Charmed Stories, cont.
OK, I'm trying again to post a link here...many thanks to kennedyismyhero for holding my hand through this oh-so-trying process.
Charmed and Dangerous-Part 4
“You’re a white lighter,” Phoebe whispered. “Oh God…” Paige was still standing in the middle of the room, still as a statue with her clothes bundled in her hand. Phoebe’s brain seemed to have momentarily crashed, and then sped into hyperdrive as all the implications hit her. Paige wasn’t human. Paige wasn’t even alive, technically. Even though she had always known this about Leo and not been upset by it, somehow it seemed very different now. Would Paige be called away to her charges at all hours, without warning, just like Leo? Would they even be allowed to be together? Or would the elders insist that two charmed ones coupled with white lighters was simply unacceptable?
“Paige are you…are they gonna…” Phoebe’s voice broke, and a gut-wrenching sob sprang Paige into action, as she rushed back to Phoebe and the bed, cradling her tenderly.
“No, honey, please don’t cry…shhh…I’m not a white lighter. I’m a very human girl, who catches colds and skins my knees. Really, it’s okay.” Paige gently wiped away Phoebe’s tears as she spoke, covering her face with gentle kisses.
“But…you orbed!” Phoebe sobbed, wanting to believe Paige, but unable to understand these confusing new events.
“Yeah,” Paige agreed. She had no idea how Phoebe knew about orbing, but she realized that they both had secrets that would have to come out; the confusion was causing Phoebe terrible distress, and Paige simply wouldn’t allow that.
“My mom was a white lighter,” she explained as she continued to soothe Phoebe, running her fingers through soft brown hair. “I got the orbing from her…but that’s all, nothing else. My dad was just a regular guy, and Mom couldn’t save him when he got sick.” Paige swallowed hard, trying not to think too much about the father she had lost so very long ago. “After that it was just me and Mom…she told me what she was then. She had to, there was just too much to go unexplained. I didn’t know up till then, didn’t even know what I was, cause Mom bound my orbing power to keep me safe from too many questions. She told me that one day, when I was ready and we both agreed, she’d release my power. But then she was killed protecting one of her charges…” Paige trailed off, this pain too fresh to swallow away. Phoebe hugged her, not trying to offer any false words of assurance. She knew how painful it was to lose a mother.
“Anyway,” Paige continued, “after she died, my power was released. It was all so sudden, and I had no idea how to control it. Any time I got angry or scared, I was orbing all over the place. I totally freaked out, and ran away from the foster family they’d put me with. This was three years ago,” she added.
“So, what happened?” Phoebe asked tentatively. Paige smiled fondly.
“I was hitchhiking to LA, and this guy picked me up in his truck. Then he grabbed my hand and orbed me,” she jerked her thumb up, “somewhere safe. He said he was my new white lighter, and he’d teach me how to control my power. He calmed me down a lot, and got me to agree I’d go back to my foster parents. And he did teach me,” She finished. “I’ve got it all under control now…except for the, uh, sneezing thing, which you are the only person to have ever seen.” She grinned shyly. Phoebe smiled back. It really was cute, she thought mischievously. “I’m still working on that, but it seems kinda hopeless. It’s completely involuntary, you know? Just like a regular sneeze is. And Leo says that since I’m the only human to ever have been known to orb, there’s no way to know if…” Paige trailed off as she noticed Phoebe’s eyes bug out.
“Leo?” Phoebe gasped.
“My white lighter,” Paige clarified.
“Paige, Leo is my white lighter, too…not to mention, Piper’s husband.”
“Huh? And…huh?” Now it was Paige who stared at Phoebe in disbelief.
“My sisters and I are witches.”
“Not just any old witch gets a white lighter,” Paige pointed out hesitantly.
“Yeah…well, my sisters and I, we’re not just any old witches,” Phoebe said with a small grin. “We’re the Charmed Ones.”
“Holy shit,” Paige gasped. “You…you’re…wow.” A dreamy expression of disbelief came over Paige’s face. “My girlfriend is a charmed one!”
“I’m your girlfriend?” Phoebe squeaked, her toes wiggling happily under the blanket. Snapped out of her reverie, Paige looked up in an expression of horror, a deep blush rising in her cheeks as she backpedaled furiously.
“Oh, I didn’t mean-I shouldn’t have-I mean if you want-“ Phoebe silenced her with a deep, smoldering kiss.
“Paige,” she breathed when they broke apart, “I’ve, um, never moved this fast before. I’m not exactly a put-out-on-the-first-date kind of girl. But what’s happening between us, it’s not about putting out. I’ve never moved this fast before…because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
“Me neither,” Paige agreed softly, still in a slight trance from Phoebe’s gentle fingers grazing her face.
“So rest assured, that there is nothing on this earth I want more than to be your girlfriend.” Phoebe gave Paige a glowing smile. “Do you want to be mine?”
“Yes,” Paige breathed, kissing her in a way that was almost worshipful.
“Good,” Phoebe sighed as they broke apart. “Glad we got that taken care of.” Paige giggled, then her eyes slid out of focus.
“Achoo!!” Paige sneezed, once again giving Phoebe the most delightful sensations everywhere they touched as she orbed quickly out and back in again.
“Oh, honey,” Phoebe kissed her forehead, smiling gently. “I almost forgot, with everything and all, that my baby doesn’t feel good.” She gently laid her hand against Paige’s face; it was definitely warm. “I’m gonna make you some nice hot raspberry-ginger tea, okay? It’ll make you feel better.” Paige nodded, smiling shyly. She wasn’t used to having anyone dote over her like this.
“Although…” Phoebe added mischievously, “it does feel really good when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Orb out against me.”
“Really?” Phoebe nodded, and Paige returned her evil grin. “You mean, like this?” And Paige began to dissolve back into the hazy blue light that tickled Phoebe’s senses so. But she didn’t orb out completely; she managed to hover somehow, to hold herself in limbo for several seconds before orbing back in.
“Ohhh,” Phoebe moaned, squirming under her very satisfied looking girlfriend. “That feels so good, Paige.”
“Well, I showed you mine…” Paige trailed off, looking at Phoebe significantly. Phoebe knew exactly what she wanted, and spared a momentary thanks to the guys upstairs for giving her something to show off besides her premonitions. Kissing Paige lightly on the mouth, she wrapped her arms firmly around her girlfriend, and twined their legs together. Then she levitated them both three feet off the bed.
“Whoa!” Paige squealed. “Holy shit, Phoebe. That is so cool!” Phoebe giggled, feeling rather proud of herself, and they began to kiss in midair, moving against each other in a weightless sort of way.
“Mmmmm,” Paige sighed, “how long can you do this, Pheebs?”
“As long as you want,” Phoebe murmured. They kissed passionately. And then the door flew open.
“Pheebs, sorry to wake you, but I need my car ke-“ Piper’s entrance startled Phoebe so badly that she fell, along with Paige, landing on the bed with an undignified grunt as both girls had the wind knocked out of them. Piper shrieked as her eyes fell upon the scene before her, clapping her hands firmly over her eyes and stumbling backwards in retreat. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Piper cried, tripping over her feet and falling on her butt in her haste. Her hands remained firmly over her eyes. “Uh, Phoebe,” she said hesitantly, “Did I just see what I think I just saw? And I am not talking about the naked part.”
“Piper, it’s okay.” Phoebe managed to say when she regained her breath. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Are you nuts?” Piper screamed. With her hands still covering her eyes, it made for a very comical argument. Paige reached down and pulled the covers back up over herself and Phoebe, sparing them all from further embarrassment.
“Piper, you can open your eyes now,” Phoebe said calmly. “And no, I am not nuts.” Piper hesitantly removed her hands from her face, relieved to find the scene no longer X-rated.
“Look…Piper,” Paige said haltingly. “I have powers too, okay? Trust me, I won’t rat out the charmed ones.” Piper’s eyes bugged out.
“You must be Paige,” she said finally. Paige nodded. “Great. Well, that’s…that’s just…um…nice to meet you.” Piper was blushing furiously, utterly confused and discombobulated.
“Look Piper, why don’t you go downstairs and let Paige and I get dressed, okay? We’ll come down in a minute and explain everything to you and Prue.” Piper nodded dumbly. “And make some raspberry-ginger tea,” Phoebe added as Piper got up from the floor. As the door closed behind her, both Paige and Phoebe collapsed onto the bed.
“Whoaaaaa…” Paige gave a deflated sigh. Then both girls erupted into a fit of giggles.
Ten minutes later, the two entered the kitchen in pajamas to find Prue and Piper waiting for them. They looked confused and slightly apprehensive, but not openly hostile, and for this, Phoebe was grateful. Seeing the teapot steaming gently on the stove, Phoebe went over and got a cup, adding a generous amount of honey to it before she brought it back to Paige.
“Here baby, drink this.” Phoebe offered Paige the cup as she sat in her lap. “It’ll help your sniffles.”
“Thanks,” Paige smiled shyly at Phoebe and kissed her. Piper and Prue looked at each other, confirming what they both knew: Phoebe was going to be absolutely sickening from now on, and they couldn’t be happier about it. As long as her new girlfriend didn’t turn out to be in any way demonic, of course. And that was the part that made them both look apprehensively at the snuggling young couple.
“Okay,” Piper said loudly when Phoebe and Paige still hadn’t broken apart, “there’s really no nice way to ask this, so I’ll apologize in advance for making a horse’s ass of myself…but, what the hell are ya and what are you doing floating naked with my baby sister?”
“Piper!” Phoebe exclaimed, feeling more embarrassed than she had when Piper had walked in on them in the first place.
“I’m sorry, Phoebe, but we have to know everything that goes on in this house that is remotely connected to magic! You’re mixing work and pleasure here,” Piper said insistently, waving her hands around the way she always did when she was anxious.
“Right, Piper, you’re one to talk,” Phoebe growled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Piper asked.
“It means, you’re married to your white lighter, just like my dad was,” Paige said quietly.
“You’re a white lighter?” Prue gasped.
“Half,” Paige corrected her, rubbing her nose.
“So what does that mean?”
“Well I…I…ACHOO!” Paige sneezed, orbing out from under Phoebe in her chair. Phoebe fell to the floor in a heap. Piper stared open mouthed. Prue burst out laughing. Then Paige orbed back, looking down apologetically at Phoebe.
“Sorry, baby,” She said sheepishly, helping Phoebe to her feet.
“S’okay,” Phoebe groaned, “I guess that’s not a very smart place for me to sit till your cold goes away.” She rubbed her sore butt.
