Phoebe and Bella's Spell

Bella and Joey looked up from Bella's homework as Piper and Phoebe walked in through the back door, both of them sweaty and out of breath.

"Leo's mortal now and everything, but - for how long, I mean how do I know he won't want his wings back?" Piper asked as they walked over to her. "And then there's Dan, who is still great - and normal which is good - considering I'm not."

Phoebe looked down at her watch. "Twenty eight minutes, thirty three seconds."
Piper looked at her in surprise. "Really? We ran that long?"
"No. I've been timing how long you've been comparing Leo and Dan." Phoebe told her and Piper blushed.

"I haven't been 'comparing'. I've been...talking."

"Non stop by the looks of it, seeing as you were 'talking' since before you left." Bella pointed out as Phoebe poured the four of them some orange juice.

"Well, so, you're my sisters. I have a problem. The least you can be is understanding."

"Piper, we do understand. You're in love with two guys, who both love you." Phoebe said, ignoring Piper when she rolled her eyes. "We get it! Totally. But what we don't get, is why you won't let us help you."

"Help me?" Piper asked, not sure how they could help. "What are you going to do? Are one of you going to take one of them off my hands?" she asked with a smirk. Phoebe and Bella shared an amused glance before pretending to think about it only the two older sisters noticed Joey frown. "That's not an option."
"You need help...assistance...a sign..." Bella trailed off suggestively. Piper and Joey stared at her while Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"A 'sign'..." Piper repeated slowly, starting to get what they were saying.

Bella nodded. "A spell to help you find your true love."

"I'm all for Piper finding her true love but there is a small problem with personal gain." Joey reminded them but Phoebe shook her head.

"Not necessarily." She said. "I've been working on my spells. I think I can write one for Piper that's consequence free. It's all in the wording."

Piper sighed heavily. "No! I can't." She said before walking off, Phoebe and Bella following while Joey stayed in the kitchen.

"Why not?" Phoebe and Bella moaned.

"Because...I can't expect magic to solve my personal problems."
"But that's the beauty, you don't have to."
"We'll do it for you."

They walked into the conservatory to see Prue holding a small camera. "Hey," she said when she saw them, "when did my camera equipment get here?"

"Oh, about an hour ago." Piper told her, thankfull for the change of subject. "I didn't want to wake you. Is everything there?"
Prue looked over to the table full of the equipment and nodded. "Yeah, it looks like it."
"You think you've brought enough stuff, Prue?" Bella chuckled.

"Yeah, I know it's a lot. But so much of photography has gone digital now, that if I want to seriously pursue it, I have to have the right equipment." Prue explained as she picked up a larger camera.

"You're thinking of becoming a professional photographer?" Phoebe asked, making Prue look up causiously when she heard her tone.

"Yeah...why? You don't think that I should?" she asked nervously.

"No, no I mean...I think it's great if that's what you want, it's just..."
"It's just what?"
"Well, I-uh...isn't photography just a really dicey profession money wise?" she asked before hissing in pain when Bella and Piper pinched her. "Ow!" She glared at them before turning back to Prue, who looked less enthusiastic than before. "You know, all I'm saying is how many woman professional photographers do you know?"
"I know, and that's a totally fair question, one that I've been wrestling with a lot lately," Prue said, "ever since I quit my job."
"Prue, one of my first memories is you saying that you want to become a photographer." Bella told her softly. "It's your dream so just follow it."
Prue smiled.

"Hey! Maybe finding out you were a photographer in your past life is some kind of sign. Speaking of signs..." Phoebe trailed off as she and Bella smiled at Piper. Phoebe gripped Bella's hand before they raced up the stairs while Piper's eyes widened.

"No...wait! No!" Piper yelled as she ran after them.

Prue looked down at the camera in her hands silently before walking over to the full length mirror, taking a photo of her reflection. She smiled briefly. "A portrait of a dreamer." She whispered to herself.

...

"You two had better not be writting a spell for me!" Piper yelled through the door.

