Date with Destiny

It was a Saturday in mid November and the girls were getting ready to head to the cemetery. It had been a year since Grams' death and they were going to pay their respects to their grandmother. They were all excited, hoping to share at they had learned with her head stone.

"Come on girls," Victor called. All three came sprinting down the stairs. They were dressed in their best clothes as was Victor. Sure he and Penny didn't always get along but he still owed her a lot in raising the girls after Patty died. They loaded into the car and headed for the cemetery.

"Can we stop at Mom's grave too?" Prue asked as they pulled into the parking lot. Victor nodded. He felt he needed to see her too. They stopped by Patty's grave first.

"Hi Mommy," Phoebe said, bending down and sitting on the grass. It was a little damp but Victor didn't have the heart to scold her.

"We miss you. We're getting big now. We even have our powers," she rambled.

"We tried to summon you one time but it wouldn't work," Prue murmured.

"We love you.," Piper added. She placed a single rose on her mother's grave. They fell silent, just taking in the peacefulness of the hallowed space. Quietly the three girls moved down a few headstones to where Grams now lay. They laid the remainder of the flowers there. Victor was still at his ex-wife's grave.

"I'm doing the best I can with them, Patty. I wish you were here with me. You would know how to handle all their magical messes," he sighed.

"But I guess this is my second chance…to raise our girls," he added.

"I just hope you're watching over them in all of this," he concluded, moving to stand with his daughters.

"We miss you lots Grams. We vanquished the demon that killed you," Phoebe informed the still air.

"We vanquished lots of other demons too. And we have a whitelighter. His name is Leo," Piper continued.

"You'd be proud of us. I just know you would," Prue breathed. Suddenly, before their eyes, the headstone shimmered and Grams' spirit appeared.

"Hello my darlings," she greeted.

"Grams," all three girls gasped.

"Hello Penny," Victor murmured.

"Hello Victor," Penny replied, her usual disdain for him gone from her tone.

"I'm so very proud of you girls. You have done so well this last year. I'm so sorry I had to leave you like that," she gushed.

"Were we always witches?" Piper asked suddenly.

"Yes my dear you were. But I bound your powers when Phoebe was born to protect you. I hadn't planned on unbinding them until you were much older. Until you were ready," Grams explained.

"But they have done tremendously," a familiar voice interjected and in a flash of light, Patty's spirit joined them.

"I'm most proud of you, Phoebe. The power of premonition is such a troubling power and to be able to handle it so young. You give me great hope," Patty murmured, bending down to her daughter. Phoebe rushed forward, surprised when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her.

"You are all so special and there is so much more for you to come," she breathed, beckoning her older daughters to her. Prue and Piper joined in the hug. She gave each of them a kiss on the forehead before standing up.

"I must say, Victor, you've handled this better than I had expected…being mortal and all," Penny commented.

"Oh Mother, must you go into that?" Patty begged.

"What?" Penny remarked.

"I'll take it as a compliment, Penny," Victor said with a smile.

"Well I may have not wanted a magical life for my girls but it was going to happen sooner or later. I guess I've just had to accept that," he continued.

"And you've done so very well," Patty said, pulling him close and kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Grams, why couldn't we summon you when we tried?" Prue asked.

"Well dear, I'm afraid you weren't over my death yet. Your mothers either. It will take time. We felt that you deserved this visit after all you've been through. In time you will be able to summon us both," she assured her oldest granddaughter.

"Good. Maybe they can talk to you about all the things girls are supposed to talk about with their mothers….like boys," Victor sighed, giving Prue a wink. She just shook her head.

"What's this about a boy?" Patty asked excitedly.

"Nothing," Prue answered, blushing a little. Grams looked at her daughter and Patty nodded.

"We have to go my beautiful girls. But we love you and are always watching over you," Patty promised, giving them each another kiss before she and Grams disappeared.

The four Halliwells stood in silence for a little while longer before silently heading back to the car. The drive home was reverent. They were all still in awe at what they had seen. Phoebe was still glowing from her mother's praise about handling her power so well.

Down in the Underworld the Source was once again livid. Shax had failed him. His best demonic assassin had been ripped to pieces and sent to the wasteland by a bunch of children!

"I know you're frustrated," the oracle commented, appearing.

"Do not tell me how I feel, Oracle," the Source ground out.

"Sorry, but it's what I do," she giggled.

"I do not see what benefit you serve in letting you live. You have also failed me several times," he hissed.

"Well you know the old saying…if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," the Oracle said with a smile.