“Want me to do that for ya?” Paige asked her, her voice about an octave lower than usual as they held each other’s gaze.
“Okay, okay, people!” Piper said shrilly, clapping her hands to get their attention. “Let’s save the bedroom eyes and focus on the issue here. Can we make sure we’ve got this all straight?” Across the table, Prue burst out laughing again. Phoebe scowled at her.
“How old are you, twelve? What have you done with my big sister?”
“Sorry,” Prue gasped through her laughter, rendering her apology rather ineffective.
“O-kay,” Piper broke in again. “Just to be clear.” She looked at Paige. “You are half white lighter.”
“Yup.”
“And you can orb.”
“Yup.”
“Can you heal?”
“No, not that,” Paige shook her head emphatically. “The only special thing about me is the orbing.”
“There’s lots more special things about you, baby,” Phoebe drawled, winding her fingers into Paige’s sleek hair and kissing her.
“Oh, for crying out loud, get a room!” Prue groaned, making shooing motions with her hands.
“I HAVE a room,” Phoebe said pointedly, “but it seems like SOME people in this house may have forgotten how to knock.” Piper blushed and put her hand over her eyes.
“Okay, okay, get outta here,” Piper said with a wave of her hands. Phoebe and Paige gave each other another smoldering look, and quickly jumped up, still holding hands. Phoebe grabbed the tea off the table, giggling as Paige pulled her out of the kitchen.
After they had gone, Prue and Piper looked at each other, shaking their heads.
“Goddess,” said Prue, “they are just like you and Leo were when you first fell for each other.”
“Did you hear them call each other by name even once?” Piper asked.
“Oh, honey, oh, baby,” Prue teased, and both sisters erupted in laughter.
“I guess angels make pretty good partners for Halliwell witches, huh?” Prue mused.
“Maybe we should find one for you,” Piper teased.
TBC…
Charmed & Dangerous-Part 5
Summary: Rumors spread through the underworld of a new dark power that will rise and vanquish the Charmed Ones…or are they after something else? The next installment of my Phoebe/Paige saga.
Rating: R
A thin shaft of light spilled across the Halliwell kitchen as the youngest inhabitant stood in front of the refrigerator, squinting through the glare until she found a container of orange juice wedged between Prue’s iced coffee and Piper’s leftover goat cheese pizza. Without a backwards glance, she grabbed the juice and took a swallow directly from the carton. Still holding the late night treat, she leaned back with a contented sigh as arms wound around her waist, and warm lips brushed her ear.
“Hey sweet thing, whatcha doin’ out of bed this late?” Paige murmured, her voice husky with sleep.
“Just needed a drink,” Phoebe whispered back, leaning more fully into Paige’s inviting arms. She kept her voice low automatically, despite the fact that they were alone in the kitchen; the feeling of sleep, of the blanket of night, was heavy through the house, and Phoebe felt an instinctual respect for that veil of darkness. This was its proper place, and she had no desire to disturb it.
“Hmmm, I’m thirsty too,” Paige hummed, her fingers grazing teasingly over Phoebe’s stomach. Phoebe offered her the orange juice container. “Not for juice,” Paige whispered wickedly in her ear, and Phoebe giggled, dropping the carton back on the shelf and turning in her girlfriend’s arms as the fridge door slid shut, the small crack of light vanishing back into the night.
“Awww, does baby need some sugar?” Phoebe asked sweetly, leaning up to give Paige a sweet, orange flavored kiss. It started out tender and sleepy, but soon turned more heated. Phoebe nibbled on Paige’s bottom lip, which she knew would make her girlfriend make the most delightful noises. She wasn’t disappointed, and Paige’s soft whimper spurred Phoebe on to deepen the kiss, wrapping one leg around Paige’s, sliding her foot lightly up and down her girlfriend’s calf. Paige growled, pushing Phoebe back against the kitchen table and crawling on top of her.
“You wanna do it on the kitchen table, Pheebs?” Paige’s breath was hot against Phoebe’s tingling ear. “Who knows how long it’ll be before you can eat your cheerios without thinking of my tongue inside you…” Paige pressed her leg between Phoebe’s as she spoke, and Phoebe let out a high-pitched cry of pleasure, as the night air around them seemed to shatter and fall away, leaving them both ablaze with a fiery passion.
“Oh, God, Paige, you make me so crazy,” Phoebe whimpered, arching up into the delicious weight of her girlfriend’s body on top of her, kissing her for all she was worth.
“I’m only just getting started,” Paige whispered back, leaning back to pull up Phoebe’s long nightshirt, leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach. She wouldn’t be rushed, and took her time teasing and nuzzling Phoebe’s stomach, dipping her tongue into the perfect little bellybutton.
“Paiiiiige,” Phoebe whined, “don’t tease!”
“I’m not teasing you, luscious…I just wanna worship every inch of your body.” Phoebe couldn’t well argue with that. She wound her hands into Paige’s dark hair, running her fingers through it as Paige continued her slow descent south. Finally, Paige dropped off the table onto her knees, pulling Phoebe’s hips forward. Snaking out her tongue, she began to lick the sweetness of Phoebe’s desire off her inner thighs, moaning in delight at the heady flavor of her lover’s essence.
“God, I could spend my whole life between your legs, Phoebe.”
“I’m not stopping you!” Phoebe gasped, her anticipation reaching a fever pitch. Just as Paige was about to reach her goal, they both froze at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Phoebe gave a small squeak of alarm, her hands tightening in Paige’s hair. Paige reacted immediately, orbing them both out moments before the kitchen door swung open to reveal Piper and Leo, hunting for their own midnight snack. Moments later, the two giggling lovers reappeared upstairs in Phoebe’s bed.
“Close shave,” Phoebe observed. “Lucky for me my girlfriend has superpowers.”
“Feel free to pay me back any way you like,” Paige drawled. She resumed her actions of moments before, her tongue snaking out to reach Phoebe’s hot, wet core. As she did so, Phoebe arched up into her mouth, levitating them both off the bed as if it were a natural extension of her own movement. And it was.
**************
When they finally floated back down to the bed, some time later, both were sighing sleepily and trading soft, gentle touches.
“Why does it seem like I never get any sleep when I sleep at your house?” Paige wondered aloud, her head nestled comfortably against Phoebe’s shoulder.
“Probably cause you’re an insatiable vixen who can’t keep her hands to herself for more than five minutes,” Phoebe replied in the same sleepy drawl. Paige leaned up on one elbow, smirking, and dropped a long, slow kiss on her girlfriend’s already kiss-swollen lips.
“Are you complaining?” She asked coyly.
“Never,” Phoebe replied seriously.
“Good,” Paige nodded, an adorably serious expression on her face. She studied Phoebe for a moment, her mock-serious face giving way to an authentically thoughtful expression.
“Whatcha thinkin’, baby?’ Phoebe asked softly, reaching up to run her fingers over Paige’s lips.
“Remember that beautiful sunset you showed me at the beach, on our first date?”
“Of course,” Phoebe nodded, smiling involuntarily. Paige grinned back. Then she sat up.
“C’mon.” She tugged Phoebe up into a sitting position. “I wanna take you somewhere.” Phoebe glanced at the clock.
“At two thirty in the morning?”
“We’ll only be gone a little while…you don’t even have to change out of your jammies.” Phoebe leaned forward and kissed Paige deeply.
“Okay.” Smiling, their bodies still entwined, the two dissolved in a haze of brilliant white lights.
**********
Piper and Leo had long since finished their midnight snack of cookies and milk, and were back in their own bed, deeply asleep. Piper was nestled up against her husband’s strong chest, when he sat up suddenly, gasping, jerking her awake as well. Both being used to any order of late-night attacks, they were awake and alert immediately.
“Leo, what--?” Piper began to ask, but before she could finish her question, a blaze of white lights erupted at the foot of their bed, as two figured orbed in.
“Leo, Piper, help!” Paige cried. She was cradling Phoebe’s unconscious form, her stomach soaked with blood from a horrible, gaping wound.
“Oh, Goddess,” Piper gasped, all the color leaving her face as she saw her baby sister drenched in blood. Leo was already reaching his hands out to heal Phoebe when Prue burst through the door, having also been awakened by Paige’s scream. Leo’s hands began to glow, signifying that his healing powers were in use. Everyone else in the room felt the vice grip on their hearts loosen slightly, as they all knew that Phoebe must still be alive. They were all so focused on Phoebe, that they nearly didn’t notice the demon that appeared in a haze of black smoke.
“The Queen of Shadows will rise!” He screamed, a fanatic gleam in his catlike yellow eyes as he held back an energy ball in his hand. Not missing a beat, Prue turned and threw him across the room with her powers, a second before Piper blew him to oblivion. Paige didn’t even look up. She watched as all the blood covering her and Phoebe seemed to slide backwards, into Phoebe’s stomach; then the skin mended, and finally her tattered nightshirt. Leo gave a grunt of exhaustion, slumping back as he removed his hands. Piper looked at him in alarm, knowing that it took a lot to tap him of his healing powers.
“Leo, is she--?” Piper whispered, too terrified to complete her sentence. Then Phoebe opened her eyes unsteadily, a hazy expression on her face, as if she’d been deeply asleep. She looked up at Paige and smiled.
“Close shave,” she murmured. Paige burst into tears, burying her face in Phoebe’s hair as she sobbed. “Hey,” Phoebe murmured, “it’s okay, I’m okay baby…ssssh…I’m okay.” Prue, Piper and Leo all looked at each other, wanting answers, but knowing it would be a few minutes before they got any. They all realized that this was the first time Phoebe’s girlfriend had ever witnessed an injury of this magnitude, one that required Leo’s intervention. And they could all remember how terrifying it had been; when you thought someone you loved was dying. Paige was still sobbing uncontrollably, nearing hysterics. Phoebe was holding her tight, rubbing her back in soothing circles, whispering words of assurance in a calm, loving voice.
“Sssh, sweet girl…I’m here…I’m not going anywhere…just breathe, baby, please. You have to calm down, or you’re going to make yourself sick.” Phoebe took one of Paige’s hands and placed it over her own heart, taking a deep, slow breath. “Breathe with me, love.” She took another deep breath, her eyes locked with Paige’s, who tried to imitate her. Her breath came out in a ragged gasp. “Good girl,” Phoebe murmured, “Again.” They took another breath together; this time Paige managed a slightly deeper inhalation. “That’s my baby girl,” Phoebe smiled through her tears, leaning forward to cover Paige’s face with whisper-soft butterfly kisses. As Paige’s breathing returned to a somewhat normal, if winded, level, Phoebe pulled back and smiled at her with an expression of utter devotion. “You saved my life, Paige.” Paige shook her head, casting her eyes down at the bed.
