The Choice of Eight

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-15-
The Hatred Combined

A roaring fire blazed red-hot in the huge, ancient stone fireplace set into the rough walls of the meeting cave. The great block of oak wood that fueled the fire cracked and spewed sparks across the dirt carpet, searching for anything in its path to consume. Despite the fire however, the room was filled with cold evil.

Seated imperiously at a small round stone table, shrouded in black and its face hidden, was the Source of All Evil. Seated at his left hand was the quivering demon, Justain, who continuously shot furtive glances at his master and then at the only exit. The Source remained still and silent, calm but anticipating the arrival of the demon who was to meet him.

After a short moment, Justain spoke, the sudden noise breaking the air sharply but not startling the Source at all. “Lord, I am gratified that you chose me to accompany you-”

“I did not choose you for your loyalty, Justain. You know too much to have left you behind. Although, I might as well kill you now, as you are no use to me anyway. Pathetic demons who can’t even capture a witch are no good.” A sharp intake of breath from the other demon was heard only by the Source who smiled, inwardly pleased that he implanted so much fear into low beings, but he resisted in actually killing Justain. Who knows? He might come in useful in the near future. After all, he did manage to kill a Magicked One…perhaps he would do so again.

A sudden apparition appeared in front of the table as Lynxe and her back-up demon formed from the air effortlessly, but the Source didn’t bother to rise, nor welcome her. Why would he? He had to show her that he was the boss, not the other way around. Instead, he leaned back in his chair. “Greetings,” he offered, gesturing at a seat with forced courtesy.

“Greetings,” Lynxe replied, slowly sitting opposite of the demon, sizing him up out of the corner of one evil eye. This “Lord of the Underworld” certainly had power and followers, many of them, but her master was much more powerful than all of them combined. This should be easy.

The Source spoke first, still maintaining his role as the more powerful in an effort to wow this new female demon. “I understand you’re master, Zoltof, has succeeded in capturing the Magicked Ones,” he rasped.

Lynxe nodded her head slightly, revealing nothing by speaking only the amount of words necessary. “You understand correctly.”

Silence reigned in the cave for a few seconds. This demon has done what my followers could not, thought the Source, coolly. Never before had a group of witches been captured together with all of them alive. Especially not a group of witches with a powerful reputation, whom demons feared to go against. Just how powerful was this Zoltof? These Magicked Ones were not a push over by any means. “And what are you planning to use the witches for?” The Source inquired aloud.

Lynxe stared into the demon’s unseen face, working to identify and eye or mouth, but could see nothing except the black shrouds. What did this demon want with the Magicked Ones? If he was so powerful, why weren’t the Magicked ones, or the Charmed Ones for that matter, killed or captured before now? Surely if this “Source” were so powerful he would have killed them by now. “To get to the Charmed Ones, then destroy all seven witches, enabling us to rid the world of Good at last,” She answered, slowly, deliberately lengthening her explanation create suspense.

“Even with the Magicked Ones in your master’s control, the Charmed Ones will be a great obstacle to conquer. They are extremely powerful, dangerous, and they are not daft to their situation. They will fight back hard, make no mistake. They will try to save the Magicked Ones, without a doubt. They are all…sister witches after all.” The Source was warning this demon, but he was careful not to hint that Zoltof was weak. The Source was ambitious, but he valued his life and knew where to draw the line.

Lynxe leaned forward, her arms on the table. “What are you suggesting?” She hissed, though interested in the Source’s information.

“I am suggesting that perhaps you require more help. My help. Together, we can surely defeat the witches and achieve a Utopia for the demonic race, as well as for all the Evil in the universe. No longer will we have to battle the witches for freedom or preservation of life. No longer will we have to hide in the Underworld, biding our time. Our time is now. Now is our time to conquer! It is the age of Evil. Why else could you defeat the Magicked Ones so easily? The force of Evil is growing and between your master, you, and myself, nothing will stand in our way. Nothing! Then we will rule the demons together.” The Source had leaned forward on the table, capturing Lynxe’s full attention with his short speech.

“How do you profit?” Lynxe whispered, suspicious as ever of a plot twist, but her eyes were glinting, betraying her desire.

“Profit?” The Source repeated, trying to keep the glee out of his voice. The demon was almost in his grasp. “No profit except a safe way to live, no witches barging in, trying to vanquish me with spells and potions every day. I only have one condition should you join me.”

“And that is?”

“I kill the ones they call Prue and Kate. Those witches have always been the backbone of Good, even if no one has had the sense to see it. I have. Kate has always been able to evade capture and assassination, and Prudence is the one chucking potions at me continuously and escaping each demon I throw at her, even Barbas, the demon of fear. With both of them dead, their sisters will not stand a chance. Your master is free to do what you wish with the remaining witches, as long as I get those two. So, what do you say?”

Lynxe straightened in her chair, pretending to be thinking, but really listening to a whisper of air that blew by her ear which said, “Do it.” She could not disobey her master’s orders. “We agree to your request.”

The Source could barely contain his happiness as he asked another question, now more comfortable in his role as the master. “Where are you keeping the Magicked Ones?”

“In a holding cave in my master’s lair,” was all Lynxe said.

“I have an incredibly safe place to keep the witches until we capture the Charmed Ones.”

“As have we,” Lynxe replied again, coolly.

“I don’t doubt that,” the Source said, nodding once to show his understanding. Well, that was the wrong thing to have questioned this demon about. There was no need to upset her, after all. Not when they were going to be…partners. “However, my lair holds caves with the utmost security and my demons are more than capable of handling a few witches.”

Lynxe couldn’t curb her tongue in time. “Like you’ve handled the Charmed Ones in the past?”

The other demon’s lip curled. “With my cave and your demons, the Magicked Ones could never escape.”

Doubtful, Lynxe thought, but replied, “Your idea is a good one, but have you considered escape? Given the chance, these witches will stop at nothing to escape, and I’m sure the Charmed Ones are already searching for them.”

“Impossible,” interjected the Source. “Guards will be posted at all times, and this particular cavern is extremely difficult to detect, as it is cloaked magically. The witches will be chained there until you see fit to use one of them as you will. Well, do we agree to everything?”

Lynxe spat on her hand and held it out. The cloaked demon before her did the same, and they grasped hands, claw to claw, the hatred and evil mingling.

The deal was made. The war had begun.

[jenna]

Yay, another update! This is really good! Keep it coming!

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-16-
Questions, Spells, Hopes

“Potion’s done!” Prue announced happily, tossing the last pigs foot into the already-full cauldron over the stove, causing the entire contents to eject a puff of putrid-smelling smoke.

Piper, who had been trying to read the Book of Shadows for ingredients as her sister mad the potion, coughed and stumbled across to the kitchen window, thrusting it open and waving the smoke outside frantically. “Thanks for the proclamation and the warning, Prue. Are you sure everything is in there?” She asked for the third time, sticking her head out the window for a breath of fresh air.

“Positive,” Prue replied, ladleing portions of the potion into small bottles and corking them snugly. “I checked four times. Don’t worry so much. How’s Paige’s potion coming?”

“For a beginner it’s really good,” Piper replied, crossing back to her eldest sister and peering over her shoulder at the potion with an expression of disgust and admiration on her face. “She really does have the Halliwell blood in her.”

Prue leaned on her hand, which was resting on the counter and looked at Piper, saying, “I hope she’s a fast learner. We need her powers, especially her orbing. How is she going to track the Millers if they’re in the Underworld, anyway?” She asked.

“It is possible,” Piper reminded her, gathering bottles and stowing them all in a shoulder bag. “Leo can do it, and Paige is half-whitelighter. But I hope that ‘half’ part of her actually is able to sense.”

“Why can’t Lucy?”

“She’s not part whitelighter.”

Prue was puzzled. “Then how-”

“-does she orb?” Piper completed Prue’s sentence with raised eye brow and a look of the same confusion. “Your guess is as good as mine. There has to be someone in her ancestry who has whitelighter blood. Couldn’t her mother orb?”

Shrugging, Prue said, “I don’t know. I don’t know much about the Miller line. In all the stories Grams told us she could. But Grams could really stretch the truth sometimes,” she added, as Piper raised an eyebrow.

Piper helped her sister gather the bottles of potions into a handbag. “Well, if neither of them can sense them, we might be screwed. But Paige still doesn’t know the limits to her powers.”

“Yeah, well, I just hope she can get them down enough to keep us safe-” But as Prue spoke, the bag with the potions suddenly dissolved into white lights and disappeared from its resting spot on the counter.

Piper grinned at her sister. “I think she’s got it down.”

Prue smirked at Piper. “Paige,” she yelled, fighting back laughter. “I hope you’re done with that potion, since you keep messing around with your telekinesis! That’s personal gain, by the way!”

The girls jumped as Paige orbed into the kitchen, holding the bag that she had telekinetically called. “The potion is done and bottled, Prue my sweet.” Paige answered, patting the bag, happily. “And, I’m practicing,” she continued, drawing the last word out with a flourish. “How can it be personal gain when I use my powers to help me master them faster in order to save another family of witches?”

Prue and Piper exchanged sly looks. “She as a point,” Piper said to her sister, earning yet another teasing look from Prue.

“And, after all, Phoebe and Lucy are nearly done with the spell, so we’re almost ready.” Paige stopped talking and looked at the cauldron, her brown eyes staring at it, but not focusing.

Prue tilted her head slightly, concerned. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” She asked.

“Nothing,” Paige replied, trying and failing to flash a reassuring smile to her eldest sister.

“Are you sure,” Piper asked, placing a hand on Paige’s shoulder. “You can tell us. You can trust us. We’re your sisters and we’ve gone through what you’re going through.”

“It’s just,” Paige paused, figuring out what to say. “It’s just, you guys have done this kind of thing before. Ok, a lot. And, well, I’m still a rookie. I don’t even know what we’re up against. What we’re fighting against.”

“Do you want to find out?” Prue asked her quietly. Pagie nodded. “Ok. Orb us up to the attic.”

Piper coughed. “Uh, Prue?” She looked pointedly at the ceiling before adding, “Personal gain?”

Prue waved her hand, brushing the comment aside. “Oh, Paige is right. She has to learn.”

“All of us?” Paige looked uncertain, wondering if she could orb more than herself.

“You’re going to have to start practicing, because you’ll be orbing four of us to the Underworld if Lucy can’t. You can do it. Just focus,” Piper told her.

Paige put her arms around Prue and Piper’s shoulders, focused her mind on the attic, and orbed. After the odd sensation of being demoleculerized, the attic appeared in front of her almost instantly. Quickly, she looked to either side of her. Prue and Piper were still there holding onto her waist, completely whole. She breathed a sigh of relief. “See?” Prue said. “You can orb more than yourself.”

“Sweet,” Paige commented, smiling in spite of herself. Piper laughed and detached herself from her sister before crossing to the Book of Shadows. She knew exactly what she was looking for and flipped the yellowed pages gently until she found it.

“This is one of the demons we’re up against,” Piper said, one hand on the page to hold its place, the other gesturing Paige over. As Paige crossed to the Book, Phoebe, who were sitting at the table completing the spell with Lucy, looked up. The Miller did not. The youngest Charmed One read the description of the Source of All Evil loudly and clearly.

The Source of all Evil can be sensed by demons. He can be hurt by energy balls. Gargoyles can protect buildings from him. His demonic powers include shape shifting (glamouring power), energy balls, zapping, flaming in and out, he can manipulate people's mind or burn with a view and has many more powers.

The Source's face was disfigured in the battle that brought him to power. Only upper level demons have seen it. The Source ruled the underworld for over 500 years. In this time he banished the vampires who tried to sell him to his enemies and killed almost all wizards. He incarcerated the Tall man Demon and Zankou. He can be sensed by other demons.

She finished reading and looked up, terrified, at her sisters and charge, who were all watching her. Phoebe added to Paige’s fear as she said, “That’s only one of the demons we have to face. Zoltof is much stronger than the Source, or that’s what it seems like. But even if it means death, we will fight both of them to save the Millers and destroy Evil. We have to stick together to stay alive. Remember, nothing is stronger than love for one another. Stay true to those you care about. Don’t worry. We’ll keep you safe.”“Thanks,” Paige responded, looking a touch more reassured. “And I’ll do everything I can to keep you all safe.”

Prue smiled, though it was a bit hard. “We know you will, sweetie.”

“Phoebe?” Lucy spoke for the first time since they had orbed into the room. She stood and held the sheet of paper the two of them had been working on towards her. “It’s done.” She averted her eyes as the others looked at her. She had been quiet and withdrawn ever since Phoebe had told them about her premonition. Her sisters were fighting death while she was safe and under the protection of the most powerful witches in the world. Despite being comforted and consoled by the other witches, Lucy still couldn’t help feeling guilty about her being safe. She wanted, more than anything, to be with her sisters right now, even if it meant shuddering and dying with them. At last she would be with them. Lucy jumped as a hand touched her shoulder.

“Lucy?” It was Prue.

“Lucy shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she told her, but Prue could see right though the young woman.

“You have to believe in their strength, Lucy,” Prue told her gently. “They will survive. They have each other. They have you to stay alive for. You have us. We can help you and we will help you. You just have to believe. Stay strong, Lucy. Stay strong for your sisters.”

Piper had come up behind the two, waiting until Prue had finished speaking before saying quietly, “We’re ready when you are.” Her hands went to their shoulders and tightened slightly, expressing her slight unease. Something wasn’t right. Something was wrong or will be wrong, she knew it. No, she told herself. Don’t you start that, Piper Halliwell. Prue would never forgive you if you made a mistake now. Snap out of it and pull yourself together.

Grams and Patty came into the room then. They had left to give Lucy, Phoebe and Pagie some quiet privacy in order for them to concentrate, and now came back, changed from their angelic robes into jeans and shirts leftover from their days in the manor. Patty crossed to the long mirror in the corner and examined herself, turning this way and that, running a hand over her waist. “Well,” she exclaimed, examining her slim figure. “I’m surprised these still fit. It’s been years since I’ve worn jeans.”

“Over twenty, in fact,” Prue commented, quietly, her eyes on her mother. Patty’s eyes flickered but she kept silent. She knew that Prue got upset when her death was brought up. In a way, Prue still thought that it had been her own fault, when it was anyone’s but.

“Enough, Prue,” Grams whispered to her eldest granddaughter when she passed by her shoulder, but said it too quietly so no one else could hear.

Patty stood by Piper, Phoebe, and Lucy, then gestured to her eldest and youngest daughters to come close and clasp hands. “My dears, this is the time. We have vanquishing potions, holding crystals, and the spell to vanquish the Source as well as a spell to take us to the Magicked Ones. Besides that, we have each other. That’s all. But it’s now or never. The lives of three sisters, three witches, three women, rest in your hands. The entire being of Good and Evil shall be determined after this is all over. This is your destiny. Your legacy. And your time is now. Blessed be, my children.” She stepped back, out of the way.

Phoebe knew it was her time to take over. She held the parchment she and Lucy had written on and read the spell scrawled on it in a loud, clear, carrying voice.

Powers of the witches rise,

Course unseen across the skies.

Take us to the ones we seek,

Take us there so we might meet.

Three sisters taken by Evil,

Lead us to where they dwell.

Loved ones we are destined to save,

Hidden in a concealed cave.

Take us there so we might fight,

For Magicked Ones,

This endless night.

A magical breeze suddenly swirled around the room, lifting the hair on each head. As the wind intensified, Lucy squinted into the brightest light she had ever encountered. As the light twirled about them, she tried to clear her mind. Her final thought was of holding tighter to Prue and Phoebe’s hands, then everything went black.

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-17-
Another Plan, Another Horror

Lynxe stood beside the Source of All Evil as they watched the three Magicked Ones being bound by their hands to the stone wall with heavy chains. Her master had been eager to move the witches for some reason. It was no wonder he told her to agree with the Source’s compromise, no matter what she felt about it, considering he was anxious to evacuate the witches. When they had arrived at the Source’s cavern, Zoltof had instructed three of his lesser demons to remain in the cave where the Magicked Ones had been held, instructing them to stay and…do something. Lynxe did not know what he had told them, and apparently there was no reason for her to know, or he surely would have told her.

“Three.”

Lynxe turned to face the Source but was suddenly grabbed roughly by the throat by a knarled claw. Instinctively her hands shot up, trying vainly to loosen the grip that the Source had.

“There are only THREE!”

