DISCLAIMER: This story and the Halliwell characters, Leo, and the Manor are based on the Spelling Productions television show, "Charmed", created by Constance M. Burge. All other characters and settings (Claudia, Sarta, Paul, Celia, and Pammie) are mine. All comments to the author are welcome! Copyright 2001 Ayla123, please contact me by clicking my name above.
The Keepers of Hope series chronicles the experiences of the regular witches who have watched and waited throughout time for the advent of the "Charmed Ones". Dating back farther than even Melinda Warren, the ancestor of the Charmed line, these "Keepers of Hope" are the witches that have protected innocents and fended off dark forces for centuries, helping to maintain equilibrium until the arrival of the prophesied sisters.
Read also: Disappearing Act (Episode 1)
CHAPTER ONE - Cafe Halliwell
"You snore." He laughed as he tickled her in the side. "I can't believe that I never noticed it before!"
Turning over lazily, a pair of drowsy brown eye squinted up at him against the bright morning sunlight that was streaming into the room. Those eyes quickly shut once again as she wriggled away from him and tried to burrow deeper into the covers. As she tried to pull the blankets up around her more tightly, all she managed was a groggy, "Hrrmmm?"
Then she suddenly shrieked as the blankets were roughly stripped away, leaving her only in the rumpled sheet.
"Ahhhh! Are you crazy? It's freezing in here!" Piper sat bolt upright in the bed and glared at the tall blond man now dancing away across the room, tauntingly wrapped in her favorite green striped comforter.
"Good morning dear sunshine!" Leo laughed back at her gleefully. "I was just saying how cute I think it is when you snore."
"What! I do NOT snore." Piper groused as she pitched a pillow at him in irritation. Irritation that doubled when she saw that it sailed right on past him, a good foot to his right.
Trying to suppress a grin, Leo hopped back onto the bed, dragging the blankets behind him. "Yes my dear wife, you certainly do." Seeing her face, he relented, "Well only just a little, you know." He leaned in for a kiss, "Kind of like a soft snuffling, and--" Leo cut off suddenly, frozen into place, mid-pucker.
"Keep your lousy blankets." Glaring at him still, Piper leaped off the bed and stalked to the closet for a robe, muttering the whole time. "Every morning. EVERY morning! …White Lighters and their cheery morning attitudes… You'd think there'd be a law about morning people marrying NORMAL people…" Her words faded as she headed down the hall to shower.
"-it sounds like little…Piper?" Leo sighed as realization hit him when he saw that she was gone. "Of course." He flopped back against the pillows with a grunt.
* * * "Hey Sis--Whoa! Is it just me, or has the honeymoon bliss worn off a bit?" Wonder of all wonders, Phoebe was up before either of her older sisters. Piper habitually tried to be up first because of the very fact that she was not a morning person. So far they had never suspected that she was the one who usually drank half the coffee pot before the last one made it downstairs.
"Nooo, Mrs. Snooty Pants." Piper said acerbically as she shambled across the kitchen floor. She and Leo had been back from their brief but wonderful honeymoon for just over 2 months, and married life in the manor with two sisters in residence hadn't been as easy as she had thought.
Flicking on the coffee pot, she turned to look at her little sister. "It's just that we've been married for awhile now, and he STILL tries to get me up with the birds. Geesh! He doesn't seem to understand the fact that most humans aren't even mortal until their first cup of coffee." She finished her words flatly as she impatiently put her own mug under the drip instead of the coffee pot, waiting for it to brew. "Speaking of which, what are YOU of all people doing up so early?"
Phoebe ducked her head and hid a small smile behind her piece of cantaloupe. She was thrilled that Piper and Leo were finally able to marry, and had even been the first to see the Handfasting ceremony in the Book of Shadows, but seeing the day to day had been both tiring and comical to watch.
"I," She pronounced the word with pride, "Am going to spend the day with Sarta at the Herbarium." Ever since the Halliwell sisters had been tricked by the demon Etremius and trapped unawares in a dream dimension, they had kept close ties with all who had been instrumental in their rescue.
Finding out about the secret society that called itself the 'Keepers of Hope' had been a bit of a surprise. They had always known that there were other practicing witches out there, but the existence of an earthly force that also served The Powers That Be was decidedly NOT common knowledge. Apparently, throughout the centuries, not even those who practiced good for the sake of good knew that somewhere their efforts were being coordinated.
Snapping the entertainment section closed with a ruffle, Phoebe continued. "Sarta knows so much about potions and ingredients, that it was hard to pass up her offer to help catalog her inventory." Giving her still aggravated sister a sly look, "Besides, with Prue gone on her photo retreat in Monterey, it'll give you and Leo the day to work on your couple issues."
"We do not have couple issues." Piper yanked the coffee cup from under the spout, causing the rest of the dark liquid to stream down and sizzle onto the hotplate. "Well, not a lot of issues anyway."
"Riiight." Phoebe agreed as she hopped up from the table and grabbed her shoulder bag. "Well, you two have fun working on your 'not issues'." She finished as she grabbed up Prue's car keys.
