Disclaimer : My name’s not Aaron Spelling, so I don’t own them. But I really, really, really like to write about them. And just so you know, I’m not real happy with the departure of one of the Halliwells, so this is my way of dealing with it. Hope you like it. (And be gentle, this is my first Charmed fanfic.)


The Orion Factor
by Freaky Fan


Part 1 - The Discovery


Her eyes opened slowly as the searing pain that had ripped through her body lessened into a full ache. The first thing she saw were Leo’s concerned green eyes. She hated to be a source of worry for him but she couldn’t help but think of how lucky she was to wake up to those eyes every morning. Then she remembered why she was flat on her back in the first place and turned her head to see a motionless Prue laying next to her.

“Ow!” She hissed in pain as she sat up. “OK, heal the other Halliwell and we’ll have another go at Shax.”

“Piper...”

She turned when she heard the tone of Leo’s voice. She saw the truth in his eyes before he said a word.

“No.”

“I’m sorry, Piper. I tried to help her but it was too late.”

“No!” She turned her attention back to Prue, noticing the pool of blood and trickle of crimson from her sister’s right ear for the first time. “Oh, God!” She gently touched Prue’s cheek, as if being too rough would cause her sister more pain. But Prue was beyond any pain now. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gathered Prue’s limp form in her arms. “Phoebe!” She needed her baby sister with her right now. “Phoebe!!”

“She’s not here.”

She turned to look at Leo again. “What?”

“Phoebe, she’s not here. She’s in the underworld with Cole.”

“What?!”

Leo went to her side. “This isn’t the first time this has happened today, Piper. I healed you and Prue once and you succeeded in vanquishing Shax. Phoebe went to Cole to try her potion out before you and Prue realized a news crew caught the vanquish on live TV. I went to bring Phoebe back. While I was gone someone shot you and you...” He hesitated, a pained expression on his brow. “You died. To save you Phoebe made a deal with the Source so he would turn back time and stop you and Prue from being exposed as witches. Cole was supposed to warn the two of you about Shax attacking, but he was delayed by one of the Source’s men. By the time he got here you and Prue were already hurt. He came to get me and I managed to heal you, but Prue...” Tears spilled from his eyes. “She was already gone.”

“So I’ve lost both my sister’s at the same time?” She held Prue close, completely oblivious to the bloody mess she was making of her clothes. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Leo put his arms around her, cradling her as she clung to Prue. “It’ll be all right, Piper. We’ll find a way to make it through this.”

*************

Piper bolted upright, her heart hammering in her chest and her lungs screaming for oxygen. It was the same dream every night. Leo assured her it would eventually go away but she had a feeling he was wrong. Maybe the part about Phoebe would fade after they found a way to get her back, but the pain of losing Prue would always be there. Hopefully not as crushing as it was right now but it would always be with her. Not getting to say goodbye didn’t help. Neither did the knowledge she would have to watch Phoebe grieve.

The sensation of something being stuck to her face drew her out of her thoughts. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She was on the floor in the attic, pictures strewn all around her. She peeled the one from her cheek and smiled at the image it captured. She, Phoebe and Prue on the couch as children, using each other as pillows. Her original intention in coming to the attic was to sort through the mountain of junk that had accumulated there over the years. One look in the old shoe boxes Grams had used to store pictures and all thoughts of junk disappeared. She felt oddly connected to her sisters up here and the chance to actually see them was a temptation she couldn’t resist. Now she had a mess and a half to clean up.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she gathered the photos, catching glimpse after glimpse of Prue and Phoebe. She was going to have to get some albums so she could look at them whenever she wanted without having to drag them out of the boxes. That way she could just close the album when it got to painful to look anymore.

Several minutes later she wiped the tears from her cheeks and got up to put the boxes back on the shelf she had found them on. She frowned when she reached the shelves and saw another box similar to the ones in her hands shoved way back and tucked behind their old movie projector. How had she missed that one? She thought about leaving it where it was but something told her she needed to look at it now. She set her burden on the floor and dug the box out, blowing dust off its top as she walked back toward the middle of the room. Maybe she was wrong about it being more pictures. It wasn’t marked like the other boxes. Oh well, it wouldn’t hurt to look anyway. She had already spent the majority of the day walking down memory lane.

She sat Indian style on the floor and pulled the lid off the box. Sure enough, there were more pictures inside. She steeled herself for more tears as she pulled a handful out. The first one was of a seven year old Phoebe with another little girl, the two of them really cheesing it up for the camera. She turned the picture over and read her grandmother’s cramped handwriting.

“Orion and Phoebe - Summer 1983”

Orion? Who the hell was Orion? She shrugged and put the picture aside. Phoebe always had someone hanging around the Manor when they were growing up. How was she supposed to remember them all?

