TWENTY-TWO
"Wow, network anchors must make pretty good money," Phoebe whispered after Leo had orbed them into Paige's apartment. "She could never have afforded something like this as a social worker."
"The apartment belongs to the network," whispered Leo. "But she does make a very good living."
"Where is she?" Prue asked.
"She's in the bedroom," said Leo. "She's working on her report for tomorrow."
"Let's go," said Prue.
They all walked over to the door that led into the bedroom. Prue took hold of the handle and opened it. Paige was sitting at a small desk in the bedroom looking through some papers. When she heard the door open she instinctively looked up.
"Who are you?" she demanded, standing up from the desk. "How did you get in here? What do you want?"
"We've come to talk with you," said Phoebe. "You need to listen to us. It's a matter of life and death."
There was fear in Paige's eyes. She reached for the phone sitting on the desk. Prue raised her hand and the phone suddenly flew off the desk onto the floor. She looked at the phone then at Prue.
"You're witches," she said, fear in her voice.
"That's right," said Prue. "And if you know what's good for you you'll listen to what we have to say."
"What do you want?" Paige asked.
"We just want to talk with you," said Phoebe, glancing at Prue. "Look, I know you're probably scared right now. I can't say I blame you. But we aren't here to hurt you. We have something very important to talk to you about and it's very important that you listen to us."
"What do a bunch of witches have to talk to me about?" Paige asked. "If you know who I am than you know about my position on your kind. You're a threat to everyone."
"No, we aren't," said Piper. "How little you understand who and what we are. We aren't the evil you think we are. But you're so narrow minded you can't see beyond your own nose."
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," Paige quoted. "Witches are evil. Everyone knows that. They're an abomination and they should be wiped from the face of the Earth."
"How naïve you are," Phoebe said. "Witches aren't evil. Warlocks are."
"Same thing," said Paige. "Warlocks are just male witches."
"Sister, you've seen too many Hollywood movies," said Phoebe. "Witches and warlocks aren't gender specific. There are male witches and female warlocks. The differences are like I said. Witches are good. Warlocks are evil."
"It won't do any good to twist the words," said Paige. "Everyone knows what you are. And one day we'll wipe you out. There won't be a witch left alive."
"That's not likely to happen," said Leo who had move over to the window and stood looking out it. "The lineage of a witch can often not surface for generations. Even if you wipe out every witch in the world sooner or later a new one will be born. There's no way you can stop it."
"Then we'll just wipe them out, too," said Paige. "And every time another one is identified we'll wipe them out. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. You can kill me if you want. It won't make any difference. Someone else will take my place. There will always be someone to step up and do what's right."
"Yeah, there are always narrow minded bigots who think they have all the answers," said Prue. "People who think they have all the answers. People who won't change no matter what anyone else says. But you have it all wrong. We aren't here to kill you. We're here to have you join us."
"Oh, that's rich," said Paige. "Now what makes you think I'll even consider joining you?"
"Do you know who we are?" Phoebe asked.
"Witches," said Paige. "That's all I need to know."
"We're not just witches," said Phoebe. "We're the Charmed Ones. From what I understand we're something of celebrities in this timeline."
"Charmed Ones?" questioned Paige. "That's impossible. The mother of the Charmed Ones died in 1978. She had only two daughters. The Charmed Ones are supposed to be three sisters."
"Yeah, well your information is faulty," said Phoebe. "We are the Charmed Ones. That's Prue, she's Piper, and I'm Phoebe."
"That doesn't make any difference," said Paige. "Just why do you think that would induce me to join you?"
"Because you're one of us," said Phoebe. "You're our half sister."
"That's impossible," said Paige. "I'm no witch."
"You were born August 22, 1977," said Phoebe. "At least, that's when they think you were born. When you were only a few days old your natural parents left you at an orphanage with nothing but a blanket with the letter 'P' on it. That and a note asking only that your name begin with a 'P'. A blanket you still keep packed away because it's the only thing that connects you to your real parents."
"How . . . how could you know that?" Paige questioned. "I've never told anyone that."
"I know because you told me," said Phoebe. "You were adopted by Ruben and Jasmine Matthews. When you were 16 they died in a car accident. An accident you miraculously survived without a scratch."
