Thanks to all my loyal reviewers who continue to read and offer their input: Farah A, 1treehillcharmed, IDontBreakBonesJustHearts, Charmedgirl-alyssaphoebe, Jedi Alanna, and also welcome to my new reviewers: Charmed1979 and rose lily potter.
Jedi: lol, sorry but not Cole. However, that would have been an interesting way to twist the plot if I hadn't picked up with the canon on the show. Cole was born in the 1800s and it was the other way around for him. His mother was a demon while his father was human.
Charmedgirl: hehe, very observant. Ssh! LOL.
1threehillcharmed: I'm glad that my last chapter really pulled you into the story. Before posting it, I had to play around with it so it came across right. Lana? Well, this next chapter should answer some more questions about her.
Charmed1979: Welcome. Wow, I'm honored that you think my story is that good. This is my first fan fiction ever. You know how to turn fan fiction into a personalized book? That's awesome. I hope you continue to enjoy it.
rose lily potter: glad you like it, this next chapter will tell you what happens next.
Farah A: Glad you liked the Billie/Christy interaction. I wanted to put some resolution in there when it came to finding the real sister.
IDontBreakBonesJustHearts: lol, I'm actually having some fun writing JD. The idea to stick him in the story actually came while I was writing.
Chapter 23: These Ties That Bind
JD orbed into the realm of the Underworld for the second time. His hands were shaking and his heart was pounding.
What am I doing, he pleaded to himself. What if I end up getting her killed?
The rational part of JD argued that coming to the Underworld alone was not only dumb but could also result in getting both him and Billie killed. After all, he was an inexperienced whitelighter and didn't possess the necessary magic to protect himself. As a whitelighter, JD's purpose was to guide and heal, not to engage in demonic combat or thwart their attacks. One false move could easily end his life. Then there was the other side of him. The instinctive part that caused JD to act on what his heart felt instead of thinking with his head. It was the same part that could lead to big problems but it hadn't mattered. All his mind had registered was that Billie was in some serious trouble and needed help.
You can do this, don't whimp out now, he told himself.
Slowly, he walked the length of the narrow passageway. JD's doubts began to resurface for the second time. Perhaps he should have made good on his threat to go to the Charmed Ones like he initially planned to do? After all, they were far more equipped to be dealing with this than he was. The bits and pieces of conversation from two days prior replayed in his mind.
(Flashback)
JD took slow, deliberate steps backwards upon Lana's admission that Billie was trapped inside the Underworld.
"What?" had been his initial reaction. "How do you know that?" he interrogated, while eying the woman suspiciously. His concerns about who or what she was were growing.
Lana did not move. However, a self-satisfying smirk did appear in response to his question. "How do you think I know that?" she reciprocated smugly.
It took all of JD's strength not to step forward and smack that self-righteous display of satisfaction right off her face. "Are you a demon?" came his accusation.
Lana did not answer his question. Instead, she kept her smirk and turned around to walk away from him. This was enough to break the self-restraint that JD fought to keep in place. Suddenly, he stepped forward grabbing for her arm in a rough manner. She was whirled around coming face to face with him.
"Hey! She better be alright!" he demanded, looking her straight in the eyes. He had heard the expression before that the eyes were the window to the soul but all that JD saw through her glassy stare was his own reflection looking back.
"Let go of me!" Lana seethed through clenched teeth. She cast her glance down towards her arm being grasped firmly by the whitelighter. Then she brought her eyes back up to meet the angry stare of her aggressor. "Or you and Billie may live to regret it!" she finished with her threat.
Slowly, he released his grip on her. "Fine. I wouldn't want your help anyway," he surmised. "I'll just go to the Charmed Ones," he backed away. He turned around preparing to orb when her next retort caught his attention.
"I would reconsider that if I were you," she boldly asserted. "Especially since taking Billie is a trap to lure them there."
JD froze, then turned around. "What are you talking about?"
Lana smiled. "I mean exactly what I said. It's a trap. To distract the Charmed Ones so they can get their hands on the other smaller brats," she explained. "See, it's rather simple really. They discover Billie's missing, they go chasing after her in the Underworld to find her," she continued, "and poof," she motioned with her hands, "baby witches are gone."
Lana began to approach JD with her hands folded behind her back. She swayed her head from side to side and looked up to the sky with a casual air. JD remained still as she approached him, his only interest in her presence was if anything she had to share might help Billie in some way.
"Only they won't find her because the location is sealed off from all magic," Lana revealed, continuing from where she had left off. Then she paused to contemplate her choice of words. "Well sealed off from everybody but me!" she corrected with a smug smile.
"What's your point?" JD impatiently interjected.
"My point IS," she stressed "that the Charmed Ones will be trapped in the Underworld by the Triad until they figure out how to take their power. Their brats will be left alone and vulnerable and somebody will be sent for them," she rolled her eyes.
"Why should I believe anything you say?" challenged JD.
Lana stared at him a few seconds before answering. "Because I want to help," came her simple reply.
"Really?" mocked JD, as he crossed his arms together. "Let me guess? Because you're a demon with a heart, right?" He laughed. "Thanks, but I'll take my chances. I'll find her on my own," he insisted.
JD moved to leave.
"Good luck!" she replied in a fake sugary tone. She was undeterred. "Oh, but in the chance that playing the hero doesn't work out and you do change your mind?" she asserted with a superior air of confidence, "you'll know where to find me. I'll leave a connection open so you can sense my location. You're welcome."
JD stopped and looked back. Lana smiled and waved before shimmering out.
