Future vs Past

20

I watched the sisters as they looked helplessly through the Book of Shadows for Paige/Olivia. Phoebe was scrying, but I knew it wasn't going to work.

Piper sighed after a failed attempt to find her with a spell, "It's not working"

Phoebe lowered the crystal, frustrated, "Neither is scrying. I knew I should have followed my instincts, I knew that she was in over her head"

Piper shook her head "Phoebe"

"What?" Phoebe asked defensively "I know I am driving everyone crazy with my power but doesn't mean I'm not right"

I sighed, massaging my temples. When are they going to stop arguing? They weren't this bad in my time.

"We're all understandably tense, but that's not gonna help us get Paige back any faster" Leo told them

"Well, what is?" Phoebe asked "It's like she doesn't even exist anymore"

"That's because Olivia's energy is suppressing her" I explained, "Her heightened anger is hiding Paige from us"

Phoebe looked thoughtful "So maybe we should be scrying for Olivia"

I nodded slowly, "Only we'd need something of hers to scry with"

We heard the doorbell ring downstairs

~8~

Piper opened the door, revealing James and Rosaline outside

"We think we know where they are" James told us

"We want to help end this before we lose anyone else" Rosalie told us

Piper backed away, stepping aside "Come on in"

~8~

Leo orbed us toward a crypt in a cemetery. Piper blew up the lid of the crypt, finding inside Paige and Richard unconscious. Leo rushed to them, worriedly.

Olivia's spirit raised out of Paige. "You're too late"

"No, we're not" Leo told her. Paige woke up, siting up. "Paige"

"I'm okay" Paige told us

An plasma ball appeared in Olivia's hand.

Piper blew it up making Olivia gasp "Phoebe, Bree, the potion"

Phoebe raised the potion. I hesitated

"You don't need to banish her" Paige told us quickly. "You felt her anger but I felt her pain" She looked at Olivia "I know how much you loved him. How much it hurts to have lost him. But you have to let him live. It's the only way for you to move on and get out of limbo. Olivia, please, come away from vengeance, and come back to forgiveness. Back to who you were. Just let the feud end with life and not with death"

Richard woke up

Olivia looked down "I'm scared"

Paige sighed sadly "I know"

Olivia turned to Richard "Forgive me"

Olivia disappeared

I touched my heart, watching her be heartbroken again, swallowing the lump in my throat. This was the part I hated about love. When it was one sided or just not meant to be.

A lot of heartbreak.

~8~

Chris had found a potion for the sisters to use so Phoebe wouldn't read their emotions. I was wary of how he got it but I didn't voice it out loud besides that Leo had taken it, finding Paige and Piper outside the attic.

I raised my eyebrow at them

Paige grabbed my hand and Piper's, orbing us inside the attic

Chris followed, orbing next to us.

Phoebe sighed, her back to us "I don't know what else to do, I've tried everything"

"Hi!" Piper told her

Phoebe turned around to face us unamused "You know, people lock doors for a reason"

Paige shrugged "Yes, well, I figure if you can use your powers to intrude on my life, then I can use mine to intrude on yours"

"Come on, Phoebe" Piper told her "None of us like this new power of yours anymore than you do, but it's pointless to isolate yourself"

"Well, if I can't read you, I can't hurt you" Phoebe replied

I gave them a curious look. Didn't they take the empath blocking potion already?

"Well, how about instead of trying to control your power, maybe you try to, I didn't know, control yourself?" Paige asked

"Because, Paige, I can't" Phoebe answered "And I can sense how annoyed you are right now and that's hurting me"

"Well, what's annoying me if I've discovered I have this magical destiny and I can't trust you to leave me alone for me to follow it" Paige replied

"What do you think I'm trying to do up here?" Phoebe asked

"Okay, let's look at the bright side" Piper told them. "We settled a family feud, we set free a tortured soul, maybe your new power and Paige's new solo path away from the sisterhood, is some kind of synergy, that it's all working together in some kind of divine way"

Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, "Nah"

"I don't get it" Chris spoke, confused "Leo didn't give you the empath blocking potion?"

Piper blinked "What potion? Leo!" Leo orbed in. "Where is it?"

"Give me, give me, give me. Faster" Phoebe told him

"Come on, come on, come on" Piper told him

"They're really anxious about that potion you got for them" Chris told him

I frowned at him. What are you playing, Chris?

Leo sighed, giving him a look, looking at the sisters "Yeah, only I think you should wait to take it. Phoebe was given her power for a reason"

"Forget that" Piper replied

Leo handed Piper the potion.

Piper drank some of it, passing it to Paige who drank some.

Phoebe perked, relieved "Nothing, nada, zilch!"

I smiled slightly

"Yes!" Paige smiled

Piper chuckled "Hallelujah!"

Paige turned around "Well, I have to go finish a game of pinochle with grandma Callaway"

"Maybe you'll run into Richard" I told her slyly.

Paige turned around to face me, blinking "I'm sorry?"

Phoebe passed an arm around my shoulders, amused "That wasn't an empath thing"

I smiled, "It was a friend thing"

Phoebe chuckled, leading me toward Paige "Come on"

Paige gave us a look and the three of us walked away.

I couldn't help but smile widely.

Being with my family again was better than not being with them

It didn't matter to me they didn't remember me or knew me. As long as I had them around was enough. They were some kind of light in my tunnel after all I went through since that dreadful day.

Being with my mom.... It was a love I couldn't actually describe but loved and felt it. And I was grateful.