"Dean, answer your phone." Sam was pissed that Dean tricked him, he was riding in the Impala when Dean changed to Bobby. Realizing he was tricked, he demanded on what's going on.
"Sorry about the ruse, Dean and I figured it would be better if you two were split up."
"My wife is in danger, and you didn't think to tell me?" God Sam wished he had his wife's powers. "You have ten seconds before I shoot you." Sam pulled out his gun and points it at Bobby.
"Put that gun away before you hurt yourself." Bobby was driving, but he knew how to cause a auto accident. "This Witch, she is smart, but too cocky." Bobby made some calls. "We have to get to my place first." Bobby took a few Tylenol, but even full strength, his broken nose hurt like a bitch.
"Piper's in danger! My baby!" Sam cocked his gun. When Bobby slammed the brakes, his gun fell out of his hand. Bobby took no time to grab Sam's gun and throw it out the window.
"Dormi!" Immediately Sam falls in a deep sleep. "Sorry son." Sam was a witch, but often forgot to cast protection magic on himself. "Have a good sleep." South Dakota was a long way away. He silently drives the Impala down the highway.
Rennek yawned as he looked at the dead body of the warlock Hogan.
"You sure don't keep your friends around." Hogan was her latest kill.
"He talked too much." Neena hated killing her children, but she figured sacrifices needed to be made. "How long do we have?"
"A day? A week? Fate will come after you soon." One was dead, but her two siblings would want blood.
"I don't care." Neena wanted revenge, shame that the Elders were gone, she wanted to kill them herself. She swore to buy Michael a beer. "We been puppets long enough, we'll get our revenge." She pushed away the thought of her mate. She had plans first.
When Sam woke up he found himself waking up on Bobby's couch.
"Bobby, Dean?" Sam felt like he slept for hours.
"Morning sunshine." Bobby hands him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Thanks Bobby." Sam sips his coffee.
"Sorry to trick you, but it was the only way to keep you both safe. You, your wife. You have magical blood. I had to temporarily bound your powers to keep her from finding you." Good thing Bobby knew some tricks, Rufus gave him some tips. He was wearing a bandage on his nose.
"Sorry about your nose." Sam pulled his phone to call Dean. There was no answer. When he tried calling his sisters in law, there was no answer either. "C'mon Cas." He knew Dean would call Cas, he was his best friend. "Dammit!"
"They must be very busy."
Sam just snorted. If only he had his laptop. Wait a minute. He gets up to put on his coat.
"Where are you going son?" When Bobby saw Sam getting dressed.
"A library." Dean was clever, but Sam knew everything about hacking.
"Come back around noon, I have some cases I need help with."
Sam used a library computer to hack the highways around Lawrence. He needed to see what direction Dean was going. Bobby refused to get the Internet, he said he didn't want anyone to get suspicious on his searches.
Two hours later Sam had a headache. Dean, he knew Sam too well. Every trace out of Lawrence was deleted, Dean knew his stuff.
He was about to check out any hotel room around the country with rock star aliases when Bobby called.
"Whatever it is, I'm busy." At the moment Sam didn't care what Bobby wanted. Rufus, Jody, either could help Bobby. Sam was about to hang up, but when he heard what Bobby had to say, his eyes widened. "I'll be there in fifteen."
Bobby was pacing in his basement when Sam started calling out his name.
"Down here!" Bobby was holding a taser when Sam came down the basement.
"Bobby?" When Sam saw who was standing down there, he nodded at Bobby's guest.
"How's it going Sam." Lenore, a old acquaintance of his was standing right in front of Bobby, twin wires attached to her chest.
"Lenore." Sam met Lenore once, he saved her life from a sadistic hunter named Gordon Walker.
"She arrived at my doorstep a hour ago." The taser was on, Bobby was taking no chances.
"I called for help. Your friend here, he is the only one to help me." Lenore, she was so thirsty. "Where's your brother?" She knew that hunter was dead, vampires gossip. Car crash, she heard he was BBQed instantly.
"Busy. What do you what Lenore?"
"I thought I was safe. Your brother's lookalike, he made me and my friends invisible." She looked back and forth between the two hunters. "Remember how we refused to drink from humans? Michael perfected us. We didn't need to drink animal blood either. We were completely normal. We lived like normal people." Lenore should have known there was a catch.
"What changed." Bobby was curious, the last couple of weeks were quiet.
"Neena. She undid this." She hissed, her vampiric fangs showing. "My nest, they all left. Had some catching up to do." She withdrew her teeth. "God, I could smell your blood." She looked at Bobby with a hungry smile. "I don't want to take a chance with a witch, but you." She licked her lips. "I want you to kill me. I'm, I'm a killer." That teenager, Lenore took her time. She died screaming. "You won't be my last victim."
"You said Neena. What does she want?" Sam didn't know who she was, or why was she doing these things. "Where is she?"
"Long gone. I came here looking for The Hunter. He can fix what Neena did." Lenore didn't want to die, her students needed her. She tried her best to hide them from Michael.
"The Hunter?" Bobby asked.
"The First. Someone had to train against monsters during The Beginning." Lenore stared at Sam. "Eve, the Alphas. They're all dead."
"Why are you telling us this?" Sam didn't understand.
"You know about the future. Neena, she was responsible for killing Eve. Your grandfather, he was working with her."
"You're kidding me." What secrets was Samuel hiding? Bobby didn't understand him at all.
"I don't care. I want Neena dead." Sam didn't care who she was, his wife was missing because of her.
"Then do it. But first, kill me."
Sam wasn't a killer, but knowing he was running out of time, picks up Bobby's machete.
"There is a town out west, The Hunter, he was cleaning up." Once she told them where it was, Sam cut off her head. They then buried her in Bobby's yard.
"Sam?" He heard about Lenore, Rufus, he said she was one of the good monsters. Like Garth, who was a werewolf, she didn't want to kill a person despite being a vampire.
"We don't have time to waste." He knew Bobby bounded his magic, but he had cash in the bank. "Pack some gear, we are going on the road."
"Oregon huh? What was Neena doing there?" Bobby mused. "You heard of The Hunter?"
"I don't remember." Sam was racking his brains. "He was never mentioned in any lore I read." He heard stories, but nothing that described who or what he was. "Eve, she was a monster." Sam met her, she was captured by Samuel. He was kicking himself for letting her go. "Should have killed Samuel the moment we met."