The next picture showed the same girl with all three Halliwells at Prue’s eighteenth birthday party. Piper quickly went to the next one. Prue and the girl posing in front of the hotel they had stayed in when Grams took them to Disneyland. Another of Piper and the girl with Donald Duck. Yet another of Phoebe and the girl on either side of Goofy, each of them giving him a big kiss.

Piper tore through the pictures, finding the girl in every single one. How was that possible? She had no memory of the girl whatsoever and yet there she was, captured forever on film as if she were a member of the family. Her hand brushed against something in the bottom of the box as she reached for another handful. It was someone’s diary. She looked at it closely, trying to decide whether or not it was safe to open it. What if this was some sort of trick? She couldn’t imagine a demon going to all this trouble but what if one had? She couldn’t risk putting herself in danger right now. She was the only one left to protect the Book of Shadows.

The book suddenly flipped open in her hand, revealing more of her grandmother’s cramped handwriting. Curiosity got the better of her as she started to read the entry it had opened to.

“July 1, 1992. It was with a heavy heart that I cast the spell tonight. There is still no sign of Ophelia or Orion and I can’t have the girls asking any more questions. Prue wanted to call the police this evening, Piper wanted to go search their house and Phoebe can’t stop crying. Perhaps one day my darlings will be ready to deal with this but for now I must do what I feel is best for them”

As if on cue the pages of the Book of Shadows started turning. Piper scrambled to her feet, her mind still reeling from what she had just read. She made it to the podium just as the pages stopped turning.

“Loss of memory spell.” Piper read the page header aloud. “I’ve never seen this one before.” She read the spell on the page.

Take away what is causing pain,
So piece of mind they may gain.
Give them happiness instead of despair,
Take their memories through the air.

She staggered as she finished reading the words. It felt as if a door had opened in her mind. A door that led to memories she had forgotten. Memories of a cousin who might as well have been a fourth Halliwell girl. Memories of Orion Marie Matthews. She looked down at the Book of Shadows with wide eyes.

“What did you do, Grams? What did you do?”


“I did what I was told to do.”

Piper nearly jumped out of her skin when the disembodied voice split the air. She relaxed a little as the ghostly form of Penny Halliwell materialized on the other side of the podium, a warm smile on her face.

“Hello, darling.”

“You scared the shit out of me, Grams!”

Penny looked indignant. “Honestly, Piper. That’s not a very lady like thing to say.”

“Yeah, well no one ever accused me of being a lady. Are you here to answer my questions?”

“Considering you are obviously in no mood for idle chit chat, I would say I am. Tell me what it is you’d like to know and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“OK. How’s Prue?”

The question caught Penny off guard. “Oh, Piper. I wish I could put your mind at ease and tell you she’s fine, but the whole concept of there being a tunnel filled with white light and your family waiting for you is a crock. They won’t let you mother or I see her until she accepts she has passed on. A week is normally more than enough time but we both know how stubborn Prudence can be. Apparently she keeps telling Them she has to get back to you and Phoebe.”

Piper grinned as she wiped fresh tears from her eyes. “That’s our Prue.”

“May I ask how Phoebe is?”

“All right, I guess. Leo checks on her a couple of times a day and Cole is with her, but...” Piper shrugged. “I want her here with me.”

Penny nodded sympathetically. “I know, dear. How is she handling what happened to Prudence?”

“She doesn’t know about Prue.”

“Piper...”

Piper silenced her by raising one hand. “I don’t want her trying to deal with it alone. And it’s not something Leo or Cole should tell her about. She should hear it from me.” She cleared her throat to signal the subject was closed. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand. Why did you take our memories of Rion?”

Penny raised her eyebrows. “There’s certainly no beating around the bush with you, is there?”

“That’s not an answer, Grams. Please, just tell me what happened. The last thing I remember is having a picnic with Rion and her mother.”

“That was the last time anyone saw or heard from Ophelia or Orion. They were taken from their home later that night.”

“Taken?” Piper frowned. “Was it demon related?”

“No one knows for sure but that’s what They suspected. Every witch, Whitelighter and other magical being out there searched for them in the hopes of finding something before mortals got involved, but no one found anything. It was as if they fell off the face of the earth.”

“So They just gave up the search?” Piper’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“It wasn’t that simple, Piper. They couldn’t have the police getting involved in the disappearance of a witch and her teenage daughter. You learned the hard way what it’s like to be exposed. And I couldn’t risk you girls finding out about the family secret. None of you were prepared to deal with it then. So when They suggested a loss of memory spell, I agreed to cast it.”

Piper shook her head in disbelief. “How could you do something like that? What gave you the right to rob us of our cousin?”

Penny’s eyes flashed angrily. “I’m your grandmother, that’s what gave me the right. I had already watched you girls be devastated by the death of your mother. Luckily you were all young enough to bounce back in time. Orion was a constant in your lives for nearly fifteen years. Seeing you three moping around and crying while They decided what to do broke my heart. Then, just after They passed along Their decision, I caught Prudence sneaking around Ophelia’s house looking for clues and I knew They were right to want to include you girls. None of you would have given up until you either found Orion or learned the truth about what happened to her. The chance of one of you being hurt in the process was one we couldn’t take. So I cast the spell, knowing full well you would one day be the Charmed Ones and reveal what I had done. You can hate me if you like, but I did what I felt was best.”