Taking a long swallow from the still steaming cup, Piper choked on the hot liquid as she watched her sister breeze out the door. "Hmmph."
"Where's Phoebe going off to so early?" Leo asked as he warily entered the room.
Eyeing her new husband, Piper gently set her mug down; trying not to let on that the roof of her mouth was scalded and burning like a four alarm fire. "She's decided to give us some space for the day."
"Oh. Good. Because there's something you and I need to talk about." Crossing the room, Leo sat down across from his wife, and launched into one of his lectures. "And it begins with you freezing me up there! I thought we agreed no using Powers on each other. Especially…" He squirmed a bit then, "You know, in bed."
Speaking hotly, Piper retorted, "You know full well that the only reason I did that this morning was because of your little 'orbing out' episode of last night! Right when I was about to…oh forget it!" She looked down, blushing in spite of herself.
"Piper." Leo tried to reach for her hand, but she snatched it back. "You know that when *They* call, I have to go."
"Yes I do know that Leo." She sniped back. Then sighing as she forced the words out, "But there have to be some limits. Now that we're married, there are a few things that have to be understood."
Leo looked distressed as he tried to think of what to say. Piper gripped her coffee cup again and stared back at him defiantly.
They remained that way for a long while.
CHAPTER TWO - Hidden Dangers
Phoebe sang loudly along with the radio as she pulled into the parking lot of the cozy bookstore and greenhouse that belonged to Sarta and Paul Winstead.
"Hello?" Phoebe called out as the small bell on the door tinkled her arrival.
"Yes? Oh, Phoebe! I'm glad you're here." A petite dusky-complexioned woman peeked out from behind a row of large potted plants. Sarta herself was not a witch, but she had married one, and together she and her husband Paul ran a mystical bookstore and herbarium.
Throwing her long dark braid behind her shoulder, Sarta ushered the youngest Halliwell into the store proper. "Just in time. I just got a shipment of banana plants in, and Goddess help me if I can't find a place to put them all!"
Laughing, Phoebe ducked under the long green leafy stalk that batted her on the head. "Wow. Planning on repopulating the rainforest single-handedly?"
Giving a rueful sigh, Sarta grinned at the younger girl, "You have no idea. I gave Celia the day off, since I knew you were coming, and-oh hi darling." She cut off and reached up to give her husband a peck as he came into the room.
"Hi sweet pea." Paul said as he gave his wife a nuzzle. "Well, hi there Phoebe, you've come to help us out today?" Paul was a tall, thin man with wire-rimmed glasses and the slight rumpled look of a longtime professor.
"Yeah, I'm hoping to raid your flower beds when you're not looking." Phoebe grinned back at the pair. "Hey, how do you guys do it?"
Giving Paul a squeeze around the middle, Sarta looked at her quizzically. "Do what? Wrestle banana plants?"
"No, I mean, you've been married for more than 10 years, how do you two stay so much in love?" Phoebe asked, "My sister the newlywed is having a few, uh troubles, you might say."
The couple looked at each other knowingly. "Let's just say it takes a lot of communication." Sarta said.
"And knowing when to give each other space." Paul continued.
"Hmm…" Phoebe mused.
"Alright love," Paul gave Sarta a peck on the forehead. "I'm going to see what I can do about the books, if you want to give Phoebe the grand tour. Oh, and Claudia said she was going to stop by later to pick up a few things."
Nodding cheerily, Sarta took Phoebe by the arm and led her back into the jungle.
* * * "Oh this is not good." Claudia stirred from her trance and snuffed out her meditation candle.
Claudia was a stately figure of a woman. A High Priestess for well over 20 years, Claudia had been a longtime friend of Penny Johnson, the grandmother of the Charmed Ones, and she had a presence about her that was undeniable.
"Something is not quite right…" Claudia had a rarely seen power, one that was usually reserved for White Lighters or other mystical agents of The Powers That Be. But that was exactly why she was the head of this generation's members of the Keepers of Hope--she had the ability to sense and seek out both good and evil magic. Though it was not an active power, it was useful in knowing who to recruit and who to be wary of--it was what had drawn her to the Halliwells in the first place. But today her radar was going off the chart; the only problem was that it was zigzagging in both directions, good and evil.
Frustrated, Claudia drummed her fingers on the table, mumbling to herself. "I should be able to discern the nature of it…but there is something blocking me."
Standing up quickly, Claudia spoke aloud, "'The fool who waits is a fool indeed.' Maybe Sarta has something that I'm lacking."
* * * "Wow, so you mean you can substitute powdered hen's wart for bat guano? Prue is gonna be happy about that one!" Phoebe had her glasses on, and was going through the inventory list with a red permanent marker. "OK, so tell me the truth, what's the deal with newt's eyes?"