"We can't change what already happened. The only thing we can do is keep going." What was happening in Oregon, Bobby wished he knew. He just hoped Dean was safe, wherever he was.
Grants Pass, Oregon
"So anything unusual?" Both were tired after a long drive, but stopped in a diner to eat before they checked in a motel for the night. Sam as usual was eating a healthy meal while Bobby was eating the diner's special. Fuck eating healthy, End of Times were coming.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." A meth lab explosion, some guy blew sky high from his home cooking, and a local man that won a fishing tournament. "I miss the old days." Bobby was using a tablet, but was nostalgic about phone calls and knocking on doors. "Hmm."
"What?" Sam wished Castiel was around, he could use some angelic advice. Not surprisedly Dean got him to him first.
"Nothing." When Sam yawned, Bobby waved for the check. "Get some sleep, you won't be any use to your wife if you're tired." When Sam tried to protest, Bobby shook his head.
"Fine." Sam was exhausted.
It's so beautiful. Sam was in darkness, but also in light. There was no music playing, but Sam was felt nothing but harmony.
'Hello Sam.'
Sam stopped dead in his tracks.
'Hello?'
'My son.'
'Dad?' That voice, it sounded so familiar.
'Not quite.'
'Then who?'
'Not The Beginning, or The End.'
'What?'
'He's lying to you.'
'Who?'
'Your Creator.'
'God?'
'I'm not the monster.'
'But the screams.'
'You sure? Or does He want you to think that.'
'Are you God?'
'I am Everything. There is no Alpha or Omega.'
"Sam! Sam! Wake up!"
Sam blinked sleepily at Bobby.
"Bobby? What time is it?"
"Early enough. Found a case. Probably." Bobby shows Sam a article he found online. "A doctor named Dr Silver contacted the CDC last night. A patient of his was displaying symptoms he never seen before."
"Let me get dressed." Sam will take anything, he had no luck finding anything on his phone.
"Thanks for your time." Sam walked away from the doctor's office. "The good doctor hasn't been in for days." He saw Bobby looking at the ground. "What is it?"
"Either he's a killer, or in hiding." A dead African-American college student was wrapped up in heavy plastic wrap.
"How long ago?"
"Maybe two days." Bobby was debating on calling it in, or burning him. Guy was covered in blood. He was careful not to touch him.
"Leave him for now, but erase any prints." Sam wasn't sure if this was their kind of case, but Bobby mentioned this was his Patient X from that website he visited. "Let's check out his house. Maybe he's still inside."
After double checking the front and back doors, they walk down the driveway of Dr Silver.
"Car's in the garage, wife and kids are gone, and alarms are on. You think he skipped town?"
"Anything's possible." Sam wanted nothing more than to leave town, but Lenore's words rang in his head.
'The Hunter, he's there to clean up.'
The Hunter? Was he some kind of extraordinary hunter? Or was he something more? Sam remembered how frightened Rowena was after he and her escaped from that crazy witch and her daughter. The mother witch didn't scare her, but something else did. She didn't say much after their escape.
"Incoming." He saw a sheriff car pull up.
"Morning." Sheriff Roberts says putting on his hat. "Can I help you?" When they pull out their FBI badges, he nods. "It's kinda early to be on a case, the doctor is on vacation."
"We were on a case next town over, we just have to follow up on a lead." Bobby says smoothly.
"Nate's a good friend of mine, maybe I can help."
"Its classified. Any news, we'll fill you in. Have a nice day." Sam smiles charmingly at him before they walked away.
"Now what." Once they were out of sight.
"That patient of his, does he have a name?" Sam asked.
"Ed Bright." Bobby used social media to look him up. "Found a address. Lives with roommates."
"Then let's get going." They drive away in the Impala.
Once they pull up to Ed's house, they look towards the windows. Once they saw who was looking up, they look at each other.
"Ed is a single child, isn't he?"
"Just him and his mom." Whoever that was, he was looking out. "Shapeshifter?" Bobby hated those things.
"Let's find out." Both were carrying tasers, most monsters were invisible these days. Luckily electricity was their kryptonite. Once they break in, both were speechless.
"Who. Who. Are you?" A Ed Lookalike asks. He was so weak.
"Sam?" Bobby was a hunter, but Sam was a witch. If this was Her work, Sam could sense magic.
"Air's heavy with it." She was here. But why? There were more than one, 'Ed.' Dead bodies were everywhere.
"Hey. Tell me what happened." Sam walks over to the guy. "What is your name?"
"Marshall." He coughs. Sam looks at his driver's license. Guy was Caucasian with blonde hair.
"What happened here?" Sam saw Bobby looking carefully at the bodies, being careful not to touch bodily fluids.
"Am I dying?" He felt so ill. "Do I look like Ed?" Every roommate had Ed's face.
"Sickness can cause hallucinations." Sam lied. "I can get you some help." He knew some potions. Hopefully the kitchen has the right ingredients. "Tell me everything that happened."
"It was a few days ago. Ed and I went to a bar. A couple came in." He coughs up blood.
"Do you know what they looked like?"
"She had curly hair, was wearing a grey dress. Her boyfriend, he had dark hair wearing a leather coat." He felt his eyes getting dark.
"Stay with me." Damn! If only he could freeze time or read minds. "What else."
"Her boyfriend stood by the doors. She kissed me, then I blacked out."
"Blacked out?"
"It was only minute. I woke up to see everyone screaming. Everyone, they started killing one another." That was the last thing Marshall said to Sam before he died.
"Dammit."
"Sam?" The bodies. Bobby saw vampire fangs and a wraith claw on everyone.
"We need to check out the local bars." Sam had a feeling they knew what they were dealing with.
After a few dead ends, they hit the jackpot. One bar had locked doors. Wouldn't be unusual this time of day, except the bar's patrons cars were parked outside.
"Get ready son." Both had their guns drawn, useless against killing monsters, but still painful to get shot at. "On three." Once Sam and him broke the door down, they were horrified by the scene inside. "God."
Everyone was dead, some with stab wounds, others beaten to death, one was shot.
"Where's the hex bags?" Sam filled him on what may be going on, that this witch may be performing a spell.
"There wouldn't be any. She's The First." The most powerful witch to ever exist.
"Then why do this?"