“Leo saved your life…I’m the one that nearly got you killed.”
“Honey, that’s ridiculous! How was it your fault?”
“If I’d just orbed us out sooner…reacted faster…”
“Paige, baby, look at me.” Phoebe grabbed Paige’s face with both hands, forcing her eyes back up. “There was no way we could have anticipated that attack. You orbed me to Leo. You saved my life. Period.”
“But it was my idea in the first place…” Paige said softly, her voice still trembling with guilt.
“Honey, listen to what you’re saying. There is no way we could’ve anticipated a demon attack while watching the sunrise!”
“Sunrise?” Prue said hesitantly. She didn’t want to break into this private moment between the two lovers any more than anyone else did, but as the oldest and arguably the most stubborn of the lot, she couldn’t wait another minute to find out what had happened. She looked out the window for confirmation, then back at Phoebe. “Pheebs, it’s the middle of the night.”
“Not in Paris,” Phoebe said contritely. Her hand slipped down to Paige’s leg in a gentle caress. A faint grin finally appeared on Paige’s tearstained face.
“Paris?” Piper cried, looking at her husband indignantly. Why didn’t he ever orb her anywhere anymore?
“Ohhh, we were gonna bring you guys back fresh croissants,” Phoebe said flippantly. “And we were only gone for, like, half an hour. Paige wanted to show me the sunrise from the top of the Eiffel tower.” Phoebe gave Paige another bottomless smile, and Paige couldn’t help but smile back. Cupping her distressed girlfriend’s cheek in her hand, Phoebe kissed her.
“So you got attacked by a demon at the top of the Eiffel tower?’ Prue asked incredulously.
“Yup,” Phoebe agreed. In trademark Phoebe style, now that the danger was past, she was 100% business and ready to talk shop. “Glad you guys all saw him, so I won’t have to make the ID myself.”
“Did he say anything when he attacked you the first time? Anything besides, ‘the Queen of Shadows will rise’?” Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, and everyone knew that he had indeed said something.
“Actually…” Paige said hesitantly. Her voice was hoarse from crying. “He did say one other thing. Before he said that the Queen of Shadows would rise…he said, ‘The Children of the Light will bleed.’”
“The Children of Light?” Piper asked, frowning. “Does that mean white lighters? This demon queen is after white lighters?” She didn’t like the sound of that at all, and she scooted closer to Leo under the blankets.
“I’m not a white lighter,” Paige reminded them, her head drooping onto Phoebe’s shoulder in exhaustion. Even since the moment the demon had attacked, she had been running on a massive dose of adrenalin. Now that the danger was past, it was draining away, leaving her feeling profoundly weak and spent. Phoebe could sense Paige’s exhaustion, and pulled her girlfriend more firmly into her arms, her hand still stroking Paige’s leg.
“Look,” said Phoebe, “whatever this thing is, whatever it’s after, we obviously have a lot of research to do. We should all be safe in the manor, for tonight at least, so I vote for starting fresh in the morning. We all need to get some sleep.” There was a murmur of consensus, and everyone rose to return to their own bedrooms. Paige clung to Phoebe like a sleepy child, not letting her go for a second.
“Hey,” Phoebe murmured when they were finally back in their bed. She gently smoothed Paige’s hair back from her face, wiping away the drying tear tracks from her reddened cheeks. “Are you okay, baby? Really?” Paige’s eyes were already drooping, but she fought to keep them open. Phoebe knew they would have to have a more serious conversation in the morning, but for now, she wanted assurance that her girlfriend wasn’t going to sleep just to wake up screaming in five minutes.
“Thought I was gonna lose you,” Paige murmured, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she looked up into Phoebe’s concerned face.
“You’re never going to lose me,” Phoebe said fiercely, squeezing Paige’s hand in her own.
“I love you,” Paige whispered. Despite the terror and emotional roller coaster they’d been through in the past hour, Phoebe felt joy rising up inside her like pure, liquid sweetness at the sound of those words from Paige’s lips.
“I love you too, my sweet girl.” Phoebe leaned forward and kissed Paige’s sleepy face. By the time she pulled back to look at her, Paige was fast asleep, her hand still holding Phoebe’s. Smiling, Phoebe nestled down next to her, breathing in the soothingly sweet scent of Paige’s hair. The demon’s words echoed in her head…the children of the light will bleed. Whatever Paige said to the contrary, she was more white lighter than not, and Phoebe was worried about what was out there, after her baby. *In the morning,* she thought sleepily…*we’ll figure it out in the morning.*
Charmed and Dangerous-Part 6
Summary: A new evil threatens the Charmed Ones…or are they after something else? The latest installment of my Phoebe/Paige saga.
Rating: R
Paige’s ascent to wakefulness was slow and murky. She felt so tired; it was as if her whole body was made of lead, and she could feel herself sinking lower and lower, right to the center of the earth. She wanted to open her eyes, but it was so hard. Everything was dark and hazy; her thoughts were like molasses. She couldn’t seem to find anything to hold onto, and she was in pain.
“Paige…wake up, sweetie…” Phoebe. It was Phoebe’s voice, calling her from somewhere very far away. She wanted to answer; she tried to call out. But she couldn’t seem to open her mouth. She wasn’t sure she even had a mouth. Her body felt like it was dissolving into a sea of pain. *Phoebe, help me!* She thought desperately.
“I’m right here, baby…don’t be scared…it’s just a bad dream, love, come back to me…” Phoebe’s voice was so soft, gentle and full of love. It was like warm water being poured over the ice she felt trapped inside; she could feel her senses returning, feel her fingers and toes moving. Gasping, Paige opened her eyes.
“Phoebe!” She screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed, arms flailing.
“I’m here, baby, I’m right here,” Phoebe said soothingly, arms wrapping around her shaking lover.
“Ohhh…” Paige groaned, collapsing in Phoebe’s strong embrace as the waking world filtered in. She closed her eyes against the painfully bright morning light and buried her face in her girlfriend’s warm, inviting neck.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Phoebe asked, drawing back to look anxiously into Paige’s face.
“Like I came down with a 24-hour case of the Black Plague,” Paige groaned, curling into a ball with her head resting on Phoebe’s chest. Her stomach was churning, as if a million angry insects were trying to claw their way out. Her head was throbbing, her sinuses were all stuffed up, and her eyes and nose felt raw and sore, as if she’d been stuck in a sandstorm.
“I think you cried yourself sick, honey,” Phoebe said sympathetically, holding her whimpering girlfriend and rubbing her back. “Want me to rub your tummy?”
“Phoebe,” Paige ground out through clenched teeth, “I think I’m gonna throw up.” Phoebe leaned down and grabbed the wastebasket from beside her bed, and put it in front of Paige, just in case.
“Relax, baby, I’m here…everything’s okay…just lean back against me…” Phoebe’s hands wormed around Paige’s tense body as she spoke, getting between her raised knees and her stomach, rubbing her distressed tummy in gentle, soothing circles. “Listen to the sound of my voice, baby…stay with me…” Paige’s body began to relax, her eyes sliding closed as she leaned back against Phoebe. Phoebe’s eyes closed, too. “I love you, Paige. I will never stop loving you.” With both their eyes closed, neither of them saw the brilliant, golden light that emanated from Phoebe’s hands as she spoke. Paige let out a long, slow breath as the nausea receded. Her body went completely limp as she dropped her head back against Phoebe’s shoulder.
“Wow,” was all Paige could manage to say as Phoebe moved one hand up to brush the hair off her forehead.
“Does that feel better, honey?”
“Yeah,” Paige nodded dumbly. “It feels amazing…what did you do?” She glanced up curiously into Phoebe’s eyes.
“Just what I always do…” Phoebe kissed the end of Paige’s nose. “Love you.”
“Cornball.” Paige giggled. The action caused a sharp, shooting pain through her head, reminding her of the rest of her aches and pains.
“Your head really hurts, huh?” Phoebe said sympathetically.
“Yeah…” Paige was too disoriented, and in too much pain, to stop to wonder how Phoebe knew her head hurt.
“I know just what you need.” Phoebe got up and tugged Paige down the hall to the bathroom. She turned the shower on to a good, hot blast, and then went into the medicine cabinet, returning with a small vial of some sort of liquid, and a ceramic aromatherapy cup. Pouring out a few drops from the vial, she hung it over the top of the showerhead. Paige was immediately hit with the fragrant scent of eucalyptus.
“Ooooh,” Paige sighed, “that’s nice.”
“Hop in,” Phoebe said mischievously, waggling her eyebrows as she stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower. Paige was right behind her, sighing happily as the hot water hit her tense muscles and began to wash away her aches and pains. The steamy clouds of eucalyptus were doing an incredible job of clearing up the stuffiness in her head, and soothing away her headache at the same time.
“Baby, you are some kind of miracle worker,” Paige moaned happily, as Phoebe’s warm and soapy hands came around her waist and began lathering her up with sandalwood scented bubbles.
“Mmmm, a hot shower will cure almost anything,” Phoebe agreed. “And the eucalyptus always clears up a sinus headache…Grams would always throw me in here when I had a cold as a kid.” Paige turned in Phoebe’s arms, smiling into the adoring brown eyes that were focused completely on her.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” she said seriously, capturing Phoebe’s soapy hands in her own.
“Thank you for letting me,” Phoebe replied. They started into each other’s eyes for several long moments, neither feeling the need to speak as the hot water pounded over them, soothing them almost as much as each other’s presence. Then Paige leaned in and gave Phoebe a soft and gentle kiss.
“I love you so much,” she murmured, her hands running through Phoebe’s wet hair as their bodies entwined. “Can’t believe…how scared I was last night…” Their breath became erratic as the kiss deepened.
“Nothing could ever make me leave you,” Phoebe gasped, pressing herself more fully into Paige’s warmth. Then they both lost all ability to speak, as their passion overtook them. Phoebe hoped her sisters had already had their showers today, because she knew for certain that there wouldn’t be any hot water left by the time she and Paige were through.
***************
Later, dried and dressed, Phoebe and Paige found their way to the kitchen, where Prue and Piper were finishing their breakfast.
“Strawberry pancakes!” Phoebe squealed happily. “Yay, Piper!” Phoebe went around the table to give her big sister a kiss on the cheek. “You are in for a treat, Paige.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’re awesome, but I can’t have any,” Paige said apologetically.
