To Be Charmed
Chapter Nine
The Power of Four
Disclaimer: Charmed isn't mine.
Summary: Grams is in the hospital. While waiting for an update on her, the sisters come across a girl whose parents have been murdered by demons.
"We don't know. She just touched her heart and collapsed," Paige explained to the paramedic as she took Grams' vital signs.
Phoebe had a grip on her arm and wouldn't let go. The two men were standing awkwardly against the wall. It had been three minutes since Piper had left. The medics dumped Grams onto a stretcher and led Phoebe and Paige to the awaiting ambulance. One of the men stopped the sisters.
"Leo and I will stay here and wait for Prue and Piper. Call the Manor when you get to the hospital."
Paige and Phoebe looked at one another. Should they allow two men, who they barely know, stay at their house? They didn't have to answer, however, because, at that moment, Piper walked in with Prue in tow. The oldest Halliwell sibling reached for Penny on the stretcher.
"Grams! Oh, my God, what happened?" Piper touched Prue's shoulder to console her.
"We think she had a heart attack," Piper said.
"Yeah. We were just talking and she started gasping for air," Phoebe chimed in.
"And then she fainted," Paige finished.
Prue narrowed her eyes. She noticed that both Phoebe and Paige avoided eye contact whilst telling their story. She was no psychologist, but she believed the two were lying! For Grams to have a heart attack, she would have to be extremely worried or upset. Phoebe wasn't exactly in the best mood that morning, either….
"If she did have a heart attack, what do you think caused it?" Paige and Phoebe looked questioningly at Prue.
"Caused it?" Paige reiterated.
"Yeah, something must have happened," Prue pushed.
Phoebe blinked and looked to her shoes, as if they could spare her from telling the truth and receiving a tongue lashing from her oldest sister.
"We- Paige and I had a small tiff. I jumped her. Grams started telling us off when it happened," Phoebe confessed.
Prue looked downright pissed. She glared daggers at Phoebe.
"Phoebe, you know Grams has a heart condition! Why did you- did you think she wouldn't get upset?"
"Prue, calm down! You're making pictures fall off the walls!" Piper cried as Paige raised her hands to shield herself.
"Pictures!" Using her power, Paige gently placed each picture on the floor in stacks. Prue glared at her before turning away.
"Let's not talk about this now. I'm going to see Grams. Anyone else want to join?"
The three younger Halliwell sisters hurried after Prue, leaving Adam and Leo behind.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"Leave me alone!"
A blonde child, no older than ten, cried as she backed away from the frightening man, who had done something to her parents. He laughed, his tone cruel and malicious. The girl took her chance and ran out the front door and into her neighborhood. Not looking back, she kept running, until she came across the main road. The girl didn't see the gray Buick car until the tires squealed in protest. She was hit!
~TBC Chapter Nine~
The hospital was not as busy as Paige thought. Well, not until Grams showed up. Doctors and nurses swarmed around her grandmother, hooking her up to various machines as the sisters watched.
"Is she going to be okay?" Phoebe asked a passing doctor.
The doctor shrugged and said, "Right now, we need to get her stabilized. Why don't you four wait in the lobby, we'll call as soon as we're done."
The sisters glanced at Grams being transferred to a hospital bed before filing into the waiting room. They chose seats closest to the hospital rooms and waited. They were each caught up in their thoughts. Phoebe and Paige were leaning against each other, reflecting on the events leading up to that minute. Prue had her arms crossed and thought about work. Piper was holding her head, her thoughts with Grams. For about five minutes, they were silent. Piper suddenly looked up.
"Please tell me we didn't leave those two men in the house!"
~TBC Chapter Nine~
Minutes after the sisters had left, Adam and Leo decided it was time to leave. They both had other charges to tend to. Before they could orb out, however, Sam orbed in.
"Sam? What are you doing here?"
Samuel looked at the pair with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Where's Paige? I can sense her guilt, but I can't sense where she is! She must be with her sisters!" Sam explained.
"She is. They're at the hospital. Penny had a heart attack," Leo said.
"I'm going."
Sam started to orb out, but Leo and Adam caught his arms.
"No, stay here until they get back," Adam suggested, "Besides, the Book needs protection. The sisters are vulnerable and so is the Book at this time."
Sam resigned himself to guard the Book as his two fellow Whitelighters orbed out.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"How long have we been waiting?" Paige asked for the second time.
"Fifteen minutes," Phoebe answered.
Not one nurse or doctor had come to update them on their grandmother. They had seen patients come and go and wished they would be leaving with Grams. The way it looked now, the chances of Grams coming home that day were slim.
