Chapter Twenty-Three: Déjà Vu

"Come – on, wake the hell up!" Billie hissed as she slapped non-too-gently Amos on the cheeks.

Taylor looked up from Brooks' side, her face sorrowful. "He's dead," she said in a weak voice.

She knew she was being stupid, because Brooks couldn't be held responsible for a demon's deeds, but Billie just wouldn't agree to be the one to check on him, her mind screeching "Traitor" in an unpleasant way every time her gaze fell on him.

Something clicked then and she remembered Phoebe's words from mere minutes before. Giving up her new friend, she stood up with a bit of telekinesis in order to save time, and rushed to the shelves near the fresh hole in the attic wall. She rummaged through the potions, grateful to whoever was up there that Taylor had not blown the piece of furniture too.

Taylor, as it was, was frowning suspiciously at her but Billie ignored the brunette until she found her quarry. Then she simply stalked out of the room with a quick "Be right back."

Unaffected by the incredulity on the face of her friend, Billie ran back down to the fight still going on, hoping against all odds that those friends of hers were in better shape than the ones upstairs.

As she stomped down the last few steps, she saw that The Charmed Ones were in even worse state; they were separated. Phoebe crouched at the base of the stairs, Piper stood in the living room, and Paige in the solarium; Ava the Gypsy was in the parlor. All of them were hiding behind the furniture.

At that moment, Piper came out of her hideout, hands at the ready.

"Piper, don't! It's a set-up!"

Piper's eyes widened and she redirected the blow she had aimed at Ava; the mirror in the corner ended up in a showed of glistening shards.

Billie didn't stop to think a plan through: she acted on instinct. "Phoebe," she shouted, attracting both the witch and the enemy's attention. Not waiting even to hope that Phoebe would get the clue, Billie threw the potion in her hand.

She watched as, like in slow motion, the vial swirled around itself, its content moving along with the rotation. Two green rays took it as a target.

But Phoebe had gotten the hind and she used her empathy to channel the power to repel the green death rays. The potion whirled on safely ad his the real target: Ava. More accurately: the demon that was possessing her and now stood, teeth bared, where the Gypsy's body had been before it fell, unconscious – a perfect parody of Brooks, except for the potion's volutes still hanging in the air.

Billie TK'ed the Possessor into the wall behind, calling for Piper. The eldest Halliwell greedily flicked her wrists forward, reducing the demon to a cloud of black particles.

Done, she rushed at Ava's side, taking her head into her lap, trying to awake her in a much more gentle manner than Billie had Amos. Her sisters soon gathered around her, Paige scanning the Gypsy's body with her healing light.

Ava's eyes shot open and widened to the size of saucers as memories flooded her mind. "Oh, dear God," she breathed, sitting up.

"Easy," Piper said softly, bringing her into a hug. "It's OK, Ava. You're OK." Looking up at Billie, stayed by the stairs, she mouthed the words "Thank you."

Billie's lips stretched into a thin smile.

Tears welled up into Ava's eyes. After a time, she whispered, "No, I'm not. Neither is it every going to be. I have killed people." The tears rolled down her cheeks.