“Why not?” Phoebe asked, looking as crestfallen as if she had made them herself.
“I’m allergic to strawberries.”
“What now?” Piper gave Paige a dubious look. “You’re an angel, Paige. Angels don’t have food allergies.”
“How many times do I have to tell you crazy people that I am half human?” Paige said with a roll of her eyes. “And my human half is allergic to strawberries. So unless you all want to spend the rest of your Sunday afternoon in the ER, I’ll just have a bowl of cereal.”
“No, no, don’t be silly,” Piper said with a wave of her hands as she rose from the table. “I can make other kinds of pancakes! Name your favorite.”
“Uh…” Paige stammered. She was used to Phoebe spoiling her at this point, but the idea of her sisters going out of their way to make her breakfast took her completely by surprise.
“C’mon, Paige, Piper always makes us special breakfasts on Sunday. She’ll feel insulted if you reject her.”
“Oh, I wasn’t rejecting---“
“Okay then!” Piper clapped her hands in her usual ‘order in the court’ manner. “What’ll it be? Blueberry? Banana? Ohh! I can do lemon poppy if you wanna try it!”
“Blueberry’s great…thanks.” Paige smiled shyly at Piper, feeling altogether undeserving of such pampering, but realizing she had little choice but to acquiesce in the face of the Charmed Ones at work-even if it was only in the kitchen.
“You don’t have any siblings, do you Paige?” Prue asked, looking up from the paper.
“No…” Paige said uncertainly. “How did you know?”
“You just seem like someone who’s used to doing everything for yourself,” Prue said wisely. “I hope you won’t feel too overwhelmed by ‘team Halliwell’ here.”
“No, actually I…I like it,” Paige said, looking at Phoebe. They shared a shy smile, which Prue observed wordlessly. The two sat down at the table with their coffee, while Piper went about making more pancakes for the late risers.
“So,” Phoebe drawled, holding Paige’s hand and drawing patterns over her palm, “If I have the strawberry pancakes, can you still kiss me?” She grinned impishly up at the matching glint in Paige’s brown eyes.
“Hmm, I dunno…could be risky…maybe we better stock up now, just to be safe…” Prue rolled her eyes at Piper as the two insatiable young lovers kissed.
“You do know you’re still in the kitchen, right?” Prue said dryly. Without acknowledging that they had heard Prue, Paige and Phoebe orbed out.
“Breakfast in ten minutes!” Piper hollered after them. Prue was laughing. “I hope they don’t think I’m gonna make them more pancakes if they forget about these,” Piper groused, flipping the perfect pancakes.
“Oh, please. You’re just mad cause you and Leo aren’t in the orb-to-your-room-every-five-minutes stage anymore.”
“That is not true!” Piper exclaimed. Prue looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. “Okay, yes, that is true,” Piper conceded grumpily. “I mean, we can’t all go to Paris on the drop of a dime…but would it kill him to show a little of that insatiability?” she asked, jerking one thumb up toward the ceiling, where they both knew Phoebe and Paige would now be.
“It’s brand new for them, Piper,” Prue said, smiling affectionately at her little sister. “You are Leo were exactly like that in the beginning, too…when the one you love is like this completely new world, and it’s all yours to discover. Big, romantic gestures come easily then. And then time passes…you know each other better and better…and eventually, those kinds of romantic impulses become more deliberate. You’re not just swept up in the passion…you’re steering it. And one might even argue that it’s better then,” Prue finished with a flourish, sipping her coffee innocently.
“Aaaah, who made you the wise old witch of the northwest?” Piper groused. But she was smirking over her pancakes.
“Who are you calling old, sister?” Prue asked, eyes narrowed. They smiled at each other as Leo orbed in.
“Leo!” Piper said happily, going up to him and giving him a big, fat, wet kiss.
“Hi honey,” Leo said dazedly, a wide, goofy smile on his lips. “What was that for?”
“Just cause I love you,” Piper said sweetly, smiling back. “So what did you find out from the elders? Who is this demon queen bitch, and what does she want with white lighters?”
“Well, the elders don’t think it’s white lighters she’s after.” Piper raised both eyebrows expectantly. “They think…well, they think it’s Phoebe and Paige.” Prue’s eyebrows raised to join Piper’s.
“And why exactly do they think that?” Piper asked dangerously.
“They wouldn’t say,” Leo admitted, looking down at his feet.
“They WOULDN’T SAY?” Piper repeated incredulously. “Some royal demon is after my baby sister, and they won’t tell us what they know? Leo, what is going on?”
“Wait,” Prue broke in, “Phoebe and Paige are ‘The Children of the Light’?” That doesn’t make any sense. Why Phoebe?”
“Look, guys, I really don’t know any more than you do,” Leo insisted, looking back and forth between them with a slightly panicked expression. Which wasn’t necessarily uncalled for, as they were both eyeing him like angry mother lions. He knew they weren’t about to literally rip out his jugular, but the protectiveness that Prue and Piper held for their little sister was quite frightening nonetheless.
“Leo…” Piper said sternly, folding her arms.
“Okay. All I can tell you is, that there’s a prophecy involved. You know how much the elders frown on us knowing too much about our own futures…we could start second-guessing everything we do, and mess up what’s meant to be. We all just have to trust ourselves to handle this demon, just like we’ve always handled them.”
“Oh, did we get the scoop on the demon?” Phoebe walked in smiling brightly.
“Not exactly…” Prue glanced distractedly at her youngest sister. “Where’s Paige?”
“Freshening up.” Phoebe grinned saucily and looked down at the floor as a blush colored her cheeks. “She’ll be down in a minute.”
“Well you might wanna go get her, I think she’d want to hear-“ Piper began, but stopped abruptly when Phoebe gasped and clutched her stomach. “Phoebe? What did you see?”
“Paige is in trouble,” Phoebe gasped, looking up at the ceiling. Everyone bolted for the stairs. Before they’d even left the kitchen, though, Paige orbed in, slightly out of breath, behind Leo.
“Demon!” She screamed, a split second before another yellow-eyed demon appeared in the kitchen, exactly like the one from the night before. A fat blue energy ball rested in his hand.
“The queen of shadows-“ he roared, but Piper blew him up where he stood before he could finish.
“Will rise, yeah yeah, we know,” Piper finished, putting her hands on her hips and staring at the new scorch mark on the kitchen floor. Phoebe rushed over to Paige, running her hands all over Paige’s body in a frantic search for injury.
“Baby, you okay?” She asked urgently.
“I’m fine, Pheebs. Your sister’s a total bad-ass.”
“Yeah, I am,” Piper smirked. “Oh! Pancakes are ready!”
“Groovy,” Paige smiled, taking Phoebe’s hand and leading her back to the table. “So what do we know about these medieval losers, anyway?” Prue watched this exchange and smiled. With everything that had happened in the past twelve hours, most boyfriends-or girlfriends-would have run for the hills by now. Of course, Phoebe’s girlfriend wasn’t exactly ‘normal’ by any human standard, but even so, the Charmed Ones had always had a rough run when it came to love. Most people were scared off once they saw a glimpse of daily life in the Halliwell manor. Prue was glad to see that Paige wouldn’t be one of them.
“Apparently,” Piper said when Leo remained stubbornly silent, “the elders are under the impression that the two of you-“ she eyeballed Phoebe and Paige as she put their pancakes down in front of them-“are the ‘Children of Light,’ and there is some sort of prophecy about you. But they won’t tell us what it is.” She said this part directly to Leo, who still wasn’t looking at her.
“There’s a prophecy…about us?” Paige asked softly, a dazed look falling over her face.
“Wait,” Phoebe held up a hand. “Are they saying that there’s a prophecy about these ‘Children of Light’ and the elders think that we’re them…or, that the prophecy is actually about Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews?”
“That’s a good question,” Piper said, narrowing her eyes. “Leo?” All eyes were on Leo then. Leo was still looking at the floor. He sighed.
“The prophecy concerns the youngest Charmed One, and her true love…one who was born to the human world, but blessed with the light of divine grace.” No one quite knew what to say to this. It was, undeniably, Phoebe and Paige in the prophecy…but the words ‘true love’ had left them all a little shell-shocked, especially Paige. Was she really Phoebe’s true love? Could she ever live up to a prophecy like that? Was Phoebe going to get hurt, or worse, because of her? Suddenly she completely lost her appetite, and pushed her pancakes away.
“Phoebe,” Prue finally said, “what exactly did you see in your premonition?”
“Huh?” Phoebe looked up dazedly.
“The premonition you had, just before Paige was attacked.”
“I didn’t have a premonition,” Phoebe said, shaking her head.
“Phoebe, we saw you. You jumped like a live wire hit you, and you said Paige was in trouble. Two seconds later, Paige orbed in here with a demon on her tail. You’re saying that wasn’t a premonition?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Phoebe reiterated firmly. “I’m not sure what it was…I just knew that Paige was in trouble. I could feel it,” she said softly, one hand going unconsciously to her stomach, as if to demonstrate where she’d sensed it. Paige’s hand went to Phoebe’s leg, giving her a gentle squeeze.
“Well that’s just weird,” Piper said finally.
“Maybe her powers are growing, “ Prue said thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” Phoebe nodded absently, though in her gut she knew that wasn’t it. “I really want to know more about this prophecy thing.”
“You already know as much as I know, and the elders won’t say any more,” Leo insisted with a shake of his head.
“Then you go back up there and you MAKE them say more, Leo,” Prue said in her most dangerous voice, eyes flashing. “Do NOT come back down here unless it is to give us some answers!” Too intimidated to answer, Leo orbed out. Paige looked at Prue, and made a mental note never to get on her bad side.
“I guess we should hit the book of shadows and see what we can dig up about this queen demon,” Piper said brusquely as she drained the last of her coffee. “Prue, wanna help?” Prue nodded, and the two rose and cleared their dishes from the table.
“We’ll come help too,” Phoebe offered, rising from her chair.
“No, Pheebs, eat your breakfast,” Piper said, pushing her back into her chair.
“Yes, Mom,” Phoebe grinned. Piper swatted her arm and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, guys, for breakfast, and…everything.” Paige looked shyly from Prue to Piper.
“Don’t worry about it, Paige,” Piper said lightly, but her eyes were very serious. “Anything that wants to hurt you, has to get through the Charmed Ones…and we are the resident bad-asses in this town.” Paige smiled and nodded. She wasn’t worried for herself…she just hoped that Phoebe and her sisters wouldn’t end up getting hurt because of her.