(Flashback Ends)
After dwelling on the encounter, JD became frustrated. This was his second attempt in two days at trying to find Billie with no more luck than he had the first time. It was very clear to him that he was walking in circles and had no idea where he was going. Everything looked the same. Narrow winding pathways that never seemed to end, walls made of solid rock, and a dark atmosphere. How was he supposed to help rescue Billie when he didn't even know where to look? Slowly, he was coming to the conclusion that he might have to take Lana up on her offer. JD was feeling desperate.
After he had orbed away that day, JD had taken some time to reflect on Lana's story and considered that kidnapping Billie was indeed a plausible way of getting to the Charmed Ones. He had decided to leave them out of it for the time being.
Suddenly, JD panicked after he hearing the sound of chattering voices and approaching footsteps. His first instinct had been to just orb out but instead he decided to duck behind a big boulder. With extreme caution, he took a quick peek and watched the demons fade from view. JD released a quick sigh of relief. It had been a close call. He orbed out.
He definitely needed help here.
X
Piper and Paige were both in the attic.
Piper was fully engaged with one particular page in the Book of Shadows. It was the brief section that identified the Triad but as hard as Piper tried, it baffled her on how they were supposed to defeat them. The sisters were already aware of the fact that there weren't any known spells or potions to vanquish them for good and the one potion they had put together earlier in the year would most likely have the same effect. It would only vanquish them in the short term but not permanently.
Paige kept fidgeting in a distracted manner. Every so often, she would glance at her watch or look anxiously towards the attic door. Her anxious behavior went completely unnoticed by Piper who finally, after a long drawn out silence, voiced her thoughts.
"You know, Paige, I'm still not getting how we're going to do this." She kept her eyes on the book. "Okay, so Prue's back and now we're four instead of three. But the book is still the same. All the information is still the same. It's all power of three spells and potions. There's nothing in here on how the four of us are supposed to vanquish demons who are apparently unvanquishable. Let alone how to stop the Triad."
Silence ensued.
When it appeared her concerns went unheard, Piper finally glanced over at her youngest sister. "Paige?" she tried to grab her attention. "Hello? Earth to Paige?" she repeated while waving her hand in front of her face. "Did you hear a word I said?"
Paige brought her wrist up to look at her watch again. "Uh, we did say three o'clock, did we not?" she huffed. "I mean it's three thirty now. We were all supposed to meet up here for three. So where are they?"
Piper smiled. "Paige, relax. They'll be here," she reassured. "Prue's interview probably ran late and Phoebe, well, I'm not exactly sure where Phoebe is right now but she'll definitely show."
"Well, it's good to know one of us is so sure," Paige sighed. "Because I, on the other hand, happen to be a nervous wreck. The Triad is coming after us, we haven't the faintest idea what we're doing, and Prue and Phoebe decide to pull a better late than never on the first day we get together to figure it all out. But relax she tells me."
Paige's mini rant ended and Piper laughed.
"Look, chill out oh restless one," Piper teased. "Believe me, I feel anything but confident right now but we can't let that discourage us. There's got to be a way to do it, we just haven't found the answer yet," she asserted. "This Ultimate Power must be some pretty powerful stuff if even Gideon was afraid of it. The Triad wants it."
"Yeah, maybe we just have to figure out how to tap into it? Maybe we don't even need spells or potions anymore?" Paige contemplated.
"Maybe," Piper mumbled, looking back at the small amount of information detailing the Triad. "But somehow, I doubt it's going to be that simple."
Phoebe waltzed into the attic. There were a string of apologies she was prepared to launch in her defense because she hadn't meant to lose track of time. It was just that she had alot on her mind after Coop's admission a couple days ago and she had taken the initiative to go to the public library and check the archives in the hopes of getting some more background information on the story. Unfortunately, there really wasn't that much else to find. Most of the newspaper articles detailed the same facts that Coop had already shared with her. Phoebe also acknowledged that the library was usually never the most forthcoming place to gather information on demons. After all, she was scanning The Los Angeles Times, not Demonic Newsweek.
"Ah, so glad you could make it!" threw out Paige. "I was beginning to think I was the only one who could tell time around here."
"I know, I'm sorry," Phoebe apologized. "I wasn't trying to flake on you guys. I really did lose track of the time but, wait a minute, where's Prue?" she suddenly noticed their oldest sister was now the only one missing from the group.
"Interview," answered Piper. She removed the Book of Shadows from the podium and walked over to the table with it.
Phoebe followed Piper to the table where potion bottles and potion making tools were set up and ready to go. The plan was for Piper to teach Prue about some of the updated potions, what ingredients to use, and what types of demons each one worked the best on. Then, because Paige had the power most similar to Prue's, she would help Prue strengthen her telekinetic ability. All of the sisters would assist in helping to reawaken the use of her astral projection power or any latent powers that might present themselves.
"So I take it Prue's trying to get her old job back, then?" Phoebe questioned.
Paige moved to join both of her sisters at the table.
"Yup," acknowledged Piper. "You know Prue and that independent streak of hers. If she's not working, then she's bored and feels like she's doing nothing. That's certainly one thing that hasn't changed over the years."
Paige decided to pipe in. "So we're sticking with the original plan, right? I mean, you help Prue to learn the new potions and then we help her reconnect with her powers?"
"That's the plan," confirmed Piper. "But some of it's just going to come with practice. Experience comes with time. Just like it did with us," she stressed. "We can still help her, but the rest is definitely going to depend on her."
"She'll be fine," Phoebe was confident. "Prue just needs to get back into the swing of things, that's all."
"Hey, ya know, it's too bad that Prue and Billie are still in a weird place when it comes to beinng around each other," Paige offered up in thought. "Otherwise, we probably could have used her help here too. Billie's power is the same."
