with me. I was the oldest. I should have stuck it out with you guys but I left."
"Prue, you left me believing you had been killed!" Piper vented. "We thought you were dead. It was never just about the Power of Three or the demons, don't you get that? Do you have any idea of how painful it was? For me? For Phoebe? We didn't just lose the Power of Three, we lost a sister."
Prue swallowed. "I know," the guilt was beginning to consume her.
"No, Prue, I don't think you do," Piper countered. "You didn't have to live with the decision you made because you had your entire life erased, your memories of us were gone. Phoebe and I had to live through the loss, through the pain. We couldn't just forget."
Piper shut her eyes and shook her head. Her aim at coming up here was to try and extend a small peace offering so that they could at least begin working together as the Ultimate Power to defeat the Triad. Then, she figured she and Prue could hash out whatever else they needed to once the immediate threat from their future was removed. However, here her sister had pressed the issue.
"You're right, I'm sorry," Prue finally apologized. She avoided eye contact with her and was looking downcast. "I wouldn't know what that felt like."
Piper took a second to calm herself back down. Initially, she had been very angry but now she just felt hurt. Yes, the truth was it bothered her very much that the sister she depended on for her entire life just up and walked out of their lives. They were left to fend for themselves while she was free and clear from worrying about demons on a daily basis. Although, apparently, their life had still caught up to her when the Underworld was able to find and take Molly.
"I think I'm at a point where I'm more hurt and confused by what you did," Piper admitted. "Phoebe, Paige, and I we were able to pick up the slack with all the demon stuff. But how could you just leave like that without telling us? Do you have any idea what you put us through by allowing us to believe you had died? We all grew up together knowing what it felt like to be without Mom. And to have Dad walk out on us. We were even together when we lost Grams. So how could you let us live with that pain?"
Prue thought hard. How was she supposed to answer those questions? Everything her sister just expressed made perfect sense to her. Piper had argued very legitimate points and if the situation had been reversed Prue couldn't claim that she wouldn't feel the same way. In fact, she was pretty sure she would.
"You, Phoebe, and I were supposed to be a team but you didn't even trust us to handle the truth. Or to help you with it," Piper concluded.
"Piper, it had nothing to do with not trusting you," refuted Prue.
Prue sought to be as truthful as she could based on what she remembered feeling at the time. So how does one explain that the mind and heart don't always see reason when it comes to protecting someone you love, she wondered. When desperation is a factor, logic is irrelevant. Given the unfortunate set of circumstances that involved her newly discovered nephew, Prue hoped maybe she could get Piper to reach at least reach a small place of understanding.
"Piper," she began. "I'm not going to justify hurting you. But let me ask you something," she proceeded with caution and turned to look back at her sister. "When Wyatt was in trouble, did you think everything through or did you act on what your heart told you to do? And I mean, regardless of any other possible consequences. If you could have done something to fix it right away and save him, without jumping through all the hoops you had to, would you have taken the opportunity?"
Piper wanted to argue with how Prue had answered her questions but she found that she had trouble doing it. The truth was she would have gone through any means necessary to save her son. She could even relate the situation to Leo. Last year she had been so desperate to save her husband's life that no avenue was off limits to her. At certain points, her determination had led them to butt heads with the Angels of Death and Destiny, the Elders, and even the Avatars. So did that make her just as selfish as Prue?
"I won't lie," Piper admitted. "I would do whatever it took to keep my children safe. And the same thing goes for Leo or for one of you guys," she added, referring to her sisters.
Prue jumped in. "Because that's what I did," she explained. "And right or wrong, I was desperate enough to do it if it meant keeping you and Phoebe alive."
Piper sighed. "But Prue," she attempted to argue. "I would have kept you involved with the decision. You would have known what was going on," she stressed. "I wouldn't have kept you completely in the dark knowing full well how it would effect your life."
"Okay, but what if you didn't have the chance to tell me? Or Phoebe?" Prue argued back. "What if you had to make a decision in the moment and then just hope that everything worked out for the best?"
Piper acknowledged what Prue was trying to argue because she had witnessed the previous arrangement between Prue and the Elders play out before her. And, in truth, there were some elements of truth to what her sister argued. Gideon had put Prue on the spot and forced her to make a decision. A decision made without her sisters knowledge or input regarding the situation. Of course, no doubt, Gideon had carefully executed this plan to further his own agenda and he had used skillful manipulation, convenient timing, and isolation to accomplish it. While playing on her vulnerabilities, he had managed to back Prue into a corner and her freedom had been bought at an expensive price. She could either choose her own life or risk the lives of her sisters.