"Alright, if a nurse doesn't come in five minutes, I'm going in," Prue decided.
"What if you get caught, Prue? I'd much rather wait," Piper insisted. Phoebe rolled her eyes.
"So what if Prue gets caught. We need to see how Grams is doing!"
"Ditto," Paige agreed. Piper looked up to the ceiling, wringing her hands in worry.
"Okay, fine! We'll go see her, but first, let me freeze the staff."
Paige, Prue, and Phoebe smiled happily at Piper, pleased to see some sort of rebellion in their usually law-abiding sister. The four made their way to the two heavy doors separating the lobby and hospital rooms. Prue made eye contact with Piper, who whipped her hands out and froze the entire lobby. Prue then pushed the doors open with a slow and steady flick of her wrists. Phoebe entered first, with Prue and Piper in the middle, and Paige bringing up the rear. Without any prompting, Piper used her power once more on the unsuspecting staff and patients.
"Do you remember what room they put her in?" Paige asked.
"Did they even put her in a room?" Piper asked.
"Yeah. This one," Phoebe replied, pointing to the second door on the left of the corridor.
"Door." Paige gently opened the wooden door with her power.
The quartet quickly stepped into the crowded room. Grams was still unconscious, but the machines she was hooked up to let the sisters know she was alive. Three nurses and two doctors were writing down information on forms.
"Okay, we've seen her. She's alive, thank God. Can we go back now?" Piper received glares from her sisters. "What? I don't know how long my freezes last! Look, I'm extremely happy that Grams isn't dying, okay, but at the same time, I don't wanna get caught! We could walk in and everyone would be walking around!"
Prue bit her lip. How could they know when their time was up? If only one of them had the power to be two places at once! She took one last look at Grams before gesturing to the lobby.
"She's right. Come on, we'll see her again after they allow us back in."
The Halliwells returned to chaos. The lobby had unfrozen while they were gone and a middle-aged man carried a young girl in, begging for help. The girl had torn jeans and road rash on her face and hands. The two receptionists on duty came to his aid.
"What happened?"
"I- she- I hit her with my car! She ran out in the road and didn't see me! I slammed on breaks, but she still got hit!"
"Anything else?"
"No, that's it."
One of the receptionists returned to her station behind a desk as the other pulled the girl into a wheelchair. The receptionist behind the desk talked into a walkie-talkie.
"Yes, we have a small child here, around ten years old, and with her is a man who says he ran her over. Bring her in? Right. Yes, she's on her way. Bye."
The other receptionist sat the man down on a chair.
"I need you to stay here, sir," she said.
The man nodded as the child was wheeled away. As the receptionist got closer, the Halliwell siblings rushed into their seats.
"I have this feeling that we need to do something," Paige whispered.
"And I have this feeling that we're in hot water. What if somebody noticed us gone when they unfroze?" Piper snipped. Paige glared at her big sister.
"Paige is right. Something tells me we need to help that girl," Phoebe said.
"You and Paige go. Piper and I will stay here and try damage control if anyone did notice us," Prue replied.
"Piper, do you think you can-?" Piper rolled her eyes and activated her power once again.
"Thanks," Paige said as she and Phoebe slipped into the open doors and past the receptionist.
"Now what?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know."
"This was your idea and you don't know what to do?"
"So sue me!"
"Wait. Piper froze both rooms, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Cause I see the girl breathing."
"What? That's impossible!"
Phoebe led Paige around the wheelchair to see the child. Sure enough, she was still breathing. Paige glanced up to see Prue and Piper walking up to them.
"What's the matter?" Prue asked.
"She didn't freeze. Why didn't she freeze? She's supposed to freeze!" Piper shook her head disbelievingly.
"Maybe she's a witch?" Paige suggested. Prue tilted her head in thought.
"Makes sense," she said.
"It so does not make sense! Little children having powers?"
"Piper, remember what Grams told us? We had our powers when we were born. After Paige was born, she bound them. So, Prue had her powers when she was six, you were four, and I was almost two," Phoebe explained. Piper put her hand up to her forehead.
"This is just too much. Can we go home? I feel a headache coming on!"
"We can't leave now! We need to help this girl!" Paige insisted.
"You can stay, I'm leaving."
"What about Grams, Piper?" Piper stopped in her tracks.
"Okay, but only for Grams."
