In Need of an Angel
By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell
Chapter 2: A Heritage—Her Place in Life
Penny was waiting in the living room for Prue to come from school. She had never told the girls their destiny and had hoped to keep it secret a while longer, but circumstances had changed. Whether they were for the better she'd probably never know.
She turned the vial with light blue liquid over and over in her hands. It was special – much like the girls would be one day – just for Prue. Piper wouldn't have the courage needed to do this on her own and Phoebe, well, Penny was lucky she listened half the time. If this was done right, neither girl would remember they had met. They were never supposed to in the Grand Scheme of things, but Paige's life was in jeopardy and if she wasn't saved one day the world would undoubtedly fall into chaos.
Yes, she'd seen the world's fate – with the Elders' help – without Paige and it was nothing to be proud of.
Whether Prue would believe her or not was her call, but something had to be done. She could believe it was all a dream – in fact, that would probably be best – but someone had to help her and Penny knew it couldn't be her.
The door opened and Prue walked in, closing it behind her. "Grams!"
"In here," she said as Prue walked in, dropping her bag on the floor.
Prue leaned in the frame of the room with her arms crossed. "What are you doing?"
"Come and sit," she said, turning her head toward her.
Puzzled, Prue took a spot beside her. "What is it?" Prue thought she seemed nervous. She sighed. "Whatever Phoebe broke, she'll have to clean up. And I'm not picking her up afterward either."
She laughed. "No, Prue, this isn't about that, but I agree with you."
"It's not? Then what is it?"
She struggled. They'd always kept this from the girls. It was for their safety. "Prue, I have something to tell you. And what I tell you can be repeated to no one. It's the truth, all right?" she said.
She nodded. "All right. Does this have something to do with Mom?"
"Sort of. Prue, when she went down there she was trying to protect everyone from a water-type demon and—"
"Whoa! Wait! Demon?" she asked. "You mean like something with beady red eyes, claws and spits acid to kill people?"
"Something like that, but demons are all different shapes, sizes and have different powers."
Prue nodded. She knew about some of this. It had always intrigued her. "Okay, yes, I get that, but why are you telling me?"
"Prue, I'm a witch. So was your mother and so are you three." She waited, expecting Prue to overreact upon processing the information.
Instead, Prue laughed slightly. "Witches? Us? You mean like old hags who fly around on broomsticks and have warts?"
"Yes Prue, witches, but no we can't fly on broomsticks as for warts its genetic…obviously." She looked into her eyes. She looked so much like Patty and was strong and confident. "I know you must have a thousand questions for me—"
"Try a million," her granddaughter muttered.
"Yes, well, there's no time for that now," she said, showing her the vial. "You need to drink this."
"What will it do?" Prue asked, taking it from her. "And why aren't Piper and Phoebe…okay, why isn't Piper involved?" Phoebe would never take this seriously. Not saying she was sure about this.
"Piper's personality isn't up for this Prue, you know her. She tries to be social, but things never go in her favor."
"But that isn't her fault!" Prue interrupted. "They just don't understand her!"
Penny's eyes shined. "And that, my dear, is why you are perfect for this. You're so passionate and protective of them. You'd do anything to protect them."
Prue sighed. "Yeah, even Phoebe our own first-class rebel, but it's because Mom wasn't around…"
Penny sighed. "That wasn't her fault. She chose to go. To make the world safer for the three of you. You meant the world to her…and me."
"We know, Grams. But what does the potion do?"
"It will unlock your powers, but not your sisters. It's better if this is just you and not them. Definitely not Phoebe, God only knows what she would do."
Prue laughed. "Yeah, true. So what powers will I get?"
Penny smiled. "You're awfully accepting, Prue. I'm surprised."
"Well, I just figure that if Mom did all she could to protect us, it only seems right to follow in her footsteps, uh, of doing good not-not dying," Prue finished, realizing what she'd just said to be exactly how she felt. Their mother did good things as a witch for a reason, so why shouldn't she follow her example? She was like a mother to her sisters.
"You do realize Prue, that once you unlock your powers you can't undo it. There's no turning back." Prue nodded.
She uncorked the vial and drained the contents, grimacing at the foul taste before re-corking the vial and setting it on the coffee table in front of her.
Penny looked at her, noticing Prue's hands were shaking. Her eyes were distant and glazed over. She grabbed her wrists pulling her to her feet. "Prue, this might sting, but you need to stand so your powers can move through your body more easily." Prue nodded, grasping her hands for dear life. She hadn't noticed the burning tingle within her body until her Grams had grabbed her wrists.
"How-much-longer?" Prue asked through gritted teeth, noticing her lower limbs turning to Jell-O as she fell against her grandmother.
