Future Glimpses
By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell
Phoebe stared at the shadows the moon casted on the ceiling. She used to love this room as a teenager. She could always sneak out the widow with help from the tree, but now it just creped her out, especially since she knew the real dangers in the world. The leafless tree looked like it could eat her and, with her luck, it probably would.
She sighed and jumped out of her bed. She grabbed her robe, put on and walked out the door quietly.
Prue was a light sleeper and so was Piper. She didn't want to disturb their sleep since they didn't get enough as it is.
She crept up the stairs careful to avoid the squeaky ones. She eased open the old door and walked in the dusty attic. You'd think that using it so much they'd clean it once in a while.
Phoebe always came up here when she couldn't sleep. Oddly, the Book of Shadows soothed her. She could feel her ancestor's presence in it and it comforted her.
Phoebe walked over to the Book of Shadows. She took the heirloom and sat on her great Aunt's couch. She flipped open to the Banshee page.
She felt a chill and the pages flipped to a spell she'd never seen before. She'd read the whole book before, how did this page get here? She dismissed the thought. It was probably Prue with one of her late night obsessions. Her thoughts switched to a different topic quickly.
She sighed. Her love life still wasn't perfect. Sure, she had a nice guy, Cole Turner, but something about him seemed...odd. She couldn't place what it was though. She hadn't told him that she and her sisters were witches yet because she didn't know what the consequences would be.
However, a child? A child of a Charmed One? That intrigued her for a reason she couldn't understand. Maybe she was curious as to what powers it would have. As for right now, she couldn't see herself marrying Cole or having his baby.
He was a great guy, but there was just something about him. Her sisters didn't trust him and even they weren't sure exactly why yet. Her hand traced letters on the page.
"Love's True Intentions," she read aloud. "Whomever casts this spell will learn what their heart truly desires. Be forewarned, if anything is changed the consequences could be dire," she stared at it for a moment.
"Why the hell are kids on my mind? I'm not even sure of anything yet, but this spell..." she trailed off. The spell captivated her. It drew her in. She wasn't as reckless with magic as she used to be, but for some odd reason, she felt like she needed to cast this spell.
She should probably wait for Prue. Her older sister was much smarter with magic. She'd know what to do.
She made her way to close the Book of Shadows, but stopped suddenly. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Prue to know about this spell. Maybe she could cast the spell quickly and be back before the morning. What was the harm?
"I call upon my heart's desire,
to help me in this dire hour,
show me in this time and place,
my heart's passion, my saving grace."
Phoebe's vision went black. She felt dizzy and her ears were ringing. Usually Premonitions didn't make her blackout. When she woke up, she was outside the manor.
She noticed she had something slung over her shoulder...a laptop? She questioned. She caught her reflection in the glass and stood stunned. Her hair was long, trailing down her back and her eyes were bright and happy. When she reached up to brush her long locks from her eyes, she noticed something else…
"A-A diamond wedding band?" she stuttered. Wow, the spell worked. Suddenly, she heard giggles and realized it was coming from somewhere inside the house in front of her.
Of course, curiosity got the better of her as her hand shot out on its own accord and pushed open the door. She heard two distinct giggles. One childish and one more mature.
"Prue?" she called out. "Piper?"
"In here," a voice called out from the living room. The voice sounded familiar, yet not familiar, if that was possible.
Phoebe walked into the living room to see a little girl of about six gasping for air while a woman with brown hair smiled at her and retracted her hands from the tickle pose.
"Piper got called into P3, so she called me to watch Prue," the woman explained with a smile.
"Hi Mommy!" the little girl, Prue, exclaimed. "I missed you! Did you have fun at work?" she ran up to her mother and wrapped her little arms around Phoebe's waist.
"Hi, uh, Prue," Phoebe greeted nervously. "Did you have fun with uh—" she didn't know the name of the woman and it felt rude to ask. For all she knew, she could have known the woman for years. Luckily, Prue continued for her.
"Yes! I had a very fun day with Auntie Paige. She read me stories and we watched TV, but then I guess she got bored, so she started tickling me!"
"Well it sounds like you had fun," Phoebe agreed. Then she noticed something, "Auntie Paige?" she asked. She had another sister? Well, it could always be that we're very close friends.
"Go into the kitchen and grab a treat, Prue," Paige said.
She looked at Phoebe. "Is it okay, Mommy?" she asked.
This was h—her daughter? She—she was beautiful. So perfect. Phoebe grabbed her hand. "Of course you can!"
"Yay!" she called, running off.
Phoebe sat down. "Okay, so I named my daughter after Prue, but where is she?" she asked, more to herself than the other woman.
"Phoebe?" Paige asked.
"Huh?"
"Phoebe Halliwell?" Paige asked. Something was odd about her. Usually she wasn't so—distant…
"Halliwell? So, I'm not married?" Phoebe asked, disappointed.
"Oh boy," Paige sighed, pulling out her cell phone. "Piper, we've got a problem. Yes, Phoebe's back, but sh—she doesn't recognize me or her daughter," Paige looked at her. "No, I don't think she's possessed. Just—when can you come home?"
Phoebe knew something was wrong when the woman's conversation ended and texted someone.
"What's the matter?"
Paige closed her phone and looked up.
"Crystals!" she yelled, ignoring Phoebe's question. White crystals formed in a circle around Phoebe.