"I don't know. Maybe she's using blood magic?" Blood magic was the most powerful, but also the most dangerous. The more blood spilled, the more powerful the spell.
"Can she crossbreed monsters?" Bobby saw some bodies with the same characteristics like the Eds. (They didn't know what to call the guys back in the house, but called them Eds for the time being.)
"She's been around for a very long time. She probably knew Eve on a personal basis." Not everyone was a monster, some were ordinary people. But why change some, but not others? Sam couldn't figure it out. Before they could think more, the Sheriff and two deputies appeared behind them with guns drawn.
"Let me see your hands!" The Sheriff demanded. Sam and Bobby had no choice, they put up their hands.
"We're on a active case!" Bobby bluffed. "We're feds!"
"Until we see your chain of command, you're under arrest." Both had no choice but to get led out.
Sam hoped Jody could spring them out.
Unknown to them, a assassin silently watches.
Once they drive to the local precinct, Bobby tries desperately to convince the cops to give them their phone call.
"Let me call my boss, this misunderstanding can be resolved!"
"Tell that to your Maker. Let's hope the needle gets things right!" The Sheriff, seeing the dead bodies, accused both of killing everyone.
Sam was planning on how to escape when he looked up. All three had glowing eyes on the security monitor.
"Eds!" He knew Dean would insist on a silly name, but Sam wasn't in the mood. He slammed his head backwards, knocking his captor away from him. Sam wished Bobby hadn't bonded his magic, he could have used his powers.
Bobby was glad he was in the War back in the sixties. He shoved the Ed away. Seeing a silver pen, he picked it up and stabbed the Ed in the thigh making the monster scream.
Both fought for a full minute till a muffled voice over the sound system told both to get on a desk. Once the fire sprinklers went off, both men slam their bodies on the desk, being careful not to touch the floor. A second later, the Eds scream in agony as they get electrocuted from the exposed wires from the exposed wires from the ceiling lights.
Both sat helplessly on the desk. Even as a immortal monster, that amount of energy was no match to the Eds. All three were beef jerky once the lights went out from the electrical surge.
"Is it safe to come down?" Bobby whispered. He trusted no one. God knows who did this.
"Let's wait a few more minutes." Sam whispered back. That voice, even muffled, he swore he heard it before.
Both tossed various items on the floor, testing to see if it was safe to stand on. Hearing nothing, Sam volunteered to go first.
"You sure?" Bobby was old. Sam on the other hand was young and about to be a father. But he wasn't looking forward to getting electrocuted.
"I'm sure." Sam really hoped the floor was safe. He laid belly down on the desk and put down his finger on the wet floor. Feeling nothing, he puts up his hand. "Hop over to the other desks." Sam wasn't taking any chances.
It took them a few minutes, but once they hit a desk with a dry floor, both hop off.
"Talk about close calls." Bobby's heart was beating fast.
"Let's get going." They were about to leave when they heard whimpering. "Bobby." He whispered.
"I hear that too." It was coming from the direction of the jail. Taking out their guns, they walk towards the jails.
Bobby hoped they weren't walking into another trap. Once they walked inside, they were surprised to see two kids. The emergency lights were on, the lights illuminating the scared boys.
Bobby was going to open the jail till Sam stopped him.
"What are you doing? Those are kids!" They looked like they were fourteen and ten. Both were tied up and muffled. He reluctantly followed Sam away from earshot.
"Bobby, they're infected." Sam could sense it, he's been around powerful magic to see it.
"You sure?" When Sam nodded, he swore. "Balls." He paused for a second. "Is there a cure?" Infected or not, those are small kids.
"If it's recent, I can make a antidote." Hopefully it wasn't too late. "Can you watch them?" Sam saw a convenience store nearby. Hopefully, it wasn't too late.
"Be careful." God knows what's going on out there. Bobby stayed close to the jails with his gun held firmly in his hand.
Sam took off his coat, there was blood on his jacket. Unfortunately it was fall, and he was freezing. Luckily there was a thick jacket hanging on the rack at the Sheriff's office. Being careful not to draw attention to himself, he drives the sheriff's car to the store.
Getting out of the car, he casually goes inside, luckily it was practically empty, except for the bored store clerk.
'Cayenne pepper, purified water, a few paper cups...' Luckily the ingredients for a dispossession potion wasn't difficult. Hopefully it worked on monsters. Once he paid, he walks out of the store. He hoped it wasn't too late.
"Bobby, hand me that pot." Bobby hands him a hot coffee pot filled with hot water. They were inside the break room, Sam used the emergency power to reroute the power to the small room.
"Will this work?"
"Let's hope so." Sam knew it expelled the unnatural inside human bodies, but a monster curse, this would be a experiment.
POOF! The metal bowl made a puffing noise once Sam threw in the final ingredient.
"Do all potions explode?" Bobby knew a few, but not many. Most were used against demons if holy water wasn't available.
"Let's do this." It was harmless to drink on its own, just a few side effects, Sam remembered hearing Phoebe's dead boyfriend being on a toilet all night despite him not drinking it.
"Blech!" Joe grimaced at the taste. "That's disgusting!" Little Ryan was gagging after he drank his cup.
"And now the tests." Neither was happy about doing these things to kids, but they didn't have a choice.
"Sorry about that." Bobby was looking for anything unusual. Sharp teeth, a claw, luckily the silver didn't show anything. Bobby wasn't looking forward to killing kids. "You have any family?" Poor boys were orphans. Their mom died when Ryan was a baby, and Dr Silver was murdered by the cops. His body was still wrapped up in that shed.
"We have a uncle in Meritt." Once Joe gave them directions, Bobby and Sam untie them.
"Now what." They watch at their uncle hugs them. Poor guy was worried they were hurt, neither showed up for their visit. Traffic was light, a fifteen minute drive took ten.
"We go back." If the cops were infected, maybe others were as well. Sam volunteered to drive, he was still wearing his cop jacket.
"Why are we stopping here?" They pull up to the same diner they were in the day before.
"Took your potion?" Sam added a extra ingredient.
"Yep." Bobby knew he was paying the price later.
Sam hated to go in blind, his magic would be useful. But he knew why Bobby did what he did.
"Grab what you can carry." Both were carrying machetes, it was the only way they could kill monsters.