The demonic woman was astounded at the Source’s strength. Try as she might, her fingers could not pry his hands away from her neck and she began to see spots as he squeezed tighter on her airway. “Fourth…away…esc-” she choked as the Source’s claw tightened even more, completely blocking air and he lifted her higher so that her feet were dangling inches off the ground.

The Source was beside himself with fury. “You never told me one had escaped! What use have I with three of the four? They are no good to me without their Power of Four!” He growled into Lynxe’s purpling face, then threw her away from him. Lynxe flew eight feet through the air and dropped to the ground in a heap, coughing and spluttering, struggling to breathe.

“If you have a problem, demon, you shall take it up with me, and not my second-in-command!”

The Source spun around sharply as this new voice spoke and was faced with a sight far more terrifying than any he had seen before. A cloaked figure stood in front of him, but this was no demon. There was no way to tell what kind of creature stood before him. Try as he might, the Source could not focus on a solid form, because it seemed that this terror was an allusion, a mere tremor in the air that nevertheless revealed that there was, indeed, a meaning of fear. The Source enjoyed watching others cower in fear in front of him, and shivering at his name. But now, this new emotion rolled over him for the first time, and the Source regretted teaming with a more powerful being than himself for the first time in his existence.

A cold, hard chuckle omitted from the figure’s throat, causing the Source to shiver uncontrollably as if doused with water. “I’m sure you’ve never seen anyone quite like me before, demon. Am I right?” The Source said nothing, fighting to gain back his dignity, but he was not succeeding very well. “To stem your anger, I shall tell you now that, yes indeed, there are only three Magicked Ones. Never fear. The remaining one shall be here soon. She shall come to us.”

“She will come to us,” hissed the Source, finding his voice. “You expect me to believe that the fourth witch will come to us…willingly?”

“Willingly.” The figure repeated. “Searching for her sisters, of course. Her sisters: the bait. There is nothing more powerful than the love and the bond between sisters, and that is something you should know. Despite the danger she puts herself in, the witch will try to save them.” He waved a claw at the three unconscious Millers as he spoke. “One, however, shall be the main bait, tortured until the youngest comes to save her. The other two shall watch, under an invisibility spell, in the same room. Watch as their sisters are painfully reunited. Then I…we…take their powers and destroy them. After the Magicked Ones, the Charmed Ones shall be easy. But we cannot kill the Magicked Ones until they are together, or their powers will bond together into one to become more powerful than the four combined. We must kill them all together, preferably slowly and most painfully. Only then can we succeed! Are you with me? Will you be loyal? You will be most rewarded.”

The Source could hardly contain himself. The Magicked Ones’ powers inside of him! Good destroyed forever! Evil would rule for eons! Forever! But most importantly, he could seek revenge on his enemies the Charmed Ones. No longer would he have to dodge their attacks, nor waste his good demons trying to destroy them himself. The opportunity was too good to miss.

“My demons are at your service. I’m with you,” the Source said, keeping his voice steady and inclining his head slightly to show his agreement.

“Good. You will not be disappointed. Now, we must prepare for company, my friend. The Magicked One and the Charmed Ones will be arriving shortly.” Zoltof turned to Lynxe and commanded, “Post sentries surrounding the cave, but leave the witches alone and unguarded. They are not to be harmed by anyone but yourself, and that is only when I say,” he hissed, turning his head towards his second in command.

“I shall obey, Master,” Lynxe murmured, bowing.

“Now. We need to use one of the witches as bait.” Zoltof turned to the Source. “Which sister is the Stubborn One most attached to?”

The Source pondered the question. He knew about the Charmed Ones’ intimate lives because he had been at constant war with them for the past two years. But the Magicked Ones were different. He didn’t know much about them. However, he had encountered them twice, and knew a little. Besides, the Magicked Ones were not so much different from the Charmed Ones anyway. At least, not in a family sense. “The Responsible One, Heather. Being the eldest, she is the one everyone turns to when they are in need. Besides, Heather has raised Lucy since Lucy was quite young, so naturally they would be close.”

A low chuckle issued again from Zoltof’s throat. “Good. Good. I gathered that as well.” He motioned towards the unconscious Millers on the ground. Heather’s limp form was released from its chains, raised into the air as if being lifted by invisible arms, then floated to Zoltof. With his other hand the creature conjured a stone table into the cave and magically lay Heather upon it. Chords sprang up from under the table and threw themselves across Heather’s chest, torso, and legs, strapping her tightly to the stone.

“Now, how to produce enough pain to attract her sister to her.” Zoltof paced slightly, thinking. “I’ve used electrocution with the Compassionate One which is quite painful and was most enjoyable to watch. I liked watching the witch scream in pain, but gets dull after excessive use. And we’ve used forcible drowning with the Quiet One, pleasurable to watch, I must admit.”

“Why not implant a premonition into the other witch’s head?” The Source offered, slyly.

Lynxe laughed abruptly. “Only a witch with powers of premonition can see into the future.”

But Zoltof pondered what the Source had said. “They haven’t come across my power yet. I am strong enough to put a vision into her head, I’m sure of it. But what to send? Do I show her sister suddenly dying? Or a lengthy death? Do I show her other sisters screaming while they watch her cease to live? Do I press the action upon them in reality as well as in the vision?” He laughed suddenly, a sound that made the Source’s stone heart shudder. “So many decisions are based on three pitiful witches. Why not just play with them before they die?” He crossed to Heather’s form and ran a clawed hand down her front, savoring the feel of youthful femininity. Suddenly, he waved his hands and the woman’s bonds disappeared. Another wave summoned a jet of water that splashed over Heather’s face. He grinned as she moaned and moved slightly. “Wake them up!” He snapped at Lynxe, pointing to the remaining two Magicked Ones.

Going to the witches, Lynxe began slapping their faces to bring them around, and as they began to move, Zoltof turned to the Source. “We’ll let this one go,” he said, nodding toward Heather.

“What?” The Source was dumbfounded. “She is the most powerful. If you let her go-”

“-she will be more enjoyable to play with. She’ll fight until her sister comes, yes, and suffer all the pain of my attacks. She is nothing compared to my powers. She will not go far. I’m becoming inpatient with the escaped witch. She is taking too long to come, and that is costing her sisters their lives. But just to make things interesting, I’ll send her a premonition of her sister being tortured, beaten…raped…surely that will bring her faster. Who knows? Maybe her premonition will come true!” Zoltof began to laugh, stroking Heather’s hair gently, ignoring her weak curses. His hysterical, uncontrolled laughter echoed around the cavern now and his eyes blazed with fire as he constructed a premonition to implant into Lucy’s head. The witch would come! And when she did, she was as good as dead!

[phoebe11]

Interesting!

[jenna]

Keeps getting better!

[EvergreenMountaineer]

Thanks for reading, guys!!

-17-
"Maybe we should go Back"

Heather was screaming. Lying on an alter, she was convulsing as electricity spread through her veins like it had for Samantha, the sound of her screams blasting and echoing everywhere. Her arms and legs strained at the ropes binding her, and they sliced into her skin as she jerked even more so than before. Her body constricted against her chains as the energy mercilessly entered her body, a slow killer. As her back arched in pain, she screamed louder and with more urgency as her body protested.

“Lucy!”

Heather’s mouth formed her sister’s name urgently. Her face was streaking with sweat and dirt, pleadingly, fighting to have someone, one person, hear her and come to her rescue. Blood began to trickle down her ankles and wrists from cuts that the thin ropes inflicted and mingled with the grime on the stone on which she was held.

All at once, the electricity and the screaming stopped. She lay on the ground now, shaking, her skin smoking from the voltage she had experienced. She was gasping, fighting to breathe, to get her strength, but unable to choke back sobs of pain and hopelessness.

Another sound…a laugh…cold, cruel, menacing, unlike anything heard ever before. A figure approached the fallen woman slowly and deliberately basking in her pain and discomfort. When he reached her, he got to his knees beside her and forced her roughly on her back with huge claws. The tattered clothing was ripped from Heather’s frame and waist as her arms and legs were restrained by chains. A pair of heavy, blackened hands then roamed her body, fondling her mature breasts, twisting fingers in her head of long, flowing hair that was now being disheveled and mussed hungrily. The figure bent close to the woman and kissed her chest slowly, over and over, his body pressing down on her, pressure causing her lungs to compact. Then he slowly licked the base of her neck and moved his tongue up, up, up past her chin and continued to her ear, which it then sucked and nibbled, but not lightly or lovingly at all.

Heather screamed again, sobbing the names of her sisters, fighting with all her strength to dislodge the figure from her, but she was powerless against him. A rough, huge body lowered itself towards her, shadowy and dark. She couldn’t stop him, couldn’t stop screaming, pleading, praying. He forced itself onto her naked, shaking body, and tore into her with angry and furious passion. He moved and jerked and squirmed in her, biting her neck and chewing her chin and throat and chest, oblivious to her frantic moans. Pain, more pain than she had ever felt before…heat…screaming…burning…“LUCY!”

“HEATHER!” Lucy yelled her sister’s name as she started back into reality at the same time she heard her name screamed. Her eyes opened to see that she was kneeling on the ground, knees digging into stony dirt, her hands gripping her hair, sweat dripping from her face onto her blue shirt, pooling and damp. What she had seen had been so real. It had to be true. It was so vivid. She could feel the heat steaming around her sister and her attacker, could feel the churning dirt beneath them as Heather fought and the figure gloried, heard the sucks and the gasps and the moans, tasted the blood, the sweat, the fear.

The Charmed Ones stood around their charge, not knowing what to do or what to say, shocked into silence. Phoebe had warned her sisters not to touch the woman, who had gotten another premonition as they were being transported to the Underworld. Now, down in a dark, dank cave somewhere in the Underworld, they had been glancing around them nervously as soon as their feet touched dirt, until Lucy had screamed Heather’s name, still standing, Phoebe’s hand was still on her shoulder, and Phoebe herself seemed not to be affected by the premonition. As Lucy staggered sideways and fell, jerking out of her premonition, Phoebe dropped to her knees to catch her, supporting the younger woman with her own body. Piper, Prue, and Paige, who all seemed anxious, but also felt a stab of helplessness and worry, stood guarding the two within an enclosed circle, though they did not know what against.

Lucy felt Phoebe’s familiar body press against hers and allowed herself collapse, dissolving into hysterics and as she did, she clutched her heart and pulled closer to the Charmed One, burying her head in Phoebe’s chest, shaking uncontrollably. Phoebe didn’t know what to do, so she acted on her instinct and held Lucy tightly to herself, rocking her back and forth, ignorant and slightly afraid to what the woman had witnessed. For a long minute, the only sound was Lucy’s muffled sobs. Finally Piper broke the silence, feeling that they should be pressing on, though she respected what Lucy was experiencing. “Lucy. Are we in danger here? What did you just see?”

The younger woman did not answer at first. Her mind was buzzing with what she had seen, but otherwise numb with the pain of her sister, her ears screaming with Heather’s pleas. “H-Heather,” she choked. “No, please…Heather!” She looked up with terror-stricken eyes, but it didn’t look as if she saw the Charmed Ones around her at all. “No! Heather…we have to go….we have to save her. I s-saw her…my…my sisters….have to be w-with her.”

Prue looked at her sisters, as Phoebe silently pleaded for help. Slowly, she turned back to Lucy, trying to calm her down to tell them what had happened. “Lucy,” she said, quietly, folding the trembling woman in her strong arms comfortingly, trying to be a solid presence for Lucy to speak to and trust. “You need to tell us what you saw. We can help you. We can protect you.”

Slowly, Lucy’s sobs subsided, hiccoughing into the passageways leading for the cavern. The other women tried to wait patiently, Piper still glancing around uncertainly. Then Lucy spoke, her monotone voice penetrating into their minds with the horrors she described. “S-she was being electrocuted…t-tortured for information…about me. She was…sc-screaming my…my name.” A whimper escaped her lips, but she controlled herself enough to continue. “Then, she was on the ground and a demon…or something…a…” The pain was too much. It was almost as if Lucy herself could feel what her eldest sister went through. “The demon…he…he raped…” Unable to speak anymore, she dissolved into tears again. She let them come this time.

When Lucy had finally narrated what she had seen happen, Phoebe looked up quickly at her sisters, her eyes clouding with fear. She realized that demons were evil, but so horrible as to use a human for its amusement? Its plaything? She had never heard of a demon doing that ever before, and her eyes narrated that to her. Prue had put her hand to her mouth in shock and was unable to hold back a gasp. Paige comforted her, an arm around Prue’s shoulders warmly, but she was quivering. Even after just meeting her sisters, Paige could not any of them taken advantage of and was stunning. She drew her sister closer to her as Phoebe did the same to Lucy.

But Piper was still looking around. Had something just moved in that shadow across the room? No, it couldn’t have been anything. Her eyes were just…she turned her head back to her sisters but then she could have sworn something had just flickered to her right. Squinting into the darkness, she could see nothing. She was just about to look at Lucy when there it was again. Or was that different? It was to her left this time. She needed a second opinion, that’s for sure. “Prue,” she whispered toward her sister.

“Piper, not a good time,” Prue hissed incredulously with a glance at Lucy.

Again, Piper’s quick eyes caught sight of movement. This time, she knew something had moved in the shadows. “But Prue,” she whispered, louder and more urgently. “Something’s-”

A fireball hurtled abruptly out of the air towards the Charmed Ones, cutting off Piper’s words, but her reflexes saved her life. She dodged quickly out of the way, but didn’t escape a glance off her shoulder from the flame. She cried out in pain as the demon responsible materialized from the shadows. Prue, who had seen what had happened, quickly disentangled herself from Paige calling out, “Phoebe! Lucy! Demon!”

“Two!” Cried Piper, gripping her arm painfully, trying to watch the demon but examine her shoulder at the same time.

“No, three,” Lucy corrected, her face red and puffy from crying, but her eyes intense with hate. She was right. Three demons closed in on the five witches; huge, powerful, grotesque demons, each holding up thin rods. Pandamonium broke out and with the women yelling, the demons roaring, energy balls being formed, a dull roar echoed in everyone’s ears. Piper threw up her hands and flicked her wrists, but her combustion power only made the demon advancing on her jerk slightly from the blow, his cloak burned only a small bit. Phoebe and Lucy were on their feet at last, back to back. Prue and Paige were facing another demon between them. It grinned menacingly and slowly formed another fireball in his palm, savoring the moment.

“Look out!” Paige yelled as it shot towards them. The girls ducked out of the way. Prue hit the ground as Paige disappeared in a flurry of white. The energy ball hissed through the air right where Paige had been a second before, and Paige reappeared in the same spot a split second later, looking frightened but quite unharmed.

“Paige! Use your powers to deflect the fire!” Prue yelled over the noise. The third demon threw an energy ball at the hard-eyed, eldest witch, but she thrust her hand up, palm out, and the sphere ricocheted off her powers and back into he demon, who roared in pain as his own weapon hit him in the chest. Flame leapt up and around him and with a final scream, the demon erupted into particles of fire and was gone. Prue took a breath of relief.

“I don’t know how!” Paige dodged another energy ball, her mind clouded with fear.

“It’s just like summoning something! Direct your powers with your hand and send the balls back at them!” Phoebe shouted into the melee, exchanging punches with a demon. She landed one on the side of his shoulder, but instead of him falling like she had intended him to do, he growled at her with a light of hatred burning in his green eyes. The next time Phoebe swung her leg up to kick the demon in the chest, it seized her foot and twisted it, throwing the witch off balance and flying away from him.

“Phoebe!” Piper shrieked as her sister hit the stone wall with a smack and slid down it, unconscious.

“Augh! Fireball!” Paige panicked when the demon hurled a fireball at her instead, and she held out her hand, as if letting it come to her then, without thinking and just as the ball dissolved into white lights, she jerked her hand in the direction of the demon who threw Phoebe and sent the fireball back to its thrower. The demon was just as surprised as Paige as he watched the flames consuming him, dumbfounded. “Wow,” Paige said, after the demon had exploded. “That was cool.”

Piper was flicking her hands repeatedly at the remaining demon, continuously knocking him off balance as she tried to destroy him. Time after time, a small burn appeared on the demon’s cloak and it jerked, but still it did not vanquish. Her powers were not nearly strong enough for her to kill him by herself.

