Lost Charms
By
Mark Jenks
THE MISSING PRINCESS Lost Charms By Mark Jenks Chapter 1 The Party Paige Matthews was a witch who had an enormous hole in her soul and at times like this she would always be reminded of it. For most people, a family gathering is an opportunity to reestablish lifelong connections and a chance to reenergize themselves in the love of family. For most people there is never a better time than being with their family. For some people it’s a pain in the neck to have to be forced to be with people who know all of your flaws and know how to push all of your buttons. For Paige Matthews, it was neither. It was a time to be reminded of what she had missed. For her it was a time to miss her adoptive parents, the people who raised and loved her as she was growing up. It was also a time to remember that she once had a sister that she had never had the opportunity to meet. Shortly after the deaths of her parents she found out that she had been adopted, and she found out that she was a witch. She also found out that she had three sisters that she never known about and that she had a whole other family which she also never knew about. Unfortunately, by the time of that discovery, one of those sisters had already been killed and buried. Over the subsequent years, her newfound sisters, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, rarely talked about their departed sister Prudence (Prue for short). It was obvious that the pain of her death still hung over the two of them like a shroud and they generally just shut her out of their minds. Sure, Paige would occasionally ask questions about Prue, and Piper and Phoebe would answer them: but the answers were always brief and factual. She got little feeling from her sisters of who Prue really was. There weren’t many stories or anecdotes told about her that would give her a clue as to who this missing sister really had been. She sat quietly on the couch watching the partygoers. Piper and Leo were there with the kids, as were Phoebe and her husband Coop. Paige’s husband Henry played games with little Wyatt and Chris while the adults filled their plates with all kinds of tasty looking treats. As usual, the spirits of her biological mother and grandmother were also in attendance, not eating anything but telling all sorts of amusing stories. Paige once asked Piper about why they didn’t use the same summoning spell to call up the spirit of Prue that they used to call up the other two spirits. Piper told her that she had tried many times. Shortly after Prue’s death, Piper tried relentlessly to call on the spirit of Prue, but she was never able to succeed. Grams told her that Piper and Phoebe wouldn’t be able to summon Prue’s spirit until they were able to let her go forever. Obviously they hadn’t yet reached that point. Then it struck her. Maybe Piper and Phoebe had that restriction, but Paige didn’t. She had never met Prue and she had little emotional interest in her at all beyond the need to satisfy her curiosity. Maybe Paige could summon Prue by herself. After a few more minutes of consideration, she quietly slipped away and made her way to the attic. She had decided that it couldn’t hurt to give it a try. Who knows: maybe she’d be able bring back a real surprise to this party. If she failed, no one would know. She slipped silently away from the party, and if she had to, she could return just as quietly. If anyone asked where she had gone, she would just point at the bathroom. She would never have to admit that she had failed: but maybe she would succeed. The attic was a rather dusty and disarrayed room with boxes, trunks and other memorabilia scattered around the edges. In the center of the room, in a place of reverence stood a single bookstand holding a single book. The Book of Shadows: which in many ways was the heart of the old home. The book held most of the spells that had been laid down in its pages throughout the many generations of Halliwells: all of whom were also witches. It was this book that so often supplied the answers to questions raised by the three sisters that were fated to become the long awaited Charmed Ones. In the attic Paige opened the Book of Shadows to the correct page and set out the candles. Since the spell that they would regularly use to summon spirits was in current use, (Holding her Mother and Grandmother on Earth), she decided to try a different spell: one that she wrote herself and one that should, she thought, work just as well the usual spell. As she placed the proper ingredients into the pot, while standing in the middle of the candles she intoned the spell, which she had modified to include Prue’s name, making sure that there would be no misunderstandings of which witch the spell was meant for. Witches lost and witches found, Spirit lost in the great beyond, Hear this Charmed One call to you, Let me meet you, my sister Prue A whirlwind rose up from the rim of the magic circle growing brighter and brighter, swirling with balls of light that looked like the lights involved in orbing. Orbing is the means that a White Lighter uses for transportation. Paige was one half White Lighter and was no stranger to the phenomenon, but she was definitely surprised as the whirlwind turned her into her Orbing form and swept her away with the rest of the lights. Losing sight of the attic: her consciousness fell into darkness as she left this plane of existence. Chapter 2 The Alley Prue Halliwell lay in bed feeling nostalgic and thinking about how life had changed for her. A little over five years ago she and her sisters had been in a battle to the death, and it looked very much like they were all going to die. On that fateful day, with her body battered and broken, when she could feel her spirit slipping away, an elder came and whisked her away. The freaky thing was that he seemed to be carrying another Prue in his other arm, which he lay down in the place that she had occupied just a few minutes earlier. She passed out and found herself healed and laying in the manor on the same bed that she was now laying upon. The last five years had been incredibly difficult for her. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was not living in the same timeline that she grew up in. In this world, her sisters Piper and Phoebe were killed by demons before they had ever received their powers. She was, in this place, very alone and she was still being pursued by demons. It wasn’t till her White Lighter showed up for the first time that she began to get any understanding of what had happened to her. He explained to her that the Prue of that world had been killed by demons only moments before she was being killed in her own world. He explained that the Elders of his world decided to bring her to their world to prevent her final death too. After the irreversible death of that world’s Prue there were no potential Charmed Ones left, and without any Charmed Ones, the world would be doomed to a thousand years of darkness. The Elders knew that with her Piper and Phoebe still being alive (although they didn’t bother to explain that to her), her home world still had Charmed Ones, so they grabbed Prue and brought her into this world. They needed a Charmed One and they decided that she had to take the place of the Prue who had died. By leaving the dead Prue behind, the Elder had convinced her sisters that she had really died. She figured that that had probably kept them from looking for her. She had many times tried to get back home over the years, but she had always failed, but it seemed that whenever she would make the attempt, her use of powers would attract some demon or warlock. The only good thing about being this world was that she wasn’t under the same constant attack that came with being part of the Charmed Ones. As far as the bad guys of this world knew, there were no Charmed Ones: to them, it was just an old prophecy that had never come true. On the other hand, it also meant that without the Power of Three, she was just a normal witch and much more vulnerable than she had ever been when she was with her sisters. Still, while there existed a Halliwell in this world, there was a chance that in some future generation, the Charmed Ones may yet arise, so she had to survive and ensure that there will be future generations to spawn those Charmed Ones that would some day come. She, of all people, understood how important that was. She lay there with her arm over her eyes… then she heard it. The alarm that she had thought she would never hear rang quietly. Four years earlier, when she realized that she probably would never find her way home by herself, she created a very special spell and cast it on an old brass compass that she had found in the attic. That spell had now been activated. She had reasoned that even though she wasn’t able to find her way home: that didn’t mean that, if by some miracle they were still alive, Piper and Phoebe wouldn’t come looking for her, so she created a charm that would tell her if one of her sisters ever crossed the void and entered this world. Now it was ringing! Prue bolted out of the bed, grabbed the compass and a coat and headed out the door, following the pointer on the compass, leading, she hoped, to either Phoebe or Piper, or maybe both. For the first time in years, she finally had some hope that she might actually get home. In the other world she would have called for Leo, their White Lighter, to orb her to wherever the compass was leading: but in this world, she didn’t particularly care for the White Lighter that she had been assigned, so instead she took the car. The warlock sensed the magic of the compass and reacted quickly. He grabbed his knife and lit out in search of the witch. His senses were well honed and he sensed a very powerful witch nearby, and he also sensed something else but he wasn’t quite sure what is was yet, so he decided to hunt the witch in the stealth mode. He blinked into invisibility and reached out with his senses. A warlock is a being who hunts witches, and if they are able, slays them and steals their powers. Therefore, they are able to sense their prey in the same way that a White Lighter is able to know that their charge is in danger. He felt the witch as she drove downtown. He felt the joy and excitement that she felt and chuckled to himself knowing that it would soon be ended. He saw her turn down a blind alley and saw her get out of her vehicle. It was almost time to strike. The compass had led Prue Halliwell into an alley that she knew all too well. In that other world, she and her two sisters owned a club called P3, and this alley stood behind that club. Right in front of the back door to P3 she saw a whirlwind that looked sort of like a White Lighter orbing and inside the whirlwind a female form was beginning to take shape. While she was distracted, the warlock struck. Chapter 3 Collision The swirling receded and Paige Matthews saw someone who looked like the pictures of the Prue that she had seen in the manor: the familiar looking woman was standing in an alley gaping at her. Behind the dark haired woman a dark figure blinked into sight with a dagger poised to strike her from behind. “Look out behind you!!†Paige shouted. With years of practice in unexpected things, Prue jumped to one side, receiving only a gash in her side rather than the killing blow that the warlock had intended. She spun around as the warlock lunged again. Paige orbed the knife out of the warlock’s hand and the warlock fell on Prue unarmed. Reaching out with her power of telekinesis, Prue yanked the knife out of Paige’s hand and flung it through the air until it lodged deeply in the warlock’s back. With a scream of pain, the creature burst into flames and died. Looking at her wound, Prue yelled, “I need a White Lighter here…Now!†A dark haired man orbed into sight and knelt over the injured witch. His hands glowed briefly, and the wound closed up and vanished. As he stood up and turned around, Paige realized that she knew the man. Prue’s White Lighter was a former demon named Cole: at least that is who he was in her world, but he was supposed to be dead. This was not what Paige expected when she wrote her spell, and she was exceptionally confused. She expected to have the ghost of Prue come to her in the attic, but this wasn’t the attic and the woman in front of her definitely was no ghost. Paige had a million questions. Unexpectedly, the first question out of her mouth was, “Cole? What are you doing here? I thought that you were dead?†The White Lighter seemed surprised that this stranger had known his name. “Do I know you?†he asked. Recovering quickly Paige answered, “I think I do… or at least I knew someone a lot like you. But he wasn’t a White Lighter, he was a demon.†Cole looked at Prue then back at Paige. “I was… a very long time ago. How did you know about that? Who are you?†“My name is Paige Matthews, and you still haven’t answered my questions?†Turning to Prue she continued. “And if you are Prue Halliwell, you both are supposed to be dead and you two don’t look like ghosts.†Then a thought hit her that she found extremely disturbing. “Unless… I’m dead too…†Prue had always been a take charge kind of person, so she spoke up immediately. “I am indeed Prue Halliwell, you’re not dead and I think that the three of us need to have a long talk. Why don’t we meet back at my place and sit down for a long talk and a cup of tea.†Turning to Cole she added, “Cole, it looked like she orbed, so she must be a White Lighter too. Why don’t you ask the Elders about her on your way to the manor.†“Cole said, “Sure thing,†and orbed out. Paige smiled sweetly and added, “Half White Lighter actually. Lets go.†The Supreme Commander of the Army of Lesser Demons sat uneasily on his throne of skulls fuming with anger. He had just been informed that one of his warlocks had set off by himself on a hunt, without first obtaining permission from one of his superiors. Admittedly he was a rather impulsive warlock, who often was a pain in the rear: one who had a bad habit of setting off on hunts without paying attention to established protocols. To top it off, he went off and got himself killed off by some second rate witch. As much as the Supreme Commander despised the offending warlock, it would be bad form for him to ignore it. The witch must die. Long ago the Supreme Commander brought organization and martial discipline to the hoards of lesser demons. Using training that he had received in the American military, he had single-handedly made them a force to be reckoned with. The Great Powers of the Underworld were always bickering and petty. A house divided indeed could not stand and some day the Commander’s Army would bring them low. Some day the Great Powers would by chained forever and ever. For now though, disciple and order must be maintained, and he summoned his lieutenant. “Harris, have an order sent to Commander Bailes. I will need two of his best men to handle a small job for me.†Chapter 4 The Manor Paige rode alongside Prue in silence as she drove her car: it didn’t take long for them to arrive at the manor. As they drove up in front of the place, Paige compared this building to the one that she knew so well. They were nearly identical, although she could see that the repairs on the place hadn’t been done as well. Cole must not be as good a handyman as Leo. Either that or Prue had sloppier demon attacks than they had back home. “You know, I have a place back home that is almost exactly like this one,†she said. “And where is that?†Prue asked. “To tell you the truth, I’m not completely sure,†replied Paige. They walked up the steps to the front door and Prue fiddled with her keys looking for the right one when Paige pulled a set of her own keys out of her purse and said, “Let me try something.†She put the key in the door for her manor back home. It opened this one too. “That’s interesting,†she murmured. They went in and settled in the dining room around the table. “I’ll go get some tea,†Prue said. “Let me,†said Paige. She held out her hand and said commandingly, “Tea.†A teapot quickly orbed into her hand and she began to pour. Just as Prue opened her mouth to speak, Cole orbed into one of the empty chairs. “The Elders don’t know anything about her, but they’re definitely interested in finding out.†“Yeah. Let’s find out about you,†Prue said. “Why don’t you tell us about Paige Matthews.†Still not sure if this was the Prue that her sisters had talked so often about, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I’m not completely sure yet, but I think that I’m your sister.†That was not what Prue expected to hear and it cut into her soul in a way that she never expected to be hurt again. “My sisters are dead.†She said flatly. “Your assertion is in bad taste.†“If that’s the case I am really sorry, but I still think that it’s true. I don’t think that you are from this world. I think that you came from another one just like this one: the one that I came from. I think that maybe you came here about five years ago.†Wary about what hidden agenda this stranger might have Prue probed a little further. “For the sake of argument, let’s say that that is true. Why are you here?†“To meet you. Like I said, I think that I’m your half sister. If you’re who I think you are, your mother had a child with her White Lighter and they put her up for adoption. I was that child. I never had the chance to meet you, so I tried to summon your spirit. Instead, I found myself dragged unwillingly here.†The story had the ring of truth and Prue found herself beginning to believe the stranger’s story. “Probably you couldn’t summon my spirit because I’m not dead. It was the Prue of this world that died. An Elder switched us and I’ve been unable to get back: although it wasn’t for a lack of trying.†A smile grew across Paige’s face. “I knew it. You are my sister. When I get back home, Piper and Phoebe will so happy…†Prue stood up with a look of shock and joy on her face: her eyes misting over with tears. “P..Piper and Phoebe… are alive? They didn’t… die… when I did?†A little confused, Paige suddenly realized that Prue might have thought that her sisters had died, and she silently kicked herself for not reassuring her right away. “No they’re fine. Better than fine actually. Leo healed them in time, but he wasn’t in time to save you.†Then Paige told her the story of how Piper and Phoebe had found Paige and with the restored Power of Three, they had avenged Prue’s death. The pain and tension that and built up over the past five years suddenly found release and Prue sobbed throughout the recital. When she had composed herself she asked, “And now? Are they all right now? You said that Cole had died. What happened to Cole?†Paige told of the sad story of the last years of Cole’s life and of his death. “It was all terribly sad. You know he really loved Phoebe, but he was way out of his depth. I suppose that being born a demon, their love never had a chance.†The White Lighter Cole asked, “I became the source? Really? I died? That sucks… although I’d say that in the long run, I got the better end of things than that other Cole did.†Although Cole had tried often to kill her, Paige also had fond memories of him. “Maybe, but I’ll bet that you also never have experienced the kind of love that Cole and Phoebe had. In that way I pity you.†Prue knew that other Cole, and she probably wouldn’t lose any sleep over him. “And Phoebe? Did she ever get over him?†“Eventually… but it took a long time.†Paige took a picture out of her purse and handed to her sister. “That’s a picture from her wedding to Cole.†Then she pushed over another picture and said, “A couple of months ago, after years of trying to overcome her broken heart, she finally fell in love again and married a Cupid named Coop. He’s been very good for her. She’s very happy.†Prue stared at the pictures for a long time, feeling a warmth in her that she hadn’t felt for a very long time. Finally she asked, “Are Piper and Leo still together?†Pulling out another picture she pushed it across the table. “Here is a picture of their family. They have two boys. Wyatt is the older one and Chris is the baby.†Then she pushed another picture across the table, “And this is Wyatt and Chris from the future. Chris was even our White Lighter for a time.†Prue looked at the pictures and said, “I though that Piper was supposed to have a little girl…†Paige shrugged her shoulders and said, “Maybe she will some day, but right now she just has the boys.