Halliwell's That Ends Well

by Tracy Diane Miller

The "Charmed Ones" (Piper, Phoebe, and Paige) travel to Chicago to protect Gary Hobson from deadly harm. But the sisters are unsure why a demonic threat would be after a Chicago bar owner.

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Halliwell's That Ends Well

Summary: This fan fiction story is an EE/Charmed crossover. The "Charmed Ones" (Piper, Phoebe, and Paige) travel to Chicago to protect Gary Hobson from deadly harm. But the sisters are unsure why a demonic threat would be after a Chicago bar owner. Further, they wonder how they can protect Gary without revealing their secret. However, the witches discover that they aren't the only ones harboring a secret.

Introduction: "Charmed" is the story of three sisters from San Francisco who learn that they are the most powerful good witches (the "Charmed Ones") christened to vanquish demons and protect innocents. Their father, Victor Bennett, was an unsuspecting mortal who married and later divorced good witch Patty Halliwell (now deceased). Victor didn't want his three daughters (Prudence, Piper, and Phoebe) to fulfill their legacy as the "Charmed Ones". The sisters' deceased grandmother, Penny, along with Patty sometimes appear as spirits to counsel the girls about their powers. In addition, their spell book ("The Book of Shadows") is housed in the attic and is often relied upon to assist them in their fight against demons.

Oldest sister Prudence ("Prue") worked at an auction house until she followed her dream and became a photographer. Prue had the power of moving objects with her mind or a swing of her arm. She also later discovered that she could astro project, i.e. allow her "essence" to depart from her physical body and reappear in another location. Middle sister Piper worked as a manager at Quake (a restaurant) until she became owner of a trendy nightclub called P3. Piper has the power to freeze people. Youngest sister Phoebe, a spirited college dropout (who later completed her degree), has the power of premonition. The sisters are watched over by a "White Lighter" (Leo Wyatt), a guardian angel with healing powers assigned to protect good witches. Leo fell in love with and later married Piper. Prue was involved with Andy Trudeau, a cop. Andy later learned that the Halliwells were witches. Sadly, Andy was killed by a demon. Phoebe fell in love with Cole Turner, an Assistant DA. However, Cole's job was merely a cover to mask his deadly intentions. In actuality, Cole was a half human, half demon nemesis hell bent on destroying the charmed ones. His demonic form, Belthazor, was a hideous creature with a trail of murders from over a century long rampage. What Cole didn't plan on was falling in love with Phoebe and wrestling with both his good and evil sides. Phoebe too tried fighting her feelings for Cole when she uncovered his secret and agreed with her sisters that Belthazor had to be vanquished. Yet, love proved to be the most powerful weapon and in the end, Phoebe's potion vanquished the evil in Cole (Belthazor) and left his human side unaffected.

After several years of battling demons, Piper and Phoebe were devastated when Prue was killed by a demon. A grief-stricken Piper employed a "lost witch" spell hoping to resurrect Prue. Instead, the spell located another sister, Paige, who is the product of Patty's affair with her "White Lighter". The newly anointed witch began with a bumpy start, but Paige has now settled into her role as a "Charmed One" (like Prue she has the power of astro projection). Paige's assumption of her birthright means that the power of three is once again able to combat demons and to protect innocents. Disclaimer: "Early Edition" and "Charmed" characters belong to whoever created them. No copy right infringement intended. No profit is being made.

I dedicate this story to my twin sister Stacy who not only introduced me to "Charmed" but who also continues to show me that the power of a sister's love is one of the most powerful magic there is to conquer life's evils.

Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com

Chapter One

Determined and impatient clouds hurried across the sky to their destination amongst the heavens, their movement revealing no hesitation. The clouds were decisive; they knew where they needed to be and how to get there. If only life were that simple for mere mortals, or for a good witch who is half mortal.

Piper sat on the plane to Chicago staring out the window. She was mesmerized by the rapid movement of the clouds. She sighed. Piper wished that she was as self-assured as the clouds, that she knew what she was doing or where life's journey would take her. She wished that she had the answers. Like Prue. Prue had a wonderfully take charge personality befitting of the oldest sister. Even when the scales in the fight between good versus evil were tipped in favor of evil, Prue could fly by the seat of her pants and devise a plan. With the aid of her sisters and The Book of Shadows, Prue made sure that good triumphed. She was the quintessential older sister- bossy, mother hen, pain in the butt........loving, nurturing, protecting.

And dead. Prue is dead and she's not coming back. Piper's inner voice reminded.

Piper wiped away the stray tears that had escaped from her eyes and were trickling down her face. Prue is dead and she's not coming back, the inner voice repeated for emphasis. And now she, Piper, was the oldest sister expected to come up with answers. She had to lead her sisters, Phoebe and Paige, on their continuing quest to vanquish demons and protect innocents. And she had to protect her sisters. Always.

But this newest quest was a mystery. This morning, she had remarked to Phoebe and Paige over breakfast how the last few days had been quiet, demon free. Cole cautioned them to remain alert. Evil doesn't take a vacation, he insisted. While Cole had shed his Belthazor persona, his century as evil incarnate had made him akin to a bloodhound being able to sniff when evil was afoot.

That's when it happened. Piper had asked Paige to pass the cereal. And Phoebe had just picked up the newspaper when she was overcome by a strong premonition. For a few moments after her premonition, Phoebe was visibly shaken and speechless. After gratefully accepting a glass of water and staring into the worried faces of those around her, Phoebe revealed that in her premonition she saw a blind woman crying over the body of a man with dark hair whom the woman called Gary. This Gary was covered in blood. His blood stained hands held the Chicago Sun-Times. When Piper and Paige asked for a description of the demon that attacked this Gary, Phoebe threw up her hands in frustration. No demon had crystallized in her vision. All she could see was the blind woman and the man named Gary covered in blood and the blood on the Chicago Sun-Times. It was dark. And this Gary was laying on the pavement outside of a bar named McGinty's.

San Francisco had its own evil to contend with, crimes that were not of a demonic variety. Even with their powers, the "Charmed Ones" were unable to cleanse the city of all its crime nor save every unfortunate victim, Piper argued. They were charged with vanquishing demons and protecting innocents she further contended.

Then why had she received this powerful premonition about a guy in Chicago if he wasn't meant to be protected by the "Charmed Ones"? Phoebe countered. Paige listened quietly before offering her own theory- there was something about this Gary that some force felt he needed special protection from whatever was threatening his life; he needed the "Charmed Ones."

But why?

Unspoken as it was Piper knew that her sisters expected her to have a game plan. Consequently, Piper suggested that Phoebe do an Internet search and see what they could find on McGinty's maybe that would give them some kind of clue. A short while later, Phoebe located a web site for McGinty's. The web site, created by a Rory Armstrong, was "under construction" but the information that was available revealed that the bar was owned by Gary Hobson and Marissa Clark. There were pictures of the owners. Phoebe confirmed that they were the people from her premonition.

Over her sisters' objection, Piper decided to go to Chicago alone. She would go to McGinty's and keep a watchful eye on Gary Hobson. Meanwhile, Piper insisted that Leo could go to his superiors and find out if they knew anything about the demon that was after Gary. Phoebe and Paige could probe some more on the computer perhaps they could find a clue about whether this Gary had any enemies that would be after him. That way, they could rule out the demonic element and the necessity for all of them to arrive in Chicago. Piper assured that she could handle a non-demon by herself, but if she determined she needed their help, she'd call them.

The sound of the pilot announcing the plane's arrival in Chicago shook Piper from her musings. She fastened her seat belt in preparation for the plane's landing. Little did she know the surprises that were in store for her or that protecting this "innocent", this Chicago bar owner, would have far reaching consequences.

Chapter Two

Gary sighed heavily as he entered the loft. He removed the paper from the back pocket of his jeans, proceeded to the couch and collapsed, flinging the paper unceremoniously on the end of the couch. Gary felt physically and emotionally spent. He reached into the front pocket of his jeans, took out his wallet, opened it, and removed a photo. He smiled as he stared lovingly at the photo of Jennifer, her wide smile radiating happiness as she cradled Garrett in her arms. God, he missed them!

"Meow." The cat cried. The feline sat on the floor directly facing the couch, wagging his tail deliberately. It was clear that the cat expected lunch (or was it an early dinner?). Tuna would be nice, but given the mood he discerned from Gary, the cat realized that he would be lucky if he received a bowl of milk.

Gary eyed the cat for a moment. "Yeah, buddy. I miss them, too." Gary responded, misinterpreting the cat's cry.

What a difference a day makes, Gary thought to himself. People use that expression all the time, but there's such a grain of truth in that statement. It was almost 4:00 p.m. Yesterday this time, Gary had been blessed with a day of uncomplicated saves which allowed him to return home by 4:00 p.m. When he walked through the door, he found Jennifer sitting in the rocking chair by the window nursing Garrett. He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed upon her. The sight of her nursing Garrett was an incredible marvel that swelled his heart. The miracle of birth and now witnessing his wife nursing their son was such a wonderment for him; how God had enabled the procreation of life and the perpetuation of their love via Garrett and how God had equipped Jennifer's body to be a vessel to carry and feed their son never ceased to amaze him. He sensed that Jennifer read his mind because she looked up from her task, smiled at him, and remarked, "I know, it's amazing, isn't it?" as she gently caressed Garrett's cheek. The baby continued sucking hungrily, his eyes closed. A few minutes later, Garrett's tugging sensation slowed and Jennifer knew that his little belly had been satisfied. She rose from the rocking chair, placed a clean cloth over her shoulder, held Garrett up to her shoulder, and gently patted his back. Garrett let out a loud, grateful burp.

Then the phone rang. Gary answered the phone while Jennifer prepared to set Garrett down for his nap. Gary informed her that Jeff was on the phone. There was something in the sound of Jeff's voice which alarmed Gary, but his friend wasn't forthcoming with information. Jeff sounded distant and lost and he insisted on speaking with Jennifer. Jennifer handed Garrett to Gary as she took the phone. When she punctuated her sentence with "Oh God" and her face turned pale, Gary's heart began beating rapidly with worst case scenarios intruding upon his thoughts. Gary placed Garrett in his crib and proceeded to where Jennifer was standing. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You'll let me know, won't you Granddad? Of course.....of course, I'll pray. I love you, too. Bye."

Jennifer took a brief moment to regain her composure before speaking. Granddad....Granddad said that Hank just called him," she began shakily, "Hank found Linda unconscious on the living room floor.....she's.....she's in the hospital. The doctors don't know what's wrong with her. They're doing tests, but Granddad said that Hank told him that the doctors said that we need to be prepared and that the next seventy-two hours are critical." Jennifer's voice trailed off so much with her last sentence that Gary had to strain to hear her. She was visibly upset and fought back tears.

Gary hugged her tightly, enveloping her in a cocoon of love and hope. "It'll be okay. What is it that you Metcalfs are always telling me? Have faith." Gary reassured.

Jennifer managed a weak smile. But the smile disappeared as quickly as the sun when it is overtaken by storm clouds. "But Linda....she....Hank found her unconscious. Who knows how long she was laying there before Hank found her and the doctors said that we need to be prepared. What if they know something that they aren't telling us? Gary, what if she........." Jennifer paused briefly, her words choked under weighty emotion. "Granddad, Grandmom, Mom, and Dad are flying to River Run tonight. Granddad said that he'd call, that he'd keep us posted."

Gary stopped hugging her. He gazed into her eyes, so full of worry and fear. But he also saw something else in her eyes. Even though she hadn't said it, Gary knew that Jennifer wanted to go to River Run with her family instead of waiting around in Chicago for a phone call. The Metcalfs were such a close knit family; even with all their quirks and faults, anyone who spent five minutes with them could tell that they loved each other unquestionably and that they absorbed strength from each other and seemingly infused those around them with this strength. Gary remembered when he waited anxiously in the hospital following Jennifer's fall, terrified that he would lose her and their unborn child. Disoriented, he wandered the hospital hallway and somehow ended up in the chapel. A short while later, Marissa joined him in the chapel offering soothing words and showing him how to pray. However, it was the Metcalfs who appeared in the chapel and silently and resolutely joined hands in prayer. The power of their faith, their love, and their prayer was like an electrical current that had escaped from confinement and had blanketed the room. Apparently, the heavens listened and Jennifer and Garrett survived. Gary had to believe that the strength of prayer would pull Linda through her ordeal. He also had to make a difficult decision, to disregard his own feelings, for Jennifer's sake.

Gary took a deep breath. He gently cupped her face. "I think that you should call Jeff back and find out what flight he and the family are on. Then call the airport and see if you and Garrett can book a seat on that flight. Your family needs you."

"But you....." Jennifer began.

".....I'll miss you both. But I'll be okay. Come on, call Jeff."

Just when she believed that she couldn't love him anymore than she did, Gary proved her wrong. Jennifer hesitated briefly before walking towards the phone. "You know, Granddad really hates flying. I remember when I was little. Granddad took me to Pennsylvania for a horse show as a present for my tenth birthday. It was my first time on a plane and I was so scared, but I didn't want Granddad to know that because he had gone through so much trouble to give me a special birthday. I remember sitting on the plane with my eyes closed feeling sick to my stomach. When I opened my eyes and glanced at Granddad, I was surprised because he looked scared, too, even more scared than me. I guess seeing him like that....I guess I knew that he needed me and I forgot my fears. I wanted to protect him more than anything."

Gary smiled. "Jeff still needs you. Your whole family does. Come on, make that call." He reiterated.

Three hours later, Jennifer, Gary, and Garrett met her family at O'Hare. Jeffrey, Jr., in his typical take charge fashion, made sure that the flight was on schedule, their seats were confirmed, and that their bags were checked in. Gary offered comforting words to the Metcalfs. Seeing Jeff tore at his heart- while everyone was upset and worried about Linda, it was Jeff who seemed to be taking the crisis the hardest. It wasn't just fear that Gary saw on his friend's face. Jeff looked defeated as if he had given up hope, as if he had abandoned faith. Gary remembered Marissa telling him that when Jeff was stuck in the future, he was determined to find his way back home. He had never given up hope that he would return to Ginger and his family. And when Jeff read that Ginger was going to be attacked in Lincoln Park, Jeff never considered for a moment that he couldn't save his wife. Gary knew that he had to do something to will hope and faith to his friend.

The date, January 5th, offered a beacon of hope. Gary was sure that Jeff hadn't forgotten the significance of today's date.

Gary hugged Jeff tightly. "Everything will be okay. Have faith, Jeff. Sometimes out of the things that happen without reason come the greatest miracles." Gary said.

"Like a screwy cat that sends a friend and a brother, huh?" Jeff responded.

"Yes." Gary whispered.

For Gary, time travel was only a few years ago; for Jeff it was over a half century ago, a life time. But neither man could forget the event that linked them forever.

