The Power of Four: Charmed Again [Part One]

Ch 1 Section 6

At South Bay Social Services...

"So, how's Aunt Julie?" Paige was talking to her uncle on the phone at her desk in her cubicle, "Yeah? Oh. Is her hip any better?"

A couple earned her attention as they came up to stand in front of the receptionist.

"Jake and Carol Grisanti for Mr. Cowan."

"Okay. I'll let him know you're here."

Paige shook her head, "I'm sorry, say that again?" She sighed, "I got distracted."

The receptionist nodded at the couple, "He'll be with you in a few minutes."

Jake turned to his wife, "I'm gonna go wash up, alright?"

In the bathroom, Jake washed his face as the lights around him began to flash. He turned to find the possessed Shane standing there.

"What do you want?"

The Source came out of Shane and instantly possessed Jake. The possessed Jake looked at his reflection in the mirror and his eyes glowed red and then turned black.

Back with Paige, she was still on the phone, "Hey, before you go, can I ask you a question? Do you guys still go to that church Mom and Dad used to go to? Is there still a nun called Sister Agnes there?" She paused to listen, "Yeah, right. The one that found me. No, no, I haven't spoken to her but something's come up, and I think I should." She then looked up and saw Jake over by Mr. Cowan, "Uh, Uncle Dave, I gotta go. I'll call you back, okay? Yeah, I love you too." Paige hung up the phone and walked over to her boss, "Mr. Cowan?"

"Hey, look Paige. I got this, okay?"

"No, but you can't let that little boy go home with that jerk."

"Paige, number one, you don't know for a fact he's abusing the boy. And number two, this is none of your business. You are an assistant, not a social worker."

"That's because you're too cheap to make me one."

With an eye roll, Mr. Cowan walked back into his own office. Jake stood at the other side of the office window and gave her a mocking look. Cowan closed the window blinds as Paige grumbled and leaned against the window.

Back at the manor...

Pacey paced all throughout her room as she sent the odd look here and there to Prue's closed door. The ache of her big sister's absence was deafening. That terrible moment she died was drilled so hard into her memory. She hated that it was last time she would see her. She'd never see her smile, or hear her laugh again. She'd never have to sit through those prying big sister speeches Prue loved to make when she started dating someone the eldest didn't approve of. Everything is going to be different now.

Sighing, she sat on her bed and absentmindedly fiddled with the pendant necklace Prue gave her last christmas. Now all of a sudden they have another sister. To reunite the Power of Four. Pacey wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Happy wasn't at the top of the list though.

"Hey, I think I found it." Piper said after walking into her room holding the yellow pages, "Come on."

Getting up she followed her to Phoebe's room but she wasn't there. They took a look into Prue's room and there she was. She was sitting by the window with her back to them.

"What are you doing in here?"

Phoebe turned around holding a leather jacket. Her face was stained with tears.

"Do you guys remember the time I borrowed this from Prue without asking?

Piper looked from Pacey back to their little sister, "Which time?"

"When my boyfriend's cat peed on it. Oh. She got so mad. I thought she was gonna have a stroke." She wiped at her nose, "But the funny thing was, she got mad at you because she thought that you were the one that had borrowed it. And you never told her the truth. She never knew it was really me." Phoebe sobbed as she sat down on Prue's red sofa and Piper and Pacey immediately sat beside her to embrace her, "I miss her so much.

"I know. Me, too."

Pacey rubbed her knee, "We all do, Pheebs."

"We were wondering when you were gonna let go."

"I was just..." Her breath hitched, "I was trying to-" Piper handed her a tissue, "Thanks. I was trying to stay strong, you know? Keep it together for you guys, and... then I put all my energy into trying to save... Paige because I figured only one of us could break down at a time. Otherwise, all three of us would be useless." She straightened, "I'm scared. I mean... I'm really, really scared. She always took the lead. She was... she was our big sister. How are we supposed to go on without her? How are we supposed to go up against the Source without her?"

Pacey frowned as a flood of new tears streamed down her cheeks, "I've been asking myself that same question."

"I dont have the answers." Piper sighed, "But I do know that we can't let the bastard get Paige either so, no matter what we think or feel, she is our sister. And sisters protect each other."

Pacey took a breath, "Let's get to the nun then."

Back at the South Bay Social Services office...

Paige was pacing by the time Cowan came out of his office, "What's happened?"

"Nothing's been decided. We're gonna meet again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She scoffed, "You're not gonna let him go home with that kid?"

"I can, and I am." Cowan took a breath as he crossed his arms, "Look, Paige, you weren't in there. He was very persuasive."

"Persuasive? What about the police report? What about the counselor's recommendations?"

"Paige, I know how you feel about these cases, but we can't make a decision based on what you think. We have to base it on face, but right now we don't have enough yet. I'm sorry."

As Cowan walked away, Jake, still possessed by the Source, and his wife stepped out of the little office.

Jake stepped up to Paige to confront her with a scowl, "You got a problem, lady?"

"Yeah, I do." She lifted her chin and met his eyes unwaveringly, "I got a problem with people who hit their kids."

Jake scoffed, "Oh?"

"Come on, Jake." Carol, his wife, pulled at his arm, "Let's just go."

"Wait." He dismissed her before turning back to Paige, "Listen, I can do whatever the hell I want to..." He lowered his voice so only she could hear him, "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Angrily, Paige turned to get her purse and storm out.

Cowan watched her depart with a scowl of his own, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Church."

Back with Jake, he entered the bathroom to find an old man bent over Shane's unconscious body.

"Can you give me a hand? I- I think that he must have slipped."

Jake sent the old man up in flames before he disappeared completely. The Source then came out of Jake and repossessed Shane.