†Shaking her head Prue said, “I’ve missed so much…†Sitting up straight, she continued. “You guys have been really busy, haven’t you?†Paige smiled and said, “Well you know how it is. Same old, same old…†Then the window shattered as two werewolves chose that moment to attack the sisters. Both sisters had developed powerful battle honed abilities over the years, but in this time and place the werewolves had no way of guessing that. The taller werewolf growled and leapt at Prue, who deftly sidestepped the beast, waving her arm and sending the snarling creature flying. It landed on its feet, shook its head and roared. Prue sent it flying again… and again: smashing it into one wall, then another. The shorter beast launched itself at Paige who orbed out of the way. Reaching toward the silver plated sword that was hanging on the wall she said “sword†and the sword orbed into her hand. Her opponent attempted to pounce on her again, and she deftly ran it through watching it explode into dust. As soon as the deceased beast had passed out of existence Prue used her power and reached out to the sword, hurling it at her opponent, dispatching the creature in an instant. The two women sat on the floor with disheveled looks and started to laugh. Finally Prue gasped out between bursts of laughter, “You must be my sister.†Chapter 5 Winterfield The Supreme Commander sat at the council table deep in thought. Soon his long worked out plan would reach fruition, and his people would supplant the so called great powers: at the same time, his allies would move to neutralize the great powers on the other side. It wouldn’t take time for them to mop up the lesser powers of the other side. What would elves and fairies and minor witches be able to do to stop the steamroller that would then be upon them. He felt the first stirring of the hunger within him. Perhaps he had been a little hasty in having that witch dispatched. The blood of a good witch might be nice right about now. The blood of a white magic witch was a taste that many of his men had acquired over the past half century, although he had yet to take that step himself. He buzzed in his lieutenant who came through the door. He looked up and said, “Has Bailes dispatched that witch yet? If not have him hold off. I think that maybe I could use her for a little experiment.†“Yes sir.†Harris briskly turned and left the room while the Commander returned to his musings. He punched a variant of the Vanderhagen scenario of troop deployments into the simulation program in his computer, but found it to be less effective than the standard model. He noted the results in his records and felt more satisfied than ever that all contingencies had been accounted for. He knew that for a lesser party to successfully supplant a greater power, every variable would have to be accounted for beforehand, and every contingency would have to have backup plans set in place before setting any operation into motion. Total and swift surprise would be needed to carry the day, along with the use of disciplined and well-trained troops. He felt sure that he had accounted for all variables and all factors. Harris reentered the room. Clearing his throat he said hesitantly, “Sir there has been a slight problem. It seems that Bailes had dispatched two operatives to take care of the witch, but they never returned. On top of that, it seems that the witch might be working with an undocumented, heretofore unknown witch.†Well, maybe there was still one small variable to account for. “Thank you Harris, I’ll check into this one myself. Still, one more minor witch shouldn’t make any difference. The timetable will go forward as planned. Thank you. You’re dismissed.†Cole stood before the Council of Elders and made his report. He filled them in on the attacks of the warlock and werewolves, the arrival of Paige and the various revelations brought out at that meeting. He asked them how he should proceed. The leader of the Council, an older looking elder, with thinning white hair and a considerable paunch spoke first. “I see that none of this changes anything. Prue Halliwell will have to stay here so that some day the Power of Three may still be brought to this world. As long as the Power is here when the hour of our greatest need comes, we’ll be all right. If the witch from the other world wishes to go home, there is no need for you to hinder her in that regard: just so long as one of them stays here.†The female elder sitting to the Council Leader’s right laid her hand on his arm and spoke, “Just a moment. Maybe we’re missing an opportunity here. If there was an unknown sister in that other world, perhaps there is one in this world too. If we can find her and if we can get Prue and Paige to both stay here: we might be able to bring the Power of Three here right now. There will be no need for us to wait another generation to release that power.†The other members of the council nodded their assent, and after a few moments of consideration, the leader gave his decision. “I think that maybe you’re right.†Turning to Cole he continued, “Continue your duties as Prue’s White Lighter and try to find out if there is another sister. Encourage them to find her and, if possible, encourage Paige to stay here as well. Don’t do anything to hinder their free agency in the matter, but offer them any encouragement that you can.†“Sounds like a plan to me,†said Cole, suddenly realizing that he had just become more than an average White Lighter. He had just become, possibly, the White Lighter of the Charmed Ones. The newly found responsibility weighed heavily upon him. Detective Darryl Morris had recently been promoted to the position of Captain of the Night Division. He had worked long and hard to make it to this point in his life. Without knowing the Charmed Ones, and without having the problems that came with knowing them, which his counterpart in that other world had had to endure, he had risen rapidly in the force and was now in a position to aspire to things that he never would have even thought about before. In the upcoming election, he planned to run for Commissioner, and he stood a pretty good chance of winning. Still, for now he was just the Captain, and he had to answer to the orders of those above him. The phone rang and his superiors sent him out to attend to, of all things, a noise complaint. ‘Oh well,’ he thought, ‘duty calls.’ He pulled on his coat and headed out into the night. Chapter 6 The Coming Storm Prue and Paige fixed the broken window with a simple spell and cleaned up the dining room. While Cole was away they lounged about in the large easy chairs in the living room trying to figure out how they were going to get back to their home dimension and what they were going to tell Piper and Phoebe when they got there. “I’ll tell you Paige, I’ve tried everything that I could think of to get back home, but I’ve failed at every attempt. I don’t really know what else to do.†“Well, we’ll just keep trying. Sooner or later we’ll get it.†“But doesn’t this all leave your world without the Power of Three? Can Piper and Phoebe hold things down without you. Tell me: what kind of demon has been hounding you lately?†“Actually Prue… we’ve defeated them all. They can get along just fine without me for a while. I really doubt that the Power of Three will be needed there for a very long time. It’s Henry that I’m most worried about.†“Henry?†“My husband.†“Really? So what is Henry… a White Lighter… a demon?†“Worse. A mortal.†They both laughed, which was a rare experience these days for Prue. Cole orbed in and took the chair opposite the sisters. Prue got serious and said, “I’ve missed this: just sitting around with my sisters and laughing. You know, when we were growing up I was kind of hard on my sisters. In fact, sometimes I was kind of a jerk: particularly to Phoebe: but as a teenager she got into a lot of trouble and needed a lot of guidance.†Paige smiled and replied, “So I’ve heard: but to tell you the truth, I was probably much worse that her.†“And I wasn’t there for you…†“That’s OK, I had great parents and we all turned out pretty good.†Cole thought that this might be a good time to get started on his new mission. “How do you think that the Paige of this world turned out?†He said. Prue and Paige looked at each other like they had just realized that they had missed seeing the elephant in the room. After a seconds of staring blankly, Paige turned to Cole and said, “You mean that there’s another me here?†Cole flashed a nervous grin and said, “I don’t know. It just stands to reason that if this world once had a Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, like there was on that other world: it stands to reason that probably is a Paige somewhere too, don’t you think?†Slowly, Prue suggested, “Maybe we better find out.†Captain Darryl Morris found himself standing on the doorstep of a manor at 1329 Prescott Street. He still thought that it was a waste of his abilities to have to check out such a minor complaint, but he had his orders. He shrugged his shoulders and rang the doorbell. A dark haired woman answered the door. She looked surprised and said, “Darryl?’ Now it was his turn to be surprised. “Do I know you?†“We… we met once… a long time ago.†He shook his had and decided that if he didn’t remember it, it must not have been very important. “We received a noise complaint for this address. We were told that there was a loud crashing sound and a lot of shouting and glass breaking. Are there any problems here?†“No… no, nothing.†“Do you mind if I take a look around, and make sure of that?†After a moment of hesitation, she invited him in. He saw what appeared to be a small dinner party, with a woman that was introduced as the woman’s sister and a man that the redhead said was an ex brother-in-law, although she gave a slight chuckle when she said it. There were no signs of trouble though, so he said his goodbyes and left. As he stood in front of his squad, talking on the radio, a dark car drove up with a window rolled down. The barrel of gun came out of the window and the quick sound of automatic weapons fire let the dispatcher know that they had a man down. Within three minutes another officer was on the scene performing first aid on the Captain. Keeping the Captain warm with a blanket from his patrol car, the officer applied pressure to the wounds to stanch the bleeding. Five minutes later an ambulance rolled up. The officer was relieved by the EMTs, and cleaned himself up while his partner took statements from the people in the nearby homes. She had just finished interviewing the sisters in the manor when the EMT walked up to talk to them. Cole took one look at the EMT, visibly blanched and ducked back into the house. The Emergency Technician stepped up to the sisters and said, “I just thought that you folks might be interested in knowing that the Captain should pull through.†The sisters were shocked to see that they knew the young man. Prue said breathlessly, “Leo? Is that really you?†The EMT looked them up and down. “I’m sorry, have we met?†Chapter 7 The Hospital Darryl was wheeled into the Emergency Room, where a team of the best doctors was already waiting for him. The Supreme Commander of the Army of Lesser Demons stood in the hallway of the hospital as they wheeled the comatose police Captain past him. Standing next to him was the Dark Lighter who had shot the detective. Looking to his commander the Dark Lighter asked, “Should I come back and finish him off later?†“No. You did fine. The detective should now be out of business as we begin our operation. The prophecies said that he could have been a major player in the events to come, but now, with him in a coma, we’ve nicely tied up that little thread. Additionally, his incapacitation will require that he be temporarily replaced and I have the perfect replacement in mind.†“Besides, he has been a fine officer with an excellent record. After the operation is complete, we’ll need men like him to keep things running smoothly. Yes, I’d say that you’re marksmanship has served us very well this evening.†“Thank you sir. Will there be anything else?†The commander considered for a moment, and then said, “One more thing. The witch has a White Lighter. Perhaps he should be taken out of the picture before I feast on the girl. Will you take care of that little detail for me?†“At once sir. Thank you for your confidence.†Paige searched the internet using Prue’s computer for hours on end looking for some hint of a Paige Matthews on that world: but nothing could be found. She gave up on that fruitless endeavor deciding to pursue another tract: she tried to call the nun that had handled her adoption, on her own world but found that the church in this world had burned down and the nun had perished in the blaze. Cole had said that it had been burned by the source years ago, because no one had been there to stop him. She leaned back in the chair and stretched. The odd thing was that he had also said that it was impossible for Leo Wyatt to be there. (Which was patently false since she had seen and talked with him the previous evening.) She had to wonder if it was possible for a White Lighter to keep important things from their charges. After thinking about some of things that other White Lighters had done over the years, she finally decided that as long as doing so didn’t endanger his charges, Cole could keep as many secrets as he wanted to. With Prue at work, the manor seemed a much lonelier place. Paige was feeling a little discouraged. Neither her attempts to find her other self, nor her attempts at returning home had met with much success. She went on-line again and looked up her parent’s analogues, but as far as she could tell, they had never had any children in this world. Every search that she could come up with ended in failure. ‘Maybe I don’t exist in this world.’ She thought. Paige dozed off in the comfortable easy chair and drifted away into a world of dreams in which she had never existed. She saw the Earth burning as Piper and Phoebe tried to hold back the forces of darkness without the power of three. She saw Cole incinerated as he tried to protect the woman that he loved by placing himself between her and the forces of total evil. She saw a light of purest love blaze within his heart, when as a demon there should only have existed the darkest of evils, and she saw that light extinguished when his life was ended trying fruitlessly to save the object of that love. She saw her Piper and Phoebe’s bodies crushed and broken like rag dolls, and as a result, she saw Leo go insane and slay the Elders before his life was too snuffed out by the Avatars: who then proceeded to try to remake the world in their image. Their ensuing battles with the demons left them all dead and the Earth a burned out cinder, utterly devoid of life or unlife. Then she saw the Elder Gods fleeing to other planes, and the cancer spread from dimension to dimension engulfing all of reality. Paige woke with a start and the dream began to fade immediately. She didn’t know if that would have happened to her world if she had never been born or not: but she was determined not to let it happen to this one. If normal searches had failed to bring her the answers that she had sought, perhaps paranormal searches might succeed. She made her way into the attic and methodically setup the crystals and candles that would allow her to summon the dead. Rather than waste time searching for a child that might never have been conceived in this world: she decided to go to the horse’s mouth, so to speak. It was time to summon the spirit of Patty Helliwell: this world’s version of The Charmed ones mother. After work Prue stopped by at the hospital to see how Darryl was coming along. Her conscience drew a cloud of darkness over her as she trudged down the seemingly endless length of the hallway. The Darryl she knew in her own world was one of the most decent and honest men she had ever known. He was always there for her and her sisters. When the whole world had seemed to crumble around them: when the whole world seemed to be against them, Darryl was always there. He had been the one true constant, the bulwark of support that sustained them throughout every trial and crisis. He was their one true and constant friend and he suffered again and again for them, for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. He stood against every sort of evil with no more powers than the greatness within his courageous soul. With no magic, he had faced the greatest evils in all of creation, and she had never seen him flinch. Prue realized that she and her sisters had taken him for granted. They had never really told him how much he had meant to them. They owed him their lives many times over. And now she had allowed his analogue to be gunned down in front of her own house. Although she had never met him before last night, she owed it to her Darryl to stand by this one: it was the very least that she could do. She turned the corner and saw two guards stationed outside of Darryl’s room. When she saw who it was that they were talking to: her blood ran cold and she felt the hole in her heart that she had long ago forced herself to ignore. The one man that she had really loved, the man who had years before been killed, the man who had died for her, was standing right there in front of her. For the first time since coming to this insane world, she saw something that made sense: something that could bring her a bit of joy in this joyless world. She saw standing in the hallway, Darryl’s old partner, and Prue’s truest of loves, Andy Trudeau. Chapter 8 The Attic Paige opened the Book of Shadows and began the incantation to summon the dead. “Hear these words, Hear my cry, Spirit from the other side, Come to me, I summon thee, Cross now the great divide!†The candles flickered and a windless wind rose up from within the circle and spiraled its way throughout the room. A feminine figure took shape within the magical circle. The translucent image slowly resolved itself into a statuesque woman with the long curly hair that Paige recognized immediately as that of her mother. Although it may have looked exactly like the mother that she had known, Paige was well aware that this was not the same woman that she knew so well in her home universe. This was not really her mother. The apparition looked about her with a confused expression on her face. Turning to Paige a fire flashed in her eyes, and she growled at the young witch, “Who are you!!!?? What are you doing in my home?†Stepping back Paige was dumbstruck. She never expected this reaction. The ghost demanded again, “Well!? What do you want from me?†Finally, a question that she knew how to answer. “I am here searching for your lost daughter.†Now it was the spirit’s chance to be taken aback. “What are you talking about? All three of my daughters are here with me.†Paige stepped forward and continued, “I know that your Piper, Phoebe and Prue have joined you on the other side, but I also know that this is not the end of your legacy. I was born on a parallel world where they lived on to become the Charmed Ones…†The Spirit of Patty Halliwell gasped, “The Charmed Ones? My girls became the Charmed Ones?†Looking her directly in the eyes Paige said, “They did, but at the moment that your Prue died, ours was taken from our world and brought to this one. The Power of Three was broken and Piper and Phoebe thought that they had forever lost both the power and their sister.†Now completely calm, Patty asked, “And your Prue has been living here ever since? She has been completely alone? That poor child! And where do you fit into all of this young woman?†â€In that other world, Patty Halliwell had another daughter with her White Lighter.†Patty gasped and Paige continued, “I am that daughter. My name is Paige Matthews, and along with my newly discovered sisters, Piper and Phoebe, we brought back the Power of Three into our world and I became one of the Charmed Ones.†Patty thought long about the implications of the information that had been given to her before she spoke. “And you have come to take back your Prudence Halliwell?†“Not really: I didn’t even know that she was still alive. I was just trying to contact her spirit. I very much wanted to get to know a sister that I had never had the opportunity to know before. Right now I don’t know if either of us will ever be able to get back home,†said Paige. Patty considered what Paige had told her and said, “And why have you contacted me?†Paige gave a frustrated frown and said, “I should have thought that that would have been obvious. If we are never able to return home, we may need the Power of Three some day, and for that we need another sister. I’m hoping that there is a Paige Matthews in this world too. How about it lady: are you able to tell me if I exist here too?†Prue turned and ran. She couldn’t face Andy right now. With tears running down her face she fumbled with her car keys. She ran right past the Commander’s lieutenant without either of them noticing the passage of one who would wind up having such a large influence on their lives. She started the car and careened down the road through a haze of tears. It wasn’t fair. Prue and Andy had loved each other their entire lives through, but they had always put off starting a relationship. They had always assumed that there would always be time for romance later. How were they to know that a demon would snuff out that love before they ever got around to professing that love to each other. Prue had long ago buried her grief deeply, but seeing Andy’s double, alive and well, forced her to face that which she had so well hidden. Through the tears she nearly ran the car off the road several times, but was able to gain control of it before causing an accident. It wasn’t till she nearly ran down a six year old who was crossing the street that she decided that she needed to slow down and get control of herself. If she hadn’t had her power she would have run down the helpless child. With a wave of her hand she was able to shove the young boy out of the path of the car. Pulling the car into the driveway she shut it off and leaned against the steering wheel sobbing until she was able to compose herself. When she got into the house, she heard voices from the attic, but otherwise the house was silent. Sitting back in an old and favorite easy chair she tried to put things in order. Finally she called out for help. “Cole! Get your rear down here. I need your help.†In a swirl of lights, Cole materialized before her. “Hey Prue, what can I do for you.†Wiping the tears away she looked at the White Lighter and said, “I need you to do a favor for me. You need to go to the hospital and cure the detective that was shot in front of the house last night. He was an innocent and needs your help.†Frowning, Cole answered, “That may be so, but he was shot by a gun. Unless you can prove that magic was involved somehow, I’m not allowed to do anything. That would be against the rules.†“Then bend the rules. My old White Lighter knew how to bend the rules when necessary: why can’t you.†“Because I’m not him. I believe that rules are meant to be followed.†The two of them glared at each other for a few long moments. Meanwhile, the voices upstairs continued, and Prue suddenly noticed them. Looking in the direction of the attic she whispered hoarsely, “Piper… is that Piper?†She leaped to her feet and bolted for the stairs. Not knowing what was going on, Cole followed closely behind her. At the head of the stairs she flung open the door to the attic and stepped through the portal. There in front of her stood four translucent figures talking with Paige. She saw the spirits of her grandmother, her sisters Piper and Phoebe, and… herself.†Before she could begin to comprehend what she was seeing, a Dark Lighter popped in behind them, letting loose a black arrow from his crossbow, which sailed right through Phoebe and lodged itself deeply in Cole’s chest. The Dark Lighter popped out of the room laughing as Cole fell to the ground mortally stricken. Chapter 9 The Dark Arrow As the acknowledged leader of the great forces of Darkness, the Source leaned back in his throne of skulls, pulled off his hood and chuckled. He was feeling great today. Decades ago he succeeded in tricking Belthazor into purging himself of his demonic side and ever since that moment things had been going his way. Years ago he had also succeeded in killing off two of the witches that, left alone, would have some day brought the Power of Three to the Earth. He had thought that he had gotten the third witch too, but she had been seen recently in the company of, of all creatures Belthazor, who has ironically become a White Lighter. ‘What an insane thing that was,’ he thought. He had just received word that a Dark Lighter had shot Belthazor and that his old enemy would soon be dead as the poison worked its way through his system. This, he thought, was a day for celebration. Signaling for a servant to bring him some more wine, the Source of All Evil considered what things might make for a fitting commemoration for the passing of his old friend. Tapping his finger against his tattooed cheek he considered his options. Suddenly he knew what he would do. He would capture and torture the Dark Lighter who presumed to dispatch his old enemy, without first obtaining permission from the Source himself. After all: he had long ago rid himself of all of his opposition for leadership, so things have gotten a little boring around here. Beside that, his minions must be reminded ever so often of who is in charge around here. The Dark Lighter had left the attic laughing in a black puff of smoke. Everyone was shocked and froze for a moment. Prue and the four spirits stood dumbfounded. Only Paige reacted quickly, rushing to the stricken White Lighter’s side cooing with words of comfort. Looking up at Prue she said, “Get over here and pull this arrow out of him: I can’t touch it!†Prue moved leadenly, “Wha…?†She said. “The arrow! Get rid of the arrow!â€, repeated Paige. With the initial shock wearing off, Prue’s long unused reflexes kicked in. She pulled the arrow out of the White Lighter’s chest and used her powers to throw it into the trash basket on the far side of the room. She was surprised to see Paige hold her hands over Cole’s wound, and with a glowing light, Paige healed the White Lighter. With a touch of awe in her voice, Prue looked at Paige and said, “Where did you learn to do that?†Smiling sweetly Paige answered, “It comes with being half White Lighter, sister dear.†Sitting up shakily Cole looked at her and weakly said, “You have no idea how glad I am to hear about it too.†From behind them, Grams’ voice said, “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?†With the excitement safely passed, Prue remembered who else was in the room. Turning slowly: she saw the spirits. The spirit of Grams looked only a little different than the last time that she had seen her (although she was dressed kind of like a hippie), but beside her, on her right side, stood Piper and Phoebe looking years younger than the last time that she had seen them. On Grams’ left side stood another Prue, albeit, she thought, with that ugly hairstyle that she was wearing five years ago rather than the more stylish one that she sported today. “Grams? What’s going on?†she said. “Prue dear, I am not really your Grams, you know,†pointing to the Prue spirit Grams continued, “she is my granddaughter, although, for all intents and purposes you and Paige are too. Paige here has summoned us, and told us who you are, and perhaps more importantly, who she is.†“Why is that Grams?†“Because dear, this world’s version of your mother had an affair with her White Lighter too, and she also got pregnant? Paige and Prue had discussed the possibility previously, so she wasn’t really too surprised. “So now there are two Paiges here,†pointing at her other self Prue continued, “like there are two of me?†“Not exactly dear. Our Patty’s affair happened almost a year later than your mother’s affair. Our Patty had twins. She’s gone to try to find them right now. You have two more sisters Prue, and neither one of them is likely to be a duplicate of Paige. You and Paige need to find them and teach them of their heritage.†With a bitterness in her voice Prue said, “Why? Being witches didn’t do my sisters and I any good. Why not let these two new sisters live out their lives in happy ignorance?†“Because dear, with them, either you or Paige can bring the Power of Three into this world, like you did to that other world.†The Dark Lighter hung from hooks piercing his shoulders that were chained to the ceiling of the throne room in the Source’s Stronghold. His skin had been flayed from his back and he screamed unceasingly. The burnt skin cracked on his arms and face, but the Source wouldn’t let him die. The Source was enjoying himself immensely. After thirteen hours of inflicting agony on this creature for no other reason than he could and he wanted to, he started to get bored and he saw no reason not to end it Lifting the hapless Dark Lighter’s face so that he could look in its eyes before it died, he whispered one last taunt to his victim. “Is there any reason that I should spare your life?†Through a burnt throat, the broken creature croaked, “Don’t you want to know who sent me? Don’t you want to know who is plotting against you?†That wasn’t what the Source had expected, he had expected pleading and begging, but maybe the creature was right. It had been so long that anyone had attempted an insurrection that maybe he had become complacent. After a pause he said, “Good answer. You’ve earned your life: for a while longer at least.†Clapping his hands he barked an order to his slaves, “Take the dark Lighter down, and carry him to the healers. Find him a secure cell to keep him in and let me know when he’s well enough for further examination.†Giving the slaves a menacing glare he further admonished them, “And if anything happens to him, you’ll take his place on the hooks. Is that understood?†The mute slaves nodded their heads and took away the prisoner. Sitting back in his throne, the Source chuckled to himself, “Maybe it won’t be such a boring year after all.†Chapter 10 The Station Detective Andy Trudeau was settling into his new office when the dark haired woman rapped politely at the door. He had the strange feeling that he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Smiling nervously, she asked, “Andy? Is that really you?†He hated it when that happens: when people would approach him who obviously knew him, but then inevitably, it seemed, he couldn’t place them in return. Everyone has experienced it at one time or another, but for Andy, being a cop who relied heavily on his attention to details, it was particularly annoying. “It’s me: and you are?†The raven-haired girl looked crestfallen at his answer. ‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘he and I never new each other in this world.’ “Prue. It’s Prue Halliwell. We used to be neighbors.†A smile of recognition fell across Andy’s face. How could he not have recognized Prue? When he was eleven he had such a big crush on her. “Of course. Prue! I haven’t seen you since we were kids. How have you been?†She shrugged her shoulders and said, “I came here to see how Darryl was doing, and I was surprised to see you… pleasantly surprised, I must say.†“Me too Prue. Did you know the Captain?†Realizing that as far as anyone here knew, she and Darryl had never met, she returned his question with a little misdirection. “He met me the night that he was shot. He stopped by our place on a noise complaint and he seemed like a pretty nice guy. I hope that he’s OK. Have you heard how he’s doing?†“He’s in the hospital and it’s too early to tell, but he’s tough. I expect that he’ll be just fine Prue.†He seemed to be deliberating about something with himself. Finally he continued “ Look… I’ve just returned to the city and I really don’t know anyone here anymore, and I it’s not a situation that I enjoy.†His heart rate picked up drastically, and he could swear that he could feel himself begin to sweat. “Is there any chance that you might be free for dinner tonight?†She didn’t expect that, but she also felt a thrill of excitement that she hadn’t really felt since Andy died. She had dated after that day, but there was a hole in her soul from then on and she couldn’t ever really bring herself to look on another man in the same way. As if hearing a detached voice from outside of her tingling body, she heard herself saying, “I’d like that. Seven o’clock?†A big grin burst out of Andy’s face. “It’s a date.†The time had come. The Commander and his ally on the other side had made their plans and the hour had come. Each unit had their appointed tasks and their appointed times. Every contingency had been meticulously planned for and their adversaries had no clue that there was an approaching storm that would devour them all. Even if everyone at the top of his own organization were to die here and now, the plan would still move forward. There was nothing that could go wrong. Three hours after Prue had left Andy’s office, his phone rang. A husky voice said the code words that he had been expecting and he knew that the initiative was on. His men had been briefed, although some of them doubted the existence of the threat: but they were good men and they could be counted upon to do their parts. They would go into action at eight o’clock in the morning. He had looked forward to this day for years, but somehow, it seemed, he was more excited about his date with Prudence Halliwell this evening than the long awaited operation in the morning. The Source had promised the Dark Lighter protection and with that assurance the Dark Lighter began to spill his guts about everything that he knew: which admittedly wasn’t really that much. The Source let out a satisfied chuckle. Now he knew his adversary and he thought that he knew the threat that he posed. Calling in his council, he explained to them the situation and dispatched each on specific missions. Within the hour, his opponent would be slain and his pitiful insurrection would die stillborn. Knowing that he had switched sides at the right time and that he now backed the winning horse, the Dark Lighter poured himself a glass of wine and held it up for a toast. “I toast your wisdom and decisive actions my lord.†The Source turned to the fawning creature. “I had nearly forgotten about you. The information that you brought me has indeed proved to be invaluable, so it’s time for me to reward you.†The obsequious Dark Lighter smiled the smile of avarice and said slyly, “Whatever my Lord deems an acceptable reward, I will be most grateful.†With a wave of his hand the Source incinerated the groveling insect who perished with an acceptable scream. The Source shook his head and muttered, “I always hated traitors. A quick death is all that he deserved.†Chapter 11 The White Wall Paige sat in the orphanage staring at the white wall as the hours dragged on. Patty Halliwell, her mother’s analogue insisted that her twins had been taken to the County Adoption Agency, so Paige went there and waited until her number was called. She had looked around the place as she walked through the facility. It was a cold and sterile facility, and she desperately prayed that her lost sisters didn’t have to spend too much time there. A loving and caring couple had adopted Paige herself, when she was a baby, so she had never had to live in a place like this. Maybe her sisters were lucky too: but Paige used to work with the Department of Social Services, and she knew that these things didn’t always work out as well as they did for her. The blank white wall almost seemed to be taunting her with its impartiality, and the longer she had to stare at it the more its coldness bored its way into her soul. Clinical asepsis and rigid professionalism would never take the place of a loving family, and the more that she stared at those walls the more that she feared for the safety of her unknown sisters. There is nothing more terrifying than the fear of a family member’s suffering. After what seemed like an eternity, her number was called and she was relieved that she would now be able to escape the white wall. A pleasant looking middle-aged woman with graying brown hair pushed back her glasses as she met Paige. A professional smile, pleasant but artificial, was pasted on her face as she invited Paige into her office. Paige dutifully followed her and sat at a proffered chair in front of an imposing desk, in a room with white walls. Prassax, the Source’s most trusted counselor, shimmered into the throne room dragging behind him a beaten vampire in a gaudy military uniform. On his shoulders he sported the stars of a Brigadier General. Prassax kicked him several times with a relish and threw him at the feet of his master. “His name is Felix Andell, and he says that he would lead a military style coup against you,†he said. “I’ll leave him to your tender care Great One.†He bowed reverently and backed out of the room. The Source stood before his prisoner with fire burning in his eyes: a sneer of contempt shown obviously enough. Lifting the broken creature with one hand he spit in the vampire’s face. “So you are a creature that is able to challenge one such as me are you little one?†Through bleeding lips and broken teeth the soldier answered. “Not by myself no: but we are Legion and you are few: beside which you are already dead.†The Source threw back his head and laughed. “This is wonderful! I haven’t had this much entertainment in decades. I don’t feel dead; tell me blood sucker, do I look dead to you?†“Not yet, but very soon.†He looked up casually at the appointed time and smiled. Twenty feet in front of him, and ten feet behind the Source, a silver object faded quietly into view. We could have killed you long ago, but we didn’t.†“And why not worm?†The captive smiled and thought ‘Because we didn’t know where you were until I was brought here’ Three seconds later the Atomic Bomb, which had been phased into the pocket dimension, exploded in a wall of blinding white light: dispelling the darkness and incinerating everything in the citadel: including the General and the Source. The first blow of the war had been struck. The bureaucratic woman flipped mechanically through the pages of the request forms that Paige had had to fill out to get this appointment. She pushed back her glasses and said, “You say that your mother had twin daughters and she placed them here for adoption? “ “That’s what her diary said.†Paige gave her a white lie. She couldn’t very well tell her that a spirit had told her about the girls. “Uh huh. And this is the date that she said that the children were born?†Paige looked at the papers and rechecked the dates. “That’s right.†The woman showed her a folder with a single piece of paper in it. “This was left with the babies. It gives the girls first names and details of a family that would be willing to adopt them. I would guess that there was some sort of agreement between the mother and the adoptive family, but I couldn’t say for sure. Either way the adoptive family checked out and they were adopted.†‘Why’ Paige wondered, ‘did Patty Halliwell have to go looking for the girls if she already knew who had adopted them?’ Verbally she said, “Can you tell me where they are now?†The lady pushed back her glasses and said, “I can’t give you that information without receiving permission from the adoptive family first. They had long ago moved away from the city. I’ll contact them and get back to you.†“Isn’t there anything else that you can tell me?†Paige asked. “Yes. There is one thing that I can tell you. I can give you the girls first names: that they be given those first names had been the only requirement specified by the girls birthmother,†said the adoption official. She pushed a slip of paper to Paige, closed her briefcase and escorted the redhead to the door. Once outside, Paige looked at the paper and thought ironically, ‘Perfect.’ Chapter 12 The Date Andy came to pick up Prue at exactly seven o’clock (he was always very prompt). Paige hadn’t returned from her errands and she had no idea that a magical war was in the offing: she was as excited as a schoolgirl waiting for her prom date to pick her up. It had been such a long time since she had felt like that and she intended to relish every moment. She checked her makeup in the mirror one last time, just as she heard the doorbell ring. She finished the last touches on her makeup and tried not to look like she was rushing to the door. On her home world Prue had been a little too much of a control freak: she had to be: when Grams died she had to take care of her younger sisters: there was no one else. One of the few good things that had happened over the last few years was that Prue had learned to let herself become herself again: and tonight she felt an excitement that she hadn’t let herself experience since Grams had died. Looking between the curtains she saw that Andy stood at the door looking nearly as nervous as she felt: and that sent a thrill of excitement through her. Maybe her time on this world wouldn’t be as unbearable as had she thought. It was time to send out the troops and the Commander stood in the war room with several of his top aides. The rest of them had been scattered to outposts throughout the world. He would never make the same mistakes that the Source had made by keeping all of his top aides in one citadel. Unfortunately for the Commander, he didn’t know that the Source had sent many of his counselors on individual errands shortly before the deployment of the bomb, thanks to the warning of a single less disciplined Dark Lighter. The citadel had fallen, along with many of the Source’s top aides: but not all of them. The war would not be won as quickly and cleanly as the Commander and his allies had expected. The confident military man had dispatched his forces to a dozen of the strongholds of many of the most powerful on the side of white magic, at the same moment that his allies had used atomic weapons on the citadels of dark magic. The Triad had gone up in a blaze of atomic fire as had most of the Avatars and many other dark cabals. The overconfident elders fell in a blitzkrieg of vampires and werewolves and the Commander knew that the Charmed Ones had been eliminated years ago: before they even suspected that they had any powers. He felt that with all of the leaders of both sides of magic, taken care of, they only needed to deal with minor mop up operations. ‘This’, he thought, ‘would be a date that would change the direction of the world.’ Andy went all out for their date, taking Prue to the theater and then to a restaurant which she had never able to afford herself. Either he had taken out all the stops trying to impress her or a police office made a lot more money in this world than they did back home. They had ordered French food with a very expensive wine. She remembered how her Andy had always hated mushrooms and avoided them. This Andy though was obviously trying to impress her, so he gingerly ate the mushrooms rather than admitting that he had any kind of flaw. (Although she could still see the slight grimace behind his eyes every time he took a bite.) He had an impeccably tailored white sport coat with tan trousers and five hundred dollar shoes. It felt a little strange, and more than a little exciting, that this Andy was the same as her Andy, yet also a very different one. He poured her another glass of wine and said, “I was so sorry to hear that your sisters were no longer with us. I remember how close you had been. Have you been lonely?†‘You have no idea.’ She thought, but outwardly she simply said, “Yeah, I have, how about you? Is your father still alive?†Her Andy’s mother, she remembered had passed away when Andy was very young. His father had been a good fatherly influence on Prue and her sisters while they were growing up: at least until he got a job on the far side of town: then they rarely saw each other, but Prue had always had a soft spot for him. Andy smiled and said, “Oh dad? Yeah, he’s doing well. After we moved to Tacoma, “ ‘Tacoma?’ Prue thought, ‘not the other side of town?’ Andy continued, “Dad got remarried and had a few kids together. That seemed to revitalize them both. After that he was a more freewheeling kind of a guy, which is probably pretty lucky for me: because it was after that that I learned to loosen up and enjoy life more than I ever did here.†‘That’s why he’s a little less intense than the Andy in my world was.’ Thought Prue. Smilingly dreamily, she said, “How odd. Only now after the loss of my family, am I starting to be able to loosen up a little. With you it was just the opposite.†“That is odd.†Said Andy. Hoping to get her a little tipsy he smiled again and said, “More wine?†Paige came home to an empty house. Looking around, she found a note from Prue telling her that she was going out on a date. ‘Sisters!’ Paige chuckled and thought, ‘Some things just never change, don’t they?’ She went up to her room and drew a nice hot bubble bath: slipping into the luxurious waters she allowed herself to bask in the warmth and she quickly dozed off among the bubbles thinking of Henry. She slept contentedly for hours dreaming of a world that she might never see again. Hours later she startled awake: the waters had grown cold, so she toweled herself off and threw on some old sweats that had once belonged to this world’s Piper and went to the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. A key in the front door alerted her to Prue’s return. She could tell by a look that Prue had really enjoyed herself on her date. Since she had first met the dark haired sister, Paige had never seen her look like this. Usually Prue had a tight control of herself, but this time she looked distracted and dreamy. ‘That must have been a great date,’ she thought. “Hey Sis,†Paige said, “How was the date?†Prue looked at the red head and straightened up. It was like she had suddenly pulled a stoic china mask over her face. “Oh, it was fine.†Paige felt suddenly slighted. “You know, Phoebe always described you as a hard case and I didn’t really believe her: but you’re more uptight than she ever said that you were. Come on sis… open up! How was your date?†Prue was surprised by the sudden emotion in Paige’s voice. She seemed even more outspoken than Phoebe was. “Look Paige, I just found out a few weeks ago that we were sisters. It takes time to learn to open up to a new sister.†“Bull. I’ve been through this before: remember? You haven’t. Phoebe and Piper and I felt our bonds almost immediately just like I felt an immediate connection to you. You’ve been holding back! Why?†“Look Paige… I…†“Tell me about your date Prue. I don’t want to hear about the places you went to: tell me about you and Andy. Come on sis… you can tell me. Was he hot?†A wall broke in Prue and she found herself talking about everything. She opened up about her long hidden feelings about Andy and how this Andy seemed even hotter than the one that she had known all of her life. She was appalled to hear herself admitting that she had fallen for him immediately: and she was thrilled to have someone that she could confide: and it was nice to have someone to tell that Andy made it clear that he felt the same way about her too. Prue had sorely missed having sisters. It had been really a good day in so many ways. Chapter 13 Below Maddrox, the Source’s third counselor completed his errand and returned to the citadel expecting to be able to deliver his report and be given another assignment: but what he found was smoking rubble and an enormous hole where the citadel should have been. There was no sign of life or afterlife anywhere. He felt his skin start to burn and blister, as if the very air itself was toxic. Pushing his dreadlocks out of his eyes he scanned the horizon one more time and shimmered away to the safety of his own nether dimension. Along the way there he randomly grabbed a helpless human whom he quickly sacrificed in the black arts spell of summoning. One by one the remnants of the Source’s leadership assembled in the netherworld home of Maddrox. Of the original thirteen counselors, only four remained in addition to a handful of aides to the counselors. Maddrox was the highest ranking counselor, so he took the temporary lead position. “Brothers, we have been attacked by an unknown foe, but our adversaries have made a grave mistake and failed to take us all. We must find out who has blindsided us and then we must return the favor.†Unbeknownst to him, the radiation was already working its way throughout his body: changing him in ways that he couldn’t possibly expect. Very few of the creatures spawned by magic have any understanding of the powers of science. Maddrox would be getting a crash course in the subject. Cole was running for his life. He went to consult with the elders and found himself quickly assaulted by a werewolf. Fighting off the beast he saw dead elders all around him. A vampire leaped at him so he orbed quickly out of the way with the bloodsucker passing harmlessly through him. There was a particular bar that white lighters liked to frequent called The White Light. The name might not have been too original, but it was still nice for them to have a place where they could hang out and talk shop. Today it was not a nice place. It was filled with the remnants of dead white lighters who all had the arrows of the dark lighters sticking out of them. Seeing the situation he orbed again as quickly as he could. All of the places that he normally thought of as safe places he found to be equally devastated. It occurred to him that he had to get to his charges. They were likely to be next. It was a night of bonding for Prue and Paige with the feel of a teen slumber party. As they told each other humorous stories about Piper and Phoebe they laughed so much that their sides hurt, and they reached the point that everything elicited uncontrollable bouts of laughter. Then they laughed some more. That’s what Cole found when he orbed into the manor. With tears of uncontrolled laughter running down her face, Paige pointed to Cole and shrieked even louder as is something ridiculous had just walked into the room and she held her sides in pains of joy. With the horrors that Cole had just witnessed he was no mood for such frivolities. “What the heck is going on here!!†he shouted. Surprised by this action, Paige said between fits of laughter, “Chill out angel boy. You know, I thought that you might be a little less intense as a White Lighter than you were as a demon. I guess I was wrong.†Making a face that was almost a snarl, Cole continued, “We’re under attack, and I’m not sure who’s doing it. The Elders are already dead as are most of the White Lighters that I know. We need to put up some defenses, not waste our time joking around.†Prue stood slowly, still holding her aching sides, and waved her hand before her. “OK. All you had to do was to tell us. What do you want us to do?†Everyone now got down to business. They went to the attic, strengthened the manor’s protective spells and opened up the Book of Shadows, (A distinctly thinner Book of Shadows than the one back home Paige noticed.) and started to try to figure out who might be behind the attacks. After about two hours of scribbling notes and eliminating suspects, they heard a series of explosions as the protective spells activated and repelled dozens of low level demons. Cole led the sisters down the stairs taking two at a time towards the sounds of the explosions. “They’re coming from the basement!†Cole said, “They want to get at the Hollow!†Bursting through the basement door they saw the ashes of many low level demons and smoldering corpses of vampires and werewolves in the process of vaporization. “Hey, it’s pretty nice to be attacked, for once, by lowlifes that the automated defenses are able take care of,†said Prue. “Have you all noticed that there are no heavy hitters in this bunch?†After the bangs slowed to a stop and the attack was over, Paige said, “Hey guys, do you think that these are the guys that took out the Elders?†“I don’t know,†said Cole. “If they did it would mean that the Elders were so arrogant that they never bothered putting up any protection spells.†“Or that the protection spells were bypassed by someone who had a lot more knowledge than these guys had,†added Prue. “Or that they never thought of us as a real threat and they never sent their big guns after us,†said Paige. “No matter which one it is,†said Cole, “we better prepare for the worst. Without the Power of Three, we’ll never be able to hold off a stronger attack. I’ll go and try to find us a safe bolt hole that we can run to if we need to.†“I’ve got a few ideas in that area too,†added Paige. “Why don’t we meet back here in about an hour?†With that Paige and Cole both orbed out in different directions, leaving Prue alone in wait of an imminent attack. The Lieutenant reported to the Supreme Commander. “Sir, the attack on the witch failed. Somehow the manor’s defenses were stronger than she should have been able to set up by herself. Our forces have been routed.†He curled his long blonde hair around his finger, as was his habit when he was deep in thought. Finally he stopped and said, “Have the manor added to our operatives list of properties to be confiscated.†“Yes sir. Perhaps it would be better if things were handled this way anyway.†“I’m sure of it. It might be a little slower, but the witch can have no defenses prepared for this kind of attack.†Chapter 14 Flight Paige’s absence from her home dimension didn’t go unnoticed. Before the party had ended, her husband Henry had gone looking for her. He enlisted the aide of the other partygoers, and eventually they found, in the attic, the scrap of paper on which she had written the spell that she had hoped would summon the spirit of her dead sister Prue. Piper and Phoebe had spent the ensuing weeks trying to reverse the spell that Paige had used to transport herself into the parallel world, but not knowing what their sister was attempting they really had no way of knowing how to reverse it. The words of her spell were important, true, and they provided some clues for them to work from: but her frame of mind was much more so, and that they couldn’t know. It was obvious that for some unknown reason Paige was attempting to summon the spirit of Prue: something that both Piper and Phoebe were always unable to do. But why? She only met Prue at P3 once, briefly in passing. Piper was pretty sure that they hadn’t actually even spoken to each other. She and Phoebe had tried many times to contact Prue unsuccessfully: Grams had always said that they wouldn’t be able to contact her until they were ready to let her go: and that was something that they would never be able to do that. Now Paige, who had nothing to let go of had made the attempt. What happened? At the end of the party, when Henry noticed that Paige had vanished, and they found the spell that Paige had written: Grams had admitted that there was a problem with Prue’s crossing over. She said that when she was trying to help Prue cross, that Prue was much more confused than in a regular crossing, saying things that made no sense in light of the facts: then an Elder that she didn’t know came and took Prue with him. She hasn’t seen or heard a word from her ever since. Grams never told the girls because she didn’t want to worry them. Wherever Prue’s spirit is now she had no idea. And now Paige had written a spell to send herself there. ‘Hopefully,’ Piper thought, ‘Prue’s spirit will know to take care of her until she can find her way home.’ Cole returned first. Every place that he had gone in his efforts to find either a safe haven or a strong ally had met with abject failure. At more than one location he had barely escaped with his life. Finally he thought, ‘Paige is an unknown in this world, and no one would be looking for her. Maybe she’ll succeed where I failed,’ as he’d orbed back to the manor. For the five years that he had been her White Lighter he had known that Prue was much more knowledgeable than the Prue that had died five years previously. Still, she was only a single witch, and her overconfidence might be her downfall. Since this Paige person had arrived though, she seemed somehow stronger. Secretly he had a few doubts about the new woman, but Prue seemed to trust her, so he would give her the benefit of the doubt for now. Still, it seemed strange to him that she showed up just before all of the magical world began to fly apart. He would have to watch her closely. Cole was helping Prue pack all of her magical possessions in case they had to make a hasty departure. The Book of Shadows was packed, along with the rest of the objects, in several large suitcases. If they were driven away, they would be prepared to flee at a moments notice. Unfortunately, the best place that Cole could find to flee to was only a seedy old motel: just the kind that a simple mortal would flee to, but not the kind of place that a magical adversary might look for them. They were talking quietly about what to do after they found a safe haven, but they weren’t having much luck. Hearing the familiar jangling noise of someone orbing they looked up to see Paige’s smiling face. “You must have had better luck than we did,†said Prue. “Not a lot, but some,†Paige retorted good-naturedly. “Billy and Christy are still alive, but they don’t know that they’re witches yet, and if we get desperate, some of the Avatars are still out there.†With a blank look on her face, Prue said, “Who…?†“Oh that’s right, they were after your time. Billie is really another member of the family… sort of. She lived with us and fought alongside us, and she’s as near a sister as anyone can be without being a blood relation. Her sister Christy though was evil, and briefly turned her against us, but everything worked out fine in the end. This Christy was never kidnapped as a child: therefore she isn’t evil: so when things settle down maybe we can train them. They’re pretty powerful and when trained they can be a big help.†“But they turned against you?†“Only briefly. They even killed Phoebe and I while they were under the influence of the Hollow. But Piper got Grams and Mom and turned back time. In the end, it was Billie who wound up saving the day. It was all pretty strange.†“What again is this… Hollow? “That dear sister is what’s buried in our basement, and that’s probably what the bad guys want from this place. The Hollow is an entity that absorbs all magic and can; if unleashed, end the world. It was this power that made our Cole into the Source, and what led eventually to his death.†“And these… Avatars?†Looking up, Cole said, “I’ve heard of them. You mean that they’re real? Not just a story?†“Oh they’re real all right: just hard to find, and we don’t want to go to them unless we absolutely have to,†answered Paige. The knock at the door seemed totally out of place for that particular discussion, and made them remember that they weren’t the only people on earth. Paige and Cole stepped into the kitchen so as not to be seen, and Prue answered the door. In front of her stood two uniformed police officers. The heavyset one said, “Are you Prudence Halliwell?†“That’s me,†she said. The taller officer handed her a piece of paper and said, “This house has been cited as a potential target by a certain terrorist organization. Under the National Threat Act of 2007, you are hereby ordered to evacuate the premises immediately. This building is now property of the Liberties Enforcement Organization, until such time as the danger is past. When the threat has been eliminated, it will be returned to you.†“You have two hours to vacate, at which time, agents of the Liberties Enforcement Organization will move in. We’re truly sorry for your inconvenience ma’am.†With that the officers turned and briskly walked away. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. This home had been in their family for generations. Why would the government want it? She could see losing the place to the forces of darkness… but the government. As soon as they get their magical talismans to safety she was going to call Andy and try to get this straightened out. Prue walked dazedly into the kitchen. “We’ve already lost the house. We better grab our bags and get going. Chapter 15 Wins and Losses Andy gave his men their assignments and sent them out. He decided to personally lead Alpha Team. They had the most dangerous target and he would never send any of his men into any actions that he wouldn’t be involved with himself. Each action had been meticulously planned, needing detailed intelligence and specially designed equipment. Fortunately, the allies of his department had been very forthcoming with information, and the world would soon be a safer place. Evan Fortunato was his second in this venture. He was a short, slightly overweight young man with a bushy mustache. His rounded face and expansive smile couldn’t help but make him an instantly likeable sort of fellow. He was also engaged to Andy’s sister, so he was family. Jill Anders, Tom Dennis and Malcolm Stevens rounded out his team. Each one of them was an expert in their field, and each one was a close personal friend. Jill was one of the nations leading experts on brain wave research, while balding, lanky Tom was a top medical man in his area of interest. Lantern jawed Malcolm was the muscle with the most military experience. It was he who would obtain transport and provide mop-up operations. These five had worked together often and they worked together well. They joked around with each other as usual, and when the appointed hour came, they called for transport, wished each other God Speed and were off. There wasn’t much to be said for the motel room. To be honest, it was a dump: but at least it had a telephone. As soon as they got settled in, Prue tried to call Andy, to see if he could do anything about getting their house back. Unfortunately, his secretary said that he had gone out, and that he wasn’t likely to return for a couple of days. “Oh crap!