A/N. Thank you for the reviews. Okay, here's the last chapter.
777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
Chapter 14 – Three weeks laterPrue let the net curtain of a living room window fall back into place with a sigh. Outside, the usually peaceful Prescott Street was a hum of activity and noise. Workmen drilled the road, the sound vibrating into all the homes.
"Did they say how much longer this was gonna go on for?" Prue asked.
"Three weeks, which means three months," Piper replied. The new mother patted her baby son's back to burp him and laid him in his cot. The little boy gave a huge yawn. "It's disturbing Wyatt's sleep." (A/N. Yep, they named the baby Wyatt Nathan Halliwell, after Leo and Piper's adoptive father.)
"We'd better hope no demons attack, that'd be a bust, especially if one of us goes flying out the window."
Leo looked back over his shoulder as he tried to hang up a picture. "I wouldn't worry about that too much, there's so much chaos in the underworld they're too busy fighting each other."
"Well, I hope it lasts. I almost forgot what it's like to lead a normal life. It's gotta go a little higher."
"I need a ladder."
"Leo, just hover," Prue told him.
"No, no, no, I don't wanna jinx anything, I'd rather we not use magic unless we absolutely have to, thank you very much," Piper protested.
"Come on, Piper, relax a little."
Piper nodded for Leo to go ahead.
The whitelighter hovered a couple of inches and placed the picture against the wall.
"Fine," Piper told him.
Leo marked the wall with a pencil and floated back down. "Ah, see, no major disaster struck."
The front door slammed and Phoebe hurried into the room. "We have a huge problem."
"You were saying?" Piper quipped.
"Those guys are gonna be here another three weeks," Phoebe continued.
Prue smirked. "We know. And I fail to see how it's a huge problem."
"Well what if a demon attacks?" Phoebe asked.
"Been there," Piper told her.
"A demon attacked?"
"No. We've had the conversation." Sometimes Piper wondered how her younger sister got into college.
"Oh." Phoebe stepped over to baby Wyatt's crib her face lit up. "How is my favourite nephew?"
"Trying to sleep."
Suddenly Leo froze in place and the humming of drills stopped.
"Piper, why is Leo frozen?" Prue asked.
Piper went over to him and waved in front of his face. "Well, this is very strange."
Phoebe looked out the window and noticed all the workmen were frozen too. "Uh, guys, I think you oughta take a look at this."
Piper and Prue went to the window.
"So much for not performing any magic, huh Piper?"
"Me? I didn't do that; I couldn't freeze all that stuff."
An elderly, over weight man wearing a long silvery robe appeared in a flash of light. "But I can." He spoke in a distinct English accent.
The sisters spun around.
"Who are you?" Piper demanded. She grabbed Wyatt and they began to back away.
"I'm the Angel Of Destiny, and I've come to change yours."
Piper flung out an arm to freeze him, but nothing happened.
"He isn't freezing. Why isn't he freezing?" Phoebe muttered.
"You're wasting your time," the Angel stated. "Besides, I pose no threat to you."
The sisters stumbled as they connected with the conservatory table.
"Yeah, well forgive us but the last being we met who could freeze time was a demon."
"Actually, it's because of a demon that I've come to see you. Which in and of itself is very rare. We Angels of Destiny normally don't intervene except in extraordinary situations. Mozart at age seven, Michelangelo, Albert Einstein... Britney Spears."
"Huh?" Prue asked.
"I don't understand," Phoebe announced.
"You three have accomplished something that few others ever dream of. By vanquishing the Source of All Evil, you have fulfilled your shared destiny, much earlier than anticipated. Truth be told, some of us did think you'd never achieve it at all, but that's really beside the point. What's important is you have and because of that we're offering you a reward, a chance to chart a new destiny, one of your own design," the Angel elaborated.
"A reward?"
"You can continue to remain as you are, charmed, vested with all your witchly powers, and of course demonic burdens. Or..."
"Or?"
"You can choose to relinquish your magic and lead normal lives again, unaccounted, free, we'd wipe the entire slate clean, nobody would come after you again. Well, what do you say?"
