Ch. 28
After vanquishing Shax things had slowed down considerably. In fact, two full days had passed without any demon activity. And that was more unnerving than constant attacks.
Phoebe left work that evening determined to spend the night with Coop. It was about time they spent a romantic night together. Things had been a bit strained recently. Stepping on the elevator, she took a deep breath. She looked at her watch. She was even getting out of work a bit early.
But suddenly a demon flamed in right in front of her on the elevator. Her heart pounded in her chest and she panicked. How could she protect herself? Alone in this elevator? What was she going to do, premonition him to death?
"Paige!" she yelled and before the word was even out of her mouth she recognized the demon.
"Hi Phoebe," he smiled but Phoebe shook her head.
"I thought you were staying in the Underworld Cole," she glared but he shrugged.
"One version of me is. Didn't you notice the flames?" he asked with a chuckle as his eyes turned black. He heard her sharp intake of breath and he smiled. "Now we're catching on."
At that moment Paige orbed in and she frowned when she saw Cole.
"What are you doing here?" she asked but Phoebe put a hand on Paige's arm to hold her back.
"It's not Cole," she whispered even though he could still hear her.
"What do you mean it's not Cole? Of course it's Cole!" Paige exclaimed but Phoebe was shaking her head vehemently.
"It's the Source," she said and Cole chuckled. He began to toss a fireball up and down in his palm.
"It sure is going to be fun with all four of you around," Cole mused and before Phoebe could reply Paige orbed them to the manor.
"What happened?" Piper asked having seen Paige go off after Phoebe called her.
"Well we know what version of Cole came back," Paige said and Phoebe sighed.
"He's the Source," she said quietly. "And he's not even pretending to be good."
"Well at least he didn't come back invincible," Piper pointed out. "Let's get the spell to vanquish the Source. But…we might have to take Prue's name out of it now because she's not really our ancestor," Piper mused as they headed up to the attic.
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"What the hell?" Prue muttered as she suddenly found herself in bed later that night. She didn't remember anything from Phoebe telling them that Cole was the Source to going to bed. Glancing at the clock she saw it had been a solid 6 hours. Where had the time gone?
Walking down the hallway she knocked on Piper's door. When she got no answer she knocked louder. Finally Piper came and opened the door.
"Prue, what's wrong?" she asked knowing something was likely wrong for her to be coming to her room so late.
"Piper…what happened today? Do you remember?" she asked and Piper frowned.
"Yeah. Prue, are you okay?" she asked and Prue shook her head.
"I don't remember anything that happened since Phoebe got home," she admitted and Piper walked into the hallway shutting the door behind her so as not to wake Leo.
"Do you think your amnesia's coming back?" she asked worriedly and Prue shrugged.
"I don't know. Unless it's some sort of spell or something," she sighed. "But…I have no idea."
"And you just woke up in bed?" Piper clarified and Prue nodded. Piper felt her heart sink. She'd really believed that Prue was back and didn't have any side effects from being dead. But now it seemed like she might have some memory lapses. Although it was an extremely stressful time especially for someone who had been out of the game for a while. "Why don't you get some sleep," Piper suggested. "We've all been stressed. But if it happens again we'll look for something in the book," she promised and Prue nodded.
Turning back to her room Prue couldn't help but worry that her brain and her memory weren't what they used to be. And it wasn't as if she could go to a doctor. 'Hello, doctor. After I've been dead for five years I have some trouble remembering a few things.' That wouldn't go over well. She'd be committed.
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"Don't you think he's going to be expecting this spell?" Phoebe worried and Prue sighed.
"Do you have a better idea?" she asked and Phoebe stayed quiet. "Then let's try it. Besides, I have a feeling if he wanted us dead we'd have heard from him by now," she pointed out. "Now…let's summon the Source."
Suddenly she was sitting in the kitchen as a much younger looking Piper read the newspaper. Prue looked around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Except for the fact that it seemed to be about eight years earlier than it should be.
"Piper?"
"What Prue? I have to get to Quake so can we talk later?" she asked as she finished her coffee and headed for the door.
"Sure…" Prue trailed off. She didn't have any idea what was going on, but she knew this must be some spell. She headed up the stairs and opened the Book of Shadows.
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"Christy?" Billie asked as Christy suddenly appeared in her apartment. "Oh my god, are you okay?" she exclaimed dashing over to her.
"Billie, you still don't get it! The Charmed Ones are selfish. It's up to us to-"
"Paige!" Billie called out knowing it could only be seconds before Christy set something on fire.
"What is it?" Paige asked as she orbed in, but the second she saw Christy, she orbed over, grabbed both girls, and orbed them all back to the manor. "Piper! Phoebe!" she yelled and at the urgency in her voice they came running. "Can we um…you know. PIPER!" she hissed and Piper quickly flung her hands up and froze Christy.
