Hello faithful readers,

here we are again at the end of another adventure. Thank you all so much for coming along for the ride! I don't know exactly when another story will be born; Phoebe and Paige have snuck off on their honeymoon and are unavailable for consultation at the moment. I have had a tremendously good time creating this world, and I hope you have all had as good a time reading it! As a note to the conclusion, the wedding ceremony I have written for Paige and Phoebe is, like most modern wiccan handfastings, pieced together from a lot of different pagan traditions, but all of it is authentic. And, Paige's poem is written by e.e. cummings. Enjoy!

The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love

Conclusion

By JewWitch

Paige and Leo re-appeared in the broken-down remains of P3, both of them breathing hard.

"Cutting it a little close there!" Paige gasped, her skin still tingling with the aftershock of Darryl's gunshots on her heels.

"I was trying to figure out what happened, Paige," Leo explained anxiously. "Nothing made any sense, so I went to see the Elders...do you know anything about a prophecy--?"

"The Children of Light?" Paige asked, a small smirk quirking her lips despite the severity of her situation. "Been there, done that."

"So it's true," Leo muttered. "You and Phoebe...?"

"Yes, Leo, me and Phoebe," Paige sighed. "And after everything we've been through, and all the evil we've battled since we've been together, no way is Cole gonna be the one to take us down. I promised her, Leo...I promised I wasn't gonna let him hurt her anymore."

"In your reality, Cole may not be such a threat, Paige, but he's not just Balthazar here-- he's the source. It took the power of three to vanquish the last source...I don't know how you can do this on your own."

"I'm not gonna do it on my own," Paige said firmly, looking up at Leo with determination etched in her dark brown eyes. "I'll have Phoebe."

Back at the manor, the Queen of the Underworld was leaning over the bathroom mirror, staring blankly into her own eyes as if they belonged to a stranger. If she were honest with herself, she'd have to admit the truth in that; she didn't even know who she was anymore. Hadn't since her sisters had died, murdered by the Source's assassin, while she remained trapped in the Underworld, helpless to stop it. The irony of it all was that the only reason Phoebe had agreed to become Queen of the Underworld was because it had been the only way to reset time; the only way to save her sisters. But without her there, they had died anyway. She had literally sold her soul to the devil, and it was all for nothing. After that, she had just become dead inside. She had never even let herself cry for her sisters. Instead, she distracted herself with the intoxication of dark magic, and the privileges that went along with being first lady of the Underworld. She had distracted herself so well, that she had managed to forget herself completely…she hadn't had a premonition since the day of Prue and Piper's death. Then a strange girl with haunted eyes had showed up, and looked at Phoebe like she knew her. There was something in those eyes that disarmed the Queen of the Underworld completely, and it had nothing to do with the things she'd known, the details of Phoebe's life before; a demon could easily find those things out. But this girl wasn't a demon…Phoebe could just sense it. There was something about the way the girl had said her name; she called her Phoebe, not my queen. Phoebe hadn't even realized how much she'd missed the sound of her own name; the only one who ever said it now was Cole, and he wielded it like a brand of ownership. She closed her eyes, and splashed a handful of cold water across her face, trying to focus her consciousness for the first time in what felt like years. More than anything, Phoebe wanted to follow the strange tugging sensation in her stomach; she wanted to understand why those beautiful brown eyes felt so familiar.

"Phoebe." A knock on the bathroom door told her Cole was waiting in the hall. "May I speak to you for a moment, please?" With a sigh, Phoebe opened her eyes, gazing again at her own reflection before crossing the room to open the door.

"What?"

Cole looked down menacingly, as if he wanted to reprimand her for addressing him this way, but then thought better of it.

"I got a report from the guards that you've been consorting with good witches. We can't have that, now can we?" He said smoothly, brushing some fleck of invisible lint from his tie.

"Not witches, just one witch, if that's what she was-- and I wasn't consorting with her, either." Phoebe looked up with a self-satisfied smirk, knowing that her many sexual escapades caused him intense anguish, and taking pleasure in it. "She just burst in here while I was…consorting with someone else." In a flash, Phoebe was held by her hair in a rough, unforgiving grip, as Cole's hand came down hard across her jaw, wiping the smirk instantly from her face. Instead of detaching herself from the pain, the way she usually did, Phoebe forced herself to stay focused, stay present. Looking up at the demon who held her in his vicious grip, she spat a mouthful of blood in his face, and kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. Cole released her with a howl of agony.

"She can't have you, dammit," He roared, panting as he raised himself up off the floor. "You're mine!"