~TBC Chapter Nine~
For the next half hour, the sisters sat quietly in the lobby. Twenty minutes in, Paige fell asleep, her head leaning over her arm rest and onto Phoebe's shoulder. Twenty-six minutes in, Prue's impatience got the best of her and a magazine rack toppled over. Thirty minutes in, and the sisters were extremely glad to see a nurse exit and head their way.
"Are you here for Penny Halliwell?"
"Yes, she's our grandma," Piper answered.
"Can we see her?" Paige asked, Phoebe having to shake her awake. The nurse shook her head horizontally.
"I'm afraid not. The heart attack took a toll on her. She will need to stay for a few days before returning home."
"She's not awake?" Prue queried.
"No. I'm sorry. We will call when she is awake, though."
"Thank you," Prue replied to the retreating nurse.
"Now what do we do?" Paige inferred.
"Go home, I guess," Prue answered.
"But what about the little girl?" Phoebe prodded.
"We'll come back," Piper said.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
The ride back to the Manor was nerve-racking. The silence was deafening. Not even the radio could cheer the sisters up. Once the car was parked in the driveway, only then did Prue speak.
"I'm going to call the office, take a few days off. Piper?"
"They'll let me take two days off."
"Okay, well, tell them what's happening. I'm sure they'll understand."
The sisters entered the house, their thoughts with Grams and the little girl left at the hospital. Phoebe went upstairs while Prue, Piper, and Paige lingered around the dining room. As Phoebe reached the second floor landing, she had a sudden thought. Paige and I couldn't have been the only cause of Grams' heart attack. What was she doing in the attic, anyway? The girls hadn't been in the attic since Phoebe and Paige had found that large book. Now's the time to find out more!
She went up the second flight of stairs to the attic, finding the door ajar. Weird. Didn't Grams close it? But what about the two men? Are they still here? Going with her instinct, Phoebe entered the attic. A glass vial sat atop a small table and the large tome was in place upon a pedestal.
"Phoebe? Where's Paige?" Phoebe jumped. She did not notice that Paige's father was sitting in the ancient couch.
"What are you doing here? Where are the two guys?"
"Leo and Adam? They left. I stayed here to wait for Paige. I sensed her guilt, but I couldn't sense her location." Sense? What does that mean?
"Paige is downstairs. Who are Leo and Adam?"
"Leo is your Whitelighter and Adam is Paige's."
"Do Prue and Piper get a Whitelighter?"
"You three share Leo."
"Why do we have to share and Paige gets one to herself?"
"Paige is considered a lone witch." Phoebe switched the subject; she didn't like Paige not being included.
"Why are you in the attic in stead of the living room?"
"The Book. Demons will try to steal it," Sam said casually.
He left Phoebe with questions. What was sensing and why would demons try to steal a book? She went behind the pedestal and opened the book to a random page. It was a karma spell. Hmm. Instant karma. Interesting. She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her sisters.
"What are you doing?" Prue interrogated.
"Browsing," Phoebe said, "Did you know that this book has tons of spells and potion recipes? Here's a truth spell and a potion to increase patience."
"Let me see that," Piper said, as she came around to Phoebe's side.
Piper and Phoebe flipped through the large tome, stopping at every other page. Prue inspected a bookcase of smaller books and other paraphernalia as Paige fiddled with the glass vial on the table. The liquid inside was a clear green. I wonder what this does. Grams made it, so it couldn't hurt. With no one to stop her from ingesting a questionable potion, Paige downed it in one swallow.
"PAIGE!" Paige nearly dropped the vial as Prue screamed in her ear.
"What?" she asked, rather clueless.
"Why did you- that could be poison!"
"Or it could be a potion to reduce facial acne!" Phoebe joined in.
"Why would you drink anything that's in a glass vial?" Piper pitched up. Paige rolled her eyes.
"Relax, guys. I feel fine. Yell at me in five minutes when my eyes turn black and I sprout wings on my arms!" Paige joked. Prue and Piper didn't look amused or reassured.
Paige then clutched her head in annoyance. Prue and Piper stepped closer, concerned.
"What is it?"
"Voices. Emotions. I don't know what's going on!" Paige yelled, frustrated. "They just appeared in my head after I drank that potion!"
"See! I told you!" Piper started, but was silenced when blue, sparkling orbs surrounded Paige and disappeared, along with her sister!
"What the hell was that?!" Phoebe questioned.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out. Check that book, see if it has anything on bright blue shiny things," Prue commanded.
"Bright blue shiny things?"
"Just do it, Pheebs!"