Phoebe looked surprised. "What'd you just do?" she hesitantly reached her hand out and got shocked. "And why are-Ow!"
"I don't know who you are, but you better get out of here before my sister and I vanquish your ass," Paige threatened.
Just then, Piper walked through the living room entrance. "Where's the demon?" she asked.
"Piper!" Phoebe shouted in relief. "Help! This crazy lady thinks I'm a demon."
Piper raised an eyebrow at Phoebe. "You really think that's gonna work?"
"Aunt Piper!" Prue shouted. "Why are you trying to hurt Mommy?" she demanded. The little girl knocked a crystal out of formation, pulling Phoebe toward her.
"Prue don't!" Paige ordered, but it was too late.
Phoebe took a couple of steps back. "Please! Hear me out!" she begged. "I'm not who you think I am. I'm from the past."
Paige scoffed. "We've heard it all before. Do you really think you can actually fool us? Now one last time: get out of my sister!"
"But I am your sister," Phoebe walked over to her sister. "Piper! Piper, you've got to believe me."
"Prove it! When we were young and I fell down the stairs, who took me to the hospital, how many stitches did I get and where?" Piper asked.
"You fell down those stairs?" Paige asked. "Wow, must've been some fall."
"You were 10, I was 8 and Prue was 13," Phoebe explained. "Prue stole Grams's car and drove us. After we got there, she called Grams who met us and grounded Prue for two weeks."
Piper nodded.
"You got five in the back of your head, and two above your left eye," Phoebe said, "and you stayed out of school for two days even after the doctor said you could go back to school."
"Okay, maybe you are Phoebe, but how can you not recognize Paige?" Piper asked. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Paige asked.
"It all makes sense now," Piper said. "She doesn't recognize you or Prue and I'll bet you $10 she doesn't recognize Coop."
"What the heck are you talking about?" Phoebe asked. "Where is my sister?"
"We're both right here, Phoebe," Page asked.
"No, Prue! Where's Prue!" she demanded. "Prue!"
Piper grabbed her arm and sat down with her on the couch. "Paige, take Prue somewhere. I need to talk to Phoebe."
"Talk to me? Why?"
"Okay, come on," Paige said.
"No, I wanna stay with Mommy!"
"Mommy?" Phoebe said, she still wasn't quite used to hearing it. Piper patted her shoulder. "Go with Au-Auntie P-Paige."
She nodded, following Paige into the kitchen.
"Piper, where's Prue? Doesn't she live here anymore?" Phoebe asked.
"Phoebe," Piper said, taking her hand. "What I'm about to tell you breaks every single rule, which is why you can't tell me or Prue what happened here, what you're seeing or what I'm going to tell you, okay?"
Phoebe nodded. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you're going to tell me?"
"Sisterly intuition," Piper said. "Phoebe, Prue died many years ago..." she told her. Noticing she was shaking, Piper hugged her tightly. "We were fighting Shax and were exposed." There was more to it, but Phoebe didn't need to know everything.
Phoebe looked Piper in the eye, wiping her eyes. "That woman, Prue called her Auntie Paige."
Piper sighed. "Yes Phoebe, she's our half sister. She helped us reconstitute the Power of Three after Prue died."
"Okay..." Phoebe said.
"What kind of spell did you cast?"
"I was just wondering what my kids would look like...Cole isn't marriage material," Piper scoffed. "What?"
"You'll learn, but you should get back now."
"How?" Phoebe asked.
"Leo!" she called.
"Yes Piper?"
"She's not our Phoebe...and she needs to go."
Leo smiled. "I know what to do. Give me your hands."
"Uh, why?"
"You shouldn't know any of what she's told you. It's too dangerous. If you change it, things might not work out."
"Meaning I might not even have Prue," she whispered, standing. "Okay, but just one thing."
"What?"
"Can I think I had a dream of my daughter? I don't want to forget her."
"I think that's acceptable. Come on," Leo urged.
"Wait," Phoebe said, dropping to her knees. "Prue, come here!"
The little girl ran out. "What is it, Mommy? Why are you crying?"
Phoebe wiped her eyes. "I just missed you."
"I missed you too, Mommy!" she said, hugging her. "I love you."
Phoebe hugged her back, crying harder. "I love you too," she looked at Leo as she let go and stood up. "Okay Leo, I'm ready."
Leo pulled a golden pouch out of his pocket. He smiled at her and took out a pinch of dust. He blew it on her face and she was momentarily stunned. He grabbed her hands and a golden glow spread through her body. She collapsed and her vision once again went black.
Phoebe's eyes snapped open. She was inside the attic with the Book of Shadows on her lap opened to the Banshee page.
She rolled her neck, flinching. Falling asleep in the attic always made her neck sore.
She rubbed the drowsiness out of her eyes. Doing that brought up a picture of a little girl with green eyes, a cute button nose and black hair. She thought of the name Prue. It fit the six year old.
She yawned, stretching as she placed the Book of Shadows back on the podium and crept back to her room as the sun rose. Phoebe opened her door, laying on her bed and hugged the cold pillow beside her, imagining it was Little Prue as she tried to fall back asleep.
"That dream was something," Phoebe whispered. "I'll see you some day, my baby girl."
THE END
Author's Note: So what do you think?
My first fully co-written story! I'd appreciate feedback.
Please read and review!
Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell