Author's notes: Hey everyone! Yes I know I updated sooner than usual this time, it's a miracle! I'm exited about that because it looked like my muse have been gone for a while.
Thanks for anyone still reading the story, and a special shout out to those reviewing: "You guys rock!"
Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its original characters. I do, however, own this story line and any characters you're not familiar with.
P.S. Words in italics are either thoughts, dreams or premonitions.
Previously:
Barbas's voice inside Jericho's head: Kill him for your future… For your life… For your fiancée...For your kid that was brutally ripped away from you... Avenge them!
Jericho: You do realize he kills her daughter, MY FIANCEE, don't you? HE KILLED MY SON, HER GRANDSON, and the rest of her family. I'm sure she will be relieved that her nightmare won't be true anymore.
Jericho: Your son, Chris, died in order to save him, he died in your own bed in your husband's arms. He DIED AND IT WAS FOR NOTHING!
Jo: Wyatt killed your little baby without much of a thought because he is a cold hearted monster. You can be that, can't you? You think you have it in you to be that monster and kill a little boy, then DO IT!
Jericho: I'm sorry... I'm really sorry!
Jo (in pain): You still can't trust me?
Piper: Not with my baby's life.
Jo: I was there for him when you weren't, I protected him and taught him everything and he repays the favor by growing up to be this evil tyrant! This hurts me even more than it hurts you Piper, because I watched it happen and couldn't do anything about it!
(Manor, Attic. Piper was flipping through the book several hours after the incident. Phoebe was scrying and Paige was just sitting on the couch, tired.)
Piper: JO!
Phoebe: Are you sure it was bad? Your powers don't work on witches.
Piper: No Phoebe, my freezing powers don't work on good witches, my explosions work on any one though! And she was bleeding a lot in a matter of seconds.
Paige (hearing Piper's thoughts): Piper this isn't your fault; you reacted like any other mother would have when her child's life is put in danger.
Piper: JO! But I am not any mother, and she's my sister! I would have trusted you in the same situation, why couldn't I trust her?
Phoebe: Because she's not the same Paige you know, she's much more older and has a totally different personality. You don't know her Piper... I don't know her either... Paige herself won't know anything about her future self.
Paige (nodding): True. Besides, she's far more understanding than any of us can be. She'll forgive you, she's probably venting on some demons.
Phoebe: Yes, those poor demons are probably rotting in hell by now.
Piper: But why hasn't she been answering any of our calls? JO!
Paige (shrugging): Reception is pretty bad in the underworld.
Piper: But she always came when we call, she wouldn't risk it that way. JO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I NEED TO TA- lk.
Jo appeared in a wild swirl of orbs looking really tired.
Jo (before Piper can talk): Incoming!
Four demons shimmered in behind Jo, armed with energy balls in each hand.
Demon 1: You're dead witch! No one dares cross the might th-
Piper (interrupting): This is ridiculous!
Piper flicked her hands, vanquishing two demons instantly and sending the other two flying towards the wall. Phoebe reacted by throwing a vanquishing potion that was near her at one, and Paige sent an athame towards the other. Both demons screamed as the fire consumed them.
Jo (looking exhausted): Thanks.
Piper noticed that Jo was still bleeding from the wound on her stomach, as Jo collapsed to the ground.
Phoebe: You okay?
Jo (dismissively): Yeah. Sorry for bringing them back here, I was kinda trapped.
Phoebe: It's okay, they weren't really that hard to get rid of.
Jo: Okay then... I should be heading back.
Phoebe: To the Underworld?
Jo: Yeah, is that a problem?
Piper: Since you're injured, yeah!
Jo (angrily): Why do you care?
Phoebe: OKAY! I think we're in for a long talk.
Jo: I have nothing to say!
Piper: But I do... I'm really sorry about all the things I said about not trusting you, it's just that...
(Scene: Underworld, cave. Barbas was throwing around stuff angrily)
Barbas: That damn witch thinks she's so smart! My plan was perfect till she decided to butt in with her logical thinking!
