Moonie Moon
Say No To Painbows
ANGELS ARE BRIGHT STILL THOUGH THE BRIGHTEST FELL
I've been working on this story for nearly a year now. There's a bunch of chapters and I'm not done yet. For now I'll put chapters up... say every two days. I'm all up for critic but be kind, alright? I've got this whole fragile issue 😉 I have character pictures, I'll put them up when it's come to that point. It starts a little under a year ago, with some changes of course, it's AU remember...
Chapter One - The First Angel
February 16th 2003
"Come on Piper, one more push!" Phoebe urged her on.
"I can't"¦" she cried.
"Yes you can, she's almost out!"
"Okay"¦" Grabbing on to helping hands of her husband and youngest sister on either side, she gave one last effort.
"Look Piper, here she is"¦" Phoebe began to cry with joy, holding up her newborn niece briefly as the baby let out its first cries. In fact there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Once she'd been cleaned up and her cord cut by her father, the girl was handed to her mother, swaddled in a blanket.
"Hi," the new mother laughed through her tears as she felt her daughter move around in her arms. The three sisters and the new father remained around the newest Halliwell for some time before they moved her up to her room and dressed her before returning her to Piper, who'd been helped over to her bed. It wasn't long before she was peacefully sleeping.
"She's so beautiful"¦" Piper whispered, not the first since her birth.
"She takes after her mother," Leo came to rest at his wife's side, looking down at their little girl. "You were great back there. I'm proud of you, as"¦ cheesy"¦ as it may seem." Piper laughed, trying not to be too loud at the same time. "What?" he grinned.
"You said 'cheesy', I can't believe it"¦"
"What's so funny?" Phoebe and Paige walked in. They sat at the foot of the bed.
"Nothing important"¦" Piper told them, though she knew she'd tell them later.
"How's my niece doing?" Paige asked.
"Hey, she's my niece too," Phoebe protested and the two of them laughed.
"She's sleeping," Piper announced.
"Can I hold her?" Phoebe asked.
"Just don't wake her up, okay?" she held her out.
"I won't, I promise," Phoebe insisted, taking hold of her niece. "She's just the cutest thing ever. She's a Halliwell alright." Paige laughed and went to look over Phoebe's shoulder.
"She's gonna be quite a looker. Are you ready for 'the boys'?" Paige winked.
"She can't even hold her head up yet, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Piper told her. More laughs erupted.
"So does this beautiful girl have a name?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah"¦" Piper said solemnly, "Prudence Melinda Halliwell." They were silent, sharing a silent prayer for their deceased eldest sister.
"Well"¦ Prue," Phoebe started, verifying that the diminutive agreed with her. "You wear the name well. Your namesake would be proud"¦" she cried.
"How do you know she's not watching?" Paige pointed out. That brought a smile to their faces. Phoebe handed little Prue back to her mother.
"Well here she is"¦ I wish you could have been here with us now," Piper spoke to the air around her. "But I promise"¦ She'll know about you. And maybe one day"¦ the two of you will meet."
*
Eight months later
"Ah! Ladies and baby, we have a potion," Paige announced as the brew erupted a small white cloud. Prue, sitting on the ground with her favorite teddy bear, Mr. Blacky, squealed. Paige laughed and bowed. "It's good to get some recognition."
"Phoebe, how's that spell coming?" Piper asked, standing over the book while keeping a watchful eye over her daughter.
"One"¦ second"¦" she continued scribbling for a few seconds before holding up the slip. "Done!"
"Great, now all we need is the Koren Demon to show up," Piper closed the book. The words were barely out of her mouth when they heard the doorbell from downstairs.
"Did he develop manners all of a sudden? Last I checked he was more the 'crush, kill, destroy' type," Paige commented as Piper went to the window. When she saw who it was, she grinned and turned to her elder younger sister.
"Uh, Pheebs, I think it's for you."
"Who is it?" she stood.
"Now what would be the fun in telling you?"
"Piper!" Phoebe smiled.
"Just go!" Piper started pushing her toward the door as Paige ran to the window to see for herself.
"Alright, alright!" Phoebe headed off on her own. Paige turned to Piper.
"So Romeo's back, uh?"
