Fic: Comes Out of Darkness, Morn (21/37)
Mar. 18th, 2012 11:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sara_wolfTitle: Comes Out of Darkness, Morn
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Pax's disappearance shattered Paige. Losing Prue, three years later, reopens old wounds that she thought she'd managed to close off, forever. But, through tragedy comes a sliver of light, and discovering that she's a witch is only the beginning...
*****
Two Weeks Later
Parking her car on the street in front of the Manor, Paige jogged up to the front door and knocked a couple of times. She knocked, again, when there was no answer, and then rang the doorbell. When there was still no answer, she tried the doorknob, frowning when it turned easily under her hand.
Remembering all-too-well what had happened the last time she'd dropped by the Manor, unexpectedly, she called a small ball of electricity into the palm of her hand, frowning at the effort it took. She stepped cautiously through the door, wondering if she'd be able to get Henry to get her a concealed carry permit. If she was going to constantly be going into dangerous situations, she wanted to have more protection than just powers that she wasn't even sure she could rely on, anymore.
'I wonder if demons are even affected by guns,' she thought, as she shut the door quietly behind her and moved slowly toward the stairs.
Then, she breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as she watched Phoebe's demon boyfriend, Cole, come down the stairs.
"You people have got to start locking that front door," she said, emphatically, as the older man stepped off the last step.
"If it's locked, demons just tend to bust it down," Cole explained.
"Speaking from experience?" Paige muttered, without thinking, but Cole didn't look offended. He just grinned.
"I've renounced my evil past," he assured her. "So, you can put that thing away," he added pointedly, and Paige crushed the ball of electricity in her fist. She hadn't even remembered that she was holding it.
"Sorry," Paige said, apologizing both for the electricity and the thoughtless comment.
"Your sisters are upstairs," Cole said, nodding up the stairs toward the attic. "You can go on up, if you like."
"Thanks," Paige said, climbing the stairs to the attic.
She found Piper and Phoebe in the middle of the room, Piper swinging a crystal on a chain over a map, with Phoebe standing behind her, watching over her shoulder. Paige knocked lightly on the doorframe, and both women looked over at her.
"Sorry to just drop by unannounced," Paige started, but Phoebe crossed the space between them to throw an arm around her shoulders.
"No, no, you're welcome any time," she said, brightly, a smile on her face. "Our casa es su casa, and all that. So, what's up?"
"I was on lunch at work," Paige explained, "and I just thought I'd drop by. I was actually kind of hoping to talk to Leo," she added. "My powers are all wonky, lately, and I was hoping he'd have an explanation."
"He went to meet with another charge," Phoebe told her, "but he should be back, soon – where are you going?" she interrupted herself, when Piper had grabbed her map and crystal and abruptly headed for the door.
"It's a little chatty up here," Piper said, very pointedly not looking at Paige, "so I'm going to go scry for evil in my room."
She stalked out of the attic without even acknowledging Paige's presence, and Paige watched her go, slightly stunned by the complete dismissal by her older sister.
"She hates my guts," she said, lightly, but she didn't really mean it.
She knew that Piper was still grieving for Prue, and she knew all-too-well how those emotions could affect a person. She remembered being a nightmare to Julie and Dave after her parents had died; how she'd closed herself off for weeks after Pax's disappearance. She understood what Piper was going through, and she was more than willing to give her the space that she so clearly desired.
"Piper doesn't hate you," Phoebe insisted, but even she didn't sound convinced by her words. "Leo?" she called out, a moment later, in an abrupt – and telling – change of subject.
"So, what's scrying?" Paige asked, taking the thread that Phoebe had offered her.
"It's kind of a magical LoJack," Phoebe explained. "What's going on with your powers? And, how do you know there's a problem? You've only been a witch for a couple of weeks."
"Not Prue's power," Paige clarified, calling electricity to her fingers and letting it play over the surface of her hand. "This power."
"That's cool," Phoebe said, with a wide-eyed stare, and Paige chuckled.
"I've had this one for the last few years," she went on. "But, lately it's been harder and harder to use. I was hoping Leo would know why. Or maybe I'd find something in this big book," she added, running a hand over the open pages of the huge book that dominated the room. "It's a book of magic, right?"
"Oh, it's so much more than that," Phoebe told her, but the rest of her explanation was cut off by Leo's sudden arrival.
"You called?" the Whitelighter asked, looking at Phoebe, who indicated Paige with a nod.
"Her," she said. "You and Paige talk. I have to go corral Piper."
Then, she ducked out of the attic, leaving Paige and Leo alone in the room. Paige sat down on the window seat, leaning against the cool glass of the window, while Leo took a seat on the couch.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Something's wrong with my powers," Paige told him. "Ever since Prue's funeral, when I took her place in the Charmed Ones. It's harder to call, harder to control – any ideas?"