"I am not yours, you son of a bitch," Phoebe seethed, wiping the smear of blood from her cut lip. "I'm no one's property."

"You know you'll never make it out of here on your own," Cole said confidently, his cocky swagger returning now that all the cards had been thrown down.

"I know," Phoebe said calmly. Perturbed by her serenity, Cole grabbed her by one arm, and dragged her unceremoniously down the hall, throwing her into her room and locking the door behind her. For a few minutes, Phoebe just lay there on the floor, trembling. She hadn't allowed herself to feel anything for so long, that the stinging in her jaw and the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth threatened to overwhelm her. She felt the tears sliding down her face, and didn't try to stop them. Years of pain, regret, and aching loneliness poured over Phoebe's slight frame, as if the dam inside her had suddenly broken. I'm alone, she admitted to herself finally. I'm lost, and I'm all alone.

"Phoebe?"

The voice that materialized next to her instantly soothed the flood of tears. Warmth that she had never expected to feel again blossomed in the pit of her stomach, reaching out toward the soft hands tenderly caressing her face. "Baby, please open your eyes…please."

Slowly, hesitantly, Phoebe opened her eyes. The tears that clung to her lashes made everything momentarily hazy; the image that materialized before her was bathed in a thousand tiny points of light.

"Are you an angel?" Phoebe asked softly, reaching out to run her fingers over the smiling face in front of her.

"Not exactly," Paige grinned, gently wiping away Phoebe's tears. The glinting rays of twilight sliced through the open window, catching the gleam of silver on Paige's hand, and Phoebe pulled back, taking that hand in both of hers, studying it with a quiet frown of concentration. Paige remained silent, watching Phoebe's eyes hopefully.

"…I gave you this," Phoebe said quietly, tracing her finger over the smooth silver band.

"Yeah," Paige agreed, a brief shiver running through her body as Phoebe's fingers grazed over hers. Then, with a soft gasp, Phoebe's eyes fell shut, and Paige knew she was having a premonition, though she didn't know how unfamiliar the rush of images had become for the girl sitting in front of her. Finally, Phoebe's eyes blinked open.

"…Paige?" She said hesitantly.

"Yeah, baby," Paige smiled, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I told you I came here to rescue you…but I need you to rescue me, first." Without conscious thought, they both leaned into each other, hearts thudding wildly as their lips met. For a moment, the entire world was whittled down to the soft space between their tongues, and the hot breath they shared. Then the low, deep wail of the Manor's demonic good-magic-alarm broke them apart, both of them staring wide-eyed at the brilliant white light pouring off each other's skin.

"What's happening?" Phoebe asked in bewilderment.

"We're fulfilling our prophecy…again," Paige said confidently, holding her hand out flat in front of her, palm up. "Vanquishing potion!" she called, and the potion she and Leo had prepared at P3 orbed into her hand, just as Phoebe's door slammed open to reveal a fire-eyed Cole.

"You!" he snarled, seeing Paige. He leaped at her, a fireball revolving in his hand.

"No!" Phoebe shrieked, shoving Paige protectively behind her. They both orbed out instinctually, reappearing after the fireball had blown a hole in Phoebe's bed. Cole looked back and forth between them in bewilderment.

"How did you do that?" He gasped, shocked momentarily out of his attack. While he was staring, Paige pressed the vial of potion into Phoebe's hand behind her back.

"Destiny," Phoebe said grimly, hurling the potion at Cole's feet. Then she turned and threw herself into Paige's protective arms as the potion exploded, engulfing Cole and most of the room in a ring of fire as he bellowed, burned alive from the inside out. Before Paige knew what was happening, the room began to spin around her, until she was so dizzy she had to close her eyes. A strange, orb-like sensation stole over her. Tentatively, Paige opened her eyes again, to find herself in the familiar, and decidedly non-demonic front hall of the manor.

"Please, oh, please let me be home," Paige gasped, still panting from her confrontation with Cole as she searched wildly around the entranceway for some sign that this was, in fact, the same reality she'd left the day before.

"Oh, there you are," Piper said around a mouthful of ice cream as she padded in from the kitchen in her nightgown, looking every bit the stereotypical pregnant woman with an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's in her hand. "Where'd you just orb in from?"

"Piper, you're alive!" Paige cried happily.

"Aren't I usually?" Piper asked, quirking her eyebrows. In answer, Paige threw herself into Piper's arms, laughing and crying at the same time. "Whoa," Piper giggled, "what happened to you?" Pulling back to examine her surrogate little sister more closely, Piper frowned. "What did happen to you? What happened to your clothes?"