Bobby's heart was beating fast. Sam said the monsters would be meeting here. He just hoped Neena was among them. Witch or no witch, Sam was demanding answers. Bobby knew Sam well, he was a gentle giant, but when his loved ones were in danger, he was a vengeful man. He just hoped Piper and her baby was safe.
Sam sat down first, he was no fool, he knew everyone was infected. Hopefully his plan worked. Once Bobby sat down at well, he waited for Sam's signal.
"Two coffees, on the house." Bobby was surprised to see who their waitress was. Mary Winchester was smiling as she poured their coffees.
"Nice mask." Sam was unfazed, he was no dummy. Luckily Dean wasn't here, he would have been caught off guard.
"Really. I thought you would be happy to see Mommy Dearest again." The Ed tells them.
"Where's the witch." Bobby demanded. He tried not to flinch as the monsters closed the blinds and locked the doors.
"She couldn't make it. But she sends her congratulations." The Ed, still in the visage of Mary smiles at Sam. "So I heard you are about to be a father. Congratulations!"
"Neena. Now." Sam warned.
"Rude. Is that how you speak to your mom? You need a spanking." She grabs Sam.
"Let him go you monster!" Bobby was staring hatefully at 'Mary'. Immediately they get surrounded by monsters, especially Bobby who gets grabbed.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to him, I just want a taste." Mary bites his neck. Immediately, she spits out his blood.
"Phoenix ash." Sam knew it was poisonous to monsters. He carried a few ounces, he found out from Bobby that Phoenix's Witches were hated for a reason as well, both were immune to monsters and demons. The sisters were currently trying to make a vaccine out of it to prevent them from getting infected. Whoever the Alpha Phoenix was, Sam concluded he must have been Neena's relative. "I hope it isn't too painful." Everyone at the diner watches as 'Mary' dies a painful death. "Bobby!"
Bobby closes his eyes as Sam threw down a Holy Bomb. From the outside, a bright lights shines from inside the diner, making the dark parking lot as bright as mid afternoon.
"That was a risk son." Bobby shook his head at Sam's crazy plan.
"Phoenix Ash? Holy Bombs? Why do you boys carry those so carelessly in your trunk?" Bobby would have locked it away for emergency use only.
"We figured to use it as emergency kit." Ever since Michael made the monsters invisible, Sam and Dean put together a emergency kit, including extra batteries for their tasers. Holy Bombs were a last resort, they were there only if they needed a extra boost.
"Still can't believe a demon gave Dean those." Bobby never met Ruby, but according to Dean, Alternative Ruby was good friends with Alternative Castiel. "What about the mess." All those bodies. They had a lot of cleaning up. Especially those security videos at the bar and police station.
"We'll worry about that later." Sam had no clue where to go next, but he found out where Dean may have gone. He managed to find a Chris Aguilera and a Beau Spears checked in the honeymoon hotel suite in Washington State. Hopefully it wasn't a red herring. "Let's get going."
Messenger's face was blank as he slit Joe Silver's throat.
"I know he's a child." Messenger wasn't happy to kill a kid, Joe and Ryan were innocent kids. "Potion worked, but can't take any chances on anyone finding out what happened here." He came along with The Hunter, only because the mess Sam Winchester left behind. "Is everything cleaned up?" When he nodded Messenger wiped off his knife. "As far as anyone knows, this was a break and enter gone wrong." Every witness was killed off, including that clerk at the convenience store. Messenger made it look like a common criminal did the crimes, even planted drugs and money on him from the cash register. "The CDC will be here soon, let's burn the bar, Ed Bright's, the clinic, and diner." Every dead body was gone and disposed, The Hunter and Messenger had to get rid of all evidence. "Those two hunters, they trust their government too much." Neena didn't do this, it was her assistant, the Darklighter Rennek. He was working as a mole at the facility. He was directly responsible for this experiment. "Let's go."
'You are nothing but everything as well. Perfect, yet flawed. I will be watching, perhaps you can free yourselves.'
San Francisco, California
"I can't believe we are doing this." Cole was the last person Phoebe wanted to ask for help. She was hesitating to call. She couldn't believe Cole still carried his old cell.
"It's not about you, it's about Piper." Paige wasn't happy about this either. But they needed to save their sister and her baby from Neena. "We are running out of allies." They found out Rowena was dead, her charred body was found in a hotel room in a European country.
"I know." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Hello, Cole?"
Both tried to show no emotions as Cole shimmered in, although Phoebe flinched.
"I came as soon as I could."
"And Gabriel?" Paige asked.
"He'll be fine. He's getting stronger everyday." Cole left him a ton of junk food and prostitutes, as well as seasoned hunters/witches. "Gabriel will be safe. About Piper."
"You know anything about Neena?" Phoebe had to hold her disgust at seeing a hicky on Cole's neck.
"The First Witch? Of course. The Avatars had files on her."
"Why doesn't that surprise me." Paige sighs. "Anyways, how do we stop her." She heard stories, that she was basically indestructible.
"Easy. You need the Power of Three, along with the Warren Spell to summon the sprits of your ancestors."
"Easier said then done. Except."
"Michael locked everyone away. Plus Piper is missing." Phoebe was thinking the same thing. "You are a Avatar, couldn't you break in and sneak everyone out?"
"I could, but Naomi would sense my demon blood."
"Dammit!" Paige swore. "What about Prue." She went completely off grid, every postcard she sent had no return address. Her email and social media no longer existed.
"I don't know." Phoebe wished she knew what Prue was doing. Prue went completely silent. "Any other ideas Cole?"
"What about the Nexus?"
"It has the power of good or evil. Nothing is more powerful. But who would be the carrier?" Phoebe, remembering the Woogie Monster, shuddered.
"I can."
"Fat chance." Paige didn't know Cole as well as Phoebe, but remembered how power hungry he was.
"Doesn't anyone trust me?" Cole complained.
"NO." Both sisters say together.
Cole just scoffed. All three stood in silence.
The Underworld
A group of demons were waiting for instructions from the current General of Hell's Army.
"You sure this will lure the Sisters." A demon named Craven asked. He and his demons were itching for a fight.
"I know them well, they will be looking for their sister, she is about to pop." Zankou tells him. "Once the Manor is empty, we can take the Nexus for ourselves." Zankou couldn't wait, even with his current position, being a general wasn't enough. He wanted the Throne of Hell.
"And the Queen?" Craven asked worriedly.
