To Be Charmed
Chapter Two
'The Five Ps'
Disclaimer: Charmed doesn't belong to me.
Giddy would be the word to describe Paige, Phoebe thought, as she watched her baby sister eat breakfast. Unlike Paige, Phoebe did not dress up. She kept it casual with loose button up top and dark jeans. Having sisters over is not a big deal. At least, not to Phoebe. Grams, on the other hand, was extremely pleased that she would see her oldest two granddaughters and it showed.
"Phoebe, dear, do you any other jeans or bottoms that are not ripped?" Phoebe looked down at her jeans. They weren't anything special, just a little rip here and there.
"Grams, these are okay. I'm pretty sure Prue and Piper wouldn't care that my jeans have three rips in them," Phoebe replied.
"If you're sure," Grams huffed.
Paige looked between the two. She could never talk back to her parents like that. She would just roll her eyes. Grams and Phoebe looked like they were used to it.
"Girls, Prue and Piper are going to be here around two. I have to pick up a few groceries. Do you two want to tag along?" Grams asked, getting up from the table and collecting dirty dishes.
"No, thanks," Phoebe said.
"Nah," Paige replied.
Paige went upstairs to tidy her room a bit as Phoebe and Grams were cleaning up. When she came down the stairs, she heard a crash.
"Phoebe! Leave her alone!"
Not sure if she should run and help, she slowly crept down the stairs and looked around the corner. Grams was by the sink, pointing a finger at a man with leather clothing on. Phoebe was on the floor, apparently unconscious. The man suddenly flew backwards into the kitchen table. Paige couldn't hold her gasp. As soon as it came out, the man looked at her, unhurt from the collision. He held his hand over his head and sphere of something materialized. He lobbed it Paige.
"No!" Grams cried.
Paige squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the load of hurt the ball thing was going to cause. A second later, she heard an explosion. She opened her eyes to a scorch mark on the floor where the man had stood.
"Wha- what just happened?" she asked no one in particular. Grams didn't answer, but if she did, Paige wouldn't have heard her anyways, for her eyes rolled and she fell to the floor in a faint.
Grams went over to check on Phoebe, and later, Paige. Her heart was beating too fast for her. 'Darn demon. Had to come in and attack!' she thought.
"Sam!" she called.
She would've called her own Whitelighter, if she had one. Sam orbed in, his face a collage of expressions.
"What happened?" he asked.
"A demon. Heal Phoebe. Paige is fine, she just fainted in shock, that's all," Grams said.
"Paige?!" Sam exclaimed as he held his hands over Phoebe.
"Yes, Paige. Where have you been for the past two weeks?" Grams retaliated.
"Away," Sam said, simply.
Phoebe was completely healed, but remained unconscious.
"Dust her!" Grams urged. Sam sighed.
"I ran out. My charges…" Grams rolled her eyes. Sam's charges were most likely very young. Grams thought for a moment before speaking.
"Make Phoebe and Paige forget what has been done, before the rising of the sun, by the powers of spirit, fire, water, and air, your memories you shall never bare." Sam looked scandalized.
"You cast a spell on my daughter?!"
"Oh, quiet, Sam. It's just a little one. I've cast many spells on Prue, Piper, and Phoebe over the years, and Patty as well," Grams sniped.
After Phoebe and Paige had awoken, Grams left for the store, leaving instructions to not burn the house down. Sam had left after carrying his daughter to the couch. He took his time holding her hand and combing her silky hair with his fingers.
"We can't keep doing this, Penny. Sooner or later, they're going to find out," he said.
"That's why I have a plan," Grams said smartly, "Once Prue and Piper are here, I'll unbind their powers." Sam looked puzzled.
"How would that help? I don't want Paige to have anything to do with magic!"
"It's who she is, Sam. Besides, she won't have a power. The Charmed Ones have only room for three witches. I imagine Paige wasn't born with a witch power, only Whitelighter powers."
"What if you're wrong? What if she does have a power? I mean, sure, Patty had four daughters, but three are the Charmed Ones. That doesn't mean any extras wouldn't get powers," Sam explained. He went on. "I want you to strip her of her Whitelighter powers. That way, the Elders won't know anything about her until the time comes." Penny stared at him.
"Strip them? Completely?" Sam nodded.
Phoebe and Paige had lounged around the house as Grams shopped. When she returned, it was almost time for Prue and Piper to arrive. The three rushed to make lunch. As soon as the stove was turned off, the door bell rang.
"Come in," Phoebe hollered.
The two elder Halliwell sisters walked in.
"Whoa," Paige said under her breath. One of them looked exactly like her! From the pale skin to the raven hair.
"Grams! How are you?" the girl asked. She walked past Phoebe and hugged Grams as the other girl gave Phoebe a one armed hug.
"Still alive, I guess," Grams joked.
"Grams," the girl scolded lightly. The two let go and Grams hugged the other visitor.
"Prue, Piper, I have someone you might want to meet. I know you two remember that day when we went to go see your mother at the hospital a year before she died, yes?" Piper's eyes widened.
"So it was true!" she exclaimed. Grams smiled and pulled Paige by the hand.
"Girls, this is Paige, your baby sister."
The meeting did not go according to Gram's plans. She had hoped Prue and Piper would be as welcoming as Phoebe, but Prue barely spoke to Paige, and when she did, it was in a condescending tone. Piper, on the other hand, was friendly, but not sisterly. Grams knew it would take some time for the four to become more sisterly, but how much time?
Paige did not like Prue at all. She was exactly as she thought she would be! Piper was alright, but not by much. From what Paige could understand, Prue was still upset at her father for leaving, and then her grandmother drops a bombshell on her that her parents divorced because of an affair her mother was having and now, she meets the result of that affair. Paige had nothing to say.
The lunch was boring, to say the least. Nobody knew what to say, so the topics lingered around Grams' health, Phoebe's schooling, and everyday happenings. Paige sat beside Phoebe, farthest away from Prue. Grams kept trying to get the four to talk to each other to no avail. At last, Prue and Piper had to leave.
"So soon?" Grams asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, I have to go to a work conference tomorrow in San Diego," Prue said.
Hugs went around, except for Paige, she got a "Nice meeting you" from Piper and a glare from Prue. Once the two were out the door, Phoebe looked around.
"Way to go, Grams. I'm sure Paige feels even more welcomed in the family." Grams turned from the door.
"Phoebe, don't be rude."
The attic was Grams' favorite place, beside her room. She felt connected to her family in the attic.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, Patty," she complained to her only daughter, "If I die soon and they still don't get along!" Patty stepped outside of the circle of lit candles.
"They have to get along sooner or later, Mother. I'm sure they will once they get their powers back," she reasoned. Grams looked defeated.
"Sure, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe will bond, what with the Power of Three, but what about Paige? She is not Charmed like they are!" Patty looked up in thought.
"It is true that the Power of Three relies on their bond as witches and sisters, but that will not exclude Paige. She will be powerful in her own right." Grams huffed.
"I hope you're right, Patty," she said.
Grams filled a vial with potion and set it on the table. Four other vials were set on the opposite side of the table. Her first three granddaughters had their powers bound by potion, while Paige had hers bound by spell. Unfortunately, the spell only bound her Wiccan powers, not her Whitelighter abilities. With the deep violet potion, the Elders would never know about Paige having Whiteligher blood, ever.
"I trust you," Patty said to her mother, gripping her arms tight.
"Goodbye, Patty," Grams said as her daughter began to disappear in swirls of light.