†She said. “Andy’s not going to be able to help us anytime soon.†“Let’s try to figure a few things out before he returns,†said Paige. “Whoever is behind this is sneaky and holds a lot of power. In my world, there was an evil Elder named Gideon that fit that description. Any idea what this world’s Gideon might be up to? I couldn’t find him when I was out looking around earlier.†Cole, who had been brooding on the couch, looked up and said, “Can’t be him.†“Why not?†“He died a long time ago. He tried a coup back in the nineteen thirties. Part of his plan involved getting rid of Belthazor, so he helped me purge myself of my demon half years before I met Leo Wyatt. If that wouldn’t have happened: I might have gone on to become the Source here too and be killed: I wouldn’t have been there to save Leo during the war. Instead I died saving him as he was trying to save some other men and I became a White Lighter instead of Leo.†“Who knows: maybe if I hadn’t purged myself of Belthazor, I never would have become your White Lighter. Maybe Leo would have become your White Lighter here, like you say he did in your world. Maybe I’m not as good a White Lighter as he was. Maybe if he had been here instead of me, this worlds Charmed Ones would still be alive.†“That’s a lot of maybes Cole,†said Paige, “and who knows, maybe you’ll find that you’re a better White Lighter than Leo.†“I doubt that very much,†grumbled Cole. “No really,†said Paige, “I didn’t tell you everything. Leo eventually became an Elder. But he also went through a period of insanity, killed several Elders and was eventually cast out by them. It all worked out in the end, because now he is a mortal again living happily with his family, but he failed miserably as an Elder.†Cole thought about it deeply, “You might be right,†he said, “I’ll have to think a little more about it. Why don’t you guys keep going through the list of suspects: I’ve got an errand to run right now.†He orbed out and the witches returned to their deliberations. The demon of fear, named Barbas, had sensed many strong and sudden fears flare up only to be suddenly extinguished throughout the mystical forces of good and evil. He reached out with his senses trying to discern the cause and when he did, he would figure out how to turn it to his benefit. Obviously there was some sort of war going on, but more than that he couldn’t make out. Lately he had been making his home in a bar that he opened for demons. In fact, it was the same building that in another place would have been known as P3: but here it was called Dark Passions. It gave demons a place to hang out in comfort and make plans with their fellows, and a place where Barbas was able to pick up on leads that would suit his own personal activities. All in all, it was a win-win situation for everyone in the demonic community, and it had been given an order of protection by the Source himself. No demons would ever violate such a protected place. But there are more beings in the universe than demons. Barbas sat back in his office during the hours that the club was closed. He was deep in concentration, when the doors around him burst open. Before he could shimmer to safety, a lantern jawed man in a blue helmet had shot him with several tranquilizer darts. With a look of shock, (He hadn’t sensed anyone approaching him.) he fell to the floor unconscious. A thin blue helmeted man stepped up and put a gas supplying mask on his face, while a blue helmeted woman attached a brain wave scrambling red helmet to Barbas’ head. The leader of the group shackled Barbas. An hour later, Andy Trudeau’s team unloaded the specially designed storage capsule that contained the deeply sedated Barbas. It was wheeled into a secure storage facility that had been secretly designed and built to hold this type of criminal. When they were done, the world of mortals would no longer be menaced by the hidden world of magic. He shuddered to think where they would be now, if the mad Elder Gideon hadn’t made so many public mistakes back in the thirties during one of his ventures: the government would never even have known that there was a magical world all around them that would have to be dealt with. Looking around, Andy could see that the warehouse already contained hundreds of the enemies safely neutralized. Barbas wouldn’t menace anyone for a very long time. It seemed that all of his teams were doing good work today. He was very proud of his well trained and very professional troops. Cole orbed into the basement of the manor. His time was short: the authorities would be there to take possession of the place in about ten minutes, and there was something there that he could never allow them to have. Unfortunately, it would quite probably doom Cole and take away all of the peace and joy that he had gained over the years: but he had to protect his charges. He hoped that he wasn’t dooming them. He stood there with tears in his eyes, knowing that they were quite probably the last tears that he would ever shed. He was about to make the greatest sacrifice that anyone of this world had ever made: and it was going to be made for completely selfless reasons. In that moment, unseen and unheralded, he became the greatest White Lighter in history, but all that he could think about was his fear that he would also become the greatest threat that the world. He left a letter for the sisters in the Book of Shadows telling them what to do if that happened. Taking a deep breath, he shuddered, said the incantation, and took the Hollow into himself. Chapter 16 Turning Corners Detective Darryl Morris had lain in a coma long enough. With all of the madness of the past several weeks, the sisters had nearly forgotten about him. They had tried to talk Cole into healing him, but met with no success. Fortunately, Cole wasn’t the only one who could heal people. Paige Matthews, the witch who is also half White Lighter, went to the hospital to check up on the injured man. She had tried to see him several times before, but there were always two surly looking guards outside her door blocking her admission: fortunately it looked like they finally decided that Darryl would never awaken, and they gave up their vigil. She looked up and down the hallway and slipped into his room. It nearly broke her heart to see the double of her good friend laying there so still: hooked up heartlessly with all sorts of tubes and hoses. There was a strange feel to the room. Magic. A spell had been placed over the place to prevent anyone from magically transporting themselves in or out of the room. It was a good thing that she decided to walk in like a normal person. ‘Why’ she thought, ‘would anyone magical be interested in a simple cop?’ A noise coming from the adjoining room reawakened her from her reveries. She stepped up to the officer, placed her hands on his chest and proceeded to heal him. His eyes fluttered open, and he caught a glace of her as she was exiting the room. Fifty-four minutes later a nurse came into the room to adjust his IV. She went about her usual routine. Tending to a man who would never wake up was boring work, ‘but at least,’ she thought, ‘it was better than cleaning up after some of the other patients.’ She really couldn’t understand why the patient’s wife insisted that they waste the money for the life support equipment keeping him alive, but that was her prerogative. She started to replace the nutrient bag for the IV when his eyes opened and he said hoarsely, “Nurse, where am I?†She nearly had a heart attack in her surprise, and then nervously called the doctor. The patient had impossibly come back from the dead. Cole felt hunger: overwhelming hunger. The Hollow within him yearned to absorb all of the magical energies in creation. He thought that he would be strong enough to resist the temptation of using this kind of power, but he knew that he would eventually fail. For now he remained in control. Opening his senses he felt the authorities in their approach to the manor. Briefly he thought about sealing it against their intrusion, but decided that with the Hollow and the Book of Shadows gone, there wasn’t really much of use left for them: so he just left. A world away, Piper had fallen asleep in a chair, the Book of Shadows laying in her lap: fatigue had overcome her in her search to find her missing sister. She had failed to save Prue, so very long ago, but as long as there was a chance, she would never give up, and let another sister die. She was the oldest… now that Prue was gone. The guilt had silently hung over her for so long that it had become a part of her life and she never even realized it. It had insinuated itself into the very fiber of her being, and she would never, she unconsciously feared, be free of it: and could she ever find complete happiness until she could? Probably not. Therefore she would continue her search for Paige, possibly forever. In her reverie she quietly heard a voice that shouldn’t be there: hoarsely whispering, ‘Piper…’ She sat up and looked around the attic. There was no one there. Shaking her head she shrugged it off and laid her head back down. ‘Piper…’ Sitting up again she said, “All right who’s there? Whatever you are, if you’ve come to mess with me, you’ve picked on the wrong witch. I’ve been stressed enough lately and I’m ticked off so don’t be messing with me.†‘Piper, I’m here to help you find Paige…’ The whispered voice sounded familiar to her. Maybe if it wasn’t so quiet she might recognize it. “All right,†she said, “I’m listening…†‘Promise that you’ll hear me out first: I’m not here to cause problems, so don’t attack me. I really am here to help.’ “If that’s true I’ll listen,†She said. ‘I haven’t found any other clues,’ she thought. A figure swirled into view. She certainly recognized him. Last time she saw him, he really did help her, so she decided to listen. “Cole. What are you up to now?†“It’s nice to see you too Piper. How’s Phoebe? I hear that she finally has learned to love again.†Reluctantly Piper said, “Yeah, she has. I don’t want you doing anything to ruin it!†“Believe me that’s the last thing that I want to do. That’s why I came to you with this information instead of her. I will never stop loving her, but I can never have her. I understand that and I don’t want her to start thinking of me: all I want is her happiness: but I’m not here because of Phoebe. I’m here because I can take you to Paige.†“What’s your angle?†she asked. “Oh you know me: I’ve got all sorts of angles, but in this case, I only want to help my former family. If you don’t want it, that’s fine: I’ll just go along my way…†“Wait! I’ll listen. What do you know?†“That’s better. Paige is on a parallel world. I can’t really say how she got there, so I can’t tell you how to get there physically, but if you do an astral projection, I can take you there spiritually. You know, you guys used to do a lot of astral projecting in the old days, but not so much lately. Why is that?†“I don’t know... After Prue died, we just seemed to stop. Maybe we did it a lot back then because it was something new, and eventually it just became old hat. I don’t know. So why don’t you tell me what you know before I take leave of my body.†She said. “OK, fair enough. There’s another me on that parallel world where Paige is. From what I’ve gathered, he’s a White Lighter, of all things. Either way, he recently took the Hollow into himself. That sent a shockwave out into the multi-verse that I felt: probably because I’m the only other one of me in all of creation to have done that. Either way I went to investigate, and I was very surprised at who else I found in that world.†“Paige?†“Oh yes: and there are other surprises waiting there as well.†“Like what?†“Why don’t you get out of that body and I’ll show you.†Leaving a note for Leo, that was exactly what she did. The doctors had said that Darryl had been brain dead for weeks. They said that his muscles had atrophied and yet there he stood. It was the kind of miracle that doctors had always heard about but never really expected to see. This patient in particular shouldn’t have ever revived. Government men had come and forced the doctor, who was the attending physician, to administer drugs that would have made sure that he would never wake up… but he woke up anyway. If he knew how to contact the government men he would: but he didn’t know how. Therefore, with a release from the Hospital Administrator, the detective walked freely out of a hospital, that he should have died in. The doctor should have been concerned that he would find himself punished for letting this happen, but when he looked in the former patient’s eyes, all he felt was hope that the world had just become a safer place. Chapter 17 Patience Paige really didn’t like the motel room that Cole had picked out to be their refuge. It was old, with peeling paint and no cable TV. The manor was old too, but it was well maintained with a loads of charm. This place was just a little depressing: but at least she was with her sister. ‘That’s odd,’ she thought, ‘when did I start to think of Prue as my sister?’ “Prue?†she said. “Yeah?†“Got any plans?†“Not yet: but I will. I’ve been thinking: you said that you and Piper and Phoebe ended the demon threat back home. How did you do that? Maybe we can do it here too,†said Prue. Paige thought about it for a few moments before answering. “You know, at the time, we really didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. Too many things were happening, you know what I mean?†“Yeah, I know. It seems that when I was back there, before you came along: that we were always under attack. We were new to everything, so we didn’t know enough to go on the offensive: we seemed to be always under attack and we just reacted and we reacted. So what changed?†“Somewhere along the way we became a part of the bigger magical community. There was no great plan for that to happen, it just did. Generally witches are somewhat isolated, keeping to themselves, or their own groups, but more and more we got involved with more than witches, warlocks and demons. It’s a failing of these groups to ignore the less human looking magical folk. As time went on we became friends with fairies, trolls, mermaids, genies and a whole lot more. My personal favorites were the leprechauns: they’ve generally got a lot of charm and they really know how to party.†“Paige, are you saying that all of those things really exist?†“Sure thing sis. In the long run, we didn’t defeat evil with battles alone: we strengthened all of the friendly magical folk by building ties and friendships. Like I said, we didn’t plan to do that: it just happened. When they needed help we came running, and when we needed a favor, they were generally there for us. By doing things for each other, I suppose that we were all able to sidestep that no magic for personal gain rule, that had always hampered us before. Maybe the Elders planned for us to build these ties all along. Either way, I’m not going to be losing any sleep over it.“ “Before you, Piper, Phoebe and I: there was little interaction with these others: much less intermarriages. In our family alone, we’ve had witches marrying White Lighters, Demons and Cupids. Talk about breaking racial barriers.†Prue considered this for a moment. “We might be able to use this. I’ve got to think about it a little more. I wonder when Cole is going to get back here, I’m getting hungry.†“Good idea sis, lets order a pizza!†said Paige with a smile. Piper and the spirit Cole stepped through the thin barrier into the neighboring dimension where Paige and Prue currently resided. They departed their home dimension from the manor, and they entered the new one in that world’s version of the manor. Looking around they saw the place overrun with a uniformed force of men and women. They were tearing the place apart looking for something, and there wasn’t a Halliwell in sight. The spirit Cole said, “Well, this is certainly a new development. These people weren’t here an hour ago. I wonder who they are. I guess that it doesn’t really matter, does it? We’re looking for Paige.†Frowning Piper said, “Yes we are but it’s disturbing to she these people in my home.†Looking towards the searchers she said, “Shoo! Get out of my house!†Nobody seemed to notice her. “Sorry Piper, but we’re only spirits. They can’t see us or hear us.†“But I can,†said another spirit Piper, who was standing at the top of the stairs. “You must be the Piper from Paige’s world: am I right?†Surprised, the astral projected Piper said, “That’s right. You’re me aren’t you?†“In a manner of speaking. So: you’re what I would have looked like if I wouldn’t have died. I aged pretty well.†“Thanks. I think. What’s going on around here?†“I’m not completely sure. These are government people looking for terrorists, I think. Prue and Paige are in a dingy motel, waiting for Cole to return, but I don’t think that that’s going to happen anytime soon.†She told them about what Cole had done and where the sisters’ motel was. She faded away and the projected Piper and her companion did likewise. The pizza girl knocked on the door of the motel room, where Prue and Paige had fled. The sisters had waited patiently for Cole to return, but he seemed to have vanished. They tried time and again to call for him with no results. They suspected that their unknown enemy may have caught up with him, but they still remained hopeful. Eventually they got hungry, so they called for pizza. Using Prue’s credit card they also ordered sodas and hot wings. Looking through the curtains Prue saw a young girl trying to juggle all of their food while using the other to rap on the door. Letting the young blonde into their room she helped them set up their dinner on the small night table. She asked to use the bathroom and the sisters were alone again. Piper and the spirit Cole arrived unseen. “There’s Paige,†said Piper, “…is that… this world’s Prue?†“No Piper,†Cole said, “that Prue is buried on your world. This is your Prue.†“Prue… “ She said weakly. If she wouldn’t have been only an astral projection she would have fainted and tears would have welled up in her eyes. She looked at her closely. It could be Prue. “Prue? That’s Prue? What are you trying to pull here?!†Holding up his hands in a warding gesture, Cole said, “Just listen to them.†“OK Paige, you had… what… back home: an army of magical folks to fight demons?†“Not at all: just some friends who would occasionally do us a few favors. We all just became like a big family and looked out for each other. I know that it might be hard for you to understand, what with you being isolated here for so long, but there are a lot of wonderful people out there.†“It’s been really lonely, being trapped here. I’m sorry that you’re stuck here too, but it’s nice to have someone other than Cole to talk to.†“You know, I went to your funeral, Prue.†‘It really is my Prue’, Piper thought. She tried to scream for her sisters to hear her, but they had no inkling that she was there. Just then the door burst inward as three warlocks leaped at them. A fireball just missed Prue’s head as she turned it back on her attacker who burst into flames. The second one leapt at Paige who orbed deftly out of the way. She dispatched it with a pizza cleaver orbed through its chest. It that moment the pizza delivery girl chose to come out of the bathroom. The third warlock hurled herself at the college girl. The girl threw up her arms in front of her to ward off her attacker. Remarkably, the warlock exploded into dust. The girl looked shocked and fell over backwards in the concussive blast. “You shouldn’t be using a charge card if you want to stay hidden,†laughed the attacker, “you might as well give up, cause we’re not alone.†Glancing out the window, Paige saw another dozen attackers going for position: but they had underestimated the sisters. They had no way of knowing that the sisters both had been battle tested many times in another world. The assailants had thought that there was only one witch, and that she would be very inexperienced: they couldn’t have been more wrong. Making a quick decision, Paige grabbed Prue and the delivery girl and orbed away from the confrontation. Piper watched the action with concern, but also knowing that her sisters knew how to take care of themselves: so she wasn’t surprised to see them orb to safety. She looked to the spirit Cole and said, “Ok. Prue’s still alive. That’s the best news I’ve had… well ever, I suppose. Let’s go back home and work on getting them back there.†Smiling, Cole said, “Right after we make one more stop. There’s one more thing that you should see, before going home.†He waved an arm and the two were transported to a theater. Sitting in the front row was a very pale looking Leo: wearing some kind of military looking uniform. When he smiled, something that looked like a pair of pointed fangs could be seen briefly in the flickering light of the projector. He was watching a movie with a young date: who looked very much like the pizza girl that had just left with Prue and Paige. Pointing at the girl, Cole said with a smile, “This my once sister-in-law is your sister, Patience: and her life is in grave danger.†Chapter 18 Magic School They had escaped just in time. Prue looked around to see where Paige had taken them, but she was sure that she had never been there before. It was a very solid and well appointed place: the air was heavy with dust, and cobwebs. It was obvious that the place hadn’t been visited for many decades. “Paige,†she said, “where are we?†Paige smiled and said, “The one place that I know to be the safest place on this Earth: the place where we can finally begin to fight back from in complete safety.†Throwing her arm wide in an expansive gesture, Paige proudly announced, “Prue Halliwell, welcome to Magic School!†The pizza girl fell back in the nearest of the plush easy chairs raising a cloud of dust and with an expression of shock said quietly, “I must be dreaming. What the heck’s going on here?†The sisters had almost forgotten that she had been brought along with them, but she was abruptly forced back into their consciousness. Prue stared at the young blonde girl and felt the shock of realization. “You blew up a warlock. How did you do that?†The girl looked from one sister to another and said, “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything…†The pieces of the puzzle began to take shape in Paige’s mind. She decided that they needed to reassure this scared child. This girl, she felt, might be more important than they could imagine, but first she needed to have her needs attended to. “Look no one’s mad about it, we were just surprised: and judging by the look on your face, you were too. I think that I might have an answer, but first tell me one thing: is your name Patience or maybe Penelope?†“Patience is my sister, I’m Penny. No one calls me Penelope except my mom: and then only when she’s upset with me about something or other.†Prue looked back and forth between the two, “Paige? What’s going on?†Paige got excited and held her hand up to silence Prue, “Penny? If you were adopted, we have a lot to talk about. I’m guessing that you and Patience are twins.†Hesitantly Penny said, “Patty and I are twins… who are you people.†Then it dawned on Prue who this young girl with the short hair was. “We’re your sisters. This is Paige and I am Prue, and we have been looking for you two for a while now,†turning to Paige she gave a questioning look, “how did you know?†“Well the adoption records said that their first names were Patience and Penelope, but I knew when I saw her use her power. Didn’t that power look familiar to you?†“Piper… she has Piper’s powers.†Penny was taken back by the idea that she might have sisters that she didn’t know about. “What do you mean about me having powers? And who’s this Piper whose powers I have…†Prue became a little choked up, but answered, “Piper… and Phoebe… are two more sisters that were killed years ago. You would have loved them: and as for powers, we’re all witches, and we all have powers.†To demonstrate, she waved her arm and made a chair float across the room. For her part, Paige orbed the chair back to its original position. “And you’re… witches. We’re… witches… Look, I think that you have the wrong person. Unless we do a DNA test, there’s no way to know if this is true…†“We can do a DNA test if you want, but how about this. As witches, we can summon the dead. Would you like to meet Piper and Phoebe? Would you like to meet your biological mother?†Paige said. Penny nodded numbly, and the sisters made the preparations. The exertions of the past several days had taken its toll on Andy and the other members of Alpha Team. They had met with success on every assignment and they needed a little R&R. Normally they would have all stopped off for a drink together before heading home, but they needed rest more than anything else: they decided to meet at the bar that evening and get a few hours of shuteye immediately. Andy entered his apartment, lay down on the bed without even taking off his shoes and was fast asleep within seconds. His dreams were troubled and even more exhausting. He dreamed of Prue. He saw her running for her life with evil pursuing her on all sides. He saw his family in bloody dangers and his co-workers lowered into shallow graves. The city was in burning ruins and the world was on fire, and somehow he knew that it was all his fault. Then he saw, what he could only describe as, an angel of light. The unbearable brightness was both beautiful and overwhelming. It wasn’t just some White Lighter calling himself an angel… it could only have been a real angel. It stepped in between the destruction and was the only thing that held back the darkness until four Valkyries came to his aid. The angel smiled and Andy knew him. It was his old friend Darryl. Waking with a start, he called home. His Dad said that as far as he knew everything was all right there. Then he called the hospital. Darryl had made a miraculous recovery, and was discharged. No one knew where he had gone. Then he called the manor. Prue was gone, and government troops had taken over the old house. A cold chill ran down Andy’s back and wondered if tonight was going to be the end of the world. Darryl wandered the streets searching. Something seemed to be leading him somewhere, but he knew not where that might be. He should go home to his wife and kids, but something compelled him onward. He wandered through a darkened park at the edge of the city, which had been recently burned by fire. The stark blackened branches of the once green trees hinted at the rapidly unbalancing state of the world. He could feel something good and wonderful hidden deep within him: something long forgotten and unused, but still there. As he walked through the bleak landscape, he never looked back: only forward, as something beckoned him ever onward. If Darryl would have even once, turned his head for a brief glance, he would have seen that he left in his wake, new life. The dead and blackened trees were sprouting anew. Green sprigs grew from charred branches, and the ashes were covered with fresh bark. New shoots of grass sprang forth from the ground with each step: all happening in the most profound silence. Like himself, the world around him, which had lay at the doors of death were receiving the gift of renewed life; and he didn’t even know that it was happening. He had no way to know that everyone that was in the hospital with him, who were at death’s door, were healed instantly as he walked away into the night. Darryl had changed, and the world had a new hope. Chapter 19 The War Zankou led his troops into battle. With the Source dead, each major demon decided that it was time to make their bid for power, and Zankou was one of the few left that had a shot at rising to the top of the underworld. He had wasted the lives of many minions and underlings discovering who his hidden enemy was: and the answer sickened him. As a rule, major demons don’t work well together: they tend to kill off their competition rather than cooperating. For example: Zankou flew into a rage and killed off the minions that brought him unwanted but truthful news, rather than giving him a suitable reward. This doesn’t really inspire loyalty among the lower ranks, so it’s no wonder that the Supreme Commander was able to recruit such a large army of their kind. ‘Well,’ thought Zankou, ‘they’ll all pay for their disloyalty!’ It sickened him that so many major powers in the demon community had fallen to a stinking vampire and his alliance with the governments of the worthless mortals. Mortals! Who ever heard of the cattle rising up against their betters?! As much as he hated the fallen demons, they deserved better. They deserved to fight their enemies face to face, not fall to ambushes so swift that they couldn’t even defend themselves. The vampire would pay! The Supreme Commander stood in the war room, with his most trusted aides. So far everything seemed to be going as planned. Most of the Source’s council had been hunted down and taken care of, and only a few of the major demons had eluded him. He knew that since these enemies wouldn’t be taken unawares, they would be the most difficult. If only the Source hadn’t gotten a warning and scattered his top men, it would have all been over by now. ‘Oh well,’ he thought, ‘no plan can take everything into account. Fortunately, we seem to have been able to adapt to the situation. It looks like we won’t even need my back-up plan.’ Zankou had gathered the remaining midlevel demons for the attack, and the time had come. As a group, the remaining thirty-eight demons shimmered into the Supreme Commander’s Citadel, and the work of slaughter began. Fireballs took out scores of lesser demons and werewolves in the first few seconds, but the well-trained forces of the Commander flung themselves at the invaders by the hundreds. Their unified defense felled seventeen of the attackers, causing the rest to flee in panic. In the confusion, Zankou grabbed the Commander and shimmered away. The attack, though costly, had succeeded in its ultimate goal. He had his enemy in his grasp and he expected that the rebellion would fall apart without his leadership. Demons always think of leadership through brute force and intimidation. The idea of leadership by cooperation and order was an alien concept to them and he could never believe that a movement could move forward without its leader. As far as he was concerned, the war was over. The lieutenant rallied his men, as he had been trained to do, and reported to their mortal allies. The war was not over. Zankou dangled the gasping Commander from his vice-like grip on the sandy haired vampire’s throat. It was all he could do to prevent himself from laughing in his enemies face. Instead he just spat and threw him across the room. He snarled, “Imagine… a lowly vampire causing so much trouble. Well, let me tell you… vampire… you will suffer for all eternity for your effrontery, with agonies that you couldn’t even imagine. Still, before I dispatch you to your fate, I’m curious: how did you inspire the lowlies of our world? How did you make them into such a formidable force?†The Commander spat in his face. If Zankou didn’t understand the loyalties of brotherhood, or the discipline of a martial society, he certainly wasn’t going to tell him. In a demonic rage, Zankou battered and tossed the Commander like an inanimate toy. He had been overcome by an exponentially growing blood lust: a cackling gurgle rising from his throat. So deep was his insanity that he didn’t even see, at first, the cloud of swirling blackness as Cole entered the demons lair. Attracted by the radiating evil growing in Zankou’s rage, the Hunger drew Cole to the lair. He took in the scene in a second and decided to let the Hollow feast. With the possible exception of the object of Zankou’s rage, no one there was an innocent: and there was so much power to feast on. In a blitzkrieg attack, the Hollow rapidly sucked the power and life essences of Zankou and the few remaining demons until nothing remained but dust and the bleeding victim of the dispatched demons. The war was finally over. Cole lifted the Commanders face to look in his eyes and said quietly, “Leo? Is that you? How can you be alive after all of these years?†Then he knew. The hollow sensed a small amount of power within Leo Wyatt: the power of a vampire. The Hollow wanted that power too, as small as it was compared to a demon’s: but Cole remembered Leo as a friend and left before the hunger forced him to take the life of a man whose life he had saved so long ago, in the war. Before he was forced to take the life of the man who he had died for, so very long ago: the event that made him a White Lighter, rather than just an ex-demon. Cole longed to ask his friend what had happened to him, but instead he fled. Leo Wyatt, the Supreme Commander, knew that maybe he would need his back-up plan after all. A different war had just begun. Chapter 20 Home Fires Penny joined Paige and Prue in cleaning up the kitchen and several of the dorm rooms in Magic School. Paige seemed to have some sort of plan in mind, so Penny felt a little safer than she had when she first arrived in the expansive gothic structure. The sisters taught her some of the basics of magic while they cleaned, and they asked her questions about herself: but she wasn’t ready to open up to them yet. After all she really didn’t know them. They could be a danger to her family: particularly Patty. They seemed very interesting in finding out more about Patty. “Magic is never to be used for personal gain,†said Prue, “when you try to use it that way, it always seems to backfire on you. We are white magic witches, and only use our powers to protect the innocent.†“Like me,†said Penny. “At the moment, yeah,†said Paige, “although, if you choose to learn how to use your magic, you will quickly loose that innocence. You will become one of the protectors instead of the protected.†“So I have a choice about that?†“Of course you do,†said Prue, “if you don’t want your powers, they can be bound, and you can live your life as a normal person. When I was younger, I thought that we had no choice in the matter, but I see now that we always have a choice.†“Bind my powers? But I’ll still be a witch though, won’t I?†“Well yeah, but with your powers bound, no one will come after you, so it’s pretty much the same as being a mortal.†“But not exactly though. I think that maybe I’ll keep them for now.†“Good choice,†sad Paige, “Now that we have a good clean working area, we can set up the room so that we can summon the dead. Shall we get started?†With her mission completed, Piper finished her astral projection and returned home. She opened her eyes and sat bolt upright, blinked and looked around her for a second. She checked in on her sleeping children and grabbed her cell phone. There was no sense in waking Leo until Phoebe and Coop got there too. She dialed Phoebe’s number. Shortly thereafter, a sleepy sister answered and she said, “Phoebe, get over here right away: we’ve got a lot of work to do.†With the candles set up, Paige and Prue summoned that world’s Piper and Phoebe. In a swirl of lights, the deceased sisters stepped into the circle. “OK, what do you want?†said Phoebe. Prue stepped up and answered her. “We wanted to introduce you to your sister, Penelope.†Pointing to the young blonde girl, the shade of Piper said, “Is that her?†“It is said Prue. She likes to be called Penny, and she is having a hard time believing the things that we’re telling her. We thought that seeing you might help out in that area.†“It might,†said Piper, “but maybe you should’ve called Grams instead.†Turning to Penny, she asked, “Our Grandmother’s name is Penny. I suspect that you were named after her. Would you like to meet the woman who you’re named after?†Nodding woodenly, in shock: the petite Penny watched as the one called Piper called out ‘Grams. Come here, we need you.’ A kindly, yet formidable looking woman appeared in the circle standing to the right of the shade of Phoebe. After making some coffee, Piper woke Leo and they went downstairs and met Phoebe and Coop sitting at the table in the dining room. As soon as Paige’s husband Henry arrived, they sat down and joined them. “OK. What was so important that you had to drag us out in the middle of the night?†said Phoebe irritably. “Isn’t it obvious,†said Henry, “She’s found Paige. That’s it, isn’t it?†Enjoying herself, Piper relished the moment. “That’s right brother-in-law of mine: I have found Paige, and she’s just fine. It’s going to take some work to get her home, but we’ll be able to get her home soon enough, I’m sure.†“And this couldn’t have waited till morning?†Phoebe groaned. “I suppose it could have,†said Piper, “But I’ve got more news than just finding Paige.†A huge grin spread over her face, and she seemed to be bursting with excitement. “It’s not news that couldn’t wait: its news that I just couldn’t wait for morning to tell you. It’s so perfect that I had to have you all here to tell you in just the right way.†Leo laid his hand on hers and said, “OK honey: we’re all here. Don’t make us wait any longer. What’s going on?†Just when it seemed that Piper’s grin couldn’t seem to get any wider: it did. With tears of joy running down her face she began haltingly. “I got a tip about Paige’s whereabouts,†for Phoebe’s sake she decided to leave Cole’s involvement out of it, “and I projected myself into the astral plane and found Paige. She’s staying with relatives.†With a bewildered look, Phoebe asked, “Which relatives?†Piper’s grin impossibly grew larger, and tears continued to run down her face. “Phoebe… she’s with Prue. Prue’s still alive.†Chapter 21 The Alternate Plan Supreme Commander Leo Wyatt counted himself lucky to have escaped with his life. His body had been battered and broken, but that was all right: vampires heal quickly. Beyond that, the Hollow Cole creature transported him back to the world of men without killing him. Finding himself in a muddy ditch alongside the highway, he needed time to lay quietly in the dark and heal. He stumbled into a cab and gave the driver the address of his purported girlfriend. The cabbie gave him a wary look, but was happy to take the hundred-dollar bill that was stuffed into the driver’s hand. Felling a moment of safety, the vampire in the tattered uniform gave in to exhaustion and dozed off. Sensing himself being dragged out of the deepest of slumbers, by a girl shaking him, the Commander mumbled incoherently. “Leo, what happened to you? Come on baby, let me help you up,†said Patty. She put one of his arms over her shoulder and lifted. The cabbie helped her to get him inside and onto a bed. She thanked him and paid him with a big tip: then she returned to the man that she loved. Throughout the next several days Leo faded in and out of wakefulness. The tender young girl cradled his head and offered the lifeblood of her neck in an attempt to save the life of the man that she was hopelessly in love with. Although Leo had a minimal awareness of his surroundings, he knew what Patty was doing, and as much as his body screamed for the warmth of her crimson blood, he forced himself to take no more than was absolutely necessary. This girl, of all women, was the one person that he could not let come to any harm. He could feel his body slowly knitting, while the worried Patty hovered over him every moment of every day, waiting for the chance to ease the sufferings of her beloved. At night she lay beside him, sharing her body’s warmth with his cold form: by day she cooked and washed him, bringing him fresh clothes and news of the outside world. Soon he would be ready to rise again, and move, once again, forward. In the meantime, his men knew what to do. With his superior missing, the Lieutenant followed established procedures and initiated the Omega Protocols. Since there had been no follow up attacks, he was pretty sure that the Commander had somehow finished off his opponents. Now was the time to permanently neutralize the powerful beings that they had in temporary storage. He met with government officials and made the final arrangements. The sedated captives would be paired off by their respective power levels: one from the side of dark magic and one from the side of light. For every elder, a major demon: for every white-lighter, a minor demon, and so on. The blood of each pair would be mixed and returned to the insensate pair. The blood of the light canceling out the power of the blood of the dark: and vice versa. Each would receive total transfusions of the neutralized blood and wind up as powerless creatures. The procedure would of course have to be repeated every few weeks for the rest of the creatures’ lives: but it would return to mankind the control of their own lives. With a little control by the government, that is. It was a most fortunate day when a compassionate, well trained military man, like Leo Wyatt became aware of the hidden world of magic and dutifully reported it to a superior who knew that Wyatt’s word could be trusted implicitly. After a verification of the facts, the government set up a secret branch of the military to find a way to handle the situation. Commander Wyatt was put in charge of the day to day operations of the department, and he has succeeded far beyond the most optimistic expectations, of those early leaders of a half a century ago. Even after the Commander was made into a vampire, he had excelled in his task. If anything, what was seen originally as a curse, wound up being one of the greatest assets to the program. The Lieutenant, had a great admiration for the Commander, and feared greatly for his safety: nevertheless, the mission would continue. Laying in that hospital bed at death’s door, Darryl had seen the light, but had been unable to go into the light as he had so longed to do. For weeks on end he watched the light just out of his reach. It seemed like an eternity. It became more than a friend, more than family and he came to understand it and feel its love more than any other man who had ever lived: and the ironic part was that the experience accomplished the very thing that the people who were keeping him captive were trying to prevent. If they would have left him alone, he would have continued his life unchanged and never become a threat to their activities: but now he would become a factor that they had never accounted for in their equations. The prophecies that they had feared would, because of their actions, become fact. Darryl was unable to go into the light and therefore, when it was time to return to the Earth, the light went into him and Darryl became an earthly embodiment of that life on Earth. As he walked towards his destination, all of the injured and dieing that were within several hundred feet of him were healed in the wake of his passing. Like the wake of a boat cresting over the shore, so too did the power of pure life wash over the injured and terminal renewing life in all of its glory. The entire structure of reality was about to become something else. It was wonderful. Chapter 22 Groundwork Penny Halliwell spoke quietly with her young namesake. She told the young girl many things, which were not meant to be heard by the two sisters from the other world. Young Penny and old Penny were of the same world, of the same blood. Finally she turned to Prue and Paige. “The time is almost upon us when the Power of Three will be required on this world and you two will have a big decision to make. The only way for that to happen is if one of you stays here with young Penny and Patty. When the time comes you will know what you need to do.†Stepping away from the girl, the shade of Piper looked at Paige and delivered her message. “I think that you should know that I recently met the Piper of your world. She practiced Astral Projection and came to this world in search of Paige. She knows that you are here and I suspect that she has gone home by now and is probably working on a way to get you home even as we speak.†Turning to Prue she continued, “I don’t know if she realized that you are here. I told her where to look for Paige, so she probably saw you too, but I don’t know if she realized who you really were. I’m sorry.†Feeling a long lost and nearly forgotten feeling of hope welling up from deep within her, Prue said through misty eyes, “Maybe she did, and maybe she didn’t: but if not, my baby sister here,†hugging Paige for the first time, “will tell them. Won’t you sis?†Hugging her back, Paige said, “Try to stop me.†Having no success in finding Prue, Andy decided to check in with his family. He had called home and his Dad and Step-Mom were doing fine: he then decided to check out his siblings. Alan was away on business and Peter was, well Peter: a rather self absorbed jerk who had no idea that there was anything wrong with the world. Finally he went to his sisters’ apartment, and rang the doorbell. Patty answered looking deathly pale, and Penny was nowhere in sight: only Patty’s creepy boyfriend Leo was there looking worse than Patty. Something was definitely wrong here. After the séance, Penny’s fears seemed to have washed away and she was fully on board with the program. Paige outlined the plan that she had come up with and Prue seemed to agree: Penny didn’t argue. Paige held out her hand and said, “Let’s go Sis,†and before Penny could formulate a question, she had orbed the two of them out of Magic School. Checking out her new surroundings, they found themselves in a charming mystical wood. Speaking loudly, Paige shouted, “I know you’re here Seamus, so you might as well show yourself!†From behind an old tree, a voice said, “And who be ye, Missy, that ye know the name of one of the Little Folk?†“My name is Paige Matthews, and I’m a witch from another plane. Back home the Little Folk and I are close: but here, there is a threat to the magical community. The Seamus of that world was a very close friend of mine and I’ve come to ask for your help.†“And why would we be givin’ it Misssy?†Knowing the way that leprechauns think she answered, “Because I’ve never know the Wee Folk to pass up on a bit of fun, in my world: and maybe a wee bit o’ mischief too.†With that Seamus stepped out from behind the tree and said, “Ah but I see that ye do indeed think like the Fair People of the Leprechauns. Maybe we have something to talk about after all.†Looking about him he said, â€Come on out lads, let’s listen now to what she has to say.†Prue used the Book of Shadows to summon a fairy, who it turned out, was named Xinki. Her wings were a luminescent gold, accentuating the bright orange dress that adorned her miniscule frame. She darted happily around the room displaying the joy that is so common to her kind. When Prue finally caught her attention, she explained that there were unknown people who were hunting down people in the Magical Community. Xinki smiled and nodded and again took flight. Prue found this rather annoying, but knew that fairies had notoriously short attention spans and she simply wasn’t going to get a long conversation out of her: the best that she could hope for would be a series of short exchanges. For every question or comment that she would make, Xinki would either nod, shrug or shake her head, and then she would fly off again so that Prue would have to chase her down again before she could have another exchange. Prue sighed knowing that it would make for a long day. Seamus listened to Paige and said, “And ye have no idea who these here hunters might be Lassie?†“Not a clue. That’s why we all need to stick together. That’s why we’re setting up a safe house: a place where any of the friendly of the Magical Community can flee for protection.†The Leprechaun seemed to be thinking, and he finally came to a conclusion. “Would ye be surprised if I were to tell ye that I know who they are? Do ye want me to tell ye about yer enemy Lassie? Stunned, Paige just nodded. “Listen well then Missy. Many years ago, a vampire told me of an alliance between the lesser folk of the magic dark, and the government of the mortals. They asked the Wee Folk to join up with them, but we said that we cared not for such things. They warned us to stay out of their way, and they would leave us be: but if they have harmed such beings as the good elders, we canna stay neutral. Let me talk to my people, and if the rest agree, we’ll be seein’ ye’ at yer safe house.†“Seamus, there’s one more thing. Do you have a name for our enemy?†“Aye, I do. They called the leader of the vampires, Supreme Commander. Leo Wyatt, I think be his name.†Penny and Paige both gasped, and Paige stammered, “Leo is…†“My sister Patty’s boyfriend,†interrupted Penny. Leo sent Penny away on an errand and decided that he was well enough to take a chance on contacting someone on the outside. Hopefully the line hadn’t been tapped, or he would soon have trouble bursting in on him He dialed the private number for the Lieutenant. When his Second answered, there were short exchanges. “Any follow up attacks?†He gave a brief description of their new adversary, the Hollow Cole creature. “Were the Protocols being followed?†“Any other troubles?†and finally, “Its time to enact the alternate plan. Take the vial of blood that I got from Patty, and begin the cloning process. We’ll need three of her, if we are to access the Power of Three. It will take the Power of Three to stop the Hollow Cole.†With the assurance that his Second had everything well in hand, the Supreme Commander allowed himself to relax and give in to the soothing embrace of sleep. Chapter 23 Patience When Leo asked Patty to go to the store for him, Andy took the opportunity, to try to find out what the heck was going on around there. He offered to drive his adopted sister to the store, so that he would have some time alone with her. She seemed exhausted and totally spent. “Patty? Where’s Penny?†“Don’t know bro. She left for work a few weeks ago and I haven’t heard from her since.†An icy fear stabbed through the heart of Andy. He was just looking for a way to start the conversation. He didn’t expect that something might really be wrong with Penny. He should have been checking up on her earlier but he had been spending all of his time in the Commander’s secret war. If anything happened to Penny, it would be his fault. “You did call the police and report her missing didn’t you Pat?†“Huh? Oh, I guess I forgot. Leo said not to worry about her, and he was so sick, I guess that I just forgot about it.†The girl seemed to be in a funk. In fact she barely was able to take notice of her surroundings. “Why don’t you lay down on the back seat and rest up Patty. Its time to let your big brother take care of you.†Said Andy, as she mumbled, laid down and fell deeply asleep. The Supreme Commander had promised Andy that nothing would ever happen to his sisters and he believed him. Andy realized that he had been made a fool, and he vowed then and there that Leo would pay for all that he had put his sister through. How could he have ever been gullible enough to trust a vampire? Dialing his cell phone he gave one message, “Assemble the team. We’ve got work to do.†With a resolute face he pushed down on the accelerator and single-mindedly sped on. He didn’t even notice his old friend Darryl walking down the side of the street as he passed him. In the back seat, unnoticed by her brother, Patience Trudeau began to glow with a warm golden aura and the tension in her expression slowly faded to one of contentment. Paige and Penny orbed back into the great hall of Magic School. Prue had finished her appeals to the flighty fairy and, as Paige did with the Leprechauns, had obtained a promise that she would pass on to the rest of the magical community the message about the safety that can be found at Magic School. “OK Sis,†said Paige, “we found out who our enemy is, and believe me, it’s just about the last person you’d expect.†“Spill it Paige,†said Prue jokingly, “who is it? The President? Dad?†“Close,†said Paige. “Our enemy is the vampire Leo Wyatt. The Supreme Commander of combined forces of lesser demons and the U.S. government.†“Leo?†said Prue, “and he’s a vampire on this world: well that figures.†“He’s more than that Prue,†said Penny, “He’s Patty’s boyfriend. We need to find her and get her away from him.†“We will sweetie. We need to find out where they are, and try to separate them,†said Prue. “Well Penny,†said Paige, “I think that it’s time for you to learn about scrying.†“And that is?†“The way that a witch can magically search for another magical being. Do you have anything of hers?†Penny fumbled in her purse and pulled out a ring. “This is hers. I borrowed it for a date… which I missed, thank you. Will this work?†“Perfectly,†said Prue, “let me have it.†After which she attached the ring to a string with a translucent stone tied to it. She swung the stone over a map of the city like a pendulum. The stone zeroed in on one location like a magnet to steel and Patty’s location was found.†“She’s at my brother’s house,†said Penny with a sigh of relief, “Andy will take care of her. I’m still not sure that I want anything to do with this magic stuff, but that was a hand trick.†Looking at the map, Prue realized that she knew the location. Turning to Penny she said, “Your brother is named Andy? Andy Trudeau?†“Yeah. Do you know him?†After a moment of silence, Prue said, “Yeah. I do… Now let’s find Leo.†Alpha Team had assembled a block away from Patty and Penny’s apartment and received their instructions. It seemed like a simple enough extraction, but they all knew that there would be political repercussions to their actions: but Patty was family. Evan was engaged to her twin sister Penny, so he too was resolute in their actions. The rest of the team had developed that trust and camaraderie that can only be forged in battle: they were willing to stand with these two men till death, and beyond, if necessary. They were ready. Malcolm and Jill approached quietly from the north, arm in arm, trying to look the part of harmless young lovers, while Tom came from the south, walking his German Shepherd Atlas. Each one carried necessary equipment in concealment without which they knew that they could never overpower a vampire. As family members, Andy and Evan walked up to the front door without any weapons that Leo would be able to see. Beside which they owed it to Leo and Patty to try to find out if this all was just a misunderstanding before opening fire. They rang the doorbell, and after a few minutes, Leo opened the door. “What do you want?†the vampire said, “Where’s Patty?†“She’s at a safe place sleeping. Leo, we found bite marks on Patty’s neck. You promised me that she would always be safe and never have to endure something like that. We wanted you to give us an explanation,†said Andy. A lot of trouble could have been avoided right then and there if Leo would have been honest: but he was, after all, a vampire with an agenda, so he lied. After a pause, Leo said, “You must be mistaken. No one has tasted her blood, and I have always avoided human blood. That’s how I have been able to hold myself free from a vampires overwhelming passions.†As he said it, Leo suddenly realized that by tasting Patty’s blood, he indeed would now lose control of himself. Andy realized the truth of Leo’s words at the same time that Leo himself did and brought up his halogen flashlight and put it directly into the vampire’s night acclimated eyes, while Evan batted him across the head with his. Leo swatted Evan with talon-like hands, sending him flying into the bushes with blood spraying out of a gash across his cheek. He leaped back up, throwing his two hundred and thirty pound frame into the Supreme Commander of the Army of Lesser Demons. He pounded into him at the same time that Andy did, knocking him to the ground. The flashlight was the signal for the rest of Alpha Team to move in. Atlas was at Leo’s throat in a flash, and Jill was bringing up a hood which was designed to numb the vampire’s mind: but Leo Wyatt was a well-trained military man and not one to be trifled with. Atlas’ neck was quickly broken by the talon–like hand, while Jill’s hood was ripped to shreds and she was sent flying. Andy and Evan tried to wrestle Leos arms backward, which exposed his chest to the tranquilizer darts from the guns of Tom and Malcolm, and with that act, Leo was finally subdued. The whole operation took less than a minute and with professional efficiency they bound him securely and loaded him into the van that Andy had called up. If not for the unfortunate death of Atlas, it was a textbook procurement. Andy felt pleased by a successful operation. Chapter 24 The Charmed Ones Penny, Prue and Paige orbed themselves to Andy’s place. Standing at the door, they rang the bell and received no answer. They rang it again and again to no avail. “Paige, just orb us inside,†said Penny, “if Andy gets mad at us, I’ll take the blame.†Once inside, they did a quick look around and found Patty deeply asleep in the guest room. They decided to leave her a note saying that they would be back for her, and then they orbed off on their next errand. The Lieutenant sent a squad to retrieve the commander. He had always had a great admiration for his commander, and had felt a great relief to find out that he still lived: and he wanted to make sure that he stayed that way. He also was pleased that the last of the great demons was now gone, although he was equally disquieted to hear about the Cole Creature. When he arrived at the location that he had been given by his leader, he saw that the place was under siege by what appeared to be one of the department’s own teams of mortal shock troops. The Commander had already been subdued and bound and was in the process of being carried into a van for incarceration. Anger built within him for the act of betrayal that was being played out before him and he decided that there was only one penalty for traitors. He gave an ultrasonic whistle that only his cadre of werewolves could hear and with a wave of his hand he silently sent them into action. Stealthily the hunters encircled the unsuspecting human squadron and fell upon them. They wouldn’t stand a chance. Before Alpha Team even knew that they were in danger the werewolves were upon them. Tom was dead before anyone had a clue that they had a new enemy to face: his throat had been ripped out and he fell over gasping for breath in pool of blood. Another one was upon Malcolm almost immediately. His huge hands pounding the beast backward long enough to see two beasts more hammer Andy and Evan aside and free the vampire that they had just captured. Leo growled and leapt at Jill, sinking his fangs deeply into her neck, reveling, for the first time in his long life in the bloodlust that was his heritage as a creature of the night. He drank deeply, draining the hapless woman completely and he exalted in the exhilaration of consuming the life of another while embracing fully the passion of his newfound depravities. He tossed back his head in an insane laughter and looked around for more prey. Paige orbed Prue, Penny and herself to the place that her scrying had said that Leo would be. The lights faded out into the night and a sight of hellish horror lay before them. They saw Leo draining the life out of a helpless woman and with insane eyes and a maniacal laugh he looked around for another victim. Seeing the newcomers, the once rational Leo threw himself at the three women snarling: but if he thought them to be helpless, he was sadly mistaken as the dark haired one made a sweeping gesture and he found himself hurled helplessly into a tree trunk. Feeling his newly healed bones snap within him, he lay helplessly on the ground as the redhead approached him with a stake in her hand. The Lieutenant, seeing the tide of battle change swiftly before him, reached out and teleported himself and his Commander to safety. He would have to trust his men to scamper to safety and return on their own. Penny never even noticed the vampire and her sister’s battle with him. As they orbed in, she saw her fiancé laying in a pool of blood: his pale face showed her that it was too late to save him, and she saw her brother facing imminent death at the hands of the furred beast that had killed her Evan. Something burst within her and she released the power that she had only let free once before and the creature menacing her brother exploded in a burst of flames. Looking around, in her rage, she turned her power on werewolf after werewolf as they died explosively, one at a time. When there were no more to kill, she came to her senses and ran to her lover in an empty hope that he might still be alive. He was not. Andy sat up bleeding before he passed out and through a haze at the edge of consciousness, he witnessed his helpless little sister become a power of nature, releasing destructive forces that he had never guessed that she possessed. Then the haze gave way to the dark dreams of a healing sleep. Prue and Paige came over to console Penny. The three held each other sobbing. Prue couldn’t help feeling guilty that she was crying with joy that Andy was still alive, where Paige was genuinely grieving over the pain that Penny was feeling. ‘Maybe empathy was part of being a White Lighter,’ she rationalized. Then they heard the baying of more approaching wolves. “Paige, maybe you better get us out of here,†Prue said. Leaving the dead behind, Paige orbed Andy and her two sisters to Andy’s place where they picked up the sleeping Patty and then they all were transported to Magic School. They left the scene of carnage before any of them noticed Darryl Morris walking purposefully down the street. The sleeping Patty and the newly bandaged Andy were placed on the two divans in the Great Hall and the three sisters sat at the conference table to plan. Prue said, “Maybe its time. We’re going to need the power of three if we’re going to beat these guys. Paige will you get the Book of Shadows?