"About time, too," Piper nodded, turning to Prue. "Your auntie's been kind of a grouch, hasn't she?" She nodded and Prue imitated her.
Down on the first floor, the bell rang again and Phoebe hurried.
"Geez, hold your horses," she muttered.
"Uh, sorry, no horses, only flowers," was the response of the person on the other side. She knew that voice and it made her smile a huge smile. She opened the door"¦ he was even more gorgeous than she remembered.
"Hey boss," she grinned.
"Are we on titles now?" he held out the roses to her and she breathed in their scent before throwing her free arm around his shoulder.
"I've missed you so much Jason"¦" she cried as he put his arms around her.
"Hong Kong wasn't as appealing without you"¦ I handed duties off to someone else for a little while. I couldn't be away from you anymore"¦"
They shared a long and lingering kiss, salted from her tears. He looked into her eyes.
"Phoebe"¦ Distance does make the heart grow fonder. It makes it hurt, too. I've had months to think about it"¦" Her heart sped up as she figured out what he was heading for"¦ but that all came to a crashing halt as wind gathered in the hall and the tall and ferocious Koren Demon appeared, growling and eyes shining red. "What the"¦" Jason started in shock. Phoebe acted fast, passing the flowers to him and running at the demon, moving into a spinning kick. He didn't fall, only stumbled back a couple steps.
"Piper! Paige! Koren!" she yelled up, as the demon charged her and she ducked out of the way.
"Hey!" Piper shouted as she and Paige came running down. The demon turned and held up his hand toward her. She started glowing red and struggled as she was lifted off the ground from a distance. Paige, holding the potion vial orbed from the stairs to behind the demon.
"Surprise!" she held up the vial to throw it down on him, but then he struck out with his free hand and she went crashing through the living room, the vial falling from her hands and sliding across the floor. Phoebe tried for a dash behind him to grab it, but again the demon was faster and he grabbed her by the neck as she began to suffocate, not before she was able to kick it in Jason's direction and weakly gesticulate for him to throw it.
However baffled he'd been over what he was seeing, Jason found the clarity to pick up the clear tiny bottle with the amber liquid and throw it at the demon's back. He screeched and at once dropped Phoebe and his control on Piper as she fell. Calculating his odds, the Koren growled and disappeared.
"Phoebe, are you okay?" he rushed to her side as she coughed and tried to catch her breath.
"L-Leo!" she called out. He was confused, then taken aback when a man appeared in lights much like those Paige had been wrapped in when disappeared and reappeared before. "Help Paige," she told him. He looked at Piper. "She'll be okay, go!" He nodded and went to the unconscious Paige. Jason watched in awe as Leo healed Paige's wounds and she woke up. He headed for his wife and did the same as Paige sat up.
"Is the Koren toast?"
"No, he got away," Phoebe explained.
"Leo, go get Prue, she's been alone up there," Piper told her husband and once she'd been healed, worried not only about her daughter.
"Okay," Leo looked at Jason before going up the stairs.
"Phoebe, are you okay? What just happened? Who"¦ What was that guy?" he asked, helping her up.
"That"¦" she looked at her sisters, "That was a demon."
"A what?"
"A demon, a Koren demon to be more precise," Piper told him as she and Paige came to stand around their sister.
"I know it's hard to understand, but it's true."
"What about you?" he looked at Paige. "You did that"¦ thing, and"¦"
"I'm a witch," Paige told him.
"We all are," Phoebe told him. "If you'll just let us explain, we can sit in the living room and we'll tell you everything."
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." The four of them went to sit. "So"¦ witches"¦"
"Good witches," Phoebe nodded, "We help people who need it, fight evil, and we have powers"¦"
"Oh"¦"
"Believe me, I've wanted to tell you before now and not in this way but"¦ six years of experiences have forced me to hide it from people no matter how much I trusted them, how much I loved them"¦"
"No, I think it was best for me to see you in action first. You really wailed on that guy," he smiled. She grinned.
"So we're good then?"
"Better than good. I love you Phoebe"¦ witchcraft and all. I'm glad you told me. I still have questions though"¦"
"And I'll answer every last one," she hugged and kissed him.
"Aww, now why can't I find a guy like that? Hey Jason, you wouldn't have a brother by any chance?" Paige teased.