"I was afraid this might happen," Leo said. "Your Charmed powers are taking over, and as a result, your natural powers are going dormant."
"Excuse me?" Paige asked, incredulously, as she stared at the Whitelighter. "You were afraid that this could happen? And you couldn't think to warn me of that possibility ahead of time?"
"It slipped my mind, I'm sorry," Leo apologized, quickly.
"My powers are going dormant," Paige echoed, slowly. "So, what? I'm going to lose that ability? What about my Whitelighter powers, are they going to go dormant, as well?"
"First question," Leo said, holding up a hand to forestall her panic, "no, you're not going to lose your electrokinesis. It's just that your Charmed powers are temporarily taking over, because in order to be a part of the Power of Three, you need the power of telekinesis. More importantly, you need to get used to the power. And you can't do that if you're constantly relying on the ability to throw lightning around."
"Can't I have both at the same time?" Paige groused. "I mean, I've got some serious firepower, here."
"Second question," Leo said, hiding a smirk behind the palm of his hand, "none of this should affect your Whitelighter abilities. Those are separate from your Charmed powers."
"Great," Paige grumbled. "Prue's powers are taking over my life."
"Maybe," Leo suggested, "the first thing you need to do is learn to stop thinking of them as Prue's powers, and start thinking of them as your own. This is your destiny, now."
"Maybe you're right," Paige said, with a sigh. "Maybe-"
But, the rest of what she was about to say was cut off by a shrill scream coming from downstairs. She and Leo bolted up from their seats to race downstairs, their feet pounding on the stairs. Paige practically tripped over Cole lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs, blood trickling from his eyes, ears, and nose. Leo knelt down beside the other man to check on him while Paige continued into the conservatory.
She found her sisters in the room, facing a trio of enraged female demons. One of the demons hit Phoebe across the face, sending her flying across the room to crash into the couch and disappear over the back. Piper attempted to blow the other ones up, but the demons simply seemed to shrug off the attack, one of them reaching out and wrapping a clawed hand around Piper's throat. Then, the demon started to squeeze until Piper started turning blue.
Paige watched in horror as Piper slumped in the demon's grasp, barely resisting when the demon dragged her closer and blew smoke onto her face. The demon dropped Piper, after that, and Paige waited for Piper to get up and explode the bitch back to Hell, but her older sister wasn't moving. She didn't even look like she was breathing…
Continued here
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Pax's disappearance shattered Paige. Losing Prue, three years later, reopens old wounds that she thought she'd managed to close off, forever. But, through tragedy comes a sliver of light, and discovering that she's a witch is only the beginning...
*****
Two Weeks Later
Parking her car on the street in front of the Manor, Paige jogged up to the front door and knocked a couple of times. She knocked, again, when there was no answer, and then rang the doorbell. When there was still no answer, she tried the doorknob, frowning when it turned easily under her hand.
Remembering all-too-well what had happened the last time she'd dropped by the Manor, unexpectedly, she called a small ball of electricity into the palm of her hand, frowning at the effort it took. She stepped cautiously through the door, wondering if she'd be able to get Henry to get her a concealed carry permit. If she was going to constantly be going into dangerous situations, she wanted to have more protection than just powers that she wasn't even sure she could rely on, anymore.
'I wonder if demons are even affected by guns,' she thought, as she shut the door quietly behind her and moved slowly toward the stairs.
Then, she breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as she watched Phoebe's demon boyfriend, Cole, come down the stairs.
"You people have got to start locking that front door," she said, emphatically, as the older man stepped off the last step.
"If it's locked, demons just tend to bust it down," Cole explained.
"Speaking from experience?" Paige muttered, without thinking, but Cole didn't look offended. He just grinned.
"I've renounced my evil past," he assured her. "So, you can put that thing away," he added pointedly, and Paige crushed the ball of electricity in her fist. She hadn't even remembered that she was holding it.
"Sorry," Paige said, apologizing both for the electricity and the thoughtless comment.
"Your sisters are upstairs," Cole said, nodding up the stairs toward the attic. "You can go on up, if you like."
"Thanks," Paige said, climbing the stairs to the attic.
She found Piper and Phoebe in the middle of the room, Piper swinging a crystal on a chain over a map, with Phoebe standing behind her, watching over her shoulder. Paige knocked lightly on the doorframe, and both women looked over at her.
"Sorry to just drop by unannounced," Paige started, but Phoebe crossed the space between them to throw an arm around her shoulders.
"No, no, you're welcome any time," she said, brightly, a smile on her face. "Our casa es su casa, and all that. So, what's up?"