Jeffrey Jr.'s reappeared in the waiting area and told everyone that the plane was boarding. The Metcalfs left to board the plane. Gary kissed Jennifer and Garrett goodbye. She promised to call him as soon as they arrived in River Run. Gary watched as Jennifer, carrying a sleeping Garrett, departed the waiting area to board the plane. His heart ached.

That night, he lay awake a long time. It was so hard sleeping without her next to him. He got out of bed for a glass of water. Sadness washed over him as he stared at Garrett's empty crib.

The next day, he faced a full agenda of saving ingrates.

"Meow." The cat cried again jolting Gary from his reverie.

"You hungry?" Gary finally realized.

"Meow."

"You want some tuna?"

The cat licked his lips.

Gary rose from the couch and proceeded to the kitchen. He opened the cabinet and removed a can of tuna.

The cat jumped onto the couch, his paws connecting with the paper. "Meow!"

"Hey, keep your fur on, would ya? If you think that the service is too slow, you can always eat some place else you know." Gary said, annoyed. "And what did I tell you about staying off of the furniture?"

"Meow!" The cat's cry was insistent.

"What?!" Gary walked towards the couch. He slid the paper out from underneath the cat. He began flipping pages. On page five, in the Metro section, was a story that wasn't there before: "Woman Fatally Struck in Hit and Run." A photo with the name of the victim accompanied the story- Piper Halliwell.

Chapter Three

Inside the manor, the determined witch sat on the couch staring intently at her laptop. A message popped up on the screen: "Cannot find server." Frustrated, she clicked the "Refresh" key hoping that would help. She glanced a moment at the photo of Gary Hobson and Marissa Clark that she had printed from McGinty's web site. The photo lay next to her on the couch. She had been endowed with the power of seeing the future with her premonitions and with her sisters' help and "The Book of Shadows", they had been given the means to change it by vanquishing demons and protecting innocents. Now if only the "Charmed Ones" could conquer stubborn computer technology, Phoebe thought to herself.

Paige and Cole stood over Phoebe, directly facing the couch.

"Leo!" Phoebe summoned.

Tiny specks of light signaled the arrival of the 'White Lighter'. The lights quickly disappeared and there stood Phoebe and Paige's protector and brother-in-law.

"Have you heard from Piper?" Leo asked concerned. He sat down on the couch next to Phoebe.

"Yeah, she called an hour ago from O'Hare. She said that she was going to catch a cab and head over to McGinty's. Any luck finding out from up there about the demon that's after Gary Hobson?" Phoebe inquired.

Leo shook his head. "No. The elders haven't a clue what your premonition means."

"Big surprise. The elders are clue less." Cole mumbled sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo said defensively.

"It means that this isn't the first time that the "Charmed Ones "have put themselves in danger with no assistance from the people who's supposed to protect them. And this isn't the first time your wife has run off half cocked ready to take on the demon world by herself." Cole remarked angrily.

Leo stood up from the couch. He glared at Cole. While he and Cole had called a truce and had worked together before, most recently to free Piper from mind manipulation from The Source, a powerful demon foe, he and Cole certainly weren't friends. Further, Leo didn't appreciate lectures about his wife coming from a murderous ex-demon.

Phoebe instinctively jumped in to defuse the situation. "Guys, come on. We need to be focusing here, working together. We need to find out what is after Gary so we can join Piper to fight it."

A brief silence.

"What do you have so far?" Leo probed

"Well, in my premonition, Gary is covered in blood lying on the pavement outside a bar named McGinty's. There's a blind woman crying over his body. He's also holding the Chicago Sun Times. I found a web site for McGinty's and found out that Gary Hobson and Marissa Clark are the owners. And this Marissa Clark is the same blind woman from my premonition." Phoebe informed, indicating the photo of Gary and Marissa lying next to her on the couch. "I'm now doing a search on the Chicago Sun-Times. Maybe there's some significance with Gary holding the newspaper and it appearing in my premonition. I couldn't connect to the server for the Chicago Sun- Times for awhile, but it now seems to be going through. Slowly." Phoebe added

Paige had been standing by silently all this time, sucking on a lollipop. She removed the lollipop from her mouth, proceeded to the couch, and sat down next to her sister. Paige picked up the photo of Gary and Marissa. "He sure is yummy. Look at those smoldering, bedroom eyes. And I bet he has a body to match." Paige offered.

Phoebe flashed her a disapproving look. "What?" Paige said innocently. "Piper married her White Lighter and you fell in love with a demon....." Paige noticed the look that Phoebe and Cole gave her so she quickly corrected herself, "......I mean, ex-demon. Why can't I have a romance, too? Maybe the "Charmed Ones" saving Gary Hobson was Fate's way of bringing he and I together. Maybe he and I were in love in a past life or something."

"You were an evil enchantress in your past life." Phoebe reminded.

"So. Like, I couldn't have had more than one past life?" Paige countered, peeved. "I could have been a princess and he was my prince. Or, we could have been connected in all of our past lives throughout time, carrying on an intense and passionate love affair." Paige sighed happily.

"Okay, I've finally been connected to the Chicago Sun-Times." Phoebe said. "I'm going to type in Gary Hobson's name and see if the newspaper has anything on him." A few moments later, Phoebe realized that she had struck gold as her search confirmed numerous "hits" on Gary Hobson. She clicked on a recent article and began reading.

"Ah....Paige....I hate to break the news to you but you're going to need to splash some cold water on those hormones of yours. It looks like your prince here is married and he has a six week old son."

"Married and a baby? All the good ones are taken. Darn. That's so typical of my rotten luck." Paige remarked clearly disappointed.

"His wife's name is Jennifer Metcalf. She's a TV actress on some show called 'When...."

".....Lovers Meet in Chicago'." Paige interrupted Phoebe, her voice laced with excitement. "That's his wife? I love that show! You guys have never seen it?"

"No." Phoebe, Leo, and Cole said in unison.

"Really? It's great! See, Jennifer Metcalf plays this character named Alexandra Carrington. Alexandra is really spunky. Anyway, she meets this guy named Michael Gordon. Michael is kinda shy. Right away, sparks fly between the two of them. They go out on these hilarious dates and have this whirlwind romance. Pretty passionate stuff. The chemistry between Jennifer and the guy who plays Michael, I think that the actor's name is Adam Torrance, is incredible. I've always thought that they had something going on in real life."

"Apparently, you weren't the only one. It says here that Gary was arrested last year for assaulting a photographer. Seems that the photographer, a guy named Steven Rosengardo, was at a photo shoot on the set of 'When Lovers Meet in Chicago' and he made some illicit remarks alluding to Jennifer and Adam's off screen romantic involvement. Rosengardo said this stuff within earshot of Gary and Gary slammed him against a wall. Rosengardo had Gary arrested and pressed assault charges." Phoebe read. "There was a trial and.....whoa, guys.....you won't believe this. Guess who Rosengardo hired as his lawyer?"

"Who?" Paige asked curiously.

"Gary's ex-wife, Marcia Roberts." Phoebe revealed.

"No way!" Paige exclaimed.

"Gary's father-in-law is a lawyer and he represented him against the ex- wife. Gary was acquitted" Phoebe read. There was a brief silence as Phoebe continued reading the article. "It was a nasty trial, too. Something about a tabloid photo with Gary's hands around Rosengardo's neck, allegations that Gary threatened to kill his ex-boss, and a blackmail scheme. It says here that the trial was closed to the media."

"Then how did that article get all that information about the trial?" Paige asked.

"Probably from a juror or witness after the trial ended." Phoebe surmised. She clicked on another article. "Gary was later arrested for assault and attempted rape of his ex-wife."

"The guy's a rapist? So much for a prince. Are we supposed to be protecting an innocent or watching an episode of Melrose Place?" Paige quipped.

"No, he's not a rapist. The ex-wife came into court during his arraignment and cleared him. She said that he didn't do it, that he saved her." Phoebe informed. "And there are tons of other newspaper articles about people Gary has saved. Hostages in a bank from a terrorist with a bomb, a little girl at a zoo from being attacked by a runaway alligator, a prosecutor from a crazed parolee, you name it. It looks like whatever calamity happens in Chicago, Gary Hobson is always in the middle of it. And it seems that he uncovered a murder for a hire operation implicating a police detective and this was while he was a fugitive accused of a reporter's murder." Phoebe summarized.

"Do you think he could be setting up these things?" Leo finally chimed in.

"No. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that he is one of the good guys. I think that he probably has some kind of psychic ability that is why he knows about things that are going to happen. Perhaps, he's even warned the police and they don't believe him. They think he's crazy. So he risks his own life helping people. Maybe that's why I got the premonition about him. Maybe it's because his gift is like my power." Phoebe suggested.

A brief silence.

"Cole, are there any demons that would want to kill a guy like Gary to possess his soul?" Phoebe asked

"There could be. With The Source injured and new demon factions sprouting up to control the underworld, they may have decided that possessing the soul of a selfless mortal would give them some powerful edge in their fight against the Charmed Ones." Cole argued.

"But how?" Paige asked.

"By mixing purity with evil, evil dilutes the purity and becomes stronger." Cole theorized.

Phoebe turned to Paige. "I need you to go through 'The Book of Shadows' and see if you can find a protection or vanquishing spell against any demon that has fed off of good in the past."

"And Leo....you can orb us to Chicago, right?" Phoebe inquired.

"Of course." Leo said.

"Good. I'm going to call Piper. She has no idea what we may be up against." Phoebe realized.

Chapter Four

Gary picked up the newspaper and read the story "Woman Fatally Struck in Hit and Run. At 4:40 p.m. yesterday, a woman was fatally struck while crossing the street on Lake Shore Drive. Witnesses report that the woman had just exited a cab and was talking on a cell phone as she was crossing the street when a black BMW traveling at a high rate of speed struck her. The victim has been identified as Piper Halliwell, 28. An investigation is ongoing."

Oh Boy.

Halliwell...the name instantly set off bells inside Gary's head. Jennifer's godfather's name is Dan Halliwell. Could this Piper Halliwell be a relation? Gary wondered. Gary remembered that Dan had assisted Jeffrey, Jr. during the trial by questioning Miguel Diaz and establishing that the tabloid photo was a fake. Gary knew that Dan adored Jennifer and that he had lovingly given his goddaughter the nickname "Pumpkin". And Dan had already made no secret of his intention of spoiling Garrett. Dan was currently in Geneva as a keynote speaker at some legal convention. But last week, a beautiful rocking horse arrived special delivery for Garrett Jeffrey Hobson courtesy of "Uncle Dan."

Gary looked at his watch- 4:20 p.m. He had twenty minutes to save Piper Halliwell. Maybe he could take his motorcycle. It had been almost four months since Dad surprised him with the motorcycle for his birthday and he had yet to ride it. Mom and Jennifer were taking turns being overprotective and insisted that they didn't want him zipping through the Chicago streets on his motorcycle. What good was it having a motorcycle if it sat around collecting dust? Besides, Mom and Dad were in Canada (the trip was a surprise Christmas present that Dad had given Mom) and Jennifer was in River Run with her family. No one would ever know that he had used his motorcycle to effectuate this save.

"Meow." The cat cried. The feline flashed Gary a look as if to say "I know that you plan to use the motorcycle and I'm telling on you."

Gary glared at the cat. "Not a word from you, you hear me?" Gary snapped. Gary grabbed his leather jacket and hurried out of the loft.

* * * * * *

Piper sat in the cab, her frustration mounting. She had spent forty-five minutes trying to get a cab at the airport and now she was cursed with the cab driver from Hell; no, Piper was convinced that even public transportation in Hades ran more smoothly than the idiot that was driving this cab. The guy drove very slowly. If a constipated snail were on the road now, it would surely pass this cab. Even Gram could drive faster than this guy and she was dead. And Piper was certain that he was driving in circles. This had to be at least the third time they passed that building on...Piper looked out the window for the street sign...Lake Shore Drive.

And that salsa music blaring from the radio!

The cab driver seemed oblivious to the drama unfolding in the back seat with his customer. He hummed along with the music on his radio as the meter registered $8.00.

"Hey, buddy. Do you think that you can pick the pace up here? I'd like to get to McGinty's before Valentine's Day." The perturbed witch said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"McGinty's Valentine." Was the cab driver's response in a thick Spanish accent as if he didn't understand Piper's remark.

Piper raise her hands ready to freeze the offending cab driver then quickly pulled back. She realized that with her frustration at this moment and her power still shaky, she might blow the guy up rather than freeze him. Instead, she took a deep breath and continuing gazing out the window.

Why couldn't she have a normal life? She was still technically a newlywed. Why couldn't she and Leo enjoy basking in their love and making plans to start their family?

Because you are a "Charmed One" and your destiny is linked to protecting innocents and vanquishing demons. Piper's inner voice reminded.

Piper sighed heavily. At this moment, she really missed Prue. She really missed having her big sister to talk to and to confess her fears. While Phoebe seemed to accept the legacy of the "Charmed Ones" and had even wished for an "active" power like Prue's ability to move things with her mind or Piper's power to free people, both Prue and Piper had wrestled with their birthright as witches.

Why did Prue have to die?

Piper remembered when the demon had attacked her and Prue and left them for dead. Leo arrived and had a split second to use his healing powers to save one witch. He chose Piper. Piper also remembered swelling with anger at Leo for his choice. He should have saved Prue. Prue was the stronger one not her. The world needed Prue. But Leo's decision to save his wife had been motivated by love.

Piper remembered the initial resentment she felt when she discovered that Mom's affair with her "White Lighter" had produced another sister. Phoebe accepted Paige without hesitation, welcoming her into the manor and as a "Charmed One". But for as much as she realized that it wasn't Paige's fault, Piper felt a twinge of resentment that their new sister had taken Prue's place. Of course, Paige's penchant for not following the rules didn't help matters. She and Phoebe told Paige that "The Book of Shadows" wasn't supposed to leave the house nor be used for self-serving purposes. Yet, their wayward younger sister decided to fling the book out of the attic window so she could take it to work to find a spell to use on a lecherous co-worker. Paige's spell went awry with the novice witch's spell putting her co-worker in jeopardy and expanding her breast size. Then there was the time when Paige was supposed to be studying about herbs so she could understand the basics of their potions. Paige was bored. Soon, she was in the kitchen examining a potion brewing on the stove. She accidentally threw something in the pot and the next thing they knew, Paige and Phoebe had switched bodies.

It had been a bumpy start, but Piper had to admit that Paige was trying and Piper loved her sister.

The sound of her cell phone ringing jolted Piper from her reverie. "Hello?"

"Piper, it's Phoebe. I found out some information on Gary Hobson."

The salsa music continued blaring.