Piper looked away, ashamed of how she had acted. “Grams, I...”

“There’s no need to apologize, my dear. I can’t blame you for being upset. To find something like this after everything else you’ve been through.” Penny shook her head. “I want you to know that casting that spell was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. You girls didn’t know Ophelia very well, but she was the only daughter of my big sister, Opal. And I promised Opal on her deathbed I would always take care of her. It was like I had two daughters when she and your mother were growing up. They went everywhere together, did everything together. It was only natural that it should be the same with you girls and Orion.”

Penny paused, a far away look in her eyes. “It pained Ophelia to come here after your mother’s death. She blamed herself for not being at the camp that day.”

“Why? There wasn’t anything anyone could have done.”

“Remember that the next time you blame yourself for what happened to Prudence.”

Piper flinched. “Easier said than done, huh?”

“Yes. You see, Ophelia was supposed to be with your mother and Prudence but the day before they were to leave, Phoebe and Orion came down with the chicken pox. She wanted to use her healing touch on them but your mother insisted it would look too suspicious for everyone else in their play group to get them while Phoebe and Orion stayed perfectly healthy. I told them both to go anyway, but Patty insisted Ophelia stay here and help me take care of the girls.”

“I remember. There’s nothing quite like two hyper three year olds being trapped in a big old house in the middle of summer. It took us almost an hour to find them after they decided to play hide and seek and snuck into Prue’s closet.”

Penny chuckled. “How about when they decided the dryer was a thrill ride?”

Piper couldn’t help but laugh. She had been the one to find them squealing hysterically as Rion took her turn tumbling in the dryer. She refused their offer to join them and did her best to straighten them up before Grams came to investigate. There wasn’t much a five year old could do with two squirming toddlers, but she had tried. It was the first vivid memory she had of doing whatever she could to keep her baby sister and cousin out of trouble.

“How did you know?”

“A grandmother always knows.” She caught Piper’s eye and smiled. “They tried it again a couple of weeks later. Sometimes I wonder how those two made it to ten.” Penny suddenly looked skyward. “I hate to cut this short, my dear, but I have to go.”

A tear slid down Piper’s cheek. “I wish I could hug you.”

Tears filled Penny’s eyes. “Ditto.”

They both chuckled.

“I love you, Grams.”

“I love you too, darling. And remember, that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. You’ll get through this.”

Piper waved as Penny disappeared, her mind reeling. She had been through some pretty weird stuff since becoming a witch, but this had to be the strangest. There were no words to describe how it felt to suddenly have nearly sixteen years of memories returned to you in the blink of an eye.

“Piper...”

She screamed when she heard Leo’s voice behind her. She turned around quickly. “Don’t sneak up...” Her voice trailed off when she saw the serious expression on his face. “Leo, what is it?” Her heart skipped a beat. “Is it Phoebe? Has something happened to Phoebe?!”

“No. Not yet anyway.”

“You’re not doing a whole lot to ease my mind here, Leo. What’s going on?”

Leo sighed. “Cole pulled me aside while I was down there. The Source knows about Prue. We tried to keep it hush-hush, but he found out somehow.”

“Does Phoebe know?”

“No. She still thinks you and Prue are trying to find a way to bring her home.” Leo saw her start to relax and hated what he had to do next. “But that’s not the bad news.”

Piper gave him a look. “It gets worse?”

“The Source is gathering an army. He sees this as the perfect opportunity to unleash hell on earth.”

“And why shouldn’t he? The Charmed Ones who used to be a thorn in his side is now down to the Charmed One.”

“Cole says there’s a rumor going around that the Source wants to turn Phoebe as soon as possible.”

“How?”

“By having her kill you.”

Piper growled. “Could this day possibly get any more bizarre? First I find out my grandmother cast a spell to make everyone forget my cousin ever existed and now I find out the Godfather of the underworld wants my little sister to kill me. I wish Prue were here. She would know what to do. Prue always seemed to know what to do.”

Leo grabbed her by the arm. “You know about Rion?”

Piper frowned, confused by his actions. “Yes.”

“That’s great!” Leo kissed her on the cheek. “Do you know what this means?!”

“Not exactly.”

“I means we can get Prue back!!”

Piper looked at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. “Time out! What the hell do you mean, ‘we can get Prue back?’ She’s dead, Leo. There’s no coming back from that.”

“Yes there is. It’s a little know fact that any spell cast down here effects everyone up there except Them.”

“Well that would be great if we had a Tempess to turn back time.”

“We do.”

Piper’s frown deepened. “I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you’re about to say.”

“Probably not, but time is of the essence so I’ll give you the condensed version. There is always a balance between good and evil. They have the Source, we have you. They have Tempess, we had Roderick.”