"She hasn't been seen for months. Besides, I don't care about her at the moment." He ordered everyone to stand straight. "You!" He points to Craven's lieutenant. "Go and warn them, I want to keep them busy."
"Yes sir." He shimmers away.
"Warn them? Why not outright kill them?" Craven asked.
"We need them at the moment. Without the Power of Three, we cannot access the Nexus." With Good protecting the Shadow, The Shadow will kill Evil.
"Even with Piper missing."
"Details." Zankou will figure it out. "Gather your men, wait for my signal."
Cole left, saying he had a "appointment," promised he would be back later.
RING!
"Piper?! Oh hey." Paige looked up as Phoebe talked. "That is today?" Phoebe slapped her hand on her forehead. "I totally forgot." Her presentation. It was due at eight tonight at her Gender Studies class. "Yes I did the work, I can drop it off before class." She started pacing. "I know it counts as a large percentage, but I have a family emergency." She was in a group, all four were debating on women's rights. Phoebe worked hard on that presentation, even with Piper missing. She didn't want to fail school, she was so close. "I can't possibly come this afternoon." She closed her eyes. "Fine. One hour. We got this material down cold. Okay, I'll see you soon." She looked at Paige. "I know, don't say it."
"A presentation? Hello? Piper!" As much as she supported Phoebe's career as a future doctor, their sister was in great danger from Neena. Their current magic was useless.
"I know. More than anyone." Phoebe felt awful. "Cole said he tell us if he finds out anything." She and Paige walk downstairs. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Don't take too long." Paige wished she could do a cloning spell, she was very close to getting kicked out of the police academy for not showing up for 'family emergencies.' She had to learn to use a gun in next week's class, plus work on getting her motorcycle license. "I'll be here, scrying." She was going to Sacred Meadows, the Observatory had some scrolls Magic School didn't have. "If I find out anything, I'll call."
"You do that." Phoebe grabs her backpack and rushes out.
Forty five minutes later, she was getting a headache. Her small group couldn't agree on anything.
"I'm telling you! You can't bring up abortion rights as the first topic! We all agreed to start safe!" Frank tells them.
"Playing it safe? Pulezze." Amber scolded. "We need a shock value. We will be the last group to talk, everyone, including Professor Clayton will be half asleep. The class discussion counts as extra points!" Amber needed all the help she could get, her grade point average dropped last semester thanks to a guy she was seeing. "Drop the ball in the beginning, we will be talked about for weeks!"
"We have a lot of conservatives in that class, including Professor Clayton. I'm not failing!" All three were shocked that Amber completely rewrote her paper. Instead of the methods of different birth control, she wanted to talk about abortion.
"You won't fail! Clayton maybe doesn't agree with it, but she always respected other's opinions!" Amber looks at a silent Phoebe and Kendal. "What do you think? Open up with a shock value? Or play it safe." She glares back at Frank.
Phoebe headache was getting worse. Her job at The Bay Mirror wasn't this stressful.
"Kendal? What do you think." Phoebe had no opinion, she just wanted to go home. Every second was precious, Piper was still out there.
"What about me, I wanted to talk about gay rights as well." He tells everyone. As a gay trans man, gay rights were important.
This was going to be a looonnnggg afternoon.
"Thanks Kevin." She liked Kevin, as a former college dropout/prophet, he worked his ass off as Castiel's Assistant Director.
"No problem." Since Paige no longer worked here, he was the one to let her in at the Observatory.
"Is Hannah here?" She wanted to pick her brains about Neena, why she was doing this.
"She's in Scotland, Miss Kyra needed her for plans for a expansion." Kyra was the Director and Headmistress at Forrest Hills/Knox Academy. "She'll be back in a few days. Is there anything I could do for you?"
"I'll be fine. Go back to work." She waves him off. She knew Kevin was only working here to pay for college, Cas as well as herself were looking for scholarships for him, as well as writing letters of recommendation. His dream was to attend Princeton to become a politician.
Paige poured over the scrolls. If there was anything here, she was going find it.
"Kevin?"
"Yes Ma'am." Paige was the one that hired him back when she was in charge of this place, Kevin was one of the few that knew about the supernatural.
"Paige. I'm not in charge anymore remember?" Paige missed her former position, but never regretted quitting. "Can you get me a cup of coffee? Three sugars, two splashes of low fat cream."
"Right away." Paige felt bad she was bossing Kevin around, but remembered his crush on her. He never was that obvious, but always went out of the way with her whenever she needed something. As she went over the scrolls, she realized these and anything magical would be better at the two schools. She picked up the phone. "Kevin? Mind giving me the numbers of Jophiel and Kyra?" Jophiel was a grumpy angel, but took his job seriously. And Kyra, a former demon now human was always looking for new material. "I also like some boxes, I'll tell Cas to put a bonus on your paycheck."
"Yes ma'am, I mean Paige. Thank you." She could hear the smile. Kevin would make a great President someday. She hung up the phone to see if there was anything about Neena in these scrolls.
"The manor is empty sir." The demon tells Craven. Shall I get Zankou?"
"Not yet." Craven looks around. "See if there is anyone here, we have to lure the sisters down to the Underworld." His demon was carrying his weapon of choice, a boomerang. He felt the magic, the Nexus was strong, wherever it was.
"Guys!" Her team flinched when Phoebe used her two fingers to whistle. "We only have a few hours. I already have my piece, (Phoebe was too worried about Piper and threw together a paper about sisterhood) we have to put our heads together. We have to break this down to four parts. Any ideas? And no arguing who's first."
Everyone looked at one another.
"Fine." Phoebe read everyone's paper, they were very well written. They just had to summarize each piece for their presentation. "Well start off with mine, mine is about sisterhood, how all women must stand together." She just wanted to get outta here. "Then we'll move on to Amber." She gave a sharp glance to Frank who opened his mouth to protest. His paper was about balancing a balance with family and a career. "Then we'll move on to Kendal. I read his paper, wow." Phoebe knew he'll make a great teacher someday, he wanted to stay at Stanford after he graduated. "Then we'll close off with Frank. After that, we'll start answering questions." Everyone looked at one another and shrugged.
"Sounds good to me." Kendal wanted to apply for the teaching position next year in Sociology. He wanted everyone to have a voice.
"Same here." Amber never cared about Frank, thought he was too old fashioned.