"Uh..." Phoebe glanced up from the note pad to Bella who just shrugged. "No...I'm in the bathroom. Who writes spells in the bathroom?"

"Then why is Bella in there with you?" Piper asked dryly.

"Er...she's not. She went into her bedroom." Phoebe said as Bella took the pad off her. The younger girl sprinkled dead rose leaves over the paper before the two of them read the spell quietly. "I beseech all powers above, send a sign to free our sisters heart, one that will lead her to her love." They finished and shared a smile.

Meanwhile, Prue was still in front of the mirror, looking down at the camera in her hands.

"Hello Prue." She heard behind her and she looked up in shock to see Bane Jessup's reflection in the mirror.

"Ba - " She started to yell when Bane suddenly grabbed her, placing a cloth over her mouth and nose. She struggled against him before everyone slowly went black.

"Shhh." Bane whispered as he shifted her in his arms and walked towards the nearest door, not noticing that he had dropped the cloth.

...

"Well?" Piper asked when Phoebe opened her eyes.

"Nothing." She looked down at the camera with a sigh.
"We need to keep trying untill one of us does have a premonition." Bella said firmly. "We need to find out what happened to her."

"That crack I made about her becoming a photographer - I don't want that to be the last thing I ever say to her."

"Guys, you're overreacting. That is my department. All you have to do is relax and concerntrate." Piper said softly as the doorbell rang. "Here. Try the rag again."
Piper handed the piece of cloth to Bella before walking to the door. She opened it to see Darryl.

"I've got bad news, I've got worse news. Which do you want first?" he asked as he walked in.

"Uh...does this have anything to do with Prue?" Bella asked hopefull as she and Phoebe walked into the hall.

"Unless she helped Bane Jessup escape from county jail - no."
"Bane Jessup...why does that name sound familiar?" Piper frowned.
Phoebe sat on the arm of the chair. "Because he's the guy our favourite demon hired to 86 us, remember?"

"The one we thought Prue liked?"
"Yep."

"When did he escape?" Bella asked Darryl.

"This morning. We've already launched a full-scale manhunt." Darryl told them and the three sisters shared a concerned glance. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Prue is missing - we think she may have been kidnapped." Piper told him.

Bella handed Darryl the piece of cloth. "This was by the back door."
He sniffed it before sighing. "Chloroform."
"We would have called you, but we didn't know who, or what had taken her."
"It'd be a pretty big coincidence it if wasn't Bane - especially since you guys are responsible for putting him in jail."
"Then why only take Prue?" Bella asked. "We were all in the house."

"Well maybe he's trying to lure us. Maybe another demon hired him to trap us." Phoebe suggested.

"Which might explain this." Darryl said, pulling a bag out of his inner coat pocket and handing it to Piper. "I found it when we swept the prison lock this morning. It's actually the reason why I came over. I wanted to see if it looked familiar to you."

"I've never seen anything like it before but it looks demonic." All eyes turned to the door where Joey was standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

Piper, Phoebe and Bella's eyes widened while Darryl frowned. "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"Probably not." Joey said casually. "Do you mind if we keep this so we can find out what demon we're up against."

Darryl shrugged. "I can't exactly turn it in to evidence inventory. Look, I gotta go. Let me know if you find out anything. I think that your chances of finding Bane are bigger than ours."

"Um, yeah, and maybe keep this quiet, because the bigger this thing gets, the more danger she's..." Piper trailed off, not really wanting to think about it. Darryl got it anyway.

"I know. Look, I'll keep it as quiet as I can for as long as I can."
"Thanks." Phoebe said as Piper lead him to the door. As soon as his back was turned Phoebe and Bella glared at Joey who just rolled his eyes.

"You said he could be trusted." Joey pointed out quietly and they walked to the door as Piper opened it.

"Hi there." A delivery man said as Darryl passed him. "Gotta sign. It's for Piper, Piper Halliwell."

Phoebe and Bella froze when they heard the word 'sign' and Phoebe stepped forward. "Can I see that?" she asked, taking the package and examined it. "Leonardo's Boutique...Bodega Bay, California."