~TBC Chapter Nine~
A swirl of blue and white orbs spiraled downwards and disappeared, revealing Paige. She surveyed her surroundings, noting that she was not familiar with the cave-like setting. Flames from the torches affixed to the wall danced. It was not in Paige's nature to panic, but a small scuffle of movement took care of that. She looked around a tower of rock in the center of the cave, but no one was there.
"Hello? Is anyone there? I'm Paige and I have no idea how I got here or where here is. Hello?"
Paige's voice echoed off the cavern walls, making her feel twice as lonely and scared.
"I know someone's here, I heard footsteps. I'm not going to hurt you if you show yourself, I don't even know you."
Her patience and encouragement paid off. A young girl came out of the shadows. Her hair was brown and dirty, matted with tangles. She was wearing what looked to be a dress made out of burlap with a jagged hemline. She needed a good scrub, as her skin was sweaty and covered in dirt. Her eyes, brown, were filled with a horror Paige couldn't describe.
"They're coming." Paige tilted her head quizzically.
"Who's they?"
"I don't know. They know everything. I don't like them, they scare me."
"Do they hurt you?"
"No, they just scare me."
Paige was scared as well. She was in a cave of some sorts, with a child, and 'they're' coming. The most she could do was throw whoever 'they' are against the wall!
"Okay, you know what? You don't have to worry about them anymore, okay? You're coming with me and we are going to go far away. What's your name?"
"Christy. How are we going to get out? The door is locked and..."
"Don't you worry. We getting out the same way I got in, I hope." How did I get in, though? All I remember is Christy's voice in my head, and then I wound up here. Maybe if I here Prue, Piper, or Phoebe's voice? "How do you know they're coming?"
"I can hear them in my head. They talk to me," Christy said. She reached around her neck and pulled out a necklace with some kind of symbol attached. "They gave me this. I don't know what it means."
Paige examined the necklace. The symbol looked to be Wiccan. It was some sort of upside down pentagram, with the top curved like a heart. Christy put the necklace back.
"Why do you think they gave this to you?"
"I don't know."
Noticing Christy's frightened face and stance, Paige offered what she hoped looked like an encouraging smile.
"Don't worry," she reiterated, attempting to reassure herself as well.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"Don't worry. We're gonna find her," Phoebe said to Prue.
Prue was still flipping through pages of the Book of Shadows, frustrated when nothing about 'blue swirls of light' came up.
"How, exactly, are we going to do that, Phoebe? There is absolutely noting about how she disappeared in this book!" Prue angrily slammed it close and knocked the couch Piper was sitting on backwards.
"Prue, calm down! You move things when you're upset," Piper said.
"Well, I'm sorry. Our sister is missing and we don't know where the hell she is and..." She stopped. Her eyes closed and her head fell limp towards her chest.
Prue reappeared, with a red flare, in a cave. In the center of the cave stood Paige with a young girl. As soon as Prue appeared, Paige disappeared in the same blue swirls. She reappeared in the same spot.
"Prue! How'd you get here?"
"I don't know! I-"
"You were thinking about your sister and astral projected here," Christy interjected. The two Halliwells looked at her in surprise.
"How did you...?" Paige asked.
"I can hear thoughts."
"How old are you, Christy?" Paige asked.
"Almost eleven." Paige turned to Prue.
"Looks like we have a pubescent telepath on our hands."
"Forget that for one second. Christy, how did you know what I did?" Prue interrogated.
"They tell me about stuff like that, in my head."
Prue suddenly flared out, leaving Paige confused and Christy more scared than ever.
"Where'd she go?"
"It's okay, sweetheart. Stay calm. Here, take my hand. We're getting out of here, I hope." Christy reluctantly took Paige's hand and Paige noticed that the girl's hand felt clammy in hers.
Paige closed her eyes and concentrated. She squeezed Christy's hand in comfort as she pictured Halliwell Manor, with its red siding and wooden floors. Her sisters surrounding a pedestal...
~TBC Chapter Nine~
The feeling of being absolutely weightless was not the best feeling, according to Paige, as she appeared in a whirl of blue orbs in the attic of Halliwell Manor. As soon as she landed, she let go of Christy's hand and sprawled across the floor.
"Oh, my God. Paige!" Prue stepped around Piper and Phoebe to help her baby sister to her feet. "How did you do that? What was that?"
"I don't know. I think I gained another power. Same with you. Astral projection?" Phoebe took this as her cue to read from the Book.
"Yeah. It allows the user to eject their consciousness elsewhere. In other words, Prue can be in two places at once, but only conscious in one spot." Paige, forgetting Christy, gently shoved her way in between Phoebe and Piper.