"Mmm," Piper mumbled. "That one might take some time."
Phoebe suddenly thought about Billie. She had been so preoccupied with Coop that she had actually forgotten to inquire about her. She was aware that Billie wanted her own space for awhile but that wouldn't stop Phoebe from showing concern. While she respected Billie's privacy, she still felt obligated to check up on her. After all, she was family.
"Hey, speaking of Billie, have either of you heard from her during the week at all?" she voiced her concern. She looked between Piper and Paige. "I left her a couple messages but she hasn't called me back. It's really not like her to ignore my calls."
"No, come to think of it, she's been pretty quiet," Piper nodded. "Why? You don't think something's wrong do you?" she thought about it some more.
Of all the sisters, Piper knew that Billie would always keep in touch with at least Phoebe. They both related to each other on a certain level and had grown pretty close.
"Uh, guys, helloooo," Paige stressed. "She did say she wanted her space, right? Maybe that also means no phone calls for awhile? I mean, the girl does have to come to grips with some pretty shocking revelations," she offered in Billie's defense.
Phoebe wasn't convinced. Billie wanted her space, yes, but she also knew that Billie would always check in with the three of them to make sure nothing was wrong on their end. "I don't know. Maybe we should check it out just to be sure?"
"Actually, I think I'm a little worried too, Paige," Piper admitted and looked at Phoebe. "But you're her whitelighter, do you think you could try sensing for her?" came her suggestion.
They knew they could very well be overreacting but Piper and Phoebe also believed in following the motto of better safe than sorry. This was especially true with the threat of the Triad looming over them. Billie was connected to them and with everything that happened earlier in the year.
Paige playfully rolled her eyes before closing them and trying to sense for a location. In truth, she really did believe her sisters were just overreacting. She had the uttermost confidence that when she did pick up on a location, it would be inside a college dorm or somewhere else on campus. However, when she received absolutely nothing on Billie in return, her certainty began to waiver. Worry began to take over and her sisters watched her facial expression transform into it.
"Paige, what is it?" Phoebe inquired nervously.
"Is she okay?" came Piper's follow-up question.
Paige opened her eyes, shaking her head. "I, uh, I can't sense her," she stammered out, suddenly feeling guilty that she had been so sure nothing could be wrong. How could I be so stupid with everything going on, she admonished herself.
"Oh no. That can't be good!" Phoebe began to feel panic. "Paige, can you orb and go see if you can find her?"
"But I don't understand," Paige felt confused. "If something was wrong, I should have heard her crying out for help, why didn't I hear that?"
Piper put up her hand to calm her sisters down. Although, she felt anything but calm until they found out for sure whether or not Billie was safe. "Paige, then maybe nothing is wrong. But all the more reason to check it out like Phoebe suggested."
"Fine," Paige relented. "Let me do a quick orb over there just to be sure. Hopefully, I won't be long but if Prue shows up, just wait for me."
Paige orbed away while her two sisters stood watching. She was just praying that she didn't have to return to the manor with bad news.
X
Prue sat in the chair across from the man.
The man was silent and scanning through her old portfolio work. Time felt like it was at a complete stand still. He tapped his fingers against the top of his desk. The interview with 415 Magazine had initially been scheduled for two o'clock but she had been left waiting for an hour. She was annoyed especially since she was due to meet up with her sisters for a gathering intended to reintroduce her into her magical life.
Prue took a quick glance at her watch.
"Do you have somewhere more pressing to be, Ms. Halliwell?" he suddenly inquired. When he spoke, he didn't look up at her.
Prue was momentarily taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"That's the third time you've glanced at your watch," he scolded her like a child. He slammed the portfolio shut, his actions causing her to jump in her chair.
His stare met with hers.
"Well, actually, I ... " she began to stammer but the man abruptly cut her off.
"To be honest, I've seen better," he insulted her work. "Now you may have worked at this magazine in the past but things change. Business grows, work expectations shift in new directions, and I happen to be the one in charge now."
Prue narrowed her eyes. "Okay?"
"Five years is a long time to be out of the field," he distracted himself with his phone. "What happened exactly?"
Prue was caught off guard. How exactly was she to explain it? Tell him that she played dead the past five years and couldn't remember her own profession? She began picking at her cuticles and contemplating what to say when the rude man jumped back in.
"Let me guess?" he gave a snide smirk. "You were fired? You do realize a simple background check can reveal that to me. No point in trying to hide it."
"No, I wasn't fired," Prue shot back in aggravation. "I had my daughter."
What a pompus ass, she thought to herself.
"I see," he sighed. "Well, sorry, but I just don't feel you'd be a proper fit with us at this time."
"Right. I see." Prue mimicked him and got up from her chair to reach for her portfolio. It took all of her self control to bite her tongue and hold back every single word she really wanted to unleash on him. She extended her hand to thank him for the interview and to display some professional business etiquette that he apparently lacked. "Thank you for your time and I'm sorry you feel that way," she offered.
"You can have your parking validated on the way out," he announced behind her after she turned to leave. "Our personal assistant will handle it."
However, before exiting the office, Prue stopped at the door and turned back around. With a smug smile set in place, she finally gave in and couldn't resist throwing the man one dig before leaving for good. "You know what, I just want to thank you for saving me from making the biggest mistake. Which would have been agreeing to work for you."
"Pardon me?" the man retorted.