Demon: Weren't you the one who always said we shouldn't think little of them because they were very smart? Sir.
Barbas growled angrily and the demon started screaming.
Barbas: What's the matter? Seeing things?
Demon: Fire... It's everywhere, it's suffocating me.
Barbas: A demon whose worse fear is fire is a useless one!
When the demon started screaming again, he was really being consumed by fire and got walked in.
Mass: Still taunting your demons I see!
Barbas: Only the stupid ones!
Mass (smugly): I take it your "plan" didn't work.
Barbas: No it didn't, the damn witch interfered! And this ruins all of my other plans, I was counting on Jericho taking the boy out, or Jo taking Jericho out!
Mass: Well lucky for you that I have another plan!
Barbas (laughing): You? With a plan? Entertain me!
Mass: Lucky for me, it doesn't include you!
Barbas: What?
Mass: GUARDS!
2 huge demons shimmered in and grabbed Barbas who started struggling.
Guard 1: We can do this the easy way, or the hard way!
Guard 2: And let me warn you, the hard way is easier for us.
Barbas: You will regret this! I've made you what you are now!
Mass: That's where you're wrong Barbas. You did nothing but waste my time, I thought I could use you but you proved to me that you're a weak bastard who is only after revenge. You ruined your own plans, and I don't need you ruining mine. Take him away!
The 2 guards bowed and shimmered out with Barbas.
Mass: LAWSON!
Mass's right hand man shimmered in and bowed.
Lawson: My lord? Why did you not vanquish Barbas?
Mass: Because when the time it right, he will be the perfect distraction. Now, tell everyone to start gathering... It's almost time!
Lawson smirked evilly and shimmered out.
(Later, the sisters, Leo and Jo were sitting in the attic after Jo and Piper worked out their issues and Piper apologized sincerely.)
Phoebe: So what's next on our plans?
Jo: Well w–
Jo was interrupted by Billie appearing in a poof of smoke, looking disheveled as if she had been fighting demons.
Piper: Billie thanks for coming, we were just about to start.
Jo: No we weren't, we have to wait for Jericho. But thanks for coming, do you need healing?
Billie: No, no, just a few small bruises and cuts but I'm fine. So where is Jericho?
Jo: I am sure HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE.
Jo raised her voice so that Jericho could hear her, and it worked because a moment later Jericho appeared in a yellow shimmer. But everyone noticed he wasn't the same powerful almighty demon he was just a day ago. His shoulders were slumped down in defeat and his head hung down in shame for falling for Barbas's tricks and trying to kill baby Wyatt. He didn't dare approach the group, but leaned against the far wall.
Piper's motherly instinct kicked in and for the first time she realized how young Jericho actually was. He didn't look to be older than twenty, and Piper's heart broke at the sadness merely shown in his posture. She wasn't sure how she was going to face him after he tried to kill her son, but it was apparent that he was being manipulated and just lost his way.
Billie looked curiously at the once mighty warrior she has been fighting by his side lately, while Paige tried to read his thoughts looking for a way to help.
Jo refrained from going to Jericho's side and hugging him. She went after him and talked him through the whole ordeal, assured him that Barbas was just using him and it wasn't his fault that he followed Barbas's wicked scheme. She told him Piper forgave him and knows that he didn't mean to. All this fell on deaf ears, however, because Jericho felt too guilty for misusing the trust bestowed upon him: to protect and save Wyatt.
Jo: Okay, now that everyone is here we should start working on our plan. We need to assess our priorities, killing clans of demons is doing nothing but upset the demons and making them organized instead of scattered and furious with the need for revenge.
Billie: Which only happened because they're united under Barbas and Mass.
Phoebe: I think Barbas would be the easier target, we have a generic vanquishing potion and a spell. All we need is to get him away from Mass and the demonic guards.
Jericho: He is...
Paige (addressing Jericho): How?
Jericho: Mass decided Barbas was ruining his own plans so he locked him up.
Paige: What? Barbas ruining his own plans? How so?