"Anything about what I did?"
"Nada."
"Who is she?" Piper asked, pointing to Christy, who was slowly backing up. Prue took her hand and pulled her forward.
"This is Christy. Paige found her some cave when she teleported."
"Yeah, and get this: Christy is a telepath." Phoebe's eyes lit up.
"A telepath? She's a witch, too? Get out!"
"Phoebe, don't scare her!" Piper scolded.
Prue led Christy, who was still shaking, to the couch and sat her down. Her sisters joined her. Sitting next to the dirty child, Prue felt uncomfortable, as did Piper. Prue knew Piper just wanted to take the poor girl and hose her down. Piper disliked messes and anything dirty.
"Christy? These are my sisters Piper and Phoebe, and I'm Prue. Paige is the one who got you out of the cave. I want you to know that we are not gonna hurt you, okay?" Christy nodded. "Good. Now, can you tell us how long you've been in that cave?"
"Almost four years, I think," Christy replied.
"Four years? Geez, that's a long time," Piper said.
"Um, okay. Do you know your last name?" Prue bent forward and clasped both hands below her chin.
"It's Jenkins. My mom's name is Helen and my dad's name is Carl. My little sister's name is Billie."
Prue looked to Phoebe and Paige.
"All right. You two, look in the phone book for Helen and Carl Jenkins. Piper and I will stay here with Christy."
~TBC Chapter Nine~
Forty five minutes later, Phoebe was dialing the Jenkins' phone number while Paige was building a sandwich for their young guest. As Paige tucked her shoulder length black hair behind her ears, Phoebe set the phone back in it's cradle, looking dejected.
"What's wrong? They didn't pick up?"
"No, answer machine went off."
"Should we call the police?"
"And tell them what? That you and Prue used your powers and teleported to a cave and saved a girl from that cave? Do you want to be cut open?"
"No, but we have to find Christy's parents. Maybe Sam help."
"Your dad? Do you know his number?"
"No need. When he took me out, he told me that if he needed me, I just have to call out his name."
"Go for it," Phoebe encouraged.
"Sam!"
In the same swirls Paige had, Sam appeared. He appeared more ragged than before; his mustache was overgrown and his flannel button-down was covered in saw dust.
"Paige? What is it? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. We just need your help."
"My help?"
"Yeah. Listen Paige and Prue found a girl in a cave and brought her here. We need to find her parents. We tried calling, but all we got was the answer machine," Phoebe explained. "Her name is Christy Jenkins. Does that ring any bells?"
"Jenkins? No, but wait. How did you and Prue find her? What cave?"
Sam looked from Paige to Phoebe, his hands limp on either side of his body. Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, stuck on what to tell Sam. Paige decided to take a stab at it.
"Well, Prue developed astral projection, so she found me in he cave with Christy. I teleported. These blue swirls surrounded me and then I'm standing in the cave. I did the same thing to get back to the Manor."
"You orbed. But how? I thought Penny bound your Whitelighter powers."
"Orbed? Is that what it's called? Orbing?" Paige asked.
"Wait. Why would Grams bind Paige's Whitelighter powers? She unbound our witch powers, why not allow Paige her Whitelighter powers?"
"Never mind that. Can you help us find Christy's parents?" Sam shrugged.
"I'll try, but I'm on probation. Summon Adam and Leo."
"How?" Phoebe asked. You can summon people? Oooh! First person on the list: Mom!
Sam looked puzzled. "Hasn't your grandmother been teaching you?"
"We haven't' learned much, but we're quick studies," Phoebe said.
"Well then, I suppose it's time for you to learn, isn't it?"
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"What are they doing down there?" Prue asked, pacing with her arms folded.
Piper shrugged, or tried to. Christy was leaning against her shoulder in slumber. "They're probably having a hard time finding Christy's parents," she guessed.
Prue stopped pacing and headed to the pedestal which held the Book of Shadows. She started flipping pages, muttering to herself.
"What are you doing?" Piper asked.
"Find a spell, any spell, to help us," Prue answered.
"A spell? Prue, what if it doesn't work?"
"And what if it does? Piper, we need to help Christy, and Grams isn't here to help, so..."
"Grams may not be here, but Sam, Adam, and Leo are."
Prue looked up and Piper turned her head to see Paige and Phoebe enter the attic with the aforementioned men following. Having met Adam and Leo briefly, Piper and Prue gave the two men a once-over and small smiles. Paige and Phoebe also brought a sandwich and glass of water for Christy; Paige set the plate and cup on the coffee table nearest the coach. Phoebe beckoned her older sisters around the ancient tome and took a breath, as if she were in trouble and had some major explaining to do.