"What do we say?" Piper repeated incredulously. "Are you kidding? You can't just freeze the whole world and come in here and drop a bombshell like that and expect a quick decision. I don't care who you are."
"I don't think you quite grasp the uniqueness of this opportunity," the Angel said, his pleasant face growing dark.
"No, I'm grasping it but that is beside the point. The least you could do is give us a little time to think about it."
"Think about what? No time needed. Thanks but no thanks. Right?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah, right, of course right. But, you know, as long as he's offering, maybe we should talk about this. Just talk about it. Over there. Right, right over here please, now, excuse us." Piper led her sisters across the room.
"You can't be serious, Piper, you of all people, you love being a witch."
"I know I do, but I..."
"But what? What has changed?"
"Oh, I don't know. We nearly died being sent to the past, and then my daughter was kidnapped, to name a few things. You can't get pregnant in the future because of what we do, Phoebs."
"Punching out demons just isn't as fun as it used to be," Prue agreed.
"So what are you gonna say?"
"She's saying you need some time, which I'll grant, but not too much time," the Angel offered, breaking into their conversation. "After all, other people's destinies are tied to yours. And since it's your Charmed destiny that's at stake here, majority will rule. Two sisters will decide the fate of all three. So consider your choice wisely. Perhaps what happens next will help you to decide."
He disappeared. Everything unfroze and Leo came into the room.
"Hey, did you just freeze me?"
"No, dear, the Angel of Destiny did."
"Who?"
"Yeah, you'd better check with the Elders and make sure he's for real. I'm not kidding."
Leo orbed out obediently and Prue answered her ringing mobile.
"Don't talk just listen."
"Andy? What's wrong?"
"Apparently you guys are about to be put under surveillance. An FBI agent named Jackman called me into his office today. He did a search on unsolved cases. Apparently your names came up on way too many witness lists."
"What do you mean? What does he know?"
"I don't know, but I'm gonna try find out. In the meantime just lay low and whatever you do don't use any magic," Andy advised.
"Okay, love you."
"Love you too."
Prue hung up.
"So are we screwed?" Phoebe, who had listened into the conversation, asked.
"Maybe, but that would take destiny out of our hands and I don't think that's what the angel meant," Prue replied thoughtfully.
"Okay, icksnay on the angelnay talk," Phoebe said.
The front door bell rang and Phoebe and Prue went to answer it while Piper laid Wyatt back in his crib.
"Leo, don't orb back," she hissed. "It's not safe to use magic."
At the door a tall middle aged man stood, holding up his police badge. "Agent Jackman, FBI. We should talk."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Agent Jackman slid a thick folder across the dining room table to the three sisters. "In case you're wondering, that's just a copy."
Prue opened the file and pulled out pictures of all three of them. "Pursued to agenda trust, Agent Jackman,
"If I wanted to expose you, I could've done that six months ago when that file first crossed my desk."
"Expose us as what?" Phoebe asked nervously.
"Witches. It's the only logical explanation for all the unsolved cases, the missing persons, the mysterious deaths."
"Prove it," Piper challenged.
Jackman pulled out a tape recorder and pressed play. Piper's voice rang out across the room.
"Leo, don't orb back. It's not safe to use magic."
"That doesn't prove anything."
"No, but it implies everything, especially when coupled with that file. You think newspapers wouldn't run that story?"
"What do you want?" Prue demanded.
"Believe it or not, your help. See, I specialise in occult style slayings, that's why I was watching you in hopes of catching a serial killer. A witch hunter."
"Alright, I've heard enough of this nonsense." Piper tried to freeze Jackman, but it didn't work. "Human are we?"
"Actually I am. But I'm not stupid." Jackman revealed an amulet hanging around his neck. "Like I said, I specialise in this stuff. There's supposed to only be a few of these amulets left in the world. Got this one off the witch hunter we're after." He handed the Charmed Ones a picture of the witch hunter, a blonde woman in her twenties. "Her name is Selena. I traced her genealogy all the way back to the witch trials. I think killing you people's in her blood, it's what she lives for. I mean, why else would she have burned her last three victims at the stake."