"No, I don't think so," Prue shot back. "You know, I used to really love my job here. I don't know what mistaken presumptions you made about me but I do my research. In the time that you've been the one in charge here," she mocked, "distribution and profit have gone down. The magazine's sale quota is not what it used to be. That's too bad. This magazine used to be considered one of the best to work for in the area. "
The man stood up abruptly not taking too kindly to being insulted. "Now hold it right there ..."
"No, you can hold it," Prue cut him off. "Apparently, a kindergarten class would do a better job running this magazine. So I think you're right. I wouldn't be a proper fit at this time. Maybe give me a call back after my four year old is in charge? Oh. And one more thing. Learn to be on time" she gave him a look and grabbed for the door knob.
The man watched her departure.
After exiting the office, Prue leaned back against the door and closed her eyes. She groaned and reached into her purse in search of the car keys. Piper had lent her the car for the interview but now she needed to get back to the manor. She was already late and as good as it felt to stick it to the man sitting behind the door, Prue knew she was still left in the same position she had been before walking in here. She had no job.
"Thanks," Prue looked up and directed her words at the Elders. "You can UPS my belongings across the country, right, but you can't give me my old job back?"
She huffed before finally walking away.
X
"What do you mean she thwarted your attack?" came the angry Triad's question.
Gideon and the other Triad members stood together inside the Underworld cavern belonging to the Triad collective. The darklighter had summoned them in order to report back on the failed mission but, more importantly, to explain why it had failed. They had a traitor in their midst.
"I mean, she saved the whitelighter's life and made an attempt against mine," the darklighter stressed before the entire collective. "This woman bore the mark of your collective. There was no mistaking who she is!"
"Lana!" the SECOND Triad seethed through his clenched teeth. "Damn it! I always feared her mortal side would ruin her. She's not strong enough to resist it!"
The first Triad rolled his eyes. "We don't know for sure she has betrayed us," he defended her. "What if it's all part of the plan? To exploit her human side and make them believe she's turned away from our ways?"
"You weren't there to see it," the SECOND Triad argued back passionately. "It was I who witnessed first hand how she struggled with her mortal ties. Not you! We prepared Lana to enter the mortal realm as Christy but I still had to take extra measures to keep her from being drawn into that world completely."
"If she's turned on us, we'll have to take immediate action," the THIRD Triad member contributed to the discussion. "We can't risk anything getting back to the Charmed Ones, she knows way too much!"
Gideon was the only Triad member to remain completely silent. He stood in the background, hands folded behind his back with a smug smile in place, while he listened to the doubt spreading like a disease through the rest of the collective. It was exactly what he had hoped to accomplish so that Lana would be nothing more than a memory to him. Now, it appeared as if her own actions had added credibility to what he had been claiming all along. Thank you for making this so much easier, he thought snidely.
"We can't take any unnecessary risks this time," added the SECOND Triad. "It's important that we make all the right moves otherwise there won't be anymore chances," he stressed. "We need to take her out if only to be safe. Besides, like Gideon already pointed out, what use is she to us anymore?"
"Yes. She's served her purpose!" the THIRD Triad readily agreed.
The FIRST Triad thought about the risks that were involved before deciding to agree with his fellow members. "Very well," he relented. "We'll need to strip her powers, together, in order to banish her from this collective. Without the Ultimate Power to vanquish her, that's the only other way to rid ourselves of her for good."
"Agreed!" the entire Triad replied in unison.
Then the FIRST Triad turned back to address the darklighter still within their presence. "You may depart from us to carry on with your mission," he instructed. "The other matter will be taken care of by us."
"As you wish, my lords," the darklighter bowed his head before the collective and then dark orbs appeared. He left the Underworld.
As the darklighter departed, Gideon turned around with his back facing the others. He had a big smug smile of satisfaction.
X
Lana opened the door and walked inside. A creaking noise coming from the floor inside the small shed could be heard as she stepped across it. She took a moment to gaze around the empty abandoned structure. It had been a place she had come to often during her childhood years. It was a place where Dumain had taken her while they had been in hiding. Alot of her early training had begun here before they had secured a place inside the Underworld. Dumain had called it human desensitizing.
Lana could still remember that first lesson she had taken to heart at the expense of a poor injured animal. She had been a young child. The unfortunate incident had occured one particular day after Dumain had left her to fend for herself. She had ventured out of the small shed located in a secure area within the woods.
(Memory Flashback)
(Warning: I just wanted to make readers aware that there is a small part in here that involves an animal death. Therefore, if you are squeamish when it comes to animals being hurt you might want to skim over the second part of this flashback that's in italics. It's nothing too graphic but there is a mention of blood)
A six year old Lana wanders out into her surroundings and into an area covered by tall trees that appear to spread for miles. The bright sun momentarily blinds her as she instinctively squints her small brown eyes against the brightness while bringing her hand up above her eyes to shield them from the light.
She could remember feeling lonely. Dumain had clearly instructed her to remain inside until he returned but it felt scary being by herself for so long. Recently, they had been taking alot of time to harness her special gifts, gifts that Lana never even knew she held. It was hard at times because Lana really didn't want to do it but Dumain would get very mean and since he was the only father figure she had, she wanted to please him. She didn't want to make him mad so she gave in and did as he asked of her.
Lana had been working on her ability to shimmer from one place to the next so when she had tried it by herself she had accidentally found herself outside as a result. Now that she was outside, her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she left the shed behind roaming into the woods. It felt like her small legs were walking forever until all the trees stopped spreading out before her and she came out into an open clearing.
