Stolen Sisterhood
Episode Two of the “Keepers of Hope” series
By Ayla123
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 – Café 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 flowerbeds 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??