"Time must have continued moving forward in this reality, too," Paige mused out loud, looking around the room with a huge smile as it sank in that she had really made it home.

"Huh?" Piper looked at her blankly.

"I'm back!" Paige exclaimed, sighing happily. Then a faint flutter in the pit of her stomach made Paige turn towards the door, a moment before it opened to reveal the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

"Phoebe!" She shrieked, wrapping her girlfriend up in her arms and twirling her around, then kissing her thoroughly, ending with a soft bite to her lower lip.

"Uhhhh…hi," Phoebe drawled, a dopey grin plastered to her face when Paige finally pulled away. "What was that for?"

"I'm just so glad to be home, that's all," Paige grinned back.

"You wanted to move out," Phoebe reminded her with a confused smirk.

"I did?" Paige echoed blankly. Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "God, no. Never!" Paige exclaimed emphatically. "I mean, maybe when we have kids…and Leo and Piper have kids…and maybe Prue and Faith even have kids…well, we're bound to run out of bedrooms eventually…but we can always build an extension, right? I mean, we're not gonna let something as little as home remodeling break this family up, are we?" Phoebe and Piper grinned at each other bemusedly.

"Ooooh-kay…" Piper said wryly, shaking her head. "Pheebs, what are you doing home so early? I thought you had study group tonight."

"I did," Phoebe said slowly, "but I left early. I think I might have a little…" With a quick breath, Phoebe turned away from Paige, sneezed, and disappeared.

"I see," Piper snickered as her sister reappeared.

"Uhhh…" Phoebe mumbled, opening one eye hesitantly. "Did I orb?"

"Uh-huh," Piper giggled.

"Shit," Phoebe groaned. Then she looked up and noticed Paige smiling goofily at her. "What are you smiling at, huh missy? You're the one who gave me this cold. Now I have to sit here all by myself in the house all weekend, with my stupid orbs."

"Aww, honey, I'm sorry," Paige grinned, stroking her girlfriend's soft brown hair placatingly. "I just never realized how damn cute that was till I saw you do it." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Sorry I gave you my cold," she added gently, tucking a stray curl behind Phoebe's ear.

"Whatever," Phoebe shrugged sullenly.

"But…who said you'd be alone in the house all weekend?" Paige whispered, her hands grazing up lightly under Phoebe's sweater. The pout instantly dissolved from Phoebe's face, replaced by a shy grin.

"That's really sweet, baby, but I don't think…" Paige felt a delightfully warm, tingling sensation dancing over her skin as Phoebe sneezed again, orbing out of her arms.

"Bless you," Paige giggled.

"Uhhh…don't think I'm gonna be much fun to be around," Phoebe finished breathlessly. "Jeez, that feels weird."

"My sweet baby girl," Paige sighed, stroking her girlfriend's cheek adoringly. "Don't you know I'd rather be right here with you, taking care of your sniffles, than be anywhere else in the world without you?" Phoebe looked up speculatively into the warm brown eyes above her, that made her feel seen in a way no one else ever could.

"Yeah," she said happily. "I do."

Epilogue

"I'm not sure this was such a good idea, Tara," Paige said for the millionth time. "What if a demon attacks while we're all split up like this? Phoebe and I are strongest when we're together."

"And that's why we're on a magically cloaked island that's been triple-blessed by the Elders, the Charmed Ones, and the Children of Light," Tara reminded the nervous girl yet again. "Nothing's going to attack us. Now please relax, for God's sake. It's your wedding day."

"I know what day it is," Paige grumbled sulkily. "Can't I just orb over to Phoebe for a little, eensy- weensy minute?" She gave her friend her most beseeching, wide-eyed pout.

"No, Paige, you can't." Tara snickered. "My god, you two are even more codependent than Willow and me, aren't you?"

"We are not codependent!" Paige exclaimed indignantly. "Why is it so weird that I want to see my fiancée on my wedding day!"

"It's not weird at all, Paigey. And you will see her, as soon as the ceremony starts. Which will be a lot sooner if you will just stop tweaking, and get dressed already!" Paige stuck out her tongue as Tara's cell phone rang. Giving her friend a playful shove toward her dress, Tara glanced at the caller ID, knowing who it was before she even looked.

"Hey T-dog," Faith's voice echoed oddly out of the phone. With all the magic in the air, they were having a bit of trouble with things as mundane as cell phone reception. "Everything still on schedule?"

"Just barely," Tara grinned. "Paige is a little out of sorts."

"It's no better over here," Faith sniggered. "I swear, these two have some kind of homing beacon!"