"Sorry, they're all married," he laughed.
After a few more minutes, they left Jason and Phoebe alone and they were free to talk.
"You married a demon?"
"Well"¦ it's a long story, and not one I'll get into for a long time," she laughed.
"Alright, fine."
"So what were you going to ask me before?" she slipped into the conversation innocently.
"Oh now it's not fair, you already know what's going to happen."
"That's the point. I know what's going to happen." He nodded and pulled out a box from his pocket and held it out to her. It was red-velvet and heart-shaped. She opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring.
"Phoebe"¦"
"Yes!" she spoke at once.
"Let me ask you first," he laughed.
"Sorry."
"Phoebe, will you marry me?"
"Yeeees"¦" They kissed and he put the ring on her finger. "Jason"¦ Now you know my secret. You know why I couldn't go with you. What happens now?"
"I don't have to go back for another two weeks. But it won't be long before I can come back after that. After that, if I have to move again, we'll find a way. Besides"¦ can't your sister"¦"
"Yeah, she can. Speaking of which, we should go tell"¦" She stopped, hearing the distinct sound of her niece's laugh. She looked to the side and saw Piper, Paige, Leo, and Prue, sitting in the stairs. "Are you sure you want to be a part of this family?" she joked.
*
Six months later
"I always knew this day would come"¦ I just wish it wasn't now," Piper told her sister as she put a box in the back seat of Jason's car. "Why can't he move in? I won't mind."
"I know sweetie"¦ But I have to do this. I can't stay here forever. And now Prue will have her own room. It's a good thing."
"And she'll always be an orb away," Paige chimed in as she carried another box over. "Is this the shoe box? Thing weighs a ton."
"That the last one?" Phoebe asked, hugging her sister.
"Yeah." She reached over and brought Piper into the hug.
"I better go then"¦" she sighed.
"'ntie!" They turned as Prue, now fourteen months old, was brought over by Leo.
"You didn't think I'd go without giving you a big hug, did you Ladybug?" she picked up the tot and hugged her tight.
"'ntie"¦" she sniffled.
"Aww, it's okay, don't cry"¦ You'll get me started."
She handed the brown-haired girl back to her mother. After another round of hugs and tears, she got in her car and drove off.
"You okay?" Leo asked his wife, seeing her look after Phoebe's car as it got smaller and smaller.
"Yeah. I'm happy for her and all but"¦ I'm gonna miss having her"¦ around" Her forehead creased as she watched Phoebe's car return in reverse. She hit the breaks and stopped the car when she got back into the driveway.
"Get in! Innocent!" she called out.
"What?"
"I had a premonition!" Piper kissed her husband and daughter and followed Paige in the car. She was crammed between the door and boxes, but that didn't matter. Paige was in the front with Phoebe.
"What did you see?" Paige asked.
"A guy being attacked then killed by an energy ball."
"Well then step on it! Did you see where he was?" Piper asked.
"Yeah, we'll be there in a couple minutes."
Four minutes later, they were parked and they ran as Phoebe guided them. It wasn't long before they found them. What they didn't expect was for the victim to fight back"¦ with magic. When the demon charged at him, the man, who must have been about 26 or 27, lifted off the ground and levitated above his head. The demon looked up just as the guy came down to kick him in the face before landing.
"Need a hand?" Piper asked as she threw her hands out and the demon exploded. The man looked at them and smiled.
"Thanks. So I take it you three are witches, too?" he asked, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"Too?" Paige asked, looking him up and down"¦ not bad looking at all AND a witch.
"Yeah. I'm Eric by the way. Eric Norwood," he held out his hand. Paige shook it.
"Paige Matthews. These are my sisters, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell." He did a double-take.
"You're"¦ the Charmed Ones, aren't you?"
"That's"¦ how did you"¦ I mean"¦" Paige stuttered.
"Oh, it's okay. I just read a lot, hear a lot"¦"
"Really"¦" Paige nodded.
"Norwood, you okay in there?" The girls looked up at the sound of the familiar voice.
"Darryl?" Phoebe asked.
"Hey"¦ what are you doing here?" Darryl asked.
"Rescuing a"¦ wait, you two know each other?" Paige asked.