“Your attempts are futile, witch!” The demon barked, unleashing yet another sizzling energy ball at her. This time when her hands went up the energy ball froze, but the demon simply shook off the freeze, which was aimed for him as well and continued to move towards her, speeding up with each step.

“Prue!”

“Piper!” Prue yelled her sisters name just as Prue shouted her own and waved her hand. Time seemed to stand still. The demon was almost on Piper when the energy ball broke from its spell and swerved, propelled by Prue’s powers, to catch the demon in the chest, and he disappeared in a wave of fire and bellows.

As the smoke and stench cleared, Prue blinked and looked around. Piper had fallen to her hands and knees, exhausted after the effort of battling the demon. Lucy and Paige were at Phoebe’s side, shaking her and calling her name repeatedly, trying to wake her up.

A hand touched Piper’s shoulder and Prue knelt next to her. “Are you alright?” She asked, but she saw in her sister’s eyes that she was hurting. A quick glance at Piper’s shoulder caused Prue to wretch. Bloody and burned folds of skin surrounded a smoldering burn that glistened with blood, the result of the fireball that Piper had fallen victim to. How her sister had stayed conscious through the pain was a mystery to Prue. “Oh my god, Piper,” Prue whispered, fumbling for her shirt. She wrenched a strip of fabric from the hem of it and used it to bind her sister’s arm, gently but tightly. Piper closed her eyes in silent pain, her teeth gritting together roughly, but she did not make a noise as the cloth touched raw flesh.

“We barely lived through three demons, Prue,” Piper finally said, whispering to her sister, trying to hold back tears. “Three.” She looked into Prue’s deep brown eyes, searching for an explanation. “There were five of us, and the Power of Three plus Paige and Lucy!” Prue knew everything, and she would surely know how to get out of this all and how to save the Magicked Ones.

Prue watched her sister’s eyes fill with tears and pulled her close, trying to be soothing. Piper leaned her head on Prue’s shoulder and Prue brought her hand up to stroke he sister’s hair comfortingly. “You will survive, Piper. I’ll make sure of that. I’m not loosing you like we lost Mom and Grams. I promise.”

Lucy watched the eldest Halliwell comfort Piper, fighting the fear in her own heart as she looked at two of her rescuers and saviors, now reduced to tears and on all fours. “Maybe we should go back,” she murmured, mainly to herself, but Paige was right next to her, and heard.

Paige lifted her head slightly as she supported Phoebe in her return to consciousness. She hadn’t heard what the Miller had said. “What?”

“Maybe they’re already dead.”

“Lucy!” Exclaimed Paige, shocked. She couldn’t believe it. Her charge, so strong and steadfast in everything she had heard about them so far, was giving up.

The Magicked One stared at her trembling hands and clenched them tightly, feeling completely useless and powerless. “We shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be risking our lives like this. It’s not fair for all of you. You all have family and lives to think about. There’s probably no hope for my sisters, anyway,” she said, her voice breaking with inevitability.

“Stop, Lucy.” Phoebe finally had woken up and was watching the woman in Paige’s arms. With quick, graceful fingers, Phoebe reached over and brushed tears from Lucy’s smooth cheeks. “You did not force us to help you. It is our job and our destiny. Lucy listen to me. We can’t leave you or your sisters to die. We won’t. They are not dead and they will not be. We will find them and save them.”

“Phoebe’s right,” Piper said, roughly as she and Prue approached them, dried tears on her face mingling with the sweat. “You can’t talk like that. You have to keep believing that your sisters are alive.”

Prue pulled Phoebe to her feet and slung a supporting arm cross her shoulders, then helped Paige stand with her free hand. “Come on,” she said. “We’re still alive. That means we keep going, no matter what. We need you to sense your sisters, Lucy.”

“Sense?” Lucy repeated, grasping Piper’s outstretched hand and climbing to her feet. “I’m not a whitelighter.”

Prue shook her head. “You don’t need to be…at least, I don’t think so. Besides, you can orb. You have at least a bit of angel blood in you anyway. Just focus on them. Clear your mind. Search for them with your heart.”

Lucy obeyed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, she pushed all thoughts, fears, pains, and worries from her mind, leaving it clear and even somewhat peaceful. The sound of the Halliwell sisters breathing beside her blasted in her ears. She pushed them behind her. Then, it felt like she was rushing through the caves at a speed that was astounding to her, but didn’t hurt. The sound of wind flowing freely, like she was in the clouds, a drip of mucky water fell from the ceiling. The squeak of a bat; then, her heart wrenched, but not painfully. She knew that feeling. A soft groan, baleful eyes opinion to see rock, golden shimmers everywhere, surrounding a mass of dark…

“Heather.” Lucy opened her eyes and turned towards the passage to her right. “I found them.” She pointed a trembling hand down into the darkness. “That way. They were taken that way and they’re less than a mile away.”

The Charmed Ones looked at each other, slightly surprised that Lucy could do that, then Pure took charge and stepped across the cave. “Come on. It’s now or never.” She broke into a brisk jog down the corridor. The others followed, hurrying to catch up, hurrying towards their clouded fate, determination banishing all other emotion from their faces, which reflected flickering torch light and shadows from the fire burning in brackets on the cold stone wall.

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-19-
A Final Trap is Laid

Sam and Kate were bound to separate, hard-backed wooden chairs against the wall of the cave, the chords wrapped around their arms and legs cutting into their bare flesh. They were doused in a shadow from the massive wall, making it difficult for outsiders to see them, but they could see out. As they were brought to the cavern and tied up, the women were unconcisous, but now, as demons around them muttered among themselves, the two witches began to stir.

It was quite a fright to both when they first opened their eyes to see the demons surrounding them, but soon realized that these demons could do nothing to them. Yes. As soon as Kate began to gain control of her wandering and foggy mind and was aware of both her phyiscal pain and her surroundings, she blinked a few times, trying desperatly to clear a pounding headache, then turned her head towards her younger sister beside her and winced at what she saw. Sam’s once beautifully brown and full face was now pale, thin and shining with sweat and a shallow gash on her forehead shone crimson in the weak torchlight. Her eyes were closed and she was still, but Kate could see her chest rising and falling sharply as Sam breathed, though her breaths were harsh and ragged.

“Sam!” Kate whispered, calling to her sister softly. There was no reply. “Sam!” She repeated. She saw Sam's eyelids flicker and Sam moaned slightly in response. “Are you okay?” Kate whispered to her sister but knowing the answer, concern shadowing her face, her forehead wrinkled.

Sam’s eyelids flickered again and she slowly opened her eyes. Though the light in the cave was slight, Sam's eyes narrowed painfully, used to the pitch darkness of unconciousness. She did not turn her head to respond after finding that she was not able to without a sharp pain stabbing down her spine, but her eyes moved and she looked over at her sister through half-closed lids. “Now I am,” she breathed sharply, trying to smile, but she was too weak and twitched in pain as her muscles protested. “Lucy?” She managed to ask.

“Safe, I guess,” Kate replied, hoping against hope that she was speaking the truth. Something nagged at her heart when she thought of her youngest sister in the hands of demons, but she tried to conceal it. “She’s not here, anyway,” Kate continued with a sigh. “I really hope she’s alive.”

“Me too,” Sam whispered gently. Each word that she spoke hurt. She was breathing irregularly after her experience with Lynxe, which she did not remember, and each time she inhaled her chest seared with pain. She hissed slightly as her ribs protested a deeper breath.

Kate saw her sister’s discomfort. “What did they do to you, Sammie?” She moaned, tears springing to her eyes. She had not seen any of her sisters until now, and the sight that greeted her was not a good one. “I wish I could hold you right now. I wish I could help-”

“Kate, stop,” Sam said, trying shaking her head slowly, but it was too painful so she stopped and hoped the tone of voice was enough to reassure her elder sister. “There’s nothing you can do right now.”

“She’s right, you know.” Lynxe had approached the imprisoned witches without them seeing her, with a bounce in her gait and a sparkle in her eye that niether had seen before. “There’s nothing you can do. You're helpless, dying, and you have no one to help you, and nothing to do but watch your oldest sister suffer. We’ve made sure that you will see it all. You all have not been helpful whatsoever, and we've made sure that each of your sister's screams will make up for that. Hopefully, your youngest sister, Lucy, will come to save the day. That’s our plan, anyway. We can't do anythign really exciting until we have all four of you together. As soon as she gets here, the real fun will begin!” She laughed in her heartless way, gleefully watching the Magicked Ones’ expressions.

Unable to control herself, Kate fought her bonds as hard as she could, ignoring the chords that dug further into her wrists and causing her to bleed. “I swear, demon! You lay a hand on my sister and I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” The demon interrupted, swooping down upon Kate and leaning down so that their noses were inches apart. “You’ll use your powers?” Kate was silent. She couldn't use her powers...she didn't think she could. “Think again, witch,” Lynxe continued. “You haven’t been able to use your powers in the Underworld yet, and I doubt you'll be able to at all. Our powers are much too strong for a single, pathetic witch to break through! We've made sure of that.”

Hatred like nothing she had ever felt welled inside Kate’s heart. Never before had Sam seen Kate like this. Kate had never been angry or had ever snapped at anyone, let alone challenge someone. She was out of control, livid with the threats of her sisters being hurt. Using the hatred inside her and squinting her eyes, Kate forced her telekinetic powers upon the demon like a powerful wave and sent the demon flying away from her. Lynxe was once again humiliated by the Magicked One as she flew through the air, her robes flapping and slammed into the ground a few yards away. “Think again, bitch,” Kate snapped, managing a mocking grin.

With a snarl, Lynxe leapt at the prisoner, but Zoltof, who had remained in another part of the cave before now, stepped forward and motioned to two of his demons, who sprang forward and restrained the furious woman at once. Lynxe clawed at the demon’s bodies, trying to rip free to get to Kate, her eyes blazing with anger and fury, but they held her tightly as she shrieked, “Unhand me and let me kill that impudent witch!”

Kate laughed, seething. “Go ahead. Let her go. I’ll fight her even with my hands bound! Nothing a coward like you can't handle!” Sam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was surprising enough for her sister to be talking to these demons, let alone threatening them.

Howling with fury, Lynxe dove at Kate, but she was forced back by the demons holding her. “You foul-” she snarled, struggling to find words as she glowered, livid, gnashing her teeth at the tied woman before her. No one spoke to her like that and lived! In fact, no one had ever spoken to her like that!

“Blindfold that one now!” Zoltof commanded, pointing at Kate. Kate struggled even more so as another demon approached her with a strip of black, mouldy cloth, holding it up anxiouslu. She fought hard as Zoltof’s voice rang penetratingly through her ears. “If you are not quiet, I’ll gag you as well! Though you will not see your sister, you will hear her screams very clearly as she dies slowly. Yes, and you will join her too if you don’t shut it!”

“You can’t stop me from hating you, demon!” Kate snarled, straining against the chair as the blindfold was thrust over her eyes. Darkness instantly surrounded her, causing her to see bright colors in her closed eyelids but she could still fight, and fight she did.

“Perhaps not,” Zoltof’s voice cooed, close to her head, causing her to shudder, and a hand wrapped itself around her throat, startling her still. “But I can certainly kill you. Then you will be dead and won’t care about anything anymore. What say you to that?” The clawed hand sqeezed her throat slightly, just enough to cut off some breath, and just enough for a warning.

Kate did not know that she could hold this much anger in her body. Now she did not care about her life. “It’d be better than this!” She hissed, then strained, pressing her own throat tighter against the hand, shocking Zoltof with her nerve. “Go ahead! Kill me! When you do my sisters will be more powerful than you can handle and they will rip you apart for murdering me!”

Apparently, Zoltof had motioned to another demon, because a strip of coarse fabric had forced itself into Kate's mouth and over her tongue, gagging her efficiently. As the hand around her throat released her suddenly, she struggled as more claws fumbled to tie the knot behind her head, trying to gasp out hateful words, but the gag was effective.

“There would be no point in killing you now, witch,” muttered Zoltof in Kate's ear, then he turned his eyes on the witch sitting beside Kate.

Samantha could do nothing but sit and watch her sisters’ useless struggle with tears rolling down her cheeks silently. She did not speak, nor did she make a noise, saving her energy for what she felt could happen, but she barely held in any of her emotion and her tears betrayed it. She winced as the demon tying the gag finally slung a heavy fist into Kate’s abdomen, knocking the wind and the fight from Kate at last, and he finally managed to tie the gag in place. As Kate coughed and spluttered, trying to breathe and spit the gag from her mouth, a shadow fell across Sam’s form and she looked up into the red, furious eyes of Zoltof. “You’re not going to fight?” He asked her, almost politely.

“I have better things to save my breath for, demon,” Sam snapped, suddenly unafraid of the huge evil confronting her.

Zoltof chuckled softly and reached over and gently dragged a sharp talon across her throat as a warning, pressing too softly to draw blood but hard enough so that she got the point. “Like what? A rescue? An escape? I can assure you, we have mad the necessary precautions and will not let that happen. You will not leave this cavern alive, I promise you that,” he said, laughing. “You might as well sit quietly and wait to die.”

Sam jerked her head away from the demon’s touch, seething and revolted. “You underestimate our powers.”

“Perhaps,” agreed the demon, starting to walk away. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, winking slyly. “But think on this: if I underestimate you, why have you not escaped from me yet?”

For once, Sam did not have an answer. She closed her mouth at last. It was true. She and her two sisters had not escaped. But then again, they didn’t have the Power of Four. They didn’t have their full strength. Even wihtout it they had survived this much. Sam didn’t say anything else as she watched the huge demon approach Heather, who she saw was now tied to a pole, similar to Sam’s encounter with Lynxe, but this time Heather was standing and her arms were tied behind her back instead of above her head, her face pale. Sam had not seen Heather either since the manor and finally saw her. Heather had been watching everything with damp cheeks. Her throat was bruised and slightly cut from her torture, and it seemed she had been having trouble breathing. But now she stood steadfast, trying to look strong.

Zoltof laughted as he reached her. “So now we meet the eldest Magicked One. Heather, isn’t it?” Heather did not speak. “The Elders call you the Responsible One. Responsible of what? Your family?” Zoltof bowed to her mockingly, his hand twirling outrageously. “And what a grand job of it you do. Why, just look at your sisters,” he offered, pointing across the cave. Heather did not obey, but instead, she stared Zoltof straight in the eye. Controlling his temper, Zoltof leaned closer and demanded again, “Look at your sisters!” Resigning, finally, Heather did.

She looked upon her younger sister struggling madly with her bonds, trying to shout out and scream and yell, but each of her words were made indistinguishable from the gag biting into her cheeks. As she watched Kate struggle for air, tears sprang unbidden to Heather's eyes. What had she done that made Kate be treated like this?

Then, Sam’s eyes met her own. Sam stared into Heather’s heart it seemed, her intensity frightening Heather. Sam was so strong. She would not reveal anything, not even when faced with death. It was then that Heather realized that she had not seen any of her sisters until this moment since Lynxe had attacked them at their home. Each of them had been unconscious since then, taken separatly for questioning, then being returned, barley alive, result of Lynxe’s torture. But Lucy was gone. She wasn't here. Lucy. Heather had been exasperated with her sister for not making time to consult the Book of Shadows before the attack. What had she had to do? She had a meeting with her college literature professor. But really, what would have changed if Lucy had gone to check the Book? She probably would have been here now, weak almost to death, hopeless. Or, they would all be dead by now. But where was she now? Heather’s heart wrenched. She couldn’t already be…no, she would have sensed it. And Zoltof didn't want any of them dead. Where could she be, though, if Zoltof hadn’t ordered her killed? If she had, in fact, been killed happened, then why had the rest of her family been tortured for information about Lucy? Did this mean...was she still alive?

While staring into Sam's eyes and thinking about Lucy, reality hit her hard: Heather had let her family fall victim to the most powerful demons in the world and she could do nothing to help them now. It would be her fault if her sisters were murdered. She had not protected them well enough.

“You see the result of your care, Heather?” The words slid slyly though Heather's ears, as if the voice had been hissed right beside her head. She did not blink, nor did she move, the words sinking into her brain. “Do you see how safe they are now?”

“Heather, don’t listen to him!” Sam yelled to her sister, suddenly hearing everything the demon was telling Heather. He was provoking her, killing her with her own guilt.

Zoltof moved closer to his captor, putting his mouth next to her ear, blocking out Sam’s voice so the woman could only hear him. She stared straight into Sam's eyes as he whispered, “You couldn’t save your parents from death, or your baby sister Lucy. And now, your other two sisters are suffering and dying, and beyond your reach of help. You’ve failed them. You promised to protect them, and you failed.”