"Phoebe? Phoebe, I can't hear you. Hold on a minute." Piper put down her cell phone and called out to the cab driver, "Just let me off here." After paying the fare, Piper exited the cab and started across the street.

"Okay, Phoebe. What did you find out?" Piper was so focused on her conversation with Phoebe that she failed to notice the black BMW speeding from down the street towards her.

Like a bolt of lightning, the handsome savior on the motorcycle arrived in the nick of time. With unexpected finesse, he quickly got off of his motorcycle, the wheels still burning on the pavement. He darted into the street and grabbed Piper, pulling her to safety just as the car sped by.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked concerned.

Piper was rendered speechless as she stared into the mud green eyes of her innocent.

Chapter Five

Piper felt a powerful connection, a kinship of sorts, as her eyes locked

with the mud green eyes of her innocent. There was something about this Gary

Hobson, a unique goodness that radiated from him that Piper sensed was the

reason why Phoebe had received a premonition requiring his protection by the

"Charmed Ones."

But what else did Fate have up her sleeve for the Halliwells and Gary

Hobson? Piper wondered.

She certainly never expected that her life would be saved by the man she had

come to Chicago to protect. At this moment, Piper experienced an emotional

surge, an inexplicable trust towards this man. She felt that she owed him

the truth as to why she was in Chicago.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked concerned.

Piper nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She hesitated briefly before

continuing. "Look, I know that this is going to sound strange, but I need

for you to listen to me and to believe me. Your life depends on it."

"My life?" He responded, puzzled.

"Yes. My name is Piper Halliwell and I'm from San Francisco. This morning

when I was having breakfast with my sisters, my sister Phoebe had a

premonition about you. In her premonition, she saw you covered in blood and

lying on the pavement outside a bar named McGinty's. There was a blind woman

crying over your body."

Gary stared intently at the raven hair beauty, disbelief etched on his face.

"Your sister had a premonition about me? What is she, a psychic?"

"No." Piper took a deep breath. "No. She isn't a psychic. Phoebe...Phoebe is

a witch. We all are- Phoebe, me, and our sister Paige. We're called the

"Charmed Ones" and we're responsible for vanquishing demons and protecting

innocents. Phoebe believes that there may be a demon after you. That's why I

came to Chicago. I came here to protect you."

An excruciating silence.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Witches, huh? And you take a cab? What, the

broomstick in the shop or something?" Gary said sarcastically. "Listen lady,

you really shouldn't...talk on the phone while crossing the street."

The sound of Gary's voice jolted Piper from her daydream. "Huh?" She

responded, disoriented.

"You really shouldn't talk on the phone while crossing the street." He

repeated.

Piper finally noticed that despite the frenzy she still had her cell phone

in her hands. The familiar and frantic voice poured from the device. "Piper?

Piper? Are you there? Piper!"

"Phoebe, I'll call you back." She answered before abruptly hanging up the

phone.

"Well, since everything is okay here, I should be going." Gary said. He

started to walk away.

Piper knew that she couldn't reveal her real reason for showing up in

Chicago. No doubt that Gary's reaction would be similar to her daydream. But

she also had to give him a convincing excuse that would enable her to keep a

close watch over him without igniting his suspicions.

"Hey, wait. I didn't catch your name." Piper said slyly.

Gary turned around. "It's Gary. Gary Hobson."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Piper Halliwell. And thank you again for saving my

life. You're right about the cell phone. It's a bad habit of mine. I was

just talking to...to the manager of my nightclub. Business is doing very

well in San Francisco so I'm in Chicago because I'm thinking about opening

another club here. I'm checking out the night life here, you know, dance

clubs, bars, any place people would go to in order to unwind and have a good

time. That way, I'll have an idea how to adapt P3 to the Chicago culture."

She lied.

"P3?"

"That's the name of my club."

"Maybe you can help me. Do you know any good clubs or bars I should check

out? You know, I'm looking for classy, respectable places." Piper inquired.

She prayed that Gary would believe her story. In Phoebe's premonition,

Phoebe said that Gary was covered in blood, that he was lying on the payment

outside of McGinty's, and that it was dark. However, Phoebe's premonition

didn't offer a clue as to the identity of the demon, if it was a demon, that

attacked Gary. Nor did the premonition provide an indication of when (day

and time) the attack would occur. Piper needed an excuse that would allow

her to monitor Gary. Her guise as an entrepreneur seeking expansion might be

the way assuming that Gary took the bait and didn't detect an ulterior

motive.

The fish took the bait.

"Actually, I co-own a bar, McGinty's. I don't know how classy people would

consider it, but it is a respectable place."

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind me stopping by McGinty's. Besides, I would love

to talk to you more about Chicago."

Very lame, Halliwell. Piper's inner voice chided.

Look, I don't have much to go on and he's buying it, isn't he? Piper

responded to her subconscious.

Gary knew that he should be leery of the inquisitive young woman especially

after everything that happened with Rosengardo. He couldn't explain it, but

he sensed that there was nothing sinister about her. And what would be wrong

with helping out a fellow small business owner? He reasoned.

"Sure." Gary responded.

"Great." Piper opened up her purse, removed a slip of paper, and handed it

to Gary. "Could you write down the address? I'll stop by later."

Gary jotted down McGinty's address. "Well, I really should be going."

Gary headed for his motorcycle. The wheels were still spinning furiously.

He picked up the bike, turn it up, and mounted it.

"Nice bike." Piper remarked.

"Uh....yeah...it's....my dad bought it for me for my birthday. I mean, I

wouldn't have bought it for myself or anything." Gary replied, a blush on

his face. He didn't really know why he felt embarrassed about riding a

motorcycle or why he felt the need to explain himself to a woman he hardly

knew.

Piper cracked a smile. There was something endearing to her about a guy who

could blush so easily over the mention of a motorcycle.

"Well, I'll see you later, Gary."

"See you later." He echoed. With those words, the hero quickly sped off.

Piper opened up her cell phone and dialed a number. "Phoebe, it's me. So

what did you find out about Gary Hobson?"

Chapter Six

The man exited the black BMW. He took one last puff before crushing his cigarette on the ground. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped a smudge off of his obscenely expensive alligator shoes. He smiled, a menacing smile foreboding ill tidings he would likely bring upon an unsuspecting Chicago. The man marveled at his cleverly woven scheme. He was Jekyll and Hyde personified. By day, he was a legitimate business man, a broker who boasted a healthy bank account. But by night, he was a crime lord who had amassed untold riches wonderfully concealed in banks in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.

The man entered the luxurious high rise catering to the very rich. From his marvelous penthouse apartment, a palace in the sky, the people below seemed like inconsequential insects. And with his latest scheme, he praised his own genius. The payoff had been handsome. Ten million dollars. Not bad for a week's worth of work. He knew that the next leg of his plan would be tricky, but not impossible. After all, he had found the perfect dope- Gary Hobson. He remembered Hobson from the days the younger man worked as a broker at Strauss and Associates. Hobson was such a greenhorn. He had volunteered to take Hobson under his wing, to show him the ropes, and to be his guide in that unforgiving jungle of trading. Of course he had his own agenda with his interest in the Indiana native. Hobson was so malleable and he suspected that he could manipulate the guy to serve his own nefarious purposes. Hobson was such a naive idiot who never considered that he should be leery of a person whom he hardly knew volunteering to spend time assisting him without asking for anything in return. But Hobson reeked of good intentions and his tenure at Strauss and Associates was short. Still the man had followed Hobson over the years. He knew about Hobson's ownership of McGinty's, his marriage to Jennifer Metcalf, his aggravated assault trial, and the birth of his son. And he had spent the last few days watching Hobson and putting the finishing touches on his plans. Providence smiled on him when he learned that Hobson's wife and son left town. That made it easier to do what he needed to do today. Later, he would tie up loose ends and if Hobson got in his way....well, Hobson would be very sorry.



* * * * * *

The hero on the motorcycle was greeted by an unexpected visitor as his bike pulled up to the pavement outside of McGinty's.

"Whoa....Easy Rider!" The familiar voice exclaimed.

"Chuck, what are you doing here?" Gary asked as he stopped his bike and dismounted.

"I'm here on business and to see my best bud. Wow, buddy. I never expected that Lois and Jennifer would allow you to take the old bike onto the mean Chicago streets and without a helmet no less." Chuck remarked.

"Welll...I...ah..I....ah." Gary stammered nervously. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

Chuck laughed. "Oh, I get it. Your mom and wife don't know do they?"

"No, they don't. I needed to use it to get to a save quickly. And I'm trusting you to keep your mouth shut. If Mom and Jennifer found out, I would be in a lot of trouble with them."

"You can trust me to keep your dirty little secret." Chuck teased.

After Gary parked his motorcycle in the alley behind McGinty's, he and Chuck went inside the bar and sat down at a table. The bar was surprisingly empty.

"So what is this business that brings you to Chicago?" Gary inquired.

"Remember that movie that your wife turned down? The "Pretty Woman" concept, girl from the wrong side of the tracks meets her Prince Charming, they fall in love, and carry on a torrid love affair movie? Well, Fishman Productions was hired by the production company in California to work on the project. I'm here in Chicago scouting locations."

"I thought that the movie was going to be shot in California." Gary said.

"Most of it will be, but we need some Chicago exteriors too for some little, but still pivotal scenes. I was given carte blanche in selecting locations, a wad of cash, and you see that Mercedes parked out front?

"Yeah."

"Loaner. And they put me up in a ritzy suite at the Hilton."

"What about Jade?"

"Still in California."

"Chuck, how are things between you and Jade? I mean, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Gar. We've been going to marriage counseling, talking through our problems. The counselor said that space is good for our relationship, that we should support and encourage each other's careers. Fishman Productions is getting back on track and Jade just booked a guest spot on one of those hip teen sci-fi shows."

"That's great Chuck."

A brief silence.

"So where is Jennifer and the little guy? I've got a present for my god son."

Gary sighed. "Jennifer and Garrett went to River Run with her family. There's a medical crisis with Linda. Jennifer...she...I told her to go there with her family for support."

"Sorry, buddy. Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Chuck reassured.

"I know. I said the same thing to the Metcalfs. It's just that...I miss them so much, you know? It's selfish, but I want my wife and son here with me." Gary confessed.

Chuck rose from his chair, proceeded to where Gary was seated, and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's not selfish. You love Jennifer and Garrett. You're just human."

Another brief silence.

"Here, this is for the little guy." Chuck said as he removed an envelope from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He handed the envelope to Gary. "Open it."

Gary opened the envelope. "A hundred dollar savings bond?"

"Yeah. I gotta start Garrett's nest egg for college although it probably won't matter. Your son probably won't need a college education since I think that whoever sends the paper will select Garrett to follow in your footsteps." Chuck said jokingly.

A chill coursed through Gary's body as Chuck's words took root. He hadn't thought about it before, but what if Garrett did inherit his legacy with the paper? The burden was something Gary had learned to accept, but it was not a legacy he wanted to pass on to his son. He wanted Garrett to have a normal life, play sports, have friends, grow up to meet his dream girl, get married and have kids. He didn't want his son to experience the ingratitude, the pain, and the humiliation of the paper.

Chuck noticed the tortured expression on Gary's face. "Of course, I suspect that the powers that be will have to fight the Metcalfs for control of Garrett's future. Your super jerk lawyer father-in-law has probably already registered your kid at Harvard Law School so he can turn Garrett into another overbearing, stuffed shirt, arrogant lawyer. But Junior will have to fight Jeff who most likely has designs on Garrett becoming a baseball player."

"No one will determine my son's future. Garrett will be whatever he chooses to be." Gary said adamantly.

"We'll see." Chuck replied, unconvinced.

"What do you mean, we'll see?!" Gary snapped.

Just then, the cat reappeared from his hiding place underneath a table. The feline jumped onto the table where Gary was seated.

"Meow!"

"Hey! Get off of the furniture!" Gary demanded.

"Meow!" Was the cat's response as he bolted off of the table and ran into the kitchen.

"For pete's sake, you expect me to follow ya, don't ya?" Gary grumbled as he proceeded to the kitchen. Chuck walked behind his friend, his smirk revealing his amusement over Gary's continual power struggles with the cat.

The men followed the cat through the ajar door leading to the alley. The feline sat on top of the covering of the partially opened dumpster wagging his tail deliberately.

"Meow!"

"What?" Gary asked perturbed.

The cat cocked his head in the direction of the dumpster opening. "Meow."

"What?" Gary repeated. He approached the dumpster. "Look, I'm not sticking my hand in the trash. If you dropped something in there, then you go inside and get it!" Gary admonished, pointing his finger at the cat.

"Meow!" The cat insisted.

Defeated, Gary began rummaging through the dumpster until an object caught his eye. He blinked in shock as he opened the item.

"Chuck, you're not going to believe this."

Chapter Seven

Piper hung up the phone in her room at the Hilton. She was still trying to digest everything Phoebe had told her about Gary Hobson. Soon, she found her mind drifting, focusing on the quiet veneer of her savior; his purity of spirit seemingly reflected through his soft mud green eyes.

Yet, this guy, this Gary, had been at the forefront of many disasters befalling Chicago- bomb toting terrorist, crazed parolee bent on revenge, runaway alligator at the zoo, murder for hire operation- and had emerged a hero. Or, a "crackpot" to coin the word Phoebe said had been used in some of the articles to describe Gary. Piper agreed with her sister that Gary wasn't setting up disasters so he could fly in like some demented Superman and save the day. Perhaps he was a psychic who used his ability to help people as Phoebe had suggested. That would explain his appearance today just in time to save her from that speeding car. And Cole's theory that some cunning demon seeking to feed on Gary's soul, dilute its purity, and re-emerge with unlimited power to wage war against the "Charmed Ones" had credence. There was always some new demon out there on some power trip, Piper thought to herself. Piper felt frustrated that the elders were unable to shed some light on what was happening. And while it wasn't Phoebe's fault (it wasn't as if Phoebe could call 1-800-DIAL-A-VISION and get the answers to all of their questions), Piper wished that they had more to go on then Phoebe's one vision and numerous Internet articles about a guy who is always in the thick of catastrophe. Yet, there was something else nagging at Piper, something that she couldn't put her finger on. She hadn't told Phoebe about her brush with death and how their innocent had saved her life. But it just seemed too bizarre to Piper that Gary would get a psychic vision of the person who had come to town to protect him. What piece was missing? What was she overlooking?

Phoebe had suggested that Leo immediately orb her and Paige to Chicago so that the "Charmed Ones" would be ready. Piper vetoed that suggestion. They still didn't know what they were up against. Piper told Phoebe that she could handle things from her end and that it would be more advantageous if Phoebe continued looking for the missing piece on the computer, the invisible wrinkle that she sensed was staring them in the face but was undetected, and that Paige continue searching through "The Book of Shadows" for a possible clue about the demon's identity as well as various protection and vanquishing spells. Phoebe protested, but Piper reminded her that she had created a believable cover with Gary as a woman desiring expansion of her business and seeking the advice of a local entrepreneur. This cover would enable her to keep close watch over Gary. How would it look if her two sisters happened to show up and all three of them hovered around Gary? This family reunion would arouse his suspicions.