"Why are you telling us this?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, because I thought you were gonna be her next victims, but now that I know who you really are and what you can do, I need you to help me find her before she kills again."
"Do you have any idea where she is?"
"I did for a while, I had her in custody once but she got away." He hands Prue a plastic bag. "These are some of Selena's personal belongings and from what I know, if you use your powers on them you might be able to find her. Now you do that, I'll make sure those files disappear forever. You don't, well, you figure it out. Call me." With that he grabbed his bags and left.
"I don't trust him," Phoebe stated.
"Gee, you think?"
"Maybe we should take the Angel of Destiny up on his offer," Prue suggested.
"Great, so we'd be free and so would Selena, who for all we know could be a warlock," Phoebe pointed out.
"No, warlocks don't burn witches at the stake, they just steal their powers."
"Exactly. Powers, Prue, the very things we were given to do good with, remember?"
"Huh, yeah, Phoebe, I remember."
"Guys," Piper warned.
"I can't believe you're so willing to just throw away our powers."
"Okay, guys, enough, we need to focus," Piper reminded them.
"What about you, Piper? What do you think?" Phoebe asked.
"I think we need to see this through like the angel suggested. So Phoebe, you are gonna go up to the attic and get started on this stuff. We will meet you there. Scoot. Leo! You can orb it's all right."
Leo orbed in. "What about the FBI agent?"
"Uh, he already busted us. But supposedly all he wants is our help," Piper replied.
"Did you find anything out about the Angel of Destiny?" Prue asked.
"He's legit and so is his offer."
"Okay, um, can you do us a favour and go get Andy and make sure that agent Jackman is legit too. And meanwhile, we have a witch hunter to find. Don't ask, just go," Piper ordered.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
A few moments later they were in the attic.
"Before the flame subsides, let the wax from the candle drip onto the crystal. Once consecrated scry with the crystal for the one who is sought," Piper said.
Phoebe dipped a candle into a pot of wax and watched as it exploded. "Ain't magic grand?"
Prue walked in, talking on the phone. "Okay, bye. That was Andy. He confirmed that there is a serial killer on the loose doing exactly what Jackman said."
"We're all over it," Phoebe informed her, beginning to scry.
"He also said that Jackman has more information on us than he shared, including our genealogy. Dating all the way back to Melinda Warren," Prue continued.
"Well, what does that mean?" Piper asked.
"They're gonna keep checking."
"It means he's going through an awful lot of trouble to get as much information on us as possible. I got a bad feeling he's not gonna let us off the hook so easily after this is all over," Phoebe said.
"What, he's just gonna keep using us afterwards?"
"Great, Charlie's freakin' angels. This just keeps getting better and better." Piper sighed tersely.
"Got Selena. Do we still go after her?"
"Well, we don't have a choice. We can't let her run around burning people at the stake. But we can't leave Lexy and Wyatt. I'll have to stay here," Piper said.
"No, we need you. You're the one with the firepower. You can drop them off at Andy parents', where Caitlyn is," Prue offered.
"Great, let's go."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
At Selena's house, Piper peeks through a crack in the front door. "She has body guards. Lots of body guards."
"I wonder why Jackman didn't tell us about them?" Prue whispered.
"Probably figured we wouldn't help if we knew," Phoebe replied in a low voice.
A body guard walked in on them from another door and immediately pointed his gun in their direction.
Piper froze the guard as he began to shoot. The sisters pushed their way into the other room, where Selena was surrounded by body guards. The witch hunter jumped to her feet.
"Going somewhere?" Phoebe asked, punching Selena and knocking her out cold as Piper froze the guards.
A body guard ran in and began to shoot.
"Where are they all coming from?" Piper wondered, freezing him with a casual flick.
"Time to go!" Prue cried. "Leo!"
Leo orbed in, looking confused.
"Take her," Piper commanded, pointing to Selena.
Leo obeyed and orbed them all home.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"Where is she?" Jackman demanded, pushing his way into the Manor and pulling out his gun.