Sam didn't know that she was struggling now, her arms working furiously to loosen her bonds from around her body, but to no avail. She looked at Heather’s stony face and watched a single tear trickle down her smooth cheek, taking some of the dirt that caked her body with it. Heather's eyes, the chocolate wisdom in her eyes had now faded and they stared into Sam without seeing her, seeing only her own treterous soul. “No!” Sam yelled, fighting to break the spell that seemed to be wrapping itslef around Heather's heart. “Heather, what are you doing? Look at me! Look at me! I’m alive! It’s not your fault! None of this is!” It was then that a heavy hand flung itself over Sam’s mouth, stifling her cries so that Heather could only hear Zoltof’s poisonous voice.

“It’s your fault,” Zoltof whispered, his claws silently slicing the chords holding Heather in place, but she did not realize what he was doing. Her eyes were blank and staring, picturing Kate on the floor, blood spurting from a deadly wound to her stomach, picturing Sam's eyes which were clouded over in death, blood streaming from the corners, and blossoming from her mouth. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Lucy dying a bloody death as she was stabbed once, twice, three times by an athamae, and all because of her. She had let her family down. No! Don’t kill them, please! Kill me! No!

“It’s all your fault,” rang the voice in her head. It sounded so convincing, so sure of itself. It told the truth. “Everything is your fault and no one else's! The Protector of the Magicked Ones has failed!”

“NO!” Heather cried, dropping to her knees as her bonds fell away from her. She fell to the ground, her hands covering her face and sobbed into them, ignoring the dust that was caked on her. Her heart and soul were consumed by guilt and the grief of seeing her sisters lying dead on the ground. She was held captive by pain in her heart as she wept bitterly, unable to do anthing.

Zoltof laughed as he watched, then stepped carelessly over Heather’s shaking form and headed towards Sam. The eldest witch was useless now, powerless, wallowing in her own pitiful grief. Her sister would prove to be easier to break now that she witnessed her sister’s fall. But why even keep any of them alive anymore? The fun of torture had worn off. Couldn’t an athamae collect the powers of at least one witch and store them until all four were here? As long as the other three powers did not overload the magic…but he needed to satisfy his lust to kill. He had a thirst now for death, and he needed to stem it before he went mad with passion. Besides, the eldest could watch, and to watch her sister bleed to death would confirm her fears and prove her guilt. Oh, this was going to be easy! A slight wave of his hand magically produced an athamae from the air, spelled and ready to use.

As Zoltof approached Sam, his cloak swinging off his shoulders and onto the sand, he watched Sam struggle uselessly against the ropes holding her and the demon’s hand over her mouth, fear clouding her eyes. Jerking her head, she tried to dislodge the hand still covering her mouth, but no use. The witch couldn’t avoid his touch, but she cringed anyway as Zoltof’s hand closed around her throat and pushed her head back out of the way. The hand over her mouth vanished, but it grabbed at her hair instantly and held her head back. All the breath in her body was caught in her throat as Zoltof’s other claw tore the collar of her pale red blouse open, revealing her heaving, unprotected chest, a wide target that wasimpossible to miss. Grinning triumphantly, he raised the athamae. “Long live the Magicked Ones!” Zoltof howled.

A brief jolt of pain shook yhe back of Zoltof’s shoulder suddenly, jerking him firmly but slightly and breaking his concentration on Sam. “Take me!” A hard voice commanded, unlike any he had heard. Furious, the demon swung around to see Heather standing defiantly in front of him, ten yards away, her eyes like stone and her hands upraised. When his jaw dropped noislessly, she flicked her wrists and Zoltof shuddered again. He looked down at his tunic, where a small burn had appeared. Heather’s power was no match with his own, but she was angry now, and anger made her stronger.

“What?” Zoltof snapped, angrily, staring disbelieving at the witch who, moments before, had been writing on the ground in pitiful tears.

“Take me instead,” Heather repeated, her eyes dry.

The demon could not believe it. It took a few seocnds for his mind to finally start functioning again. He motioned furiously to Lynxe, who was instantly released from the demons and she scampered over and took over from demon holding Sam’s hair, forcing it back farther, smiling wickedly at Sam’s hiss of pain. She was intent on making this witch feel pain after what her sister had done. Zoltof was able to turn his entire attention to the eldest witch now. “You!” He barked with laughter now shaking his body. “Why should I take you?” He sneered, eying her distatefully.

Heather’s chin raised. She didn’t think at all. Her anger towards the demon bubbled. When Zoltof had approached Sam with the knife, Heather's vision of her dead sisters vanished all at once and then, quite suddenly, all she could see was Sam struggling as the knife raised. All the guilt in her was instead replaced by white-hot fury immediately, and she had stood abruptly to face Zoltof’s back. Now, she glared at him, looking straight into his evil eyes. “Because,” she replied, her voice carrying no tremor of doubt. “I am your key to gaining the Power of Four. I am the eldest, the most powerful, and the core of the family.”

“But you’re not. The Quiet One is the core. Perhaps, though, I should kill her?” Zoltof offered, his teeth bared, but when he moved towards Kate, Heather sent more power towards him, a larger and stronger blast this time, but again, making only a mark on his tunic.

“Get away from her, you bastard,” she whispered audibly, anger coursing through her veins now after seeing another threat to her family. She would not let them down. “Why won’t you face me? Afraid to be defeated by a…what was it? A powerless witch?” Her wrists flicked again and an even stronger burst of power shot from her hands and into Zoltof, who’s eyes blazed with fury.

“Get out of it, witch!” He snarled, giving in to his hate at last. “You know you cannot defeat me!” He threw out his arm, palm outstretched, and sent a blast of green electricity shooting out of his palm and towards Heather. It struck her in the chest and sent her flying into the cave wall painfully.

“Heather!” Sam screamed, trying to watch her sister slide to the ground in a limp heap, but any of her further cries were sharply cut off by Lynxe’s tugging at her hair.

“Shut it, witch,” Lynxe hissed venemously.

The cruel laughter echoed around the cavern again as Zoltof stalked across to the fallen witch. Heather twisted in pain on the ground, then heard the demon stop in front of her. Fighting, gasping, she tried to stop the pain careening through her veins so she could stand and face him. “Pitiful,” Zoltof sniffed, staring down his nose at Heater. “I’m actually surprised that you even left a mark on me. But believe me, my powers will leave a mark!” He aimed his palm at the woman and again she was hit with the green energy, and this time she was blasted off her feet and into the next nearest wall, which she crashed into, cracking her head on it. Howling with glee, Zoltof again approached Heather, who had meraculously remained concisous and now writhed on the ground clutching her chest, breaths coming out of her lungs in sharp gasps. “Prepare to die, witch!” He snarled into her face.

Now, he closed his hand, curling his fingers as if clutching an invisible boulder and quite suddenly Heather couldn’t breathe. She gasped, startled, her hands instinctively going up to her throat, which was being magically influenced to squeeze her windpipe shut. Zoltof’s power was cutting off her life-giving air supply and he wasn’t even touching her. Grinning, the demon raised his arm.

Heather gasped and choked, feeling her body beginning to lift from the ground magically. She stared hopelessly at the demon as he watched her frantic movements and continued to lift her farther off the ground until her feet were dangling two feet off the ground, a wide smile breaking across his face suddenly. The witch would die within moments as her lungs shut down, and then her brain. He had won!

Then, just as blackness had darkned her vision and almost impulsively, Heather jerked her hands away from her neck and flicked them towards Zoltof’s ugly face wildly. “AUGH!” The demon’s flesh blistered burned as the Magicked One’s power struck him square in the face. He released his hold on Heather as he grabbed at his face with both hands. She dropped to the ground hard, landing solidly on her hands and stomach, gasping and working to inhale. She had only seconds before Zoltof stopped playing with her and killed her out of anger. As she lay on the ground, she spotted the athamae, which Zoltof had thrown aside when he hit her with the lightening. Her mind worked as fast as it could through the fog that had eveloped her. As her enemy staggered backwards, clutching at his burning flesh, attempting to stop the burning, Heather’s breath returned and her mind cleared slowly. It was her only hope, her only chance. The blade Zoltof was going to use on Sam lay in the dust a few yards away. If only she could reach it!

From the other side of the cavern Lynxe was watching everything, and then saw the witch’s eyes flash to the dropped athamae and back to Zoltof, and realized what the fallen witch was planning. Releasing Sam’s hair at once, the demonic second-in-command flaired suddenly red next to Sam and was vanished.

Heather had finally managed to push herself up and stand and was stumbling, breathless, towards the blade when the red outline of Lynxe flared back and the demon appeared, directly in front of her, holding the knife. Sam finally was able to look ahead of her, but what she saw has terrifying. Everything happened to quickly. Seeing her sister’s intentions, she tried to yell a warning to her.

“Heather!” Screamed Sam, but Lynxe had already raised the blade triumphantly howling with glee. “NO!”

And then, staring directly into the eldest Miller’s eyes as she tried to stop but kept coming forward, Lynxe took one step to brace herslef, then plunged the blade hilt-deep into Heather’s abdomen, just as Lucy and the Charmed Ones sprinted into the cave.

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-20-
Crimson Sand

Nothing escaped from between Heather's lips except for a small noise of surprise and her jaw dropped as she felt the knife slid between her ribs and slice into her insides. Her eyes and face wrinkled with shock and surprise as soon as she knew what was happening, and after she felt the handle touch her skin, which was almost immediately from the power of Lynxe's thrust, she knew the knife was all the way inside of her, and then everything in her body went numb except for the pain. She was still moving forward as hilt met flesh, and finally Heather stumbled against her assailant, one hand slapping to Lynxe's which was holding the knife, the other to the demon's chest, as Heather's legs gave out and she tried to brace herself, as if she would survive that way. As she did so, however, she coughed and gasped, her body held up against the demon's, her eyes staring at the handle protruding from her stomach, then they raised to stare into Lynxe's in the utmost shock.

The moment the blade had cut into Heather’s stomach and the Charmed Ones raced into the cave, Piper suddenly cried out and stopped dead in her path before clutching her own stomach and gasping as if it was she who had been stabbed and not Heather. Her breaths had become harsh then, and she whimpered in the pain that had suddenly engulfed her. Stupefied, she managed to look down at her hands as she felt warm liquid fighting to break between them. It was clear that she too had a stab wound that extended all the way inside of her stomach as Heather's did, but no one had touched her, nor come near her.

Heather choked again, swallowing hard, and both of her hands now clasped around Lynxe’s wrapped around the hilt protruding from her body. Warm, crimson blood leaked slowly between her fingers and dripped onto the dusty floor as she stared, wide-eyed, into Lynxe’s menacingly merciless yellow ones. Watching the woman's expression cruelly, basking in her victim’s pain, the demon's mouth twitched in a triumphant smile and she shoved the knife even further into Heather’s body, forcing the woman to her knees as she choked again, her eyes squeezing shut now in agony, her heart beating fast. The amount of pressure suddenly put on the knife cased the bottom of the hilt to actually force itself into the wound, causing it to expand even more and gush copies amounts of blood that then dripped down Heather's legs to form a puddle on the floor.

Prue was next to Piper when Piper fell to her knees also, gasping at the same time as Heather, the pain cutting deeper on her insides. She moaned slightly as Heather did the same, choking and swallowing back blood that was rising in her throat all at once. Prue, surprised and not knowing what was going on, watched dumbstruck as blood seeped between Piper’s shaking hands and dripped to the floor. “Piper!” She whispered. “No!” She gasped, holding out her arms and catching her sister as she dropped and trying to hold her up, as if she would recover miraculously.

Lucy's vision had tunneled and narrowed when she entered the cave, and she saw nothing but her sister's pain-stricken, white face. “Heather!” She screamed, her lungs protesting. She didn’t care about the other demons in the room, nor did she see Zoltof still staggering around, clawing at his face, but only saw her wounded sister and the blood...the blood. Her mind clouded with anguish and the young witch ran forward towards Heather, oblivious to everything but her sister's pain and the demon inflicting it, determined to rescue her.

“Lucy! No!” Paige and Phoebe tore after their charge together, leaving Piper and Prue on the ground, and raced towards Lucy, Heather and Lynxe, trying to catch Lucy and hold her back. They knew that running full steam at this demon was suicide, especially when they were unarmed, and Lynxe held the knife, but they couldn't let their charge face possible death alone. But the reckless Magicked One did not realize how much danger they were all in.

Seeing the three coming towards her and knowing that they were too late to save the eldest Magicked One, Lynxe calmly looked back down into Heather’s moist brown eyes and grinned into her face, betraying her absolute glee. The witches were no threat now! “Farewell, witch!” Roughly, gleefully, she twisted the knife inside of Heather, earning herself a satisfying grunt of pain from the witch, and then jerked the athamae from Heather’s body, leaving a hideous and wide stab wound. She stood up straight at last, having been bent over as Heather had fallen to her knees, watching her victim with tears of joy in her eyes. Heather grunted harshly once more, wincing unconsciously, feeling her insides rip open and flood with blood, then her eyes unfocused and clouded over, and she collapsed sideways into the sand, her blood staining the ground crimson as it pulsed from her wound with each fading heartbeat. The same time the knife was wrenched from Heather, Piper's body jerked in Prue's arms and as Heather fell, so did Piper collapse further into Prue’s outstretched arms, her blood running over her now limp hands and onto Prue’s lap. Prue had gotten into a kneeling position with her sister in her arms and tried to hold back sobs as she felt Piper's warm blood run through her shirt.

Upon reaching the demon, Phoebe sprang at Lynxe in a flying kick, catching the her off her guard as she swung around quickly, sensing her and holding up the red-stained athamae. The demon fell to the ground with a screech of fury as Phoebe's foot connected with her chest and she slid across the dirt from the force of it, but still managed to grasp the knife. Alerted at last by his second-in-command's yell, Zoltof managed to squint open one painful eye and he saw the five witches run into the cave again, as if it had not happened yet. “No,” he murmured, hands over his face, watching Phoebe kick out, then turning her gaze on Paige, who had engaged in a battle with another demon. “No! This cannot be! They cannot escape! NO!” Then, with a roar of fury and with not thought to his dignity, nor his demons, he vanished from the cavern in a blast of powerful green light, away from harm and unnoticed by anyone but Paige, but she couldn't stare for ever. The demon she fought came at her fiercely again.

Phoebe cried out, alerting Prue, who looked up, her eyes filled with tears and Piper in her lap, bleeding, and just in time to see Phoebe crash into the stone wall, striking her head on the rock hard surface. “Prue!” Paige shouted, desperately, trying to ward Lynxe off as Phoebe slid to the floor and lay motionless, a small stream of blood running from her scalp and onto her clothes. The demonic woman grinned at Paige, still clutching the bloody athamae.

“Come to me, young Charmed One! You are not one I have seen before, but I shall enjoy killing you like I did that one!” Lynxe hissed, pointing at Heather, who was lying still in Lucy's arms.

“P-Prue.” Piper’s voice was soft below her eye level. Prue looked back at her wounded sister and was shocked at what she saw. The warm brown eyes were fighting to stay open, but they were misting over slowly and there was nothing she could do. Piper's warm, full mouth was slack and her face was ghostly white and dotted with beads of sweat. She was dying.

“No, Piper,” Prue breathed, gathering Piper closer to herself, but Paige’s call sounded again, urgently.

“PRUE!”

Overcome by wanting to be in two places at once to help each of her sisters, Prue gasped and her chin quickly dropped, her body falling limply against Piper’s. A red astral flash appeared at Lynxe’s shoulder instantly and Prue appeared, looking around as if trying to figure out something, then she knew she had used her astral projection powers without knowing it. Quickly getting control over herself, she faced Lynxe, tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey,” Prue smiled grimly at the demon as Lynxe turned halfway around, then lashed out. Her fist connected solidly with Lynxe’s jaw and the demon grunted in pain, clutching her face, distracting her enough for Paige to intervene and help.

“That was for my sister, bitch!” Prue snapped, her anger welling inside her, and she almost pursued Lynxe, but Paige's voice stopped her.

“Athamae!” Paige commanded, but in her haste to disarm the demon, forgot to use her powers to turn it against Lynxe. The knife appeared in her hand in a flurry of white lights, still dripping in Heather’s blood, but Paige was so revolted when her eyes flicked down to the knife blade that she couldn't think to do anything.

Unarmed and suddenly nervous at the sight of Astral Prue beside her (whom, through her panic thought was the real Charmed One), and Paige in front of her holding the bloody athamae, Lynxe panicked even more and did not even think as she shimmered away to safety.

Astral Prue's eyes met Paige's briefly and she nodded slightly, then she flashed out suddenly, returning to her own body. With a sharp inhale, the real Prue woke up and sat straighter before she remembered that Piper was in her lap. Hearing a whisper almost immediately after entering her own body again, Prue ducked her head to Piper’s mouth. “Piper, I didn’t hear-”

“It…it hurts, Prue,” Piper was whispering shakily. “I-it’s…killing m-me,” Piper gasped out, and she coughed again, painfully, her body jerking and more blood seeping from her wound and onto Prue.

“No!” Prue exclaimed, shaking her head and holding her sister and placing her hands over the gaping hole in Piper’s stomach, pressing down to try and stop the bleeding but feeling the raw flesh and blood pulse against her hands. “No,” she said again, in anguish. “You can't...you can't leave me,” she told Piper as her sister's eyes closed and she fell silent and her breathing came slowly and more still.

Lucy had reached Heather’s fallen form by now. With tears of grief spilling from her blue eyes, she collapsed to her knees and dragged Heather’s torso up and into her lap, supporting her limp head with a hand. The sudden movement had caused Heather to cough again, but more feebly than before as her strength ebbed. “Heather,” Lucy called at her sister softly, brushing a lock of brown hair from Heather's face. “Heather, please. I'm here now.”

“L-Lucy.” An almost unheard whisper escaped from between Heather’s blue-tinged lips. She could barely speak as she tried to open her eyes to see her youngest sister alive and well. She was numb in pain and shock, but she was relieved that Lucy had survived what she could not. Weakly, she moved a hand from her stomach, flailing for Lucy's. Lucy took it as Heather gasped, “G-get the others…Orb…t-take th-them with you…s-safety…” Her breath caught as blood rose in her throat.

“I can't leave you!” Lucy protested, shaking her head roughly, but Heather put a shaking finger to Lucy's lips gently.

“You...have t-to...get t-them safe.”

Paige was running towards Sam and Kate at last, freed from her stunned trance as Lynxe vanished. “Ropes!” She demanded upon reaching them, and swung her hand towards the wall. The ropes binding the two girls disappeared in the white lights and reappeared in a heap by the base of the rock. Quickly, she untied the gag and blindfold from Kate's head as Sam hurriedly tried to rub the life back into her swollen and blood-crusted wrists.

Kate looked up at her rescuer with thanks in her eyes which then flicked to where Lucy sat on the ground with Heather in her arms. She saw for the first time what the screaming and coughing was all about, and her heart nearly stopped as her face paled. “No!” She sobbed, grabbing Sam and jerking off her chair and stumbling towards them. Sam tried to keep up as she followed her, shaky and tripping over her own feet. Paige orbed immediately to Phoebe's side and set about trying to bring her around, but her hands were shaking as well as she listened to the hopelessness in the cavern.

Prue saw and watched the two Magicked Ones fall to their knees beside their sisters, weeping and sobbing, reuniting with Lucy in the pain wrapped around them. There seemed to be nothing left for them to do but watch their sister die. They survived this long for Lucy only to see Heather meet the fate meant for the youngest Miller. As she thought this her mind made itself up and, suddenly but gently, Prue gritted her teeth and hoisted Piper’s limp form in her strong arms and struggled to stand, trying not to look at the pool of blood at her feet and trying to ignore the blood that now seeped down her arms. Piper's head rested on Prue's chest and her arms dangled uselessly at her side. Slowly, shakily, Prue walked towards the Millers as best she could.

“We have to get out of here,” she whispered to them, trying to keep her voice from shaking with grief. “Lucy, you have to orb them home right now. Orb to our manor. Quickly! We have to get them to safety.”

“But-” Lucy began, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down her face as she stared at Heather, who's breathing had become shallower.

“No buts,” Paige said as she supported a half-conscious Phoebe over to Prue and grasping her eldest sister’s shoulder. “We’re in more danger here. Come on. We’ll call Leo. He'll be able to heal them. Come on. Orb them, Lucy. You have to.”

“Orb us home, Paige. Quickly,” Prue pleaded with an anxious glance at her younger sister, then peered over her shoulder nervously, clasping Piper to her as she searched for demonic threats, but each and every demon had shimmered out of the room when Lynxe had, thinking it was a signal to retreat. Paige obliged and lights gathered around them and the four demolecularized together and lifted through the stone ceiling to return back in San Fransisco.

Kate put a soft, trembling hand to Lucy’s shaking shoulder while Sam held Heather’s blood-soaked hand tightly to her. “Come on,” Kate said quietly but firmly to her sister. “You have to do it, Lucy. For Heather.” She braced herself for orbing as she watched Lucy.

The young witch stared at Kate for several long seconds before her eye’s finally closed and she tried to push everything from her mind except orbing and getting to safety, but her grief for Heather was too great. Her sister's harsh breaths were quickly slowing and the time between them was increasing. Lucy broke down in tears and sobbed into Heather’s soaking hair, shaking her head and trying to shrug off Kate' s hand from her shoulder, not in contempt, but in absolute helplessness. “I can’t. I-I can’t. Heather, please...”

Before anyone could speak or do anything, however, a flourish of orbs lit the cavern again and Paige had returned. Her eyes were dry as she immediately crossed to the four Magicked Ones and knelt, placing her hands lightly on Kate and Lucy’s shoulders. “Let’s go, girls,” she breathed, though not really to the women with her. More to herself, for she was thinking about Piper and the horrid and deadly state that she too was in. But she thought defiantly of the safety of the manor, gathered her strength and orbed them all from the evil and hatred of the Underworld, leaving behind a deep pool of blood that soaked the warm sand.

[elderess]

Wow! That's freaking amazing! Are you going to continue? Please! please, please, please!!!!!!! I swear you could be a professional author with this!

[EvergreenMountaineer]

Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! Here are two more chapters:

-21-

“AUUGH!”

The defening howl of anger echoed off the grimy walls of another Underworld cave, its noise causing previously sleeping bats to flutter off in search of more peaceful resting conditions. As the small animals flew off, an energy ball hissed through the air, blinding the demons occupying the cave before being propelled into one of the many cloaked figures huddling in retreat, causing an explosion of black dust as it hit. Covering their atrocious faces, the demons standing nearby the victim scuttled away quickly, separating and trying to find a spot that their master would not see them and attack them too in his rage. Unfortunately, there was no where that they could go.

“THEY GOT AWAY!” Zoltof was screaming, his anger causing the room to shake. Dust flew off the walls as, in another blast of fire, a second demon exploded with a high-pitched scream. “How could you let them escape for the second time! Now it’s not just one! It’s all four who have escaped! And with the Charmed Ones no less! YOU FOOLS!”

He spun on his heel abruptly to face his second-in-command, who was nursing her bruised jaw in the shadows of the room, anxious to stay hidden from Zoltof's wrath, but not afraid of him. “And YOU!” The High demon fumed at her, shaking a long finger in her face, spit from his mouth splattering on her. “How could you just leave them? Run like a coward? They were vulnerable and easy to kill! You did not take advantage of that situation!”

Lynxe didn't answer at first as her swollen tongue moved around in her mouth, then she spat out a bloody tooth and it landed at Zoltof’s feet. “Coward?” She repeated, incredulously, rising slowly. “You call me coward? You vanished as soon as the witches posed a threat! You deserted me and your demons! You ran at the first sign of danger, and you call me coward? You didn't have enough balls to stay and fight them yourself.”

“ENOUGH!” Bellowed Zoltof, causing Lynxe to twitch slightly. Zoltof's cloak swung about him violently as he began to pace up and down, but continued to rant. “You had orders and you disobeyed them! You were told to keep the Magicked Ones from escape and they did! The Charmed Ones have helped them escape! Now they are all together! Assuming those two witches, Heather and Piper, stay alive, they are more powerful than we can deal with. Possibly even without the two! You failed me, Lynxe. I have no use for a demon who does not follow my directions!”

What color had remained in Lynxe’s face drained from it then. She stumbled to a steadier position as her vision darkened. Lightheadedness suddenly creeping up on her, she began to back away from her master, her hands raised to protect herself. “No. I did not disobey! I have not-”

“You have failed me!” Shrieked Zoltof, his eyes blazing, and he formed a huge energy ball in his fist, this one doubly bigger than the average. Grinning at the horror-stricken look on Lynxe’s face, Zoltof raised his arm and threw before she could blink.

Almost instinctively, Lynxe threw up a hand, her powers deflecting the energy back towards the attacker, hissing through the air. Zoltof dodged it just in time, then shook his head in disbelief as it crashed into the wall behind him, sending fleck and chunks of stone ricocheting off. “What are you thinking, Lynxe?” He asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “You are not nearly as strong as me! You cannot survive!”

“No,” Lynxe agreed as her hands raised slowly. “But I can sure as hell take some of you with me!” A blast of red lightening shot from her fingers, zipping across the room and slamming into Zoltof’s chest before he could react, just as the Source shimmered into the cave, quite unharmed and unnoticed. Zoltof was hurled backwards at the surprise attack, his chest burning, but when he hit the ground, he lay there for only a second before righting himself again.

Normally, that blast of power would have killed a lesser being. But Zoltof was too strong. Panicking now, Lynxe shot more red lightening, this time at Zoltof’s face, but the powerful demon conjured a force field from the air that took the brunt of the power, though did not stop it all together. Some lightening seared on his face, burning more flesh that Heather’s powers had not, and he yelled in pain and anger, momentarily distracted, but Lynxe made no further move. She seemed to be pondering the best way to use her powers.

When the burning had subsided on his now blackened skin, Zoltof’s eyes flicked over and burned into Lynxe’s, sparking. “Your service with me is over, demon!” He bellowed, summoning all his strength and powers together and circling them between his palms until they formed a massive emerald energy ball. It flared, lighting up the entire cavern and the awestruck faces of the demons inside, crackling and sparking with power, hate, and evil. Without a pause, he hurled it at his former second-in-command. Lynxe threw up her hands automatically, trying desperately to use all of her telekinetic powers to block the energy, but it was far too strong for her and it hit her full in the chest. Her agonizing scream was cut short as she exploded in a huge ball of fire and smoke.

“Am I interrupting something?” The Source spoke ringingly from the cave entrance after a few seconds had passed. He was leaning nonchalantly against the stone watching the events that unfolded before him. When he had not been summoned to the torturing of the eldest Magicked One, the Source had sent a bat to spy on them, so he knew precisely what had happened. He had also seen Lucy and the Charmed Ones coming to the Magicked Ones' aid. “If only you had let me remain in the cavern when you woke the witches. Their powers could have been ours by now!”

In a whirl of cloak, Zoltof swept over to the Source and grabbed the demon by the throat. No other demon had ever been able to touch the Source before now and the Source was surprised as he felt his air being cut off, Zoltof's blackened face inches from where his own nose should be. “Do not mock me, demon,” Zoltof warned, leaning close. “I’m in a foul mood.” Releasing the Source, Zoltof turned around and began to walk away. Deep inside, however, he knew the Source was right. He knew the Magicked Ones better than the Source, but the Source knew ways of keeping witches from escaping. He had been fighting the Charmed Ones for years. “What do you want?” He snapped at the lesser demon.

“I have a plan,” the Source replied, trying to keep his voice neutral as he gained his breath back instantly and folded his arms across his chest. “Attack the witches sooner rather than later. Two of them are dead, though how the Charmed One, Piper is I know not. They must be linked. But the point is that they are vulnerable now. Now is when their power is weakest. Now is the time to advance in force.”

A harsh guffaw issued from Zoltof's throat, rattling harshly. “They are at the Charmed Ones’ manor, where they are the most powerful. How can you expect them-”

“They just lost an innocent,” the Source interrupted knowingly. “Their guard will be down. I know these witches well. Saving an innocent is more important than anything to them and they just lost the eldest Magicked One. They will be open to an attack and weak. If you let me help this time, they will not escape alive and their powers will be ours,” the Source offered, standing up straighter.

As Zoltof pondered this, the Source waited. The demon had a point. As he mulled it over in his head, Zoltof saw again the look of shock and pain on the youngest Magicked Ones' face as she watched her eldest sister collapsing to the ground. They would be wrapped in grief and powerless to stop them now. “Fine,” Zoltof muttered, deciding at last. “But let me gather enough demons first. We need them to distract the witches long enough for us to throw the power-stripping potions. They will not escape us this time!”

For the first time since the two had met, the Source bowed slightly to his superior. “As you wish,” he breathed, and shimmered away.

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-22-
Violet Life

The four Millers and Paige orbed down into the Halliwell mansion's brightly lit conservatory at long last, where the Charmed Ones were waiting anxiously for them. When the Magicked Ones had not followed the Halliwells, Phoebe had hurriedly sent Paige back to assist them. By the time Paige orbed out, Prue had Piper already laid out on one of the soft couches, unconscious and breathing shallowly, her arms lying limply at her side as blood began to cake her hair and shirt. Prue knelt beside her then, pressing a dish towel to her sister's wound and stroking her hair gently. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared into her sister's pale and face, wondering if she was going to die or not. The girls had called Leo over and over but he had not come, much to the sister’s worries. He had never failed to come down at their call before and now, in their greatest need, he was not there. What could have been happening “up there” for the Elders not to send down the Charmed One's whitelighter?

Now, Prue fought back sobs of grief as Paige and the Millers appeared in the middle of the room. Phoebe jumped slightly, startled. Lucy was still holding tightly to Heather's limp form while Kate and Sam watched by her side. As soon as they touched down, Paige released the Millers and walked silently over to her sisters, putting her arms around Phoebe and leaving the Millers with plenty of room with Heather. Her eyes were closed and she looked paler than death, but she was still breathing, though she inhaled sharply and raggedly. The stab wound at her stomach still shone with blood, but the flow was decreasing as the pulse in her body weakened. She was fading towards death quickly and there was no hope without Leo.

The tears in Lucy’s eyes continued to drip down her cheeks as she held her sister closer still, refusing to let her go for fear that she would cease to breathe. “Heather,” Lucy whispered, the name barely escaping her lips before wrenched with a sob. Gently, Lucy shook Heather's form. “Please,” she pleaded softly. “Please, don’t go. Don’t leave us.” Sam sniffed as she listened to her youngest sister and when Heather spoke, her voice barely audible, Sam could not bring herself to look over.

“Lucy…” Heather's eyes struggled to open and focus on her youngest sister, then they slowly shifted to the other two, her once proud brown eyes fading greatly. “I’m…s-sorry,” she choked, gasping as blood rushed from the wound in her stomach and onto Kate's knees. “I…I f-failed you…”

Lucy’s golden hair fell over her face as she shook her head furiously at Heather, flexing her arms and tightening her hold. “No. Heather, don’t talk like that,” she whispered. Unable to speak at all, Sam buried herself in Kate’s arms as they both wept silently, listening to their eldest sister fighting to continue.

“S-stay strong…” Heather’s eyes were closing and her breathing became suddenly slower as she coughed once more. Her head, which she had been trying to hold up fell limply against Lucy’s chest as she struggled to speak again, her throat now filling with blood. “K-Kate,” she whispered, her hand unclasping, struggling to open.

Kate untangled herself from Sam and forced herself to lean forward and she clasped her sister’s weak, outstretched hand in her own, tears flowing freely from her eyes and dripping onto Heather’s blouse. It took a few moments before she made herself look into Heather's eyes. “I’m here, Heather,” Kate assured Heather softly, patting her hand feebly, trying to steady her voice.

“K-Kate. T-take care…of them.” Heather arched her back in pain as she whispered and swallowed. Kate could feel her hand growing cold as she held it fast. “Please,” Heather whispered, and then looked straight into Kate's warm brown eyes, her gaze piercing and desperate. “I…l-love…you...” she continued, and her voice was barely audible. She tried again. “I...love...” Her voice trailed away as she exhaled gently. Her sisters waited for the harsh inhale of a new breath, but nothing came and suddenly, Heather was not staring at Kate, but through her, her eyes clouded over.