"I guess that means she didn't come back a good witch, huh?" Billie stated sadly. "I mean, I knew she wouldn't. I just…hoped," she shrugged. All the girls stood silently for a moment. Phoebe and Piper had no idea what to say. Their sister had just come back from the dead too, but theirs had come back good. "What do we do?"
"We can strip her powers," Prue said having already thought about this situation. "Then we might be better off getting her some professional help."
"I don't-"
"Billie, she's not well. She was kidnapped and brainwashed," Phoebe said gently. "Witch or not, she's going to need help."
"Okay," Billie agreed reluctantly and Piper nodded.
"I'll go make the potion."
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"I wonder what the Source version of Cole is up to," Phoebe sighed as she rested on the couch in the living room. She hadn't talked to Coop in two days. She hadn't even left the manor in two days. It had been crazy.
"Sounds like he's up to his old tricks," Paige cocked her head and sat in a chair across from Phoebe. "That is if Jennifer's experience is any indication."
"I can't believe he sent an assassin after one of your charges," Phoebe groaned.
"He knew it would get to us. He knew we'd be the ones vanquishing it," Piper pointed out as she and Prue walked in from the kitchen.
"Well, the good news is two of our demons are officially taken care of," Paige sighed and Prue looked at her in confusion.
"We didn't vanquish the Source," she said.
"No but we got Shax and Christy," she explained and Prue shook her head.
"We didn't…what are you talking about? We haven't even seen Christy yet," she argued and Piper glanced at her other sisters. She'd told them about Prue's earlier lapse in memory and now they were all concerned.
"Yes we did Prue," Phoebe said gently. "We stripped her powers and sent her to a mental hospital."
"I don't even remember…" Prue shook her head again. "What is going on?"
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"Don't you think he's going to be expecting this spell?" Phoebe worried and Prue sighed.
"Do you have a better idea?" she asked and Phoebe stayed quiet. "Then let's try it. Besides, I have a feeling if he wanted us dead we'd have heard from him by now," she pointed out. "Now…let's summon the Source."
"Let's do it," Piper agreed but suddenly Prue froze.
"Wait. This already happened," she said and both her sisters looked at her in concern.
"We know Prue. That's the point. They're all demons we've vanquished before," Phoebe said sharing a worried glance with Piper.
"No. I mean THIS has happened before. This conversation," Prue insisted. "Phoebe, why don't you remember? You always figure stuff like this out."
"Prue, I don't think-"
"I know you think I've got amnesia or something," Prue cut them off. "But in this house, consider the odds of a demon or spell versus a real medical problem."
"We better check the book," Piper agreed and instead of summoning the Source they headed to the attic.
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"Do you really need the book to figure this one out?" Leo asked after he'd been filled in on the situation.
"What do you mean?" Piper asked as Prue and Phoebe looked at him in confusion.
"Time jumps? A demon Prue fears? Really?" Leo shook his head in disbelief. "Nothing's coming to mind, huh?"
"Tempus," Prue suddenly spoke up and Leo nodded. "We never even vanquished him, just weakened him. What are we supposed to do?" Prue wondered and for the first time Piper realized that Prue was actually afraid of Tempus. She'd known Prue was affected by what had happened to Andy, but she had no idea that Prue carried around that much fear. Although she understood it because she felt the same way towards Shax.
"You weakened him enough that the next time he used his powers he was killed," Leo reminded them but Prue shook her head.
"Still don't know what we're going to do now."
"I've got an idea," they heard and they turned to see the Source flame in.
"Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda," Piper spoke quickly as fireballs flew at their heads. They all ducked and Piper motioned for Leo to get out of the attic.
"Ashford, Helen," Phoebe began but she was stopped when the Source began speaking to her inside her mind. It was Cole's voice and it was too distracting. She shook her head, letting Piper shove her out of the way of the energy beam that shot out of the Source's hands. "Laura and Grace," she whispered.
"Halliwell witches stand strong beside us," Prue said using her powers to deflect energy balls back at the Source. "Vanquish this evil…"
"From time and space!" they finished together. The Source caught on fire, screaming, and disintegrating. The girls stood watching, Phoebe averting her eyes as she again watched Cole suffer a terrible vanquish. But suddenly the Source reached out and telekinetically pulled Phoebe towards him.
"PHOEBE!" Piper yelled but before they could react, all traces of the Source and Phoebe were gone.
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Phoebe stood unsteadily on the rock as she took in her surroundings. She'd been here before, but… When the giant worm jumped out of the ground to attack her she recognized it immediately. It was where Cole's soul had been sent after they'd vanquished him as the Source the first time. He wasn't here now because his soul was still in the Belthazor version of him. The worm jumped again and Phoebe ran to a higher rock to avoid it.
How was she supposed to get out of here?
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"Where did she go?" Prue wondered as Paige poured over the book.