She wrapped her arms around her. "Not much longer. Hold on."
Prue nodded, tears coursing her cheeks. Her body felt like it was on fire. It hurt to breathe. Like every bone had been washed in acid. Part of her wanted to scream, but somehow, she managed not to. Her legs wouldn't hold any portion of her weight anymore and she dropped on the couch in her Grams's embrace.
"You did well, Prue." She told her, letting go of her wrists.
"Well? WELL?" she yelled. "What the heck was that?"
"Prue, you were born with the powers you have now. They've just been hidden without signs of resurfacing for many years, so, naturally, it would take a lot out of you to get them back, understand?"
"I think so. It's just…man that hurt!" she noticed her hands were still trembling. "And am I ever gonna stop shaking?"
"Yes, darling," Penny replied. "It's just your powers. Now I want you to focus on that pillow over there and will it to move."
"I'm not sure if I can." She said doubtfully. "But I'll try." She wasn't exactly sure how to do this. But she focused on the pillow, imagining it moving. She thought she saw the pillow move but that was just wishful thinking.
"Concentrate." Penny coaxed.
"I am!" Prue snapped. She sighed. "Sorry."
"You don't believe that you're really a witch, do you?"
"After all of that pain, uh yeah, I do. It's kinda hard to believe this would be a dream." She said sarcastically. "You have to admit, Grams, this is a little farfetched. Me a witch?"
"Would you like proof?" Penny asked, hoping to make it easier.
"Are you sure you can really prove it to me?" Prue asked. "Because if this doesn't work, I'm sending you to the nut house."
"I'm afraid Phoebe's already done that." She retorted. With a wave of her hand, the pillow rose and flew only to hit her granddaughter in the face.
"Ouch!" Prue yelped as the beads on the pillow whacked her.
"Well, you should have ducked." Penny said not in the least bit sympathetic.
Prue glared at her and then turned her glare on the pillow. The pillow flew right back at Penny, but she blocked it with her hand.
"Good, sweetheart," Penny congratulated. "Not only did you use your telekinesis, but we also found your trigger."
Still in shock from what she had witnessed she was able to choke out a, "And that is?"
"Anger, dear." She said that as if it was obvious. "Now, let's do it again."
The shock dissolving she turned on her Grandmother. "This a little hard to grasp, do you think I could just sit for a bit?"
Penny nodded her head and Prue collapsed on the couch.
"Sweetheart, there's something else."
"Oh, what now," Prue asked, exasperated. "What? Do I have another sibling you just forgot to tell me about?"
Penny ignored that bit. "A good friend of mine is going to come down and help you control your powers and tell you why you have to have them in the first place."
"Grams," Prue whined. "I don't want to go anywhere today. I just want to crawl into bed and pray that this is all some crazy dream that my hormone driven adolescent brain came up with."
"I'm sorry, darling." Penny apologized. "But there's just not enough time."
Suddenly, and magically, blue dots formed in the middle of the living room. The dots were more like spheres though and they varied in color. Some were a light crystal blue, others were sparkling white. The orbs disappeared showing a young man white blonde hair. He smiled at Penny and Prue.
That's when Prue lost it. Prue, usually very strong, fainted from the shock of it all.
Prue's eyes opened to a yellow glow over her head. The blonde man smiled at her. "You okay there?"
"Grams!" Prue screeched.
Penny came into the room three cups hovering before her. "What, darling?"
Prue's eyes widened. "So all of that wasn't a dream?"
Penny plucked one of the cups form mid air and handed it to her granddaughter. "Of course not. Now hurry up and drink your tea. You have to go with Leo so he can explain everything to you." She grasped the two cups of tea and offered Leo one.
"Oh, thank you," he said.
Prue greedily gulped down the tea hoping it would calm her like it usually did. She set the empty glass on the coffee table and shot up. "Okay! Let's go get this over with. I have a test tomorrow in school and I refuse to miss it."
Leo laughed. "I think you just might. It takes a while to master your powers, Prudence."
"It's Prue," she corrected with a snap. "Now just take me wherever the hell we're going in your twinkling little balls of light."
"Prue!" Penny yelled. "That's no way to talk to your elders."
She scoffed. "He's not much older than me. What are you? 25?"
Leo smiled. "I'm flattered. I'm 20 actually, physically anyway."
Penny smiled. "Exactly, physically. Now get going!"
"Bye, Penny, it was nice seeing you again," Leo said and placed his hand on Prue's shoulder to be whisked away in orbs.
White. That's all she could see. White pillars, white clouds, white fog, white, white, white, white! It was giving her a headache.
"Come," Leo beckoned. "We'll meet with, Sandra and Odin they'll explain everything. Then we can get working on how you can use your powers."