Sighing, Piper left her hotel room and headed to McGinty's.

* * * * * *

"Chuck, you're not going to believe this." Chuck's eyes widened as he looked into the partially opened dumpster and saw the item that had captured Gary's attention. Chuck's palms felt sweaty. His mouth was dry. It was love at first sight for the broker turned producer.

The leather brief case that had been covered by newspapers was now open and overflowed with money. There were an untold number of crisp Franklins neatly stacked on top of each other sharing company with a multiple of Grants.

Both men were speechless.

Finally, Gary offered an observation. "There has to be over one hundred grand here. I have to get this to the police." He said as he closed the briefcase and lifted it out of the dumpster.

The mention of the police snapped Chuck out of his shock. "Are you nuts?! You can't bring that money to the police."

"Chuck, it may be stolen."

"And what are you going to say, Gar? Excuse me, can I speak to whoever is in charge. I just happen to find a briefcase full of money in my dumpster and I'm here to return it. Buddy, you don't have the best track record with the cops. If the money is stolen and you show up with it, they'll throw your butt in jail quicker than you can say false arrest."

"I can't keep it."

"Why not? Maybe the money isn't stolen. Maybe whoever sends the paper left it for you as a bonus for all your fine life saving over the years." Chuck argued.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "And they put it in my dumpster?"

"Look, Gar. Think about it, this could be a golden opportunity for you."

"And how do you figure that?" Gary asked.

"Well, you told me how upset you felt about that jer...ah, your father-in- law buying that half a million dollar house for you, Jennifer, and Garrett. Don't think that he did that just out of the goodness of his heart. He's a lawyer, Gary. Lawyers can manipulate you and you don't even know you're being manipulated. He already figures he has your eternal gratitude because he got you off in court. Then he buys that house. And don't think that manipulating your son isn't in the back of his mind. To him, that baby is more Metcalf than Hobson."

Gary cringed.

"I'm not saying this to upset you. I'm saying it as your best bud. Jennifer loves her father so she won't admit to herself his true agenda. She probably believes that he's just the loving grandfather doting on his first grandchild. This money will allow you to even the playing field a bit. You can take control of Garrett's future and be able to provide for him without those Metcalfs sticking their noses in your paternal right."

A brief silence.

"You're wrong, Chuck. It's not about money or manipulation."

"It's always about money and manipulation with some people, Gar. Look, I think that you shouldn't do anything right away. Don't go to the police. Hold on to the money for awhile. If the paper doesn't say anything about it being stolen, then you should keep it. After all the garbage that paper has put you through, you deserve a reward."

"Meow."

"I don't know, Chuck."

"Okay, you have a lot on your mind with worrying about Jennifer and the paper so here's what I'm going to do. I'll hold the money for you." Chuck offered.

Gary flashed Chuck a look. "Hey, Gar. I'll hold it. I won't spend a dime, I swear. In a couple of days, if you still want to bring it to the police, then I'll go with you."

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I don't know about this, Chuck."

Chuck placed his hand on Gary's shoulder. "Trust me on this, Gar. I mean, what could go wrong?"

"Famous last words." Gary responded.

Chapter Eight

"I think I got it!" Paige squealed excitedly as she bounced down the stairs of the manor carrying "The Book of Shadows." She hurried to the living room where she found Phoebe still sitting on the couch, her laptop resting on her lap, focused on a search.

"What did you find out?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I found a demon who wants to possess souls. She's called the Soul Ferrying Demon." Paige explained. She indicated to Phoebe the picture in "The Book of Shadows" of the beautiful demon with dark cascading hair and luscious red lips that painted more of the picture of a temptress than evil incarnate.

"Ah....Paige....the Soul Ferrying Demon doesn't go after mortals. She seeks the souls of witches. She relies on mortal ghosts and gives them special abilities to help her in her desire for witches' souls. I remember when Prue...," Phoebe paused briefly, her voice choked under emotion, "...Prue and I were up against this ghost, a guy who was a former convict from Alcatraz that the Soul Ferrying Demon controlled. We were able to fight the ghost and stop the Soul Ferrying Demon's plans."

"Did you vanquish her?" Paige asked.

"No."

"Well, see, then she could still be out there. What if she decided that it was too hard to possess witches' souls and that she didn't want to be bothered with the middle man, and she figured that she could just as easily possess the soul of a good, unsuspecting mortal like Gary. What did Cole say? Oh yeah, that possession thingy by demons dilutes purity and makes demons stronger. This Soul Ferrying Demon may be the one after Gary so she can possess his soul and fight us." Paige argued.

"Paige, that's a nice try, but I think that you are way off the mark with that one. I mean, why wouldn't my premonition have included the Soul Ferrying Demon in the first place if she was the one after Gary? And why wouldn't the elders have known that she was the one who we needed to vanquish? No, I think that Piper might be right, that there's something else, something that we're missing. Let's just keep looking, okay?"

Paige let out a sigh. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried that she would never be as good a witch as Prue, that she would always live in Prue's shadow in her sisters' eyes.

"Okay, whatever." Paige agreed, disappointment evident in her voice. She pulled out a lollipop that she had concealed in the pocket of her jeans, removed the wrapping paper, and stuck the candy into her mouth before plopping down onto the couch next to Phoebe. Paige continued flipping through "The Book of Shadows" looking for answers.

* * * * * *

"You'll see, Gar. No one will come looking for this money because it isn't stolen. You'll be rolling in dough and be able to give your wife and your son the kind of future they deserve." Chuck reassured. He carried the leather brief case as he and Gary entered the kitchen and made their way towards the bar. However, when they entered the bar, the men realized that they were not alone. Piper stood by one of the tables.

"Well, hello." Chuck said flirtatiously to the beautiful stranger. He flashed her a smile.

"Hello." Piper responded, her voice polite yet nonetheless sprinkled with disinterest.

Gary eyed Chuck disapprovingly. He would never understand Chuck. Here his friend had just given a speech about going to marriage counseling and wanting to work through his problems with Jade. Yet, Chuck was clearly flirting with Piper like some pathetic Casanova on the prowl.

"Chuck, this is Piper Halliwell. Piper, I'd like you to meet my friend, Chuck Fishman."

Chuck extended his hand. Piper hesitated briefly before accepting the handshake.

"I hope that you don't think that this is too bold of me, Ms. Halliwell, but I have to ask, are you an actress?" Chuck inquired.

"No, I'm not." Piper said simply.

"What a pity. I mean, you have a look that would radiate onscreen. I'm a Hollywood Producer. I'm always scouting for new talent." Chuck remarked. He pulled out his wallet, removed a business card, and handed the card to Piper. "Fishman Productions. I'm developing a few projects. If you ever want to break into show business, give me a call. I could help make you a star."

Piper fought the urge to freeze Chuck. She could smell a pick up line a mile away and this guy was trying way too hard. She glanced at Gary who seemed embarrassed by his friend's display.

"I'll keep that in mind." Piper said through gritted teeth.

"Ah...Chuck...Don't you need to take care of that thing we talked about?" Gary asked.

"Huh?" Was Chuck's response until he saw the annoyed expression on Gary's face. "Right, that thing." Chuck replied, glancing at the brief case. Turning to Piper, he added, "Ms. Halliwell, it was a pleasure. And if you change your mind about stardom, give me a call."

"I'll do that."

"Gar, I'll talk to you soon." Chuck promised before leaving McGinty's.

A brief silence.

"Would you like to sit down?" Gary offered.

Piper nodded as she and Gary proceeded to a table and sat down. "Your friend is quite an interesting character." Piper commented.

"Yeah, that's Chuck. But he's a good guy." Gary replied.

Another brief silence.

"I was wondering. Are you related to a Dan Halliwell?" Gary asked.

"Dan Halliwell? No, I'm not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, that's my wife's godfather and I was just curious is all." Gary paused before continuing. "So, you mentioned that you were thinking about opening up another club in Chicago. How can I help?"

Okay, Halliwell. Make this sound good. Piper's inner voice said.

"A few months ago, I hired a manager to make some changes to P3, you know to make the club more hip. Except he confused hip with sleaze. He changed the name of the club to 'The Spot' then had the waitresses dancing around in skimpy outfits. I was livid. My club looked like one of those erotic strip clubs."

Gary blushed slightly.

"My sister Paige remarked that usually when you're trying that hard to be hip, you're not. Anyway, I fired him, changed the name of the club back to P3, and hired some new bands. Business has been doing very well. I want to have the same kind of club here, but I don't know much about Chicago. I figure that you would know what would work"

"I guess that sometimes people just go too far trying to attract customers. I once had a bartender, Patrick, who was a good kid but sometimes the ideas he came up with made me feel as if I had walked into 'The Twilight Zone'. He once thought that 'Karaoke Night' was the thing this place needed. I was lucky that his idea didn't drive all of the customers away. But I really can't take much credit for how well McGinty's is doing right now. My good friend and business partner, Marissa Clark, handles the daily aspects of the business. I'm pretty busy with other things."

Marissa Clark is the blind woman who was crying over Gary's body in Phoebe's premonition. Piper's inner voice reminded.

"Marissa Clark. I would like to meet her." Piper remarked.

"She should be in later. I'll introduce you." Gary said.

"So what keeps you so busy that you don't have time to run this place?" Piper probed.

Gary eyed Piper suspiciously. "I mean, I guess you must be busy zipping through the Chicago streets on your motorcycle, wind blowing through hair, huh?" Paige joked. She prayed that her weak attempt at humor would dispel Gary's suspicions over her inquisitiveness.

Gary blushed again. "I....um...don't zip through the streets on my motorcycle. I mean, I usually don't even ride it. Like I said, it was a present from my dad for my birthday, but today was the first time I rode it. My mom and my wife are terrified that I might get hurt so they don't want me riding it. I took it out today because I was worried about being late for a very important appointment." Gary explained.

Another brief silence.

"Does your wife help run this place?"

"Jennifer? No, she's an actress. Actually, she's on maternity leave. We have a son, Garrett. He's six weeks old." Gary said proudly. He removed his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, opened it, and took out a picture of Jennifer holding Garrett. He handed the picture to Piper.

"Your wife is very beautiful and your son is so adorable." Piper complimented before handing the picture back to Gary.

"Thanks. Jennifer and Garrett are out of town right now, an emergency with her family. I really miss them."

"I miss my husband, too. Leo couldn't come. He could get off from work." Piper lied.

"What does your husband do?"

Leo is our "White Lighter." Piper's inner voice teased.

"Leo...Leo is a...carpenter." Piper answered. Her answer was partially the truth. Leo's "earthly cover" was as a carpenter.

"We're newlyweds. We've been talking about having a baby, but we don't know whether it's fair to bring a child into this world given our responsibilities." Piper revealed. Piper wasn't sure why she felt the need to tell Gary all this, but she somehow felt an inexplicable connection towards him.

"I felt the same way. But now I can't imagine my life without Garrett. Being a parent was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I held Garrett in my arms for the first time, it was the best moment of my life. Whatever I have done in the past, whatever I will do in the future, nothing compares to being a father. Garrett is my greatest accomplishment."

Piper felt a pang of determination in her chest. At this moment, she was more determined than ever to protect Gary and not only because he was an innocent who appeared in Phoebe's premonition, but also because he was a father who deserved to be a part of his son's future.

"Piper?" Gary said when he noticed Piper's faraway look.

"Huh? Yeah, it must be incredible being a parent." Piper replied simply.

A short time later, Marissa entered McGinty's. Gary made the introductions and told Marissa the reason why Piper was in Chicago. Some of McGinty's employees also arrived as did the regular customers. A half hour later, Gary excused himself. He told Marissa and Piper that he was tired before heading up to the loft.

Inside the loft, Gary noticed the answering machine light blinking. He proceeded to the device and pressed the play button. "Hi, honey. It's me." Jennifer's pleasant, yet weary voice poured from the answering machine. "The doctors still haven't told us what's wrong with Linda. Grandmom is so strong. She's keeping everything together for the rest of us. She keeps saying that Linda won't die because she and Linda are best friends and Linda would have told her if she was ready to die and since she didn't she won't. I'm worried about Granddad, though. He's been really quiet. I can tell that despite Grandmom's positive spirit, Granddad is really scared. But he won't talk to us. Mom made Garrett and me come to the house to rest. You would be so proud of your son. He's been such a good baby during these long hours at the hospital. I know that he misses you. But not more than I do. Every time I look at Garrett, I see you and that makes me miss you even more. I hope that you have been taking care of yourself, that you're eating and sleeping. Well, I guess I should be getting some rest. I just called to tell you how much I miss you and that I love you. I love you, Gary. Bye."

Tears welled in Gary's eyes. "I love you, too. And I miss you." He whispered.

Mentally and physically exhausted, he proceeded to the bed and lied down. It wasn't long before he surrendered to sleep.

Outside of McGinty's, a woman with auburn hair stared at the bar's neon sign. Maybe she'd wait until tomorrow before seeing Gary. She waited this long. One more day wouldn't matter.

Chapter Nine

The darkness of the night was soon clothed in the light of the new day. If mysteries were going to be revealed or secrets exposed, the day gave no hint. Instead, the possessive sun already sparkled against the early morning sky.

Yet, Gary awoke moments before the cat's arrival with the paper, his stomach knotted by uneasiness. Upon retrieving the paper, he flipped through the pages; his mind was not only focusing on today's saves but was also looking for a story about the treasure he and Chuck had uncovered last night in his dumpster. Chuck's theory that the fortune they found in the dumpster was left for him as some reward by the caretakers of the paper seemed unlikely. Gary was convinced that the money was tainted, perhaps stained by some criminal scheme gone awry. But there was still a piece missing. How did the money end up in his dumpster?

Fortunately, the paper offered a light day with easy saves. His first save wasn't until 11:00 a.m. At 7:00 a.m., he had planned to call Jennifer before she left the Metcalf house to return to the hospital. Like magic, the phone rang and when he answered it, he was happy that the caller was Jennifer. He could hear a fussy Garrett in the background. Jennifer told him to say something to his son, which he did, and it appeared that the sound of his voice soothed Garrett's protests as the baby gurgled contentedly. Jennifer said that the doctors informed that they would have the results from Linda's tests today. There was a brief silence in the conversation until he once again reassured her to have faith. In addition, Jennifer reiterated her concerns about Jeff. The man who had been dubbed "Peter Pan" by his then jealous son had definitely and reluctantly grown up because of this latest crisis. But Jeff had also taken his fears and retreated within himself.

