Chapter Twenty-Three: The Plan Is Poorly Executed
Just under an hour was left until Piper had to make the horrible decision to save Paige and depend on their abilities as witches to find Paris and then bring her back to life. Piper had been desperately thinking of new ways of going about it: flicking through the Book, scrying more, making up spells and potions, and even, at one point, trying to look it up on the internet. There was nothing.
And then Cole flamed in, as if he knew that taunting Piper was the worst thing he could have done at that point. "So," he started. Piper had been refusing to look up at him and instead was glaring into the Book and hoping he would just leave her alone. "Thought anymore about what you want to do?" he asked.
Piper, who was really beginning to wonder what Phoebe had ever seen in this man, looked up at the demon. He was smirking at her. "Where did you take Phoebe?" she asked him, ignoring his actual question.
"She's my Queen, now Piper. And I asked you first," Cole replied.
Piper had a sudden urge to vanquish him but knew she couldn't because a) she was alone and probably not powerful enough and b) there was no way for her to save Paige, Paris and Phoebe if Cole was dead. "You're an evil bastard," she said instead.
"Ouch," Cole mocked; holding his hand over his heart. "No need to be so mean," he slowly walked over to the stand that the Book always stood on and went to touch it. It immediately slammed shut, almost on Piper's fingers. "Oh, my bad – I forgot I can't touch the Book anymore," his voice was mocking Piper again. She glared at him. "Have you chosen what you want to do yet? Will you lose your last sister? Or choose to bring Paige back so you can have one to mourn Phoebe and Paris with?"
"Do it," Piper said, with a look of determination on her face.
Cole looked surprised. "You want me to bring Paige back to life?" he asked.
"You heard me,"
"Well, well, well, what an unexpected turn of events," Cole smirked. He chuckled when he noticed the anger on Piper's face.
"Just do it, Cole," she ordered.
"Okay, okay," he assured her. He swept his hand over Paige's body, and she exhaled loudly, as though she had only been holding her breath the entire time, rather than dead. Paige groggily opened her eyes and Piper rushed over to her. "And then there were two,"
Cole flamed out and Piper's arms were quickly flung around Paige. "Woah there, sis. What's the matter with you?" Paige laughed. Piper didn't reply. "Can't breathe, Pipe," she added.
Piper loosened her grip and looked sadly at her little sister. "Oh, Paige," she mumbled. "You've been dead for over a day. I thought I had lost you," she told her. Paige's expression turned into one of confusion and she looked around the room. Grams had gone downstairs to work on a couple of potions and Leo had had to go to a charge.
"Where are Paris and Phoebe?" Paige asked. She smiled. "Over me already?" her joking tone was what made Piper start to cry. "What? What did I say?"
"Cole killed Paris as well. And then he took Phoebe – we thought if Phoebe went to the Underworld with him, she'd find Paris and then I could say the lost sister spell and bring us both to them," Piper started to explain. Paige looked horrified – Paris was just... gone? "Cole said we had to choose. You or neither of you. He gave us 24 hours. We thought... well, I thought I'd be able to think of a better solution but I couldn't and now Paris is stuck in the Underworld with Phoebe and Cole," she was rambling now, about how much she'd messed up.
"Piper..." Paige mumbled. "We can get her back. Course we can,"
"She's dead!" Piper snapped. "Grams says we can use the Power of Three to bring Paris back because she's not moved on yet but we don't have the Power of Three! Phoebe's stuck in the Underworld too,"
"Wait – Grams is here?" Paige glanced around. "Did she leave before I got back?"
"Paige, concentrate," Piper begged. Paige was still looking around the attic, distracted. Piper took her hands, which were cold from being dead for a whole day. "Grams is downstairs," she told her. "She's trying out a new potion which should hopefully save Paris,"
"That's fine then!" Paige smiled.
"No, none of this is fine, Paige – our baby sister is dead. For the second time in a week," Piper snapped at her.
"Well, thank god social services doesn't know about that, otherwise she definitely would be able to stay with us anymore," the younger sister was trying to make a joke, to make the situation lighter. And it didn't really work, like she expected. Piper did manage to give Paige the smallest half-hearted smile, but it didn't go further than that. "We'll save her," Paige promised.
Piper and Paige were still sitting on the floor, so when Grams walked in, she rolled her eyes, despite being happy that her granddaughter was awake and chatting again. "Having fun down there, are you?" she asked.
"Grams!" Piper snapped. "You've been ages," both Charmed Ones stood up.
"Yes, well, potion brewing takes time, Piper," Grams replied. "Have you filled Paige in on the plan?" she asked.
"What plan, Grams? The plan somehow goes from get Paige back to having all three of them back but how exactly do you plan on doing that?" she asked, losing her temper suddenly at her grandmother's lack of concern for Phoebe and especially for Paris.
"You just need to find Phoebe and then you'll be taken to them both," she said calmly.
"But how?! The lost sister spell isn't working because Cole's blocked it somehow and Paige won't be able to sense Paris because she's dead," Piper ranted.
"We'll think of something, Piper," Paige said. "There's always a way,"