"Yeah, uh, Dan and I were there - ordered some earings." Piper told her before smiling at the deliveryman. "Thank you." She closed the door and snatched the package from Phoebe, glaring suspiciously at her and Bella. "The delivery man said he got a sign." She said slowly, stepping towards them. They backed away, blushing brightly while Joey watched in amusement. "Leonardo's Boutique and Bodega Bay. Leo, short for Leonardo. Bodega Bay, where Dan is from. You cast that spell didn't you."
"It was all Phoebe's fault!" Bella exclaimed quickly.

"Thanks sis." Phoebe said dryly before turning back to Piper. "Yes, we did it."

"When I specifically asked you not to and at a time like this!"
Bella sighed. "It was before Prue disappeared and we were only trying to help."

"You. This. Book of Shadows. Go!" Piper said through her teeth, holding the object up and Phoebe took it from her, getting a premonition instantly.

Joey stood up straighter. "What did you see?" he asked when Phoebe opened her eyes again.

"Prue, bound and gagged, and with Bane."

...

Bane walked over to Prue and hesitated for a second before untying her gag. "Don't scream." He pleaded.

Prue sighed. "Why not?"
"Cuz if you do, we won't be able to talk." Bane said, walking around her. "Besides it won't help. The nearest neighbor is about six miles away."
"Then why not take of the blindfold. What are you afraid of?"

Bane scoffed. "Are you kidding? I've seen you use your powers before. On me!" He considers it for a moment. "All right, if you try anything, the blindfold goes back on." He walked back behind her and takes the blindfold off.

"What do you want?" she asked as he walked in front of her.

He put his hands in his pockets. "Your help, to save my life."

"Yeah, well most people ask for it, they don't kidnap for it."
"I'm not most people. Neither are you."
"What makes you feel that I'll help you?"
"I don't." Bane shrugged. "But without you and your sisters, I don't stand a chance against this particular demon."
"Yeah, well, from where I'm sitting, that's a good thing."
"He tried to have me killed today, Prue. I got lucky and barely escaped. And he's gonna keep trying."
"Why would he bother? You're a mortal."

"I'm a mortal that knows about demons." Bane crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He doesn't like that. Litvack - that's what they call him."
Prue looked around the room curiously. "Where are we? Is this yours?"
"Was gonna be - before you came along, and cut me off from my dreams." Bane said, giving her an accusing smile.

"Because you tried to kill me." Prue pointed out.

Bane smiled even more. "Now, that was before I got to know you."

"You don't strike me as a dreamer."
"There's a lot about me that you don't know."
"Few things that you need to learn about me too." She said before using her powers to send him flying backwards, into a wall. "Like how I will never put my sisters in danger." Bane got up and walked back to her. "So you can forget about any of us helping you."

Bane put the blindfold back on and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sooner of later, you're gonna have to trust me Prue." He said before walking away.

...

Piper handed the silver object to Leo, who looked down at it closely.

"We couldn't find it in the Book of Shadows anywhere." She told him as he turned it around in his hands.

"It's a weapon." He told her as Phoebe, Bella and Joey walked in.

"Are you kidding me, it's a weapon?" Phoebe asked.

"One that can only be activated by a demon. From what I remember, it's handed out by specific upper level demons to those who work for them."
"What do you mean by upper level?" Bella asked.

"There's a heirarchy of demons." Joey explained - knowing this part. "They try and work their way up by destroying good, promoting evil."

"Whoever issued this particular weapon is very important." Leo said grimly.
"You mean dangerous... Any idea who?" Piper asked but both Leo and Joey shook their heads.

"No." Leo said, handing the weapon to Phoebe.

"All right, well this weapon may be the only way to find Prue, I'm back to the book." Phoebe said, getting up. Bella glanced at Joey and nodded her head to the stairs. Joey nodded in understanding and they both stood up.

"Well help." Bella said and the three of them walked up to the attic, leaving Piper and Leo alone.

"I'll be right there." Piper called after them before turning back to Leo. "Thanks for coming over so quickly Leo, and your offer to take care of the club."