"Whoa. Whoa, you don't need that. She's knocked out. If my kids get hurt they'll be hell to pay," Piper warned, following the man into the living room.
"She put up much of a fight?" He asked, sliding his gun back into his pocket.
"No - but her bodyguards did," Prue replied.
"She must have - uh - known we were onto her."
"Still, don't you think it's odd that a serial killer has hired guns protecting her?" Phoebe challenged.
"Well, maybe she's not working alone."
"Or maybe you're just not telling us everything," Phoebe shot back.
"Maybe I'm not. What are you gonna do about it?"
"Well, for one thing, we're not gonna let you take her without a warrant," Piper replied.
"You know, you're all the same. You think that just because you have gifts, powers, that you're above it all, you're special. Well I'm no different," Jackson spat. "Your arrogance is your Achilles heal, that's why witch hunters and demons are always after you and they always will be. I wouldn't trade places with you for the world. Oh, ah, here's your warrant." He threw it to the floor with disgust.
"So when do we get our files?" Prue asked.
"When she's in jail and I feel I'm safe."
"Safe from what?" Phoebe wondered.
"Safe from you. I don't wanna be another one of those people who mysteriously disappear around here." Jackson scooped Selena up from the sofa and promptly left.
"I knew he'd never give up those files. In case anybody is wondering we are officially screwed," Piper sighed tersely.
"Not necessarily," Prue said carefully.
"We are not giving up our powers," Phoebe said firmly.
"Phoebe, I don't wanna give up our powers either. But I don't wanna give up our lives even more. He's just gonna keep using us," Piper pointed out sadly.
"Unless we let the Angel wipe the slate clean. Look, Piper, we said we would wait to decide until this thing played out and it has. And frankly if the Angel hadn't made this offer I'd probably think differently and I'd think let's just keep fighting. But I'm tired of fighting and Jackman's right, it is never ending," Prue added. "Unless we end it ourselves."
"You know, this doesn't just affect us," Phoebe reminded her sisters. "It affects the kids too."
"They can get their powers back when they're older and ready to make their own decision," Prue said.
"You guys are only seeing the bad. What about all the wonder of being witches? You're gonna let all that go? What about all the good we've done. Doesn't that count for anything?" Phoebe asked desperately.
"Of course it does but that's exactly why we have this choice to make. He said we fulfilled our destiny, we've done it. This is supposed to be our reward for that," Piper replied.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Half an hour later, the sisters were in the attic with the Angel of Destiny.
"Are you sure about this?" The Angel asked.
"Yeah. As sure as we're ever gonna be," Prue replied.
"You understand this decision is final. There'll be no changing your minds."
"We understand."
"Very well." The Angel closed his eyes and raised his arms above his head.
"Hold it," Piper said. "Just so we're clear this wipes the entire slate clean. No read the find print technicalities, no more demons, no more vengeful warlocks."
"And we won't have to worry about Agent Jackman anymore, or anyone else who might have found out we were witches?" Prue added.
"Exactly. Just free to lead normal lives with no demonic aftertaste," Piper said. She felt uneasy about this whole thing.
"Absolutely."
"Will we remember?" Phoebe asked. "Being witches that is."
"Oh, you'll remember everything. It doesn't change your history, only your future."
"And what about the book?
"It'll pass to you children when they are old enough to decide they want it."
"This whole Selena thing just doesn't seem right," Piper said suddenly. She had had a nagging feeling all along.
"I know," Prue agreed. "The body guards…"
"His knowledge of us… how he got the amulet," Phoebe added.
"He came to pick her up alone," Piper pointed out. "We need to make sure we've done the right think before it's too late."
"Is that okay?" Phoebe asked the Angel.
"Hm? Oh, sure, absolutely. Frankly, I thought you were being a bit premature anyway."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Well, then why didn't you say something?"
"Oh, can't, free will and all. Let me know when you're ready." He disappeared.
"So now what?" Phoebe asked.
Leo orbed in with Andy, having been sent to find him and bring him home.
"What did you find?"
"Another genealogy Jackman has besides yours," Leo replied.
"Oh, yeah, we know Selena's a descendent of witch hunters."