TBC…
Charmed and Dangerous-Part 4
“You’re a white lighter,” Phoebe whispered. “Oh God…” Paige was still standing in the middle of the room, still as a statue with her clothes bundled in her hand. Phoebe’s brain seemed to have momentarily crashed, and then sped into hyperdrive as all the implications hit her. Paige wasn’t human. Paige wasn’t even alive, technically. Even though she had always known this about Leo and not been upset by it, somehow it seemed very different now. Would Paige be called away to her charges at all hours, without warning, just like Leo? Would they even be allowed to be together? Or would the elders insist that two charmed ones coupled with white lighters was simply unacceptable?
“Paige are you…are they gonna…” Phoebe’s voice broke, and a gut-wrenching sob sprang Paige into action, as she rushed back to Phoebe and the bed, cradling her tenderly.
“No, honey, please don’t cry…shhh…I’m not a white lighter. I’m a very human girl, who catches colds and skins my knees. Really, it’s okay.” Paige gently wiped away Phoebe’s tears as she spoke, covering her face with gentle kisses.
“But…you orbed!” Phoebe sobbed, wanting to believe Paige, but unable to understand these confusing new events.
“Yeah,” Paige agreed. She had no idea how Phoebe knew about orbing, but she realized that they both had secrets that would have to come out; the confusion was causing Phoebe terrible distress, and Paige simply wouldn’t allow that.
“My mom was a white lighter,” she explained as she continued to soothe Phoebe, running her fingers through soft brown hair. “I got the orbing from her…but that’s all, nothing else. My dad was just a regular guy, and Mom couldn’t save him when he got sick.” Paige swallowed hard, trying not to think too much about the father she had lost so very long ago. “After that it was just me and Mom…she told me what she was then. She had to, there was just too much to go unexplained. I didn’t know up till then, didn’t even know what I was, cause Mom bound my orbing power to keep me safe from too many questions. She told me that one day, when I was ready and we both agreed, she’d release my power. But then she was killed protecting one of her charges…” Paige trailed off, this pain too fresh to swallow away. Phoebe hugged her, not trying to offer any false words of assurance. She knew how painful it was to lose a mother.
“Anyway,” Paige continued, “after she died, my power was released. It was all so sudden, and I had no idea how to control it. Any time I got angry or scared, I was orbing all over the place. I totally freaked out, and ran away from the foster family they’d put me with. This was three years ago,” she added.
“So, what happened?” Phoebe asked tentatively. Paige smiled fondly.
“I was hitchhiking to LA, and this guy picked me up in his truck. Then he grabbed my hand and orbed me,” she jerked her thumb up, “somewhere safe. He said he was my new white lighter, and he’d teach me how to control my power. He calmed me down a lot, and got me to agree I’d go back to my foster parents. And he did teach me,” She finished. “I’ve got it all under control now…except for the, uh, sneezing thing, which you are the only person to have ever seen.” She grinned shyly. Phoebe smiled back. It really was cute, she thought mischievously. “I’m still working on that, but it seems kinda hopeless. It’s completely involuntary, you know? Just like a regular sneeze is. And Leo says that since I’m the only human to ever have been known to orb, there’s no way to know if…” Paige trailed off as she noticed Phoebe’s eyes bug out.
“Leo?” Phoebe gasped.
“My white lighter,” Paige clarified.
“Paige, Leo is my white lighter, too…not to mention, Piper’s husband.”
“Huh? And…huh?” Now it was Paige who stared at Phoebe in disbelief.
“My sisters and I are witches.”
“Not just any old witch gets a white lighter,” Paige pointed out hesitantly.
“Yeah…well, my sisters and I, we’re not just any old witches,” Phoebe said with a small grin. “We’re the Charmed Ones.”
“Holy shit,” Paige gasped. “You…you’re…wow.” A dreamy expression of disbelief came over Paige’s face. “My girlfriend is a charmed one!”
“I’m your girlfriend?” Phoebe squeaked, her toes wiggling happily under the blanket. Snapped out of her reverie, Paige looked up in an expression of horror, a deep blush rising in her cheeks as she backpedaled furiously.
“Oh, I didn’t mean-I shouldn’t have-I mean if you want-“ Phoebe silenced her with a deep, smoldering kiss.
“Paige,” she breathed when they broke apart, “I’ve, um, never moved this fast before. I’m not exactly a put-out-on-the-first-date kind of girl. But what’s happening between us, it’s not about putting out. I’ve never moved this fast before…because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
“Me neither,” Paige agreed softly, still in a slight trance from Phoebe’s gentle fingers grazing her face.
“So rest assured, that there is nothing on this earth I want more than to be your girlfriend.” Phoebe gave Paige a glowing smile. “Do you want to be mine?”
“Yes,” Paige breathed, kissing her in a way that was almost worshipful.
“Good,” Phoebe sighed as they broke apart. “Glad we got that taken care of.” Paige giggled, then her eyes slid out of focus.
“Achoo!!” Paige sneezed, once again giving Phoebe the most delightful sensations everywhere they touched as she orbed quickly out and back in again.
“Oh, honey,” Phoebe kissed her forehead, smiling gently. “I almost forgot, with everything and all, that my baby doesn’t feel good.” She gently laid her hand against Paige’s face; it was definitely warm. “I’m gonna make you some nice hot raspberry-ginger tea, okay? It’ll make you feel better.” Paige nodded, smiling shyly. She wasn’t used to having anyone dote over her like this.
“Although…” Phoebe added mischievously, “it does feel really good when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Orb out against me.”
“Really?” Phoebe nodded, and Paige returned her evil grin. “You mean, like this?” And Paige began to dissolve back into the hazy blue light that tickled Phoebe’s senses so. But she didn’t orb out completely; she managed to hover somehow, to hold herself in limbo for several seconds before orbing back in.
“Ohhh,” Phoebe moaned, squirming under her very satisfied looking girlfriend. “That feels so good, Paige.”
“Well, I showed you mine…” Paige trailed off, looking at Phoebe significantly. Phoebe knew exactly what she wanted, and spared a momentary thanks to the guys upstairs for giving her something to show off besides her premonitions. Kissing Paige lightly on the mouth, she wrapped her arms firmly around her girlfriend, and twined their legs together. Then she levitated them both three feet off the bed.
“Whoa!” Paige squealed. “Holy shit, Phoebe. That is so cool!” Phoebe giggled, feeling rather proud of herself, and they began to kiss in midair, moving against each other in a weightless sort of way.
“Mmmmm,” Paige sighed, “how long can you do this, Pheebs?”
“As long as you want,” Phoebe murmured. They kissed passionately. And then the door flew open.
“Pheebs, sorry to wake you, but I need my car ke-“ Piper’s entrance startled Phoebe so badly that she fell, along with Paige, landing on the bed with an undignified grunt as both girls had the wind knocked out of them. Piper shrieked as her eyes fell upon the scene before her, clapping her hands firmly over her eyes and stumbling backwards in retreat. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Piper cried, tripping over her feet and falling on her butt in her haste. Her hands remained firmly over her eyes. “Uh, Phoebe,” she said hesitantly, “Did I just see what I think I just saw? And I am not talking about the naked part.”
“Piper, it’s okay.” Phoebe managed to say when she regained her breath. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Are you nuts?” Piper screamed. With her hands still covering her eyes, it made for a very comical argument. Paige reached down and pulled the covers back up over herself and Phoebe, sparing them all from further embarrassment.
“Piper, you can open your eyes now,” Phoebe said calmly. “And no, I am not nuts.” Piper hesitantly removed her hands from her face, relieved to find the scene no longer X-rated.
“Look…Piper,” Paige said haltingly. “I have powers too, okay? Trust me, I won’t rat out the charmed ones.” Piper’s eyes bugged out.
“You must be Paige,” she said finally. Paige nodded. “Great. Well, that’s…that’s just…um…nice to meet you.” Piper was blushing furiously, utterly confused and discombobulated.
“Look Piper, why don’t you go downstairs and let Paige and I get dressed, okay? We’ll come down in a minute and explain everything to you and Prue.” Piper nodded dumbly. “And make some raspberry-ginger tea,” Phoebe added as Piper got up from the floor. As the door closed behind her, both Paige and Phoebe collapsed onto the bed.
“Whoaaaaa…” Paige gave a deflated sigh. Then both girls erupted into a fit of giggles.
Ten minutes later, the two entered the kitchen in pajamas to find Prue and Piper waiting for them. They looked confused and slightly apprehensive, but not openly hostile, and for this, Phoebe was grateful. Seeing the teapot steaming gently on the stove, Phoebe went over and got a cup, adding a generous amount of honey to it before she brought it back to Paige.
“Here baby, drink this.” Phoebe offered Paige the cup as she sat in her lap. “It’ll help your sniffles.”
“Thanks,” Paige smiled shyly at Phoebe and kissed her. Piper and Prue looked at each other, confirming what they both knew: Phoebe was going to be absolutely sickening from now on, and they couldn’t be happier about it. As long as her new girlfriend didn’t turn out to be in any way demonic, of course. And that was the part that made them both look apprehensively at the snuggling young couple.
“Okay,” Piper said loudly when Phoebe and Paige still hadn’t broken apart, “there’s really no nice way to ask this, so I’ll apologize in advance for making a horse’s ass of myself…but, what the hell are ya and what are you doing floating naked with my baby sister?”
“Piper!” Phoebe exclaimed, feeling more embarrassed than she had when Piper had walked in on them in the first place.
“I’m sorry, Phoebe, but we have to know everything that goes on in this house that is remotely connected to magic! You’re mixing work and pleasure here,” Piper said insistently, waving her hands around the way she always did when she was anxious.
“Right, Piper, you’re one to talk,” Phoebe growled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Piper asked.
“It means, you’re married to your white lighter, just like my dad was,” Paige said quietly.
“You’re a white lighter?” Prue gasped.
“Half,” Paige corrected her, rubbing her nose.
“So what does that mean?”
“Well I…I…ACHOO!” Paige sneezed, orbing out from under Phoebe in her chair. Phoebe fell to the floor in a heap. Piper stared open mouthed. Prue burst out laughing. Then Paige orbed back, looking down apologetically at Phoebe.
“Sorry, baby,” She said sheepishly, helping Phoebe to her feet.
“S’okay,” Phoebe groaned, “I guess that’s not a very smart place for me to sit till your cold goes away.” She rubbed her sore butt.