Gary suspected that there was more to Jeff's behavior than just fear. While he hadn't shared his suspicions with Jennifer, Gary believed that Jeff was shouldering a lot of guilt and possibly blaming himself for Linda's illness. Last year, Jeff had impulsively concocted a fake illness scam that spiraled out of control, a scam that almost cost him his marriage. The realization that Ginger could have died in Lincoln Park at the hands of Sedi Audi and the Metcalfs renewing their wedding vows in Toledo had opened up a new chapter in Jeff and Ginger's long relationship. Their marriage had weathered the monster of betrayal and had emerged even stronger. But Gary wondered whether Jeff might irrationally believe that Linda's crisis was God way of punishing him for not truly atoning for his sins. If that were true, Jeff would feel alienated from his family. Gary resolved that he would call the hospital later today and let Jeff know that he was there for him as a brother and a friend if Jeff wanted to talk.

After taking his shower and dressing in a red plaid shirt and blue jeans, Gary left the loft and proceeded to the bar. He found Marissa in the office placing some folders in a file cabinet.

"Good morning, Marissa."

"Good morning, Gary. Have you heard from Jennifer?"

"Yeah, she called this morning. She thinks that the doctors will have news about Linda today."

"I said a prayer last night for Linda and the Metcalfs. I know that God is watching over them." Marissa reassured.

"Thanks Marissa."

A brief silence.

"I really like Piper. We had a nice time talking after you went upstairs. I have a good feeling about her. She's so warm and she has a good head on her shoulders." Marissa offered.

"Yeah, I like her, too. It's strange because I met her because she was one of my saves."

"She was?"

"Yeah, the paper said that she was going to be killed in a hit and run. If I hadn't taken my motor...."

"Your motorcycle? The one Lois and Jennifer don't want you riding? "

Another brief silence.

"Gary?"

"I didn't have a choice. The paper didn't give me much time to save Piper I had to use my motorcycle." Gary said defensively. "And I'm counting on you not to tell Mom or Jennifer about the motorcycle."

"I won't say anything although I'm sure you remember how nothing good comes from keeping secrets." Marissa said sagely.

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "Anyway, Chuck also liked Piper, a little too much actually." He said, clearly changing the subject. "Do you believe that after all the problems he and Jade have been having Chuck was flirting with Piper? He used some pathetic line of 'I'm a big Hollywood Producer and I can make you a star.' It was embarrassing. Chuck has always been a big flirt ever since college, but you'd think that being a married man would have changed him from wanting to give every pretty girl he meets a line." Gary revealed, his voice slightly annoyed.

"I guess Chuck will never change." Marissa responded.

"I guess not." Gary paused briefly before continuing. "Marissa, before Piper stopped by last night, something happened, something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?"

"It's something I didn't expect. Chuck gave me his opinion, but I could really use your advice."

"What is it, Gary?"

"Well, Chuck and I were by the dumpster when we...."

A knock on the office door interrupted Gary mid-sentence.

"Gary."

Gary's eyes locked with the beautiful woman from his past, the woman who had captured and broken his heart all those years ago.

"Genie." He whispered.

Chapter Ten

An eerie silence blanketed the room as Gary's eyes locked with the beautiful woman from his past who had captured and broken his heart all those years ago.

Blindness may have prohibited her from observing the silent drama unfolding between the former sweethearts, but she was very attuned to Gary. Her intuitiveness told her that Genie's unexpected appearance had nothing to do with catching up on old times. There was something important that she needed to talk to Gary about.

"Well, if you'll excuse me." Marissa said, breaking the silence and proceeding towards the door. She stood next to Genie.

The sound of Marissa's voice seemed to have jolted Gary from his trance. "Genie, you remember Marissa, my friend and partner." He awkwardly said.

"Of course. It's good to see you again. And I want to thank you again for all the wonderful work you did for Stan and my wedding." Genie replied, extending her hand.

Marissa accepted the handshake. "You're very welcome. We were happy to do it." Marissa answered simply and politely. "Gary, we'll talk later about that thing you mentioned." Marissa added.

"Right. Thanks Marissa."

Marissa left the office, closing the door behind her.

Genie stood tentatively at the door. Gary walked towards her, enveloping her in a hug. "Genie, it's good to see you." He whispered.

"It's good to see you, too."

"Come in. Would you like anything? Coffee?" He offered.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

A brief silence.

"Gary, I was so sorry to hear about your trial. Stan and I were out of the country at the time or else I would have been here to support you." "Thanks. It was a tough time, but my family and friends helped me through it. And Jennifer, she was...I don't know what I'd do without her."

"Jennifer. Your wife. Yes, I read about her. And you have a son. That's so great. I'm so happy for you, Gary. You deserve a lot of happiness and I'm glad that you found someone who could give it to you." Genie said, an unmistakable twinge of regret punctuating her words.

"Genie."

"I mean, you and I...it was a very special time in my life, but it was a long time ago. We both were so young and so alike. It couldn't have worked between us. And I love Stan, I do. It's just..."

"Just what?"

Genie swallowed hard. "The last few years have been very hard for Stan and me. I thought that once we got married and he sold Offside, we could just concentrate on our marriage. The first year was wonderful. We traveled. We were just this carefree married couple. We were just Stan and Genie. We were so happy. We talked about starting a family right away and I was so happy when I found out I was pregnant. So was Stan. He was very excited about becoming a father. Then I lost the baby." She revealed, fighting back tears.

Gary proceeded to where she was standing and enveloped her in a hug. "Genie, I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"Me, too." She said after the hug ended. "Stan was so strong for both of us. He kept saying that we could have more children. And I tried to become pregnant again, but nothing happened. We went to the doctor and he told us that I had an etopic pregnancy before, which caused my body to spontaneously abort the baby. He also said that I would probably never be able to conceive again. We've been to every fertility specialist in Chicago and New York, but nothing has worked. We even talked about adopting, but Stan won't consider that option. He acts like unless we have a baby that is biologically a part of us, that makes him some kind of failure. We've argued about it and it's put a big strain on our marriage."

"Genie, I don't know what to..."

"Say? I know, Gary. I know. It's unfair of me to be burdening you with my problems. But I really didn't have anyone else to talk to. I remember all those years ago, back in high school, even before we became a couple, you were always so easy to talk to. You always cared so much about your friends and wanted to help them even if the only help you could give was just to listen."

"How can I help you now?" He asked.

Genie took a deep breath before continuing. "A few weeks ago, Stan had been acting very strangely, really mysterious. Then a few days ago, I found out something that Stan is involved with. I think that he might be in over his head. And when I stumbled on the connection to you, I figured that you could talk to Stan. You might be the only one he'd listen to."

Chapter Eleven

Paige slammed "The Book of Shadows" shut and let out a frustrated breath. Phoebe and Cole sat on the couch. They looked at Paige intently.

"This is so stupid. I've been searching through this book for hours for clues about the demon that's after Gary when we have no idea what the demon looks like or if it's even a demon. And Piper says that we should come up with a vanishing or protection spell. How are we supposed to do that when we have no idea what we need to vanquish or have to protect ourselves and our innocent from? And you have been toiling at that computer. The only thing we've learned is that we have a hot guy who some very weird things happens to. We should be in Chicago with Piper." Paige said to Phoebe.

"Piper says that she has a good cover with Gary and that we should sit tight. She's keeping an eye on him. If we all show up on his doorstep, we'll make him suspicious." Phoebe reminded.

"But what if this...demon...whatever that's after Gary attacks before we learn its identity? You said that your premonition happens at night, but we don't know which night. It's not like the demon is going to call us up and let us know when it's ready to make it's curtain call. Look, I know I'm new at all this witch stuff and I don't know what Prue would have done, but I just don't think that it's a good idea to leave Piper unprotected. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she needs her sisters there. She needs the power of three." Paige argued.

A brief silence.

"Paige is right. The Charmed Ones need to be in Chicago. They need to be ready." Cole chimed.

"We can take 'The Book of Shadows' with us, right? I mean, there aren't any rules which say that it has to stay in the house, right?" Paige asked.

"It usually doesn't leave the house, but I think that if Gram were here she would tell us that 'The Books of Shadows' is our best protection for whatever is out there and that we have to take it with us." Phoebe reasoned. "Cole, you should stay here. We don't know what we're up against and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm going with you." Cole insisted.

Phoebe gently caressed his face. "Honey, I love you. You know that. And I know that you're worried about me, but you're human now, all human. You're not Belthazor anymore. You can't throw fireballs. You're more likely to get hurt than Piper, Paige, or me."

Cole jumped from the couch, his ego bruised. "So this is the little woman protecting her helpless human mate, huh?"

"That's not what I meant." Phoebe said softly, trying to stroke her lover's bruised ego.

"You're forgetting that I'm your best resource on all things demonic. Belthazor may be gone, but I can still be invaluable to you. A guy doesn't spend a hundred years with the forces of evil without having a few tricks up his sleeve." Cole countered.

"I think that Cole should come with us." Paige offered.

A longer silence.

Phoebe sighed heavily. "Okay. We all go."

Paige and Cole flashed victorious smiles.

"Leo!" Phoebe summoned her "The White Lighter" and her brother-in-law.

Tiny specks of light signaled the arrival of the guardian angel. "Any news from Piper?" Leo asked, concern evident in his voice.

"No, nothing new since last time she called. Leo, we need you to orb us to Chicago. We're going to help Piper." Phoebe announced.

* * * * * *

"A connection to me?" Gary asked curiously.

"Yes." Genie replied. "Do you remember Quentin St. George?"

"Of course. He's all over the financial pages and he was my mentor at Strauss and Associates. The guy was a legend in that place. Chuck used to say that Quentin St. George had the Midas touch. His trades always yielded high returns. Pritchard loved that guy. Why?"

"Quentin St. George was the one who bought Offside. He used some dummy corporation, something about a tax write-off, but we found out that he was the buyer. I learned that he came to Stan recently about some big investment opportunity. Stan is really secretive about it. The only thing he keeps saying is that we'll be financially set for life. I keep telling him that the money doesn't matter and that I much rather have my husband home than killing himself to make money. We aren't that desperate for money."

Genie's words sent a chill through Gary's body. He recalled that Jennifer had uttered the same words when he told her that he was considering the role of Martin Edwards to earn the money to buy their house.

"And maybe Stan is using this investment opportunity so he won't have think about adopting a baby." Genie added.

"I still don't know how I can help. Stan and me aren't exactly friends. What makes you think that he'll listen to anything I have to say?"

Genie sighed. "Stan doesn't have many male friends and maybe it'll help talking to you. You were a broker and even though Stan won't admit it, I know that he was grateful for your advice around the time of our wedding."

A brief silence.

Gary wasn't so sure about interfering, but he knew that it hadn't been easy for Genie to come to him. He wanted to help her. "Sure. I'll see what I can do."

Genie smiled. "Thank you, Gary. I knew that I could count on you." She remarked before kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, buddy. I've been thinking about it all night and this is what I think you sure do about the mon..." Chuck said as he barged into the office just as Genie kissed Gary.

Chapter Twelve

"So sorry to interrupt." Chuck said.

Gary could feel his cheeks becoming warm as an embarrassed flush crept up on

his face.

"No, you're not interrupting. I was just leaving. Chuck, it's so good to

see you again." Genie replied.

"It's good to see you, too. And send my regards to Stan." Chuck responded.

"I will." Turning to Gary, Genie added, "And Gary, thank you so much for

all your help. It means alot to me."

"Sure. I'll be in touch." Gary responded awkwardly.

After Genie left the office, Chuck eyed Gary suspiciously.

"What?" Gary asked defensively.

"I can't leave you alone for a second without finding a woman's lips on you.

It looks like I'll have another dirty little secret to help you keep from

your wife." Chuck teased.

"It's not like that. Genie came to me because she's having some problems

with Stan. She felt lost and desperate. She asked for my help in talking to

Stan. It couldn't have been easy for her to come to me. And I want to help

her. And it's not because of any lingering romantic feelings I have for

her. It's because I will always consider her a special friend. And friends

help each other." Gary explained.

"Sure, special friends who come around, ask for help from their first love

while his wife is out of town, then kisses him in gratitude. Buddy, you're

a good guy and there's no question that in the dictionary next to the word

'boy scout', there's a picture of Gary Hobson, but you really take this good

guy stuff to the extreme."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gary snapped defensively.

"It means that you can't save everyone in the world paper or no paper.

Personally, I think that it is unfair for Genie to even come to you for

help. Did she even take into account how awkward and uncomfortable it would

be for you to be caught up in the middle of her problems? And further, do

you plan to tell your wife that your high school girlfriend was hanging

around while she was away asking for your help?"

Before Gary had the chance to answer, his response was halted by the sound

of the phone ringing. Gary picked up the phone.

"McGinty's. Hi, honey. How's Linda? What? Slow down. I know....I know

that you're still worried, but that's good news. It means that the doctors

have some idea what's wrong and they can figure out how to help her.

Everything will be okay. Have faith, remember?" Gary paused briefly before

continuing. He flashed a boyish smile. "That's my son. I'm not surprised

that he has enchanted all of the nurses. It's the Hobson charm. I miss

you, too. A few days? Okay. I love you, too. Bye."

Gary hung up the phone. "The doctors said that Linda contracted some kind of

viral infection, some big name thing that they've never seen in River Run.

They're not sure how she could have contracted it or how to treat it yet so

they are sending the results to Washington. Jennifer is still very worried,

but I think that Linda has more than a fighting chance now that the doctors

have some idea what's wrong."

"Thanks good news. And I'm glad that Jennifer and Garrett will be coming

home soon." Chuck said.

"Listen, Chuck. I appreciate your concern about me over this Genie thing,

but I think that you are letting your suspicious nature get the best of you.

I know that it won't be easy for me to talk to Stan and I'm not sure that

he'll even listen to me, but I want to do all that I can to help Genie.

Just because we're no longer a couple doesn't mean that I don't want to see

her happy."

A brief silence.

Chuck was aware that Gary didn't say whether or not he would tell Jennifer

about Genie's visit, but he decided not to press the matter. Instead, Chuck

remarked, "Just be careful, buddy. Remember during your trial when Emma

offered to testify for you and I said that putting a new wife with an old

girlfriend was like putting a match next to gasoline? I just don't want

this Genie thing to end up blowing up in your face."

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "What are you doing here,

anyway? You said that you had an idea about the money."

Chuck grinned. "Yes. But let me ask, has there been anything in the paper

about the money? I mean, anything about it being stolen?"

"No. Nothing."

"That's good. Okay, I have a solution that will be the end to your worries

about the money. This is what I think you should do..."