"Bad news: we didn't find the Jenkinses. Good news: Sam, Leo, and Adam are going to help us," she said with a smile.
"But," Paige warned, "Sam has to leave soon."
"Okay, that's good. Um, did you tell them what's going on?" Prue asked. Paige nodded.
"Yes, They know all about what happened. In fact, Sam told me the name of my new power: orbing."
"Orbing? Makes sense, I guess," Piper said, "You were surrounded in blue orbs."
While the sisters were conversing, Leo knelt in front of the slumbering girl. He held a hand over the various cuts and bruises on her body. A soft and golden glow erupted from the palm of his hand, healing every injury. Piper looked on in awe. Leo stood up and noticed the second Halliwell sister.
"It's called healing. All Whitelighters have this power," he explained. Adam plucked Christy up.
"We should probably bathe her," he said.
Paige gave a noise of protest. She knew that if she was Christy's age, she would not want some guy giving her a bath, no matter how cute he looked!
"Right," Leo replied. "Why don't you and Paige take her?"
Piper's thoughts flew out of the window. Her? Bathe a child? Oh, no. She was no good with kids! Paige, on the other hand, jumped at this opportunity to help the poor girl. She pulled Piper up from the couch and directed Adam to the hall bath where he left their charge in their hands. Back in the attic, Adam turned his attention to the next task: where were Christy's parents?
~TBC Chapter Nine~
Penny was bored. Here she was, stuck to a bed and having every whim met, but she wanted more. The worse part? She felt totally fine! Now, she had to wait at least twenty four hours before being released! At least her favorite programs were playing. The plot of the day's episode was way overused, but Penny enjoyed it nonetheless. The credits popped up just as a loud CRASH resonated in the next room. Nurses and doctors scrambled to the source, but stopped immediately in their tracks, as if frozen in time. Penny frowned. Piper couldn't be here, she's home with her sisters. Then she heard the screaming.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
Prue was in the middle of scouring, once again, through the giant book of spells and evils of the world, when she felt a pull. She couldn't explain this pull, and before she knew it, she was in the hospital corridor. A young girl was screaming, but there was no chaos, as everyone was frozen in time. Prue twirled around in search of the source of the shrieking. She jogged forward, stopping only when she recognized the room that held her grandmother. Grams was sitting up in the bed, determined to step foot out of the room. The machines she was bound to were gently floating in the air.
"Grams? Get back in bed! You need rest!" Prue walked into the room and gently pushed her grandmother back down.
"I'm fine, Prue. Let me go." Penny rested her head against her soft pillow and set the machines on the floor.
"Who's screaming?"
"I don't know, that's why I was trying to get out."
"Well, you stay here while I go look, okay? Be back in a jiff!"
Without waiting for a reply, Prue stepped out into the hall and continued down past the frozen nurses and doctors. The screaming got louder as she approached the last room at the end of the corridor. She entered it.
"Help me!"
Prue stared at the small blonde girl cowering in the corner. Her face was red and had a mix of fresh and dried tears.
"Help you? What's going on, sweetie?" Prue stepped closer to the girl and knelt down to her level.
"They-they did something to my mom and dad! I woke up here and they appeared! I don't know how! I want my mom and dad!"
"Okay, honey, there isn't anyone here-"
"Step aside, witch, the girl is ours."
Prue stood up and turned. At the door stood three men in black robes. Emblazoned on the robes were upside down pentagrams. Prue stretched her arms out, as if to shield the girl.
"Don't make me repeat myself. Step aside."
"Who are you?" Prue asked.
"The last demons you will see if you don't give us the girl."
"I think you got that wrong. I'm the last witch you'll see if you don't leave."
Prue flung her right arm out, intending to send the three strange men flying. Nothing happened. She tried again with her left. Again, nothing happened. Uh-oh. What is going is going on with my power? She reached behind for the girl's hand and held it loosely in hers.
"Silly witch. Too inexperienced to know that telekinesis is useless in astral form," the man on the left of the middle man stated. The trio stepped forward. Prue looked around for any escape, but there was none to be found.
"Leave us alone!"
Prue was flung to the side as the girl withdrew her hand and made a pushing motion with both of her hands.. The demons were tossed backwards, through the now broken door and into the hall. Taking a chance, Prue got to her feet, snatched the girl up, and ran past the trio. She ran into her Grams' room and deposited the child on the bed, weary of Grams' legs. Before answering her bewildered grandmother, she closed the door, locked it, and struggled to push a small dresser against it. She was startled when other objects joined in. Twirling around, she saw Grams using her power.