"But Phoebe's almost ready?" Tara pressed. Through the window, she could see Willow already drawing the sacred circle, and she knew her hyper-organized girlfriend would freak if the schedule were to be upset.

"Keep your pants on, T, it's all good," Faith said smoothly. "Junior Witch has her big sisters keeping her on track."

"What are you doing?" Tara asked suspiciously.

"I'm, um, just chillin' with Wyatt," Faith said in a would-be-casual voice.

"You?" Tara laughed incredulously. "Piper gave her two-month-old baby to you?"

"What, you don't think I can take care of a baby?" Faith said defensively.

"No, I just--"

"Cause Piper and Prue seem to think I can."

"Oh…I get it," Tara grinned. "You're trying to show Prue you're serious about her, aren't you?"

"Do me a favor, T-dog-- don't analyze me, ok? I already have a shrink."

"Okay," Tara giggled. "Just make sure Phoebe's ready when the bell rings in…" Tara checked her watch. "Eighteen minutes."

"Five by five."

By the time the bell chimed, all the guests had assembled inside the large outer circle, enjoying the flute and lyre music provided by the island's satyr and wood nymphs. In the center of the circle a simple altar stood, strewn with blue violets and a thick coil of scarlet rope, along with five white candles and a smooth Willow branch bearing two shining rings. Hovering above all this was Phoebe's grandmother, smiling beneficently down upon the crowd. At the chiming of the bell, however, the hum of chatter died away, and all eyes turned toward the commanding visage of the ghostly high priestess.

"May the place of this rite be consecrated," Grams intoned impressively, "For we gather here in a ritual of love with two who would be wedded. Phoebe and Paige, please come forward and stand here before us." The gaze of the crowd shifted to the edges of the circle then, where two openings had been left. On one side, Prue and Piper led Phoebe to the entrance of the inner circle, guiding her lightly by the upper arm as she seemed to be in a complete daze. On the other side, Willow and Tara led a similarly star-struck Paige. A soft murmur of awe filtered up from the crowd at the beautiful sight the two made, though neither one of them even seemed to notice; they had their eyes glued on each other. Their dresses were both an elegant, strapless A-line, similar but not identical; while Paige's was satin, and laced up the back with a rich, blood-red trim, Phoebe's was a sheer organza, embroidered with a delicate Japanese beadwork of pale green, and with a sage sash at the waist. Somehow they managed to meet in front of the altar without either of them falling on their faces, or taking their eyes off each other. Grams beamed at the pair of them.

"As friends and family of Phoebe and Paige, all are welcome here today. Come and join in the celebration of this, the most mystical of unions. For that which is truly eternal is a bonding of life and love; it is more than flesh to flesh. It is mind to mind, soul to soul, in this world and the next." The two young lovers looked away from each other then to smirk up at the ghostly priestess floating over them, knowing that her statement was more meaningful in present company than most. Their eyes quickly found each other's again as Grams leaned down to invoke the elements, lighting each of the four candles as she did so.

"Be with us here, O beings of the Air
With your clever fingers
Tie closely the bonds between these two.

Be with us here, O beings of Fire
Give their love and passion
your own all-consuming ardor.

Be with us here, O beings of Water
Give them the deepest of love
and the richness of the body, of the soul and of the spirit.

Be with us here, O beings of Earth
Let your strength and constancy
Be theirs for so long as they desire
to remain together;

Blessed be."

When she had finished, Grams handed each of them one of the candles. "Your separate lives are symbolized by the separate candles you now bear. As you join their flames as one, know that at that moment you are willingly joining your lives forever. Is this what you wish?"

"I do," Phoebe and Paige said as one, smiling goofily at each other.

"So mote it be," Grams said with a bow of her head, and the two of them reached out their hands and lit the large candle in the center of the altar.

"Likewise, this cord is a symbol of the life you have chosen together," Grams continued, picking up the coil of scarlet rope. "It has been woven, by your own hands, to symbolize the intertwining of your lives. Up until this moment you have been separate in word, thought and action. As the cord binds you together, your lives become entwined." A small sigh escaped Phoebe's lips as Paige gripped her hand, allowing Grams to bind them together.

"I bind you once for the maiden," she intoned, wrapping the cord once around their joined hands, "twice for the mother, and thrice for the crone." Next, Grams picked up the small Willow branch holding their two rings, and gave it to them to hold in their bound hands. With her free hand, Paige pulled Phoebe's ring off the branch, swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat.