“Want me to do that for ya?” Paige asked her, her voice about an octave lower than usual as they held each other’s gaze.
“Okay, okay, people!” Piper said shrilly, clapping her hands to get their attention. “Let’s save the bedroom eyes and focus on the issue here. Can we make sure we’ve got this all straight?” Across the table, Prue burst out laughing again. Phoebe scowled at her.
“How old are you, twelve? What have you done with my big sister?”
“Sorry,” Prue gasped through her laughter, rendering her apology rather ineffective.
“O-kay,” Piper broke in again. “Just to be clear.” She looked at Paige. “You are half white lighter.”
“Yup.”
“And you can orb.”
“Yup.”
“Can you heal?”
“No, not that,” Paige shook her head emphatically. “The only special thing about me is the orbing.”
“There’s lots more special things about you, baby,” Phoebe drawled, winding her fingers into Paige’s sleek hair and kissing her.
“Oh, for crying out loud, get a room!” Prue groaned, making shooing motions with her hands.
“I HAVE a room,” Phoebe said pointedly, “but it seems like SOME people in this house may have forgotten how to knock.” Piper blushed and put her hand over her eyes.
“Okay, okay, get outta here,” Piper said with a wave of her hands. Phoebe and Paige gave each other another smoldering look, and quickly jumped up, still holding hands. Phoebe grabbed the tea off the table, giggling as Paige pulled her out of the kitchen.
After they had gone, Prue and Piper looked at each other, shaking their heads.
“Goddess,” said Prue, “they are just like you and Leo were when you first fell for each other.”
“Did you hear them call each other by name even once?” Piper asked.
“Oh, honey, oh, baby,” Prue teased, and both sisters erupted in laughter.
“I guess angels make pretty good partners for Halliwell witches, huh?” Prue mused.
“Maybe we should find one for you,” Piper teased.
TBC…
Charmed & Dangerous-Part 5
Summary: Rumors spread through the underworld of a new dark power that will rise and vanquish the Charmed Ones…or are they after something else? The next installment of my Phoebe/Paige saga.
Rating: R
A thin shaft of light spilled across the Halliwell kitchen as the youngest inhabitant stood in front of the refrigerator, squinting through the glare until she found a container of orange juice wedged between Prue’s iced coffee and Piper’s leftover goat cheese pizza. Without a backwards glance, she grabbed the juice and took a swallow directly from the carton. Still holding the late night treat, she leaned back with a contented sigh as arms wound around her waist, and warm lips brushed her ear.
“Hey sweet thing, whatcha doin’ out of bed this late?” Paige murmured, her voice husky with sleep.
“Just needed a drink,” Phoebe whispered back, leaning more fully into Paige’s inviting arms. She kept her voice low automatically, despite the fact that they were alone in the kitchen; the feeling of sleep, of the blanket of night, was heavy through the house, and Phoebe felt an instinctual respect for that veil of darkness. This was its proper place, and she had no desire to disturb it.
“Hmmm, I’m thirsty too,” Paige hummed, her fingers grazing teasingly over Phoebe’s stomach. Phoebe offered her the orange juice container. “Not for juice,” Paige whispered wickedly in her ear, and Phoebe giggled, dropping the carton back on the shelf and turning in her girlfriend’s arms as the fridge door slid shut, the small crack of light vanishing back into the night.
“Awww, does baby need some sugar?” Phoebe asked sweetly, leaning up to give Paige a sweet, orange flavored kiss. It started out tender and sleepy, but soon turned more heated. Phoebe nibbled on Paige’s bottom lip, which she knew would make her girlfriend make the most delightful noises. She wasn’t disappointed, and Paige’s soft whimper spurred Phoebe on to deepen the kiss, wrapping one leg around Paige’s, sliding her foot lightly up and down her girlfriend’s calf. Paige growled, pushing Phoebe back against the kitchen table and crawling on top of her.
“You wanna do it on the kitchen table, Pheebs?” Paige’s breath was hot against Phoebe’s tingling ear. “Who knows how long it’ll be before you can eat your cheerios without thinking of my tongue inside you…” Paige pressed her leg between Phoebe’s as she spoke, and Phoebe let out a high-pitched cry of pleasure, as the night air around them seemed to shatter and fall away, leaving them both ablaze with a fiery passion.
“Oh, God, Paige, you make me so crazy,” Phoebe whimpered, arching up into the delicious weight of her girlfriend’s body on top of her, kissing her for all she was worth.
“I’m only just getting started,” Paige whispered back, leaning back to pull up Phoebe’s long nightshirt, leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach. She wouldn’t be rushed, and took her time teasing and nuzzling Phoebe’s stomach, dipping her tongue into the perfect little bellybutton.
“Paiiiiige,” Phoebe whined, “don’t tease!”
“I’m not teasing you, luscious…I just wanna worship every inch of your body.” Phoebe couldn’t well argue with that. She wound her hands into Paige’s dark hair, running her fingers through it as Paige continued her slow descent south. Finally, Paige dropped off the table onto her knees, pulling Phoebe’s hips forward. Snaking out her tongue, she began to lick the sweetness of Phoebe’s desire off her inner thighs, moaning in delight at the heady flavor of her lover’s essence.
“God, I could spend my whole life between your legs, Phoebe.”
“I’m not stopping you!” Phoebe gasped, her anticipation reaching a fever pitch. Just as Paige was about to reach her goal, they both froze at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Phoebe gave a small squeak of alarm, her hands tightening in Paige’s hair. Paige reacted immediately, orbing them both out moments before the kitchen door swung open to reveal Piper and Leo, hunting for their own midnight snack. Moments later, the two giggling lovers reappeared upstairs in Phoebe’s bed.
“Close shave,” Phoebe observed. “Lucky for me my girlfriend has superpowers.”
“Feel free to pay me back any way you like,” Paige drawled. She resumed her actions of moments before, her tongue snaking out to reach Phoebe’s hot, wet core. As she did so, Phoebe arched up into her mouth, levitating them both off the bed as if it were a natural extension of her own movement. And it was.
**************
When they finally floated back down to the bed, some time later, both were sighing sleepily and trading soft, gentle touches.
“Why does it seem like I never get any sleep when I sleep at your house?” Paige wondered aloud, her head nestled comfortably against Phoebe’s shoulder.
“Probably cause you’re an insatiable vixen who can’t keep her hands to herself for more than five minutes,” Phoebe replied in the same sleepy drawl. Paige leaned up on one elbow, smirking, and dropped a long, slow kiss on her girlfriend’s already kiss-swollen lips.
“Are you complaining?” She asked coyly.
“Never,” Phoebe replied seriously.
“Good,” Paige nodded, an adorably serious expression on her face. She studied Phoebe for a moment, her mock-serious face giving way to an authentically thoughtful expression.
“Whatcha thinkin’, baby?’ Phoebe asked softly, reaching up to run her fingers over Paige’s lips.
“Remember that beautiful sunset you showed me at the beach, on our first date?”
“Of course,” Phoebe nodded, smiling involuntarily. Paige grinned back. Then she sat up.
“C’mon.” She tugged Phoebe up into a sitting position. “I wanna take you somewhere.” Phoebe glanced at the clock.
“At two thirty in the morning?”
“We’ll only be gone a little while…you don’t even have to change out of your jammies.” Phoebe leaned forward and kissed Paige deeply.
“Okay.” Smiling, their bodies still entwined, the two dissolved in a haze of brilliant white lights.
**********
Piper and Leo had long since finished their midnight snack of cookies and milk, and were back in their own bed, deeply asleep. Piper was nestled up against her husband’s strong chest, when he sat up suddenly, gasping, jerking her awake as well. Both being used to any order of late-night attacks, they were awake and alert immediately.
“Leo, what--?” Piper began to ask, but before she could finish her question, a blaze of white lights erupted at the foot of their bed, as two figured orbed in.
“Leo, Piper, help!” Paige cried. She was cradling Phoebe’s unconscious form, her stomach soaked with blood from a horrible, gaping wound.
“Oh, Goddess,” Piper gasped, all the color leaving her face as she saw her baby sister drenched in blood. Leo was already reaching his hands out to heal Phoebe when Prue burst through the door, having also been awakened by Paige’s scream. Leo’s hands began to glow, signifying that his healing powers were in use. Everyone else in the room felt the vice grip on their hearts loosen slightly, as they all knew that Phoebe must still be alive. They were all so focused on Phoebe, that they nearly didn’t notice the demon that appeared in a haze of black smoke.
“The Queen of Shadows will rise!” He screamed, a fanatic gleam in his catlike yellow eyes as he held back an energy ball in his hand. Not missing a beat, Prue turned and threw him across the room with her powers, a second before Piper blew him to oblivion. Paige didn’t even look up. She watched as all the blood covering her and Phoebe seemed to slide backwards, into Phoebe’s stomach; then the skin mended, and finally her tattered nightshirt. Leo gave a grunt of exhaustion, slumping back as he removed his hands. Piper looked at him in alarm, knowing that it took a lot to tap him of his healing powers.
“Leo, is she--?” Piper whispered, too terrified to complete her sentence. Then Phoebe opened her eyes unsteadily, a hazy expression on her face, as if she’d been deeply asleep. She looked up at Paige and smiled.
“Close shave,” she murmured. Paige burst into tears, burying her face in Phoebe’s hair as she sobbed. “Hey,” Phoebe murmured, “it’s okay, I’m okay baby…ssssh…I’m okay.” Prue, Piper and Leo all looked at each other, wanting answers, but knowing it would be a few minutes before they got any. They all realized that this was the first time Phoebe’s girlfriend had ever witnessed an injury of this magnitude, one that required Leo’s intervention. And they could all remember how terrifying it had been; when you thought someone you loved was dying. Paige was still sobbing uncontrollably, nearing hysterics. Phoebe was holding her tight, rubbing her back in soothing circles, whispering words of assurance in a calm, loving voice.
“Sssh, sweet girl…I’m here…I’m not going anywhere…just breathe, baby, please. You have to calm down, or you’re going to make yourself sick.” Phoebe took one of Paige’s hands and placed it over her own heart, taking a deep, slow breath. “Breathe with me, love.” She took another deep breath, her eyes locked with Paige’s, who tried to imitate her. Her breath came out in a ragged gasp. “Good girl,” Phoebe murmured, “Again.” They took another breath together; this time Paige managed a slightly deeper inhalation. “That’s my baby girl,” Phoebe smiled through her tears, leaning forward to cover Paige’s face with whisper-soft butterfly kisses. As Paige’s breathing returned to a somewhat normal, if winded, level, Phoebe pulled back and smiled at her with an expression of utter devotion. “You saved my life, Paige.” Paige shook her head, casting her eyes down at the bed.