Chapter Thirteen

Piper sat on the bed in her hotel room, the quiet a welcome respite for the

witch to process her thoughts. Even though she knew that she was in Chicago

to protect Gary, she felt a pang of guilt that she had developed a rapport

with him and Marissa under false pretenses. Piper couldn't explain it, but

she felt an inexplicable connection to Gary the moment he saved her life.

She had never experienced this kind of a connection with an innocent before.

Maybe it was those mud green eyes of his, eyes that spoke of an untold

responsibility. To be a psychic, a legitimate seer of the future, trying to

save a cynical world plus balance a normal life with a wife and child,

couldn't be easy for Gary. As a Charmed One, her birthright meant that

saving innocents and vanquishing demons would always take precedence over

having a normal life.

But how could she and Leo even consider bringing a child into the world with

The Source and the whole demon population seeking the destruction of The

Charmed Ones? Maybe she was kidding herself believing that she could have

normal life. But she wanted to have a baby.

"I can't imagine my life without Garrett. Being a parent was the best thing

that ever happened to me. When I held Garrett in my arms for the first

time, it was the best moment of my life. Whatever I have done in the past,

whatever I will do in the future, nothing compares to being a father.

Garrett is my greatest accomplishment." Gary's words echoed in her mind.

Piper felt in awe and a tremendous amount of respect for Gary's willingness

to accept his psychic gift to help others. And from the information that

Phoebe had gleaned from the Internet, Piper knew that Gary's efforts were

not always met with kindness. Gary didn't have powers or as far as Piper

knew, even siblings to help ease his burden.

At least he had Marissa, Piper thought to herself. From the conversation

she had with Marissa, Piper could tell that she and Gary had a special

friendship. Marissa radiated such warmth; Gram would call it an aura that

enveloped everything and everyone around her. And Gram would also probably

say that despite her blindness, Marissa could see more clearly and honestly

than most sighted people.

That's what made lying to someone like Marissa so hard. Marissa had offered

to brainstorm with Piper to help her come up with ideas for adapting P3 to

the Chicago culture. Marissa seemed suspicious when Piper insisted on an

evening meeting. Piper covered by saying that observing McGinty's at night

would give her a taste of what she wanted for her own club. Since Phoebe's

premonition revealed that the attack on Gary would occur at night and

outside McGinty's, Piper was adamant about staying close to Gary at night.

Piper took solace in the fact that Phoebe and Paige were in San Francisco.

While she wanted to protect Gary, Piper needed to protect her sisters even

more. They would be safer in Chicago away from the demonic threat against

Gary. And if she had to, Piper would handle the demon alone. She had

failed Prue and would have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge

that she couldn't save her sister. Piper was determined not to allow the

same thing to happen to Phoebe and Paige.

Piper buried her face in her hands for a moment, emotionally and physically

spent. Unexpectedly, the room illuminated with the familiar light that

shook Piper from her frazzled state. Soon, the light crystallized into four

figures. Piper was livid and far from welcoming her "guests".

"Leo, Phoebe, Paige, Cole....what are you doing here?! You were supposed to

stay at the manor. Leo, how could you do this?!" Piper berated.

Leo shrugged uncomfortably. This was definitely one of those times when he

wished that he was just "The White Lighter" and not the husband of a

stubborn and hot-tempered witch.

"We came to help." Paige offered.

Piper saw that Phoebe held "The Book of Shadows" underneath her arm.

"Phoebe, what is 'The Book of Shadows' doing here? You know that it's not

supposed to leave the manor!" Piper scolded.

"Look, Piper. I know that you said to sit tight and to continue searching

the Internet for clues and that Paige was supposed to look for a protection

or vanquishing spell, but there's something that you need to know. Cole has

figured out what my premonition means. We know what is after Gary." Phoebe

revealed.

Chapter Fourteen

"You have come up with some crazy schemes over the years and given me some stupid advice, but I think that even you topped your own record with this one, Chuck!"

"Come on, Gar. You said that there was no mention of the money in the paper. My idea is the perfect solution to your troubles. And I know how you feel about using the paper for your own self-interest. I mean, only someone with your demented Boy Scout Code of Honor would play the lottery without taking a sneak peak at the numbers or win 15 grand at the track and give the money away for Marissa to buy a dog." Chuck noticed the look Gary flashed him so he clarified his last comment. "Ah....not to say that Marissa didn't deserve to have that dog."

"What's you point, Chuck ?" Gary asked, slightly annoyed.

"My point is that it's not just about Gary anymore. It's not about you trying to obey some invisible rules that you think come with that paper. You have your wife and your son to consider."

"You don't think that I consider them?!"

Chuck had never been the poster boy for tact, but observing Gary's frustrated demeanor and the defensive tone oozing from his friend's voice, Chuck realized that his words weren't having the desired effect. A new approach was definitely in order.

"Of course, I know that you consider them, that they probably occupy your every waking moment. And if I haven't said it before, I'm glad that you found Jennifer and that you finally have the wife and child you've always wanted. I know that the last six years haven't been easy for you with that divorce and the paper pulling you in every direction. I just want you to be able to enjoy life now." Chuck paused briefly before continuing to gage Gary's reaction. He noticed that Gary's features had softened.

"You know how Marissa always says that things happen for a reason? " Chuck continued. "Well, there has to be a reason that $350,000.... yes, I counted it last night....fell right into your lap, okay into your dumpster. Maybe the reason is simple- somebody finally decided to give Gary Hobson a break for once. And think how surprised and happy Jennifer will be when she comes home and realizes what you've done with that money. Even Junior will be speechless and you know that a speechless lawyer is about as rare as Hailey's Comet."

Chuck's last remark produced a slight smile on Gary's face.

A brief silence.

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I don't know about this Chuck. I just...I just have a bad feeling about that money."

"That's because you worry too much. If you want, I'll handle the details for you. I know that you have a lot on your mind with thinking about Jennifer and Garrett, the paper, and now Genie's crisis. By the way, any thoughts as to what you're going to say to Stan? I can't imagine that the guy will be too happy to hear advice from his wife's ex-boyfriend."

"No. No, I'm not sure what I'm going to say to him, but I'll think of something." Gary reassured.

Another brief silence.

"Do you think that you'll see Piper today?" Chuck asked.

Gary eyed his friend suspiciously "Why?"

"Well, I think that I have a interesting proposition for her."

"Interesting proposition, huh?" Are you forgetting that you're a married man?"

"Buddy, I'm hurt. What I'm talking about is strictly business. I know that she said that she wasn't an actress, but I tell you, Gar, she has 'the look'. What I'm thinking about could make her a star. You know how fickle the viewing public is. Remember when you couldn't move without hearing the name Leonardo DiCaprio or seeing his face plastered on every magazine? Okay, so Julia Roberts is still a big deal in Hollywood, but who's to say that with my brains and Piper's essence, that in a few years it won't be Piper Halliwell and Julia who."

"Your brains, huh? I don't think that Julia Roberts will have to worry about standing in the unemployment line any time soon." Gary retorted, with an amused chuckle.

"Keep it up and I won't mention you at The Academy Award when I receive my Best Picture Oscar." Chuck warned.

Gary had a difficult time suppressing full-blown laughter following that comment. "Anyway, as persuasive as I know you can be, I think that you better look for your star elsewhere. I don't think that Piper will leave her life style for the bright lights of Hollywood."

Before Chuck had a chance to respond, there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Gary invited.

Marissa entered the office. "Gary, there's someone in the bar to see you."

"Who is it?"

"Quentin St. George." Marissa revealed.

Chapter Fifteen

Quentin St. George removed from the breast pocket of his Armani suit the gold cigarette lighter that he had purchased years ago from Cartier's on Fifth Avenue. He lit a cigarette and enjoyed a few puffs before noticing the "Do Not Smoke" sign proudly displayed over the bar. He silently cursed Gary before putting out the cigarette. It was just like that pathetic do gooder to inflict his code of morality on others. Okay, fine. He'd let Hobson have that small victory since from this moment on, even though he didn't know it, Gary Hobson would be completely under the St. George regime.

Quentin removed his handkerchief and wiped off a smudge from his alligator shoes. He surveyed McGinty's. Such a quaint little establishment, but it certainly would be a nice addition to his vast holdings, Quentin thought with an evil smile.

Quentin quickly replaced his evil veneer with a pleasant facade when he saw Gary and Chuck approaching from the office.

"I'll catch you later, Gar." Chuck said before making a hasty exit.

"Gary, it's so good to see you again. It's been a long time." Quentin remarked, extending his hand.

Gary accepted the handshake. "It's good to see you, too, Mr. St.George."

"Come now, Gary. You don't work under me anymore, how's about time you called me Quentin." "Ah...sure...Quentin." Gary responded hesitantly. He still wasn't sure what inspired this visit from his former mentor. "Would you like anything?"

"No, thanks. Why don't we sit." Quentin requested. The two men took a seat at one of the tables in the bar. "I was sorry when you decided to leave Strauss and Associates. I really had big plans for you there, Gary."

"Well, I don't think Pritchard shared in your plans."

Quentin let out a laugh. "Phil was always so limited in his thinking. He could never see the big picture. True, you had a cautious strategy when it came to investing, but I looked over a lot of your accounts after you left and they started paying off handsomely. You had, you have, a great instinct for high finance, Gary. You just need someone to help you hone your talents which is why I'm here."

"I-I don't understand."

"How rude of me, here I am about to talk business and I haven't even offered my congratulations on your marriage and that beautiful son of yours. I saw the write up and photos in the Sun-Times Weekend Supplement. I never pegged you for one to marry an actress, but it looks like you have quite a woman there. And that boy of yours, I can already tell that he's going to go very far in life. That unfortunate business of your trial was just.... if I hadn't been out of the country at the time, I would have gladly testified on your behalf. The fact that anyone would believe that you are capable of aggravated assault is just ridiculous. God knows after the way Phil treated you, if you didn't assault him, you would never assault anyone."

"Thanks." Gary said simply.

"Thank God that whole mess is behind you now and you can concentrate on what's really important, your wife and your son. I'm sure that you want to give that boy of yours all that life has to offer. Raising kids is such an expensive undertaking. By the time your son is ready to attend college, the cost will be well over $100,000 a year and this figure is just for some insignificant state school. To achieve the kind of success that your boy deserves, he'll need to meet the right people, make the right connections. That means attending an Ivy League school. And the cost for that kind of education will be double that of a state school." Quentin paused briefly before continuing. He glanced around the bar. "It seems that you have yourself a nice little business here. And it's very astute of you to advertise on The Internet. I know that your web site is still under construction, but it is off to a good start. But even with all that, this place is small potatoes. Don't take this the wrong way, Gary, and I certainly don't mean to pry into your private affairs, but even if you were to triple your clientele, there's no way you'd gross the kind of profit to give your family the kind of lifestyle they deserve. And show business is so fickle. Your wife may be flying high in popularity now, but last year's ratings bonanza could easily become buried next year in the annals of cancellation quicker than you can snap your fingers. Or, perhaps your wife might decide to abandon show business for full-time motherhood. The loss of income would be significant if that happened. She's the daughter of a doctor and a lawyer so there's a certain lifestyle that she expects even if she won't tell you this. I know that you want to give her that kind of lifestyle."

Gary stiffened in his chair. "What is all this about, Mr. St. George?" Gary demanded, his voice slightly raised and impatient.

Quentin smiled. "It's about opportunity, Gary. Yours and mine. I'm about to make you an offer that will be the answer to all of your prayers, an offer that you won't be able to refuse."

Chapter Sixteen

She gazed into the eyes of the ex-demon willing herself to feel trust instead of seeing treachery. Piper knew that she was being unfair; Belthazor was dead, vanquished. The tall, dark man facing her now had been extricated from his evil side, freed by the power of a witch's love. Piper understood the depths of Phoebe's love for Cole. It was an unconventional love, no question, but no more unconventional in a lot of ways than falling in love with one's 'White Lighter'. Piper tried telling herself that Cole had redeemed himself by his love for Phoebe and in all those incidents where, even as Belthazor, he wrestled with his murderous instincts but allowed the energy of love to resonate so that goodness could emerge the victor. Yet, Piper couldn't forget Cole's initial duplicity, his insinuation into their lives so that he could expose their vulnerabilities and kill them. And Piper couldn't forget the Belthazor flesh that she, Phoebe, and Prue kept in their refrigerator, the flesh of evil poised to be mingled carefully with their potion to vanquish a formidable enemy. But mostly, Piper couldn't forget that a demon had murdered Prue, had extinguished more than just a champion of goodness. A demon had destroyed a sister, a friend, a confidante. Maybe it was unfair to expect Cole to bear the burden of a death that he hadn't caused, but subconsciously, she did. It has Cole's kind, his brethren that had killed Prue and had supplanted a burning hatred inside of Piper.

Trust, now trust, was an elusive ingredient that no spell could conjure.

"Look, Piper. I know that you said to sit tight and to continue searching

the Internet for clues and that Paige was supposed to look for a protection

or vanquishing spell, but there's something that you need to know. Cole has

figured out what my premonition means. We know what is after Gary." Phoebe

revealed.

Cole gazed into Piper's eyes, too. The ex-demon, a former anointed prince of darkness extolled in the underworld and a shrewd legal mind in his human form, could see the hostility dancing fervently in Piper's eyes. Cole knew that Piper had accepted him for Phoebe's sake, but that didn't mean that she trusted him. Beltazor may have ceased to exist, but his history of misery, fertile and strong, was firmly rooted in Piper's mind.

"What do you know?" Piper asked Cole. Her eyes were cold and unreadable.

"Well, there had been a rumor that there was a demon, not physically strong, but very cunning and inventive who was working on a way of rendering himself invisible. This demon feeds on the blood of his victims and uses the body of the victim as an ark to re-energize his powers. But if he is able to become invisible, he could move swiftly through bodies until he found the perfect host...the perfect host that would enable him to destroy 'The Charmed Ones'.

"And you think that this demon has found the key to invisibility?" Piper asked incredulously. "Great. It wasn't enough to have to vanquish the run of the mill, garden variety evil now we have to vanquish evil that we can't even see!" Turning to Leo, she added, "Any particular reason why the elders didn't feel the need to share this news with us earlier?"

"Piper, this is all conjecture. Cole's theory hasn't been confirmed by the elders." Leo said.

Piper looked at Cole. "What makes you think that an invisible demon is stalking Gary?"

"Actually, it was something that I said that got Cole thinking." Paige chimed in. "Remember when I thought that the Soul Ferrying demon was after Gary and certain people in this room who shall remain nameless didn't believe me?" Paige said, looking at Phoebe. "Well, I just thought that it was strange that Phoebe would get a premonition about Gary dying but that no demon appeared in her premonition."

"That's when I remembered the demon seeking invisibility. It was such a lower level demon that others in the underworld refused to take it seriously." Cole explained.

"Does this 'hide and seek' demon have a name?" Piper asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Npu." Cole responded.