"I was on lunch at work," Paige explained, "and I just thought I'd drop by. I was actually kind of hoping to talk to Leo," she added. "My powers are all wonky, lately, and I was hoping he'd have an explanation."
"He went to meet with another charge," Phoebe told her, "but he should be back, soon – where are you going?" she interrupted herself, when Piper had grabbed her map and crystal and abruptly headed for the door.
"It's a little chatty up here," Piper said, very pointedly not looking at Paige, "so I'm going to go scry for evil in my room."
She stalked out of the attic without even acknowledging Paige's presence, and Paige watched her go, slightly stunned by the complete dismissal by her older sister.
"She hates my guts," she said, lightly, but she didn't really mean it.
She knew that Piper was still grieving for Prue, and she knew all-too-well how those emotions could affect a person. She remembered being a nightmare to Julie and Dave after her parents had died; how she'd closed herself off for weeks after Pax's disappearance. She understood what Piper was going through, and she was more than willing to give her the space that she so clearly desired.
"Piper doesn't hate you," Phoebe insisted, but even she didn't sound convinced by her words. "Leo?" she called out, a moment later, in an abrupt – and telling – change of subject.
"So, what's scrying?" Paige asked, taking the thread that Phoebe had offered her.
"It's kind of a magical LoJack," Phoebe explained. "What's going on with your powers? And, how do you know there's a problem? You've only been a witch for a couple of weeks."
"Not Prue's power," Paige clarified, calling electricity to her fingers and letting it play over the surface of her hand. "This power."
"That's cool," Phoebe said, with a wide-eyed stare, and Paige chuckled.
"I've had this one for the last few years," she went on. "But, lately it's been harder and harder to use. I was hoping Leo would know why. Or maybe I'd find something in this big book," she added, running a hand over the open pages of the huge book that dominated the room. "It's a book of magic, right?"
"Oh, it's so much more than that," Phoebe told her, but the rest of her explanation was cut off by Leo's sudden arrival.
"You called?" the Whitelighter asked, looking at Phoebe, who indicated Paige with a nod.
"Her," she said. "You and Paige talk. I have to go corral Piper."
Then, she ducked out of the attic, leaving Paige and Leo alone in the room. Paige sat down on the window seat, leaning against the cool glass of the window, while Leo took a seat on the couch.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Something's wrong with my powers," Paige told him. "Ever since Prue's funeral, when I took her place in the Charmed Ones. It's harder to call, harder to control – any ideas?"
"I was afraid this might happen," Leo said. "Your Charmed powers are taking over, and as a result, your natural powers are going dormant."
"Excuse me?" Paige asked, incredulously, as she stared at the Whitelighter. "You were afraid that this could happen? And you couldn't think to warn me of that possibility ahead of time?"
"It slipped my mind, I'm sorry," Leo apologized, quickly.
"My powers are going dormant," Paige echoed, slowly. "So, what? I'm going to lose that ability? What about my Whitelighter powers, are they going to go dormant, as well?"
"First question," Leo said, holding up a hand to forestall her panic, "no, you're not going to lose your electrokinesis. It's just that your Charmed powers are temporarily taking over, because in order to be a part of the Power of Three, you need the power of telekinesis. More importantly, you need to get used to the power. And you can't do that if you're constantly relying on the ability to throw lightning around."
"Can't I have both at the same time?" Paige groused. "I mean, I've got some serious firepower, here."
"Second question," Leo said, hiding a smirk behind the palm of his hand, "none of this should affect your Whitelighter abilities. Those are separate from your Charmed powers."
"Great," Paige grumbled. "Prue's powers are taking over my life."
"Maybe," Leo suggested, "the first thing you need to do is learn to stop thinking of them as Prue's powers, and start thinking of them as your own. This is your destiny, now."
"Maybe you're right," Paige said, with a sigh. "Maybe-"
But, the rest of what she was about to say was cut off by a shrill scream coming from downstairs. She and Leo bolted up from their seats to race downstairs, their feet pounding on the stairs. Paige practically tripped over Cole lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs, blood trickling from his eyes, ears, and nose. Leo knelt down beside the other man to check on him while Paige continued into the conservatory.
She found her sisters in the room, facing a trio of enraged female demons. One of the demons hit Phoebe across the face, sending her flying across the room to crash into the couch and disappear over the back. Piper attempted to blow the other ones up, but the demons simply seemed to shrug off the attack, one of them reaching out and wrapping a clawed hand around Piper's throat. Then, the demon started to squeeze until Piper started turning blue.
Paige watched in horror as Piper slumped in the demon's grasp, barely resisting when the demon dragged her closer and blew smoke onto her face. The demon dropped Piper, after that, and Paige waited for Piper to get up and explode the bitch back to Hell, but her older sister wasn't moving. She didn't even look like she was breathing…
Continued here