"That's common knowledge," said Paige nervously. "Anyone who knows my history knows that."
"But what they don't know is that you have no recollection of getting out of the car," said Phoebe. "You were in the car when it was hit. The next thing you knew you were on the road and the car was burning with your parents inside. You still have no idea how you got out of the car."
"This is a trick," said Paige. "You've used your evil magic to learn things about me."
"No, I haven't," said Phoebe. "Everything I've told you is true. I know how much pain those memories cause you. But I didn't bring them up to cause you any pain. I brought them up so you'd listen to us. So that we can end this nightmare we're living in."
"I don't care what say," said Paige, "or how you learned what you've learned. You'll never convince me I'm one of you."
"We have company," said Leo, looking out the bedroom window. "I guess one of the satellites picked us up here. I'd say we have about thirty seconds before they bust in the door."
Less than a minute later the front door to the apartment burst open and several armed police officers rushed in armed to the teeth.
"Everyone freeze," screamed one of the men.
He was met with silence. Then entire apartment was empty.
"I don't believe you," Paige cried. They had been in the cabin for nearly half an hour. During that time Phoebe had done everything she could think of to convince Paige of her true identity. "None of this is true. It's a well known fact that witches can use magic. All you've done is used your evil magic to get the information on me. That doesn't prove anything. Only that everything we've been told is true. Witches are evil and not to be trusted. I hope you all rot in hell."
"She's never going to believe you," said Prue. "She's so brainwashed she won't even consider that it's true."
"You're right," said Phoebe. "There's only one way to convince her we're being sincere. If I can prove to you that you're a witch, will you listen to us then?" Phoebe asked.
"How can you do that?" Paige asked. "I'm not a witch. There's no way you can prove that I am."
"And if I can?" Phoebe asked. "Will you listen to us?"
"What are you going to do?" Paige asked.
"Nothing," said Phoebe. "Just stand up. That's all you have to do. Just stand up and take my hand."
"Then what?" Paige asked. "You cast some spell on me?"
"No spell," said Phoebe. "Just stand up and take my hand. I promise you won't be harmed in any way. You have my word."
"The word of a witch?" Paige asked.
"What do you have to loose?" Prue asked.
"Stand up and take my hand," said Phoebe. "If this doesn't convince you you'll be free to go. I promise."
"No tricks?" Paige asked.
"No tricks," said Phoebe.
Hesitantly Paige stood up. She looked at the hand Phoebe had extended toward her. Cautiously she reached out and took Phoebe's hand. Phoebe reached over and took Piper's hand and Piper took Prue's hand. Gently Prue reached over and took hold of Paige's free hand. It startled Paige but she didn't resist.
Suddenly a bluish-white light emanated from the ceiling. It bathed the four sisters for several seconds and then ended as suddenly as it had started. Phoebe released Paige's hand and the other sisters did the same. Paige looked at Phoebe.
"Is that all?" she asked. "Some kind of light show?"
"It was more than a light show," said Phoebe. She looked around the cabin and saw a glass sitting on the counter near the sink. "Hold out your hand and call to that glass."
"What?" questioned Paige.
"Just do it," said Phoebe.
Paige looked at Phoebe for a moment and then at the glass. It was clear from the look on her face that she didn't believe Phoebe. But they had said she could leave. If she humored them a bit longer they just might let her go. She held out her hand and called for the glass.
To her amazement the glass suddenly orbed into her hand. It was still in the process of orbing when she suddenly pulled her hand back and jumped back. The glass went crashing to the floor shattering on impact. Paige just stared at the broken glass total disbelief on her face.
"You did that," she said. "You used your magic to cause the glass to do that."
"No, I didn't," said Phoebe. "Neither did any of the others. You did it. Because you're a witch, just like us. We had the same mother. She was a witch and so was our grandmother. It's where we got our powers."
"This is crazy," said Paige. "I can't be a witch. I just can't be."
"It can be kind of hard to accept at first," said Phoebe. "Prue and Piper wouldn't accept it at first either. But eventually they had to accept it. There really is no other choice. Your powers are active now and there's no way to go back."
"No," Paige cried, collapsing on the floor. "It can't be true. It just can't be. I can't be a witch."
Paige just lay on the floor sobbing.