"I guess." Frank liked Amber, but she was too high strung for him. Shame Phoebe's sister was married, Piper was exactly his type.
"Good. Let's go over our presentation and meet up in class." Once everyone timed everything, and broke down their parts, Phoebe puts on her backpack. "See you in class." She was headed to Scared Meadows, Paige just texted she found a way to beat Neena. "See ya!" She had her car, luckily Amber lived near the end of the city.
Paige couldn't believe it.
"Why didn't you tell me about Melinda?" There was a scroll about her. As the first Warren Witch, she had a scroll telling about her life and death. Poor woman was burned at the stake in 1692. Phoebe managed to come back, although she only had a short amount of time before heading back to school.
"Last time we met is even we fought a evil warlock." That was someone Phoebe wanted to forget, Matthew Tate was worse than any warlock, he could possess the Power of Three. Thankfully Melinda and the sisters sealed him back inside her locket for all eternity. "Why?"
"Why don't we summon her?" Piper was missing, but Melinda had all three powers.
"To Call Blood To Blood? Wouldn't work anymore. Heaven is sealed tight." Phoebe already tried, without Piper's blood, it was useless.
"Yeah, but I found a backdoor." Paige showed what was written on the scroll.
"Use the bones of Melinda?" Figures Pearl would write that. She dabbled in dark magic. "It says here she'll get stuck." Once a soul returns to life, they become fully alive again. "I doubt that Melinda wants to come back for a third time." Melinda was content in the Afterlife. "Any other ideas? Besides her bones are buried." Sam and Dean delivered Melinda' remains years ago, all four sisters gave her a wiccan funeral and buried her in the family mausoleum. Phoebe looked around. "What's with all the boxes?" There was a stack of empty boxes near the door.
"Kevin and a few others will be packing things up for Magic School and Knox." Paige took a picture of the scroll, just in case. "Since we don't need this place anymore, I figure future students can use these things." She worked a brief stint at Magic School, she lasted three weeks before she quit.
"Might as well." These place was getting dusty. "And the telescope?" The giant telescope observed other worlds, Phoebe came here on occasion to see how Alyssa and her family were doing.
"Already decommissioned." Castiel knew how to erase the magic inside, it was Holy in nature. "It's just a ordinary telescope now."
"That's too bad." Phoebe was going to miss those kids. But maybe it's for the best, she needed to live her own life. "Is there any other options?"
"Nope. I'll apologize to Melinda myself." Luckily a blood spell wasn't needed, but the substitute wasn't any better. "You have the number of Lily Sunder?"
It wasn't hard to find Lily, she lived in a luxurious retirement home in San Francisco.
"I'm old. I'm nearing the end of my life." Lily mostly lived a quiet life, she attended church every Sunday despite hating angels. "You two promised me to deliver me to Heaven if I saved your sister." Lily helped Piper from moving on, but it was psychic Pamela Barnes that finished it. She sounded weary. Wasn't surprising, she was over a century old. "I can't walk anymore, and my eye is getting harder to see." She still wore her eye patch, she was attached to it.
"We didn't forget." Phoebe never forgotten her promise. "We'll get you upstairs, you'll see May and Leon again." Leon was a former Templar, he was the one to set them on the Quest of the Holy Grail. He secretly was deeply in love with Lily, but kept away to keep her safe. May was her daughter, she was murdered by Ishim, a jealous angel that was obsessed with Lily and murdered May to get back at her. "I need a way to bring someone back to life." Lily had magical knowledge that no one knew, Phoebe doubted Neena knew about Enochian magic.
"Tell me what you need." Phoebe's eyebrows raised as Lily talked. "That sounds dangerous." She said it was possible to raise someone from the dead, but she warned the person could come back as something else.
"It is. Your soul, I'll need a piece of it. But, as a Charmed One, your soul will burn too bright. I'll need another soul."
"Paige." She tells Paige who nods.
"Will it hurt?" Paige hoped not. When Phoebe asked Lily, she shook her head.
"Two souls. Luckily I'll need only a micro piece. Smaller than a needle's eye from each of you." Lily tells them.
"Sure." She just hoped Melinda didn't mind. "Anything else?"
"I'm nearly blind. I have a spell here, but I can't tell which book it is in."
"I'm sorry, but I really need to go." Phoebe's class was starting soon.
"A few more minutes." Paige begged.
"Five." Professor Clayton deducted points for lateness.
Paige picked up her phone.
"Kevin, can you start packing? I would like that place empty by this weekend." Paige and Phoebe had the unfortunate task to bring Melinda's remains here. "Go ask Geraldine for help, she knows how to catalogue everything. There will be movers to collect every box."
"As you wish." Kevin sounded grumpy. When Paige offered to buy him food from his favourite BBQ place, he perked right up.
"I'll also send some goodies." She knew where to get good green. "Yeah, I'll also get the good rolling papers. Have fun, don't use it all till every box is packed up. Remember no smoking on the grounds."
"Really Paige?" Phoebe was no prude, she dabbled whoever she was stressed out before a big test or exam.
"Kevin works hard as it is." She puts her phone away. "We need some candles, as well as red paint." Luckily the supply closet was in the main building.
"Do what you have to do, I need to head to class." She never realized how much time had passed.
"Go. I'm going to head back, Lily, I'll be back." Both sisters wave goodbye. Paige had to get the paint ready, hopefully it dried before they came back with Melinda.
Lily was napping in her favourite chair when Paige knocked an hour later.
"Lily? It's Paige Matthews."
"Come in. I'm just resting my eye." Lily rarely slept, she had nightmares every night. Her late daughter May kept screaming for her mom. "The spell is inside a small red leather book, I translated it into English, but it needs to be spoken in Enochian for it to work."
It took Paige a minute to find it. Thankfully Lily kept her room neat, she had no choice, her wheelchair needed to maneuver around. Plus with her failing eyesight, she kept very little things, except her spell book. Luckily no one could understand how to harness and use it.
"Is this it?" Paige opened it. "Soul magic? That sounds dangerous."
"Enochian magic." Lily corrected. "It's what angels use. Our souls, it shines brightly as much as angel's grace. If you need powerful magic, that book will tell you what you need. Are you a whitelighter?"
"Was." Paige didn't understand anything. But the writing seemed familiar.
"That's a shame. A whitelighter could use that book, their grace and light can harness the magic without burning out their souls."