Leo shrugged. "Is there anything else you need?"
"I don't know, I can't do anything but think about Prue right now."
"Remember, you know the most important thing. Phoebe's premonition proves Prue's still alive." Leo said softly.

"I know, but for how long? I mean, what if we can't get to her? What if she's hurt?" Piper sighed and Leo pulled her into his arms.

"I wish I could do more. Because I can't help, I remember all the times that I could." He whispered before letting her go and walking out of the door. When the door closed, Piper leant against it, frustrated about the current situation. On the other side of the door, Leo reached out - as if knowing that she was still there. He left his hand there for a brief moment before walking away.

...

Bane sighed in frustration as he sat on a wooden crate. "I don't think you understand. As long as you're here with me, your life is on the line too."
"I can take care of myself."

"Not against Litvack. You have a fighting chance with your sisters, but as long as you're alone, you're as powerless as I am." He told her. "Even if you can't trust me, you can trust that."

"I told you," Prue said firmly, "I'm not getting my sisters involved."

Bane studied her for a second. "Alright, fine. Your sisters came looking for you once before, they'll come looking again." He said, walking to a window and looking at the view.

"Not if I can help it." Prue whispered to herself before astral projecting.

...

"A weapon issued by level two demons." Phoebe read from the Book of Shadows. She flipped the page to see sketches of several demons.

Bella sighed. "But it doesn't say which one."
The pages of the book suddenly flip on their own, stopping on a page titled 'Mariners'.

"I love it when it does that." Phoebe said with a smile before frowning when she looked down at the page. "Mariners? Well, they're not demons, they're sea fairies."
Piper slammed the book shut. "That's because it's nothing to do with Prue, Phoebe. It's a sign! Dan was a baseball player, for the Seattle Mariners!"

"No one feels worse than we do right now." Phoebe said as she and Bella avoided Piper gaze. Joey chuckled, earning him a glare from all three sisters.

Luckily for him, their attention was moved to Prue who had just astral projected into the attic. "Prue!" Bella said in relief. "You're okay!"
Prue nodded. "Yeah, but Bane Jessup - he kidnapped me."
"We know! Where are you?" Piper asked.

"You can't find me." Prue said firmly, making them stare at her as if she was nuts. "It's a trap so just stay away. Don't look for me."
Piper, Phoebe and Bella started to talk at the same time, trying to convince their older sister to tell them where she was while Joey watched, looking like he'd been hit over the head.

Prue ignored all of this and disappeared without another word.

...

Prue gasped as she returned to her body. Bane spun around quickly, rushing to her side and untying her blinfold, looking genuinely concerned for her.

"You alright?" he asked as he sat down next to her. "I thought you passed out or something."
"Feeling guilty?" Prue asked. He didn't say anything but the answer was clear on his face. "That's a good sign. It means you have a conscience." Bane got up and untied Prue's hands and feet. "What are you doing?" she asked confused.

"I'm letting you go."
Prue frowned. "Just like that?"
"I never wanted to hurt you, Prue. I only wanted your help. But you can't help me if you don't trust me and you're in danger as long as you're here." He said as he helped her to her feet. "There's a market a mile down the road. You'll never see me again, I promise."
Prue opened her mouth to say something but was cut off when a demon appeared at the doorway. He aimed something at Prue and Bane but Bane quickly ducked before a bright beam could hit them, pulling Prue down with him and they fell on a pile of broken furniture. The demon aimed the thing at them again but Prue held up her hand, sending the beam back his way but it missed and hit the wall. The demon looked away for a moment and Prue sent him flying out of the window. He landed on his hands and knees before scrambling away, looking shocked at what had just happened.

Bane started to pant, causing Prue to look down at him. He had a horrible gash on the left side of his waste. "Told you I never wanted you hurt." He gasped out.

She stared at him, wide eyed. "You just saved my life."
"You think you can trust me now?"

Just for the record - Joey hasn't been a whitelighter for that long so he doesn't know as much as Leo.

R&R :)