Piper shook her head in disbelief.

Phoebe approached Piper. "Don't you get it, Piper? This...this Npu has done it, has found a way to become invisible. That's why he wasn't in my premonition. And that's why the elders couldn't tell us anything about him."

"What does the demon...what does Npu look like before he learned how to disappear?" Piper inquired.

"No one knows for sure. Npu is able to assume any form he wants. He's a shape shifter. That's part of his cunning. Because he can assume shapes, Npu can be anything or anyone he wants." Cole said.

"Cole is right. I couldn't find a picture of Npu in 'The Book of Shadows'. Paige confirmed.

Piper let out a frustrated breath. "So, we have an invisible demon that can change shapes. How are we supposed to fight a demon that we can't even see?"

Phoebe, Paige, Cole, and Leo exchanged conspiratorial looks.

"What?!" Piper asked. She had the feeling that there was something else that they weren't telling her.

"This is one fight 'The Charmed Ones' may not be able to win." Cole said harshly.

"What are you saying Cole? That we should just let this demon kill Gary?!" Piper roared.

"When Npu attacks Gary, Leo can heal him. I know that we are supposed to keep the fact that we are witches a secret from innocents unless it is absolutely necessary for us to tell them, but I think that we should tell Gary the truth so that we can prepare him for..." Paige offered.

"Prepare him for what, Paige? To die? How do you tell a man to prepare to die?" Piper demanded.

Chapter Seventeen

Dramatic negotiations, striking the deal at the eleventh hour as perspiration glistened off of his competitor's brow while he failed to even break a sweat, had always been Quentin's trademark. He could have millions riding on a deal, yet Quentin could confidently sip a dry martini while the clock on the wall chimed deliberately like a death knell, final and unmalleable. Lesser men would have caved under the pressure, but not him. He always won. He always got what he wanted no matter how high the stakes.

Quentin didn't know it yet but this time he had overplayed his hand. Just like a gambler seduced by the ecstasy of peering over the edge of financial ruin and somehow never falling or like an addict who craved the anticipation as much as he craved the fix, Quentin stayed at the table, his eagle eyes trained on his opponent. However, Quentin had violated one of the principle tenets with this gamble. He had underestimated his opponent.

"An offer that I won't be able to refuse?" Gary repeated curiously.

Quentin leaned back against his chair. "Yes. I'm sitting on an investment deal of colossal portions. I'm in the process of putting together a consortium of investors. A high risk deal but also one with unlimited financial rewards. It's the kind of payoff that could have you sitting on easy street for the rest of your life."

"Mr. St. George, I don't understand what any of this has to do with me."

"It has to do with ensuring a bright future for your family, Gary. It's about not allowing opportunity to slip through your fingers." Quentin paused briefly before continuing. "Gary, I want to bring you in on this deal."

* * * * * *

"Prepare him for what, Paige? To die? How do you tell a man to prepare to die?" Piper asked, her voice laced with emotion.

"Piper, it won't come to that." Phoebe interjected. "If we can't stop Npu from attacking Gary, Leo can heal him before he...anyway, Leo can heal him. It'll be okay." Phoebe reassured.

"You don't know that, Phoebe. What if Leo can't heal him?" Piper looked at her husband. Their eyes locked for a moment. Leo knew that Piper loved him, but he also knew that she blamed him for choosing to heal her before he healed Prue when they both had been injured, for choosing the love of his wife over saving the strongest witch. Her gaze at this moment tore at his heart. His choice would be something they both would have to live with, but he wondered if his choice would continue to be as burdensome as Npu; would his choice continue to be like an invisible demon hovering over their marriage?

"I repeat, Cole's theory is just conjecture. We don't know for certain if this...this Npu is the threat after Gary." Leo reminded.

"Let's just say for the sake of argument that Cole is right, that Npu is the demon after Gary and Npu attacks Gary and you can't heal him." Piper said to Leo. Turning to the group, she added, "To all of you, Gary Hobson is a bunch of Internet articles and a web site. To me, he's a person. I've gotten to know the man. He may use his psychic abilities to help others, but he's a normal guy with a wife and a son. What do we tell his wife after he dies? We're so sorry Mrs. Hobson about your loss. You see, we are good witches and one of us received a premonition about your husband's death so we all came here to protect him. But this invisible demon attacked him and our 'White Lighter' couldn't heal him. Perhaps we could also add that we knew that her husband was a psychic but hope it is of comfort to her to know that her husband used his abilities to help people, that he died a hero. And what does she tell her little boy when he's growing up without a father, when he asks questions about a father that he was too young to remember?"

Piper paused briefly before continuing. "No. No, I'm not going to wait for this demon to attack Gary and pray that Leo can heal him in time. I'm not going to risk Gary's life like that. I have another plan, but I'm going to need all of your help in order for it to work."





Chapter Eighteen

Quentin had baited the hook with a juicy enticement and now he anticipated that the fish would feed hungrily. Despite Gary's choir boy ethics, Gary Hobson was still a man not a saint and as a man his belly would surely swell with greed. He had dangled a tasty appetizer in front of Gary; one Quentin was positive that the younger man wouldn't refuse. Once Gary had satisfied his hunger, a man with a strong moral fiber would become a glutton to greed. And once that happened, Gary would have signed over his soul to the devil.

The room grew eerily silent as each man studied the other. Like gamblers carefully holding their cards, performing a psychological, yet silent waltz to determine who would emerge the victor, each man's eyes hoped to read the other's mind and to uncover what truth was hidden.

Quentin knew that Gary had a reputation at Strauss and Associates for being annoyingly cautious. That was one of Gary's flaws as a broker that was a burr in Phil's britches. Quentin remembered Phil complaining that Gary handled his trades like an old lady on a fixed income and that he hardly merited the healthy broker's salary that he received. But Gary was a greenhorn then with a wife earning a lucrative salary as an attorney for a prestigious law firm. Now he was a father with an infant son and a new wife whose vocation was the fluid profession of acting. Gary needed to compile a nest egg before his wife's finances ran as dry as an overburdened well.

Mud green eyes stared intently at the power mogul at the table. Gary wondered what motive underlined Quentin's offer. After all, he hadn't seen Quentin St. George in years. And he, Gary Hobson, certainly wasn't a shining star in the investment world. Why would someone with Quentin's business acumen want to align himself with a financial novice, to bring him in on such a high risk, high stakes investment deal? It just didn't make any sense.

"I know that this must come as a big surprise to you Gary," Quentin said breaking the palpable silence that had engulfed the room, "but I assure you that I have given it a lot of thought."

"But why me?" Gary asked.

Quentin laughed. "I told you Gary that I could see that you had a lot of potential despite Phil's protestations of your ineptitude. And I'd say that you'd have more incentive to prove yourself now than you ever did before. I know that you want to do more than get by. This bar is a nice little place, but you can hardly expect it to offer the kind of livelihood that you want to give your wife and your son."

"We'll be fine." Gary said defensively. "Besides, I don't have the kind of money that would be needed for the kind of deal you're talking about."

"That's not a problem. I'll advance you the cash and you can use McGinty's as collateral." Quentin responded.

Genie's words came rushing at Gary like a tidal wave. He had learned from Genie that Quentin had bought Offside and was also courting Stan for investment deals. Now Quentin had come to him. Even though he couldn't figure out his ex-mentor's agenda, this whole scenario was like a script with a dangerous cliffhanger lurking in the shadows, a cliffhanger that only Quentin was aware of and controlled the result.

Gary rose from his seat. Quentin also rose from his chair. Gary extended his hand. "I thank you for stopping by Mr. St. George and for thinking about me for this deal, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to turn you down. I can't jeopardize my family's future on a gamble."

Quentin smiled, but that smile skillfully masked the bile rising up from his stomach and his desire at this moment to rip Gary to shreds. "Gary, even if this deal went sour, I would never take McGinty's from you. The only reason I suggested that you use this place as collateral was because we needed to show good faith amongst the other prospective investors. You should think about this, Gary. I would hate to see you miss out on a deal of this magnitude."

"I have thought about it, Mr. St. George, and my answer is still no. I wish you the best of luck, though."

Idiot! You aren't going to get away with this, Hobson. An unheard presence spewed into the air.

Quentin smiled again. "Well, I'm sorry that I couldn't include you in this opportunity." Quentin reached into his suit jacket pocket, removed his wallet, opened it, and took out a business card. He handed the card to Gary. "In case you change your mind."

Gary stared at the card briefly. "Thanks." Gary whispered.

After a final handshake, Quentin exited McGinty's.

Gary sat back down in the chair, flabbergasted. He closed his eyes as he massaged his temples.

"Gary Hobson?"

Gary opened his eyes. Before him stood an attractive brunette with an effervescent smile.

"Yes?" He responded to the stranger.

She extended her hand. "Hi. My name is Paige Matthews. I was hoping that you would be able to help me."

Chapter Nineteen

Paige flashed a smile, bewitching and beguiling, a smile that was an interesting hybrid between smoldering vixen and unspoiled ingenue.

That she was beautiful was no question and that fact added to her allure. Her dark mane, though neatly combed so it hung pass her shoulders, appeared to have an unpredictable quality. There was a hint that her hair, like her, could be untamed, wild, and rebellious. She wore a black blazer over a red blouse and black skirt, a conservative ensemble that was only mildly successful in covering her voluptuous figure.

Gary swallowed hard as he rose from his seat. The young woman smiled at him again.

"Paige Matthews." She repeated, extending her hand.

Gary accepted the handshake. "How may I help you, Ms. Matthews?"

Boy, he sure is yummy. Paige thought to herself.

And he has a wife and a son. Plus, he's an innocent so stay focused on why you are here. Paige's inner voice scolded.

Okay, you have to make this sound convincing. Paige realized. The novice witch and aspiring social worker certainly had a lot of practice weaving tall tales. As a teen, her restless spirit often landed her in trouble. While she loved her adoptive parents, she also resented their authority. She wanted to party, to hang out with her friends, to smoke and to drink. She didn't want to stay on a parental leash.

So she lied to them. Often. And without blinking an eye and without remorse.

Then, one horrible day, Fate stepped in to punish her disobedience. And because of her, her parents had died in that car accident. They had died before she had a chance to tell them that she loved them and that she was sorry for all the heartache that she had caused them.

An overwhelming desire to channel her guilt, to turn it into something positive, had been the reason why she entered social services. Of course, she never imagined that she would have a higher calling as a "Charmed One".

"Ms. Matthews?"

The sound of Gary's voice jolted Paige from her musings.

"It's Paige. I'm here about the job."

"Job?" He said confused.

"The waitressing job. It said in the paper that you were looking for a waitress." Paige confirmed.

Gary remembered Marissa mentioning something about Sheridan needing to return to Muncie on a family emergency and that she was going to place an ad in the paper for a new waitress. The bubbly redhead from Muncie had been quite a hit among the customers. To Gary, it seemed like a lifetime ago when he had saved Sheridan from that knife wielding teen on that train platform and had sustained a stab wound to his arm as a result of his heroics. Sheridan had been very grateful. Later, she reciprocated his kindness by testifying on his behalf at his trial. However, Jennifer wasn't too happy when he offered Sheridan a job at McGinty's. Sheridan's penchant for kissing him didn't exactly endear her to his wife.

"Look, Mr. Hobson. I admit that I don't have a lot of waitressing experience, but I promise that I won't spill food on the customers or break your plates. I'm new to Chicago and I don't want to have to call my parents asking for their help." She lied. "Please, Mr. Hobson. I really need this job." Paige pleaded.

A brief silence.

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "My partner was the one who placed the ad and she's usually the person who makes all the hiring decisions, but I guess that it wouldn't hurt to give you a chance."

She smiled again, a glorious smile that radiated the room. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You won't regret this." She beamed. She sealed her gratitude with a kiss on his cheek. Gary blushed slightly.

"Ah...you're...you're welcome." He stammered. He paused briefly before continuing. "Just stop back later and we'll get you started on the paperwork and what you need to do."

"I'll do that. Thanks again." Paige replied. "See you later." She added before leaving McGinty's.

Outside McGinty's, Paige removed her cell phone from her purse and dialed a number. "Hi, Piper. It's me. Yes. Of course he bought it. The plan is in motion."

Chapter Twenty

"Okay, Paige. Good. We'll take it from here." Piper said as she hung up the phone. She waited a few minutes before dialing another number. "Hello? Hi, Marissa. It's Piper. I was hoping that I could stop by later to talk to you some more about my ideas for the club. My manager is here and I would like for you to meet him. 7:00? That sounds great. Thanks, Marissa. Bye." Piper hung up the phone. Turning to Leo, she said, "So how do you feel about managing a trendy club?"

* * * * * *

Marissa was seated at the desk reviewing paperwork when Gary entered the office. He let out a polite cough to alert Marissa to his presence even though she didn't seem startled.

"What did Quentin St. George want?" Marissa asked curiously. She remembered Quentin when she worked as a receptionist at Strauss and Associates. She knew that he had served as Gary's mentor. While Quentin had always been very pleasant with her and she couldn't quite put her finger on it, there was something about the man she didn't trust.

"He wanted me to go into business with him. Don't you think that is odd?" He asked rhetorically. "I mean, I haven't seen the man in years. He's this big deal entrepreneur. I wasn't the best broker in the business and he wants to bring me aboard on this high risk investment deal that's supposed to have this tremendous payout."

"What did you tell him?"

"What did I tell him? I told him thanks but not thanks. He said that he would advance me the money for the deal and that I could use McGinty's as collateral. When I told him that I couldn't gamble on my family's future like that, he said something about not taking McGinty's away from me even if the deal went sour and that he only suggested that I use this place as collateral to show good faith among the other prospective investors. I don't know, Marissa. There's something not right with that guy wanting me for that deal. And after what Genie told me...."

Marissa was curious about Genie's visit, but she valued Gary's friendship and his privacy enough not to pry in this instance. Still, her curiosity was piqued and he was the one who brought up Genie.

"What did Genie say?" She asked.

"She told me that Mr. St. George was the one that bought Offside from Stan and that he has been courting Stan for investment deals. Genie is really worried about Stan. She thinks that he might be getting in way over his head. She asked me to talk to him." He explained.

"Gary, are you sure that's wise? As I recall, you and Stan weren't exactly friends. And he may not appreciate hearing advice from his wife's ex- boyfriend, regardless of your good intentions."

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I know that Marissa. You sound just like Chuck. But what am I supposed to do? Genie came to me. I know that it wasn't easy for her to do that and she asked for my help. What should I have said? Sorry, Genie but you have to handle this yourself?" He said defensively. He quickly realized his curt tone. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

"That's okay. But I'm worried, Gary. I'm worried about you getting in the middle of this, not just because of Genie and Stan, but because...."