"Wherever demons go when they're vanquished," Leo assumed as he looked around at the damage in the attic. It had been a quick battle, but the attic was a mess. Most of the wood was singed and furniture was broken everywhere.
"We have to find her. She won't last long," Piper said somberly as she moved next to Paige.
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"Levitation would really help right now!" Phoebe exclaimed out loud as she dodged the worm yet again. That thing was relentless.
"I bet," she heard and she whirled around to find Cole behind her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked glancing around him to see if he was alone.
"Relax. It's me. Cole. Belthazor. Not the Source," he assured her, but she wasn't totally convinced. "Come on, you know the only things that can survive here are things that have souls."
"Why are you here?" she asked again.
"Well I had a little help from a demon friend of mine. His name's Astaroth and he's just thrilled you're down here," Cole chuckled. "I had to see it for myself," he admitted and Phoebe didn't notice the worm jump up behind her. Cole threw a fireball over her head and killed the creature. "They got a new one, huh?"
"Cole, are you going to get me out of here or not?" she asked and he smirked.
"Did you help me get out?" he asked pointedly. "When I was trapped here, did you do anything? I can't seem to remember," he trailed off. "Wait…it's coming back to me. I think…you said something along the lines of 'I'm sorry. Stay here and rot.'"
"Cole, the magic I would have needed-"
"I found a way out. I'm sure it will work for you too," he told her casually.
"Absorbing all those powers drove you crazy Cole!" Phoebe exclaimed but Cole gave her a short chuckle.
"No Phoebe. YOU drove me crazy."
"So you're not going to help me," she muttered under her breath. "Great."
"I blew up the killer worm," he shot back. "Most people would think that's pretty helpful," he shrugged. "Anyways…maybe your sisters will be more willing to help you than you were to help me," he said before shimmering out.
"Cole? COLE!" she yelled now beyond furious with him. God, no other person in the world could make her so mad.
This was no place for a living thing. She looked around. She had to get out of here. How did Cole do it again? Would it work for her?
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"I think I know where Phoebe is," Prue announced as she stood up with a book. "This says that-" her voice stopped abruptly when she disappeared. Piper and Paige stared at the spot on the floor where Prue had been standing.
"Prue?" Piper called out. "Prue, where are you?" she asked worriedly.
"Tempus," was all Paige said in response. "She's in a different time."
"The Charmed Ones are in three separate places and dimensions. That can't be an accident," Piper murmured. "Go find Billie," she told Paige who orbed out immediately. "LEO!" Piper yelled. "Get the kids to Magic School. I think this is it."
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"Hi Christy," Billie said gently as she sat down in front of Billie's bed. The older sister glared at Billie as if she had betrayed her in the worst way.
"You have no idea what you've done," she spat out. "Stripping my powers. Locking me up in here!"
"It's for your own good," Billie pleaded with her to understand. "I love you Christy. You just need-"
"I NEED MY POWERS BACK!" she yelled and Billie winced. She'd projected herself in here because Christy wasn't supposed to have visitors yet. If anyone came and saw her in here she'd have a lot of explaining to do.
"Shh, Christy. Please, just listen," she begged but suddenly Christy leapt off the bed and pinned Billie to the floor. She wrapped her hands around Billie's neck with a strength neither of them knew she possessed.
Billie gasped for breath, clutching Christy's hands trying to pull them off of her. But she couldn't budge them. Billie saw Christy's wild eyes. She was more animal than human. More monster than sister. More demon than witch.
"Christy," she whispered, but all that came out was a wisp of air. When Billie felt the back of her head bang off the floor she knew she had to fight back. Kicking with all her might she tried to dislodge Christy. But she clung on like a tick.
"You're a traitor," Christy hissed. "You should have listened to me. We could have had everything but you listened to the stupid Charmed Ones!" she yelled angrily. This time there was a loud crack when Billie's head connected with the floor.
Billie could feel herself losing consciousness. She used her powers to project a weapon into her hand. It was her only choice.
"Please forgive me," she whispered through her tears as she plunged the athame into Christy's stomach. Christy collapsed on top of her, blood spilling all over both of them. "Christy," Billie cried as she rolled her over. "Christy I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," she said through her tears. "I tried. I wanted to," she whispered as she hugged her sister to her body. "You were human. Why couldn't I fight you off?" Billie wondered out loud but her musings were cut short when Paige orbed in.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed when she saw the scene in front of her.
"She attacked me. I had no choice," Billie cried and Paige hurried over to her. "I don't know what to do," she admitted. How was she going to explain this to the hospital staff?
"It's okay," Paige assured her. "We'll take care of it," she promised. She didn't tell her she was going to take Billie home and then call Luke to get rid of this mess. "There was nothing you could have done," Paige told her. In fact, Paige had a suspicion, that if they didn't kill their own 'personal' demon, they themselves would die. There was no middle ground here.
I know it's been forever. Please leave a review and help keep me motivated for the next one. ;)