In the distance, she could make out what appeared to be other people inside of a small enclosure. Slowly, she crossed over the grass until she came into close contact with the smaller people like her and the bigger people like Dumain. She observed the people laughing and smiling and having a good time. The small people like her where climbing up something and then sliding down it. Others were sitting down and swinging on a seat. A smile crossed her lips. Why doesn't Dumain let me do that, her young mind wondered. They look like they're having real fun. Why doesn't Dumain let me have real fun? He always wanted to hide her away and keep her a secret. She suddenly felt bad at the sight of all the other mommies and daddies laughing and hugging the other children. These other kids weren't hiding.
"Hi! What's your name?" came the voice of another child who had approached her.
Lana was startled so she jumped and stared at the other little girl about her same height. She didn't say a word and slowly took small steps backwards.
"My name's Christy," the other little girl offered. "Do you want to come and play with me? C'mon!" she waved as she ran in the direction of the big kid swings.
Lana hesitated before taking steps in the same direction. Christy held one of the swings for her while sitting on one of her own. "Here, this one's for you."
Without speaking, Lana sat in the swing while Christy began using her legs to make herself swing higher. Lana wasn't exactly sure what to do so she just sat on the swing, gently swaying, as she watched the other little girl.
"That's my mommy over there," Christy explained, pointing in the direction of a woman with blonde hair sitting on the bench. "And that's my sister," she added. "But she's too little for these swings."
Lana moved her eyes in the direction of the smiling woman on a bench, a little girl with matching blond hair next to her. The other little girl appeared to be crying as the woman tended to a scrape on the child's knee. Then the mommy pulled the little girl in for a hug while offering some soothing words to calm her. Lana felt a tinge of jealousy course inside her because she didn't have that. Why did these kids have a mommy to help them but she didn't?
"She's a big baby," young Christy explained with a roll of her eyes. "It's just a tiny scratch. She fell off the swing and got hurt. She's four and I'm six. Hey, how old are you?"
Lana just shrugged.
"Where's your mom?"
Suddenly, their attention was drawn to a group of kids huddling near the tree and Christy jumped off the swing to go join them. Lana got out of answering the question but she decided to get up and slowly trail behind. After she came upon the huddled group, she caught sight of what had everyone's attention.
A baby bird.
"Look, I think it broke a wing," cried another little girl in the huddle, pointing down at it.
"It fell from the tree," announced a little boy. "I think it was trying to fly but forgot how to do it," he concluded with a firm shake of his head.
"It's going to die without it's mommy," replied a second little girl from the group.
"Well maybe the mommy didn't want it anymore!" another little boy boldly suggested. "Maybe she got a new one."
Lana tilted her head, observing the squirming bird. A small bird left alone without a mommy to help it, a mommy who didn't want it. Just like her. Maybe my special powers can help it, she thought. Or maybe Dumain could show me how to do it? Then she knelt down and cupped her two small hands around the bird to lift it up. All the other children watched with curiosity.
"Hey, don't touch it!" yelled one little boy. "It might have rabies!"
"Ew!" all the children in the huddle screeched, turning around to run away from her and the bird in her hands. The only other child left standing with her was the other little girl named Christy.
"I don't think the mommy didn't want it," Christy shared. "And I don't think it's got rabies either."
This time, Lana allowed a small smile to form on her face but that was only until she could sense the anger coming at her in waves. Dumain. He must have gotten back and found her missing. She had to get back right away.
"I have to go back," she spoke to Christy for the first time, turning around with the baby bird still in her hands.
She could hear Christy telling her good bye as she made her way back to the woods, preparing herself to try and shimmer back instead of walking the entire distance. After trying, she had been successful in her attempt.
(Memory Flashback Ends)
Lana took a deep breath and sighed. She walked over to the area of the floor that held the part of the memory that made her shudder.
(Memory Flashback)
Dumain was angry. Very angry, observed young Lana. Her small lips began to quiver as she fought hard not to make herself cry. That would only make things worse. No, she had to show she could be strong like him.
He approached her and slapped her across the face. The impact sent a stinging sensation through her cheek. She brought one small hand up to cover that side of her face while struggling to cradle the bird with her free arm.
"You have been told never to wander away without my permission! Where have you been? Did anybody see you?" he hollered with a piercing screech. Then he finally caught sight of the small animal huddled in her arm. "And what is that?" he demanded in disgust.
"A bird," she declared without hesitation, using both hands to hold it out before him. "I thought we could help it to fly."
Dumain stared at the small child after her proclamation registered. A sneer appeared on his face before bringing his hand up to knock it out of her hands. Lana looked down in shock as Dumain brought his foot up and stomped on the injured bird, it's blood splattering across parts of the floor. Her small eyes widened in shock before she remembered to cover up her reaction. Quickly, she did so as a blank look registered on her face. However, inside, she really felt like crying.
"There!" he announced with sickening pride. "See? Now it doesn't have to worry about flying anymore," he declared.
Lana swallowed. Dumain bent his head down in front of hers, coming face to face with her. His eyes locked with her wide-eyed stare.
"Let me be clear about something," he seethed. "There are only two types that exist in this world and the next. There are the hunters," he paused for a dramatic effect, "and then there's the prey. Those who choose to live a mortal existence are the prey. You'll do well to remember that, Lana."
(Memory Flashback Ends)
Lana remembered from that day forward.
The incident served as her initiation into a world that would be void of any type of emotional ties or connections. It started out as a game of survival for her. The feelings continued to resurface but she would force them down. When Dumain began taking her on his killing sprees, the squeamish feelings within the pit of her stomach would always accompany her but only in the beginning. Slowly, that survival instinct that required her to put effort into burying emotions became effortless. A blank wall was constructed over time until finally she felt nothing and as she got older and watched Dumain take human life, she eventually felt nothing at all. She no longer spent her time dwelling on why she was different from other kids. The need to connect and be like other kids disappeared. Her questions and thoughts about her parentage were pushed into the recesses of her mind as her primary thought function became kill or be killed. It was take what you need in order to survive and do what you are told in order to survive.
It was many years later when Lana came to understand the truth behind Dumain's long absences. He had, in fact, bartered her to the Underworld since part of her lineage traced back to the powerful and unstoppable Triad. He had brought his plan before the members and when they finally agreed to the conditions, it was only then that they had secured a permanent place in the Underworld. Up until that point, Dumain had chosen the abandoned shed to reside in because it had been the safest location to observe the children from a distance. Christy and Billie. It was the same little girl she had met in the playground that day. Apparently, their mother had frequented that particular park with them alot and Dumain had been keeping an eye on them for some time until he had been ready to make his move. The two children had been an important part of making his plan succeed. Lana could still remember the day young Christy had been brought into the depths of the Underworld, with her not so imaginary friend, completely frightened and alone. They had wanted the other sister but decided to alter the plans which would involve herself.
The blood stains had faded over time but they were still visible on the wood surface. Lana stared at it before sitting down. She touched them.
Some of those old feelings were resurfacing. What was she supposed to do? She had never known anything about her mortal ties. If they were still out there, would complete strangers even accept her especially if they knew about the bad part of her? Part of her still felt the need to embrace the old ways of the hunter, like Dumain had taught her; however, the buried human side to her was waking back up. It had been for awhile and even felt it emerging while she was pretending to be Christy earlier in the year. The desire to connect with the mortal world was present.
Lana was pulled from her thoughts at the sight of blue and white orbs appearring before her. Quickly, she stood to her feet preparing to defend herself against the intruder until she remembered she had left an open connection. JD stood before her.
"I give up," he announced sullenly. "Just help me get Billie back and I'll do whatever you need me to," he relented.
The two of them stood staring at each other.
X
Prue strolled into the attic, finding two sisters instead of three awaiting her arrival. Paige was the only one of them absent.
"Hey," Prue offered with a deep sigh.
Both Piper and Phoebe looked over in her direction at her greeting.
"Good, you're back," Phoebe was the first one to comment. She offered her sister a warm and supportive smile. "How did it go?"
"It's Miss 415 Magazine, everybody," Piper teased, while writing on some pieces of paper. "I take it you got hired if the interview went that long."
Prue smiled faintly in return. "Yeah, sorry, I really didn't mean to run this late," she apologized. "But that stupid interview didn't even start when it was supposed to. And I got stuck waiting all that time for nothing."
Piper lifted her head and looked directly at Prue. "Oh no," she strung out, picking up right away that things didn't go so well. "So that job is a no go?"
Prue let out a laugh. "No. That interview should have been a no show."
"That bad?" Phoebe gave a slight frown.
Prue turned to Phoebe. "Define bad. That magazine is not the same. It's turned into a joke with someone like that to run it. I worked my butt off when I was there and you'd think that would count for something. He completely dismissed my work history there. That guy isn't even fit enough to run a marathon, let alone a magazine."
Piper and Phoebe both took a glance at each other.
"Okay," Prue confessed. "That's kind of mean and a low blow. But, look, he really was a jerk!" Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the table and began inspecting assorted items scattered all over it. "So here I am," she continued on. "The pitiful, widowed, jobless, has-been witch. At your service."
"Prue?" Piper felt bad Prue was down on herself. "You'll find something else."
Phoebe reached out to pull her sister closer to her. She rested her head against Prue's. "Yeah, besides. You're our pitiful, widowed, jobless, has-been witch," she pouted her lips to try and get Prue to lighten up on herself. "And we still love you anyway."
Prue wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, thanks," she mocked. Gently, she pulled back and away from Phoebe.
Piper was preparing some of the potion mixtures. "And I really wouldn't be so quick to jump on the widowed train just yet. Leo's working on that for ya."
"I know Leo means well," Prue looked down and picked up one of the potion bottles Piper just filled. "The Elders just don't strike me as the change their mind types."
Piper shared a look with Phoebe.
"Honey, relax!" Phoebe instructed her big sister. "It might not even be up to the Elders. And you'll find another job, don't worry. It's not like you're homeless or anything," she tried to offer up on the bright side. "Besides, being a witch IS a full-time job," she stressed.
"Amen to that," Piper agreed. "If we got paid for every demon vanquish we finished, I swear we'd be millionaires by now."
Phoebe laughed. "Hey, there's an idea Prue. Maybe Fangoria magazine is looking for new photographers. You could bring your camera along on our next vanquish. Let the public see what a real horror is all about."
Prue playfully swatted her sister's arm.
"I'm kidding," Phoebe lifted her arms up in defense and laughed again.
"Okay, well the two of you can kid yourselves over this way," Piper gently chided. "We got some serious work to do if we don't want to end up being the ones vanquished."
Piper had taken the initiative to divide the ingredients up for each potion. As Prue and Phoebe flanked her at each side, she handed each of them a set of ingredients and a paper listing the function of the potion and which demons were affected by it the most. Phoebe was already familiar with her list and most of the information but the purpose of this exercise was for Prue to become familiar too. Prue skimmed over her own list. It described certain potions which enhanced certain powers witch powers that could be used while fighting demons. Powers they may not individually possess on their own. One potion was an imitation of Piper's power that would cause demons to explode. Another potion was a glamouring potion. It would allow her to change her appearance if necessary. That's actually pretty cool, Prue had thought.
"Why don't we try using our active powers together once Paige gets back," Piper then suggested.
"Goodie," cracked Prue.
The potion making session was cut short by the sudden reappearance of Paige. She orbed back into the attic, a very serious expression plastered across her face. All three sisters turned their attention to her when the orbs materialized in front of them. Paige immediately stepped forward to address all three of them.
"You guys, I think Billie's in some serious trouble," she announced somewhat out of breath.
X
Billie struggled with focusing all her energy into projecting her freedom. She had been attempting this for hours with very little success. All her frustration was finally catching up with her and she groaned, deciding to give up.
It's no use, she resigned. Those stones heard her entire dream and Gideon must have them blocking her magic. It was official, she was so screwed.
A shuffling noise finally caught her attention and signaled to her that someone most likely just entered the cavern again. Great, Gideon, was her automatic assumption. She didn't want to endure round three, four, or was it five now?
"Who's there?" Billie called out into the open, expecting one of Gideon's many retorts to come flying back her way. Although, the response she received in return was anything but what she had been expecting.
"Ssh," came a low whisper.
Billie felt an eerie sense of familiarity. Okay, maybe I'm finally losing it, she reasoned. She probably only thought she heard that. However, the paralyzing sensation covering her entire body was fading slowly and feeling settled back into her legs. The stones must have been moved away from her. Slowly, Billie attempted to move some of her limbs and while they felt stiff and sore, she could at least apply some minor movement to them. Oh thank you, she began praising. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Billie attempted to sit up and could feel the stiffness in her shoulders and back. She grimaced from the pain but instantly felt another arm come to her aid and assist her off of the ground. That's when she finally came face to face with her rescuer.
"JD!" she screeched. Instantly, she grabbed for him and pulled him into a tight squeeze. "I can't believe it's you. You saved my life!" she held onto him for dear life.
JD held onto her tightly, a smile of extreme relief spreading across his face. He was just so grateful she was alive and that he hadn't been lured into some trap only to find her dead. He would not have been able to handle something like that. Billie wanted to be friends and he would respect that, but JD realized he had been falling for her.
Gently, he pulled back from her. He cupped the sides of her head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "We need to get out of here," came his quick reply back. He reached out for her, attempting to drag her along. "Now."
"Wait! How did you even find me ... " but her sentence trailed off when she finally caught sight of the woman standing in the background. JD turned to follow her gaze as Billie clung to his arm, while pulling both of them backwards.
"Billie, uh, wait ..." he began but was cut off instantly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Billie demanded. "Stay away from me, I know you're not really my sister."
Billie suddenly erupted into a coughing frenzy. She made a fist and brought it up against her mouth. Her throat was even drier than before, her body was dehydrated, and she desperately needed some water.
Lana pulled out the water bottle they had brought, stepped forward, and handed it over to JD. Billie was hunched over, trying to get control of her coughing spurts. JD rested his hand against her back as reached out to offer her the bottle. She grabbed for it and quickly began gulping it down. Then she took a moment to breathe. After gathering her composure, she turned to address JD once more.
"What are you doing here with her?" she demanded to know. "She's a demon. You can't trust her. Do you realize you could have gotten yourself killed?"
"Half," JD tried correcting her.
Fortunately for Billie but unfortunately for him, Lana had upheld her end of the bargain. He knew he would be obligated to uphold his part. JD had listened to the tale that she shared with him earlier. Hopefully, helping her to unearth her mortal ties would be all that she wanted from him.
"What?" Billie questioned, feeling lost and missing his point.
"Half demon," he elaborated. "Lana's half human. Half demon."
"Oh. Okay," Billie huffed. "My mistake. She's only half demon. I feel so much safer than I did a minute ago," she cracked. "JD, are you serious? Half human or not this woman is a fraud. A demon. She pretended to be my sister so the Triad could kill me and my family. Or someone else looking like her did," she shook her head, feeling a bit confused on that part. "But whatever. That's not Christy. In fact, I don't care who she is."
Lana smirked. "No, Billie, it was me," she admitted willingly. She watched as the shock registered on the young witch's face. "See, after you killed me, it only lasted for a short time. I can't be vanquished, I'm unvanquishable. Part of me is the Triad."
"What?" came Billie's astonished response. Okay. When she thought demon she definitely hadn't been expecting that.
"But," Lana interjected. "With a little help from JD over there, which he's promised to do," she stressed, staring in his direction. "That might not be a problem for very long."
In a defensive posture, Billie crossed her arms as she turned to glare at him. She didn't say a word and gave him the opportunity to challenge Lana's words. However, JD brought his head down and broke away from her intense stare.
"She's the only reason I found you," JD admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry but I had to promise. There was no other way," he defended.
Billie shook her head. "No other way, JD? Helping her is probably a trap. Why didn't you just go to my family for help?" she pleaded.
"Hey. Can we just get out of here, please?" JD took a nervous glance around. "We can argue about it somewhere else. This entire cavern is protected by dark magic and your family never would have found you here," he emphasized. "Taking you was a trap set up for them. It had nothing to do with me."
Lana looked at the stones still lying on the ground. Too bad the magic sealing this cavern is protecting them too, she reflected. They would have helped her alot. They were protected by the dark magic so Lana knew they couldn't be removed or taken from the cavern except by Gideon. He could return at any moment.
"E-hem!" Lana cleared her throat to grab their attention. "Look, I hate to break up this little love fest you got going but if Gideon walks in on it that means none of us are getting out of here alive. My advice? Carry on with this elsewhere. I'm outta' here."
"Whatever," Billie rolled her eyes. "Let's go."
Lana turned on her heels to leave the cavern. Her parting comment could be heard as she disappeared out of sight. "And we'll be in touch."