“Leo saved your life…I’m the one that nearly got you killed.”
“Honey, that’s ridiculous! How was it your fault?”
“If I’d just orbed us out sooner…reacted faster…”
“Paige, baby, look at me.” Phoebe grabbed Paige’s face with both hands, forcing her eyes back up. “There was no way we could have anticipated that attack. You orbed me to Leo. You saved my life. Period.”
“But it was my idea in the first place…” Paige said softly, her voice still trembling with guilt.
“Honey, listen to what you’re saying. There is no way we could’ve anticipated a demon attack while watching the sunrise!”
“Sunrise?” Prue said hesitantly. She didn’t want to break into this private moment between the two lovers any more than anyone else did, but as the oldest and arguably the most stubborn of the lot, she couldn’t wait another minute to find out what had happened. She looked out the window for confirmation, then back at Phoebe. “Pheebs, it’s the middle of the night.”
“Not in Paris,” Phoebe said contritely. Her hand slipped down to Paige’s leg in a gentle caress. A faint grin finally appeared on Paige’s tearstained face.
“Paris?” Piper cried, looking at her husband indignantly. Why didn’t he ever orb her anywhere anymore?
“Ohhh, we were gonna bring you guys back fresh croissants,” Phoebe said flippantly. “And we were only gone for, like, half an hour. Paige wanted to show me the sunrise from the top of the Eiffel tower.” Phoebe gave Paige another bottomless smile, and Paige couldn’t help but smile back. Cupping her distressed girlfriend’s cheek in her hand, Phoebe kissed her.
“So you got attacked by a demon at the top of the Eiffel tower?’ Prue asked incredulously.
“Yup,” Phoebe agreed. In trademark Phoebe style, now that the danger was past, she was 100% business and ready to talk shop. “Glad you guys all saw him, so I won’t have to make the ID myself.”
“Did he say anything when he attacked you the first time? Anything besides, ‘the Queen of Shadows will rise’?” Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, and everyone knew that he had indeed said something.
“Actually…” Paige said hesitantly. Her voice was hoarse from crying. “He did say one other thing. Before he said that the Queen of Shadows would rise…he said, ‘The Children of the Light will bleed.’”
“The Children of Light?” Piper asked, frowning. “Does that mean white lighters? This demon queen is after white lighters?” She didn’t like the sound of that at all, and she scooted closer to Leo under the blankets.
“I’m not a white lighter,” Paige reminded them, her head drooping onto Phoebe’s shoulder in exhaustion. Even since the moment the demon had attacked, she had been running on a massive dose of adrenalin. Now that the danger was past, it was draining away, leaving her feeling profoundly weak and spent. Phoebe could sense Paige’s exhaustion, and pulled her girlfriend more firmly into her arms, her hand still stroking Paige’s leg.
“Look,” said Phoebe, “whatever this thing is, whatever it’s after, we obviously have a lot of research to do. We should all be safe in the manor, for tonight at least, so I vote for starting fresh in the morning. We all need to get some sleep.” There was a murmur of consensus, and everyone rose to return to their own bedrooms. Paige clung to Phoebe like a sleepy child, not letting her go for a second.
“Hey,” Phoebe murmured when they were finally back in their bed. She gently smoothed Paige’s hair back from her face, wiping away the drying tear tracks from her reddened cheeks. “Are you okay, baby? Really?” Paige’s eyes were already drooping, but she fought to keep them open. Phoebe knew they would have to have a more serious conversation in the morning, but for now, she wanted assurance that her girlfriend wasn’t going to sleep just to wake up screaming in five minutes.
“Thought I was gonna lose you,” Paige murmured, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she looked up into Phoebe’s concerned face.
“You’re never going to lose me,” Phoebe said fiercely, squeezing Paige’s hand in her own.
“I love you,” Paige whispered. Despite the terror and emotional roller coaster they’d been through in the past hour, Phoebe felt joy rising up inside her like pure, liquid sweetness at the sound of those words from Paige’s lips.
“I love you too, my sweet girl.” Phoebe leaned forward and kissed Paige’s sleepy face. By the time she pulled back to look at her, Paige was fast asleep, her hand still holding Phoebe’s. Smiling, Phoebe nestled down next to her, breathing in the soothingly sweet scent of Paige’s hair. The demon’s words echoed in her head…the children of the light will bleed. Whatever Paige said to the contrary, she was more white lighter than not, and Phoebe was worried about what was out there, after her baby. *In the morning,* she thought sleepily…*we’ll figure it out in the morning.*
Charmed and Dangerous-Part 6
Summary: A new evil threatens the Charmed Ones…or are they after something else? The latest installment of my Phoebe/Paige saga.
Rating: R
Paige’s ascent to wakefulness was slow and murky. She felt so tired; it was as if her whole body was made of lead, and she could feel herself sinking lower and lower, right to the center of the earth. She wanted to open her eyes, but it was so hard. Everything was dark and hazy; her thoughts were like molasses. She couldn’t seem to find anything to hold onto, and she was in pain.
“Paige…wake up, sweetie…” Phoebe. It was Phoebe’s voice, calling her from somewhere very far away. She wanted to answer; she tried to call out. But she couldn’t seem to open her mouth. She wasn’t sure she even had a mouth. Her body felt like it was dissolving into a sea of pain. *Phoebe, help me!* She thought desperately.
“I’m right here, baby…don’t be scared…it’s just a bad dream, love, come back to me…” Phoebe’s voice was so soft, gentle and full of love. It was like warm water being poured over the ice she felt trapped inside; she could feel her senses returning, feel her fingers and toes moving. Gasping, Paige opened her eyes.
“Phoebe!” She screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed, arms flailing.
“I’m here, baby, I’m right here,” Phoebe said soothingly, arms wrapping around her shaking lover.
“Ohhh…” Paige groaned, collapsing in Phoebe’s strong embrace as the waking world filtered in. She closed her eyes against the painfully bright morning light and buried her face in her girlfriend’s warm, inviting neck.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Phoebe asked, drawing back to look anxiously into Paige’s face.
“Like I came down with a 24-hour case of the Black Plague,” Paige groaned, curling into a ball with her head resting on Phoebe’s chest. Her stomach was churning, as if a million angry insects were trying to claw their way out. Her head was throbbing, her sinuses were all stuffed up, and her eyes and nose felt raw and sore, as if she’d been stuck in a sandstorm.
“I think you cried yourself sick, honey,” Phoebe said sympathetically, holding her whimpering girlfriend and rubbing her back. “Want me to rub your tummy?”
“Phoebe,” Paige ground out through clenched teeth, “I think I’m gonna throw up.” Phoebe leaned down and grabbed the wastebasket from beside her bed, and put it in front of Paige, just in case.
“Relax, baby, I’m here…everything’s okay…just lean back against me…” Phoebe’s hands wormed around Paige’s tense body as she spoke, getting between her raised knees and her stomach, rubbing her distressed tummy in gentle, soothing circles. “Listen to the sound of my voice, baby…stay with me…” Paige’s body began to relax, her eyes sliding closed as she leaned back against Phoebe. Phoebe’s eyes closed, too. “I love you, Paige. I will never stop loving you.” With both their eyes closed, neither of them saw the brilliant, golden light that emanated from Phoebe’s hands as she spoke. Paige let out a long, slow breath as the nausea receded. Her body went completely limp as she dropped her head back against Phoebe’s shoulder.
“Wow,” was all Paige could manage to say as Phoebe moved one hand up to brush the hair off her forehead.
“Does that feel better, honey?”
“Yeah,” Paige nodded dumbly. “It feels amazing…what did you do?” She glanced up curiously into Phoebe’s eyes.
“Just what I always do…” Phoebe kissed the end of Paige’s nose. “Love you.”
“Cornball.” Paige giggled. The action caused a sharp, shooting pain through her head, reminding her of the rest of her aches and pains.
“Your head really hurts, huh?” Phoebe said sympathetically.
“Yeah…” Paige was too disoriented, and in too much pain, to stop to wonder how Phoebe knew her head hurt.
“I know just what you need.” Phoebe got up and tugged Paige down the hall to the bathroom. She turned the shower on to a good, hot blast, and then went into the medicine cabinet, returning with a small vial of some sort of liquid, and a ceramic aromatherapy cup. Pouring out a few drops from the vial, she hung it over the top of the showerhead. Paige was immediately hit with the fragrant scent of eucalyptus.
“Ooooh,” Paige sighed, “that’s nice.”
“Hop in,” Phoebe said mischievously, waggling her eyebrows as she stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower. Paige was right behind her, sighing happily as the hot water hit her tense muscles and began to wash away her aches and pains. The steamy clouds of eucalyptus were doing an incredible job of clearing up the stuffiness in her head, and soothing away her headache at the same time.
“Baby, you are some kind of miracle worker,” Paige moaned happily, as Phoebe’s warm and soapy hands came around her waist and began lathering her up with sandalwood scented bubbles.
“Mmmm, a hot shower will cure almost anything,” Phoebe agreed. “And the eucalyptus always clears up a sinus headache…Grams would always throw me in here when I had a cold as a kid.” Paige turned in Phoebe’s arms, smiling into the adoring brown eyes that were focused completely on her.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” she said seriously, capturing Phoebe’s soapy hands in her own.
“Thank you for letting me,” Phoebe replied. They started into each other’s eyes for several long moments, neither feeling the need to speak as the hot water pounded over them, soothing them almost as much as each other’s presence. Then Paige leaned in and gave Phoebe a soft and gentle kiss.
“I love you so much,” she murmured, her hands running through Phoebe’s wet hair as their bodies entwined. “Can’t believe…how scared I was last night…” Their breath became erratic as the kiss deepened.
“Nothing could ever make me leave you,” Phoebe gasped, pressing herself more fully into Paige’s warmth. Then they both lost all ability to speak, as their passion overtook them. Phoebe hoped her sisters had already had their showers today, because she knew for certain that there wouldn’t be any hot water left by the time she and Paige were through.
***************
Later, dried and dressed, Phoebe and Paige found their way to the kitchen, where Prue and Piper were finishing their breakfast.
“Strawberry pancakes!” Phoebe squealed happily. “Yay, Piper!” Phoebe went around the table to give her big sister a kiss on the cheek. “You are in for a treat, Paige.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’re awesome, but I can’t have any,” Paige said apologetically.