"Thanks," Prue said, out of breath.
"What is it, dear?"
"Three demons. They want her," Prue replied, pointing to the blonde.
"We must stop them," Grams said.
"How? I can't use my power!"
"Prudence, calm down. First of all, you are using your power. You must have just gotten it. Astral projection allows you to be in two places at once, but you cannot use telekinesis while in astral form."
"Then how do I get back?"
"You must wake up."
"Wake up? Oh, okay. Wake up."
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"Prue! Wake up! You're heavy! Leo, help me take her to the couch!" Phoebe, with the help of Leo, carried her unconscious sister to the couch previously inhabited by Piper and Christy. As soon as Prue's head hit the cushion, her eyes fluttered.
"Phoebe! What are you doing?"
"Oh my God, Prue! You passed out!"
Prue brought her hands up to massage her temples, overwrought with sudden exhaustion. She sat in that position for five seconds before speaking.
"It's my new power, astral projection."
"We just got our powers not too long ago and you developed a second one! Although, it is pretty useless if you just pass out!"
"Phoebe, it's not my fault. Anyways, we have to help the girl, the one at the hospital. Three demons are after her. I left her with Grams."
Phoebe's eyes widened. She looked to Leo.
"Can you take us?"
"To the hospital? Sure, here, take my hand."
"I can't go, You have to, I don't feel so well."
Phoebe rolled her eyes and took Leo's offered hand, orbing out. Prue closed her eyes once again and drifted away as Adam looked on. Not a second later, Leo and Phoebe orbed back in with the blonde child clinging onto Leo. Phoebe pushed Prue to the side of the couch and placed the girl beside her.
"Who are you people? Where are Mom and Dad?" Phoebe took the left over seat and pushed the girl's hair back.
"Honey, your parents are gone. Those three men-. Never mind. I'm Phoebe, this is my older sister Prue, and these guys are Adam, Leo, and Sam. Can you tell us your name?"
"Billie. Billie Jenkins." Once again, Phoebe's eyes widened and Prue shot up from her slumped-over position.
"Jenkins? Would your parents' names happen to be Helen and Mark?"
"Yes, how'd you know?" Prue smiled.
"Just a guess."
~TBC Chapter Nine~
The three demons were no longer in the hospital. They were in a dark cave with just a fire in the middle of the circle they created. Images of Billie and Christy were in the dancing flames. Each member wore a snake around their necks. Their eyes were black as pitch and their voices were deep, slow, and commanding.
"She's gone and so is her sister, presumably in the hands of those witches! We need to get Christy back or our plans will go to waste!"
"Calm yourself, Candor. We've had the girl for four years. Surely a short time with those witches will not undo what we have taught her!"
"But she will meet her sister! We cannot allow this!"
"Asmodeus is right. Keep calm, Candor. Perhaps she can convince her sister to join us?"
"Perhaps. For now, let us see just how powerful Christy and her sister are!"
~TBC Chapter Nine~
"Alrighty. Let's see what we have here!" Piper upended the box, letting clothing articles tumble down on the bed. Christy was standing behind her, wrapped in a towel and Paige was plaiting her hair. "We have three dresses, two skirts, two pairs of skorts, five pairs of shorts, and three pairs of jeans. I'm going to let you pick, okay?"
"Okay," Christy said softly.
The bath went smoothly. Paige and Piper drew the bath and filled it with bubbles. Christy was left along for a good ten minutes before the sisters went in to scrub her down and wash her hair. Underneath all the grime and dirt, Christy was tan and her hair was thin and wavy. Christy was then treated to a facial cleanser, manicure, and pedicure. Her teeth were left alone, as she hadn't eaten yet.
"Can I wear the white skirt with the blue top?" Christy asked, fiddling with the peasant skirt. Paige smiled as she secured Christy's braid with a hair tie.
"Of course." Piper handed her the two items and guided her to the bathroom, where she could dress with privacy.
"Um, I need underwear," Christy said point-blank. Piper blinked.
"Right. Sorry. Umm..."
"Here you go." Paige reached through the pile of clothes and picked out a relatively clean pair. Christy slowly plucked it from her grasp and closed the door behind her.
"We'll be right upstairs, in the attic, when you're done, okay sweetie?"
"Okay."
Piper and Paige made their way to the attic, smiling at what they had just experienced. Walking in, though, their smiles turned to frowns and their faces turned to expressions of concern. The blonde girl they had seen earlier that day was sitting on the couch. Phoebe jumped up.
"Oh, good. You two are done. Where's Christy?"
"Uh, getting dressed. Phoebe, what's she doing here?"
"And how did she get here?" Phoebe laughed.
"Long story short: this is Billie, Christy's sister. Prue found her being attacked by demons at the hospital after she astral projected there. Leo and I orbed her back here." The expressions on Paige and Piper's faces were absolutely priceless to Phoebe.
"Astral projected? Since when did you learn how to use it?"
"I still don't know how to use it, alright? I guess I'll have to practice it. Right now, we need to find out what demons attacked Billie and why," Prue said, taking control once again. "Leo, Adam, is there any way you can help?" Adam nodded.
"Sam, Leo, and I can see what our bosses know. To call us, just shout our names." The three Whitelighters then orbed out, leaving the six young witches.
"Alright, Prue, explain," Piper crossed her arms.
"Billie and Christy are sisters. Sister witches. Billie says that those demons who chased her killed her parents," Prue said. Billie spoke up.
"How do you know Christy? She's been gone since I was five."
"Billie?"
It was Christy. She was in the doorway, dressed in the white peasant skirt and medium blue spaghetti strap top. She looked confused, yet happy. Billie stood up.
"Christy?"
"Phoebe, Paige, Piper, Prue. Now that we know each other, what do we do?" Phoebe joked. Prue jabbed her in the side.
"Phoebe." Prue scolded.
The two Jenkins sisters ran towards each other, arms out, ready to embrace each other. The two collided and laughed as they hugged and cried. The other set of sisters in the room stood beside one another, arms around shoulders and waists.
"We did this," Paige said excitedly.
The joy, however, did not last long, as multiple demons shimmered in, already equipped with energy balls!
"Demons!" Prue yelled.
Piper lifted her wrists and froze all seven of them. As soon as they became frozen, they unfroze!
"They won't stay frozen!"
At this statement, one demon lobbed the magical weapon at the Warren witches. Prue held out her hand and deflected the energy ball back to its maker, vanquishing him instantly.
"Separate the witches!" The second demon bellowed. Two of the demons turned to face Billie and Christy, who were cowering against the doorframe. The other four stalked towards the Halliwell sisters, playing with the energy balls in their hands. Piper tried using her power again. This time, the demons didn't freeze at all. The middle-left demon threw his energy ball at her. Piper froze in fear. Great. I'm going to die! As the ball of energy became closer, Piper had a sudden epiphany. Wait! I might not be able to freeze the demons, but I can still freeze their weapons! Sure enough, the energy ball froze in mid-air. Prue used her power to fling the electrical sphere at the line of demons, vanquishing the middle-right.
"Behind you!" Christy shouted.
Paige turned around, not seeing a demon shimmer out. He shimmered in right in front of her!
"Aah!" Paige orbed out just as the demon made a grab for her. His arms encircled air. Confused, he looked to his demonic brethren. Paige orbed back in behind Phoebe. "Energy balls!" Paige held out her hand, ready to receive the three balls. The evil balls were surrounded with the same orbs she was encased in when she orbed! "What the?"
"Throw them!" Phoebe urged, ducking to the floor.
Paige obeyed. Two of the demons were hit and engulfed in flames. The one demon left behind shimmered out. When he didn't reappear, the four sisters turned their attention to the Jenkins sisters. Two demons were cornering the young witches. Christy's hands were up against her temples. Billie thrust her hands out, causing the demons to lose their footing and face-plant.
"They work for whoever kidnapped me and killed Mom and Dad!" Christy revealed. The shock was evident on the other witches' faces.
"We won't let them take you again," Prue said. She brought her hand up, ready to send the demons flying. The two demons looked at one another before shimmering out. Prue let her arm drop as a smile of relief graced her face. Piper calmed herself as Billie and Christy hugged.
"How'd you know?" Billie asked Christy.
"I heard them inside my head. I heard their thoughts," Christy replied.
"Like telepathy? That is so cool!"
The Warren witches crossed their arms.
"So, what now?" Piper asked.
"Identify those demons and protect Billie and Christy," Prue said.
"With the Power of Four?" Phoebe prompted, tossing an arm around Paige and Prue. Prue nodded.
"The Power of Four!" Paige answered.
~TBC Chapter Nine~
Her relatives crowded her house quickly. She had just called all of them not five minutes ago. Rachel tried to console her mother, but it was all for nothing. Her sister Renee was dead and her nieces Christy and Billie were missing.