“Piper,” came Prue's voice from across the room. The eldest Charmed One was shaking her sister's hand, but Piper made no move nor response. She too had stopped breathing. “Piper!” Prue yelled, her eyes filling with tears. Phoebe choked out a sob and Paige stared at the couch where her new sister now lay still, and shock etched itself across her face as reality hit her.

Sam buried her head in Kate’s chest and cried. Kate’s eyes were red and staring into Heather's in disbelief as she held Sam close, shaking her head silently, her mouth open in shock. “No!” Lucy whispered, breaking the stunned silence at last. “Heather. No!” She repeated. “Don’t die. Don't die because of me,” She shook Heather roughly as she held her, as if trying to wake her up from a deep sleep. “Heather, please. Don’t…no…” Her voice trailed into hiccoughs and tears as her body began to shake, then she put her head against Heather’s and cried before whispering, “I love you.”

Moments passed as the two families wept over their fallen sisters. Lucy pulled Heather's torso still closer to herself and rocked Heather back and forth, wishing that she had never orbed from their house when Lynxe had attacked. At least then they would have all been together and this wouldn't have happened. Guilt built in her breast and she could feel her insides twisting as she saw again Heather's face as the athamae was plunged into her belly and the expression of pain as she collapesed to the sand in the cavern. If only she hadn't left her sisters!

As she cried, a soft, violet glow slowly began to blossom and radiate from Lucy’s hands, bright and magestic, but no one noticed until Kate was looking up to the heavens, as if about to scream at the Elders. She saw the glow through the corner of her tear-filled eyes and turned her head fully to look at Lucy. It wasn’t until a few moments later until she realized what she was looking at, but not daring to believe what she saw. At last, she was able to pull herself together and whisper, “Lucy…your hands.”

The youngest Miller lifted her head slowly from Heather’s to look and saw what was happening. “What-” she started, wide-eyed and frightened, holding up one of her hands in front of her to examine it. It shone purple in the room, strong and sure.

Prue had looked up to see what was going on and when she saw, she gasped and her eyes flicked towards Phoebe sharply, who had also noticed. “She can heal?” Prue mouthed at Phoebe, who shook her head in wild astonishment. Prue returned her gaze to the Millers', still holding Piper close to her own body, but now she watched Lucy, although Prue was unable to say anything. Her mouth was stuck shut in disbelief.

“Lucy! Lucy, heal her!” It was Sam who spoke this time, for she too had finally realized what the glow was: the healing power of whitelighters, a possibility and chance of saving her sister.

Without further question or comment, Lucy jerked into action. She freed her hands from Heather's weight and held them close over her sister’s wound, letting and willing the glow to soak into Heather’s body, watching everything with wide eyes. Slowly, the light spread over Heather's stomach, which now glowed the same violet as Lucy’s powers, brightly and angelicly. Then the horrific wound on her stomach slowly vanished, the muscles mending themselves and the skin knitting together effortlessly. The blood that trickled down Heather's chin from her blood filled mouth disappeared and without warning Heather jerked awake, her lungs suddenly working and gasping in air. At the exact same time, Piper was thrown out of her stupor and she too gasped in air and opened her eyes. The three Millers sat flabbergasted as the purple energy vanished from Lucy’s hands slowly and Heather blinked.

“H-Heather?” Kate whispered, hesitating, then reaching over Lucy to push her eldest sister’s hair back from her face with shaking hands.

“Kate?” Heather muttered dryly, her eyes turning to see her three sisters over her. At last, they focused and she gasped.“Oh, Kate! Lucy! Sammie!” Heather struggled into a sitting position but before she was upright she had pulled Lucy and Kate into a tight embrace, motioning to Sam to join them. Joyously, Sam threw herself into the hug and the four lay on the floor together weeping with joy and shock, embracing each other as hard as they could, never wanting to let go.

“Heather! I thought…we thought you…” Sam stuttered, pulling back to stare at her sister's face, to which was returning an alive and perfectly healthy glow.

Heather laughed weakly, tears of happiness in her eyes. She pulled Sam back to her, rocking her back and forth and hugging Kate fiercely with the other arm. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head and kissing Lucy forcefully on top of her head. “Never.” She looked at Kate over Sam’s shoulder at Lucy. “But,” she continued suddenly, and her eyes narrowed, trying to figure it out. “How-?”

“Lucy,” replied Kate, looking as questionable as Heather, but speaking in a final sort of way. “She healed you.”

“But-” Heather whispered, astonished, her breath catching in her throat in surprise. “You can’t…it’s not…”

“-my power?” Lucy finished, shaking her head dejectedly and leaning into back into Kate's arms. “I know.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how it happened. I thought I didn’t have whitelighter blood in me,” she continued.

“You do,” Prue said from over by the couch. The Millers looked over at her, slightly surprised as they had nearly forgotten that they were in fact, in the Halliwell's home. Prue and her sisters had remained quiet on the other side of the room, giving their own welcome to Piper, who had also been able to sit up. The four Halliwells were all crying, but Prue wiped a hand across her eyes roughly before going on to explain. “There is a whitelighter in your ancestry. I remember now, though I don't know why I remember or how. I mean, I didn't remember until this moment. Grams always told us stories about the Miller line and how it had grown in power, just like the Halliwell line. One of your first witch ancestors named Leia had a child, Shannen, with a whitelighter called David. Shannen was therefore half whitelighter but her daughter, Brianna, had no trace of whitelighter blood in her, which was a mystery then and now.

“Curiously, her blood went through your entire ancestral line without any whitelighter powers until you, for some reason. No one knows why that since Shannen, after seven generations of power in your family, you are the first to have full whitelighter powers. Although, our powers are still growing. All of ours,” she added, motioning to her sisters. “Lucy’s have just grown more. Her whitelighter side gave her healing powers, and just in time too,” she finished, pulling Piper into another hug.

The Millers stared at Lucy in wonder. It didn't make much sense before Prue's story and now that they were suddenly informed on happenings in their family line, happenings that they didn't even know about, they had a lot to think about. But their youngest sister was still trying to master her first powers, let alone receiving a new one. Nothing except Prue's story made much sense. They were all silent for a few minutes, then Heather, who had tears in her eyes again, reached over and pulled Lucy into a strong hug. “I love you,” she whispered into her ear, unable to think of anything else to say.

“I couldn’t imagine losing you,” Lucy sniffed into Heather’s shoulder, her arms clasped around her eldest sister. “I love you too,” she murmured.

After a long hug, the two sisters broke apart and Sam and Kate helped them to their feet. Heather’s eyes grew hard once more as she glanced at the Charmed Ones still embracing Piper. “We need to destroy these demons,” she said abruptly, causing the Halliwells to look up and stare at her. They were surprised to see the hard glint in Heather's eye, but knew that Heather was strong-willed enough to have recovered from her trauma quickly and they knew that she knew what she was talking about. “They nearly killed my sisters and they nearly killed Lucy's protectors. We can’t let them gain our powers or our lives. We can't let them become more powerful and destroy us. And we can't let them get away with this.”

“Wait,” Piper said, interrupting Heather as she spoke at last, her hand on her stomach. “How did that happen?” She asked, pointing at Heather's abdomen, then at her own. “How did I almost die? I had the exact same injury as Heather did, in the exact same spot at the exact same time, and I healed when Lucy healed Heather. How did that happen? What magic is this? What is going on?”

No one could answer her, for they were all wondering the same thing. How did that make sense?

“You are connected.”

Surprised, the eight young witches turned sharply to see Patty Halliwell coming down the stairs, still wearing jeans and a shirt, a yellowed slip of parchment clutched in her hand. Everyone watched as she crossed the room to stand by her daughters and check if Piper was all right.

As her eyes fell on the woman, a slight gasp escaped from Heather’s lips before she could stop it, but no one looked at her. Heather's hands went to her mouth slowly, as she stared hard at Patty, registering her face in her mind. Something about Patty’s soft, waving brown hair and deep, liquid brown eyes reminded her of something, of someone, of a place in time now lost in the depths of her mind.

A pair of eyes. A lovely, young face brightening in a smile. Open arms. The yells of joyful children. Shrieks as two young girls threw themselves in a pair of waiting hands.

“Heather, are you alright?” Kate was whispering in her ear as she poked her gently in the small of the back. Heather was pulled out of the flashback memory then, but she did not answer Kate. Indeed, she said nothing at all as she continued to stare at Patty, perhaps too astounded to speak.

Patty, who had not seen Heather's glance, or was avoiding it, smiled at the legendary sight that met her and spread her arms out wide. “It was told this day would come!” She exclaimed joyfully, though more to herself than to anyone. If she saw the astonished faces around her, Patty did not acknowlage them and went on. “The Prophesy spoke of this day: when the two most powerful families of witches would meet and combine to vanquish an evil beyond any before. And here you are, the eight of you under one roof and ready to fight evil.”

Next to Patty, Phoebe’s light brown eyes flicked quickly to Prue's in an inquiring look before she asked, “Uh, Mom? Care to articulate?”

The mother of the Halliwells smiled mysteriously as she said, “I’m not sure that I can tell you everything, but I can say that you four are supposed to be here,” she told the Millers, smiling, reassuring them slightly.

But Piper spoke next. “Mom,” she questioned, somewhat sharply without meaning to be. “How are we--me and Heather that is--connected? We've never met each other before and we don’t share the same blood.”

“Actually,” Patty corrected, her voice suddenly softer. “In a way, you do share the same blood.”

Confused glances and raised eyebrows were exchanged among the families. Seeing them, Patty smiled and said, “I can show you, if you’d like.”

This captured everyone’s attention immediately and they all returned their gazes to Patty. Heather had looked up as she and Sam sat on the couch, while Paige sank onto the love seat opposite them. This was going to be important. She knew it, though she didn't know how.

“Wait a minute, Mom,” Prue said, her eyebrows knitting together. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“The Elders have allowed me to take you back to the past in order to show you the events that took place which made you to be…well, related in a sense. They do this because they feel that you will all grow a stronger bond with each other after you have seen everything and that in turn will help you defeat Zoltof.” Patty spoke softly, and then her eyes suddenly lowered so that she was looking at her feet.

Piper noticed and leaned forward slightly to try and catch Patty's eye. “What is it?” She asked, concerned and worried.

Her mother’s eyes rose to meet hers and Piper was shocked to see tears swimming in them. “I hesitate to tell you that there is sorrow in this particular vision quest, sorrow that will be difficult for the Magicked Ones to witness,” she replied.

“Why? What happened?” Lucy asked, voicing the question that had embedded into each of her sister's minds. They glanced at one another in hesitation as they waited for an answer.

Patty shook her head. “I cannot tell you here,” she repeated. “You must be willing to witness the past and take the consequences that come with it. Only then can you see and know what had happened and understand it all.”

Something in the deceased witch’s tone caught Kate’s attention and she too asked a question. “Is it…was it bad?” She inquired in a whisper. As she spoke, her sisters glanced uneasily at her out of the corners of their eyes before turning to Patty to hear the answer.

“That, my children, is something you will have to discover yourself,” Patty once again said, crossing to the center of the room, between the Halliwells and the Millers. “It is not for me to say.”

The second eldest Magicked One turned to her family to see their reactions and their decisions. She knew, without looking at her, that Heather was curious and willing to go through anything to find out about the connection, being the object of concentration at the moment. Kate herself wanted to know what had happened, for she had the feeling that, in the vision quest, they would see their mother. Looking into the other two’s eyes, Kate immediately understood the importance to her sisters of knowing the past and saw that they were ready. Convinced without any words spoken, Kate turned to Patty and spoke two words. “Take us.”

Patty inclined her head slightly, resigning gracefully to the task. “So mote it be,” she breathed, then held her hands out to the Millers. “Come.”

After a moments slight hesitation, Heather awkwardly got off the sofa and crossed to Patty, her sisters following her slowly, wondering where the quest would take them and what it would show. Maybe they would see their parents, maybe they would see Patty in her past. None of them knew. But they did know that something would come from it.

The Charmed Ones stood silently out of the way, knowing how important it was for the Millers to be together and alone. But Heather's eyes suddenly met Piper's and she knew that Piper needed to see everything too. “Can they come as well?” Heather asked Patty. “After all, Piper is the one connected to me.”

“As you wish,” Patty agreed, holding out her other hand to her daughters. It seemed that she had been waiting for Heather to ask the question. She knew that her daughters should go back in time too, but if none of the Millers had asked, she was prepared to leave Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige behind. The Halliwell witches came forward as well and Piper reached out to grasp her mother’s hand while her sisters held each others’. The nine witches stood in a row silently, then Patty spoke.

“The Bond which was not to be done
Give us the power to see it undone
And turn back time to whence it was begun.”

Piper quickly swallowed another feeling of doubt that had suddenly reared up inside her. Even though her last gut feeling had come to pass and something bad had happened, she suppressed this one, for Patty was with them and she wouldn't let anything happen to them. Piper closed her eyes as the nine of them vanished in a swirl of bright white lights once again.

[austink2009]

This story just keeps getting better. Please update soon.

[EvergreenMountaineer]

Short update....I'll post another chapter later...

-23-
An Ambush Planned

Ten demons and the Source of All Evil shimmered and flamed into the manor at almost at the same time as the witches, unbeknowest by the Source, vanished into the past. Once inside their nemesis’ lair, the demons' senses doubled and the Source took extra precautions right away, not keen to suffer the same fate as Lynxe.

“Divide and search for them,” he growled to the lesser demons, who bowed to their master and immediately set off. The Source himself glanced around nervously. Although he couldn’t sense his enemy, he could feel something tingle in the air, a hint of Good magic still lurking. They had to be around here somewhere! They couldn't have just disappeared.

In a few minutes, one of his upper-level demons shimmered into his presence, bowing low and murmuring, “My lord, there is no sign of witches anywhere.”

The Source whirled to face him, almost losing his head. Already the witches have slipped from his grasp? “Impossible. I sensed them and tracked them here. Have you searched the bedrooms? The attic?”

“Yes, my lord,” the demon replied softly. “Everywhere. There is no one here.”

A burst of laughter escaped the Source’s throat before he knew it, surprising even him. “Well they can’t have all vanished off our radar. Have you used the demonic tracer?”

“Lord, no demon is able to sense them but you, not even the tracer.” The demon stopped speaking, gulped,and continued somewhat nervously, choosing his words wisely. “My lord. Perhaps they are on a different plane?”

“A different plane? Why would they go to a different plane? Their magic does not work in any other plane but this one, and besides, orbing can not and will not take them there. I know for a fact that they escaped by orbing, thanks to the newest Charmed One. I followed the orb here. So, where could they be?” His demonic chronie did not answer. The Source nodded to the demon who had reported. “Very well. Take a score of demons to the Magicked One’s mansion and search there. Leave no inch unchecked. Report back to me when you have completed the task, or if you find any witches. I want them alive. But before you go, post demons in every room, then go summon ten more demons and post them in the attic. I will personally join them. And look sharp. Zoltof will be here later to help. The attic is where the Charmed Ones will most likely return, since it is where they keep their Book of Shadows and when they come back, we will be ready for them.”

[jenna]

Ooh! I'm on pins and needles! Can't wait to see where this goes!

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-24-
Mother of the Past

As the white lights slowly faded around the Millers and Halliwells and their feet touched the ground, Patricia Halliwell released Kate and Piper’s hands, allowing them to look around at the familiar sight that met their eyes. They were standing in the center of the Miller Mansion’s beautiful, sunlit conservatory, but this room looked different than they all remembered. The three younger Millers looked around, unable to hide their confusion and spotting unusual couches and tables placed around the room. Heather, however, stared around with wide eyes as she realised what time she was in and told her sisters.

“This was what the house looked like when I was really young. Before Mom and Dad…” Her voice faded away, but a new sound quickly erupted beside them as they were startled by the loud cry of a very young baby to their right. They all turned quickly, looking around for the source of the noise and when they saw it, four jaws dropped. “Oh my God,” Heather whispered, seeing at last, a hand raising to her mouth. “It’s Lucy.”

The others slowly approached and stared into the small, hand-carved wooden cradle that was nestled between the sofa and a loveseat and looked upon the tiny, recently-born Lucy. The baby did not notice them at all, but continued to shout out as they watched. She looked to be only a couple of weeks old with small tufts of light brown hair covering her soft head, and her big eyes shone an astonishing blue that contrasted her hair sharply. Her tiny, smooth face and minute hands were at the moment scrunched up and her mouth was open in an earsplitting wail that would make any baby proud.