"No, Jackman is. Selena is a daughter of a witch," Andy told them
"What?"
"She is not a suspect, she's a victim. They have her in a safe house because somebody's trying to kill her," Andy said.
"Please tell me we didn't just help a witch hunter get a witch," Prue muttered weakly.
"Oh my god," Piper murmured.
"Oh my god."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
In the middle of a dark, deserted park, Selena struggled against the bonds that held her to the stake.
"Somebody please help me!"
"No one can hear you, not where we are," Jackson told her coldly.
"Please don't. No."
"Oh, but I must. You see it is my duty, what I was born to do. It is what I'll continue to do until every last one of you is dead."
"Help!"
"You're not gonna get away from me this time, witch."
"Help!"
"You're making a mistake, I swear I'm not a witch," Selena sobbed.
"Of course you are, Selena, it's in your blood. Your mother was, that makes you one too."
"I'm begging you."
"You know why they burned witches at the stake four hundred years ago? So they would burn forever in eternal fire. They used green wood too made it last longer, prolong the agony."
"Help!"
Prue, Piper and Phoebe step from the shadows.
"Come to save your sister witch have you?"
"Actually, yeah." Piper flings out her arm to freeze the flames, but nothing happens.
"You see, I buried the rest of the amulets around here in anticipation of your arrival. Your powers are useless here. However..." He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Phoebe. "Mine aren't. Move and she dies."
"It was his plan all along," Prue realised. "He's gonna kill us anyway."
"Hey, how's it feel to be powerless, huh? Mortal. You're a discourage from mankind, a blasphemy. Burning will be your justice too," Jackson spat.
Prue crept up behind Jackson and hit him with a branch across the head. He fell to the floor, unconscious. "Get Selena!"
The two ran over to the young witch. Already her leg was beginning to burn.
They were never going to be able to put it out.
Could Piper do it? She didn't know. She could try. The middle sister took a leap and jumped over the fire, knocking Selena and the stake down.
"Piper!" Phoebe screamed.
"I'm okay. We're okay."
"Great." Prue pulled Piper and Selena to their feet. "Let's go home."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
The next day, Prue and Piper walked through the front door of the Manor, where Andy, Leo and Jake were waiting for them.
"Where's Phoebe?" Jake asked.
"She had to park down the street because the driveway's blocked," Piper replied.
"Well, that's ridiculous. I'll go talk to them and tell them to move," Leo offered.
"Oh, no, it's not a big deal."
And to think twenty-four hours ago that was your biggest problem," Jake said.
"How'd it go?" Andy asked.
"Uh, well, it looks like we got away with everything so far."
"Thanks to Selena testifying for us," Piper added. "We'll be okay until they find those files on us."
"They won't. I sorta orbed them into a volcano," Leo admitted.
"You what?" Prue snorted.
"Uh, excuse me, are you allowed to do that?"
"Well, my job is to protect my charges and that's all I did."
Piper kissed him. "Thanks. Maybe sometime soon you won't have to protect your charges. Are you okay with that?"
"Whatever you guys decide I'll support. I mean that."
The front door opened and Phoebe walked in.
"Uh-oh," Prue muttered as everything froze.
"The door's stuck." Phoebe walked over to her older sisters as the Angel of Destiny appeared "Oh, you."
"Well, still ready to retire?"
"Actually, I don't think so anymore. We saved someone and it felt good, it felt right. Besides, I got a little taste of what life would be like without my powers and I didn't like it at all," Prue said.
"What about you?" The Angel asked Piper.
"Majority rules, right? Might as well make it unanimous. What can I say, we're masochists."
"We are?"
"Yeah, sometimes. But Prue's right, this isn't a choice we have to make, it's who we are."
"You realise you won't get this opportunity again."
"We understand," Piper said.
And they did. They understood that the downfalls of being a witch didn't really matter. They were Charmed and always would be. It was their destiny.
777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
A/N. The end!
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story, I really appreciate it.
I may be doing a sequel at some point in the future, but at the moment I'm concentrating on my new story, Torn. If you're interested it will be up within the next week or two. Please check it out.