"Look, Prue," Piper relented. "I didn't come up here to start another fight with you. There weren't any real winners in this situation and I think that's something we can both agree on. So maybe we can leave it there for now and call a temporay truce?"
A part of the decision had come from a selfless place and Piper was willing to acknowledge it. Because Prue had willingly vacated her place within the Power of Three, Paige had been allowed to keep her life and was given the opportunity to know her sisters. At the time, Prue had no emotional ties to Paige. Therefore, when it came to the young woman in question, there had been nothing to stop Prue from telling Gideon to go straight to hell. Sadly, the end result could have been no Paige and Piper had a hard time wrapping her mind around that reality too. In retrospect, there appeared to be no real right answer to the dilemma Prue had found herself in.
Prue understood her sister's unspoken motivation. "Sure," she gave a tentative smile. "Temporary truce."
It was a far cry from a full reconciliation. However, a step in a better direction.
"Good," Piper announced in a playful tone. "Now, what were you checking out before I came in here?" she grabbed for the Book of Shadows and opened to the page Prue had markered. Piper's eyes scanned the page and she took notice of the demonic drawing that featured his traditional red and black coloring. Balthazor. "Oh," she muttered.
Prue cast her eyes back to the page. Gently, she ran her fingers over the drawing. "Cole," she muttered under her breath.
Piper heard it. "You remember?" she questioned Prue.
"I think so," Prue answered. "Phoebe loved him," she was remembering. "But he was sent by the Triad to destroy us and he almost did. Phoebe wanted to save him ... " she continued on as the missing pieces just kept coming one after the other.
"Yeah, well, in the end their love wasn't enough to save him," Piper finished the sad tale for her sister. She closed the Book of Shadows. "You and Paige must share the same sixth sense or something," she reflected, "because she didn't trust him either and she had been right. Just like you."
"Hey, I gave him a chance in the end!" Prue quickly objected.
"Oh, believe me," Piper stressed. "Be glad you weren't here for the end. It almost destroyed us." Then she sighed. "It had to be one of the worst times I felt like one of the biggest failures. I just couldn't keep Phoebe safe. After losing you, losing Phoebe too would have been unbearable. Cole tried, he really did, but we just didn't know."
"Know what?" Prue pressed on.
"That when Cole vanquished the Source he would become it," Piper explained. "After they married, Phoebe followed him into the Underworld so she could be by his side. We thought the Power of Three was finished for good, along with us. Paige, uh, she didn't want to give up on her though," she reflected sadly. "She's really come through for us so we're lucky to have her with us. Phoebe came back to us at the end. Thank god."
"So. Cole didn't make it, then, huh?" confirmed Prue.
Piper thought about how she should best answer that question. "Uh, well, not in the way Phoebe would have liked," she settled on. "When it came to moving on from him, it was difficult for her. But she's happy now and deserves it. That's all that matters. She met Coop and they'll be getting married soon."
"Sorry," Prue mumbled. "Poor Pheebs," she reflected sadly, regretting that she hadn't been there during some of the more difficult times.
"Don't bother beating yourself up about it, Prue," Piper offered reassurance. She looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "The truth is," she continued, "it wouldn't have made much difference whether you had been here or not. Some of the circumstances we encountered were just unavoidable, you couldn't have stopped them anymore than we could have. Be thankful you were spared the pain of having to endure it with us."
"Maybe," mumbled Prue, sounding unconvinced. A part of her still felt the guilt, like it had been her duty to be there.
"Besides," Piper added, trying to sound a bit more upbeat. "You'd be really proud of her now. Phoebe has really grown up since our days together. I mean, she's been holding a successful job and she's serious about being a witch. And as much as I hated it," she stressed, "she has her apartment now and she's really holding her own."
Prue remained silent. So, life had gone on without her and she was starting to feel the sting of what it had cost her. Where there once existed a bond so strong, that bond had been severed by a five year gap. Not only were her memories returning, but there was also an awareness settling in that her sisters were, in a sense, like strangers to her. Their lives had moved on as well, they had grown, changed, and matured into new people. It was going to take some time to adjust to this new life, to feel comfortable and familiar with everyone again. And in Paige's case, she was starting from scratch. Not to mention, there was Billie. A daughter she held no memories of ever having. In all honesty, she felt completely lost on how to even start over.
"So," Prue changed the subject. "What exactly is the story with Paige? Mom must have had her shortly before she died but I'm having a hard time remembering any of the details." She looked to her sister to help fill in the missing blanks.