Before anyone could make another move, the sound of bare feet pattering on a hard wooden floor was heard, and everyone turned to see a small girl race into the room, clutching a doll in her chubby arms, her red hair streaming behind her. Another gasp was issued from an astonished Miller's lips, this time from Sam. She stood beside her oldest sister, clucting her arm, and watched her five-year-old self skid to a halt in front of the cradle.

After several futile attempts to quiet the baby with shushing noises, the young Samantha yelled over her shoulder, “Mommy! Lucy’s crying and she won't stop! She hungry, I guess!” Samantha didn’t show any sign of seeing nine unfamiliar people in the room standing quite close to her, and instead she was focused intently on the baby. Within moments, she carefully passed her doll into the reaching arms of her baby sister. “Here, Luce. You can have my dolly. No cry! No cry!”

The young Lucy's hands immediatly closed upon the doll and pulled it into a hug, instantly putting its plush head into her mouth and sucking on it happily, tears shining on her face. “See? All better,” Sam smiled down at her young sister as a woman entered the room, carrying a warmed bottle of milk and a towel in her arms. “Mommy, see?” Sam pointed down into the cradle with a chuckle of laughter when she realized that she was not alone in the room. “Lucy no cry no more. All better.”

Kate's sharp intake of breath caused Heather to reach over and clasp her hand as they watched their mother stride across the room to her young daughters. Laurel Miller was a lovely, beautiful young woman, barely 29-years-of age with long, flowing brown hair that was currently tightly French braided in tied-together pigtails, which made her look even younger than she was. Her long fingers and gentle hands resembled Heather’s and she carried herself in the same confident manner as Kate did, while at the same time, carried an expression of utmost love, similar to that of Sam. She was of medium height and slender, exactly the same build as Lucy with a perfectly curved body, muscular from fighting countless demons and warlocks, and from her active role of raising four daughters. Laurel’s perfect lips fluttered in a smile as she saw what her five-year old daughter had done to make her baby sister happy. Reaching the cradle at last, she knelt and scooped up Sam in her arms, hugging her close. When she spoke, her soft, caressing voice brought a lump to the throats of the present day Millers.

“What a wonderful sister little Lucy has! You shared your favorite dolly with her, I see. How nice of you! What a compassionate little one you are!”

The young girl squirmed with embarrassment in her mother’s arms, but it was clear that she was pleased with the praise as she threw her arms around Laurel's neck and hugged her back. “Well, she cry, and I no want that. Me want Luce to be happy like us.” Sam turned her head up to look into her mother’s eyes. “When can Lucy come to play with me and Kate?” She asked, in a way only an innocent youngling can.

Laurel laughed lightly, her deep brown eyes twinkling. “Not for a few years yet, Sammie. She has to grow big and strong like you!” A soft finger prodded Samantha in the stomach, causing the girl to giggle and wiggle to get out of her mother’s embrace.

“Stop it, Mommy! I’s ticklish!”

“Ticklish, eh?” Laurel teased, tickling Sam even more, her arms clamped onto her tightly. The young girl squealed in glee as her mother played with her.

“Let me go, Mommy!” Sam shrieked, a wide grin plastering her face. She managed at last to wiggle out of Laurel’s grasp and she scampered away, calling over her shoulder, “When Lucy done with my dolly, will you bring it back to me?”

“Of course, sweetheart!” Laurel called back, watching as her daughter sprinted around the corner of the room, skidding on the wooden floor in her socks. Shaking her head, she turned to her baby, cooing lovingly, “What a silly girl! Here, precious. I brought you a bottle of your favorite milk.” Lucy’s piercing blue eyes gazed up at Laurel as she pulled the doll from her mouth and grabbed the bottle instead with her tiny hands, inserting it into her mouth and sucking on it noisily, but contentedly without a fuss. “There we go,” Laurel whispered, tucking a blanket snugly around her daughter, stroaking the soft hair gently and lovingly.

“What a sweetling you have, Laurel,” came a voice from the doorway. Everyone; the Millers, Halliwells and Laurel, turned to see another young woman entering the room. She was slightly older than Laurel, but only by a few years. Her soft brown hair fell to her shoulders, full, healthy and wavy, surrounding her smooth, intelligent face gracefully. The smile across her lovely face was wide and gentle and caused her brown eyes to crinkle at the corners.

Laurel smiled at the sight of her and held out her arms. “How did you come, Patty?”

The present Millers gasped and turned to look at the present day Patty, their mouths open. She nodded, smiling slightly, but slight grief shone in her eyes. The Halliwell sisters had recognised their mother immediately but had not said anything, too busy watching the events unfolding.

“How I always do, my friend. Orbed. Well, Sam sent me, anyway.” The past Patty responded, crossing to the cradle and embracing Laurel before looking upon Lucy, her hands on the side of the wood. “What a little darling! My Phoebe is almost three now, you know, and very active!”

Laurel’s face brightened at the mention of the young Halliwell child. “Is she? Oh, how wonderful! How are Prue and Piper? Oh, they must be getting to be big by now! It's been so long since I've seen them!”

“They are getting quite big,” agreed Patty, then added, “They miss you, Laurel. You know, as their godmother you really should come to visit them more often. Greg can watch the girls. Men aren't totally useless when it comes to their children.”

“Godmother?” Prue whispered out loud, but no one heard her, or if they did made any comment. They were all watching the two witches from the past with all their attention.

“I just can’t stand leaving the girls alone, Patty,” Laurel replied, her smile fading a bit and her hand reacing down to stroak Lucy's head again. “After those two demons…It’s just too much of a danger now.”

Patty put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Oh, pish tosh. You know very well that Greg can protect them, and call you if he needs you. It would only be for a short time. You wouldn’t be away from them long. It has been a while since those attacks on Kate and Heather. They have forgotten about it. Perhaps you should as well? I know that it's hard when it was your children they were after, but really. You need to get out.”

Laurel’s amber eyes dropped slightly, tempted. “I suppose you’re right.” She sighed heavily. “I still can't believe I left them without protection. Poor Kate was badly injured. It's really thanks to Mindi that she's alive. I don't know what I would do without her. She is a wonderful whitelighter for the girls. She just wans't around to help them to safety. I just with I had been there...” She sighed again. Then, in an effort to change the subject, she said, in a falsly bright voice, “The girls will want to see you!” Eagerly, she turned to the staircase and called out, “Heather! Katie! Sammie! Aunt Patty is here!”

The present day Kate sank to her knees at last, pulling Heather with her. She had been feeling weak since Patty had started talking about the demon attacks. Now, her mind was buzzing. “Aunt?” She whispered as her other sisters got down to their level as well, and the four held each other tightly, as the sound similar to a heard of elephants crashing through a jungle announced the arrival of the three Miller girls from the past and from the upstairs level. Squeals and shouts echoed throughout the house as the young girls pounded into the room at last, jumping onto each other and shrieking.

“Aunt Patty! Aunt Patty!” The past Heather and Sam threw themselves on the Halliwell matriarch at once, but the past Kate held back shyly, her eyes dropped and her cheeks slightly red. Patty knelt with open arms to embrace her godchildren.

“Hello, my darlings! Oh, I’ve missed you so!” Realising she had only two of the three children, she looked up over Heather’s shoulder and saw Kate hugging her mother’s leg, staring at her, too shy to go to greet her aunt. Patty motioned lightly with her graceful hand, beckoning the young girl to come to her. “Come here, Kate my sweet. Do I not get a hug from you?”

Slowly, Kate untangled herself from her mother and, with a slight bit of encouragement from Laurel, who pushed her lightly and said, “Go on, my dear. Don’t be shy.” Kate trudged her way slowly to Patty, then put her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly and not saying a word the entire time, but Patty new that the young girl was happy to see her. Her eyes revealed it. Patty drew Kate close and hugged her tightly, inhaling the scent of her hair and held the three children tightly to her, basking in their love and trust.

[elderess]

Aww that's so sweet! Update soon...

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-25-
The Bond of Blood

The present-day Heather Miller watched the unfolding reunion between godmother and children through tear-filled eyes, on her knees and still clutching Kate's hand to her chest. She hazily remembered her mother’s face, as she had been young when she died, but now she saw Laurel standing before her as clear as day, smiling brightly while she watched her young daughters and her greatest friend embracing each other, and Heather could feel her heart burn. Heather knew that there was something she knew about Patty as soon as she had seen the older woman when she talked about their Prophesy in the Halliwell manison, but Heather hadn't expected this at all. Her mother and Patty had been best friends. Each was the godmother to the other’s children. They loved each other so much. But if they had been such good friends, what could Patty have felt when Laurel died? And what in the world had happened to make Heather Miller and Piper Halliwell connected?

As if an answer to her thoughts, the bright lights circled them again, ready to take them to another time and another memory. “No,” Heather heard herself say out loud, and she felt her head shaking as she struggled to focus on the fading image of her mother. “No, stay here, please!” But the light had already obscured Heather's view.

“We must move on, Heather,” Patty's voice floated gracefully out of the buzzing in Heather's brain, soothing. “There is still more to see. We must not linger on one memory for too long.”

Briefly blinded by the brightness, Heather closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the light had faded around them again, and a whole new scene met their eyes. Now, it was Sam and Kate's turn to gasp. They were in the same tree-strewn glade where they had tried to save the young Philip Lightman and where Sam had nearly sacrificed her life for her sister’s. Everything looked exactly the same here; the same boulder and sprawling oak tree, but there were a few more trees surrounding the open, grassy area, and it was clear that the events that would inevitably take place next were in the past.

As the nine watched, the white lights of a whitelighter orb flew down from the heavens and Laurel Miller stepped forward after appearing from them. She was younger than they had just seen her moments before, even younger than the present day Lucy was, around 20 or 21 with shoulder-length hair, but her maturity was easy to see. Laurel looked around as soon as her feet had touched the ground, as if expecting to see someone or something standing in front of her. As her eyes slid over the nine witches from the present, Heather shuddered as she felt a strange electricity shoot thorugh her veins. Even though her mother could not see them, there was still a connection between mother and daughter lingering. Laurel was years younger than she was, but she seemed much more confident than Heather was, more alert and aware of her surroundings.

While Laurel looked around, a demon appeared behind her, a huge, grey demon clothed in white rags. His eyes were dark, and his hair was matted and twined with leaves. He whirled into the glade like a cyclone, wind roaring, sending leaves and twigs scattering in all directions, and alerting Laurel, who spun around at once. Her jaw dropped as her eyes fell on him. The look in her eyes clearly showed that this was one demon whom she had never encountered before. Immediately, her hands went to her stomach, which the present day Kate noticed, for the first time, was slightly swollen.

“What the hell? What are you?” Laurel whispered, barking out the last question, trying to hide her fear.

The demon in front of her smiled menecingly, wickedness wrapped around his face. “The End,” he croaked, and before anyone could blink, he threw a bright blue energy sphere at the young witch.

“NO!” Heather screamed. She tried to run to her mother's rescue, but Prue and Sam grabbed her by the arms and held her back, forgetting that she wasn’t able to be seen anyway. The girls watched helplessly as the energy ball hit Laurel squarely in the abdomen, blasting her off her feet and sending her flying into the same tree that the demon Justain had been thrown into by Kate.

As she slid to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes closed and the demon laughed cruelly, another set of orbs appeared in the air and Patty Halliwell became visible, accompanied by a man, looking around anxiously like she had known something was wrong. As soon as the young Halliwell spotted Laurel’s body at the foot of the tree she screamed, paying no attention to the demon who now turned on her. Struggling, Patty broke free of the man’s grasp and sprinted to her friend’s side, but as she did so, the demon hurled another ball of death towards Patty. The man accompanying the young witch jumped at the demon’s back at the last moment, throwing off the demon’s aim tremendously. The energy, instead of hitting Patty between the shoulder blades, as was intended, took her on the shoulder causing her to trip and fall on top of Laurel, bleeding and panting heavily.

“Patty!” Shouted the man, still clinging to the demon’s shoulders, wrestling with it to keep its attention away from his charge. “Patty! The spell!”

Frantically, Patty tried to clear her head, then gasped out a spell that she had apparently memorized.

“Evil wind that blows

That which forms below

No longer may you dwell

Death takes you with this spell!”

The demon, who had begun to advance on the two witches despite the man's weight, howled in agony as his skin began to burn and blister gruesomly, and in a cyclone like a major windstorm it vanished, leaving the man on his back to drop to the ground, exhausted from his efforts of restraint.

Patty didn't bother to thank her partner. Instead, she returned her attention to her friend, sliding off of her body and rolling Laurel gently onto her back, leaving a smear of Laurel's blood on her own injured shoulder. Upon turning Laurel over, Patty viewed for the first time the horrendous wound that caked her stomach, bleeding and smoking, gleaming with blood. As Patty knelt over Laurel, choaking with sobs, a few drops of her own blood fell from her shoulder and dripped onto Laurel’s bloody and ghastly wound, casuing it to hiss very slightly and spark silver, but Patty did not notice. Pulling her friend onto her own lap, Patty pushed Laurel’s auburn hair out of her face, stroking the still, cold cheeks and yelling, “Sam! Please, she’s dying!”

The man lying on the ground rolled over and scrambled over to them on his hands and knees. He was older than Patty by several years, handsome, with shining black hair and a tiny mustache decorating his otherwise cleanshaven face. His youthful muscles rippled under the tight blue shirt that was now smeared with earth, and his dark but kind eyes that smiled most of the time now sparkled with worry. Sam was Patty’s whitelighter, and he had orbed her to the glade when Patty had found out that Laurel would try to save an innocent, only to find a trap meant to kill the Miller witch. To warn her in time, Patty had immediately called for Sam, hurriedly explaining the situation before they orbed to the glade with the spell to vanquish Shax, the huge demon who had left Laurel in this state.

Reaching them, Sam held his hands over Laurel’s wound, unaware that blood from Patty’s burn was still mingling with Laurel's. A golden glow of healing power soaked into the Millers’ veins, casuing her to glow, repairing cuts and bruises and torn muscles. A few sparks of silver light fizzed through the gold, but after a few seconds, the burned skin healed, knitted together, and the blood running into the dirt vanished. With a sharp gasp of surprise, Laurel jerked awake. As she gasped for air and looked around fratically, Patty hauled her into a sitting position, then hugged her hard and tight. “Laurel! I thought you…I thought you died!” She said, her voice catching in her throat as it choked with emotion.

As Laurel hugged her friend in return, remembering what had happened, she felt something sticky under her hand. Pulling it away, she saw blood on her fingers. “Patty! You’re bleeding!” She gasped, finding the wound and baring Patty’s shoulder towards Sam. The whitelighter quickly healed his charge, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Are you alright, Laurel?” He asked her in a deep, musical voice that was filled with worry. It made the hair on the back of Patty’s neck prickle. “You could have died if Patty hadn’t realized it was a trap and we had come.”

The younger witch shook her head before, as if remembering all at once at the mention of deaeth, clutched at her abdomen. Patty saw her action and asked quickly, “What is it?”

Laurel’s eyes whipped up to the whitelighter. “My baby! Will it be-” Laurel began frantically, but Sam cut her off gently.

“It will be fine. I healed everything, including the child. It will be perfectly okay. There was something different about it than a normal child, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s probably just the inherited powers from you,” He added, seeing Laurel’s shocked and pale face. “That's a lot to inherit, too, so it's pretty strong. Don't worry.”

As Laurel nodded resignedly, Patty got to her feet at last and stretched out a hand to pull her friend up. “Come on. Let’s go home. Prue will be fussing by now. I’ve been gone a while and she always notices things like that. Laurel, please don’t go after another innocent without knowing the demon who is attacking. It’s too dangerous of a risk, especially now that you’re carrying a child; your first child. Please don’t do that anymore, or at least call me and I'll help you.”

Laurel rolled her eyes slightly, but she was pleased that her friend cared so much about her well-being. “I won’t. I have to go back to Greg. He'll be worried too.” She turned to Sam. “Thank you for saving our lives, Sam. And thanks for coming to help, Patty.”

The whitelighter inclined his head politely and he and his charge watched Laurel orb from the glade. After a few moments of silence, Patty spoke. “Are you sure you healed her child completely? Normally, a child wouldn't survive that. And it's her first-born,” Patty asked Sam again, approaching him and putting a hand to his shoulder.