Jericho: His need for revenge is making his judgment cloudy. He's underestimating you again.
Paige: But that's good for us, now that he's out of the way we can get to him before Mass changes his mind.
Piper: Hello, we're still here! Mind sharing what you too are discussing?
Paige: Sorry... Jericho said that Barbas is actually out of the picture, Mass decided he wasn't doing him any good.
Jo: Great. Mass wouldn't risk locking Barbas up anywhere close to him just in case Barbas tries to use his powers to break free.
Billie: And from our scouts of the underworld we actually know exactly where Mass keeps his prisoners.
Phoebe: And as I was saying, with the vanquishing potion and a quick power of three spell.
Leo: You girls can get rid of Barbas who so far has been distracting you, and can focus on actually taking out Mass.
Piper: Does anyone else sense that this is a trap?
Paige: How so?
Piper: Think about it, so far Mass's plans depended on distracting us then focusing on only one of us. That's what happened with Henry, we were all focused on him when he was really after Jericho.
Jericho (speaking for the first time): She's right, it is a trap.
Leo: Even if it is, this isn't a chance you can waste.
Jo: True, Mass doesn't know that we know Barbas is locked up. This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him.
Phoebe: Maybe we should divide...
Piper: But that would make us weak.
Phoebe: Only if the power of three is divided. Together we can handle the attacks that might come here, while Jo, Jericho and Billie can take care of Barbas.
Billie: You just said the spell was a power of three one.
Phoebe: That's a problem.
Leo: I think you can alter it to work for our future guests and the Ultimate power.
Jo: Even if we can solve the spell problem, it is too risky to leave the three of you alone unprotected.
Phoebe: Oh come on, we're the Charmed Ones not some Rockie witches. How does this Mass guy compare to us?
Jericho and Jo shared a knowing look. Mass wasn't just some lousy demon, he was the worst demon they would ever face.
Jo: He isn't just a demon Phoebe, he has an entire army with him. And numbers do matter in this case because he has a lot of upper leveled demons on his side. This will be by far the hardest fight that you have to get in, and it is one that you must win.
Piper: Well, we did it in the future so we can do it again!
Paige: No we don't get through this fight.
Jo (shocked): Future Consequences!
Paige: No, it is something that Prue said when we were in the future: "he's the only demon that you ever fought that lived to tell the tale."
Jo (forgetting that Prue said that): Right...
Piper: But we have to stop him, you guys said he's the one who turns Wyatt.
Phoebe: No, they said "if Paige saved "the others", Wyatt would be saved."
Paige: Something about future me looking in the wrong direction, just like Chris did.
Piper: Oh now I remember, Future Henry said: "he's not the one that needs saving".
Jericho: Future Consequences much Aunt Paige?
Jo was surprised Jericho still called her that, but she could see how much the word hurt him even though he still considered himself as family.
Jo: They don't know what they're talking about.
Billie: Well then, explain because I am lost.
Jo: All you need to know that this is one battle you need to win! We can't afford it happening like last time if we want to save Wyatt. We have to change the results, we have to vanquish Mass.
Leo: And you start with Barbas!
Piper: Get rid of Barbas in order to get rid of any distractions, then think of a way to get to the big guy. I'm assuming you have no idea how to vanquish him!
Both Jo and Jericho shook their heads sadly.
Phoebe: We'll worry about that later. Now let's get started on the potion and the spell, because I want to get rid of Barbas forever this time!
Jericho: I couldn't agree more.
Author's notes: Well that's it for now. I know it wasn't much and it was mostly talking but I think it needed to be there both for the sake of the story and mine, because this is something that would've happened whether I wrote it in the story or not, and as long as I'm writing it I guess it wouldn't hurt to put it in.
Mind my rambling, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I promise the next one will be better and probably packed with action. Reviews are most welcome! Let me know if you have any ideas you want to see because the story is nearing to an end, and now is the perfect time for suggestions. I would also like to hear some of your guesses or ideas of what's going to happen next!
Thanks for reading!