"Well," Piper sighed. "Do you remember Sam? Mom's whitelighter?" she asked. Prue's contemplative expression told Piper she was searching for the memory. "Well, even if you don't," she jumped back in, "we all met him once down by the lake where mom died. You, me, and Phoebe. He helped us vanquish the water demon that killed her. Anyway, he's Paige's father."
"Oh!" Prue replied, a bit surprised. "So they gave her away?" she questioned.
"Yeah, because they had to hide her and keep her a secret," explained Piper. "It was a forbidden union until the Elders finally made the exception between me and Leo. But after you, they allowed her to reconstitute the Power of Three."
Suddenly, both sisters were broken from their discussion and their attention was snagged by the sound of another pair of approaching footsteps. As they turned to look, they caught sight of another sister walking in to join them. A third sister full of energy and one who just couldn't sleep either.
Paige.
X
It was late. The dark night sky was visible to those looking up at the many stars on the horizon and the bright moon in the distance.
Sam stood near the dock alone, pacing back and forth, waiting for the appearance of the one woman he would always come for no matter how late she called. Patty had summoned him to meet her here. Although, of all places, he didn't quite grasp why it had to be at the lake. However, given the nature of the discussion he had with his daughter earlier, he was pretty sure he knew what this meeting was going to be about.
Prue.
As he faced the water, he felt the familiar breeze and the tingling sensation that signaled her presence. When he turned, Sam came face to face with the sight of Patty materializing from her ethereal form into a physical manifestation.
"Patty," he addressed her.
Patty Halliwell smiled in return. "Sam. It's good to see you again," she announced. She stepped forward and Sam opened his arms as they shared a gentle embrace filled with alot of pent up emotion.
"I know," Sam answered back. He closed his eyes and swayed with her before pulling back. "But I really wish you hadn't spent all that time trying to avoid me," he added. "Especially since now I know what it's all been about."
Patty meet with his eyes, a touch of regret filling hers. She closed her eyes and shook her head while she went ahead and responded to him. "I'm sorry," she offered. "It really wasn't fair to keep you in the dark. But I panicked and went along with what the Elders wanted. I was scared. For Prue and Paige. Not to mention, what might have happened to either Piper or Phoebe."
Sam released a smile of understanding. "Patty, it's okay, I really wasn't looking for an apology. I went through it with you, remember? I've known all along exactly what the Elders have been capable of. Besides, I'm just as guilty as you are when it comes down to it. We both agreed to keep Prue a secret," he concluded.
A silent moment ensued between the two of them. The only sound in the distance came from the night crickets. Finally, Sam took it upon himself to speak again.
"But, I got to tell ya," he admitted. "Paige practically came out and asked me for the truth about it and I felt pretty crappy keeping it from her."
"I know," Patty sighed. "I had a talk with Paige earlier. I already told her the truth," she volunteered.
"But?" Sam pressed, picking up there was more she wanted to add.
"But it's not enough," Patty continued. "We need to tell Prue and the girls the truth. And it's not fair to put it on Paige so it has to come from us, Sam," she finished.
Sam took a deep breath and looked to the ground. Then, his look met back with Patty's. "I agree," he relented. "No more lies. It's not fair to anyone, we probably should have come clean awhile ago. Maybe some of this mess could have been avoided."
Patty and Sam both reached forward for the second time and they slipped back into each other's arms.
X
"Okay, I heard my name!" Paige burst out in jovial spirits.
She took long deliberate strides until she stood face to face with her sisters, both sitting on the couch in front of her. She decided to take a seat on the attic floor with a hot cup of steaming coffee in hand. Paige's bubbly personality was like a breath of fresh air and Piper couldn't help but smile in amusement. Even Prue felt the shift in energy and smiled. It helped to relieve some of the tension.
"So. What were we talking about?" Paige commented, taking a sip of her coffee. She looked to Prue and Piper to fill her in.
Piper laughed. "Okay, Paige?" she cracked. "Maybe the caffeine isn't such a good idea?" she poked fun at her sister's hyper state.
Paige slanted her eyes and gave a playful glare before responding. "Nah," she responded with a wave of her hand in the air to brush Piper's remark off. "I couldn't sleep anyway. I slept for a little bit but my mind is just too wired. I was too beat to go home earlier so I told Henry I'd just spend the night here in Billie's room. Besides, it looks like I wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep."
Prue tensed up at the mention of Billie's name. Piper and Paige noticed.