"C'mon," Billie urged. "She's right, we do need to get out of here. Gideon could come back at any time," Grabbing for JD's hand, they exited the cavern together only to find that Lana was already long gone.
"You can orb us back to the manor?" she asked him. "The rest of my family needs to know about Gideon and what he's planning on doing."
Those were the final words shared between them as Billie latched onto JD and he orbed them from out of the dark Underworld lair. As far as Billie was concerned, it would be too soon if she ever come back here.
X
The three women stared at Paige.
Phoebe finally broke the silence. "Okay, Paige, how do you know that?" she interrogated, worry gnawing inside her gut. She walked away from the table to stand in front of her sister. "Did you talk to her?"
Paige groaned. "No. What I mean is she wasn't there. Her room mate said she hasn't been back there for days. In fact, she just assumed she came back home here. She also hasn't even been to any of her classes this week. Of course, I quickly covered up by lying and saying that Billie was sick and staying with us."
Piper listened and quickly glanced over at Prue. Since the truth had come out, her sister hadn't shared much about any of her feelings when it came to Billie. Prue was still adjusting to everything and they didn't want to push her to talk about anything she wasn't comfortable talking about. However, she did happen to catch a quick look of concern that passed over her sister's face.
"Prue, she'll be alright," Piper offered as if there were no room to argue it. Prue looked over at her sister. "She's strong, like you."
"Sure," she shrugged. "Whatever you guys say, right? I mean, you three know her better than I do."
Phoebe walked over to offer her support. "That's going to change."
Phoebe's power of empathy had sprung to life as Prue's emotions gave off like a sounding board. She could feel all the emotions as if they were her own. The most prominent emotion was the guilt. Prue felt like this had been her fault. If she hadn't returned in the first place, Billie wouldn't have felt uprooted from the manor.
"Yeah, listen Prue. If it's anyone's fault it's mine," Paige decided to take the blame, her own guilt eating away at her. "I'm her whitelighter. I should have picked up that something was wrong. So I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Look, you guys. I appreciate the support and everything but I'm not falling apart over here," Prue protested gently. "Really. Let's just find her and make sure she's okay," she instructed. "And, Paige?" she added. "This isn't your fault. I don't blame you."
Paige smiled then walked over to the table to be closer to her sisters. Prue was slightly embarrassed Phoebe had been able to read her so easily. She still felt confused on how to even relate to a grown daughter she knew nothing about. Prue didn't want to force a relationship on the poor girl. After all, she was practically a stranger. Piper and Phoebe just shared a look with each other. They both knew Prue always had the tendency to bury the painful parts of her past and then pretend to move on with life as if those events didn't bother her. It could be like pulling teeth to get her to confront and deal with her emotions. They both sighed and turned their attention back to rescuing Billie. There was no point in arguing with Prue about it.
"Okay," began Piper. "So Billie has been missing from campus and we know for sure that she hasn't been here at the manor. She hasn't been to either of your places so that leaves the Underworld."
"Right," Phoebe agreed.
Quickly, Piper reached for the map and the scrying tools. She handed one to each of her sisters and then spread the map out on the empty area of the table. The four women huddled closely together as they each attempted to scry for a possible location on Billie. Then quite suddenly, the book's pages began flipping on their own until it landed on a page of its choosing.
"Whoa, what's going on?" announced Phoebe.
"So. The book still does that, huh?" Prue smirked, remembering a few instances when that had happened in her presence.
At the same time, both Piper and Paige bent over to read what the book had opened itself up to. All they felt was confusion.
"The summoning spell?" Paige questioned. "I fail to see how that's going to help us unless she's dead. Which she's not," she quickly reaffirmed, glancing at Prue.
"Yeah, I don't get why it stopped there," Piper shook her head.
"Unless it's going to summon somebody from the afterlife who knows where she is?" Paige shrugged her shoulders.
Prue thought for a moment until another idea struck her. "Hey, isn't there some kind of spell in there to summon a lost witch?" she inquired. "Maybe it meant to stop there?"
Phoebe sighed. "Yeah, there is, but usually the book stops where it's supposed to. I think we should just go with it and see what happens."
All four sisters looked to each other before they moved in closer to form a small huddle. Piper picked up the book as she and Prue stood side by side, each grasping one end of it. Paige flanked Piper's side while Phoebe stood next to Prue. The sisters began to recite the spell together.
"Hear these words, Hear my cry, Spirit from the Other Side, I call to thee, I summon thee, Cross now the Great Divide," they finished in unison.
A gust of wind could be felt as a pair of white orbs separated from a pair of blue and white orbs. There, in the middle of the attic, formed a woman and a man. They were two people that all the sisters were familiar with.
"Mom?" Piper and Phoebe cried out simultaneously.
"Dad?" came Paige's follow up response.
Prue locked eyes with the woman standing before them. "Mom."
Patty's eyes misted over at the sight of her eldest daughter standing before her, back home where she belonged. She smiled.
Almost instantly, Paige understood why they were both here. Together. They had come to share the news about Prue with all of them. Great, this couldn't have come at worse time, she thought after looking between her parents and her sisters. She wanted the truth to come out but not while they were all stressed out about Billie.
Paige looked up to the heavens, closed her eyes, and then shook her head.
To Be Continued: Alright, another chapter is done. Sorry I can't keep my updates on a specific time table right now like I wanted to but I will continue to post as I finish. I hope you liked the chapter and please don't forget to review.
Coming Up: the truth about Prue is revealed, Leo and Coop are summoned away by the Afterlife Council to determine Andy's fate, Gideon is finally unmasked and Piper falls victim to an unexpected accident. Stay Tuned.