A/N: Hey everyone! So glad you've been enjoying this one! Here's tonight's thank you's:
CharmedOpal: Thanks! So glad you're enjoying it so far!
Guest: Glad you're enjoying it!
lizardmomma: Glad you're enjoying it!
So far, this story has been flowing pretty well. I've got chapter 7 written about halfway, but I'm starting to hit that evil Writer's Block Wall – I promise, another 8 years WILL NOT go by before an update, but I apologize if my whole "chapter per night" thing falters a little. I'll try hard not to let it happen – you guys have waited long enough for this fic to be completed.
With that being said, hope you enjoy chapter 6!
(Oh, and PS: Some of this chapter might seem a little rushed or forced – I apologize for that, but this chapter will seem... familiar... to you all, and I didn't want to waste time on it. Hopefully, the quality of the chapter didn't suffer, but I'm sorry if it did.)
...
Phoebe pulled the front door open – and stopped short, putting her arm out to stop Piper.
"Phoebe, we don't have time for – Oh..."
Paige Matthews stood on the front porch, wringing her hands and looking incredibly nervous.
"Hi." Phoebe stepped aside, pushing a protesting Piper back with her and allowing Paige entrance into the Manor.
Paige hesitated for a long time, before finally stepping inside. Phoebe closed the door with a soft click, and they all stood in the entryway, silent and awkward.
Leo appeared from the living room, about to ask why they hadn't left yet, when he spotted Paige. His eyes widened briefly, but he quickly shut his expression down. This, however, did not go unnoticed by a suspicious Piper.
"Paige," Phoebe began. "This is Leo, Piper's husband."
Paige nodded to Leo. "Nice to meet you," she said robotically. She fidgeted, turning back to Piper and Phoebe.
"Look, about earlier... I'm sorry if I scared you," Phoebe apologized. "We... I mean, my sister's and I..."
"You need to understand, everyone is a little jumpy around her," Piper stepped in. "With Prue... Well, it was strange seeing someone we didn't know at the funeral."
Paige narrowed her eyes. "So you attack all strangers, then?"
Piper and Phoebe exchanged unsure glances. How could they explain? You couldn't exactly say to someone, 'Hey, sorry, but a demon is after you, so we're actually trying to help you, even though we thought you were a demon to begin with.' That didn't really go over well.
"Well," Phoebe finally tried, "I can't really explain this, but we have our reasons for being suspicious of strangers."
Paige nodded like she understood, but the annoyed look on her face said otherwise. "Well, I'm here because of my daughter, actually. She wants to-"
The front door burst open. Wind blew in, sending dust, dirt, and leaves flying in, like a mini tornado.
In the middle of the tornado stood Shax.
"Leo, the girls!" Piper snapped, switching right into Charmed mode. She never took her eyes off Shax, but she could see blue orbs out of the corner of her eye and knew he was gone. Fear gripped her chest.
Paige stood shell-shocked, eyes wide and jaw practically dropped to the floor. She backed up a few steps. "What... What..."
Shax sent Paige flying backward with another burst of wind. She cried out, slamming into Piper and Phoebe. All three tumbled to the ground.
"Spell! We need to the spell!" Piper yelled over the noise of the wind.
"Spell?" Paige asked, sounding disgusted, though fear was clearly the dominant emotion she was feeling.
Phoebe grabbed Piper's hand to help her up, then reached back down to help Paige. Confused and scared, Paige ignored Phoebe's hand and scrambled up on her own, but she slipped on a leaf that had blown in with Shax's wind and grabbed Phoebe's hand, unintentionally, to steady herself.
With the three women holding hands, the chandelier above them began to glow a bright blue, and it shook, as if an earthquake had hit the Bay Area, and only the chandelier was affected. The bulbs clinked against their glass holders.
Paige gasped, horrified. She felt frozen in place, watching the chandelier, the glow of the lights. Even the horrible... thing... in the doorway had stopped and was staring at them in confusion.
Finally, the blue lights disappeared, and the chandelier fell still.
"What the hell?" Piper demanded. "What was that?"
"I have no clue..." Phoebe glanced at Paige, trying to make sense of what had happened. She had her suspicions, yet the idea baffled her.
Shax roared, bringing their attention back to him. He puffed up, rearing his hand back, as if preparing to throw more power at them.
"Uh.. Attic! Attic!" Piper jumped to action, ushering her sister and Paige up the stairs.
With no idea what was going on, and no clue what to do about it, Paige let herself be pushed up the stairs. Phoebe grabbed her hand and yanked, forcing her to run. Piper stayed behind long enough to try blowing Shax up. It only made him angry. When he went to throw an energy ball at her, she ducked and took off after her sisters.
Phoebe was already rifling through the book. "Got it! Got it!"
Piper skidded to a halt beside Phoebe, with Paige on her other side.
"The Power of Three..."
Piper and Phoebe exchanged startled glances.
"That was... Grams."
Piper nodded. "Yup... What does that mean, though? We aren't the Power of Three, not anymore." She choked on the words, as if saying them made it more real.
They could hear Shax crashing up the stairs. They had seconds at best.
"Piper..." Phoebe said suddenly, glancing questioningly at Paige.
"What?" Piper followed Phoebe's lead and looked at Paige. "What... No... That's impossible!"
"Would someone PLEASE tell me what's going on!" Paige begged, as the door crashed open and Shax smiled at them, mumbling "The End."
Phoebe took Paige's hand. "Read this spell with us."
"What? Spell?" Paige glanced, wide-eyed, at Piper as she took her other hand. "What are you guys, witches or something?"
"Or something," Piper muttered, while Phoebe said, "Yes, and we think you are, too... We hope."
Paige looked appalled, but Shax was preparing another energy ball. Rather than protest, she followed the Piper and Phoebe's lead, and recited the spell:
"Evil wind that blows,
that which forms below.
No longer may you dwell.
Death takes you with this spell"
Shax moaned in pain and outrage, finally exploding.
Paige gasped, dropping Piper and Phoebe's hands. "What the hell?"
"What the hell is right!" Piper said, echoing Paige's sentiment.
"What have you turned me in to?" Paige asked, horrified. She bolted for the attic door.
"Paige, wait-." Phoebe took a step towards her.
"Leave me alone!" Paige put her hands up, defensively. She spun back around to leave.
"Paige."
Paige paused. The voice didn't belong to Piper. Nor did it belong to Phoebe.
Piper and Phoebe both let out sounds of surprise.
"Paige, please, let me explain."
Chills ran up Paige's spine. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she was about to see.
Patty Halliwell stood in the middle of the attic. She took in her long-lost daughter with tears in her eyes.
"Mom?" Piper asked cautiously, not really believing what she was seeing.
Patty turned to Piper and Phoebe, smiling softly. "Hello, Piper. Phoebe."
"B-but.. We didn't summon you," Phoebe pointed out, trying to get over the shock of seeing their mother.
"I know. The Elders let me come," Patty explained, looking slightly worried. "I need to explain... You need to know the truth."
Piper narrowed her eyes, suspicion and fear gripping her. "The truth about what, mom?"
Patty glanced from one daughter to the other. "The truth about Paige. Your half-sister."