She was barely listening. She was trying to scope out some other color than white. Gold. Golden robes. Of course.
They stepped into a room that screamed power. Not the vindictive kind, but she could practically feel the power pulsing in the room.
Leo guided her to two robed people who seemed to be bickering. Leo walking up to them halted them in their fighting. "Odin, Sandra."
"Leo." They acknowledged.
"And Prue," Sandra said. "How are you?"
Prue looked at the white foggy floor. "Overwhelmed."
"Understandable." Sandra sympathized while Odin snapped. "Get over it."
"Why do you guys need me?"
"Perhaps we should talk somewhere a little more privately?" Leo suggested.
"Of course." Sandra said. "Meet us at the bridge."
Odin and Sandra both orbed out and Leo once again touched Prue's shoulder and followed them.
Prue opened her eyes to see a beautiful view of San Francisco. Orbing made her nauseous and she leaned over the ledge and puked. She leaned back up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Explain."
"You have a sister." Odin stated bluntly, hating to beat around the bush.
"Yes, two." Prue stated in a duh tone of voice. "Piper and Phoebe."
"You have one more though." Sandra explained. "Her name is Paigr and she doesn't have the same father as you. Her father was like Leo."
Prue completely forgetting the whole half-sister part rounded on Leo. "You're her Father?"
"No, I said LIKE Leo." Sandra corrected. "He was a Whitelighter. Making your sister, Paige, half witch and half Whitelighter."
Prue sat down and rubbed her head. Part of her wanted to ask what the hell a Whitelighter was, but she didn't think she'd get the chance. "This all coming at me so fast. First you tell me I'm a witch and make me go through the excruciating pain of getting my powers back, and now I have another sister!"
"Yes," Odin confirmed. "And she needs your help." He grasped her hand wrapping a cloak on invisibility over her and she and Leo orbed to Paige's house.
A man loomed over a young girl gripping her hair and punching her in the face. Odin and Sandra orbed in next to them. "That's Paige," Sandra whispered.
"That's Paige?" she asked. The girl looked very familiar. The man kicked Paige onto her back and continued to punch her face. She flinched, but never cried of screamed. "Why doesn't she…cry or yell for help?"
"She's been conditioned not to," Leo answered sadly.
"C—conditioned?" she choked out.
Leo nodded.
Prue watched as Paige struggled to get to her feet.
"Ah, ah, ah, I can't have you running away!" he said as he punched her in the stomach. She dropped to the ground, tears streaming down her face. Her stomach already had many bruises and the one he'd just inflicted was by far the worst.
"STOP!" Prue yelled, lunging for him. "STOP IT!" but she fell onto the floor right through him.
Leo walked over, pulling her off the ground. "They can't see us or hear us," he told her as she buried her face in his shirt.
"How can he do that?" she asked.
"He's responsible sober and an irresponsible drunk. End of story," Sandra said as they walked back over.
"Yes," Odin confirmed. "You need to help her."
"How? I'll never get her away from him," she said disheartened.
"Paige isn't always around him, Prue," Sandra said.
"Don't you know her from somewhere?" Odin asked. "You seemed somewhat shocked that it was her."
Prue shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I have seen her around school. People are always afraid to talk to her, saying that she'll never stop crying like a baby because of how her parents died."
"Yes, but is that why you don't talk to her or is it because you're too preoccupied being a perfect student?" Odin asked.
Prue looked at Paige, who had her hands over her face, but it wasn't helping. She'd see her passing in the hallway trying to avoid the pitiful looks and jokes behind her back. She'd just stand at her locker, waiting for the hall to clear before putting in the combination, sliding in a few books and laying her head in it and crying.
Prue would stay behind, having closed her locker with the others and slide down the wall while waiting for the young girl to finish her agonizing, heart-wrenching sobs, secretly hoping Paige would look her way and see that she understood and was there for her. But she never did.
"I-I guess I was kinda preoccupied, but it wasn't because I wanted to be! I wanted to help her!"
"So, why didn't you?" Sandra asked. "You had all those chances to be a good Samaritan."
"I didn't know what was going on. Didn't know he was hurting her," she whispered.
"And now?" Odin asked.
"Tell me what I have to do," she said. Don't you worry Paige. I'll protect you from now on, I promise.
Author's Note: So what do you think? How will Prue get Paige away from her foster father and help her? That70sShowLova co-wrote it with me, so she deserves a lot of credit too.
I wanted to get this posted as a Christmas Eve present! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a great holiday!
Thanks to: That70sshowlova, Davi, T, IamAbotticelli, & charmed-darkangel for their reviews!
Final chapter is next!
Please read and review!
Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell