The True Face of Destiny

[mostaff]

CHAPTER ONE

Snow swirled out side the windows of the car. Bitter old wind drove that snow, making Darryl Morris doubly glad to be sheltered form it. A cold, starless, moonless night on Boston’s oldest docks was not where he wanted to be. Boston in February was not where Darryl wanted to be. All this artic air was not to his liking. He had grown up in southern California, where winter was more like a mild autumn.

Even after moving to San Francisco, winters were easy to take. Compared to this. Dealing with waste deep snow and icy roads was a pain to get used to. Even with the driver training that the Department of Homeland Security put him through, icy roads were a pain in the ass. He had wrecked two government cars and three personal cars in the years since he and his wife moved to Washington D.C. Sheila had only wrecked two, but not beyond repair, though one government car and one personal car had been destroyed in the line of duty, his wife still razzed him about having more accidents.

Thinking of his wife brought a smile to his face. He had not seen her since leaving Washington two days before. He thought for a moment about calling her. He had not had the chance yet today, but he decided against it. He would do that later, after his meeting with Sandman.

What a ridiculous name for an informant. He had been Darrel’s informant for almost a year now, but he had never actually meant him. A quick phone call, notes left in his car or on his desk, letters delivered through the mail, text messages, that was how Sandman communicated with him. Darryl had become accustomed to this cloak and dagger life style. He understood that it was a necessity in this day and age.

The scourge of communism had changed to the plague of terrorism and any one could be a terrorist. From the introverted, anti-social neo-Nazi down the street to your own grandmother, nobody was above suspicion.

How deep in Sandman was, Darryl did not know, but from his ability to find any kind of information, Darryl knew he was deep in t he inner circle of the intelligence world. No matter what Darryl needed to know, Sandman knew it before hand. He knew who was who in any circle and what was happening in any country around the world. That, by itself, told Darryl that this man was a spook. A term used in the intelligence community to describe a person that officially did not exist. A person that could assume any identity and could move around freely and undetected. Sandman was more ghost than person.

A light tapping on the passenger w2indow startled Darryl enough for him to pull his 9mm Glock from under his right thigh and swing it toward the noise. A quarter of a second after he realized there was nobody outside the window, Darryl rolled out of the car, aiming his weapon under the light colored sedan.

No legs!

No tracks!

Another quarter of a second and Darryl had his feet under him and was moving to the back of the car, eyes and weapon scanning the surroundings as one.

He was out of the drivers seat and behind the car in less time than most people could open a car door, breathing even and still looking at everything around him. Nothing around him looked like a human form. A sudden knot cinched-up in the bottom of his gut at the same time that his little voice warned him that this was not normal, just the way it used to happen back in San Francisco.

“I don’t miss this part of it.” He thought as a feeling of dread spread through him.

Darryl was crouched with his back to the car when he heard a muffled voice say his name. It sounded like it was coming from in front of him, but he could not be sure with the snow and wind.

“Darryl.” The voice came again. “It’s Sandman.”

Darryl did not respond. He had not told anyone a bout this informant, but he could not be sure that some one from Sandman’s end of the pipeline was playing him. Drawing him out to plug an information leak.

“Oh, for Christ sake, Darryl.” The voice came again, followed by a figure stepping out from behind a stack of wooden creates. “I told you I need your help this time.”

Darryl stood up, weapon at full extension, aimed at the figures’ head. “Well, that you did.” Darryl said, taking a couple of steps closer to insure an accurate shot. “But I still don’t know you from anyone else.”

“The very first time we spoke,” The voice said, “You started to tell me your history with Homeland Security. Do you remember what I told you?”

“If you think I’m going to tell you,” Darryl said, “I’m smarter than you thought.”

“I told you to never divulge anything about the real you,.”

“Exact words.” Darryl said, lowering his Glock, but he kept it in hand. “So, okay. I guess you’re Sandman.”

Sandman came close enough for Darryl to see the smile on his face. A smile that was confident and unnerving at the same time. At once Darrell was sure that this man was Sandman.

“Very good.” Sandman said. “Textbook. Take the edge off by agreeing, but keep the weapon in plain view. Shows you’re ready to except, but not to be jerked around.”

“So what do you need help with?” Darryl asked, nerves rattling again when he noticed that Sandman had left no tracks behind him. He also noticed, out of his peripheral vision, the twin furrows he had cut through the fresh powder. His knot cinched-up a little tighter.

“Some one’s coming in tonight.” Sandman told him. “The warehouse at the end down there is the point of entry.”

“So why call me?” Darryl asked. “Sounds like you need I.N.S. or Border Patrol.”

“This falls into your area of expertise.” Sandman told him. “We’ve got to get moving. If my intel is right, then they should be bringing him in any minute.”

“They?” Darryl asked, falling in step beside Sandman. “I hope you brought back-up.”

“Yea.” Sandman said, moving with a smooth quickness that Darryl could barely keep up with.

“Where are they?” Darryl asked, starting to puff a little.

“You’re right here.” Sandman told him.

Darryl grabbed Sandman’s arm and slid to a stop. It took Darryl several feet of sliding to pull Sandman to a stop. As he turned to the other man, Darryl noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that there was only one set of tracks behind them.

“Two things.” Darryl said, “First, how dumb are you? Two of us? How many people are in there?”

“I would guess fourteen” Sandman said. “The other thirteen-”

Darryl could not get past the number. While thirteen was historically unlucky, starting with the knights templar, it was also a common number in the dark arts of magic. That coupled with the fact that Sandman was leaving no tracks in fresh powdery snow cinched that knot in his gut all the way up.

“I go no farther until you level with me.” Darryl said, looking into eyes that seemed to hold more knowledge and wisdom than age.

“The fourteenth man will kill those that brought him here.” Sandman told him.

“And that don’t bother you?” Darryl asked, awed by Sandman’s casual manner. “One man killing thirteen men by himself. And just what is your interest in this man to begin with? Your outfit need another war machine?”

Sandman chuckled lightly and smiled merrily at Darryl. “I guess you have no idea what’s going on here tonight. I thought you would have pieced it together a little better than this, what with your background and all. But, then I have a full understanding of what’s at stake here and you don’t.”

“So enlighten me.” Darryl told him. “I don’t like secrets. Especially when they could get me killed.”

“The Angel of Death is not coming for you tonight.” Sandman told him. “The one that is coming in is here on official business. Business from a much higher authority.”

“To hell with you and all your cryptic mumbo jumbo.” Darryl told him, “I’m about two seconds from bailing on you unless you start talking in plain English.”

Sandman seemed pleased by this and just clapped Darryl on the shoulder. “You won’t bail on me. You know too much now to let well enough alone. Your sense of good and evil is kicking in as we speak and you already know that you won’t bail. You know people are going to be murdered and you’re going to try to stop that from happening. Tell me I’m wrong. Go ahead and walk away. You can’t. You know you can’t, but you’re still going to play that card anyway.

“What kind of sonofabitch are you?” Darryl asked, but did not wait for an answer. “You know that thirteen people are going to be murdered and you’re alright with that. And you don’t seemed to be the least concerned about the one doing the killing. If this badass can take out thirteen people, what the hell makes you think he won’t turn on us?”

“I know this man.” Sandman told him. “He could kill us in the blink of an eye, but he won’t. You have to trust me, Darryl. You’ve went on trust before. Plenty of times when you were working with the sisters.”

Darryl stumbled back a step like he had been physically struck. The sisters could only refer to the Halliwell sisters in San Francisco. But how could Sandman know about that? But then, that would show up with a simple back ground check. The more important question would be why it would make a difference. The quick answer would be that it concerned them. In that case, it would deal with the supernatural. In that case, Darryl was not sure he wanted any part of it. That was a part of his life he was more than happy to put behind him. All that witchy stuff had never set well with him. Not that he did not believe in all that, but because he felt powerless against all the threats that had came along while he had been working with the Halliwells. Having to depend on some one else to pull his fat out of the fire was something that goaded him endlessly. The fact that he had been put in that position by the sisters was the point. He was the big bad cop that was supposed to save and protect the masses. Even the witches.

“Why bring them up?” Darryl asked. “Does this have anything to do with them?”

“Would it make a difference?” Sandman asked. “You left them behind, right? You want no more to do with them and their witchy ways.”

“Now you have my interest.” Darryl told him. “It has plenty to do with them. What’s going on here? You know too much to be anything but some kind witch or something. What’s your connection with the sisters?”

“I have no connection.” Sandman told him. “Yet, that is. That is the whole idea of this. I need to talk with them, but they would never trust me if I didn’t help them with a certain matter before hand.”

“What matter would that be?” Darryl growled, anger raising quickly at the intended deception. “Who the hell are you bringing in and what is it’s purpose? And why the deception? I could have been your intro to them.”

“Would you have just taken me to them without questions?” Sandman asked, then answered his own question. “No, you wouldn’t have. You would not have trusted me enough for that. You know them far better than you know me, so your loyalties would be with them and not with me. It would have taken far more to convince you of my intensions than it would to do it this way. As for who is coming in, that will be answered shortly. But I must warn you, Darryl, that it is all for the best. Trust that I know what I am doing. I have brought you into something that is far larger than you could know at this point, and quite frankly, I don’t have the time to fully brief you on this. Just trust me one last time.”

Darryl looked Sandman up and down as if seeing him for the first time. He was not sure about this man standing before him. He had questions in the past about this elusive character in the past, but now, there were even more questions. Not the least of which was how he was able to walk through fresh snow without leaving any tracks. But with a couple of questions answered, that really did not have any importance. Darryl knew now that this man was from a world he had not wanted any further contact with. But he also knew that Sandman had been right. Darryl would not have just taken this man to the sisters. He had know idea what this man was up to, so to involve them would be out of the question.

“Just what the hell are you?” Darryl asked, turning in the direction that they had been walking in. “It’s starting to come into focus. I know you’re from that witchy world, but what exactly are you? And do you mean any harm to the Halliwells?”

“That’s more like it.” Sandman told him, falling into step beside Darryl. “I mean no harm at all to the sisters. I just need their help. As for what I am, I used to be a man like you. Some one who spent his life doing what he thought was right and good. What I am now, is a man that has learned a few truths that are not commonly known. I’m still doing what I have to do to do the right thing.”

“That tells me everything.” Darryl told him and resigned himself to the fact that this man would give no more information than he already had. “At least tell me your name. Sandman is a stupid name.”

“Sanderson.” Sandman told him. “Julius Sanderson. Don’t bother looking it up when we’re done here. You won’t find out anything more than you already know. I made sure of that years ago.”

“I’ll bet you did.” Darryl told him. “So who are you bringing in? Or is that a state secret too.”

“Some one else from that witchy world, as you call it.” Julius told him. “I doubt you would approve, but I know you know him. So I’ll just let that be a surprise.”

“I would’ve never guessed that would be your answer.” Darryl said softly as they approached an old warehouse at the end of the dock.

The structure looked as though it had been standing for the better part of two centuries, half of that time needing repainting. The doors were shut and there were no windows on the front facade. Darryl noticed an abundance of human tracks leading to a small door on their right. Around the edges of the old door that lead into the building, light could be seen shining.

“Looks like the gangs’ all here.” Darryl told Julius and the later pulled him towards the corner of the old building.

“Maybe.” Julius said, “But we are not going in that way. Don’t want to be seen, ya know.”

“I thought they were working for you.” Darryl said. “But then, I guess you don’t want the lambs to know who led them to the slaughter.”

“They have no idea that I led them here.” Julius told him. “They don’t know anything about me. All they know is that some one has need of who they are bringing in.”

“Figures.”

Julius gripped Darryl’s arm and looked him strait in the eyes, saying , “Ready?”

Before Darryl could answer the question, they soared strait up in the air to a window that seemed to open all by itself. Darryl had to bite back a yell of surprise as they settled on the cat walk that ran around the top of the warehouse. It had happened so quickly that he had not had time to yell outside. Darryl turned to Julius and whispered harshly, “d**n you. Don’t ever do that again.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Julius told him. “It was the only way in. Now just settle down and watch what happens. You’ll find this very interesting.”

Darryl knelt down by the hand railing and looked down at the scene twenty feet below. A soft muttering of a chant drifted up to him from the circle of cloaked figures that were surrounded by a ring of torches. All thirteen figures on the floor were dressed in long black cloaks with red pentagrams on their backs. Darryl knew what was going on, to a point, but that did not help that knot in his gut. His mind was telling him that this was not going to end well, even knowing that all the men on the floor was going to die. That did not set well with Darryl. Even though they were pulling in something that should not be here, these men should not die for it. It just did not seem right.

“Do not interfere.” Julius told him, making Darryl think that the man could read his mind. “This has to happen. Just trust me.”

“Who are they bringing in.” Darryl asked one last time.

“If I told you that, you would not let it happen.” Came the reply
that sent waves of ice through Darryl.

“That’s it.” Darryl said, standing up. “I’m putting a stop to this right now.”

“Too late for that.” Julius told him, and Darryl saw things happen down there that he could not explain.

As the flames from the torches flared several feet in the air, swirls of white and black light churned in separate columns, taller than the men forming the circle. As the columns of swirling orbs got denser, a small man stepped forward and spoke in a language Darryl had not heard before. The columns of orbs flashed into pillars of flames then vanished, leaving two figures that Darryl had thought the world at large was rid of forever. Where the black orbs had been stood a demon that scared the crap out him. Balthazar had always had that effect on him. The other pillar had left Cole Turner standing down there, looking around like he was inspecting the place and not liking what he saw. Then his eyes fell on the small man in front of him. Darryl could not make out what Cole was saying, but it appeared not to set well with the small man, who backed away from Cole and almost shouted a short phrase.

Instantly, flames engulfed the two figures in the middle of the circle and shrunk down to leave only the form of Balthazar. He chuckled dryly and changed into Cole Turner. Even from twenty feet above him, Darryl could hear the groan that came form Cole. It was the sound of pure agony.

“Where’s Phoebe?” Cole asked, looking at his shoes.

That one question sent shivers down Darryl’s spine. After all this time, after all the hell everybody had went through, the only thing on Cole’s mind was Phoebe. Nothing had changed since he had been vanquished.

“Who?” the small man asked.

“Don’t be stupid.” Cole warned. “Phoebe was supposed to be here.”

“I don’t know anyone named Phoebe.” The man told him, worry plain in his voice.

“The only reason I agreed to do this is I was told Phoebe was in trouble.” Cole told him, as one of the cloaked figures in the circle burst into flames. “I want to know where she is.”

All the cloaked figures stepped back, looking at their brother burning on the floor. Cole reached out with one hand and lifted the small man off of the floor without touching him.

“Where is Phoebe?” He asked again.

“Cole!” A sharp voice rang out.

For an instant, Darryl thought Phoebe had spoken. In the blink of an eye, Darryl knew it was not Phoebe. An older woman was standing by Cole, a woman Darryl knew was dead. Penny Halliwell had a hand on Coles’ arm and looking at him in that way strong women have, stern yet soft and caring. It stopped Cole cold.

“You were not told Phoebe would be here.” Penny told him. “You were told that the Charmed ones needed help. Patty should never have told you that Phoebe was in trouble.”

“Phoebe isn’t in trouble?” Cole asked and let go of the small man. He straitened his suit and looked around the circle like he was seeing them for the first time. “Terribly sorry ‘bout that.” He said, grinning and pointing to the pile of ash that had once been a man. “Balthazar took over there. Won’t happen again.”

“Don’t restrain that half of you.” Penny told him. “Balance and center yourself. Have you learned nothing?”

“Oh, I’ve learned a lot.” Cole told her. “I’m centered and balanced. I just hope it gets easier. Balthazar wants to take control.”

“Make piece with yourself.” Penny told him. “He’s simply a part of the whole. “The part where the control of your power comes from.”

All the remaining cloaked figures fell over dead, no flames, no fire balls, they just fell dead. Cole looked around at them and grinned as if satisfied with an experiment.

“Yip.” Cole said. “Works better like that.”

Penny’s face clouded with anger, but her words were cut off when Cole sobered and told her, “I told you that when this is done, I will never come back. They knew how to do it. Now they won’t bring me back for the,…how many times does this make again?”

“There are better ways than killing.”

“Just remember, Penny.” Cole said coldly. “You came to me. If you don’t like the way I work, then you should’ve asked some one else. I’m here for Phoebe. I won’t try anything with her, but I won’t let anything hurt her, either. That’s why you came to me.”

“Just think before you do anything.” Penny told him as Cole stooped down to the dead man at his feet and pulled a cigar pouch from under the mans’ cloak. After lighting one, he looked at Penny and told her around the fat cigar, “I have missed these. Crazy, isn’t it?”

“Smelly is what it is.” Penny told him, waving a hand through the cloud of smoke. “Now, the first thing you need to do is-”

“Talk to Darryl.” Cole cut her off as he waved a hand and floated Darryl down the floor beside him.

“I wish you people would stop that.” Darryl growled, fighting for balance when his feet touched the floor. ”I know you have the power, but you don’t have to rub my nose in it.”

Cole tossed him a cigar and told him, “Calm your nerves, Darryl. I can feel your stress and, d**n, it’s giving me a head ache.” Cole held out a finger that was a flame and Darryl coaxed the cigar to light. “You’re buddy, Sandman. He cut out on you.”

“Coward.” Darryl said.

“He hasn’t survived twelve centuries by being stupid.” Cole told him. “He knows he’s at the top of my list now. He’s the one that taught these poor souls how to bring me back.”

“Twelve centuries?” Darryl asked, amazed. “He’s been alive for twelve centuries? How is that possible?”

“You don’t need to know that right now.” Penny told him, then turned to Cole and said, “You know, I told him how to do it. Am I on your list, too?”

“You’re already dead.” Cole told her. “What more could I morally do to you?”

“Morally?” Darryl asked in a cough. “You’re concerned with morality?”

“I’ve turned over a new leaf..” Cole told him.

“Gee,” Darryl said, looking around at the dead. “I had no idea.”

“Morality exists only on this plain.” Cole told him. “Good and Evil are human concepts that tend to change with time. They are not absolute because they only exist here. When you die, you will remember the whole of your existence, all of them, and you’ll see just how ridiculous morality really is.”

“I don’t follow you.” Darryl said. “All of them, what?”

“Past lives.” Penny told him. “There’ll be time for that later.
What you need to concern yourself with right now is what that friend of yours’ is really up to.”

“He told me that he needs the girl’s help.” Darryl told her. “But you two seem to know more about him than I do.”

“Not really.” Cole told him. “I can’t seem to get any kind of information on him.”

“Well, you’ve been dead for several years.” Darryl told him.

Cole clapped Darryl on the back and told him, “I’m sure you’ll catch up sooner or later, just don’t strain yourself trying to understand.”

Standing there with Coles’ arm around his shoulders, Darryl suddenly realized that he was totally at ease here. Standing and talking with Cole was like it had been in the days when Cole had lost his Demon half and was just a regular person. Darryl was not afraid or uncomfortable around the man that had caused so much pain and suffering in the Halliwell clan. He knew that the Demon half was back with Cole, but that did not seem to matter. Darryl was still almost at ease.

“So catch me up.” Darryl told him.

“Alright.”

As Cole talked about guardians and ages old secrets and keepers of the guardians and plots, he found he could almost understand the whole thing.. And when he walked away from Cole and Penny, he decided not to report the dead bodies or go back to the field office. In stead of doing what his job called for, he called his wife and told her to pack a bag and book two seats on a flight to San Francisco. After assuring her that would be home in three days, he got in his car and went back to his hotel, stopping off at the bar before heading up to his room.

[mostaff]

CHAPTER TWO

Snow covered everything for miles. Fresh snow that covered all the tracks throughout the forest. The mountain pines looked just beyond beautiful to her, covered in snow and reflecting what little light there was. The sky was dark and heavy, dropping more snow gently.

She glided through the falling snow, taking in every vista, even tough it was all just energy patterns. She had learned long ago how to interpret energy patterns and convert it to a mental picture of the mortal world. The joy that the scenery brought her was tinged with sadness. She missed being part of the mortal world. She missed her sisters, Piper and Phoebe. She regretted not being able to meet her half sister Paige, though she had a better understanding of her than Piper and Phoebe seemed to. Prue had been able to slip through time and watch her develop and mature.

Out of all of her incarnations, her latest was the only one she wanted to go back to. It was not that she had just left it. She knew that fact all too well. She had never felt a longing to return to a life like this. She had viewed her other incarnations as what they were. Lessons to be learned and experience to be gained.

But as Prudence Halliwell, she had found more than knowledge and experience. She had found a soul filling sisterhood. A sisterhood that she had watched over and had guided, even though she was not supposed to. All three sisters had their own guiding force that she had assisted. After being the big sister for all those beloved years, Prue could not leave it up to some one else.

Just as she was ready to shift herself to the manor to check on the Charmed Ones, a force of intense energy grabbed onto her, pulling her through the mountain landscape toward a small cabin. She knew what this was. Some one was calling her, demanding her to present herself. She also knew who it was that was calling.

Patty Halliwell, as she had most recently known her, though she had known this soul in many ways and in many incarnations. Sometimes as a close friend, a sister, a daughter, a mother, and even a strict teacher, but always in a positive manner. Always in a way that was protective.

Prue rushed across the distance to Patty, not having had any contact with her for far too long. Patty had a way of helping her deal with the loss that did not seem to fade after her latest incarnation. A few words of comfort were needed before heading to the manor to check on her sisters.

She flew over the distance to the small cabin in less than a second, wanting to get to Patty almost as badly as she wanted to see her sisters. The distance seemed small, though if she had been human, she would have walked for several hundred miles to get to her destination. The cabin loomed in front of her in an instant, the windows on the lower level glowing with what seemed a warm, welcoming feeling, almost like the manor when she had came home late from work all those years ago. A warmth grew in her and she stopped for a moment to savor it. The welcome mat was out for her and the feeling felt just as good as it had when she was alive. Expect now she was not taking it for granted the way she had back then. The knowledge that some one special was waiting for her inside made her feel alive again. Waiting for her. Even though she was a spirit, they were waiting and wanting to see and speak with her. That had not happened in too long.

Then the feeling of a human presence intruded on her. There was a person in there that she had not expected. A human and two spirits.

Death was in there too.

Not the Angel of Death. She had met him on two separate occasion and knew what he felt like. What she felt was more of an absence of life in four bodies on the second floor of the cabin. Bodies of not quite human origin. They had not been mortal creatures, but they had not been of the spirit world either. They had been between somehow.

In that instant she knew who the human was that was in the cabin with Patty. But she knew that human to be dead. She had been standing behind Piper, Phoebe, and Paige when they had vanquished him for the last time. She had been there trying to help Paige get through to her two thick headed sisters about the truth of the alternate reality they had been put in by Cole Turner in his twisted idea of love. How could Cole be back when he had been vanquished in a reality where he was no longer invincible? The way did exist, but it would take just the right people to do it with the exact ritual. That ritual could only come from the spirit world.

Prue did not know what to think about this. It just did not set well at all with her. She had never trusted Cole and she had been proved right time and time again. Ultimately, he was just a too susceptible to self indulgence to be trusted.

Without even checking to see what she could feel form Cole, she flashed into the cabin and pinned Cole to the wall above the fire place. He hit the rustic stone above the mantel with dull thud and the cracking of bone. He struggled against her magical hold, but was totally powerless against her. As hard as he tried, he could not even move a finger.

She felt him build up energy inside of him and instantly pulled it away from him, using it make herself seen by all in the room. She was standing in front of the door that opened into the small living room of the cabin without so much as a finger pointing at Cole.

Patty was looking at Cole like she could not believe what was happening when Prue showed herself. Patty turned to Prue with her mouth hanging open. She could not believe she had not felt Prue enter the cabin. She had always known when Prue was coming, but this time she was unable to feel her spirit when she approached. Penny was standing beside Patty and was looking at Cole hanging from the wall like it actually amused her. She had not been able to feel Prue’s approach either but had felt her as soon as she had made herself seen.

“Dear,” Penny said without turning to look. “That’s not very polite.”

“It’s not necessary either.” Patty told her sharply. “You put him down. He’s on our side this time.”

“I doubt that.” Prue told her. “He’s on his side. It never changes with him. And now that he’s back, Phoebe is at risk. Why was he brought back? And who done it?”

“We did dear.” Penny told her, stepping in front of her. “He’s here to help you and your sisters. Just connect with the collective and you’ll understand.”

“The collective can be blocked.” Prue told her. “He’s always had his own agenda. I will never trust him.”

“I am here, ya know.” Cole told them. “I could use a hand in getting down. I can’t seem to counter her.”

“Put him down, dear.” Penny told her, patting her shoulder lightly. “Then we’ll talk this all out and you’ll see he can be trusted this time.”

Prue looked deep into Cole’s eyes from across the room and reached out to feel what he was feeling. She had learned a lot sense she had died and reading peoples feelings and intentions was just one new trick out of many. What she felt was a balance of power and knowledge. An understanding of the true nature of the great scheme. Cole was no longer a combination of demon and human. She had to wonder briefly if he understood just what his parents had blessed him with when they conceived him. If he knew just what it meant now that he had both the human power extremes of good and evil in him all those years and what that could do for him now. She knew he would be more susceptible to the balance than she herself was. With what he had carried inside of him all those years, he would find it much easier to control the balance of the collective that he now carried within him. How that was possible for a human, Prue knew only too well. Patty and Penny had been behind bringing him back from oblivion. And she knew d**n good and well they knew what they were doing and what it all meant for Cole.

She also felt a love deep inside of him that was the purest form of it she had ever felt in a human. It was not an obsession with something he could not have, but a longing for the best to come her way. He was not here to claim Phoebe as a trophy, but to ensure that she have only what was best for her. There was a strong desire to protect Phoebe from any sort of harm from any source. It seemed more like the desire of a father to protect his daughter than that of a man to protect the woman he loves.

It was all balance. The concepts of Good and Evil no longer existed in him. He had learned that those concepts were only for the mortal realm. The concepts that humans had dreamed up to explain their fortunes, good or ill. The Devine duality, light and dark, good and evil. With so many humans believing in them over the centuries, they actually became real powers that shaped the lives of humans on a daily basis.

With no more than a glance at the sofa behind Patty and Penny, Cole flew off of the wall and landed on the soft cushions. Prue looked at the other two women and smiled like she had done something good.

“He’s down.” She told them and sat down in a soft chair by the fire place, the smile still on her face. “I guess I understand what this is all about.” She finally said. “Those dead people upstairs, their the Guardians. How were they killed?”

“You’re a quick study these days.” Cole told her.

“She always was.” Penny told him, pride glowing on her face. She had been the one that had raised her, after all. “She pegged you right off, didn’t she?”

“Well, not right off.” Cole told her.

“Yes.” Patty told her. “They were the Guardians. As for how they died, they were murdered. Knife wounds. Must have been a cursed Athame. It had to be done by people that knew what they were doing. The Guardians were immortal beings that could not be killed by human means. The weapon had to be cursed in a certain way, the wounds inflicted in a certain manner and, then their had to be an incantation said at the moment the blade entered the body.”

“So who all knew how to kill them?” Prue asked. “It has to be a short list. I mean, very few people knew they even existed. Who knew how to kill them and who had access to them. Both factors are obscure enough to eliminate almost everybody.”

“She’s got a good set of points there.” Cole told them. “That would be the angle to start with.”

“Oh, quit sucking up.” Penny told him.

“I would also like to talk to the Angel of Death.” Prue told them. “He may have seen who was around when he came for the Guardians.”

“That would be a good first step.” Cole told her, “Except for one small fact. They were already dead. Death would not come for them.“

“What are you talking about?” Prue asked him.

“The Guardians were not living mortals.” Cole told her. “They were assigned their duties. Well, they volunteered for this. Volunteered by mass opinion. They took the form of their last incarnation and just went on with their duties. They were not actually alive in the mortal sense of the word. That’s why it takes a special set of circumstances to kill them.”

“So if they were dead,” Prue asked, “What are they now? And where are their souls?”

“That’s exactly the point, dear.” Penny told her. “Nobody thought this could ever happen. It has never happened before. We don’t know where their souls went. They are not in the collective.”

“Their not in oblivion, either.” Cole told them. “I just came from there. There was some talk about big changes in the works, though.”

“This?” Patty asked.

“I would guess so.” Cole replied. “Most of those souls in oblivion exist merely because of humans. If the mortals had not believed in them, they would not be here and they would not have had the deck stacked against them from the start. Anything that effects the mortals, effects them in turn.”

“So how could they do anything to the Guardians?” Prue asked. “Could they possibly have contact with humans?”

“With out question.” Cole told her. “Any human could have one of those demons as a familiar if they had access to the right resource material.”

“Okay, that’s just nuts.” Prue said, looking strait at Cole. “Was you someone’s familiar?”

“No.” Cole told her. “I didn’t want anything to do with the human world. I just wanted to be forgotten.”

“Penance is for mortals.” Prue told him.

“Not Penance.” Cole told her. “Just making sure I don’t screw everything up for some one, if you get me.”

“I get you.” Prue told him. “I got your number a long time ago. If you don’t get what you want, then you run away from it. You don’t face anything. You need to work on that, if you want to fully take advantage of your heritage.”

Cole cocked his head to one side slightly, like he was thinking about what she had said, then asked her, “What do you mean by that?”

“So who had access to the Guardians?” Penny asked suddenly. “That alone narrows down the field. The only ones who had access to the Guardians were the Keepers.”

“The who?” Prue asked. “I’ve never heard of them before.”

“The Keepers.” Patty told her. “Centuries ago, the collective decided that it would be in the Guardians best interests to have a group of people watch over them. Hide them, basically. This group was called the Keepers. It was just a few knights to begin with, but the brotherhood grew over the centuries. Unfortunately, since their specialty was to hide not only the Guardians, but themselves, no one could find the Keepers either. The collective lost track of them around the end of the of the first millennium. We don’t know how to get in touch with them or how many of them there is. I am assuming that is why this Sandman fellow involved your old police friend. He has to know a thing or two about what’s going on.”

“Oh he does.” Cole told them. “He’s been around for almost twelve centuries. I got that much from him before he bailed on Morris earlier. I’m guessing that he’s a Keeper himself. His name is Julius Sanderson. Weather that’s his real name or just something he’s been using for a while, I don’t know. I can have Morris run the name, though I doubt that anything turns up.”

“If I know Darryl, he’s already on that.” Prue told him. “Next question. Where did their souls go? Cole already said that we can rule out oblivion. The collective is out too. So where are their souls? In the Athame?”

“That would make sense.” Cole told them. “It had to be a cursed Athame, so it would stand to reason that sense they were already dead, their souls would have to be captured. If that is the case, then why would anyone want to capture the Guardians? The only answer would be to replace them.”

“That would mean that one or more of the Keepers wanted to take over.” Patty told them. “Why would they want that?”

“The age old answer.” Cole told her. “Power. Humans struggle for that very thing every day. They seem to have an uncontrollable urge to have power and influence over other humans. They bypass the basic laws of free will and want to enslave each other.”

“But to what end?” Prue asked, almost sounding like she was talking to herself. “What could they have planned?”

“That is for another discussion.” Cole told her. “What we have to do now is to figure out where to find them. And we also need to get Prue out of the collective. If we don’t, then they will know our every move.”

“Agreed.” Penny told them. “Honey, you have to-”

“I know, I know.” Prue said, a smile on her face as she got out of her chair. She was trying hard to hide her excitement over returning to the living. The thought of getting back with her sisters was almost intoxicating. She had waited for more years than she had wanted to when Penny had hit her with this bomb shell right after she had died. “I will only do this as Prue. I think that would be more help than anything else.”

“But, dear, your sisters will know you whoever you go back as.” Penny told her. “Your souls have met more in more than one incarnation and not by accident.”

“I know that.” Prue told her. “I have reasons for wanting to go back this way.”

“Home sick?” Cole asked her.

Prue looked Cole strait in the eyes again and thought she saw a flicker of understanding there. This was no time for the cat to be let out of the bag. This was something that had to be kept under wraps for the moment. “Not really.” She told him. “Like you said, that is for another discussion.”

“I thought you would.” Patty said, smiling like she knew something that none of the others knew. “I was actually hoping you would want to.”

“What’s the big deal about going back as Prue?” Cole asked.

“All in good time.” Prue told him, wanting nothing more than for him to shut up and get on with this. The sooner she was back among the living, the sooner it would be too late to do anything about this and the sooner she could see her sisters. “Right now we have work to do.”

Prue took a hold of Patty’s and Penny’s hands, forming a small circle.

“Hey, what about me?” Cole asked. “Don’t you need my help?”

Penny opened one eye and told him, “No, uh, I think we can manage.”

“But it took thirteen people to bring me back.” Cole said, sounding left out, then dropped into the chair that Prue had been setting in.

“We aren’t exactly people, Cole.” Prue told him. “It will only take the three of us.”

“Don’t pout, dear.” Penny told him. “It‘s a Warren witch thing.”

Penny, Patty and, Prue joined hands and closed their eyes, arranging energy into a human body for Prue. Surrounded in the red and white energy, Prue felt her projected form change and become solid, living tissue. In the instant that her soul entered the body, Prue felt something slip through the collective, like a feather touching the hairs on her arms. Her eyes flew open and she asked, “Did anyone else feel that?”

“Feel what?” Cole asked, coming up out of the chair.

Prue felt his essence fly out in all directions like a physical shock wave. The amount of power Cole possessed amazed her. She could feel it pulse over her in waves as he felt the entire mountain side for any sign of trouble. She shivered from the waves of power pulsing over her and told them, “In the collective. A warning was sounded just as I entered my body.”

“Who sent it and where did it go?” Cole asked, reigning in his essence.

“I couldn’t tell.” Prue told him, feeling a little off balance after Cole pulled his essence back into him. “Mom, Grams, could you try to find out?”

“We’ll try, dear.” Penny said and they left in a trail of white lights.

“As for you.” Prue said, turning back to Cole. “You need to tone that power down some. I felt every wave you sent out.”

“You did?” Cole asked, a puzzled look on his face.

“You go talk to Darryl.” Prue told him. “I have a stop to make first.”

Before Cole could ask where she was going, Prues’ head lulled to her chest and her body collapsed onto the floor. In less than an instant, she was standing under the chandelier in the manor. The first thing that hit her was the smell of food. Piper had been cooking. That smell spread through her and she welcomed it like waster to a parched throat. She had forgotten just how good the smell of Piper’s cooking was.

Several feet in front of her, something hit the floor with a splattering crash. Prue opened her eyes and found Piper staring at her opened mouthed. The longing to hug her and talk with her overwhelmed her. After all those years of not having any mortal contact with Piper, Prue froze. She could not even say her name, a childish fear of everything changing back to the way it had been enveloped her. If she could just get past that, then everything would be okay and life could go back to the way it was.

“Prue?” Piper asked.

The sound of that voice to human ears was sweeter than music. The emptiness in her heart was crushed with just that one spoken word. All those years of being away suddenly vanished. Prue felt like she had just returned from a photo shoot at the end of a long day and it was time for family. Prue took a couple of steps forward, the childish fear gone.

“Leo!” Piper called raising her hands. “Le-o!”

Prue froze, feeling the power building up in Piper and she knew, even through the confusion, what was about to happen. As Leo raced in from the kitchen, Prue felt the energy release, a huge amount that seemed to come at her in slow motion. Prue could actually see the energy distortion pulse toward her. Without thinking, Prue pulled the energy into herself, the explosive blast Piper had thrown at her seemed small in comparison to what she had become accustomed to.

“Prue?” Leo asked, hurrying up to Pipers side. Before Prue could say anything to them, she was pulled back to the mountain cabin, confusion coursing through her.

“Where did you go?” Cole asked, dragging Prue to her feet by an arm. “Where did you go?” This time the demand sounded almost panicked.

“She tried to blow me up.” Prue said, disbelief sounding clearly in her voice.

“Who did?” Cole almost screamed, worry and panic trying to take hold. The only reason he had been given this chance was to protect the Charmed Ones. If he failed at that already, oblivion would be heaven compared to where he would put himself.

“Why?” Prue asked, feeling tears of betrayal well up in her eyes. “Why would she want to kill me?” The question was aimed directly at Cole.

“Blow you up?” Cole asked and then understood. Piper had been quick on the draw with her powers when he had last seen her. Apparently she had not changed. “You went to the manor.” He said flatly, calming down slightly.

“Piper tried to kill me!” Prue shouted.

“Good and Evil. Remember?” Cole said. “She went on the assumption that you were a demon impersonating you. Don’t you remember how it was?”

“I had forgotten.” Prue told him. “I assumed she would know me.”

“Good and Evil exist here because everybody believes it does.” Cole told her. “It actually makes them weak.”

“That’s for sure.” Prue said. “I remembered Piper being powerful, but when I drew the energy she released, it was almost nothing.”

“Compared to what you’re use to.” Cole told her. “Make no mistake about it. Piper is a very powerful witch. All three of them are. You know what they can do. What you have to remember is that you know how to truly use energy. You are a thousand times more powerful then they are. They can feel your power, just like you felt mine.”

“But she attacked me, damnit!” Prue yelled. “I can’t believe she did that.”

“We just can’t pop in on them like that.” Cole told her. “They will assume that it’s a demonic attack. The best way in is, of course, Phoebe. But first, before we even think about that we need to talk to Morris.”

Cole knew all too well how using Phoebe could turn against him. It had to be done just right or they would never be trusted. How many times had he tried to use Phoebe to get to the sisters? Every time he had failed. He had to remain in control of himself this time. If he did not, then,…he did not want to think of that. Too long had he suffered for that.

“Morris, then Phoebe.” Prue said. “Oooeee, is Piper ever going to feel bad about this.”

“And you won’t let her forget it, either.” Cole said. “Being the good big sister you are.”

“Not on your life.” She said. “But her cookin’ smells better than ever.”

[mostaff]

CHAPTER THREE

Thunder rolled through the night outside the manor. Piper heaved a sigh, relaxing for the first time during this extra long day. She had thought that running P-3 would have prepared her for running a restaurant. It had not. Owning and operating a very up scale restaurant in the down town district was almost more trouble than it was worth.

Almost.

She loved being in the kitchen, cooking up one master piece after another. The menu orders were handled by a staff of well trained chefs. Piper handled the catering and the in house party reservations. That was where she done her best work. She had a knack for knowing what was needed in any recipe from an early age. Her Grams had been very impressed by that when she had been younger. It had not mattered what she was cooking up, a meal or a potion, Piper just knew what was needed and how much. Cooking was what she done best. In any other endeavor she was constantly questioning herself, but not in the kitchen.

She had wished time and time again, that Prue was still here. Not just for the obvious reasons, but also for her business sense. Piper had learned a lot from her after she had opened P-3, but not enough to go it totally alone. Phoebe and Paige were a help as was Leo, but they just did not have the business savvy of Prudence Halliwell. Prue had always thought with her head and not her heart when it came to business. It had given her an edge that Piper could never have.

Piper leaned back limply in the dinning chair and closed her eyes. Good God, how things had changed in the past few years. A slow but steady procession of change since Grams had died. Phoebe returning from New York, the three of them receiving their powers, Leo, Dan, Leo again, Prue being killed, Paige coming to them, God, the list just kept going.

Prue.

There had been a time when Piper thought of her every day. She had even talked to her hoping somehow that Prue would hear it. Hoping Prue would answer, but knowing she would not. As time went on, Piper thought about her less and less as the riggers of daily life required her attention. The less she thought about Prue, she found the pain of loss subside. Now she could think about Prue and the pain was almost gone. She could recall memories of her big sister and feel warmth and joy. The darkness of loss was minimal.

Minimal, that is, until memories of the days just after the murder surfaced. When they did surface, they hit with a vengeance. The demon attack at the funeral still angered her. She had wanted to give Prue the perfect send off, nice and quiet and normal. Even that was too much to ask. If she had known that demonic bounty hunters would show up, she would have forbade Cole from attending. But that would have hurt Phoebe and put a riff between them, which was something neither one of them wanted or needed at the time. Normal was one thing the sisters were not. Though, normal, Piper had come to understand, was what you made it to be. She had come to except many things as normal. Many things that average people would not be able to deal with.

Piper snapped her eyes open and sat up in the chair. Her mind had wondered to places it should not. Not a good thing on nights like this. Nights when she was far too tired and the memories seemed to flow like water. She knew she was close to nodding off in the chair and feared the dreams that would come without the relaxation and comfort of her bed. Though on nights like this, that comfort helped very little.

“Time for bed.” She mumbled, feeling a weariness that seemed to sink into her bones.

She had just picked up the remains of her late dinner, brought from Maison des Halliwell when she felt it. A quick but subtle energy discharge behind her. As if this day was not long enough, now she had something else to deal with. For a moment, her mind wondered how she could feel energy discharge. She had never been able to feel that before, but she knew that there was someone standing behind her. How she knew, she did not know. Piper did not stop to wonder for long. There was an unannounced someone behind her that she was unprepared for.

Her mind went through a quick check list of precautions. The kids were already in bed, the nanny, a motherly little Elf, was safely upstairs, Leo was still at Magick school and, she had no one to help her with whatever was coming for her. How many people were behind her, she could not tell. All she felt was a presence behind her. Her day just got longer and more complicated than she wanted or needed.

She knew Paige had not orbed in. She could not feel a white lighter orb, nor could she feel demons shimmer. No, this was something else. Piper had never been able to feel energy being drawn or discharged. For her to feel it now, there was some one very powerful standing behind her. With Angels and Demons already eliminated, what was left? In that sinking instant, she wished for Prue to be able to stand beside her. Longed for her lost sister to help her, because she was sure she did not want to know what the hell was behind her.

With dread filling her, she turned slowly to face the intruder. She had no idea what to expect to see standing behind her, but her fallen sister was no where on that nonexistent list. Recognition was instant as was the shock wave that seemed to freeze all her thought processes. Conflicting emotions clashed with what she thought was an audible crash. Joy, anger, hatred, forgiveness, loss, grief, pain. Every one of them crashed down on her in less than a heart beat.

Her body felt like she had just been tossed off the Golden Gate Bridge and hit every inch of iron on the way down. The emotional pain turned physical and tired muscles went slack with the pain of shock. In the tidal wave of emotions, she preyed that Prue was truly standing before her, showered in a rainbow of prismatic light falling from the chandelier, but knowing that it was just not possible. If it were possible, wouldn’t they had figured how to do this years ago? Prue would not stay away this long if there was a way around it. She was the big sister, someone who would figure it out and come back to make sure the Charmed Ones were protected and safe. To make sure the Charmed Ones were together!

After eight years, all the summonings, all the grief, all the pain, here she stood, wearing a white cloak with the hood down and smelling the air. The joy on her face seemed genuine, but something was different about her. Piper could sense power in Prue that no mortal should possess. Prue had always been the main power behind the Charmed Ones, but the amount of power she possessed now was unnatural. It seemed almost primal. The feeling that Piper got from her, standing there sniffing the air was one of a predator tracking it’s prey, maneuvering in for the kill.

Standing there in that blindingly white, over covering sack that stretched all the way to the floor, sniffing the air, she did not look or act like Prue. Even the joy on her face seemed to be tinged with a primal element that was unsettling. Betrayal seared Pipers’ heart. Whatever this was, it was a betrayal of her memory of Prue. This thing was as evil as Prue had been good. Anger burned suddenly. Anger at this thing and what the hell ever sent it. There was more to being Prudence Halliwell than just looking something like her. There was, for instance, the fact that Prue was a truly good soul that would never allow this to take place if she knew about it. Then there was the stance, slightly hunched forward with the chin inclined. That was not the relaxed state that Prue was known for. Then there was that sack it was wearing. Prue would never be caught dead in that shapeless thing.

“No.” Piper decided silently. “No, not Prue. Blow it up!”

And with that, Piper felt her anger swell. Not only had evil taken Prue from her, but now it was using Prue to get at the Charmed Ones. They were trying to use Piper’s feeling for her older sister against her. Trying to use those memories to get close enough to her to kill her, then Phoebe and Paige. Piper had not been as dumb as they had counted on. It would not take much to set this right. This was beyond the bounds of acceptability. Some things just had to be sacred, to be left alone. Using family like this was one of them. The demons had went way over of the line this time and this time, Piper was going to make sure that they got the message to never do this again.

But what if…?

The question rambled to the fore front of her brain in almost a whimper. What if Prue was finally able to come back from the great beyond? What if that thing standing there was really Prue? Piper could not blow her up until she was sure.

“Prue?” Piper asked, then another thought raged through her mind, “d**n those demons!” They had almost had her believing what she was seeing. Their little trick almost worked. She was wanting Prue to be there so badly that she almost accepted that she was standing there.

In the instant their eyes met, Piper knew fear. After all her years of life, she finally knew what real fear was. That thing had Prue down almost flawlessly. Deep down inside of this thing that was supposed to be Prue, there was something not quite Prueish. The joy was genuine, but there was a power and knowledge that just was not like anything that Prue had.

In less time than it took the plate she was holding to fall to the floor, Piper had drew in more energy than she ever had before. She pulled some much energy that she thought she would blow up herself. So much energy that it almost hurt.

“Leo.” Piper called, pulling her hands up, readying herself to release all that energy. Why she was calling for Leo, she did not know. He was at Magic school and unable to get here. Instinct, she thought, old habit or just simply a desperate cry for help. It really did not matter. She needed him here. “Le-o!”

And everything happened in an instant. Piper released so much energy she felt it recoil her whole body, and the sound of a cannon going off heralded the release of a monumental blast. The explosive blast covered the short distance in the blink of an eye and simply vanished into the thing it was aimed at.

“Prue?”

Leo was at Pipers’ side somehow, shock and surprise on his face.

Piper only glanced at Leo, but when she looked back, the thing was gone. She had known it would be. She had felt it leave with that same subtle discharge of energy. Piper turned fully to Leo, a line of questions streaming through her mind at the rate of a machine gun rattle.

“What the hell was that?” Piper asked. “And how did you get here?”

“One thing at a time.” Leo told her. “That looked like Prue. Why did you try to blow her up?”

“That thing was not Prue.” Piper said, a waver in her voice, and pointing to where the thing had been. “I tried to blow it up, but,… it just absorbed it.”

Instantly, worry creased Leo’s face and he asked, “Do you still have your powers?”

The shock on Pipers’ face told Leo that she had not even thought about that. She had been too distracted to think of that angle, even though that very thing had happened before. Several times as a matter of fact. She aimed a small blast at the glass vase of flowers on the table and hesitated. What if she had lost it? Did she really want to know? After what she had just been through, the emotional assault, another surprise attack, all the same old nuts, did it really matter if she had lost what the under world so badly wanted her not to have?

The vase exploded like an iron ball had hit it, sending glass flying with enough force to embed it in the wall several feet away. Hell yes, it matter! It was all about the memory of Prudence Halliwell, for Christ sake. Piper could not turn her back on this now. Not now that they were trying to ruin her memory of Prue. Hell no, they were not going to get away with that!

“Calm down, honey.” Leo told her.

“Calm down I disagree.” Piper told him sharply. “those d**n demons are not going to get away with this.”

“How do you know that wasn’t Prue?” Leo asked, stepping back from Piper and bending down to get the shattered plate on the floor.

“Why would she come back now?” Piper asked. “I tried a thousand times to summon her after she was murdered. If she wouldn’t come when I tried to call her, then why would she come now?”

“That’s a little self centered, isn’t it?” Leo asked softly, feeling almost afraid to ask that question. Prue had been a touch and go subject with Piper for a long time, now, and Leo was getting the feeling that this was one of those times when it would be better to just let his wife rage and vent, then go blast the hell out of the underworld.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Piper asked, anger rising. “You think that since she was not called by me, then I think that she would not come back?”

“That’s what it sounded like.” Leo said, wishing he had not said anything. “I know that’s not how you feel. But that’s what you said.”

“So okay, smart guy, why now?” Piper asked, flipping hair out of her face. “Why after all this time does she show up with out being summoned?”

“Well, by now,” Leo said, standing up with his hands full of the broken plate, “Her transition is complete. She would be allowed to have contact with family.”

“Bullshit.” Piper snapped, “I don’t believe that one little bit. Transitions and permission. Since when does a Halliwell need permission to do anything?”

Leo smiled and told her, “You’ve got a point there. But the here after works a little different.”

“How so?” Piper asked, fairly certain that Leo did not know much more about this than she did.

“I never asked for an explanation.” Leo told her.

“That’s a lame answer if I ever heard one.” She told him. “Just say you don‘t know. You have no more of an idea about how the afterlife works than I do.”

Leo bowed his head and sighed deeply. “We have enough to deal with right here without worrying about the afterlife, or arguing about how much we know about it. So, I hope you’re not basing your assumption solely on the fact that she did not come when she was called. She’s not a dog, ya know.”

“Well, not any more, she isn’t.” Piper said with a fond smile, a very small bit of her anger draining away. “We fixed that problem.”

“Yea, you did.” Leo chuckled, smiling as the memory of Phoebe
almost being turned into a banshee came back to him. Prue had been turned into a dog to track the banshee that had attacked Phoebe. It had been an unexpected result of a spell they had cast, but it had worked and Prue was returned to human form, to Kitts relief.

“She made a cute mutt, though.” Leo said, grinning.

“Watch it husband of mine, that’s my sister you’re talking about.” Piper said with a smile.

“So what else are you basing your assumption on?” Leo asked gently, relaxing a little now that Piper’s anger was being reigned in.

“Leo, I’ve known Prue all my life.” Piper told him, “I know her better than any one else. What I saw in that things eyes was not Prue. There was something there that shouldn’t have been. I can’t really put a finger on it. Something like too much power and too much knowledge.”

“It wasn’t Prue because she was smarter and more powerful?” Leo asked, sounding confused. “I don’t think I understand.”

“I don’t either.” Piper said softly. “All I know is that was sent by the underworld and I’m not going to stand still for that. Those bastards took Prue from me and damnit, they aren’t going to use her against me. I won’t have it.”

“She was taken away from all of us, Piper.” Leo said gently, knowing this was one of those times he would rather not be having this conversation with her. This was one of those times when it would have been better to let her vent. Piper had not really dealt with Prue’s death the way she should have. She had just buried all the pain and ignored it. All the pain was still there, buried and just waiting to jump out at the worst possible time. And Leo was beginning to think that this was going to be that time.

“You need to deal-” Leo started.

“Don’t go there.” Piper ordered, pointing a finger at Leo. “I know what you’re going to say and I have dealt with it. I dealt with it long ago. I know she’s gone and not coming back. I get that.”

“Piper, you did not really deal with it.” Leo told her. “You just let some of it out. There’s still a whole lot of pain in there waiting to come out.”

“So how did you get here, anyway?” Piper asked, changing the subject, but not looking at Leo. She knew he was right. That was what made this so maddening. She knew d**n good and well she had not come to terms with Prue’s death. Why should she have to? Prue should not have been murdered. The only ones that should have died were the demons. The good souls of the Charmed Ones were supposed to survive, live to fight another day. They were the Charmed Ones, damnit, they were not supposed to die.

Piper turned away from Leo, not waiting for an answer, and moved to the window that over looked the back yard, memories already crawling to the surface of her mind. The years dropped away and she saw the Charmed Ones as little girls running and laughing in the after noon sun. They had been so care free back then, not having an inkling of what was to come. Had they really been that innocent, that young? All three of them had been close at that time. That had been before all the changes had turned them into what they had become. Before Grams had bound their powers, before Prue had turned into the responsible one and Phoebe turned into the rebel. Before Grams had died, leaving them alone to figure all this out. Before they had regained their powers and had learned about their destiny.

They were playing tag and picking on the youngest, Phoebe. She was not fast enough to catch her older sisters, but she never gave up trying. The years seemed to blur by and Piper saw all three of them as they grew up. Piper had stayed close with both of her sisters, but Prue and Phoebe had grown apart over the years. Piper had been a buffer between those two in the years just before Grams’ death and after Phoebe returned from New York. Prue had been strong willed and responsible. She had a knack for knowing what to do and when to do it.

It had been Prue that had protected them in the early days of being Charmed. Prue had seen the dangers of being found out. She had known that main stream society was not ready to accept what they were. Cautionary steps had to be taken to insure that what they were and what they could do was confined to the world of magic. She had sacrificed her own happiness to protect all of them, not just herself. Always the responsible one, Prue had not gotten really close to the man that she loved, just to keep their secret safe.

Piper felt her heart crack then, and the wave of grief that escaped was debilitating, all engulfing. The tears flowed again, burning and blurring her vision. Her knees gave out, sending her to the floor, hugging herself tightly, the vision of the little girl with strait black hair, smiling at her still searing her mind’s eye. A sob hiccupped in her throat, then they all broke free.

She felt Leo setting on the floor beside her, holding her tightly, gently rocking her, not saying anything. He just sat on the floor, holding her and softly stroking her hair. He knew what was happening. All those feelings that had been locked away had finally boiled over. Leo had known this would happen, but he had not known when it would happen. He also knew that what Piper was going through was a hundred times worse than if she had dealt with it when Prue had died. All the pain of loss had multiplied over the years of being hidden away. But that was not the way Piper dealt with emotional pain.

For almost an hour, Piper sobbed and cried and wished that Prue was still with them. She called for Prue to come back then yelled out her hatred of her for leaving. She screamed at the elders for letting her be killed and hit Leo several times for not saving her. In the end, she understood that it had to happen the way it did. If it had not, they would not have learned of Paige and brought her into the family.

Leo sat and held her, letting her grief run free. She had to get it out. For far too long she had kept it bottled up, letting it fester and feed. After what seemed forever, Piper looked up at Leo with red, puffy eyes and said,

”Prue’s gone. She’s dead. Murdered.” She wiped her face with Leo’s shirt and forced a smile that was a long way from Happy. “I get it. She’s gone. Went on to the hereafter. She’s free to be reincarnated again.”

“Something like that.” Leo said. “So if she’s free to reincarnate, why show up here?”

“That was not Prue.” Piper said simply.

“Maybe.” Leo said. “But there is something big going on. Maybe she’s come back to help.”

“Something big?” Piper asked, wiping her eyes again and squirming around on her butt to look at Leo. “What are you talking about and what do you know?”

“Piper,” Leo said looking her strait in the eyes. “The balance has shifted. Evil seems to have the upper hand and the elders don’t know why.”

“But the underworld has been quiet for months..” Piper told him, the meaning of that convincing Piper that Leo was right. When the underworld goes quiet, something big is in the works. “I still say that thing was not Prue.”

“Maybe.” Leo said. “There is a way to be sure.”

“Call it back here?” Piper asked.

“Not it.” Leo told her. “Penny.”

“Grams? What would she know about it?” Piper asked, getting up. “I mean it wasn’t Prue. How would Grams know what the hell it was?”

“I’m not convinced it wasn’t Prue.” Leo said.

“Leo.” Piper sighed heavily. “You saw what it was wearing. Prue wouldn’t be caught dead in something like that.”

Leo looked at her and grinned, feeling better about his wife’s stability concerning Prue.

“Whoa, hold it.” Piper said, holding up both index fingers. “Oh, I didn’t just crack a joke about Prue. Alright, alright.” She said walking off towards the stairs. “Grams has some explaining to do.”

At the bottom of the stairs, she abruptly spun around, pointing a finger at Leo. “Wait a minute, mister.” She commanded. “Exactly how did you get here from magic school?

Leo smiled broadly, happy to see that Piper was recovering quickly. While Piper was a long way from being scatter brained, her thought processes fired in a different order than any other person he knew. It was just one of many things that had attracted him to her in the first place.

“I orbed.” Leo grinned.

“Orbed.” Piper said flatly. “You’re our white lighter again?”

“Aaaa, more or less.” Leo said, hoping that would satisfy for the moment.

“Right, gotcha.” Piper said and waved a hand over her head as she started up the stairs. “Then you better go warn Phoebe and Paige.”

He watched with a smile as she walked up the stairs, mumbling something about old women and their d**n secrets. He had avoided the bullet for now, but when Piper found out he had been made an elder again, the nuts was going to hit the fan.

But being an elder had advantages. He had known on sight that it had been Prue. Her had also known that she was a mortal human again. What he did not know was why and how she had been able to come back with the power and knowledge of the collective. He did know, however, that for that to happen, some very powerful entities had to work some very powerful magic.

He had not been entirely truthful with Piper when he had told her that he did not know how the afterlife worked. As an elder, he had a fundamental understanding of it, and the Grand Design. If the Grand Design was tampered with, then the balance of not only the collective, but the balance of good and evil was effected. As to why Prue had not been reincarnated yet, Leo could not say. What he did know, was that something was going on that was bigger than the Charmed Ones. That could explain why Prue was brought back as a mortal with the power and the balance of the collective.

Through his contemplation, he thought he heard Phoebe’s voice calling him. He waited for only a couple of seconds then heard her call again. The fear in her voice scared him. Something was happening with her, too. With what had just happened here, he was sure it had to do with Prue. This was one adventure that he could without, especially after being out of the loop for so long. Being mortal again had weakened his resolve slightly. This was almost too much to take care of strait out of retirement.

[mostaff]

CHAPTER FOUR

Cole and Prue appeared in the elevator at the same time. They had been waiting for only a couple of minutes for the young couple riding it to the top floor to get out.

“Newly weds.” Prue sighed, her mind roaming back years to Andy. She smiled shyly and moved forward to hit the button with a three on it, hoping Cole had not seen or at would at least have the decency not ask about it.

“That’s more like it.” Cole said, turning to his right to face Prue and lean against the rear wall of the elevator. “You brought your body along with you this time. Like I was telling you, you’ve got to slow down your thinking and concentrate. Think about what you want to teleport. Since astral projection was one of your powers before, it will be that much easier for you now.”

Prue sent him a side ways glance and said, “Smart ass. But it’s not as difficult as you made it sound.”

Cole only got out a half chuckle when a hand slapped the back of his head. Instinct drove him toward the front corner of the elevator, herding Prue there ahead of him, shielding her with his own body. Everything happened at once but far slower than he knew it should. With Prue behind him giggling, he spun and sent an over powered energy ball toward the opposite corner of the elevator. Too late did he realize he should have made sure of his target. His eyes focused beyond the energy ball that seemed to float away from him in slow motion. Too late did he try to recall that ball carrying enough energy to level a building. Too late did he realize that it was on a direct path for a spot between Prue Halliwells’ breast.

“If Prue is over there,” Cole’s mind questioned, “Then who the hell is behind me? And how did she get there? Good going Cole. You’ve fucked it all up already.”

Before Cole could pull his eyes away from Prue, the energy ball hit it’s mark. “d**n me for being a marksman!” screamed through Coles’ mind before he saw what happened next. To his surprise, the energy ball sunk strait in to Prues’ body with out leaving the slightest mark. Prue stood there laughing, and stood there and stood there. The confusion on Coles’ face seemed to fuel her laughter as she still stood there! Cole had sent enough energy to level the hotel, but Prue just stood there laughing and smiling! She did not blow up! She did not melt and ooze away. She just stood there laughing!

“What the hell?” Cole asked, almost dazed by what he was seeing and still hunched and ready for battle.

“Simple physics.” Prues’ voice said from behind him.

Cole jumped and spun away, concussion escalating. Looking from one corner to it’s opposite, he could not believe what he was seeing or feeling. Prue was standing in both corners, looking like identical twins and both of them laughing at him. Not only could she astral project, but she split her soul between the two bodies.

The Prue on his right, the one that had slapped the back of his head, stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

“Simple physics.” She said. “Energy can not be destroyed, only converted.” She patted his shoulder and said, “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

Cole gave a dry laugh and straitened his suit jacket, telling her, “Only my pride.”

The Prue on his left stepped forward and told him, “And now for the part that’s going to blow your mind.” She took her hand and pressed the back of it to her cheek and giggled again.

Cole froze, realizing in an instant that neither Prue was a projection. Both had real bodies of flesh and bone. Both were physical and had human warmth. And both had a soul! He could feel it coming form both of them.

“How can you…Where did…” Cole could not get a complete thought out, his mind was racing along a thousand lines of thought at once. He had never known of any one who could do either of those things that he had just witnessed. Not even the most powerful demons in the underworld could absorb his energy balls like that, let alone the one he had just let go of. That one had been ten times as powerful as any he had used in his heyday. But to do that when she had been at only half potency, that was something else. It told Cole that he should be very glad that they were no longer enemies.. As powerful and formidable as she had been before, she was a hundred times more so now. To be able to split herself in half, with both parts being equal, was by far no small feat. Add to that absorbing the most powerful energy ball Cole had ever released,…Cole shuddered inwardly. The power and knowledge that Prue had obtained and had brought back with her easily made her the most powerful mortal on earth.

Both Prues stepped toward each other and merged together in a shower prismatic lights. Again, Cole composed himself, straitening his jacket and tie, he told her, “Cheap parlor trick.”

“Jealous?” Prue asked, stepping to the back of the elevator.

“Green with envy.” Cole said with a smile. “So how did you
learn to do that?”

“That’s just one secret I learned.” Prue told him, opening her cloak.

Under the strait cloak, Cole saw she was wearing a form fitting, dark suit with a short skirt and heels. Until now, he had forgotten just what she had looked like in her former life. She was indeed, a very beautiful woman. Alluring.

The electronic tone of the doors opening put his thoughts back where they should be. The happenings in the elevator still slightly disturbing, but oddly reassuring. They exited the elevator side by side and headed for Darryl’s room.

Two dozen steps into the hallway, Prue stopped and turned around. She felt eyes on her. That crawling feeling down the spine made her shiver. She looked back down the corridor to the closed elevator doors. There was no one along their back track. None of the room doors were open, not even a crack. Then she felt it, a drawing of energy that pulled a tiny part of her toward the elevator doors.

When the doors opened, Prue saw a close-up view of a window. All around the window was dark, but on the other side of it, Prue saw her. Joy leapt through her whole body like an electrical charge. Phoebe was looking back at her, eyes big with amazement. Phoebe had changed over the years. There was a maturity in those eyes that had not been there before Prue died. Prue had kept up with her sense she had died, but the astral energy patterns had not done her sister justice. Phoebe was far more beautiful than Prue had thought. Marriage and motherhood had been good to her. Prue smiled at her, wanting to go to her. Needing to have contact with her. Real human contact.

“Phoebe.” Prue whispered.

The instant Prue said her name, amazement turned to fear, and Phoebe backed away from the window. Prue felt a surge of concern. She wanted to go to Phoebe now and comfort her, convince her that it really was Prue and she really was back to stay. She felt the need to tell her sister that the Power of Three was not the Power of Four. That this was right. This was what was meant to be.

“Phoebe, we’re coming.” Prue blurted out. “Tell Piper and Paige.”

Phoebe backed farther away from the window, fear turning to terror. Prue took a couple of quick steps forward, reaching out a hand to Phoebe, wanting badly to comfort her, reassure her that what she was seeing was real. She needed her sister to believe that this was not just a dream, that this was indeed real. The surge of love for Phoebe turned to a desperate desire to get to Phoebe and make her understand.

Prue started to draw energy to make the jump to Phoebe’s side when something unexpected happened. Just as the doors started to slide shut, Prue felt a rush of energy. In the split second before the energy hit her, Prue tried to release what she had already started pulling, but it was too late. Prue was hit with a psychic blast of energy that slammed into her brain, released from Phoebe when she tried to push the vision away from her. Prue tried to pull the energy that Phoebe sent to her, but she was not prepared for a psychic attack. The energy seared her between the left and right lobes of her brain, making her ears ring and vision blur. She was dazed before she slammed into Coles back hard enough to knock them both to the floor.

Prue sprang back up and leapt the distance to the elevator doors in one motion, head stinging, ears ringing and, nose bleeding, she started banging on the doors and calling Phoebe’s name. With a sudden realization she knew that it had been her that had scared Phoebe. Prue herself had caused that terror in her little sister. How could she have been so reckless? Even in witching circles, seeing your dead sister living again was scary at best. But Prue had lunged head long anyway, selfishly wanting contact with a loved one. She had not learned a d**n thing from her encounter with Piper.

Then Cole was pulling her around to face him. She saw a tinge of fear in his eyes along with a desire for vengeance. He was saying something, but she could not hear him over the ringing in her ears. Even if she could hear him, she knew she would not be able to comprehend what he was saying. Her mind was numb form the psychic attack of her sister and the fact that she had caused her sister to attack.

Prue shook her head then asked angrily, “What the hell are you babbling about?”

“Phoebe!” Cole hissed coldly. “Alright?”

Prue barely heard him over the ringing in her ears. Her numb mind finally made out what he had said and she told him, “Fine.”

“She’s okay?” Cole asked, calming down.

“She’s fine.” Prue growled. “Just scared. Seeing us scared her. I need something to wipe my nose.”

“You’re hit?” Cole told her. “Did Phoebe hit you?”

“Yes.” Prue said turning toward the elevator. “She was alone and scared.”

That’s when she saw it. The steel doors of the elevator were dented deeply, the dents surrounded by scorch marks. She looked at Cole and back at the doors, shock plain on her face.

“I have to go to her.” Prue said and closed her eyes.

“NO!” Cole almost screamed, grabbing her with both hands. “She’s already scared. You said that, remember? If seeing you in a premonition scared her, what would happen if you just popped in? She already hit you. Remember what Piper done just an hour ago? Their not connected to the collective. They have no idea why you’re back, much less which side of the equals sign you’re on. It’s apparent to me they think you’re on the wrong side. They see you as a threat right now. Just calm down and think.”

Prue hung her head and thought about it. It pained her to admit it, but Cole was right. This was one homecoming she had not considered. It did, however, seem perfectly logical in hind sight. They knew Prue to be dead and they had absolutely no contact with her since she had died. Suddenly after all these years, she shows up and expects Piper and Phoebe to welcome her with open arms and no doubts or questions. How d**n dumb could she be, not expecting this reaction?

All the conflicting emotions that were swimming in her own head, she knew Piper and Phoebe were in worse shape. After all, she had been taken from them suddenly, without any kind of warning. It would have been different if Prue had died of a long illness, but to be taken away from them by murder, that was hard enough to deal with. But then to see her back among the living eight years later, that would be too much for almost anybody to handle. What had she put both of them through on this night?

A night mare. An honest to God ghost story come to life. What would she think if she were in their shoes? How would she feel if it had been Piper or Phoebe that had been taken and then showed up eight years later, expecting her to welcome them with open arms and hearty “Welcome home, sis.”? She would assume that they were demons or some other kind of evil that was attempting to vanquish her. Normal reaction. But yet, she had expected that very thing from Piper and Phoebe.

Cole was right. She had to slow down and consider her moves more carefully. Damage had already been done that would take too much precious time to undo. Her emotional reunion would have to take a back seat to the matter at hand if she were to succeed in all of this and retain her mortality. The goal of retaining her fresh mortality was upper most on the to do list. She was not willing to return to the here after. She wanted to stay with her sisters as long as possible. Any other out come simply was not expectable.

She finally turned and looked up at Cole. He understood the pain in her eyes and grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“They’re all grown up now, big sis.” Cole told her. “They’ve got
good heads on their shoulders and one thing you seem to be forgetting about.”

“What’s that?” Prue asked, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“A very wise White Lighter.” Cole told her. “Did you know that Leo’s been reinstated as an elder?”

“Yea.” Prue whispered. “I felt that.”

“I’ll bet you didn’t know, though,” Cole said smugly, “That his only duty is to protect the Charmed Ones.”

Prue looked at him, surprise on her face. “How do you know that? I didn’t get that from the collective.”

“Secrets.” Cole told her. “I discovered a few of my own.”

“Smartass.” Prue said, turning to head for Darryl’s room.

“Hold on a minute.” Cole said. “How ‘bout showing off a little and fixing that poor innocent door you beat hell out of?”

Prue waved a hand and the door seemed to heal itself, no trace of the damage left.

Cole fell in a step behind Prue, a puzzled look on his face. He had witnessed amazing feats of power and magic from Prue in just the last few minutes. She had, while split in half, absorbed more energy than Cole had ever released, but Phoebe had not only hit her, but gave her a bloody nose. He considered the possibility that Prue was caught off guard, just did not expect that from her kid sister. How ever possible it was, it was highly unlikely. Prue displayed the reflexes of a spirit even though she was in a physical body now.

Somehow, Phoebe had been just a little quicker than Prue. That alone brought up another point that disturbed Cole. Phoebe had never had an active power. Premonition and levitation. So what the hell had Phoebe hit her with? A blast of psychic energy? Could Phoebe have actually channeled enough energy to repel Prue through a vision? The amount of energy required for that was astronomical. Cole was not sure that Prue was powerful enough for that.

What was it Prue had said about Piper? She had released so much energy that Piper recoiled? But Prue still pulled it in like it was minimal. An amazing amount of power had to be released for Piper to recoil from it. Yet, to Prue it was almost nothing. And now Phoebe, super charged psychic power that just gave Prue a nose bleed.

Two out of three sisters were packing boosted power that would have little effect on Prue, but would be devastating to anyone else. Were the Charmed Ones some kind of Wiccan super power now? And was it a result of Prue being back as Prue? Did the Power of Three triple because the number was upped by one, or was it something else?

What ever it was and why it was happening, Cole knew that this stint as a human was going to be full of surprises and lessons.

[mostaff]

CHAPTER FIVE

Phoebe sat in a low fat chair in the corner of the bedroom watching her husband sleep soundly in the bed, oblivious to the fact that she was not by his side. Dear, sweet Coop. How could she have made it with out him? He had been the one to show her what love was all about again. After falling in and out of love so much, she had given up on the concept of love and the hope of ever having it again. Not only had he shown her that she was blocking love, he had shown her what real love was all about. He had shown her by falling in love with her. The love and adoration she felt for Coop filled her completely. She could not imagine life without him now. Did not even want to try to imagine it.

That gnawing, lacking feeling in her soul that she had felt before Coop had came along, was not a feeling she wanted back. It was the feeling that had persisted since Cole’s final vanquish. An emptiness that just would not go away. Nothing seemed to fill it. But then, there was Coop and the feeling was gone. Nothing but a bad memory, and less than that after their daughter was born.

As much as loved her husband and their daughter, there was still a small corner of her heart that was hard and cold as stone. How could there not be after all the Charmed Ones had been through? The loss of loved ones, the evil that had infected each in turn, the toll it had taken on the body and mind. The soul, while not tainted, was a long way from innocent. It was nights like this, when sleep just would not come and the wind and thunder were just too much to put aside, when old faces of those defeated and those lost along the way haunted her inner vision.

How well she knew the marks left on the mind by every vanquish and every personal loss. She carried her share and on this night, the anger and loss weighed heavily. Patty, Penny, Andy, Prue and on and on and on. Not just those close to her, but the innocents that had been lost. They all weighed down on her on nights when the thunder rolled and the wind howled.

Then there was that small steel ball in the center of that hard corner of her heart. The one loss that she wished she could get rid of. She never spoke of it openly, not even with Piper or Paige. She barely admitted it existence to herself. To admit that she carried it around with her would be a slap in the face of all she had become. It was very darkest part of herself that she held in, contained like the deadly plague it was. All her memories and feelings that were too dangerous to let out were held there. All the confused thoughts of herself and what she really was, what she really wanted. The confusion over the part of her life that she was not sure of. A part of her life that she unknowingly clung to for more than just one reason. I symbolized youth and freedom, but also held memories that she could not bare in the light of day. Memories of things and people and places that were best left to the dark. Memories of a husband that she had fervently loved and a child that had not been her own.

Cole Turner resided in that part of her. She was able to contain that part of herself until sleep failed her on the darkest, stormiest of nights. On those nights, she could feel the evil residue of their love crawl over her and a desperate longing for him filled her. A longing so passionate, that she could actually feel his embrace.

Cole had told her a long time ago that evil could not love. Evil love was no more than personal gratification. Phoebe knew now how wrong he had been. Evil could love just as much as good could hate. Good and evil were just points of view, weren’t they? No more than an extension of personal or social moral acceptability, set down by how you were raised and what you were taught to believe in. Good and evil were not tangible things that could be touched, but labels to be put to things that either made us feel good and comfortable, or displeased and offended a person. Labels that set a direction for social or personal feelings regarding certain matters of religion or personal philosophy. But what was truly good and truly evil? That was nothing more than a person judgment call. So why put those labels on anything?

Phoebe shook her head and jumped up out of the chair, tears running freely down her cheeks. She knew that was coming from that small corner of her heart. She turned to the window, hugging herself as memories flowed like electrical current through her. Memories of her and Grams, of her and Prue, of her and Patty. Those were the ones that hurt the most, those of her and her mother. There were so few of them. The only ones she had of her mother were the ones of times after Phoebe had become a witch. So few, but rich with detail. The memories that that left her feeling empty and confused, however, were the ones of Cole. Those slammed through her with the force of a physical blow, laying open that steel core for all to see. But she would let no one see, not even Coop. Especially Coop. That was a part of her that she would never share with him. She was afraid of that part of her. She had seen what kind of person she could be when that part of her was turned loose. Phoebe remembered very well the psychic invasion of her past life on this one and what she had been in that life. She remembered all too well what she had been like as the Queen of the underworld. It all left a very bad taste in her mouth. All the malice that was let loose inside her and the lack of concern for innocence’s. A sob caught in her throat, doubling her over. She put one hand over her mouth to contain the sound, not wanting to wake Coop from his sleep. She had never wanted him to know about the doubts she carried about herself or finality of her former marriage. With a second hiccupping sob, her other hand landed on an old photo album on the table between her and the window.

The instant her hand touched the photo album, her whole body locked up, muscles tense and rigged. She knew all too well what was coming. And considering that the photo album was of close family, she was not sure she wanted to see this one. She opened her eyes and looked strait ahead, steeling herself for what was to come. On the other side of the window, the scene faded away, being replace by what was in her minds eye. A long hallway, came into focus, with doors on both sides, well lit with worn carpet. Two people were walking away from her, a tall lean man in a dark suit was walking with purposeful swagger that seemed to be familiar and a tall lean woman with a long white coat billowing behind her as she kept pace with the man. A woman with strait black hair and a swagger of her own that Phoebe knew, but could not place.

The woman stopped short, cocking her head to one side as if she heard the faintest of noises behind her. The man was oblivious to this and kept on walking. She turned around slowly, as if she was not sure if some one was behind her or not. The instant Phoebe saw the woman’s profile, she knew who that strait black hair belonged to. She knew that face. She knew that walk. She had grown up looking at that face and hoping she could turn out that pretty. For an instant, Phoebe’s heart leapt with joy. Prue was standing there smiling at her. After all this time, she was having a vision about Prue. The one vision she had been wishing for since Prue had been killed. Any vision about her sister would do, so long as it told Phoebe that Prue was alright with the outcome. Or at least as alright as she could be with being dead. Their eyes met for an instant. An instant that stretched on almost forever. Phoebe could feel the love inside her sister and knew for certain that it was indeed Prue. Emotions flowed between them like a river, both understanding how the other felt. The loneliness that Prue had gotten accustomed to over the years of being dead, the grief that Phoebe felt in that time, the love they felt for each other, the understanding that there had been nothing left to be tried to bring her back to them. Somehow in that instant, Phoebe knew that this was Prue and she was back! There was no question that Prue was alive and mortal again!

Prue was mortal again! Phoebe felt that plain. This was not right! How could Prue be mortal? She was dead. That fact had been made very clear over the years. She and Piper had tried countless times to bring Prue back after she had been killed, but they had not successful. All the times they had cheated death, they had run into a brick wall on that one. Leo and Penny had told them that it could not be changed. What had happened had happened for a reason. Just what that reason had been, they would not say. Either they did not know, or they just could not divulge it at the time. Then Phoebe became aware of the power Prue possessed. She had never felt that much power in any being, human, demon, or otherwise. The vibration of Prues’ power was almost painful to Phoebe. She could see the pulses of power around Prue, very faint prismatic waves emanating from her body in a steady, rhythmic pulse. Along with that vibration of power was an awareness that was beyond anything that Phoebe could remember sensing in anyone. Awareness and knowledge to a degree that hurt Phoebe’s head. It seemed to envelope her body like an aura of golden light, mixed in with the prismatic waves of power.

Power, awareness and knowledge, but no over whelming feeling of good or evil. How could that be? A balance of good and evil? There was no such thing as a balance between the two. A person had to be one or the other. Or had she been right all along? Was what she had buried in that tiny little corner of her heart the true way? Could she have been that close to the truth?

“Phoebe.” Prue whispered, although the volume was so loud she thought it would deafen her.

This can not be right! People had to be good or evil. That was the way things worked. Only labels. But this could not be. Prue had always been a good person. There had been no room in her for anything else. Good to the core, as it were. She used her powers for good and had done plenty of it in her time. But now she had no good or evil in her. How could that be?

The confusion of that little corner of her heart reared up and she backed away from the window, fear filling her.

“Phoebe, we’re coming.” Prue told her. “Tell Piper and Paige.”

She knows about Paige?

Phoebe backed farther away from the window, fear turning to terror as Prue rushed forward, reaching for her. As much as she loved her sister, she feared the power she possessed. That much power could wipe out the Charmed Ones. But would Prue attack the Charmed Ones? She had been one once. She was still a sister and with the love Phoebe had felt in Prue, how could she attack? But Prue was coming toward her, reaching, and Phoebe knew that Prue wanted to grab her. Grab her and do what?

Phoebe pushed at the vision with her mind, willing the connection to break. With out knowing how, she felt a rush of energy leave her, pushing the vision away from her. Just before the connection was broken, she saw Prue blown backwards by a wave of energy. At that moment, Phoebe saw the man’s face and felt his rage. She knew he was ready to attack what ever had caused Prue to hit him. Phoebe could feel that killer instinct coming to bare.

Cole Turner was with Prue! Could that mean that Prue had joined up with Cole on some kind of scheme against the Charmed Ones? But why would Prue do that? But why would Prue want to hunt down the Charmed Ones? Phoebe could feel the love she was feeling.

Even though Cole had swung between good and evil for most of the time Phoebe had known him, she knew now that the demon half of him would not relinquish it’s hold over the human half. The glimpse she got of the rage on his face confirmed that fact. But the impressions she got from him were the same as she had gotten from Prue, a balance of good and evil, if that were possible, and power beyond anything she had ever felt. It was as confusing as her own doubts about herself. If they did have a balance of good and evil, then what the hell were they up to? It must involve the Charmed Ones, or else Phoebe would not have gotten that vision. So how did it all fit? What would be the common thread?

Phoebe stood there, staring out the window, too terrified to move. If Prue had known about Paige, then what else did they know about? The spouses? The kids? As powerful as they were, the Charmed Ones did not stand a chance. Prue had been a powerful and smart witch before she had died, but the power and knowledge she possessed now made all that look like child’s play.

She could still see Prue plainly, flying backwards when that burst of energy hit her, shocked and surprised. Phoebe had to wonder what had hit her. Had there been some one else there that Phoebe could not see? If so, then who?

Who ever it was must have been powerful to hit her and knock her back like that. With all that power those two possessed, how could any one blind side them like that? That would take careful planning and skill. Skill that Phoebe hoped that the Charmed Ones had. Phoebe could only hope that person was on the Charmed Ones’ side.

The Charmed Ones!

“Have to warn Piper and Paige.” Phoebe thought and headed for the phone in the living room.

Half way there, her subconscious took over and sent out a mental call for Leo. Despite the facts that Leo was not their Whitelighter and could not orb, she needed someone to help her. She needed someone to help her figure out what was coming for them and how best to handle it. On the second call, Leo orbed in a few feet in front of her. She slid to a stop on the carpet, her already shocked mind not understanding what she was seeing. She knew she had called for him, but she also knew that he would not be able to get to her. To see him, a fallen angel, orb into the room in front of her, sent her already shredded nerves into spasms.

“Leo?” She asked, a tinge of fear in her voice. “You can’t orb anymore.”

“What’s wrong, Phoebe?” Leo asked, staying where he was. He could plainly see the terror on Phoebe’s face, the mistrust in her eyes. “You see her too?”

“Prue.” Phoebe said. “I saw Prue. I just don‘t know what to make of it.”

Phoebe fell down hard on her butt, the events of the last few moments draining her. Out of no where, a wave of grief hit her. Prue had not only died, she had returned and changed sides. Her big sister, the woman she had looked up to all those years, had truly abandoned them. The only thing that had made Prue’s death bearable was the fact that Prue would not be targeted by evil any more. She had went beyond the reach of evil.

“I can’t be sure if that was Prue or not.” Phoebe told him. “It looked like her, but how could it be her? She’s dead. She was in no way evil. She was with Cole, and we all know he’s evil. It couldn’t have been Prue. But I know it was. I felt Prue. But she didn‘t have that good feeling that she always had. I don‘t know what to think.”

“Slow down, Phoebe.” Leo said, kneeling beside Phoebe. What she had just said was so ludicrous that Leo almost burst out laughing. How could Phoebe not see the truth? The truth had, in fact, almost blinded Leo when he had seen Prue standing in the middle of the manor. He had felt it at that moment. A balance. But he knew Phoebe was not ready to except that just yet. A balance of good and evil.

“If that was Prue, then she’s evil, Leo.” Phoebe told him, looking him strait in the eyes. “I felt it. I had a vision about her. I saw her and Cole together. The power they have is,…is too much for us to handle.”

“Cole?” Leo asked. “Cole Turner is with Prue?”

There was a twist that Leo did not know about. Of all the beings to send back with Prue, why Cole? The being that would put Phoebe,…then it hit him. Cole had consistently protected Phoebe and, by association, her sisters. He would be the perfect guard dog to send back with Prue, with his knowledge of the underworld and his desire to protect Phoebe at all cost.

“I saw them.” Phoebe told him. “And they were attacked by something. It threw Prue back at least ten feet. Knocked Cole down when she hit him.”

Leo could see the conflict plainly on her face. Two people she cared for deeply being attacked. But she was convinced, on some level that they were no longer the people she knew. At the same time, on a deeper level, she could not quite believe they were evil.

“Okay, Phoebe, okay.” Leo said, hoping that a walk through of the vision would help clear it up. “I want you to slow down and tell me exactly what you saw.”

Phoebe lowered her head and took a deep breathe. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, taking another deep breathe.

“Prue and Cole.” Phoebe said, eyes closed and head bowed., “They’re walking down a hallway. It looks like a hotel, doors on both sides with number plates on them. Prue stops, but Cole keeps going. Prue turns around slowly, like she feels something. She’s looking all over, checking the doors, then she looks strait at me.”

“What do you feel?” Leo asked softly. “What is Prue feeling?”

“Caution.” Phoebe said. “She’s not sure what’s coming, but
she can feel something coming. Then she sees me. Joy. She’s feeling so much joy that it brings tears to her eyes. She thinks I’m a very beautiful, mature woman.” Phoebe smiles and looks up at Leo. “She’s happy to see me, Leo. She’s missed me and Piper.”

“What happens next?” Leo asked, a smile on his face that gave Phoebe enough confidence to go on.

”Phoebe.” She said, “Phoebe, we’re coming. Tell Piper and Paige.”

“What was she feeling?” Leo asked.

“She’s anxious.” Phoebe told him. “She wants to come to us now, but she can’t. Cole wants to go somewhere else. She knows Cole is right, even though she just wants to rush in and see us”

“What’s next?” Leo asked, knowing Phoebe was beginning to see the truth.

“I got scared and backed away.” Phoebe said. “Prue reaches for me, but I push the vision away. I was afraid she could get me through the vision. That’s when Prue was attacked and- oh my God!” Phoebe cut herself off, and looking up at Leo, surprise and fear in her eyes. “I attacked Prue. I sent that energy at her. But how? I’ve never been able to do that before.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Leo said. “Your powers are constantly growing, remember?” Phoebe nodded her head and Leo asked, “What do you feel now?”

“But that balance of good and evil.” Phoebe said. “How can some one be neither good or evil?”

“Most people can’t.” Leo said. “What we have to do now is get back to the manor. I think Penny will have something to say.”

“What could Grams know?” Phoebe asked, then without waiting for an answer, “It’s Grams. What don’t she know?”

“Exactly.” Leo said and took Phoebe’s hand. “Ready?”

“To see Prue, yea.”

“So now you’re sure that it was Prue you seen.” Leo said with a smile on his face.

After so many years, the sisters would be reunited for one more task. The true face of destiny was about to be revealed, and Piper and Phoebe was going to be tested like never before. Leo was not sure that he was ready for this one. What had been revealed to him when he had been made an elder again, was nothing short of amazing. The planning and fore knowledge of the collective was the most powerful force known in existence.

Leo smiled and orbed them to the attic of the manor. The first thing they saw was Paige laying on the floor by the pedestal that held the book of shadows. Her breathing was ragged and uneven, her right arm laying at several odd angles that were just not natural. Her face was bloody, several deep cuts running at different angles. Most disturbing of all though were the ribs that were sticking out of her body, air bubbles oozing through the blood.

[mostaff]

CHAPTER SIX

Prue got to Darryl’s door first. Still being angry with herself, she had not waited for Cole. She could not believe that she had not thought this could or would happen. She had not even stopped to think how Piper and Phoebe would feel, seeing Prue in the flesh after eight years of being dead. She had no idea what she had thought would happen, but this was definitely no where on that short list, though it should have been. It would have been if she would have just slowed down and thought about what she was doing. All she had thought about was getting back to her sisters and putting things back to the way they used to be. Now she knew that it would never be that way again. She realized that more had changed than just her dieing. Putting thing right, according to the way they used to be, was just not going to happen. Putting things right meant leaving a place for Paige and all the new people in the Charmed Ones lives. In meant excepting that life went on while she had been dead. But all she really wanted was to get back home with her sisters. If that meant she had to except that things had changed, so be it. She desperately needed to be welcomed back home by her sisters. All of them. She knew it would happen. It had to happen, or of this was for nothing.

“Damnit, damnit, damnit!” Prue screamed in her head. Her intent was not to upset Piper and Phoebe, but, never the less, that was exactly what she had done. Careless and self-centered actions often back fired, Prue knew all too well. A callus disregard for the feelings of her sisters had not only cost them time, it was going to make gaining their trust that much harder. The insensitivity of her actions on this night, while not intentional, were still irresponsible and down right stupid.

“Prue.” Cole’s voice cut through her thoughts. “I can understand what you’re going through.”

She snapped her head around, mouth open, ready to deliver a scathing retort when she caught the look in his eyes. Her denial of his sympathy faded before she could get it out. The soft, understanding look in his eyes told her what she already knew. He had been through all of this before. He knew the self-centered anger she was feeling. He knew the backward logic she was using to beat herself with. He knew all too well the self pity that was springing up like an unwanted geyser. He knew what she was going through all too well. How many times had she witnessed his attempts at gaining the Charmed Ones trust over the years sense her own death? How many times had she tried to warn Phoebe about what was to come?

“I should’ve known better.” Prue growled.

“I should’ve, too.” Cole told her. “I shouldn’t have suggested going through Phoebe. I’ve made that mistake before. Several times.”

“How well I know.” Prue told him.

“Bright side.” Cole told her. “She’s got Leo to help her. He’ll help her come to terms with your return.”

She cocked her head slightly and gave him an impish grin, then told him, “Our return.”

“She knows I’m back, too?” Cole asked, a mingling of excitement and dread showing in his eyes. He was uncertain how to feel about that. He was not here to claim the object of his desire, but the knowledge of her knowing that he was back was none the less exciting to him. He could almost feel himself getting closer to her. At the same time, he was leery of the fact that Phoebe knew he was back. He had not wanted her to know until she had to know. It would seem more like working behind the scenes to him that way. Out of sight, out of mind. No temptation for him, that way.

“I can’t control what Phoebe sees.” Prue told him that impish grin still on her face. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t hide you from her. You’re a surprise she needs to see coming.”

Cole grinned, then lost it, chuckled and started to say something, then did not. He straitened his tie then told Prue, “I’m not real sure how to take that. I’m fairly certain that it was not meant to be a complement.”

“Just a simple fact.” Prue told him. “With the way her life has turned out, she don’t need to find you on her door step strait out of the blue.”

“Well, with our history, I can understand that, I guess.” Cole said, still uncertain how Prue had meant it. “And I’m only going say this one last time. I’m not here to claim Phoebe. I’m here solely at the request of Penny. If she trusts me, then I would think you could trust me just a little.”

“Grams did not get a first hand sight of what you were capable of when it comes to Phoebe.” Prue told him. “I have. That’s something I’ll never forget. My trust is going to have to be earned, buddy boy.”

“Fair enough, I guess.” Cole told her, thankful that she was at least being honest and not sugar coating it. He was not sure he could say the same for himself.

The door was pulled open suddenly, Darryl filling it, with just a pair of pants on and his gun in hand. Before he saw who was standing outside his door yakking at such a late hour, he brought his other hand into view with his Homeland Security I.D.

“Do you people mind?” Darryl growled. “I’ve got an early flight to catch.”

“No, we don’t mind at all.” Cole told him grinning.

“Aw, nuts.” Darryl growled looking at Cole. “What the hell do you want now?”

“Sandman.” Prue told him, a big smile lighting up her face as she twisted from side to side slightly.

“Who?” Darryl asked, dragging his eyes away from Cole. The instant he looked at Prue, his face went slack with shock. The disbelief running through his mind was evident in his eyes. He simply could not believe what he was seeing. This woman was supposed to be dead. He had been at the funeral. He had seen the ashes put into the vault in the mausoleum. And then the cop in him took over, making excuses for this. The ashes in the jar had not been that of Prue. It could not have been. She was standing in front of him right now. But then what had happened? The grief that everybody displayed was genuine, of that he was sure. How could she have died if she were standing right here in front of him?

The answer was obvious. She was a Halliwell. That made anything possible.

“d**n, Darryl.” Cole chuckled. “You’re almost as white as me.”

Darryl looked back at Cole and mumbled, “f**k you, cracka.”

“You better close that hole before someone thinks it’s a urinal.” Cole told him and guided him backwards into the hotel room.

“Prue?” Darryl gasped, falling down on the bed, shock still on his face. “You too? I knew Cole could come back. How many times has he done it? But you? How? Why?”

“How doesn’t matter.” Prue told him. “You wouldn’t understand it. As for the why,” Prue told him setting down beside him on the bed, an arm around his shoulders, “You wouldn’t understand that any better than the how.”

“I don’t get it.” Darryl said, staring at Prue, still not wanting to believe what he was seeing. “I just don’t understand your world.”

“It’s all the same world, Darryl.” Cole said, pulling the curtain back just enough to peek out the window. “It all boils down to living and learning.”

Darryl was not listening, he was looking into Prue’s eyes, trying to decide if it was really the same Prue that had died eight years before. He was struck by the peacefulness and caring in those eyes, and the beauty of the face that held those eyes. Surprising himself, he hugged her tight and felt a since of grief over the years spent without her among the living.

“You’ve been missed, lady.” Darryl said, getting up off the bed, turning his back on both of the other people in the room. “And not just by your sister.”

Cole raised an eyebrow and eased into a chair by the window. Odd reaction from such a hard boiled Federal Agent, boiled tough to the core by what he had witnessed over the years of his service. Then Cole remembered what he had felt in the elevator, the first time he had actually looked closely at her and felt her essence. There were more strange events than two people coming back from the dead going on here on this night. Cole took a long moment to study Prue from his chair by the window. This woman was Prue, of that Cole had no doubt. But there was something slightly different about her.

“Thank you, Darryl.” Prue told him and remained on the bed looking at his back, face slightly clouded.

“What is it?” Cole asked, standing up suddenly, carefully sending out his essence to feel for danger. He had remembered what Prue had said back at that cabin and reigned in his power. That’s when he felt it.

“Someone’s out in the hall.” Prue said, “Do you know him?”

“Sandman.” Cole grinned, knowing that Darryl was wanting an encounter with that one again. With the name out of his mouth, Cole sat back down in the chair to watch the show.

“Mother-” Darryl growled and headed for the door, rolling up a magazine on the way.

Darryl got to the door just as the knock sounded. In one swift movement, Darryl yanked the door open and stabbed the end of the rolled up magazine deep into Sandman’s stomach. Making it look like one fluid motion, Darryl grabbed the front of Sandman’s coat and snapped him upright again, clubbing him once along his ear with the rolled up weapon that felt like a log.

Darryl spun around, levering Sandman right off his feet and sent him to the floor with another shot to the back of the neck. Sandman landed hard on his stomach, the air rushing out of his lunges with a surprised yelp. The attack was so sudden that Sandman had not had time to react before he hit the floor. He tried to roll over to counter the next phase of the attack, but he could not move. Something, or someone was holding him down.

“You son of a pregnant dog.” Darryl spat. “You left me standin’ out there with nothing but my thingy in my hand.”

As Darryl bent down to grab the dazed man, Sandman was suddenly pulled away from him and was pinned with his back to the ceiling. Darryl looked up at the man stunned.

“No more, Darryl.” Prue said, standing by the bed now, no sign of humor on her face or in her words. “He’s got the point.”

Darryl looked at Prue and knew there was no arguing with her. There was no mistaking the fact that she was in complete control of the situation. She was the one that was holding Sandman up without so much as an out stretched finger. The power he felt coming off of her was incredible, he could almost feel the power washing over him like a light breeze. She had been a powerful witch before she had died, but now,…

“Awright.” Darryl finally said and tossed the magazine away from him. He looked back up at Sandman and told him, “You better stay close to this one, dumbass. You don’t want me to catch you alone.”

Prue waited until Darryl was by the window before she sat the man down gently on his feet. He instantly went down to one knee when Prue released him. Darryl turned his back on him.

“Where did you learn that?” Cole asked Darryl.

“Old T.V. shows.” Darryl told him, pulling the curtain back to look outside.

Prue sat down on the bed and crossed her arms and legs, smiling sweetly at the man trying to regain his equilibrium. He looked up at Prue and smiled at her. His body ached like it had not in a very long time. Over the years, he had learned when show up and when to stay away. All that knowledge failed him this time. Sandman had underestimated Darryl. A mistake he would not make again.

“Thank you.” He said, and coughed a couple of times. “This ol’ body’s taken more beatings than it should. That one, though was completely unexpected.”

“Who are you?” Prue asked, that sweet smile still on her face.

The man stood with smile on his face and said, “If I were to list all my names, we would never get started. Just Call me Julius. I am the one that led the soul of your Grandmother to the Guardians. Yes, Prudence, I know who you are and I also know why you chose this incarnation to return as.”

“So her sisters would recognize her.” Cole said, stepping forward. In truth, Cole had not even thought about that. Out of all the incarnations Prue had been through, why had she chosen this one?

“No, no, no, mister Turner.” Philip told him. “Her sisters would know her no matter what persona she came back as. Granted, the recognition would not be as quick with another choice, but that is not the answer. No, no. I’m very pleased to say that it is more tactical than that.”

“Explain yourself.” Darryl ordered, now standing behind Prue, a hard glint in his eyes and hands on his hips, showing his Gloc in the belt holster.

Sandman smiled at Darryl, eyeing the deliberately displayed weapon. “Shall I?” Julius asked Prue. She nodded her head and Julius started talking. “She came back as Prudence Halliwell to increase the power the power of the Charmed Ones. She returned with the balance of the collective. The balance refers to the balance of knowledge and power. If she had not brought that with her, the power of the Charmed ones would only have doubled. But, since she brought the balance with her, their power has increased a thousand fold.”

“All of their powers?” Darryl asked, awe plain on his face.

He had came to realize just how powerful all three witches had been when he had still been with the San Francisco Police Department. Now their power was multiplied a thousand times. That kind of power was earth shaking, to say the least.

“All the sisters can access the power of the balance in Prue.” Julius told him. “They all carry the same maternal DNA. Through that, they have power that is almost unlimited. That was a very wise decision, Miss. Halliwell.”

“The Guardians.” Prue said, already regretting letting Sandman say anything about why she had came back as Prue. The power boost had been one deciding factor in it. But the real truth of it was she missed being Prudence Halliwell. “What can be done now?”

“They need to be replaced.” Julius told her. “As soon as possible.”

“Exactly what happened to them?” Prue asked, that sweet smile on her face unnerving Cole slightly.

He tried to read her thoughts through the collective, but found only a brick wall. Prue was blocking the collective. A simple thing to do. Cole had been doing it all night. Nothing surprising about that. What was surprising was her timing. Talking to Julius, Cole opened up to the collective, just to make sure he was getting the strait story.

Suddenly, Cole knew that Prue had been the smart one, when two simple events happened simultaneously, putting everything in question. Cole felt a slip in the collective, like a feather touching just the hair on the arm. It was the same thing Prue had described in the cabin out west. A warning had been sent out of the collective. Who had done it and where the warning had went, Cole could not say. At the same instant, though, Philips’ smile twitched. If Cole had not been keeping a close eye on him, he would have missed it. He glanced over at Prue and found that sweet smile was still on her face. There was no sign that she had caught the twitch.

“Some of the Keepers revolted.” Julius told her, and Cole realized that the look on Sandman‘s face was a little too nonchalant. A little to uncaring. “There’s actually several hundred of us. Not all of us revolted, however. About two hundred of us remain loyal to the Grand Design.”

“The Grand Design.” Prue repeated. “Has it suffered any effects from this yet?”

“Not that I can tell.” Julius told her. “But it won‘t take long for things to start unraveling.”

“So where are the rest of the loyalists?” Darryl asked.

“Trying to locate the others.” Julius told him. “It seems they are using the Guardians powers for concealment.”

“I thought concealment was a specialty of the Keepers.” Cole said, distrust settling like a lead weight in his gut. Cole knew what was a miss suddenly. He had not felt anyone following them when they came in. Nor had he felt this man when they glowed in. He had made sure that none of the players in this game were close or watching Darryl before they got in the elevator. He had also not felt this man appear out in the hallway. So the question was, how the hell did Julius, or who ever he was, get here without being detected? Just being a Keeper was not the answer. Cole had felt him vanish back at the warehouse earlier. So why could he not feel him appear now?

“It is.” Julius said. “But one Keeper can always find another. We were never meant to hide from each other. Just the world at large. We were charged with concealing the Guardians centuries ago. Which we did. But we could always find each other. That‘s what made us so successful at this for so long.”

“Then why can‘t you find the other Keepers now?” Darryl asked.

“With the power of the Guardians at their disposal,” Julius told him. “They are far beyond our ability to find them. You see, the Guardians powers are far greater than that of the keepers. With that kind of power boost, they could be standing right in front of us and we would never see them.”

“Then why did they need you in the first place?” Darryl asked. “If they could hide themselves so well, I mean?”

“It freed them up to do what they were charged with.” Julius told him. “Concealment takes a lot of time and power. But with the Keepers, the Guardians did not have to worry about being detected.”

“Where all have you looked for them?” Darryl asked. “And why have you been wasting time with me? I mean if they are as hard to find as you say they are, shouldn‘t you be out there right now looking?”

“Don’t be silly.” Julius told him. “I’ve not been wasting time with you. You have lead me to the Charmed Ones. One of them, at least.”

“Where all have you looked?” Darryl asked, again.

“Unfortunately, there are so many places to look, but too few of us to make quick work of it.” Julius told him. “We have acquired many places of residence over the years. Too many to look into in just a few hours.”

“d**n.” Darryl sighed. “You could never give a strait answer.”

“Enough.” Prue said, the sweet smile gone now that she was on her feet. “What’s next?”

“You and your sisters have to call the wiccan quarters.” Julius told her. “With the power you have now, that will call the powers of the Guardians to you. Then, and only then, can new Guardians be chosen. You need to do it as soon as possible. Who knows what the other Keepers will do with those powers.”

“Okay.” Prue said. “But first I need to convince my sister that I’m really Prue. After tonight, that won’t be an easy task.”

“You must do it quickly.” Julius said, but Prue barely heard him.

All Prue could hear was a rushing of wind and three voices calling her name. Voices that sounded like music to her ears. They were calling for her. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were calling a lost witch. Her! They were calling her to them!

She could feel a pull behind her stomach and the calling got louder. With a violent yank, Prue felt herself being pulled backwards, away from the hotel room. The last thing she saw in that room was Cole diving after her, grabbing onto her feet. They both flew through a long tunnel of swirling prismatic light. The sensation of great speed enveloped them. Prue felt almost like she was back in the astral plane again, flying around from one place to another with just a single thought. She managed to pull Cole up to her so they could hold on to each other, making sure they did not get separated.

A second later, she found herself laying under Cole on a wooden floor, the three voices calling for her suddenly stopped, and the feeling in the room was very familiar. It felt like home. In an instant, she knew where she was and it felt good to be home. In the sense of what she wanted home to be again.

They had called her home!

[mostaff]

CHAPTER SEVEN

Paige collapsed on the bed, exhaustion taking hold. She needed to take a shower, but could not muster the energy to make the short trip to the bathroom. The thought of a nice hot bath was very enticing, but she was sure she would fall asleep in the tub and drown. The thought of a hot shower sounded good, but she did not have the energy to stand for that long. Just setting on the bed was about all she had the energy to do for the moment. Somewhere between home, family, magic and, her sisters, Wednesday had not started to wind down until late Friday afternoon. Earlier that morning, Henry had called her to tell her that he had been called away to Sacramento for a weekend Department of Corrections conference and he would leave the kids with Billy at the manor, since he had no idea when she would be home. So now, at 10:00 pm, with thunder rolling and the kids still at the manor, she was alone in their condo, too tired to even consider bringing the kids home. All she wanted to do was sleep for a week.

She laid back on the bed and kicked off the heels that had started to really punish her around noon Thursday. Blood flow brought a heavy relief to her aching feet that bordered on painful. She stretched her entire body, forcing blood flow to the extremities. The relaxation started instantly. The stress of the past few days seemed to evaporate as the blood flowed and the muscles relaxed.

“Leo’s going to pay for this.” Paige said softly.

Leo was the reason that her days had merged into one long line of work that just did not want to end. Leo had called on her to cover magic school while he was away. He had said something about the elders calling him before he was pulled out of his office at magic school. Why the elders had wanted to see him, he did not say.

“When was that?” she thought. “Yesterday? Last week?”

Why Leo had to call her, she did not know. He had other people at school he could count on. She had when she had been running it. She decided that it really did not matter, now that the deed was done. The day was finally done. Paige was just plain done. She could do no more, go no farther. As the relaxation flooded her body, she found she had no energy left. She could not move, she was so tired.

She needed to get up and get a shower, but could only groan at idea of moving from the most comfortable spot in the world. Laying on the bed at that moment, she did not care if she ever got up. The shower was in the bathroom and that was just too far to go right now.

If the bathroom was too far to go, then going to the kitchen for a snack was completely out of the question. She could not clearly remember when she had last eaten, but from the empty feeling in her stomach, it had been at least a day ago. But at this moment, that was a non issue. Her need for sleep out weighed her need for food.

“Sleep.” Paige mumbled. “Then eat.”

Her eyes were closed, she was sure of that, but she could see plainly. Vampires and demons drifted in and out of her field of vision. Fairies and leprechauns danced, laughing and bowing deeply. Elves rode on prancing unicorns, throwing huge flowers at her, covering her completely. Piper and Phoebe came with baskets of fruit and bread, dressed like had been when they had become Gods to battle the Titans. Leo was with them, a big smile on his face and wearing the old flannel that had used to wear all the time.

They were all in a clearing in some enchanted forest with all sort of magical creatures dancing and prancing. Along with the Fairies, Leprechauns, Elves and, Unicorns, were the other side of the magical coin. The Vampire Queen was there, standing beside Belthizar. The old Source of all Evil was standing in the middle of the clearing with the Triad kneeling down to him, all four of them were ghostly figures. Standing under a tree at the edge of the clearing were Cole Turner and Prudence Halliwell, smiling at her. Paige noticed that all the people that were dead outside the dream looked ghostly in her dream world. Everybody, that is, except Prue and Cole. They looked as real as Phoebe and Piper. She wondered briefly how that could be, but then this was just a dream, wasn’t it? The vamp Queen, Belthizar, the source and, the Triad were all ghostly figures. But why would that be? Belthizar was ghostly, but Cole was not. Weren’t they one and the same? Just a dream, damnit.

Cole was leaning against a tree, that smug grin on his face. He looked like she had remembered him, in a suit with a tie, very neat looking, not even a single hair out of place. Prue was leaning with her back against the same tree with a warm smile on her face, that proud mother look on her face as she looked directly at Paige. The warmth that fill Paige was surprising, considering that she had never actually met Prue, but a feeling of wholeness enveloped her. A feeling of completeness, like a family circle had been closed with all the members that should be. She felt like the family was whole and complete for the first time since she had become a member in good standing in this family.

Phoebe was dancing with a Leprechaun and acted like she could not see Prue or Cole. Paige knew that if she had seen Cole, then she would not be so carefree. But she was dancing and bouncing around with the Irish Halfling without a care in the world. She had a fairy on her shoulder, holding onto her ear while she tried to talk to Phoebe. The poor like fairy was hanging on for dear life as Phoebe danced.

Likewise, Piper and Leo did not seem to see either Cole or Prue. They were standing in front of Paige with a little elf behind them, pushing a stroller and holding Wyatt’s hand.

“Piper and I just wanted to have some time together.” Leo said and laughed.

Then Piper was kneeling in front of her saying, “Sorry ‘bout the fib. We’ll name the next one after you.” Then she sat the basket of fruit on Paige’s’ belly. The explosion of pain when the basket touched her was horrifying. How could a simple basket of fruit weigh so much? Paige could not breathe under the weight of it. She felt her ribs break and rip out through flesh. She could see them sticking out when she looked down. Paige tried to throw the basket off of her, but it would not move. She tried to use her arm as a lever to slide it off, but all that happened was the bones in her arm snapped loudly and pierced the skin.

Paige looked up at everybody and yelled for help. The vampire Queen laughed merrily and shook her hear slowly, saying, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should’ve let me bite you.”

Balthazar, standing beside her grinning with evil amusement, told her, “I would, but you don’t trust me.”

“Honey, just push it off.” Piper told her, stepping back out of the way.

“I seen this coming.” Phoebe said, stopping her dancing suddenly. “I’m feeling your pain.”

“I’m not your white lighter anymore.” Leo told her, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I can do.”

“Orb Paige.” Prue said softly.

“Wake up and orb.” Cole told her, coming up off of the tree, concern in his eyes.

ORB!

The single word echoed in the sudden darkness. Her eyes flew open and all she saw was white. Something heavy, big and, white was crushing her. In an instant, she knew the refrigerator was laying on top of her. How the hell had that happened? Who had ever heard of killing some one in bed with a Frigidaire?

In the next second, the soft bed under her was replaced with hard floor and the killer frig was gone. She rolled her head to one side and saw Piper kneeling to light a candle, her back to Paige. Before Paige could make a sound, Piper spun around, standing up.

“Paige!” Piper yelled and rushed over to her sister, fear plain on her face, and slid to a stop on her knees. “What the hell happened to you?”

Paige tried to talk, but only gurgled, blood spilling out of her mouth.

“Oh my God.” Piper whispered, then called, “Leo!”

Before she could get the name out, Leo was sliding on his knees, hands held out over Paige. Paige felt the healing energy before Leo’s hands started glowing. She knew she was still dreaming. Leo was not a white lighter anymore. She had to be dreaming. The relaxation and comfort washing over her was just the body recharging. She could feel the exhaustion leaving her, could feel the bones being set and mend, could feel the skin and muscle reforming. The agony was long gone, as was the blood that had been clogging her throat. Peace replaced panic and confusion as her mind slowed down and thoughts became complete. This was no dream! This was really happening! How the hell did that refrigerator get on top of her? Who would want to use that to kill her with? And, most thankfully, how was Leo able to heal her? She suddenly knew why Leo had been called by the elders. He had been reinstated as their white lighter.

Then it was done, she was whole again.

“What the hell happened?” Piper asked as she and Phoebe hauled Paige up, fear still on her face.

“The refrigerator landed on me.” Paige said. “I was in bed, asleep and then it was on top of me.”

“How did that happen?” Piper asked. “Refrigerators don’t just walk into the bedroom and throw themselves on people.”

“I must have called for it in my sleep.” Paige told her. “Didn’t know a mid night snack could be deadly.”

“This is not a joke.” Piper scolded. “This is not funny.”

“Have you ever called for anything in your sleep before?” Leo asked.

“No.” Paige told him.

“Leo?” Phoebe asked, almost timidly. “What’s going on with us? I mean, you know what happened to me, and Paige almost crushes herself with a refrigerator. I don’t understand.”

“What happened to you?” Piper asked, turning to Phoebe.

“I had a vision about Prue.” Phoebe told them. “She’s back. Prue is back!”

“Prue is back?” Paige asked. “She was in my dream.”

“Dream?” Piper asked. “What dream?”

“The dream I was having when that frig crushed me.” Paige told her. “All of you were there. So was the Source, the Triad, the Vampire Queen and, Belthizar. Cole was there too.” Paige added, looking at Phoebe, trying to judge her reaction.

“Cole is back too.” Phoebe told them, then turned her back, looking down at her hands. “They were together. Prue and Cole. I don’t have any idea why their back, but they seem to have more power than anyone I’ve ever known.” She spun around and met their eyes then, and said, “The old Source didn’t have that much power. But I think their on our side.”

Piper was beside Phoebe with a hand on her should and asked, “Are you sure about this? That their back and on our side?”

“Pretty sure.” Phoebe told them.

“Is that what happened to you, honey?” Piper asked, “You saw Prue and Cole?”

“That’s not all.” Phoebe told her. “I hit Prue. Through the vision. I hit her hard enough to send her flying.”

“How could you do that?” Piper asked, astonished that Phoebe could reach into a vision and touch someone. “You’ve never been able to affect you visions before.”

“I don’t have any idea.” Phoebe told her, hanging her head. “I can’t believe that I hit Prue. I didn’t mean to, but I got scared and she was coming towards me and I just pushed at the vision. I didn’t mean to hit her.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand.” Paige told her. “After all this time, what did she expect? I mean, I’m saying it was her fault, but she has to understand.”

“It’s my fault.” Phoebe told her. “I just wish I knew how I was able to do that.”

“Leo?” Piper asked, hoping he could shed some light on this for all their sakes, but mostly for Phoebe. She seemed really torn up by the fact she had hit Prue. Piper had to wonder how she would have felt it had been Cole that she hit and not Prue.

“You’re powers are constantly-” Leo started.

“Oh, cut the crap.” Piper snapped. “Our powers grow slowly. This is more like a quantum leap.”

“I don’t really know.” Leo said. “Maybe by Prue coming back, your powers have increased. After all, there are four Charmed Ones now with her back.”

“But she died.” Paige said. “Wouldn’t that have ended her being Charmed?”

“I doubt it.” Leo told her. “This has never happened before. There were no Charmed Ones before you guys came along. This is all new territory for all of us.”

“That’s not all the new territory.” Phoebe told them. “I couldn’t tell if they were good or evil. I mean there was nothing there. No good, no evil. It felt like a balance between the two. I know how that sounds, believe me. But that’s what I felt.”

“Just how is that possible?” Piper asked Leo directly, looking him strait in the eyes to make sure that she did not miss anything. Leo had a habit of not divulging everything from time to time.

“I’m not sure.” Leo told her. “All I do know is what the elders told me.”

“And that is?” Paige asked.

“That there was something coming that would effect you girls on a personal level and may change your destiny.”

“Change our destiny?” Paige said. “How?”

“I don’t know.” Leo told her. “I’m as much in the dark as you are now. I don’t have the slightest idea what’s coming or how it will effect you. I’m not positive that Prue coming back is what they were talking about.”

“So how do we find out?” Paige asked. “Just wait?”

“No.” Piper said, an edge to her voice. “We call in someone that will know.”

“Grams?” Phoebe asked.

“Grams.” Piper told them and turned to finish lighting the candles. “Grams, you get your astral ass down here and explain this to us.”

“Well,” Said a new voice from the center of the circle, making Piper jump sideways away from the circle of candles. “Honestly, dear. You don’t have to be rude. Just ask.”

“Grams?” Piper asked, looking up in surprise. “ I didn’t summon you yet.”

“On the contrary, dear.” Grams told her. “You did. Things have changed for you girls now.”

“Well, hello to you too.” Phoebe said, rushing up to Grams and hugging her tight. “It’s good to see you.”

“Leo.” Penny said, looking over Phoebe’s shoulder. “Haven’t you explained anything to them yet?”

“It needs explained to me first.” Leo told her.