"Now you are making sense. Why send useless minions in to my own job. I shall bring them down and good magic shall bow before me," the Source cackled.

With that he disappeared in flames. He would attack when they were least expecting it. He had sensed they were distracted by the anniversary of their grandmother's death. They would not be expecting a demon attack. He waited, hidden in the attic to surprise them. With them out of the way, he could surely gain access to their Book of Shadows. He could even take in the Nexus if he do desired, using the sacred ground for evil instead of good.

The girls were sitting in front of the TV, flipping through late morning cartoons. Nothing really seemed to interest them. Prue sighed, turning the set off and tossing the remote on the table.

"Want to go browse the book?" she asked her sisters. She was suddenly in the mood to be close to their magical heritage after the visit from their Mom and Grams.

"Yeah…I want to see what else is in it that we haven't seen yet," Piper answered. Together they headed upstairs, not sensing the impending threat that awaited them. However, as soon as they walked into the room, Phoebe felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Something is wrong," she said softly. Prue and Piper turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

"Something evil is here. I can feel it," she answered.

The Source watched the exchange, trying to decide when to reveal himself. Now seemed an opportune moment. With a smirk he unmasked himself, making Phoebe jump.

"I told you something evil was here," she said, her finger pointing shakily at the demon.

"What do you want?" Prue asked, putting herself in front of both of her siblings.

"To rid the world of the culmination of the Warren line," he hissed. All three girls looked at him in confusion.

"Who?" Prue asked. The Source rolled his eyes.

"To destroy you," he said, giving them a 'duh' look. Prue nodded in understanding and tired to send him flying but he barely moved.

"Not so touch are you," he sneered. Piper was about to open her mouth to ask who exactly he was when Phoebe answered her question.

"He's the Source," the six-year-old blurted.

"How did you know that?" Piper questioned.

"It was like someone told me," Phoebe answered with a shrug. They just noticed that the Source was now barring their way to the Book of Shadows. Prue tried to move it from behind him but it was as if his power was blocking her.

"Try to freeze him," she told Piper. Piper's hands flew out but he deflected her attempts.

"I can't," she rasped, genuine fear seeping into every inch of her body. They all stood there just staring at each other. The Source formed a fire ball, bouncing it like a basketball in his palm. He sent it flying but they all ducked just in time. He didn't give them time to react. He sent a volley of fire at them, scattering them to different corners of the room. One grazed Piper's shoulder. She looked down to see blood and cringed. She hated blood.

"Piper!" Prue called, seeing her injured shoulder. She tried to get to Piper's side of the room but was stopped this time by an energy ball. Piper managed to crawl behind the couch and catch her breath. Suddenly she heard a voice inside her head, saying a spell. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She slowly began to recite it aloud, not sure exactly what it would do.

"Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda," she began to chant. Prue had also heard the voie in her head. It sounded an awful lot like Grams.

"Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace," she joined in. Phoebe finally heard what was going on.

"Halliwell witches stand strong beside us," she joined in as well.

"Vanquish this evil from time and space," they all concluded together. The Source started to writhe in pain but did not vanquish. The absence of flying fire balls gave the girls the opportunity to reunite and say the spell in its entirety together.

"Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda. Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace. Halliwell witches stand strong beside us. Vanquish this evil through time and space," they chanted loudly and confidently. The Source was now in sufficient agony. He cried out, his hood falling, revealing his grotesque features. They all had to look away as he was torn to pieces in flame, leaving a dark scorch mark on the floor. Victor had heard the screams and crashes and just made it upstairs. He took note of the ruined furniture and scorch mark on the floor.

"Demon?" he asked.

"The Source," Prue answered, out of breath just as Leo orbed.

"You vanquished the Source?" he asked, sounding impressed. She nodded as he tended to Piper's shoulder.

"He was the most powerful demon in the Underworld. That is a very big accomplishment," he commended them.

"I think your mother and grandmother would definitely be proud of you for that big a feat," Victor added. The girls couldn't help but smile. They all now realized that it had been the help of their mother and grandmother's spirits that had given them the vanquishing spell. It had been their gift to the girls, to make sure their one year anniversary was memorable. Prue looked at her sisters and together they recited the vanishing spell to fix up the room. With that completed, Prue turned her gaze upwards towards the ceiling. She could feel a distinct presence in the attic with them. She knew that presence would not be going anywhere for a very long time.

"Thanks Grams," she murmured, swearing she could see Grams faintly standing behind the Book of Shadows.