"Really?" Paige was kicking herself for having her whitelighter side bounded. "Tell me how to use it."
"You can't, even with my translation, you need me to show you how to use it." She painfully sits up. "Mind passing my chair over, I need some fresh air." She declined Paige's help, she was still fiercely independent, even at her extreme old age. Lily slowly moves over to her wheelchair. "Ah. Mind pushing me, I don't have enough money to buy a power chair, the rent here cleans my retirement dry."
Zankou was reading Piper's diary, it was very fascinating.
"Listen to this." He tells Craven. "Piper fell in a deep depression after Prue left, she says Prue abandoned her." Prue left a goodbye letter, telling Piper to take care of her younger sisters. The pages about Leo were good, Piper hated Leo for leaving her alone. "Everyone Piper loved all left her.'' Her parents, her grandmother, Leo, Prue, even her friends. "How much do you wanna bet Sam's next?"
"I don't know sir." Craven clears his throat. "We found the Nexus." When the sisters never came back, Zankou ordered his men to the Manor.
"We need more than the Nexus. We need the Shadow." He couldn't put the book down. "Humans are slaves to their own emotions." Zankou lost his long ago. "Love, that's Piper's greatest weakness as well as her strength." Sacrifice, she was willing to let others go, but it made her stronger. "Humans fascinate me everyday." He takes Piper's diary, the pages about her struggles about getting pregnant was fascinating. "Show me where it is."
Phoebe was pleased to see their presentation went well, everyone was on their edge of their seats. She was sure Professor Clayton was going to give her a A. She was participating in the discussion as well.
"Miss Halliwell, may I speak to you?"
Phoebe swore, she was literally about to leave, her foot was on the crack on the doorway.
"Yes Professor Clayton?" What did she want? Phoebe already gave her folder with her essay inside. Paige texted, she was at the Observatory with Lily.
"You presentation, it was...something else. Sisterhood, why did you choose to write about it?" Professor Clayton was looking over Phoebe's paper.
"Family has always been important to me. But there are women out there that don't have anyone." This wasn't her best work, Phoebe rushed right through it. She did double checked it was properly spelled with the right grammar.
"I see." She chuckled at the next page.
"Professor?" She shut up when she held up a finger.
"Clever. I never expected that." She puts the folder in her Filofax briefcase. "Are you working right now?"
"At the soup kitchen. I volunteer part time, but get paid to tutor there." Phoebe needed the money.
"Would you be interested as my assistant?"
"Me?" She didn't expect that.
Professor Clayton nodded.
"I'm looking for a grad student who can help out with my class, your essay it stood out."
Phoebe was flattered.
"Wow." She was busy as it is, between her Charmed duties and school, she was always tired. "Can I think about this?" When her phone rang, she realized she forgot about Paige. "I have to get going, no offence."
"Let me know as soon as possible." She nodded at Phoebe who rushed out.
Paige and Lily were talking about the dangers of magic when Phoebe rushed in.
"Finally!" Paige was getting impatient. She pointed to a take out container. "It's cafeteria food, we are running out of time."
"Thanks." Phoebe was starving. Saying hello to Lily, she started eating her food.
"So how do we do this?" Paige was nervous about the soul technique.
"It won't hurt. It will just a tiny piece, a very insignificant part if you. Your magic won't be affected."
Phoebe apologized about her burp.
"Always liked their vegan meatloaf." Most vegetarian substitutes were awful. Paige spent no expense hiring good cooks. "Melinda's bones?"
"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to grave robbing." Paige was glad she was a witch, hunting was dirty.
"The mausoleum is not that far from downtown." Phoebe hated to do dirty work. "But for Piper, I'm willing to get my hands dirty. Got a sledgehammer?"
Zankou found himself pinned against a wall, every one of his demons were dead, either the Shadow from the Nexus or after Cole killed them using The Shadow's Powers.
"You were the Source! Why protect those witches!" They managed to get to the Nexus, by digging in the basement. What Zankou wasn't anticipating was the Shadow taking the demons, and Cole using himself as the carrier.
Cole's eyes were black, and his voice was deepened as he spoke.
"You don't belong here. This power, it isn't meant for evil." He threw Zankou up the basement stairs.
"So close." He underestimated Cole. He shimmers away, he was not going back to The Pit.
As tempting as it was to keep this magic, he puts it away. Cole then returned everything to normal. He needed the sister's trust.
'The last Source sealed you away for a reason.' Zankou had a reputation for being impulsive and reckless. Cole was going to keep an eye on him. He shimmers away, but not before placing anti demon crystals in the house.
"You want to go first?" Both were at family mausoleum, luckily Melinda's grave was at eyesight. Paige was holding a sledgehammer she got from her former work. For safety reasons, both were wearing safety goggles.
"Why couldn't we use magic?" It would have been cleaner and safer.
"Using Charmed magic is a risk. We cannot sense detection." If Neena was tracking down Piper, she'll use the sisterly bond of magic to find them both. Paige picks up the hammer. "Stand back." She slams the hammer against the wall.
"For a wall this is hard!" Phoebe complained. They was taking turns, Melinda's grave was harder than it looked. "I almost got it!" She saw a hole. "Sorry Melinda."
Both pull out the coffin, luckily there was nothing but bones inside.
"On three. One, two..."
Lily was napping when the sisters came in.
"Lily, we got Melinda!" Phoebe was carrying Melinda's remains, Paige was too grossed out. She was using a sack Paige brought over along with the hammer.
"Hmmm?" Lily dreamed about a young woman, she was greeting Lily to her new home. "Is that her? Place her in the altar. I'll start the ceremony."
Both Paige and Phoebe didn't feel much different when Lily did her soul technique.
"Ready?" Lily didn't tell either what the next step was, she already made her arrangements. She didn't need her book, she memorized every word. She was always tempted to bring her daughter back to life. Neither sister said anything as Lily took out her locket and kissed May's picture. "Oh-doh oh-zah-zuhm ah, oh-ee, ah-oh-ve-ee-vee..."
Golden magic surrounded Melinda's bones, soon the bones started to form into a human woman.
"My goodness." This was magic neither of them seen before. Paige was spooked. It was close to whitelighter magic, but more powerful.
"It's for Piper." Hopefully Melinda didn't mind returning to life, Lily warned it was permanent. Unless Melinda was killed.