Sarta opened her mouth to answer when the bell on the door chimed, and it swung open. Claudia swept into the room with an almost regal air about her. "Sarta, I need your help. Why, Phoebe, what a pleasant surprise. 'What one least expects, one should expect the most.'" Claudia was like an old nursemaid, always levelheaded, and always chock full of 'wise' sayings.
Phoebe grinned, and skipped across the room to give the stately woman a warm hug. "Hiya Claudia! I came to help Sarta out with a little spring cleaning." Then worry crossed her features, "Wait a minute, what's wrong?"
Taking the seat that Sarta offered, Claudia arranged her skirts, and then looked at each of them in turn. "Something's brewing…I can sense it. The problem is that something is blocking my sight, even in meditation I was not able to see if what I'm sensing is good or evil." Looking then at the youngest Charmed One, she continued, "Phoebe, perhaps you can get a Premonition?"
Phoebe shook her head. "I can't just call premonitions at will. Besides, if its something that is so vague that even you can't determine it, I have nothing to go on."
Claudia frowned as she took in the information, then sighed in exasperation. "All I could tell was that it concerns you and your sisters, Phoebe. If only I could SEE what it is…it seems so close to you, yet so far…"
Sarta flipped her braid behind her shoulder again, giving worried looks to both witches. "Well if that's all we've got to go on, then we've definitely got a problem."
CHAPTER THREE - Eyes Wide Shut
"Whoops! Damn." Driving to the club, Piper backed her Jeep out of the intersection that she had almost crossed against the red light. This morning had been a disaster, she still had not resolved anything with Leo, and it had ended up with him sulking in the hallway, and her storming out of the house. She was still so distracted about it, that operating a motor vehicle was probably not the best of plans.
She wasn't really mad about Leo orbing out during the night. Though that did still gall her a bit, she truly did understand the need for Leo to answer the call. Jerking the car forward as the light changed, she blew back an errant strand of hair that fell into her eyes. The real problem wasn't Leo; she admitted to herself, the real source of her bad moods was her stress about having to play out their minor marital dramas in front of her sisters every day.
As she pulled into P3, she argued with herself. Married life was a compromise. But why did she have to do all the compromising? Her sisters tried to be patient with her, but they just didn't understand how much of a strain being married and being a Charmed One really was. Since the need for the Power of Three could come upon them at any minute--and it wouldn't wait for a drive across town--there was no way that she and Leo could move out and start their own lives. So there they were. Forced to try to make their marriage work under the watchful eyes of her two prying sisters.
Walking through the club doors, Piper glared fiercely at nothing in particular. It wasn't the first time she had lamented her destiny. But she knew by now that there was no cheating fate, besides, the thought of all those innocents at the mercy of demons if she were ever to quit was enough to make her accept her duty. Still it rankled sometimes. "Dammit!" Piper winced as she snagged her sweater on the edge of the bar. "Great. Just great."
She decided to take out her aggression on the employee schedule she still had yet to finish. Pulling out all the papers and time cards, she settled down at a table to spread things out. It was still early; the first-shift employees wouldn't even be in for a good five hours.
She was crouched over her work, just getting into it, when she jerked straight up as suddenly the sound system came on at full volume. The music of the latest teen-pop group loudly reverberated around the empty club. "What the hell…?!!" Piper leaped up from her chair and looked around her in alarm before running cautiously up to the D.J. booth. Slamming her hand down on the console power button, she cut off the sounds of female voices just starting to harmonize their way into a chorus.
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she glanced around the crowded booth, and almost missed the small movement of a leg pulling back into the shadows behind the equalizer underneath the enormous mixing board.
"Hey! You get out from there! What are you doing?" Piper arched her eyebrow as a young red-faced girl awkwardly crawled out from beneath the console. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my club? How did you get in?" Piper stood there with her arms crossed and steel in her eyes.
The young girl hunched her shoulders and mumbled some words. She couldn't be more than 13 years old, her dark hair pulled into a long ponytail that reached halfway down her back. She wore running shoes in the latest fashion, and reached for the tiny backpack that she had accidentally set down on top of the speaker's on-switch.
Piper spoke once more, "Say that again? I didn't hear you." Seeing that the girl was obviously intimidated, Piper softened her voice a little, but only a little. "I repeat, how did you get in here?"
Still not looking up at Piper, the young girl stammered, "I, I'm Pammie."
"Yes…and?" Piper set her jaw and looked at the girl expectantly.
"I, I came to find you." Came the timid reply from the downcast head.
"What are you talking about, do we know each other?" Piper responded.
"Well, not really. But…" Then Pammie finally raised her eyes to meet Piper's own. Piper blanched briefly and touched her head for a moment to dispel her dizziness.
"Oh! Pammie! I'm sorry sweetie! I forgot that you were going to be here today!" Piper rushed in to catch the girl up in a quick hug. "Come on honey, do you want to help rack glasses?"
Pammie cocked her head to the side and smiled up at the older woman, all traces of timidity gone. "Sure, Big Sis!"
* * * Back at the manor, Phoebe entered the parlor closely followed by Claudia, both of them laden with little packets and jars of various herbs and dried roots. "Piper! Are you around?"
"I'm in the kitchen!" Came back the muffled reply.
Turning toward Claudia, she motioned for her to follow. "All that work this afternoon, and we've still got nada on this unknown threat. I'm hoping Piper will have some new insight."
Claudia nodded agreeably. "'Too many cooks spoil the potion, but a fresh pair of eyes always adds to the flavor.'" As they entered the kitchen, Phoebe grimaced slightly at the image, and glanced down at the small jar of salamander eyes that she had picked up along with a package of powdered hen's wart.
"Is that my favorite earthly High Priestess I hear offering up some more of her sage advice?" Piper chirped, in a good mood at last.
"Hello my dear." Claudia said as she received Piper's warm hug. "Now where's that lovely husband of yours?"
A brief cloud passed over Piper's face as she remembered the events of the morning. "Oh, I suppose he's off at a staff meeting or something."
"I see." Claudia replied as she saw Phoebe's surreptitious warning gesture. "Well then. We have a problem on our hands. My morning meditation revealed something indistinct that involves you three sisters, and so far we haven't figured out a way for Phoebe to get a Premonition about it."
"And we've got to figure it out before anything bad happens. Hey," Phoebe interjected, "Aren't you supposed to be on-shift at the club tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm going back soon, I just had to drop Pammie back home first, since she came to help me out today." Piper answered.
Phoebe shook her head in real confusion, "Huh? And I mean it when I say, 'Huh'?"
Before Piper could answer, all their eyes turned as a teenaged girl sprung through the back kitchen door.
Both Phoebe and Claudia gave themselves a small shake as a chill passed through them.
"Well hi there little sis!" Phoebe said as Pammie plopped herself down in a chair and eyed the newcomers. "I thought you were spending the day at Ocean Beach with Veronica and Matt?"
Pammie shook her head as she swung her legs under the table, "Nope, it's too windy out to be any fun. So I thought I could help Piper out at work. Hi Claudia."
Phoebe nodded absently as she soothed her forehead from the brief flash of dizziness that was already fading away. Claudia gave the little girl an indulgent smile, though she too was rubbing her temples.
"Well, Claudia was just helping me carry these things in. Claudia, would you like to stay for some tea?" Phoebe asked as Pammie stared intently at the two of them.
"Oh no dear, I have to be going, I just stopped in for…for…well, I suppose I just wanted to say hello." Claudia appeared perplexed for a moment, but soon smiled benignly as she set her burden down on the kitchen counter. Phoebe crossed over to the young teenaged girl to give her a friendly yank on her ponytail, but Pammie danced up from her seat.
"I'll walk you out to your car, Claudia." Pammie offered graciously as she smoothly evaded Phoebe's playful tug.
"Oh yes Pamela, that would be nice." Claudia made her goodbyes, and the two sisters busied themselves with putting away the things that Sarta had given them. All thoughts of identifying an unknown menace had completely vanished from their minds.
* * * Later that night, Pammie crept down the halls of the Manor, avoiding the creaky spots in the floorboards as she headed towards the attic.
Piper was still at the club, and Phoebe had called it an early night. The air was still with that calm and quiet that hits just before midnight. But sweet-seeming little Pammie cursed like a sailor when she saw that it had gotten so late. Standing there in the hall, she clutched at the bunch of small trinkets dangling from the charm bracelet on her left wrist. Each midnight she had to refresh the spell that clouded the minds of her "sisters", or they'd immediately be able to see through her spell.
"Eye of might,
Eye so clear,
Make them see,
And make them hear.Sisters Three,
Now have me,
Cloud their eyes from
What should be."The chimes from the grandfather clock downstairs had just finished tolling in the background. Pammie breathed a quick sigh of relief, and was just turning toward the attic stairs again, when Phoebe opened her door for a trip to the bathroom.
"Pammie! Ack, you scared me! What are you doing up so late?"
"Oh, hi Pheebs." Pammie wheeled around to change direction in mid-step. "I just thought I had left my glasses up here in the reading nook. I'm always forgetting them somewhere! Don't you hate that?"
Phoebe yawned as she answered sympathetically, "Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. I'm always leaving my glasses around somewhere too."
"Well, I don't see them here, I guess I don't really need them right now. I mean, I can always finish my project tomorrow, right?" Pammie sidled past Phoebe and edged her way back toward her room. "Um, will you let me know if you see them?"
"Sure thing." Phoebe yawned again as the bathroom door clicked shut behind her.
Pammie pursed her lips sourly as she made her way back to 'her room'. "Right. As if you could see anything, my dear *big* sister." She snorted contemptuously as she fondled the charm bracelet once more. Closing the door behind her, she glanced around the room. "Ah, Prue. So sad you don't exist anymore. I'm sure you at least would be able to see what's right in front of your face."
CHAPTER FOUR - Substitute Sister
"Come on Phoebe, Pammie! Get a move on!" Piper was rushing around trying to make it to an early morning merchants association meeting, and her two younger sisters weren't making it easy on her.