“Roderick?”

“Roderick James, Rion’s father.”

“Had?”

“He died helping Ophelia protect an innocent before Ophelia even knew she was pregnant with Rion. Rion’s powers were bound as soon as she was born to keep her safe. See, there are two powers that always pass from parent to child. The healing touch and time manipulation. That’s a double whammy for Rion but as long as she doesn’t use her powers no on will realize what she can do. That’s why Ophelia made it so only you or one of your sisters could unbind her powers.”

Piper closed her eyes. “Yet again I don’t see how this helps us. Rion’s been missing for almost ten years now.” She saw the guilty look on her husband’s face and narrowed her eyes. “Leo?”

Leo averted her gaze. “I know where she is. I’ve known all along.”

“What?”

He looked back up, shocked by the angry tone of his wife’s voice. “I don’t know how. One day I suddenly had the knowledge of who she was and where she was and what had happened to her. Just like I know she’ll know who you are as soon as she sees you.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this before?! Like when we were trying to come up with a way to undo the whole exposure thing?! How could you let Phoebe make that deal with the Source?”

“My hands were tied, Piper. You and your sisters had to find out about Rion on your own. I wasn’t allowed to intervene, not until one of you revealed the truth for yourself.”

Piper tucked a piece of hair behind her right ear. “All right, just give me a second here. You’re telling me Rion is alive and you know where she is but she has no memory or me or my sisters until she sees one of us who has said the spell to make us remember her.”

Leo nodded. “Yes.”

“So now that I know who she is you’ll take me to her and she’ll remember me. We’ll bring her back here and find the spell to unbind her powers so she can turn back time and bring back Prue and we’ll all come up with a way to bring Phoebe home.”

Leo smiled. “Now you’re up to speed.”

Piper sighed. “Then why does it feel like my head is going to explode?”

Leo pulled her into a hug. “That won’t happen as long as I’m around. Now what do you say we go get your cousin?”

“Sounds like a plan to me...” She snuggled in close to him as they orbed out.

They ended up in a utility closet. Leo expected Piper to comment right away but she just leaned on him, obviously fighting the effects of the orb. He held her close, giving her a chance to get her bearings. His particular mode of transportation was never easy on her but it seemed to have an extra harsh effect on her this time. He knew Phoebe’s absence weighed heavily on her mind, but it was the loss of Prue that caused her the most pain. The eldest Halliwell had been her rock. The one she could count on for guidance and support and love no matter what. He liked to think he was all that and more as her husband but he knew better. A few months of marriage couldn’t replace a lifetime of sisterhood. That’s why he intended to do whatever it took to get both Prue and Phoebe back.

Piper pushed away from him hesitantly. It felt good to be in his arms. To know he would keep the world at bay for as long as she asked him to. But she couldn’t waste time standing here if there was a chance to get Prue back. Especially if meant getting Rion back too. The three of them would come up with a way to get Phoebe out of the underworld and everything would be right again in Piperville.

“So where...” She stopped when she realized where she was. “Are we in a closet?”

Leo grinned. “Yes. It was the best place to orb so no one would see us.”

“Don‘t you dare breath a word of this to Phoebe. She‘ll never let me live it down if she hears we came out of the closet together.” She opened the door a crack to see if anyone was coming and pulled Leo out with her when she saw the coast was clear. “So where’s Rion?”

A loud peel of laughter drew her attention to a family of five sitting around a table before Leo could answer. They were obviously having fun with their waitress as they all started laughing again. Piper was about to look away when the waitress turned so she could see her. She was a little taller and her once long brown hair was now cut short but Piper would have known those broad shoulders and sparkling blue eyes anywhere. It was Rion. Standing there, less than ten feet away, was her little cousin. She instinctively started toward her.

“Excuse me.”

An older man took Rion by the arm and led her away from the table before Piper could reach her. She followed them across the room, Leo close behind her.

“Piper, what...”

She shushed him as the man started to speak.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? I told you to leave the families to the older waitresses. I hired you to try and attract a younger, more single crowd, not more noisy families with kids who make a mess. Now get your butt over there and take care of that guy. And be nice. I hear one more complaint about you and you’re fired.”

Piper turned to look at Leo. “You left her here with a monster like that?”

Leo tried his best to look innocent. “He’s a new manager, I swear. Besides, it’s not like I could walk up to her and say, ‘Hi, I’m your family Whitelighter.’”

Piper glared at him before returning her attention to Rion. The dejected slope of her cousin’s shoulders was almost more than she could take. “Rion?”

“Sorry. You must have the wrong...” Rion’s voice trailed off as she turned and made eye contact with Piper. She tried to look away but something in those brown eyes drew her in. Images started flooding her mind. Images that seemed oddly familiar even though she had never seen them before.

Piper saw the look in her eye and instantly knew what her cousin was going through. She took her by the hand and led her to an empty table, never breaking eye contact. “Just relax. I can explain everything. Well, at least I can try.”

Rion continued to stare at her. “Piper. Piper Halliwell.”

Piper nodded. “That’s me. And you’re...”

“Rion. Orion Marie Matthews to be more specific.” Rion looked more confused than ever. “What’s going on?”

“I know it feels weird, but it gets easier as you go along.” Piper turned to Leo for help. “What do I do now? I didn’t think past actually getting here and seeing her. How do I tell her what happened without scaring her off?”

“Witchcraft.”

Piper’s eyes got wide. “What did you say?”

Rion’s brow furrowed. “I remember someone saying something about witchcraft. Some lady.” She thought for a moment. “My mother! It was my mother. The last thing I remember is her telling me about being a part of the Warren line and the responsibilities that went with it because I cast a spell.”

It was Leo’s turn to look shocked. “You cast a spell when you were fifteen?”

“Yeah. A love spell. My cousin Phoebe was upset about some guy who wouldn‘t give her the time of day and I went into my mother‘s room to find something in one of the zillions of books she had that would cheer her up. I came across a weird book with short little poems in it and said the one that had to do with making someone fall for someone else. Jimmy called the next day and my cousin..” Her voice trailed off again and she looked at Piper. “My cousin. You’re my cousin too!”

Tears sprang to Piper’s eyes as she threw her arms around the girl. “Welcome back, Rion.”

Rion returned the hug. “Man, this is weird. It’s like I’ve been asleep or something while this whole other personality ran my life.”

“You were saying something about casting a spell.”

Piper shot Leo a look over Rion‘s shoulder. “Leo!”

“Well, I can’t help it. She shouldn’t have been able to cast a spell before she disappeared. Her powers were bound.”

“Powers?” Rion pulled away from Piper. “What powers?”

Leo took over. “You’re both descendants of a very long line of powerful witches. Piper and her sisters...”

Rion butted in. “Prue and Phoebe.”

Leo nodded. “Right. The three of them are what’s known as the Charmed Ones. They’re...”

“The most powerful of all witches. They possess the power of three.”

Piper was amazed. “How did you know that?”

“Mom. She told me all about you guys right before this big ugly thing with red eyes and breath that could gag a maggot came busting into our house. She told me to run but the thing got to me first. The last thing I remember is Mom screaming and then nothing.”

Piper squeezed her cousin’s hand. “You don’t remember how you got here?”

“No.”

“Well someone obviously put a spell on you similar to the one Piper’s grandmother put on her and her sisters.”

Rion frowned. “Aunt Penny put a spell on you guys?”

Piper nodded. “One that made us forget all about you.”

“Then how did you find me?”

“I found an old box of pictures in the attic that led me to the Book of Shadows and once I read the spell Grams had cast, I remembered everything I had forgotten. I remembered you. Then Leo...” She looked at her husband and blushed. “I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced you two. Rion, this is Leo Wyatt, my husband and our family’s Whitelighter.”

“White what?”

Leo smiled. “Whitelighter. I’m a guardian angel of sorts. I’ve looked in on you several times in the past.”

“But you couldn’t take me back to my cousins because that’s not how the spell worked.”

Piper looked impressed. “Is she good or what?”

Rion looked around the room. “So where are Prue and Phoebe? Why didn’t they come with you?” She caught the pain in Piper’s eyes. “What? What’s the matter?”

“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Prue’s dead and Phoebe’s trapped in the underworld.”

“What?!” Rion realized how loud she was being and lowered her voice. “What are you talking about?”

Fresh tears came to Piper’s eyes as she thought of her sisters. “It’s a long story, Rion. One that shouldn’t be told in public where just anyone could hear us. The point is, they’re both in trouble and you’re the only one who can help me.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

They all jumped at the manager’s interruption. Piper started to say something, but Rion cut her off.

“Let me handle this.” She stood and faced the manager, a lopsided grin on her face. “I’m having a family reunion. What are you doing, Eddie?”

“You don’t have any family! At least that’s what you put on your application! Did you lie?!”

“No. I didn’t remember my cousin until I saw her today.”

The manager, better known as Ed, looked like he was going to explode. “Are you coming down from some cheap acid trip?! You expect me to believe this is your cousin and you didn’t remember her until today?!”

“I don’t really care what you chose to believe.”

“That’s it!! I’ve had all the smart ass remarks I’m going to take from you! You’re fired!!”

Rion untied the apron around her waist and threw it in his face. “You can’t fire someone who has already quit! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to rejoin my cousin and her husband at this table. I don’t think we’ll be staying long, so don’t bother to send over a waitress.”

Ed started to reach for her arm but she easily caught his hand. “And don’t even think of touching me again.” She threw his hand away from her and sat back down, completely ignoring him. “So what do I have to do to help?”

Piper took a moment too answer, too caught up in how much Rion had just reminded her of Phoebe. “You have to come back to San Francisco with us.”

“Great. What time does our flight leave?”

Piper grinned as she stood, grabbing Rion’s hand again and pulling her to her feet. “We didn’t exactly come by airplane.”

Rion frowned. “Then how did you come?”

Leo started away from the table. “Come to the utility closet and we’ll show you.”

Piper chuckled at Rion’s puzzled expression, slipping both her hands around her cousin’s arm as they followed Leo. One down, two to go. Things were looking up in Piperville.

Ancient spirits, I call on thee
Come together, hear my plea.
In this place and in this hour
Give this Warren back her power.

Piper‘s words drifted through Rion‘s mind for what seemed like the thousandth time since their arrival at the Manor. It was hard to believe something so simple would unleash the long hidden powers brewing somewhere just below the surface of her mind. Of course it was still hard for her to believe she had forgotten Piper and Prue and Phoebe and the Manor and her Aunt Penny and everything else that had ever meant anything to her. The last ten years seemed like a bad dream. But none of that mattered now. She was back where she belonged. She was on the same couch she had sat on a million times as a kid, Piper’s head cradled comfortably on her right shoulder. They had started out on opposite ends of the couch but scooted closer as word by word their bond grew stronger and stronger until they had talked themselves out and ended up taking comfort simply by being near each other. All they could do now was wait. Wait for her powers to manifest themselves so they could bring Prue back from the dead and find some way to get Phoebe out of the underworld. Janie Daniels, the waitress she had been a mere three hours ago, would have thought sitting around with Piper was a rare gift but Rion Matthews, the young woman she was meant to be, was chomping at the bit for something to happen.

“How long is this going to take? I mean this Source guy is gathering his band of not so merry demons as we’re sitting here, right?”

Piper patted her on the leg. “You might as well relax and enjoy the quiet while you can, kiddo. If the spell works your powers will kind of creep up on you.”

Rion rolled her eyes. “Great. And stop saying ‘if.’ You’re one of the Charmed Ones for crying out loud. Have some confidence in your Wiccan abilities.”

Piper chuckled. “Wiccan abilities?”

“Well what would you call them?”

“How about spell casting techniques?”

“How about it doesn’t matter because it’s gonna work?”

Piper smiled as she got up off the couch. “How about we get something to eat while we wait? I’m still pretty handy when it comes to food.”

Rion nodded her agreement as she stood and followed Piper into the kitchen. “Good cause I’m pretty handy when it comes to eating.”

“Now there’s a surprise.” Piper grabbed some eggs, cheese, mushrooms and an onion out of the fridge and set them on the counter near the stove. “Omelettes still your favorite?”

Rion smiled. “You know it.”

“Good cause that’s what I’m making.” She grabbed a knife and started slicing the onion.

“Are you gonna make one for Leo?”

“No. I have a feeling his meeting with Them is going to run a little long this time. They can’t be too happy about you being back in the picture.”

“Well that’s just tough cause I’m not going anywhere.”

“Ow!” Piper dropped the knife and put the finger she had just sliced open in her mouth.

Rion was at her side in an instant. “Are you all right?”

Piper nodded. “Yeah. It’s not that bad.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” Rion flinched as she looked at her cousin’s hand. “No, it only needs six or seven stitches.”

“Really?”

Rion laughed. “No. But we need to stop the bleeding. You’re making one heck of a mess.”

She put her right hand tightly around the finger in question and started to steer Piper toward the sink. They had barely taken a step when a strange feeling hit her. She stumbled as soft blue light flowed from her hand into Piper’s finger. Piper used her free hand to steady her cousin as they both watched what was happening. Neither of them moved again until the light had faded. Rion let go of her hand and Piper looked down at her now healed finger with a shocked expression.

“Rion?”

“Yeah?”

“I think that’s what called a healing touch, which means...”

“I have my powers!” Rion threw her arms around Piper. “Now we can reset time and get Prue back!”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple anymore.”

They both jumped when they heard Leo’s voice, breaking their embrace as they turned to face him. They had been so wrapped up in what happened that they didn’t hear him orb in. Piper’s joy at the prospect of having Prue back soon disappeared when she saw the look on her husband’s face.

“Leo? What’s going on?”

“They didn’t call me up there to yell at me, Piper. They called me to warm me. Resetting time destroyed Tempess. The same thing will happen to Rion if she tries it.”

Rion frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Leo sighed. “There’s a balance between good and evil, Rion. A balance that has to be maintained. Tempess was the only evil being capable of manipulating time. Resetting it to fulfill the Source’s part of the bargain with Phoebe destroyed him. Using your ability to do so would throw off the balance and give the good side an unfair advantage. If you use it, it’ll kill you.”

“What?!” Piper gripped Rion’s arm protectively. “That can’t be!”

Rion shut her eyes. “Let me get this straight. I’m the good guy’s version of this Tempess. Since resetting time killed him I’ll die if I try to reset it again because one side can’t have an unfair advantage over the other.”

“Right.”

“But I‘d still have one shot to bring Prue back?”

Leo frowned. “Yes.”

“Then I have to do it.”

“No!” Piper tightened her grip on her cousin’s arm. “You can’t!”

Rion pulled away from her. “Piper, there’s no other option here. You need Prue alive to keep the power of three intact and the only way to do that is for me to reset time.”

“But...”

“But nothing. Without her you and Phoebe will never be able to stop the Source from unleashing hell on earth. What do you want me to do, run like a chicken and let the world be overrun by evil?”

“Yes!”

“I can’t do that, Piper! I’m a Warren too. Our job is to protect the innocent no matter what the cost. That’s what got Prue killed in the first place. If bringing her back means giving up my life, so be it.”

Tears filled Piper’s eyes. “This can’t be happening. I can’t get you back to lose you again.”

Rion pulled her into a hug. “I’m not crazy about the idea either, but if that’s how it’s got to be then that’s how it’s got to be.”

“Not necessarily.”

They all three turned when they heard the unfamiliar voice behind them, Leo instinctively stepping in front of the girls. His mouth dropped open when he saw who was standing there.

“Roderick?”

Piper stared at the man. “Who the hell is Roderick?”

“My father.”

Piper looked at Rion, shocked to see how pale her cousin had become. “But I thought he was...”

Roderick nodded. “Everyone did. I faked my death to try and keep Ophelia safe, not knowing she was pregnant. I never intended to pass this God forsaken power on to another living being. I kept an eye on both of them as Orion grew, hoping no one would realize she was my daughter. Luckily no one has.”

“What about that thing that attacked me and Mom after I cast that love spell?”

“He wasn’t after you. He was after your mother and Aunt Penny for vanquishing his mate. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“So it was you who took me away that night? Who made me forget everything?”

“Yes.”

“And Mom?”

Roderick looked down at his shoes. “She died trying to protect you. I fully intended to take you back to Penny once you healed but They came up with the bright idea of making everyone forget about you and your mother and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to give you a normal life. So I cast a spell similar to Penny’s to make you forget who you were. I know it was hard but it was for the best.”

“For the best?!” Rion took a step toward him. “Waking up in a hospital in a small town in Ohio with no memory of who I was or where I was from was for the best? Trying my best to fit in with the other kids my age who stared and pointed and whispered about me as soon as they thought I was out of earshot was for the best? Being scared to death of disappointing Ruth, the little old lady who took me in and held it over my head every day that she could kick me out any time she wanted was for the best? Watching as I went to a bigger city as soon as I turned eighteen and took a crappy, dead end job at the diner to pay for the college education I slowly but surely completed over the next six years was for the best?”

“I know it wasn’t exactly perfect but...”

“You destroyed my life! I could have grown up here with my cousins and Aunt Penny. With my family! But no! You had to cart me off to some back water town and leave me to fend for myself. How is that a normal life?”

“I did what I thought was best for you.”

Rion’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Well you were wrong.”

Roderick grinned. “I realize that and I intend to make it up to you the only way I know how. I’m sick of running. Sick of worrying something will happen to me and you’ll be left all alone. You’re back with your family now. I think they’ll be more than capable of taking care of you.”

Leo realized what Roderick was about to do a split second too late. He grabbed Rion and orbed out as Roderick’s words echoed through the Manor.

Winds of change, show your might.
Undo this wrong and make it right.
Turn the days back by ten
And make the Charmed Ones whole again.

*************

Piper found herself standing next to Prue in the hallway just below the staircase. Their innocent, Dr. Griffiss, was looking at them like they were both crazy. “Prue?!”

“Piper?”

They met in a crushing hug as the doors burst open. Piper kept a tight grip on Prue, taking the brunt of the fall as the tornado better known as Shax threw them to the floor. She was stunned but knew to hold Prue down as Shax appeared and her sister struggled to get up.

“Let me go, Piper. I have to...”

Piper threw her hands in the air, causing Shax to explode and freezing the room all at the same time. Prue looked at her, obviously impressed.

“That’s certainly new.”

Leo came rushing down the stairs. “Are you both...” He stopped when he saw the sisters picking themselves up off the floor. “Where’s Shax?”

“Piper blew him up and froze the room at the same time.”

“Yeah, well desperate times call for desperate measures.” Piper looked around as if someone were missing. “Where’s Rion?”

“In the attic. I orbed us out and right back in so the spell wouldn’t affect her. She’s still in shock over what her father did.”

Piper turned to Prue. “Rion...”

“I know. I knew as soon as you did and I saw everything that happened.” Prue took her little sister by the hand and started up the stairs. “Leo, you take care of the good doctor. Piper and I have a cousin to see to.”
Piper gripped Prue’s hand as they made their way up the stairs, the reality of what had just happened hitting her for the first time. Images of cradling Prue’s lifeless body in her arms tried to fill her senses, but she pushed them aside, choosing to concentrate on the here and now instead. She had her sister back! That was all she needed for the time being. She would have plenty of opportunities to sort through her emotions later. Right now they needed to get to Rion.

Prue stopped as they reached the attic door. “Maybe...”

The door suddenly opened, leaving Prue face to face with Rion. They stared, wide eyed for a moment before falling into each others arms. Piper joined in, throwing her arms around them both. They held each other close as if one of them would disappear if they let go. Rion was the first one to break the embrace, taking a step back so she could look at her cousins.

“I...” Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe this is real.”

Prue grinned through tears of her own, keeping a hold of Piper with one hand as she used the other to stroke Rion’s cheek. “Believe it, squirt.”

Rion smirked. “I never thought I’d be glad to hear that nickname again.” She swallowed hard. “Not that I remembered it a few hours ago.”

Piper took her hand. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Well it’s true, Piper. This morning I was dragging my butt out of bed to cover my shift at the diner and now here I am with my long lost cousins. One of which was just brought back from the dead because the father I never knew reset time and died in the process.”

Prue wiped tears from her cousin’s cheek. “Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry about that.”

Rion shook her head. “I’m not. As far as I’m concerned he took the easy way out.”

Piper frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“He said it himself. He was tired of running and hiding and having to worry about something happening all the time. We’re just lucky he came here first.”

“Rion...”

Rion pulled away from both of them. “Don’t try and defend him to me, guys. He took me away from the only life I ever knew and stuck me out in the middle of nowhere by myself.”

“So what you said before was true?”

“Yeah, Piper, it was.” Rion paced away from them. “I woke up in a hospital with no idea who I was or where I was from. Since I was underage I became a ward of the state. They found Ruth, some old crackpot, to take me in so they wouldn’t have to try and find a spot for me in their already overcrowded group homes. She was only in it for the money. Called me the antichrist and threatened to kick me out at least ten times a day, but being home with her was preferable to being anywhere else. The kids at school avoided me like the plague and their parents would point and stare and whisper, like I was some sort of freak because I couldn’t remember anything about my past. Now I would just tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine and move on, but that wasn’t me. I was the quiet type. Took everything in and cried into my pillow at night. When I was old enough to go it alone I moved to the city and took the job at the diner. Took out a couple of student loans and put myself through college. It took six years, but I graduated with honors. Of course I had the loans to pay back so I stayed at the diner. It was the one place people didn’t treat me like an outsider.”

Piper shared a look with Prue. The thought of their cousin going through so much pained them both.

“So you see, I don’t think dear old dad did me any favors. All he had to do was bring me here to Aunt Penny and she would have taken care of me. Instead he tore my life apart.” Her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body. “He took me away from you.”

The sisters hurried to their cousin, drawing her into another hug. She clung to both of them.

“Don’t let go.”

“We won’t, Rion. You’re stuck with us now.”

Piper nodded her agreement. “Forever.”

*************

An hour later Leo jumped up off the couch as Piper and Prue came back down the stairs. “How is she?”

“Asleep.” Piper gave him a quick peck on the cheek “Could anyone else use a cup of coffee?”

Prue rolled her eyes. “Do you even have to ask?”

Piper put her arm around her sister’s waist. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Leo looked at the two of them. “Prue, I’m...”

She drew him into a hug. “Don’t go blaming yourself for what happened, Leo. There was nothing you could have done.”

“Yeah. We’re the ones who sent you to Phoebe.” Piper sighed. “Speaking of which, we need to come up with a way to get her out of the underworld before the Source has a chance to try anything.”

Prue nodded. “Leo, do you think They will help us?”

Leo shrugged. “I can check. They seemed to be all for bringing you back from the dead to help stop the Source so I don’t see why they wouldn’t want us to get Phoebe back too.”

Piper gave him a look. “Be careful.”

He smiled as he orbed out. “I will be.”

Prue slipped her arm around Piper’s waist as they headed for the kitchen.

“Prue?”

“Yeah?”

“Don‘t ever do anything like that to me again. When Leo told me you were gone, I...”

Prue gave her sister a squeeze. “I know. Why do you think I fought crossing over so hard? I knew somehow that it wasn’t my time, that you and Phoebe still needed me. I had no idea how I would get back, but I knew I would.”

Piper grinned. “At least you’re time up there wasn’t boring.”

“You can say that again.”

Prue watched as Piper put some water on to get hot and then joined her at the table, scooting her chair as close as she possibly could. They sat there, side by side, their shoulders touching, taking comfort in each other’s company. They were so caught up in their own thoughts that they didn’t notice Rion peeking around the doorway at them. Nor did they see her put the note in plain sight on the counter before slipping away again.

“We’ve got trouble.”

They both jumped out of their chairs and screamed as Leo orbed back into the room. Piper smacked him on the arm.

“I hate when you do that!”

Prue gave her sister a look before turning her attention to Leo. “What trouble? Is it Phoebe?”

“No. They