The nude form of Melinda Warren was laying on the table, Enochian symbols were written down on the table, surrounded by white candles. When she looked up, Phoebe handed her a paper.
"We'll explain later. Read this out loud."
Melinda was dazed and confused, but read it anyways. Luckily she knew how to read, Thomas Winchester was her tutor.
"koh-nuh-ga-ma-fuh-luh-guh, ah-oh-ee-vee-ah-ee… ee-duh-luh-vah… oh-ee-vee-ah-ee, ee-duh-luh-vah-juh-ah-um kah-dah." She coughed.
Both Phoebe's and Paige's eyes glowed gold.
"Was that my soul?" Paige felt like she was tickled.
"Weird." Phoebe felt it. She looked at Melinda. "Hi, we need your help."
Neither saw Lily clutching her chest in pain.
Lily found herself standing in a library. She was confused, she could see, and no longer felt old and tired.
"Where am I?" She looked over to see Anubis sitting on a desk. "Who are you?" This place, Lily knew she wasn't on Earth. "Am I dead?" Was this the Inbetween?
"Hello Lily." Anubis greets her. "Name's Anubis, I'm here to file your paperwork before you move on." He hands her his abacus. "Place your hand over here."
"Is this my Final Judgment?" Lily prayed she wasn't going to Hell. It was bad enough for Earth, but never seeing her daughter again for all Eternity was worse.
"It's humans that decide that for themselves. But you crossed my desk before."
"How many times have I reincarnated?" Lily heard about reincarnation, but never believed she was on Earth before in a past life.
Anubis just smiled.
"Place your hand here."
Lily, not understanding what was going on, places her hand over the abacus. The black and white beads started moving. When they turned green, Lily was confused.
"Am I going back to Earth?" Without May, she doubted she enjoy her new life. Her soul will always have a piece of her heart missing.
"Hi mom." Lily turned around at the voice. A young woman wearing a warrior's outfit was smiling at Lily.
"Who are you?" Lily demanded. Mist appears behind Anubis' bookshelf.
"We need scholars at Valhalla. A human that specializes in Enochian magic can teach our young minds." She places her hand on her partner's shoulder. "We can really use your knowledge."
Lily shook her head.
"I lost my child, without May, I'm nothing." Valhalla was better than Hell, but without Lily it would be as bad.
"You don't have have afraid. Mom, I been waiting a long time for you." May Sunder was smiling at Lily.
"May?" She ran up to her now adult daughter and hugs her crying. "You are so grown up!" She looks at Mist and Anubis. "How?" She witnessed May's murder. She hugs May again who was crying herself. May grew up to be a beautiful woman.
"We were watching you ever since you discovered the angel's secrets. Anubis works with us, he sends us names for our warriors." Mist tells her.
"May was a small child."
"An angel named Abatur took me to Valhalla." Lily knew he was the Judge and Protector of Souls. "He said you were needed, and knew you won't come without me." May 'died' but when she was taken to Valhalla, she was raised by the warriors there and grew up.
"Do you accept? May here, she is a good fighter. She trained for decades to make you proud."
"I also have my university degree. Did you know they send their warriors to Knox for college?" Anubis smiles as they faded away. Lily, she is in her true heaven, she is reunited with her daughter.
Paige asked Kevin to check Melinda in when they came back, they needed Melinda at the moment.
"Melinda, remember me? It's Phoebe Halliwell."
Melinda was blinking at Phoebe.
"I'm sorry, I never saw you before in my life."
Piper was breathing hard.
"I slowed down her labor, but she needs a hospital." William tells Dr Paul. William wanted to head to medical school like his dad. He learned the basics, he wanted to be a obstetrician or a surgeon.
"Sam." Piper moaned. "Phoebe. Paige." She never dreamed she'll be alone giving birth. "Argh!"
"Don't worry about her now." Dr Paul's eyes went black.
"Demon." William tried to protect Piper, but stopped when the demon took out his gun.
"If only you didn't place all those runes." Dr Paul's demon powers was completely suppressed. Even as a demon, he was mortal now. "Our guest of honour, she'll be here soon."
Neena and Rennek stop outside a house.
"She's here. Why hesitate?" They could take the baby and run.
"Her sisters, the hunters. They'll be here soon." She saw the runes. Whitelighter was good, he knew his stuff. Neena felt herself becoming mortal. "We still need one more thing." She tells Rennek to turn the truck around. "The Elders may be gone, but their Gate is heavily guarded." What Neena needed was inside. She needed Piper's relative to open it. "We'll need the sisters, especially Paige." The Elder's Gate, only an essence of a whitelighter can open it.
"Why not use the whitelighter inside?"
"Because he's not of this world. His essence is worthless." It was a huge risk, once Paige gets her whitelighter powers back, she'll be powerful again. But that meant she'll be a a target for Michael.
"Then why come here."
"I need to lure everyone." Neena didn't care about Piper's baby, she just needed to set her trap. "The demon, he'll be here soon." She never cared about Crowley, he was a too ambitious. He only got his position by luck. "Get our warriors ready. The Winchesters, they are smart."
"I'll be ready." Rennek took out his bow. "If only Leo was still around." He killed Leo himself, but he felt empty. "You promised me my prize."
"Of course." What was in that Temple, dark and white magic will become one. Magic will be released, giving every mortal magic. Rennek can use the whitelighter weapons safely. "Just remember, when the War starts, that won't be enough." The Beast, Neena wished she never knew about It.
William had his hands raised up, he only wished he had his athame.
'Hurry Cole.'
Rennek was holding his bow, its arrows were created with the Ancient Athame. He was so glad Cole managed to steal it back from the sisters. They should have locked it up instead of storing it in the attic. He did what he had to do, he killed a reaper, stabbed an innocent, meaning Leo, a witch, and infusing it with his own blood. Shame he was down to his last arrow, he used most of them on his enemies. Piper was strong, and Paige was ready for her own awakening. Now it was Phoebe's turn. He looked back at the unconscious body of Coop Webster that was locked up in a trunk. Rennek wasn't cruel, he left a oxygen tank inside.
"Phoebe needs to let go of her own mortal desires. With you and Cole's deaths, she'll reach her full potential." Neena was too shortsighted, Rennek knew her lover from the old days. He didn't approve of Neena's actions, but he was stuck. "Lets get something to eat, I'm starving."