Pammie clambered down the stairs with Phoebe a few steps behind her.
"Geez, where's the fire?" Pammie grumbled as she pulled on her coat.
"Yeah, we didn't get the morning person genes you did." Phoebe echoed as she hurriedly stepped into her shoes.
Piper grimaced. "Its just that I have to get to a meeting, but before I can get there, first I have to drop you off at the gym, and then Pammie at the train station."
Just then Leo orbed in, the twinkling blue and white lights announcing his arrival. "Wow, it's a three ring circus in here. What about Prue? How come she's not driving?"
Piper looked at her husband as if he were daft. "Who's Prue?"
Pammie grabbed Piper by the elbow. "My usual ride. She's sick today. Come on, do you want to go or not?"
"Yes, yes! Out the door! Both of you now!" Piper shooed them out to the car, then turned her attention to Leo. "And you, meet me for lunch today around Noon, ok? Love you, bye!" And then she too was out the door.
Leo stood there a minute in total bewilderment. Then the door opened again. "Ok, you gonna explain that Prue crack-oh, hi, who are you? I thought that was going to be Piper."
Pammie stuck her head through the door and gazed up at the man. Leo raised a hand to his forehead in disorientation. Pammie smiled. "Just forgot my backpack. See ya Leo."
"Oh, see ya Pammie." The door banged shut again, and Leo stood there alone. Then he swung around at the sound of his name.
"Leo?" Claudia quietly stood in the parlor, having just come from the kitchen. "I came in through the backdoor."
"Oh, well you just missed them. In a big rush this morning I guess." Leo grinned sheepishly. "What are you doing here?"
Claudia gave him an appraising look. "Leo, have you noticed anything strange lately?" Leo looked blank. "Something strange about Pamela?"
"Pammie? Oh no, she's a good kid." Leo smiled. "Unless you're referring to the fact that she's getting to be more like Phoebe everyday."
"Mm-hmm. 'Sometimes seeing past your own nose is the difficult part.'" Leo repeated his uncomprehending stare, he wasn't used to Claudia's little sayings yet. "Leo, I wanted to talk to you in hopes that you wouldn't be affected. Pammie is not what she seems."
Leo joined her in the next room, and they sat down on the sofas, as Claudia continued. "Pamela is not the youngest Halliwell. She's not a Halliwell at all. Don't you remember Prue?"
Leo was working on perfecting his blank stare. Claudia sighed in consternation. "Leo, remember! Prue is the oldest sister. Piper next, then Phoebe. There should be no Pammie! I came to Phoebe yesterday because I had a feeling, and at the time my meditation couldn't tell me what it was. But last night at midnight it all became clear. Pamela has somehow taken Prue's place. Don't you remember anything child?"
Leo slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry Claudia. I just don't understand what you're saying. Are you telling me that little Pammie is a demon?"
"No, not a demon." Claudia shook her head, "But she is a warlock. I'm sensing evil in the guise of good. Pamela has somehow cast a spell that displaced Prue, and planted herself in her place."
"Claudia, I know I only met you a few months ago, and I like you, I do; but I've known Pammie for the past three years. She's not a warlock, she's a teenaged girl." Then looking up toward the ceiling in an odd manner, he continued, "And I'm sorry, but I've got to go. Can you let yourself out?"
Claudia stared at him in aggravation, but she nodded her head. Then he was gone in a shimmer of blue lights. "'Blindness can be catching if you're not watching for it.'" She sighed. "Well if their own White Lighter won't even listen, I guess this one is up to me." Rising from her chair, she headed for the door. "Sarta has got to have something that will help."
* * * "It has to be some sort of talisman or amulet. There is no way that she'd be able to blind the Charmed Ones without the help of a powerful charm." Sarta concluded. Claudia had relayed the whole story to her, and she, Claudia and Celia were in the bookstore discussing a plan of attack.
"That's it!" Claudia exclaimed. "Pamela has a charm bracelet that she wears on her left hand. That must be what she's using to cloud the girl's minds."
"OK, but how do we get Piper and Phoebe to believe us?" Celia asked. About the same age as the Halliwell sisters, Celia had met them at the same time as Sarta, Claudia and the rest; and thanks to her power to 'Shield' herself and others from the eyes of the forces of evil, she had been instrumental in their rescue from the dream dimension. "I mean, if Pammie has them so deep under her spell that they've totally forgotten about the Power of Three, and they truly believe that she is their youngest sister, how are we going to convince them?"
Claudia gave her a speculative look. "Well my dear, that is where your talents will come in handy. 'There's no shame in using a key for what it was intended.' But first we have to figure out how to vanquish Pamela without harming Prue…"
Celia looked at her quizzically, but started to nod her head as Claudia explained her plan.
* * * "Geez, since when did locking the damned door become such a priority?" Pammie snarled as she tried her key again, and leaned heavily against the Manor's front door. As soon as Piper had dropped her off at the train station, she had waited for a bus to take her back to Prescott Street.