Paige attempted to change to subject. She snapped her fingers together to grab the attention of both sisters. "Hey, awesome idea," she suddenly blurted. "It involves the both of you. It crossed my mind earlier."
"Uh oh!" Piper teased. "And what awesome idea would that be?"
"Shopping," Paige squealed, clapping her hands together. "I thought the four of us could hit the stores, maybe do a little shopping, talk, have lunch, you know? Get acquainted or reacquainted with each other. Besides, Prue's going to need some things until she settles in. Both of you have the babies coming so you can never start too early ... "
Paige was suddenly cut off by Piper. "Hold it!" she announced, putting her hands up in the air and laughing. She knew exactly what direction the shop talk was heading in. "Wait a minute."
Paige gave a playful pout at the interruption.
"Sorry, but I feel it's my duty to step up and warn you not to do it, Prue," Piper joked. "Do not let them lead you down into the Maternity Ward Abyss, trust me," she cracked, making reference to the horrible wardrobe she had been forced to endure while pregnant with Wyatt.
Prue smiled and listened in amusement.
"Hey, I positively resent that!" Paige shot back. "Don't listen to her, Prue, Pheebs and I have baby style. We'll know just what to pick for ya," she winked.
"Yeah, Prue, listen to her!" Piper mocked. "If you want to walk around looking like a branded pink elephant for the next nine months," she laughed. "I'll pass."
"Aw, but you looked cute," Paige retorted, pouting her lips.
"Cute?" Piper mimicked. "Who wants to look cute when they're bloated out to here," she gestured with her arms out in front of her belly. "And can barely walk without their feet swelling out to there. You just wait."
"Amen," Prue smirked. Being the only other sister to have experienced the whole upside and downside of pregnancy, she could absolutely relate to that.
"Trust me, comfortable is the only way to go," Piper concluded.
"Whimps!" Paige protested in good stride. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"My sense of adventure is getting an hour to myself each day," Piper nodded at Paige. "The boys keep me on my toes."
Prue jumped in. She appreciated the sentiments but the last thing she wanted was to become her sisters charity case. "Look," she broke in. "I appreciate the offer and everything but forget it," she declined. "You don't have to get me anything. I plan on getting a job and taking care of everything so don't worry. Molly and I'll will be fine," she insisted.
Piper and Paige turned to look at Prue, questioning looks upon their faces.
"Well, Prue, you still need something to start with?" Piper protested. "So does Molly. It's just until you get yourself on your feet. There's no need to make a big deal out of it. I get you like to be able to do everything on your own all the time."
"Yeah, besides, we don't mind at all," Paige added. "And don't waste your time being stubborn about it, because we're just going to do it anyway," she song with a determined nod of her head.
"Who, Prue, stubborn?" Piper laughed.
Paige smiled.
Prue smiled too, closed her eyes, and began shaking her head in protest. "Okay, stop, I'm not that bad," she rebutted against her sister's insinuation. She looked between her two sisters, who appeared to want to laugh at her expense. "I'm not!" she protested one last time.
Piper laughed and Prue reached out to swat her.
"Okay, whatever you say," Piper relented. "She's not really that bad," she turned to address Paige but she could barely keep a straight face while the words passed her mouth. Prue gave her a stern look. "Yeah, sorry, Prue. Can't do it. She is that bad," she laughed.
Paige laughted along with her. She acknowledged that it felt nice to be sharing such a light hearted moment.
"You're mean," Prue smirked and shook her head.
"Whatever. You know you love me," Piper turned back around to face her older sister and cheesed at her.
"Hey, we can still do the lunch thing, though, right?" Paige insisted. "I mean, it would be kind of nice. The four of us."
Piper shrugged. "I don't see why not," she agreed. "I can always ask dad to keep an eye on the kids."
They both looked to Prue. "Sure, why not, I'm game," she shrugged.
Molly began to stir in her sleep. It caught Prue's attention and she reached over to drape the blanket back over her daughter. She had kicked it off. Then she bent down to kiss Molly on her cheek while her two sisters watched on.
To Be Continued: Okay, I decided to end this chapter on a lighter note instead of the usual cliffhanger. This story is mostly drama based but it's good to stick the light moments in there once and awhile which I will continue to try and do. Also, I'm going to try and stick with posting one new chapter a week until I finish because of my hectic schedule. It's just alot of work brainstorming, writing, organizing, and editing before posting the final product. I'd rather have it written right as opposed to just throwing something out there every few days. So I appreciate all of you sticking by the story and thanks for your patience. Stay tuned.