~TBC Chapter Two~
After her late night talk with her daughter, Grams set her alarm for six thirty. She had to get up before Paige and Phoebe to put the potions in their drinks. She also wanted to meet up with Prue and Piper for lunch again. Grams was excited to see their powers again. She knew Prue would have telekinesis, Piper would have molecular immobilization, and Phoebe would see the future. She was also excited to find out if Paige had a Wiccan power. Magic worked in mysterious ways, so she wouldn't be surprised if Paige had a mutant Whitelighter/witch power. Grams went to bed deep in thought. She hoped demons wouldn't come right after the girls' powers were restored. She also hoped the girls would not panic, which Piper was famous for.
Phoebe walked downstairs, following the delicious aroma to the kitchen. Paige and Grams were already chewing down on a bacon and cheese omelet. Phoebe took her seat and eyed her orange juice.
"Does this have pulp in it?" she asked.
"Yes, it does," Grams answered. Phoebe took a sip.
"Tastes funny," she noted. Despite of this, she drank deeply.
"Girls, I've got some errands to run today, so don't wreck the house." Phoebe nodded and watched Paige wrinkle her nose as she drank from her cup of tea.
"Your tea tastes funny, too?" she asked, curious.
"Yeah, maybe it's just our taste buds," Paige commented.
"See you soon. Bye, girls." Grams left in a hurry.
"So, what do you wanna do today?" Phoebe asked Paige. Paige shrugged. Phoebe smiled as she formulated their plan for the day.
Prue Halliwell stretched her arms high above her head. Normally, she would be up by now, but she allowed herself twenty more minutes in bed. As she was getting ready for the day, she heard two voices coming from the kitchen. Why what was Grams doing here? Maybe to make up for yesterday? Prue finished dressing and headed straight for the kitchen.
"Morning," she said, "Is this leaded?" She eyed the coffee pot.
"Maybe," Piper replied with a half smile.
"Prue, dear, sit down. I want to talk to you both about yesterday," Grams said. Prue groaned. 'Why?' she silently asked. She took a chair next to her younger sister.
"I want to talk about Paige," Grams started, "Paige was born on August 22, 1977, six months before your mother passed away. Ten months before Paige was born, your parents divorced. Paige is not the reason of that divorce. I just want to make that clear." Grams took a breath and glanced from Prue to Piper. "Now, Paige was given up for adoption, because your mother was scared. She was scared something was going to happen to Paige. Immediately after Paige was born, Patty and Sam took her to a church."
"Sam? Who is Sam?" Prue asked. Grams blinked.
"Sam is Paige's father."
"Why couldn't he take her?" Piper asked.
"Because he couldn't. Anyways, Paige grew up with the Matthews couple, Karen and Mark. They told her she was adopted. Mark and Karen were killed in a car accident."
Grams let those words sink in. Piper had her hands to her chest and her mouth was open. Prue was grasping her hands on the table.
"We're sorry, Grams," Piper apologized.
"How is she taking it?" Prue asked. Grams shook her head.
"I don't think she is dealing with it. I think she is putting it out of her mind and pretending."
Prue was now regretting her cold front from the previous day. She had been angry; angry at her mother and father. With her father gone, she needed someone else to blame: Paige. Grams could tell Prue was the most sorry. She could see it in her eyes.
"Oh, look at the time! I've got errands to run!" Grams got up from her seat. Prue and Piper walked her to the door. Grams hugged each sister and said 'Goodbye'. With Grams gone, Piper went back to finish her coffee and Prue went back upstairs to go over what the work conference would be about. They never noticed the two empty glass vials sitting innocently on the counter.
Paige was having a blast! Phoebe had taken her to a favorite hide out from when she skipped classes. At first, Paige was weary. She didn't want to get back into old habits, but she wanted her sister to like her! As soon as Phoebe offered her a cigarette, she was gone. Phoebe was surprised.
"You smoke?"
"I did, but I decided to quit after…you know," Paige said. She breathed in the familiar scent. "So, what else do you do?"
"Just hang out, maybe do some pranks with my gang."
"You have a gang?" Phoebe smiled cheekily.