“Why not?” Phoebe asked, looking as crestfallen as if she had made them herself.
“I’m allergic to strawberries.”
“What now?” Piper gave Paige a dubious look. “You’re an angel, Paige. Angels don’t have food allergies.”
“How many times do I have to tell you crazy people that I am half human?” Paige said with a roll of her eyes. “And my human half is allergic to strawberries. So unless you all want to spend the rest of your Sunday afternoon in the ER, I’ll just have a bowl of cereal.”
“No, no, don’t be silly,” Piper said with a wave of her hands as she rose from the table. “I can make other kinds of pancakes! Name your favorite.”
“Uh…” Paige stammered. She was used to Phoebe spoiling her at this point, but the idea of her sisters going out of their way to make her breakfast took her completely by surprise.
“C’mon, Paige, Piper always makes us special breakfasts on Sunday. She’ll feel insulted if you reject her.”
“Oh, I wasn’t rejecting---“
“Okay then!” Piper clapped her hands in her usual ‘order in the court’ manner. “What’ll it be? Blueberry? Banana? Ohh! I can do lemon poppy if you wanna try it!”
“Blueberry’s great…thanks.” Paige smiled shyly at Piper, feeling altogether undeserving of such pampering, but realizing she had little choice but to acquiesce in the face of the Charmed Ones at work-even if it was only in the kitchen.
“You don’t have any siblings, do you Paige?” Prue asked, looking up from the paper.
“No…” Paige said uncertainly. “How did you know?”
“You just seem like someone who’s used to doing everything for yourself,” Prue said wisely. “I hope you won’t feel too overwhelmed by ‘team Halliwell’ here.”
“No, actually I…I like it,” Paige said, looking at Phoebe. They shared a shy smile, which Prue observed wordlessly. The two sat down at the table with their coffee, while Piper went about making more pancakes for the late risers.
“So,” Phoebe drawled, holding Paige’s hand and drawing patterns over her palm, “If I have the strawberry pancakes, can you still kiss me?” She grinned impishly up at the matching glint in Paige’s brown eyes.
“Hmm, I dunno…could be risky…maybe we better stock up now, just to be safe…” Prue rolled her eyes at Piper as the two insatiable young lovers kissed.
“You do know you’re still in the kitchen, right?” Prue said dryly. Without acknowledging that they had heard Prue, Paige and Phoebe orbed out.
“Breakfast in ten minutes!” Piper hollered after them. Prue was laughing. “I hope they don’t think I’m gonna make them more pancakes if they forget about these,” Piper groused, flipping the perfect pancakes.
“Oh, please. You’re just mad cause you and Leo aren’t in the orb-to-your-room-every-five-minutes stage anymore.”
“That is not true!” Piper exclaimed. Prue looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. “Okay, yes, that is true,” Piper conceded grumpily. “I mean, we can’t all go to Paris on the drop of a dime…but would it kill him to show a little of that insatiability?” she asked, jerking one thumb up toward the ceiling, where they both knew Phoebe and Paige would now be.
“It’s brand new for them, Piper,” Prue said, smiling affectionately at her little sister. “You are Leo were exactly like that in the beginning, too…when the one you love is like this completely new world, and it’s all yours to discover. Big, romantic gestures come easily then. And then time passes…you know each other better and better…and eventually, those kinds of romantic impulses become more deliberate. You’re not just swept up in the passion…you’re steering it. And one might even argue that it’s better then,” Prue finished with a flourish, sipping her coffee innocently.
“Aaaah, who made you the wise old witch of the northwest?” Piper groused. But she was smirking over her pancakes.
“Who are you calling old, sister?” Prue asked, eyes narrowed. They smiled at each other as Leo orbed in.
“Leo!” Piper said happily, going up to him and giving him a big, fat, wet kiss.
“Hi honey,” Leo said dazedly, a wide, goofy smile on his lips. “What was that for?”
“Just cause I love you,” Piper said sweetly, smiling back. “So what did you find out from the elders? Who is this demon queen bitch, and what does she want with white lighters?”
“Well, the elders don’t think it’s white lighters she’s after.” Piper raised both eyebrows expectantly. “They think…well, they think it’s Phoebe and Paige.” Prue’s eyebrows raised to join Piper’s.
“And why exactly do they think that?” Piper asked dangerously.
“They wouldn’t say,” Leo admitted, looking down at his feet.
“They WOULDN’T SAY?” Piper repeated incredulously. “Some royal demon is after my baby sister, and they won’t tell us what they know? Leo, what is going on?”
“Wait,” Prue broke in, “Phoebe and Paige are ‘The Children of the Light’?” That doesn’t make any sense. Why Phoebe?”
“Look, guys, I really don’t know any more than you do,” Leo insisted, looking back and forth between them with a slightly panicked expression. Which wasn’t necessarily uncalled for, as they were both eyeing him like angry mother lions. He knew they weren’t about to literally rip out his jugular, but the protectiveness that Prue and Piper held for their little sister was quite frightening nonetheless.
“Leo…” Piper said sternly, folding her arms.
“Okay. All I can tell you is, that there’s a prophecy involved. You know how much the elders frown on us knowing too much about our own futures…we could start second-guessing everything we do, and mess up what’s meant to be. We all just have to trust ourselves to handle this demon, just like we’ve always handled them.”
“Oh, did we get the scoop on the demon?” Phoebe walked in smiling brightly.
“Not exactly…” Prue glanced distractedly at her youngest sister. “Where’s Paige?”
“Freshening up.” Phoebe grinned saucily and looked down at the floor as a blush colored her cheeks. “She’ll be down in a minute.”
“Well you might wanna go get her, I think she’d want to hear-“ Piper began, but stopped abruptly when Phoebe gasped and clutched her stomach. “Phoebe? What did you see?”
“Paige is in trouble,” Phoebe gasped, looking up at the ceiling. Everyone bolted for the stairs. Before they’d even left the kitchen, though, Paige orbed in, slightly out of breath, behind Leo.
“Demon!” She screamed, a split second before another yellow-eyed demon appeared in the kitchen, exactly like the one from the night before. A fat blue energy ball rested in his hand.
“The queen of shadows-“ he roared, but Piper blew him up where he stood before he could finish.
“Will rise, yeah yeah, we know,” Piper finished, putting her hands on her hips and staring at the new scorch mark on the kitchen floor. Phoebe rushed over to Paige, running her hands all over Paige’s body in a frantic search for injury.
“Baby, you okay?” She asked urgently.
“I’m fine, Pheebs. Your sister’s a total bad-ass.”
“Yeah, I am,” Piper smirked. “Oh! Pancakes are ready!”
“Groovy,” Paige smiled, taking Phoebe’s hand and leading her back to the table. “So what do we know about these medieval losers, anyway?” Prue watched this exchange and smiled. With everything that had happened in the past twelve hours, most boyfriends-or girlfriends-would have run for the hills by now. Of course, Phoebe’s girlfriend wasn’t exactly ‘normal’ by any human standard, but even so, the Charmed Ones had always had a rough run when it came to love. Most people were scared off once they saw a glimpse of daily life in the Halliwell manor. Prue was glad to see that Paige wouldn’t be one of them.
“Apparently,” Piper said when Leo remained stubbornly silent, “the elders are under the impression that the two of you-“ she eyeballed Phoebe and Paige as she put their pancakes down in front of them-“are the ‘Children of Light,’ and there is some sort of prophecy about you. But they won’t tell us what it is.” She said this part directly to Leo, who still wasn’t looking at her.
“There’s a prophecy…about us?” Paige asked softly, a dazed look falling over her face.
“Wait,” Phoebe held up a hand. “Are they saying that there’s a prophecy about these ‘Children of Light’ and the elders think that we’re them…or, that the prophecy is actually about Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews?”
“That’s a good question,” Piper said, narrowing her eyes. “Leo?” All eyes were on Leo then. Leo was still looking at the floor. He sighed.
“The prophecy concerns the youngest Charmed One, and her true love…one who was born to the human world, but blessed with the light of divine grace.” No one quite knew what to say to this. It was, undeniably, Phoebe and Paige in the prophecy…but the words ‘true love’ had left them all a little shell-shocked, especially Paige. Was she really Phoebe’s true love? Could she ever live up to a prophecy like that? Was Phoebe going to get hurt, or worse, because of her? Suddenly she completely lost her appetite, and pushed her pancakes away.
“Phoebe,” Prue finally said, “what exactly did you see in your premonition?”
“Huh?” Phoebe looked up dazedly.
“The premonition you had, just before Paige was attacked.”
“I didn’t have a premonition,” Phoebe said, shaking her head.
“Phoebe, we saw you. You jumped like a live wire hit you, and you said Paige was in trouble. Two seconds later, Paige orbed in here with a demon on her tail. You’re saying that wasn’t a premonition?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Phoebe reiterated firmly. “I’m not sure what it was…I just knew that Paige was in trouble. I could feel it,” she said softly, one hand going unconsciously to her stomach, as if to demonstrate where she’d sensed it. Paige’s hand went to Phoebe’s leg, giving her a gentle squeeze.
“Well that’s just weird,” Piper said finally.
“Maybe her powers are growing, “ Prue said thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” Phoebe nodded absently, though in her gut she knew that wasn’t it. “I really want to know more about this prophecy thing.”
“You already know as much as I know, and the elders won’t say any more,” Leo insisted with a shake of his head.
“Then you go back up there and you MAKE them say more, Leo,” Prue said in her most dangerous voice, eyes flashing. “Do NOT come back down here unless it is to give us some answers!” Too intimidated to answer, Leo orbed out. Paige looked at Prue, and made a mental note never to get on her bad side.
“I guess we should hit the book of shadows and see what we can dig up about this queen demon,” Piper said brusquely as she drained the last of her coffee. “Prue, wanna help?” Prue nodded, and the two rose and cleared their dishes from the table.
“We’ll come help too,” Phoebe offered, rising from her chair.
“No, Pheebs, eat your breakfast,” Piper said, pushing her back into her chair.
“Yes, Mom,” Phoebe grinned. Piper swatted her arm and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, guys, for breakfast, and…everything.” Paige looked shyly from Prue to Piper.
“Don’t worry about it, Paige,” Piper said lightly, but her eyes were very serious. “Anything that wants to hurt you, has to get through the Charmed Ones…and we are the resident bad-asses in this town.” Paige smiled and nodded. She wasn’t worried for herself…she just hoped that Phoebe and her sisters wouldn’t end up getting hurt because of her.
TBC…