“I didn’t want to say anything with Laurel in that state of shock and pain, Patty, but there’s something about the child…now don't freak out. Did you see those silver sparks in my powers? Well, I think it was, erm, your powers. Some of your blood must have mingled with Laurels and it must have already combined and gone into the child. Something wasn't normal about it. But I was worried,” he said hastily as Patty's eyes widened. “Maybe the worry clouded my mind.” After a few seconds, Sam shook his head to dislodge his brooding as Patty’s arms wrapped carefully around his waist, and without speaking, orbed the two of them home.

The present day Millers and Halliwells watched the orbs vanish with open mouthes. Silence reigned for several long seconds before Heather finally turned to the present Patty and asked abruptly, “Your blood combined with my mom’s when you were both hurt and hers combinded with yours? Is that how me and Piper are connected? Through that blood? We're...literally related?”

Patty did not answer Heahter as she gazed away at another part of the glade. “There is more to see,” was all she said, and conjured up the lights again. At that response, the Millers looked to one another, nervousness etched on their faces. Something told them that the past would get worse to watch, much more sad to witness, but they had to see for themselves. They had to know the truth, and they had to learn about their mother and the development of the stongest connection in magic ever. Their lives depended on it, and the lives of the Halliwells and the rest of the world, even. Finally, slowly, they clasped hands with the Halliwell witches again, and were transported to another time period.

[jenna]

Interesting little spin there. Post more please!

[EvergreenMountaineer]

-26-
Birth of Legends

They were now in the dining room of the Halliwell’s mansion, but it was years before the present now, though the present Halliwells could see that not muhc has changed. The table was the same, but now it was covered in crisp white linin sheets, with pillows scattered over its top. As the Millers and Halliwells looked around, Piper took Prue's arm and pointed silently. The others looked and were astonished. A small dark-haired girl stood to one side of the room, her small hands clutched on the banister of the large staircase behind her. She had high cheekbones and a pretty face, but she was young; the younger Pruedence Halliwell. She stood silently away from the table as she watched her father, Victor Bennett, helping her mother towards the kitchen table. Patty was quite pregnant and from the look of it, within a few hours of giving birth to her second child. Her jaw was clenched in pain and her forehead dotted with sweat, and she was breathing heavily as she leaned against Victor.

“Prue, sweetie, get mommy some pillows from the couch please?” Victor asked the girl quickly, brushing her cheek with his hand. The girl dashed off immediately, a look of smug anticipation on her young brown face.

“Augh!” Patty sank to her knees suddenly as a strong contraction hit her, and she yelled out in pain, the nails on her clenching hand digging into her husband’s arm.

Victor winced as nail entered flesh and tried pulling his wife to her feet, encouraging her as much as he could. “Come on, honey! Only a few feet left, then you can lay down! Come on, Patty, you can do it!”

It took a few minutes for her contraction to subside before Patty was able to struggle to her feet and stand and with Victor's support, she wavered over to the dining table, where he helped her to lay on top of it. As Victor shuffled pillows and blankets aoudn his wife to make her more comfortable, the young Prue Halliwell scampered into the room once more, her small arms full of two squishy pillows. “I’s has the pillows, daddy! Where I put them?”

Victor’s large hand patted the table by Patty’s head. “Right here, sweetie.”

Prue lifted the pillows to the table, helping her father arrange them so that her mother could lay her head down. The young girl looked at her mother with innocence and wonder filling her large brown eyes. “Mommy gonna have baby today?”

A weak smile crossed Patty’s damp face and she put a hand to Prue’s head. “Yes, Prue. Mommy is going to have the baby very soon.” She turned her head to Victor, who was looking nervous as he handed Patty a cup of ice. “Victor, you need to call someone! You need help here. You know you can't do this alone. Call Mom, or someone!”

Victor seemed releived that his wife had brought up his worries and he hurriedly left the room, looking pale himself. Prue took a few steps closer to the table, climbing up onto a vacent chair and slipping a small hand into Patty’s. She squeezed it tightly as she assured, proudly, “Don’t worry, mommy. I’s here to help.”

“I know, sweetling,” Patty whispered to her, then cried out again as another contraction hit her, leaning forward and breathing hard.

“Mommy, you hurting my hand,” Prue whimpered, trying to pull her hand from Patty’s grip as Patty goraned and gasped thorough the contraction.

Blue and white lights suddenly caused the room to shine radiantly. Patty came out of her stupor and raised her head as Prue turned around to see the equally pregnant Laurel Miller and her whitelighter, Mindi, appear on the threshold. Laurel was also sweating profusely, clutching onto Mindi's arm as Mindi struggled to support her up. As they arrived, Laurel gasped, her hands suddenly clamping onto her lower abdomen, and she let out a yell that echoed around the manor. As soon as the contraction had subsided slightly, Mindi helped her charge struggle to the vacent couch and lay her down before looking up at Patty with flustered eyes. “This day just keeps getting more interesting.”

“Laurel! Don’t tell me you’re in labor too!” Patty called over to her friend, unbelievingly. Laurel nodded as she grasped the couch arms in pain and concentrated on breathing through her contraction. “Oh my God,” Patty breathed, her head falling back to the pillows in limp shock.

“She started about an hour ago, and she insisted on coming here. A demon attacked the her other day, and she wanted to be safe in your home, Patty,” Mindi gasped out, wiping her brow on a shiny, silver handkercheif.

“A demon? Laurel, honey, are you ok?” Patty asked frantically, but it was all Laurel could do to keep another scream in her mouth as the contraction continued. All she could do was nod.

“Aunt Laurel! You having baby too?” Prue asked, now stroking her adoptive aunt's sweat-soaked hair. The woman could still only nod as she tried to regain her breath, now between contractions. Her face was pale and her mouth was slack, but her eyes shon deeply with determination. “Pretty soon?” Prue asked her, but it was Mindi who answered, brushing up to the couch and lightly nudging Prue away, pishing her towards Patty.

“Quite soon, Prudence. Come on, dear. Come stand over there by your mom’s head so she can see you. Keep talking to her, ok? She’s going to have to concentrate in a few seconds and you just tell her to keep breathing!” Prue obeyed the whitelighter without fuss, going back to her mother at once and resting a hand on a pillow.

Laurel yelled again, and Mindi circled the couch before checking her charge's dilation between her legs, grabbing a sheet to cover her with for a slight bit of privacy. Her eyes widened as she said, quickly, “Ok, Laurel, you’re fully dilated and ready. Your baby’s coming very soon. You need to be ready to push!” She added, peeking over her charge’s knees to look into Laurel’s brown eyes.

“Oh, man,” Laurel moaned, coming out of her contraction, her head rolling to the side as she fought back tears of pain.

“Laurel, honey, you can do this!” Patty called to her from the dining room. “If I can do it you can!” She was hit with another contraction just then and stopped talking to breath.

The lone whitelighter dashed back and forth between the two witches, valiantly trying to wipe each brow and squeeze each hand, fighting to keep both awake and breathing correctly. It had seemed that Victor had run off to his car in a panic, hysterically trying to find Penelope to bring her back for help. “I need more help!” Mindi finally said to herself, throwing up her hands helpessly, trapped between the two laboring women.

“Please, Mindi, don’t call Sam,” Patty breathed, struggling to sit up. Mindi looked at her oddly as Prue tried to push her mother back down on the table again. “Don’t ask. Just get Beth or someone! But not Sam!”

“Beth!” Mindi called to the heavens, obeying Patty's wishes. “Beth, get down here! I need delivery right now!”

Another whitelighter descended from the ceiling at once. A female dressed in a light golden robe with long, red hair that was pulled out of her eyes in a braid touched down on the carpet. She was tall and slender with a loving light in her green eyes, and she carried a small handbag in a no-nonsense way. “Mindi, why? Ah,” She began to ask, then spotted the two pregnant witches in the room. “Right.” Businesslike immediately, Beth bustled over to Patty, throwing down her bag at the foot of the table and peeking under her gown. “She’s nearly ready,” she pronounced, drawing a harsh laugh from Patty.

“It’s been all day. It’s about time. Prue didn’t hurt nearly this much.”

“This baby’s crowning!” Mindi called from across the room, her voice mingling with Laurel’s sobs of pain. “Come on, sweetie! You can do this! You need to push for me, Laurel! Come on, push!”

Grunting with effort, Laurel screwed up her mind, contracting her muscles as hard as she could and pushed, her hands clenching so hard that her knuckles were white on the sofa arms. As her strength weakened, she yelled in frustration, and at her whitelighter’s command, she relaxed gratefully, taking in a deep, shuddering breath as tears slid down her cheek.

“Ok, good! Good,” Mindi said, nodding encouragingly to her charge as she shifted her weight. “You’re gonna have to do this again, another good push! Ok? Come on! Push it hard! Push! Push, Laurel!” Her hands skillfully guided the baby’s head as it emerged, pushing her charge even more, her voice rising to a squeek of excitement. “Come one, sweetie! Come on, Laurel! Here’s the head! Ok, relax! Get ready for one more push!”

Tears streamed down Laurel’s face as she shook her head, her face screwed up in pain and her hands twisted on the blankets on the couch. “I can’t. I can’t.”

“Yes, you can!” Mindi said firmly, still holding the crown of the baby’s head, ready to help the baby out.

“Mindi! I need your help here!” Beth was also grasping the head of a baby, but she looked worried. “It’s blue and it’s stuck!” She shouted.

Mindi looked incredulous. “I’m a little busy here!” She almost screamed at her colleguge, her hands still ready.

At Patty’s cry of pain, Beth called again desperately. “Mindi! I need you!”

“sh!t,” Mindi panicked, looking around hurriedly for anythig that would help her, and her eyes rested on Prue. Beckoning the girl over, Mindi instructed her, “Prudence, come here! Quickly, now!” When Prue joined her at a run, skidding to a halt on the carpet, Mindi gently pushed the girl in front of her and placed the girl's hands against the baby’s head. “You need to help me, dear. Hold the baby’s head--gently, dear--just like this, and when Aunt Laurel pushes again you have to keep holding it until it comes out of her stomach. Don’t drop it, because it’ll break. It’s very fragile. You have to catch it and then call me right away, ok? Will you do that for me, sweet girl?”

Prue, her eyes wide, nodded and stood firmly in front of Laurel, her jaw set. Mindi gratefully kissed the girl on the top of her raven head, then bustled to Patty in order to help her fellow whitelighter pry the baby from Patty’s womb. “Come on, Patricia. You need to keep pushing! It won’t come out if you just stop! That’s it! That’s it, push! Here it comes! Out you get!”

Though the yelling and gasping surrounding her and the rising noise level in the room, Prue’s little eyes focused intently on the child that had only just fallen into her arms, result of her aunt's final desparate push. It’s tiny face was screwed up and its mouth was clamped tightly, its tiny hands balled into fists. Tufts of dark hair dotted its soft head and it was covered in blood and resedue. “Mindi,” Prue whispered, her face shocked as she stared at the newborn laying limply in her arms. She swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat, then said, louder, “Mindi!”

“Out you get, baby!” Mindi called to Patty’s infant, guiding it from Patty's woumb and lifting it into Beth’s waiting arms. “Quickly, suction its airways so it can breath,” Midi darted around frantically until Prue’s shout stopped her.

“Mindi! I have the baby!”

Mindi whirled around, then sprinted to over the young Halliwell with a scream. “Prudence! Prudence, my angel, you did it! Oh, what an adorable little girl! It’s a girl, Laurel!” She gently pulled the child from Prue’s shaking hands and sucked mucus from its nose and mouth with one of the tools from Beth's handbag. At exactly the same time as the child in Beth’s arms, the tiny girl took a shuddering breath and wailed loudly, causing Mindi to wince. Laurel laughed weakly, choking back a sob of joy. Tears ran freely down her face as Mindi wrapped the child in a soft pink blanket and passed her into Laurel’s outstretched arms.

Beth also gave Patty her child saying, with an emotion-filled voice, “It’s a girl, Patty! Another beautiful little girl!”

“Oh,” Patty sighed, gently pulling her newborn to her chest and staring into the face in her arms. Words couldn’t express her feelings as she gazed upon her second daughter with love in her eyes. Beth put a hand on Patty’s shoulder lightly.

“Do you have a name for her?”

After several long seconds in which Patty looked from Beth to her child, she smiled and a name brushed off Patty’s lips softly. “Piper.”

A mysterious smile crossed Beth’s face as she bent down to kiss Patty’s forehead gently. “Congratulations, my dear.” She straightened and then looked at the child that was now crying it's lungs out as she gathered her bag up into her arms, its contents scattered everywhere. “Blessed be, Piper Halliwell,” she whispered, and in a swirl of white lights, she orbed away.

Prue’s hands pulled down Laurel’s arms until she could see the tiny face. She smiled as she stared at the newborn girl, her hands still on Laurel's arm. “A girl, Aunt Laurel? What be her name?”

Laurel stroked Prue’s raven-colored hair with one hand as she pondered the question, cradling her new daughter in the crook of her other arm. “Heather,” she replied at last, smiling quietly. “Her name is Heather.”

“Heather?” Prue repeated and was silent for a few seconds before she quipped, “I like it.”

Laurel laughed and pulled Prue into a one-armed hug, planting a kiss on her goddaughter's cheek. “I’m glad you do. Meet your cousin, Heather.”

One of Prue’s fingers touched the baby’s cheek softly, then she leaned over to leave a wet kiss on the baby’s face, raising her head to grin at Laurel, casuing the woman to laugh.

Patty had come over to the three now, walking slowly, supported by Mindi’s helping arms, and she carefully sat at Laurel’s feet, still cradling her new daughter. “Prue, honey, come and see your baby sister,” she invited, beckoning to her eldest. Eagerly, Prue did, scrambling over the couch, causing Patty to quickly warn, “Careful, sweetie. Don’t hurt Aunt Laurel. Careful! There. Say hi to your sister Piper.”

Prue grinned at the sight of another baby, this one in her mother’s arms. “Hi, Pipe,” she said, not saying the whole name on purpose. She was silent for a long time, staring at her newborn sister, and then, looking up at her mother, Prue asked, “Can I hold her?” She extended her arms hopefully.

At Patty’s slightly apprehensive look, Laurel spoke up in Prue’s defense. “Let her, Patty. She'll be safe. She delivered Heather, after all. She will be more than gentle with her sister.”

Resigning with a smile, Patty agreed. “Alright,” she whispered, transferring Piper into Prue’s small arms, warning her daughter and giving advice. “Support her head, dear. Be careful. Don’t jolt her!”

“I know, Mommy,” Prue said, rolling her eyes at Patty, drawing another laught from Laurel, whose finger was in her daughter's mouth. After watching her sister squirm for a minute or two, Prue shifted her knees so that she faced Laurel and leaned in so the two children’s faces were only a little ways apart. Patty and Laurel silently watched what happened next with tears in their eyes. Prue held her sister and said, “Look, baby Heather. This Piper, my sister. She baby too. You two be friends?” As Prue held Piper aloft, Heather’s tiny hand jerked upward and briefly rested on Piper’s before falling back. Prue looked up at Laurel, a wide smile on her face. “See? They friends aweady!”

-27-
Waiting

“Where are they?” One of the demons who stood guard in the Halliwell attic asked his fellow with his arms crossed across his body. His ugly face turned to look at the other and his eyes glowed red. “They should be back by now,” he growled.

“They will be here. Patience.”

“We’ve been waiting for hours!” snarled the first. “The Source was wrong to wait here. They might not be back here for days!”

The other demon whirled on the first, his hand rising warningly. “Do not let the Source hear you speak of him so! He will surely kill you.”

“Ha!” The first demon laughed. “Anything would be better than standing around here, bored out of our wits while we wait for some pathetic witches to come.”

“I can fix that,” came a cold, cruel voice from behind them. The demons turned around to see, not the Source as they had expected, but Zoltof, burning an energy ball in his palm. The demons bowed quickly, both trying to avoid looking at Zotof’s scarred and mutilated face, but apprehensive nonetheless. “You wanted to die?” The energy ball grew in size. “I can kill you right now. Or, would you rather wiat here like the Source instructed and kill the witches when they return?”

Neither demon spoke for several long seconds. Then, the furst mumbled, bowing, “We stay, Lord.”

Zotof nodded approvingly. “Good.” The energy ball vansihed and he watched the demons' faces. “Remain patient. I feel the witches will return shortly, and then you can take your anger out on them. Blood will be spilled. They will not escape us this time!”