"Yeah, but they all have jobs, now, so it gets boring. But now that I've got you, it won't be!" Paige laughed. They spent the hour telling stories of the fun they've had with their friends.
At a quarter to three, they started walking home. The crowded streets were difficult to navigate without bumping into someone, but they managed, until a man carrying five small boxes knocked into Phoebe. She gasped before being pulled into a premonition.
A beige truck crashing into gas station. The man lying dead on the ground.
Paige grabbed her sister's shoulder before she could fall. "Phoebe? Are you alright? What happened?" Phoebe looked at the man who was walking away muttering about kids.
"I'm not sure," she replied.
"Let's hurry," Paige said. She grabbed Phoebe's hand and shoved their way through the crowd. Once they reached 1321 Prescott, they stopped.
"Grams isn't home," Phoebe said.
"Well, you have a key, right?" Paige asked, a little scared.
"Of course I have a key, Paige!" Phoebe replied hotly. She reached into her jeans pockets.
"Well?" Paige queried.
"I think I might have dropped it," Phoebe said apologetically. Paige groaned.
"That's fantastic! How are we supposed to get in without a key, Phoebe?" she huffed. Phoebe shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, okay? Grams will make us a new one, I'm sure."
"One key? We need two keys! One for you and one for me!" Paige said. She pointed at the door to emphasize, and as if by magic, a clicking noise was heard and the door opened. Phoebe and Paige stared at each other. "You first," Paige said to Phoebe, giving her a shove.
"You first," Piper said to Prue, as she stood in line.
The mall wasn't exactly crowded, but Piper couldn't stand being around strangers. Prue narrowed her eyes at her little sister.
"Oooh," she griped. Just then, a dress fell off the rack it was hanging on. Piper turned around.
"Uh, sir? The dress?" The cashier looked up, uninterested.
"Happens all the time," he said. He gathered Prue's items and shoved them in bag. "Your total is $52. 29. Cash or charge?"
"Um, cash," Prue said, forking over a fifty and a five.
"Do you have 29 pennies?" Prue glared at the cashier, she just wanted her change back.
"No, sorry," she said forcefully.
The cash register opened and Prue almost cried out at the lack of organization. The man put the bills in the wrong spots! Prue eyed where the bills should be. She blinked after seeing the bills in their correct spots after.
"Whoa. I need to sit down," she mumbled under her breath.
"Here you go, ma'am. Receipt is in the bag." Prue snatched the bag and hurried off to a nearby chair. "Prue?" Piper asked, concerned.
"I'm a little dizzy, so I'm gonna go sit down," Prue said, looking back for a quick second. Piper quickly paid for her purchases and joined her sister.
"What happened?" she asked. Prue shook her head.
"Noting, it's just…I felt dizzy is all."
"You wanna go home?" Piper asked.
"Do we have anything else to do?"
"Not that I can think of," Piper replied. The two grabbed their purchases and fought their way to the parking lot. Once there, they tried to locate where they had parked.
"I'm pretty sure we parked close," Piper said. Prue followed her lead down the first row of cars.
"Ah! There it is!" Piper walked up to their car and opened the back door. She held out her hand for Prue's bags and tossed them into the seat.
"Hey!" Prue yelled. "Expensive stuff! Let's not throw the bag, alright?" Piper laughed. She turned to look at Prue and just as she was about to say something, Prue's eyes widened.
"Piper, the glass!" Piper turned back to the car just in time to see the large glass bowl she had bought slip out of the bag and head for the floorboard. She raised her hands in panic, trying to reach the bowl, when it stopped. Piper pulled her arms back out of the car.
"What- what happened?" Prue asked.
"I don't know! I tried catching it, but then it just froze!" Piper exclaimed.
"Well, pick it up, before it decides to fall again!" Piper grabbed the bowl with both hands and rewrapped it tightly before gently placing it on the floorboard.
"Let's go home," she said, panicking.