"Phoebe, I…wanted to write something beautiful and perfect to say to you, something that would tell you everything I feel for you, and how incredibly cherished you are…" Paige blushed at the sudden realization that all her friends, family, and much of the magical world was standing there, watching her proclaim her love for Phoebe. She cleared her throat. "And, um…I found this poem that, um, pretty much says it all…I just wish I'd written it for you." Phoebe grinned and squeezed Paige's hand, as Paige took a deep breath.

"I carry your heart with me…I carry it in my heart. I am never without it; anywhere I go you go, my dear, and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling. I fear no fate, for you are my fate, my sweet-- I want no world, for beautiful you are my world, my true…and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant, and whatever a sun will always sing is you. Here is the deepest secret nobody knows…here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life, which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide…and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart…I carry it in my heart." By the time Paige was finished, Phoebe's eyes were bright with tears, and both of them were fighting the all-consuming desire to fall into each other's arms right then, and forget the rest of the ceremony. Instead, Paige reached out and slipped the ring onto Phoebe's finger. With a beautiful, teary smile, Phoebe pulled Paige's ring from the branch, and took a deep breath.

"Paige," she sighed quietly, "my love, my perfect other half, the shining part of my spirit, holy and human and revered in every way. My love will be your treasure in the times when other riches fail. My love will be your medicine in sickness as my hand tends your needs. My love will be your mirth when your heart is touched by sadness. My love will be your shining star through the darkest of nights. My love will be your banquet when life's table seems empty. All this do I promise you…with all the love that is in my heart." As she spoke, Phoebe slipped Paige's ring onto her finger, and both of them felt the same tingling sensation they got when they orbed against each other's skin. Before either of them had a chance to wonder about it, Grams placed her hand firmly over their joined ones.

"This bond I draw between you: that though you are parted in mind or in body, there will be a call in the core of you, one to the other, that nothing and no one else will answer to. By the secrets of earth and water is this bond woven -- unbreakable, irrevocable; by the laws that created fire and wind this call is set in you, in life and beyond life. Above you are the stars, below you are the stones; as time passes, remember...like stones should your love be firm. Like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage; let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened make you uneasy; for the divine is with you always. Ever love, help and respect each other and then know truly that you are one in the eyes of all the powers of the Universe. May these blessings be with you now and always. Blessed Be!" Without waiting to be told, Phoebe and Paige jumped into each other's eager arms and shared an exquisitely passionate kiss, amid an eruption of cheers from the crowd. They were still kissing when the music began to play, the party erupting around them in an explosion of magic.

"They look like angels," Dawn said wistfully, watching them from across the clearing.

"Yeah," Faith agreed, a wide, unguarded grin plastered to her face. "That's what love will do for ya, half-pint."

"Do you think they're always gonna be this happy?" Dawn asked, blinking wide-eyed at her surrogate older sister.

"Nobody's always happy, Dawn…it wouldn't mean anything if you were, you know?" Dawn nodded pensively. "But I don't think there's anything to worry about with these two…they're practically a force of nature."

"So are you gonna marry Prue?" Dawn asked innocently. Faith choked on her champagne.

"Jesus, are you okay?" Prue asked as she came up behind her girlfriend, patting her on the back. "You look like you just swallowed something sharp."

"Five by five," Faith wheezed, glaring at Dawn. Her eyes were drawn quickly back to the inquisitive blue gaze of her girlfriend, standing in front of her with a curious smirk. "You look hot in that bridesmaid's dress, P."

"You're not so bad yourself," Prue purred, pulling Faith in by her waist. "C'mon, tough stuff, let's dance." The two wove their way onto the dance floor, where Phoebe and Paige were now surrounded by a crowd of moving bodies, a fine mist of faerie dust falling over them all from the small flock of faeries fluttering overhead. The soft lilt of lyre and flute music continued to play, the warm glow of magic lighting up the twilight with an unearthly glow.

"This is the most perfect day of my entire life," Phoebe murmured, her hand grazing lightly through Paige's hair. "I don't ever want it to end."

"I guess we better cancel our hotel reservations in Florence, then," Paige said innocently. Phoebe giggled and swatted her arm.

"I can't believe we really did it," Phoebe sighed, laying her head down on Paige's shoulder and holding her hand out in front of her to stare at her wedding ring.

"Yeah," Paige agreed, "I feel like I'm in a fairy tale." She twitched her nose as a bit of iridescent faerie dust fell on her. They look at each other, and burst into giggles.

"How do you always make me feel so incredible, Paigey?" Phoebe whispered, holding her beloved's face gently between her hands.

"Magic," Paige breathed. They shared another long, sweet kiss. "C'mon, baby, let's dance."

THE END