"If I could fly, I could have gotten here much faster, and not have had to sit next to that smelly man." She wrinkled her nose, but then laughed as the door swung open. "Of course, once I have Phoebe's 'Levitation' power, I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out!"
Dropping her backpack on the floor, she raced up the flights of stairs leading to the attic. Noticing that she was not at all winded, she smiled to herself. "Well, having this godforsaken adolescent body does have some advantages afterall…"
She slammed open the attic door and gazed in triumph at the large book sitting on its pedestal. She could hardly contain her glee as she practically skipped into the room. "Heh, I feel like I should be cackling right about now." She aloud said as she reached out to pick up the old family grimoire.
Then she snatched her hand back hastily, and looked around in alarm as the book moved of its own volition and landed on the floor. Hesitantly, she reached for it again, and once more the Book of Shadows jumped just out of her reach. She roared in fury, "Alright you blasted thing! Stop playing around!" From a standing position she leaped at the book, as if to tackle it, but only managed to crash to the floor in a sprawl, as the book once more skittered across the floor. Narrowing her pretty brown eyes, her adorable face contorted into a picture of rage. "Fine then. Be that way. I'll have you soon enough. Just two more nights, and I'll rip those delicate pages one by one from your flaming little spine!"
Realizing then that she was addressing a book, she grunted and dusted herself off as she rose to her feet. It didn't matter; so far her plan was working. All she needed to do was keep the two remaining Halliwell sisters under her thrall for three nights, and Prue would be gone forever-along with all their memories of ever having an older sister. Then, with their ties to the Charmed legacy severed forever, she would be able to steal their powers in true warlock fashion.
She gave one more glance to the book, then turned on her heel and sauntered out the door. She smiled wickedly as she looked forward to the day that she would bring down the Charmed Ones. Just two more nights and she could return to her regular body; this one was useful she supposed, but having to carry around that stupid little backpack and listen to Pop music was annoying her to no end.
She paused then on the last step; there was only one thing she had to watch out for, and that was making any physical contact with Phoebe, the true youngest Halliwell. Phoebe's power of 'Premonition' would be enough to lift the veil from their eyes and expose her true nature. Pammie shrugged as she resumed her descent; no teenager likes their space invaded, and she could milk that easily enough. Her new sisters were putty in her hands.
CHAPTER FIVE - Losing the Blinders
Later that afternoon, Piper and Leo were sitting at the kitchen table, quietly talking, while Piper ruffled through some papers. "You missed lunch today, and I already said that didn't want to talk about it right now." Piper said gruffly.
"But Piper…" Leo began, but cut off as they heard footsteps coming down the hall.
"Hiya, Pipe, Leo. Whatcha doin'?" Phoebe breezed into the kitchen to look over her sister's shoulder.
"Just going through this month's bills. You know, it would sure help if we had a little more income around here." She looked at her younger sister pointedly. "As the older sisters, it's our responsibility to take care of Pammie."
Biting her lower lip, Phoebe tried not to look guilty. "I know, and I have that interview next week, remember? Besides, the club is doing really well Piper, San Francisco loves P3!" Then, deftly changing the subject, she crossed the room to look into the refrigerator. "Where is Pammie anyway?"
Without waiting for an answer, she started to laugh amusedly, "Hey, what the heck? What are Pammie's glasses doing in the butter dish? She was looking for them last-whoa!" Phoebe cut off as she was suddenly thrown into a violent premonition. Shuddering, Phoebe dropped the glasses to the floor in horror and confusion.
Leo jumped up from his chair and went to Phoebe's side. Piper joined her husband in the blink of an eye and asked anxiously, "Phoebe, what was it? What did you see?" But before Phoebe could answer, they were all distracted by the furious ringing of their front doorbell.
The sisters and Leo hurried to the door as Phoebe recovered from her vision. They were surprised to see Claudia and Celia standing there, both wearing heavy looks of concern.
"Hi guys." Phoebe said, "What are you doing here?"
Claudia spoke first as they were ushered into the sitting room. "Piper, Phoebe; Pamela is not your sister. She's an evil force, and she must be destroyed before it's too late!"
Piper jumped in, vehemently defending her baby sister. "Claudia! I'm shocked at you! What are you talking about? You've known Pammie just as long as you've known the rest of us. How can you say that about her?" Phoebe just looked a little faint, and not nearly so fervent.
It had taken all day, but Claudia, Sarta and Celia had managed to figure out exactly how Pammie's spell was deceiving the Halliwells. Claudia explained to the skeptical sisters about Pammie's charm bracelet and the power of the amulets dangling from it.
"Her spell affects the minds of those who look her in the eye, making them believe and justify her stories. It is called the power of 'Coercion', and basically means that Pammie plants into your head whatever she wants you to believe. In this case, she's making you believe that you have a younger sister, not an older one.
"But what about Leo?" Piper spoke up again, not quite ready to believe that the girl who slept down the hall from her was evil. "Maybe its true that she can affect us, but Leo is a White Lighter, she shouldn't be able to blind him."
Leo spoke ruefully, "But she did. I remember Pammie as clearly as the rest of you. But Claudia, I don't get it, why is it that you haven't been affected?"
"For anyone that she comes in contact with, all she has to do is make eye contact, and they feel telepathically compelled to believe her. I myself was affected yesterday when we returned here from the bookstore." Claudia explained.
"From that moment on, I truly believed that I knew Pamela, and thought her to be the sweetest of young girls. But lucky for us, the drawback to her amulet charm bracelet means that she must regenerate the spell each night at the Witching Hour; if not, any one of you are powerful enough to immediately see right through her plan." Claudia finished.
Celia who had remained silent up until then picked up the story next. "But last night at midnight, she must have lapsed in her spell because while Claudia was in meditation, since she hadn't looked at Pammie yet that day, she could sense the evilness about her."
"That would explain the vision I just had." Phoebe said grimly. At her sister's questioning look she continued, "I saw Pammie next to the grandfather clock in the hall, it was just past midnight, and she was chanting something. Then, in the glass of the clock, I saw a woman with long black hair and grey eyes shriek in pain, then shatter into bits as Pammie smashed the glass face of the clock with just a gesture of her hand."
"That was your rightful older sister Prue that she was destroying." Claudia said quietly. "Pammie won't stop until she has all of your powers. But she has to hold the spell for three days, and she'll be weakest tomorrow night. We have to wait to strike until then."
Piper had finally been convinced. "Then you'd better go before she gets back. We'll have to submit to her spell again until tomorrow night, but if you make eye contact with her, you'll forget all of this, and she will win."
They discussed it a little more, and everyone agreed to the plan. Then Celia and Claudia made their goodbyes, promising to return the next night, hoping that what they had come up with to vanquish Pammie would work.
Shortly after the three representatives of the Keepers of Hope left, Pammie entered the house to find Piper and Phoebe still sitting with Leo on the couches.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Pammie questioned. The gathering looked up, and instantly forgot what they had been discussing.
"Hi honey, we were just thinking of going out to dinner. How does a good old fashioned tourist trip to Fisherman's Wharf sound?" Phoebe said perkily.
Pammie looked at them closely for a minute, absently fiddling with her bracelet. Then she smiled. "Great! Let's go."
CHAPTER SIX - The Midnight Hour
The next morning went by uneventfully. Pammie smiled into the mirror as she pulled a brush through her long brown hair. Phoebe wanted her to try out new hairstyles, and was currently bent over looking through the dresser drawers for a ribbon. She had no idea that the bright smile of the young girl before her was due to the sinister thoughts zipping along behind her light brown eyes.
Pammie had decided to stick close to the sisters today. This was the final day, and she wasn't willing to let any little slip up get in her way of tonight's conquest. She had asked Piper to take the day off work, and the three of them had already had a nice picnic lunch at the park, and were planning to splurge by going out shopping for the rest of the afternoon.
"Why are you in such a good mood today?" Phoebe asked as she retrieved a leopard print scarf from a drawer.
Pammie glanced up at Phoebe's reflection. "Let me do it." She said, and carefully let Phoebe drop the scarf into her palm before she answered. "I don't know. I just have a good feeling about today. I mean, I guess I'm just glad that the three of us are getting to do some real sister stuff." She beamed as she twirled the scarf into a headband and twined it around her head.
Phoebe grinned back at her in the mirror. "Well, your good mood is catching. I feel great today too!" Even Piper and Leo, who had been at each other's throats lately, were happily doing housework together downstairs.
Piper was standing on a stepladder, reaching up to dust the high stained glass windows in the parlor, with Leo steadying her from below. "You know Leo, I really think we just need to take it one day at a time. My sisters aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so we may as well get used to them both being around."
Leo helped her down when she was finished. "That's exactly right Piper. I hate it that we've been fighting so much lately."
"You know, Phoebe actually gave me some good advice that came from Sarta and Paul. They say it's just as important to give each other space as it is to expect it from my sisters." Then she smiled up at him and playfully powdered him on the nose with her feather duster. "So let's do that instead of fighting. Kissing is so much more enjoyable."
"Oh no you don't!" Phoebe warned as she and Pammie came down the stairs. "This is supposed to be a Sisters Only day! That means no boys! Scram Leo!" Pammie giggled at her sister's command.
"Alright, alright, I get the picture." Leo laughed. But he gave his wife one more kiss. "You girls go have your fun. I'll take care of the home-front." No sooner had he finished his sentence than the girls had gathered their things and were out the door. He just shook his head and smiled. "Sisters."
* * * It was well past sunset when they returned from their expedition. Laughing, the three brown-haired beauties came home many hours later, each laden with her share of shopping bags.
"…Yeah, but only if you tell Phoebe to take back those ugly shoes she bought!" Pammie was saying to Piper as they all bustled through the door.
"Why you little…" Phoebe began, and reached out to shove Pammie playfully. Pammie quickly danced out of the way, and covered her hasty move by turning to Piper and suggesting dinner.
"Sure," Piper responded. "How about your favorite, Pammie? Lasagna!"
The girls settled into their evening routine, with Phoebe and Pammie modeling their new clothes while Piper cooked. They finished off the night with a game of Scrabble at Pammie's suggestion, and by then it was time for bed, since all of them had early mornings with class and work the next day.
* * * It was past eleven thirty when Claudia and Celia arrived at the back door and let themselves in with the key Piper had given them the day before. Stealthily, they snuck up the stairs and Claudia quietly rapped on Piper's door, while Celia took Phoebe's.
Still sleepy, Phoebe and Piper looked confused to see the other two women standing there, each insisting to know what they were doing there in the house in the middle of the night. Claudia pulled the two witches into Piper's room and hurriedly shut the door, quickly trying to explain.
She was interrupted before she could get more than a few words out. "What's going on out here?" Pammie demanded as she burst through the bedroom door.
"Now, Celia!" Claudia cried out.
Grabbing both Piper and Phoebe by the hands, Celia wrapped them in her 'Shielding' power. Celia had the ability to shield herself and anyone else she was in contact with from the forces of evil, making them appear to be invisible.
With growing alarm, Pammie saw the three women instantly disappear from view, and with only Claudia remaining, she lashed out in fury. "What are you doing! Where did they go?"
Claudia stood there defiantly, "Piper and Phoebe! Behold the evil that sleeps beside you! Behold and remember! She is not your sister, she is a warlock sent here to steal your powers!"
Knowing Celia's power of 'Shielding', Piper gasped. "Phoebe, she can't see us! Pammie who are you?"
Still holding them by the hands, Celia led them around the room to stand on the other side of Pammie, who had by now moved into the center of the floor. Phoebe stood there dumbstruck, realization slowly creeping into her mind. "Pammie, don't you know where we are? You really can't see us?"
Pammie jerked to spin around to her right and stare at emptiness. She could feel her control slipping away by the minute. "Wait a minute here. Piper, I'm the baby of the family remember? Phoebe, you know me, I borrowed your favorite CD just last week!" Pammie stared at the place where the two women should be with pleading eyes. "You KNOW me! I'm your sister!" getting desperate, she went on, "I'm a witch just like you, I just haven't come into my powers yet, you know that!"
Phoebe's disembodied voice came back to her with a menacing tone. "Don't you mean that you haven't come into your powers yet because you haven't STOLEN them from us yet?" Phoebe retorted indignantly as they moved in closer. Even gentle Piper had a hard look in her eyes, and though Pammie couldn't see it, Piper looked about ready to slap her "baby" sister across the face.
Pammie narrowed her eyes then, realizing that she had finally been caught. "You stupid women. You didn't even realize that you'd been harboring a warlock in your very home. Not even remembering your true sister, because you were too busy playing sisterly games with me, while SHE rots in limbo!" Glancing at the clock, Pammie saw that it was time for her final incantation. "Now you will see! You will be subjected to her very same fate!"
As she began reciting, Phoebe and Piper glanced at each other in panic. An unearthly glow began to surround Pammie as she chanted, and she grew taller by three feet by the time she made it to the second verse. A wind started to whip up, and magazines and pillows began to swirl around the room in at a frenzied pace.
"Quick!" Claudia yelled above the growing din. "Grab the charm bracelet!"
Phoebe darted forward and struck Pammie in the chest with a flying dropkick. As Pammie crumpled to the floor in a heap, Piper reached out and snatched the charm bracelet from the girl's left wrist.
Pammie screeched then, crying out in pain as the winds suddenly reversed, and they all seemed to be rushing back into her now shrinking body. The assembled women watched dispassionately as Pammie clawed at her own eyes when her blinding spell turned back on her threefold. Pammie gave one more horrified shriek as her body was lifted off the floor, and twisted up like a dry leaf turning in the wind. Then, body strained to the breaking point, she suddenly shattered into a million different sparking pieces. When the flying fragments dissipated, there standing in her place was a very disoriented looking Prue.
"Prue! I remember everything now!" Piper cried out. "It's good to have you back, Big Sister!"
A bemused Prue stood there a moment. "It's good to be back. I remember being on an astral plane, and I could see everything that Pammie was doing, but it was so hazy, and I couldn't reach out to you." The three real Halliwell sisters then moved in for a big long hug.
Claudia and Celia looked on with relieved and satisfied looks. "'When all is well, the heart smiles along with the soul'" Claudia concluded.
The three rightful sisters looked up from their fierce hug to see the High Priestess and other young witch. "Come here you two!" Prue said. "Without you, the Charmed sisterhood would have been broken forever!"
As all five women joined in a group hug, Phoebe quipped, "I just KNEW that I wasn't middle-sister material!" Piper glanced at her over Prue's back and harrumphed. Phoebe grinned even wider, "Well I did." Piper just shook her head and stuck out her tongue.