"Yeah, he's one of our new officers, transferred from Chicago a couple weeks ago, what do you mean rescue?" Eric whistled and they all stopped.
"I work with him," he told the girls, then turned to Darryl. "And I'm a witch, too," he explained, understanding that he knew about the Charmed Ones.
"This"¦ this is"¦ I can't believe this"¦" Darryl shook his head. Eric smiled and lifted a foot off the ground before landing again. Darryl closed his eyes and rubbed them.
"We were following this guy"¦ only I knew he was a demon, so I figured I'd lure him here, away from"¦"
"You'd be dead right about now if we hadn't shown up," Piper pointed out.
"I know"¦ thanks," he told them, mostly looking at Paige. She was blushing and looked away.
"I"¦ have to get back to the station, we went off the clock a couple minutes ago anyway. We'll talk later." And with that he left, still a bit shocked.
"Don't worry, he'll get over it"¦ for the most part anyway," Paige told Eric. He nodded.
"Well, hate to break up the alley party, but I should get going. Jason probably thinks I changed my mind about moving in by now." Noticing the looks Eric and Paige were exchanging, Piper turned to Phoebe.
"Paige, are you okay to get back? I'll catch a ride with Phoebe."
"Yeah, no problem." Piper and Phoebe left quietly and smiling.
"I'm starving. Wanna get a pizza with me? We'll split it," Eric asked with a smile of his own, displaying some shiny white teeth.
"I'd love to."
They walked in silence, talking only once they were at the table in the restaurant and their order had been taken.
"So"¦ have you always known you were"¦" she let him finish in his mind, then realizing the place wasn't that crowded. ""¦ a witch?" she whispered.
"Yeah. Both my parents are witches, so I was taught about it all very early on. You?"
"I've only known for about three years. That's when I was reunited with my sisters and found out I was part of a very important family. And I'm half-whitelighter, by the way," she told him with pride.
"I didn't know whitelighters could have children," he was indeed awed by it.
"You'd be surprised"¦" she smiled. "How long have you been a cop?"
"Almost four years. I wanted to help people, and I'd always wanted to be one, so it all worked out great."
They continued to talk until it was almost closing time and by then they'd already set a dinner date the next night.
*
January 2005
"What's taking her so long?" Piper asked, standing over the stove where a potion was brewing.
"Want me to orb her over?" Paige asked.
"No"¦ not yet. We'll give her another couple minutes."
"Piper"¦ I need to ask you something." Piper looked up at her sister and finally noticed she seemed nervous.
"What is it? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Then ask away."
"Can Eric move in with us?"
"Sure." Paige looked at her like she'd expected her to blow a fuse.
"Great! I'll call and let him know!"
"Can it wait a couple minutes?" They turned and saw Phoebe walk in. She looked pale.
"Hey sweetie, are you sick? You don't look too good." Piper walked to her.
"Yeah, you look a little green," said Paige.
"Ah"¦ don't say 'green'," Phoebe told her as she sat at the kitchen table. "You might want to sit too."
"Phoebe what is it, I'm getting worried here," Piper told her as she and Paige sat.
"Oh, it's nothing bad," she reassured them, "In fact I'm very much happy about it"¦ I'm just a little nauseated and all the movement was making it worse"¦" Piper and Paige caught on and looked at each other, smiles creeping up on their faces.
"Phoebe"¦ Are you pregnant?" Piper asked.
"Uh-uh," she nodded. Before she knew it she had two very giddy future aunties all over her. "Hey, nausea, remember?"
"Sorry"¦" Piper laughed as they sat again.
"There's more"¦" Phoebe told them, serious again.
"Twins?" Paige guessed.
"No, no, just one"¦" she explained, then, "One"¦ boy." The sisters were shocked silent.
"Are you sure? I mean, I saw the tree, there hasn't been a boy"¦" Paige started.
"Wait, how do you even know that?" Piper asked.
"Relax, I went to see Ava, it's cool."
"Oh"¦ alright." They let it all sink in.
"Phoebe?" Paige asked.
"Yeah?"
"Still nauseated?"
"Getting better"¦"
"Good." And the hugging and squealing continued.
TBC... Chapter 2: Witches & Their Lives