†Still feeling the consuming need for revenge, Penny said, “Let’s do this. If we need more power to take care of these guys, and if this will get it for us, let’s not waste any more time.†Setting down the tome in front of Penny, Paige pointed out the pertinent spell, saying, “Just read this part along with Prue and I. You’ll feel it when you receive the Power of Three.†They stood around the book and recited the spell together. Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, The oldest of gods are invoked here, The great work of magic is sought. In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power, Bring your powers to we sisters three, We want the power, Give us the power. Glowing lights formed around the sisters three, as Prue Halliwell, Penny Trudeau and the sleeping Patty Trudeau became the Charmed Ones of this world. Paige Matthews was conspicuously omitted from the group. Chapter 25 Growing Powers Piper and Phoebe had spent many days seeking ways to break down the barriers between worlds so that they could bring their sisters home. They had sought out the help of the most knowledgeable and powerful in the magic community, but their answer somehow eluded them. They summoned spirits and wrote powerful spells, but without the Power of Three they could never be powerful enough. They had been so immersed in the magic that they had used so often they had forgotten the source of that magic, and until that happened they could never succeed. Leo brought them sandwiches and tea. As a former White-Lighter, and as Piper’s husband, he always knew what she needed, and when she needed it. Setting it down before his wife and sister-in-law he said, “You guys need a break. Why don’t we call Coop and Henry and go out for dinner. Maybe a change of perspective will give you new insights.†Stretching to work out the kinks, Piper said, “We might as well, we haven’t been able to do any good so far by doing what we’ve been doing.†The Lieutenant brought his Commander to the facility where the imprisoned powerful of the magical community were drugged insensate and in the process of being neutralized. This was the stronghold of his organization: his citadel. In another facility, the three cloning chambers housing the fetuses of the clones of Patty Trudeau were safely continuing with their work. He set to work splinting the Commander’s broken bones and bandaging his wounds. He too had been disturbed by his leader’s sudden bloodlust, but his was not to question why… Now was the time for healing. There would be plenty of time to renew the offensive at a later time. The leprechauns had heeded Paige’s warning enough to retreat en masse to their hidden wood to wait out the conflict. Hiding in their own land seemed to go better with their natures than to run to a witch’s lair for protection. It was sound thinking from a leprechaun’s point of view, but still wrong. The dark creature that was once named Cole sensed the gathering of power and was irresistibly drawn to it. He fell upon the unsuspecting little people in a storm of black buzzing. They all felt their powers being sucked from them and they scampered away in fear before it was too late. Scattering to the four winds of heaven, Cole was only able to fully drain a very few Wee Folk leaving empty husks behind as a witness to his acts. Many of them remembered the witch’s Magic School, which was said to be shielded from the senses of the Magic Community, and they rushed there in hopes of finding safety. Over the next several days Magic School filled with refugees. Fairies, elves, leprechauns, cupids and many more sought refuge and looked to the witches for protection. No one seemed to know who their enemy was, but the Army of the Lesser Demons continued their work of abducting the witches of the world. With that limited knowledge, the Charmed Ones, along with the help of their sister, and de facto White Lighter, Paige Matthews, planned their response. Patty Trudeau seemed to be a changed woman and joined in enthusiastically. The sisters assumed that it was because she had become a charmed one, but the healing had gone beyond that. She learned as much about magic as she could. At first, her sisters thought that she would have a power to have visions, like someone else that they knew, but Patty was overjoyed that she had an active power. She could reach into the mind of an attacker and cause them great agony or great ecstasy. They trained relentlessly for days. At dinner Piper and Phoebe found that they were indeed feeling better. They hardly thought about that other world for almost an hour, but of course, Henry, who had been left out of the loop had to bring it up. “How soon till I get my wife back?†He asked. They went on to explain all of the attempts that they had made to summon them home, and all of the failures that they had to endure. They told him of all of the powers that they had engaged in the effort and of how single minded they had become: how frustrated they had felt. The sisters had implored help from all of the wisest and most powerful beings that they knew of: but the answer came from a source that they had never considered nor had they ever really consulted with. Coop said, “You know, it seems to me that you should stop trying to bring them back. You should go to them.†“Are you crazy,†said Piper, “we might get stuck there too.†“I don’t think so. You went there and returned once before, so I’m sure that you can do it again,†said Coop. “Yeah, and they couldn’t see me, so what good would we be able to do?†Taking off his ring, Coop said, “Try this. With the power of your love, it might be able to take you to them physically.†It was so obvious. Using Coop’s ring she had once before traveled into the past and the future, and been able change reality itself. She should have thought of her brother-in-laws ring before this, but he was just too close to notice. Of course it would be a cupid that would recognize that there was no power greater than love. Henry said, “Great! I’m going along. I haven’t seen my wife in way too long.†“Sorry,†said Coop, “to use the ring to return, they’ll have to concentrate on the one that they love the most. And Henry: for Paige that would be you. That’s the same reason why Leo and I have to stay here with you. Only Piper and Phoebe can make this trip. Let’s finish dinner and when we get back to the manor, we’ll make the preparations. Chapter 26 The Power of Three The Commander’s Citadel should have been impregnable. All of the great powers had been accounted for and were almost completely neutralized. There was no one left with the power to undo all of their efforts. At least that was what the Commander and his men thought. They had no way to know that intruders from another plane of existence might succeed in bringing forth the Charmed Ones and the Power of Three. They were totally unprepared when the four witches attacked. They had again scryed for Leo, and when found: they made their plans. The Commander had healed quickly and looked up from his desk: surprised to see that there was anyone left capable of orbing. As four female shapes took form the hunger within him grew and he leapt at them with a snarl. The same dark haired one as before again waved her hand sending him flying. This time he was better prepared and twisted out of the way of the onrushing post. He saw Penny exploding his men one by one. Something inside their heads seemed to freeze them with terror. Then he saw Patty. Could it be his Patty doing it? He figured that the redhead must be a White Lighter that had somehow been missed, but she was totally unfamiliar to him. She looked at him and said, “I’m sorry Leo,†like she somehow knew him, “The Leo of my world is a good man. He’s my sister’s husband, and I love him as a brother, so it hurts me to have to do this to you. You look so much like him. But you aren’t him. Maybe you were once, but you’re not now.†The Lieutenant rushed in from the other room and seeing the carnage around him, scanned the room fore his Commander so that he might again carry him away to safety: but he was too late. He saw a redheaded witch throw a potion at him and he burst into flames. His leader died screaming and the witch turned towards him with another potion in her hand. He transported away before it was too late. The witches fought on until there were no more enemies to vanquish. They looked through the glass on several of the containment vessels and decided that they would have to let Andy handle the disposition of these prisoners. Paige gathered her weary sisters around her and took them back to the Magic School. After weeks of walking Darryl Morris finally reached the destination to which he had been so long drawn. The serene power sang within him, the power of the Oldest God, which grants the power of the Charmed Ones, when properly invoked by the right people. Darryl walked among the containment vessels freeing the captives, re-empowering them and scattering each to their proper place to take the months necessary to fully recover and return to their places in this world. The Charmed Ones returned to Magic School to a scene of utter chaos. A creature of swirling darkness was attacking the friendly magical folk that were assembled there. Each in their own way tried to scramble for safety only to be blocked by swirling tentacles of darkness at every step. Recognizing the danger immediately, Paige yelled, “Book!†The Book of Shadows orbed into her hand and she opened it to the proper spell. Sensing the new source of power, the Hollow Cole Creature turned towards the sisters with the growing emptiness, but some remnant of the White Lighter that he was fought the Hollow to try to protect his charges. The sisters began their enchantment and the Hollow was held motionless: but the novice Charmed Ones were not disciplined enough to banish him. As long as they continued their chanting, there was a stalemate and everyone would remain safe, but they could already feel themselves tiring. The leprechauns added their luck to the sisters and the fairies buzzed around the Hollow Cole’s head seeking to distract him. With lucky timing, Piper and Phoebe suddenly appeared beside Paige. Taking in the situation immediately, the newcomers stood beside Paige and a second, more experienced set of Charmed Ones joined the first in their chanting. By the Power of Three squared, the Hollow was ripped from Cole and banished forever. The emaciated Cole collapsed, feeling his life force ebbing away: happy in the knowledge that by his sacrifice, he had kept the power out of the hands of their adversaries and by his willpower he had been able to save his charges until help could arrive. He died the death of as great a hero as this world had ever seen. Looking blank faced at the charred near corpse, Phoebe said, “Was that… Cole?†Piper and Phoebe looked at Prue and grabbed her for what seemed like forever, sobbing great tears of the sweetest joy that they had ever felt. Paige screwed up her face and said, “Hey! I’m here too you know.†Piper opened her arm, letting Paige into the group hug, which continued for a very great time. Patty looked at Penny who simply shrugged. Chapter 27 Going Home Andy reported to the Committee Chairman. Once his superior had been informed of the situation, he decided that the department should be disbanded and any knowledge of their actions should be covered up. Miraculously Alpha Team was found alive and impossibly well. Unfortunately, all of their prisoners had escaped also. He got the manor returned to Prue and returned to his job on the police force. The six sisters spent several days getting to know each other. Phoebe and Prue actually avoided arguing the whole time. Maybe they were both learning. Paige took Penny and Patty shopping for potions supplies, leaving the three original Charmed Ones, the sisters who grew up together, with a chance to spend some time alone together. They sat in the living room talking about all that had happened to each other since they were separated. Piper leaned back in the big chair and said, “What’s the first thing that you are going to do when you get home Prue?†With a pained look on her face, Prue said, “I’m not going home Piper. I have to stay here.†“No you don’t,†said Piper, “you belong with us. We’re going home tomorrow and you’re coming with us!†“Sorry, but I’m not. With that ring, you can come and visit me any time that you want, but except for you three, there is nothing for me there. Here I’ve got two new sisters that need me. This world needs the Power of Three, so it needs me. Besides, you can only return home by the love that you have for you husbands back home. I have no true love there…†Pleadingly Piper said, “But we need you. And you have new family back home that you’ve never even met. I need you to meet my boys.†“And my husband, and Paige’s husband,†added Phoebe, and touching her stomach, added “and soon my little girl.†“Then bring them here for a visit,“ said Prue. Just think of me as the family member that you go to visit on holidays.†“Still…†said Piper, until Prue interrupted her. “Piper… Andy is here. I can’t lose him again.†Piper and Prue sat silently for a moment, until Phoebe said, “I can’t wait for my daughter to meet yours.†The sisters broke into laughter and all tension had left the situation. The Lieutenant tended to the cloning mechanisms in isolation. In twenty years or so, the dream of his departed friend and mentor would meet fruition and another set of Charmed Ones would rise up to challenge the current Charmed Ones. On the night that Paige, Phoebe and Piper were to return home, there was a knocking at the door. When Prue answered it she was surprised to see Darryl standing there. Although he looked like the Darryl that she had always known, there was something deep in his eyes that spoke of a wisdom that was older than the earth. He said, “I had to come here before Paige Matthews returned to her Earth. When I was in a coma, she used her power to heal me prematurely. I need her to finish the job and bring my mind back from the abyss: but before I do, I have a message for you alone. It is not for Piper or Phoebe to ever find out about.†He told how he had been possessed by the Oldest of Gods and of the things that he had done over the past several weeks. He finished with, “And now it is time for Darryl to awake and resume his life. He shall never know of his special destiny, for that might alert evil ones that he has a hidden spark of divinity within him that no one else has ever had or shall ever likely have again. If that became known, he would never be safe again.†He then told the special message that she alone on this world was to receive and she took him in to Paige who healed him. Darryl fell into a deep sleep on the couch and would later awaken feeling better than he had ever felt before. Penny and Patty had moved into the manor to study magic under Prue’s tutelage and to try to find the path for the Charmed Ones of this world. Finally it was time to go: they parted with hugs and tears and Paige, Piper and Phoebe used Coop’s ring to return home, for their long awaited reunions with their husbands: and that is something that cannot be written about in a family book. Immediately afterward, Prue went to the attic and summoned the spirits of this world’s Piper, Phoebe, Mom and Grams. The light that had resided inside Darryl Morris hovered beside her as she delivered her message to the familial spirits. “I’ve been told to inform you that many of things that had gone wrong on this world have been set right. Patty and Penny have joined me and the world now has Charmed Ones and Paige has returned home, only one thing remains to set things right.†“In this world, Piper and Leo Wyatt were meant to be soul mates, as were Phoebe and Cole: but the sisters were slain before their appointed times.†The spirits of Leo and Cole appeared inside the white light. “It is time for them all to be returned to earth: to be recycled in a manner of speaking. They will live new lives where they will meet and live happily with their intended soul mates as they were meant to do throughout time. Come sisters and join your destined loves in the light.†With smiles of contentment on their faces, the shades of the slain Piper and Phoebe stepped out of the Magic Circle and into the light to find their eternal destinies. Epilogue In the other world, the spirit of Cole that had led Piper on her journey of discovery, stood before the Light. He felt the love and forgiveness of the Oldest of the Gods, the creator of them all. Listen well Cole Turner, once known as Belthazor, now is the time of your reckoning. “I’m ready,†said the shade of Cole. You have started a process that will change the future for all eternity. You were the first demon to truly taste of that greatest of creations, love. You were the first demon to reject evil and embrace love. You had a rough and bumpy path that you traveled, but you allowed yourself to be guided by your love. “And I did great evils in the name of that love and I am ready for my punishment.†You began a long journey by learning to walk, and you stumbled along the way: you still have a long way to go, but remember, you selflessly sacrificed all to bring true love to she whom you loved, and in the process, you helped another demon to throw off the shackles of the evil that was his curse by birth. Because of you, he will not be the last. From this day forward, anyone who is demon born will have a choice. They can now embrace love and goodness if they so desire. “I never planned such a thing.†I know. You embraced love: and in doing so you unknowingly embraced your destiny. At one time, you sought to gain her love by trying to change everything except the one thing that would have truly secured her love: yourself. But you have now begun the path of doing so. Years ago, the power of your love, and the pain that you suffered for that love; reached across the universes and came to my notice. It was I who brought Prudence Halliwell across the dimensions and set in motion the events that led to this meeting. Stand before me now and accept your fate. “I accept your judgment. I have lost Phoebe to another so no punishment could be worse than that.†Hear now my judgment, and my reward: for you have earned a reward, not a punishment. The impossible love of a demon and a Charmed One for one moment blazed throughout all existence, but at the time it was impossible. Therefore you will be sent back to Earth to begin a new life, having no knowledge of your previous. You have much to learn of that which you have chosen to embrace. With that being the case: you will begin your new existence in the past and grow toward this moment. In this new life, you will not be a demon: you will instead become the embodiment of love. You shall become a cupid: and your name shall be… “Coop… I will finally become the man that Phoebe deserves. Oh please tell me that I am right!†If that is your wish, all that you have to do to make it come true is to step into the light. Cole Turner strode anxiously forward into the light, embracing forever his love, his redemption and his destiny.
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