"Because what?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I have. I know that you turned him down, but I don't think that Quentin St. George is going to give up so easily. And that worries me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it, but there's something about him that always made me uneasy." Marissa revealed. "Be careful, Gary."

He studied her for a moment. Marissa's instincts had always been right, but in this case she seemed so sure, so adamant. "I will." He said simply.

A brief silence.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Jennifer called. She said that the doctors determined that Linda contracted some kind of viral infection. They aren't really sure how, but they sent her tests over to DC so they can figure out how to treat her. Jennifer says that she and Garrett should be home in a few days."

"I'm sure that Linda will be okay and I'm glad that Jennifer and Garrett will be home soon." Marissa remarked.

"Me, too. And I....I.....um.....I hired a new waitress to replace Sheridan."

"You did?"

"Yes. Look, I know that you usually handle the hiring but it's about time I pulled my weight around here, right? Anyway, her name is Paige Matthews. She doesn't have a lot of waitressing experience, but she was enthusiastic. She's just a kid. Seems that she is alone in Chicago and she doesn't want to call her parents asking for help. I figured that we could give her a chance." He said.

Marissa smiled. "You're a good man, Gary Hobson."

Another brief silence.

"Well, I guess then I'll hire the bartender." Marissa added.

"The bartender?"

"Yes. We're going to need another bartender."

"What happened to the one that we had?" He inquired.

"Chicken pox. I put an ad in the paper yesterday along with the ad for the waitress."

"A new bartender and a new waitress. That's just swell." He said, a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"Gary."

"I'm sorry. It's just...training these new people. And with The Paper, I can't...."

"I'll take care of it." She promised.

He smiled. Marissa always knew what to say to calm him.

"Marissa, there was something else I wanted to tell you."

"What?"

"Well, recently, Chuck and I were out back by the dumpster when we found...."

A knock on the office door interrupted Gary's thought. "Excuse me." The petite and attractive young woman holding a newspaper began. "My name is Lois Trudeau. I'm here about the bartendering job." Phoebe said.

Chapter Twenty-One

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but no one was out front." Phoebe said apologetically.

"No. No, that's fine." Gary reassured. Gary proceeded to where the young woman was standing. He extended his hand. "I'm Gary Hobson and this is my partner, Marissa Clark." Marissa rose from her seat and also walked over to where Phoebe was standing.

Phoebe accepted his handshake and then shook Marissa's hand. "Lois Trudeau." Phoebe repeated. "It says here that you're in immediate need of a temporary bartender."

"Yes. Tell us about yourself, Ms. Trudeau." Marissa said.

"Please call me Lois." Phoebe responded.

"That's my mom's name." Gary added matter-of-factly.

"Really? What a coincidence." Phoebe replied innocently.

Of course it wasn't a coincidence how Phoebe had selected the name Lois. She had poured over so many Internet articles about Gary that she knew his parents' names. When Piper had revealed that her plan was to make sure that Gary was protected by having them present at McGinty's at all times, Phoebe wasn't sure how they could pull it off. Piper, of course, already had her cover as a fellow businessperson seeking advice on expansion from a local entrepreneur. Paige would work there as a waitress. Phoebe was supposed to get hired as the bartender. And Piper wanted Leo to pose as the manager of her club. When Cole asked what his role in the plan would be, Piper told him to just sit tight and that they would keep him abreast of what was happening. Cole was livid. He wasn't used to just sitting around waiting for things to happen. Piper reminded him that he was no longer Belthazor and if Npu struck, he could get hurt. They had enough worrying about protecting Gary then to add protecting an ex-demon that was now all mortal onto the agenda. Piper hoped that being in McGinty's might spark another premonition that would give them a clue about when Npu or whatever would attack Gary. Paige could maybe orb Gary out of danger. And Leo would be there to heal Gary if they weren't able to stop Npu from attacking. Cole countered that he was still their best resource in tracking Npu, regardless of the fact that he was now mortal. He had spent over a century answering the call of evil. He was like a bloodhound. He could still sniff evil from the air. But Piper was adamant: Cole wasn't to come anywhere near McGinty's. Cole's eyes became ablaze with such a terrifying fire that for a moment it almost seemed as if Belthazor would miraculously re-emerge. Then he flashed a smile before conceding that maybe Piper was right. Piper tried to dismiss the feeling that Cole had conceded too easily and that there was something behind his smile.

Piper didn't want to take the chance that Gary might somehow deduce that the three young women who had recently entered his life sharing first names beginning with "P" (as in P3) were related so she told Phoebe to come up with an alias. Phoebe immediately selected the name "Lois" believing that using his mother's name would put Gary more at ease around her. And Trudeau became her faux surname, in remembrance of Prue's deceased boyfriend and San Francisco cop, Andy Trudeau.

"Tell you about myself?" Phoebe repeated.

Well, I'm a good witch, actually I'm a "Charmed One" who, along with my two sisters, protects innocents and vanquishes demons. I got a premonition that Gary would be killed so I'm here in Chicago with my sisters to protect him. Phoebe's inner voice teased.

"Well, I'm studying psychology in college and after getting my undergraduate degree, I would like to obtain a graduate degree. I've worked as a bartender to pay my way through school. Besides, what better way to learn about psychology then to listen to people's problems while you're serving them drinks?" Phoebe lied.

Good one, Halliwell! Phoebe's inner voice complimented.

Thanks. But technically I didn't lie. I mean, in a way, I am a bartender. Mixing drinks can't be any different than mixing potions. She argued to her subconscious.

You better quit while you're ahead. Her inner voice responded.

Right. Phoebe agreed.

"Do you have a resume?" Gary asked.

"Resume?"

Piper had told her to bring a resume just in case, but not to volunteer it. Piper was worried that Gary would get suspicious when he saw the name of Phoebe's most recent "employer." However, their goal was to ensure that Phoebe was hired.

"A resume. Of course, I have a resume." Phoebe said. She removed the document from her oversized purse and handed it to Gary.

Gary briefly studied the document. "So, you've worked as a bartender at P3 in San Francisco?" He said. He eyed her suspiciously.

Phoebe swallowed hard. "Ye-Yes." She stuttered.

A brief silence.

Gary smiled. "I know the owner, Piper Halliwell. I take it that she was happy with your work?"

"Yes. Pi...ah...Ms. Halliwell was very happy with my work."

"This is just a temp job and we don't expect it to last more than two. If Piper was satisfied with your job performance, that's enough of a recommendation for us. Gary?"

"Yes." He agreed.

"Then I got the job?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes." Marissa said.

Phoebe smiled. "Thank you so much." She said. She shook Marissa's hand. However, when Phoebe shook Gary's hand, she was gripped by another premonition. But this premonition wasn't a helpful clue, but an even more horrible vision about Gary that appeared to seal his tragic destiny.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Phoebe's face grew ashen as her body shook over the horror of her latest and entirely different premonition about Gary. And the baby...she never expected to see the baby in her premonition. Crying. Crying so loudly and so pitifully that his little heart seemed to be broken. Maybe the baby knew. Maybe, despite his young life, he knew what had happened. What he had lost.

At that moment, all hope had evaporated like a brilliant thought lost in a muddled stream of consciousness, a thought for which one desperately seeks but can't find.

The spunky witch worried whether this latest premonition meant that it was already too late for "The Charmed Ones" to save Gary's life.

Phoebe nearly collapsed in Gary's arms. "Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." Phoebe replied, her voice shaky. "I just haven't eaten all day. I'm on a stupid diet and I guess that I'm a bit lightheaded." She lied.

"You really should eat. No diet is worth making yourself sick." Gary admonished.

She briefly stared into those mud green eyes. Remorse washed over her as the realization of the finality of this recent premonition took hold. "You're right. I'll grab something to eat as soon as I leave here."

A brief silence.

"I know that this is short notice, but would you be able to start tonight?" Marissa asked.

Phoebe managed a weak smile. "Sure. The sooner I start, the better it will be. Maybe there's still hope."

Gary flashed her a confused look. "Ah...maybe there is still hope that I can...that I can make the tip money to buy the books I need for next semester. Textbooks can be very expensive." Phoebe covered. "Well, I should be going. Thanks again for giving me this job."

"No. Thank you. You're really helping us out." Gary said.

"I hope so." Phoebe whispered, a twinge of sadness in her voice. She locked eyes with Gary one last, her eyes conveying a silent apology. And for a brief moment, she thought that she saw something in his eyes, too. Fear? No...no, not fear. He didn't know about what was to come to be afraid.

Piper's words resonated in Phoebe's mind: "Prepare him for what, Paige? To die? Ho do you tell a man to prepare to die?"

No, it wasn't fear that she saw in Gary's eyes. What she saw, what she thought that she saw, was what she believed that Piper had seen- a connection. Someone or something had determined that Gary Hobson's destiny was linked with "The Charmed Ones." And if that were true, then there had to be a way to ensure that her latest premonition didn't come true.

But there was something else wrestling at Phoebe's psyche- the truth. Maybe they owed Gary the truth. As incredulous as it would seem to him, maybe it would be kinder to tell him the truth about who they were and why they were in Chicago instead of this elaborate charade they were perpetrating. Phoebe clung to hope as if it were a buoy tossed to her in a sea of despair. "The Charmed Ones" had faced difficult situations before in their battles against evil and their quest to protect innocents and had emerged victorious. Perhaps this time would be no different. However, Phoebe also knew that there had been some innocents who had died despite their best efforts. Sometimes it was hard remembering the successes, the living, when the souls of the dead echoed from the beyond as painful reminders of failure.

But in telling Gary the truth they could prepare him for whatever he needed to face even if that meant facing death. He could make plans. He could say goodbye to his family and friends.

As Phoebe started for the door, she stopped abruptly.

"Is something wrong?" Gary asked.

Phoebe swallowed hard. "Yes. Yes, something is wrong. Very wrong." She began awkwardly.

"What is it?" Marissa asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I haven't been totally honest with you about myself."

"You haven't?" Gary said.

"No." Phoebe answered. "And I hope that after I tell you, that you'll understand. Gary..."

Chapter Twenty-Three

Phoebe swallowed hard. Gram always told her that she would know whenever it was time to tell the truth. Well, she knew. The moment had arrived.

Those mud green eyes of his seemed to harbor a quiet strength, courage, sincerity, and honesty. Even though he had no idea what she was going to say, his eyes were warm and embracing.

"I haven't been totally honest with you about myself." Phoebe began. "Gary..."

The wail of the phone halted her confession. They all stood paralyzed by the phone's ringing as if it were some oddity or a strange sound controlled by some unseen being determined to numb their brains and stymie their muscular responses.

"You better get that." Phoebe finally said to Gary.

He nodded, almost obediently as he proceeded to the phone.

Phoebe resolved to use the brief time that Gary was on the phone to collect her thoughts. She had to explain about "The Charmed Ones" in a way that both he and Marissa would understand and believe. There was too much at stake for doubt.

The truth could wait a few moments.

Gary picked up the offending telephone. "McGinty's. Hi, Piper. Tonight? No she didn't, but that sounds great. I'm looking forward to meeting him. Yeah. See you later. Bye." Gary hung up the phone.

Phoebe wondered whether Piper's call at this moment was a sign that Gary wasn't ready to hear the truth. Maybe she should talk to Piper first. She needed to tell Piper about her latest premonition. Just the image of that baby, that beautiful baby boy, crying his little heart out so pitifully, had deeply affected Phoebe. Maybe the little guy didn't understand what he was seeing, what had happened to his daddy, but the child's mother certainly did. With her tear stained face concealed under that black veil gazing at her husband, she definitely knew. She looked as if her lifeline had been cruelly snatched away from her. It may have been a premonition, but Phoebe could feel their loss.

"The Charmed Ones" couldn't allow evil to win. They couldn't allow Gary to die.

"Sorry about that." He apologized to Phoebe.

"That's okay. I really should be going." Phoebe replied as she headed towards the door.

"Wait. Before the phone rang, you were going to tell me something." Gary reminded.

Phoebe looked at him. "Yeah...um...well, the truth is...the truth is that I haven't been exactly honest with you about myself. You see, I really need this job, but not for the reason you think. Gary...I'm.... I'm not a psychology student. I'm not even in college. The reason I need this job is because...because...because I need the money to buy a car." Phoebe lied.

Pretty lame, Halliwell. Phoebe's inner voice mocked.

Okay, sometimes I don't work well under pressure, so sue me. Phoebe responded to her meddlesome subconscious.

"A car?" Gary said.

"Yeah. I mean, I was a psychology major and I plan to go back to school to complete my degree," Phoebe continued with her lie, "but I was afraid that if you knew that I just wanted to buy a car, you wouldn't hire me, that maybe you would think that I was just being frivolous."

"So long as you can do the job, that's all that matters to us." Marissa chimed in.

"Marissa is right. It's none of our business what you do with your money." Gary echoed.

Phoebe let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks. Anyway, I really should be going. I'll see you tonight." With those words, Phoebe left the office. She closed the door behind her.

"That was odd." Marissa remarked.

"Yeah, it sure was." He agreed.

A brief silence.

"Gary, you started to tell me something before Lois came in here."

"Yeah." Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He briefly hesitated. "Marissa. You won't believe what Chuck and I found out back in the dumpster."

* * * * * *

"Good work, Phoebe. Yeah. Good. We'll see you in a little while. Bye." Piper said. She hung up her cell phone. "Phoebe got the job. So everything's working according to the plan. We'll all be at McGinty's tonight." Piper confirmed to Paige, Leo, and Cole.

"Everyone except for me." Cole grumbled.

"Cole, we've been through this. It's not wise if...."

"...if the ex-demon who is now all mortal gets in the way of the master plan, I know. He might get hurt." Cole interrupted Piper mid-sentence, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You know that Piper is right." Leo offered.

"Of course Piper is right. And it's nice to know that her 'White Lighter' agrees. " Cole responded, his sarcasm still evident.

A brief, yet uncomfortable silence.

"Come on, Piper. You and I have to go. We need to get to the stores before they close." Paige said excitedly.

"The stores?"

"Yes, I need to buy a new outfit for tonight."

"Paige, honey, you know that this isn't a date, don't you. You're going to be working at McGinty's as a cover. We're going to be there as a cover in case evil strikes tonight. He's an innocent and a married man with a son, remember?" Piper reminded.

Paige rolled her eyes clearly annoyed by the big sisterly lecture that reeked of condescension. "I know that, but that doesn't mean that Gary has to see me looking like a slob, does it? And for the record, I think that it is like so unfair that he's married. He is just so hot. I mean, God, that face, those eyes and that body." Paige swooned. "I just hope that his wife appreciates what she's got."

Piper cracked a smile as images of a teenage Phoebe flooded her mind with Paige's words. Paige definitely shared Phoebe's penchant for flirtation. "Well, we want to make sure that she and their son will continue having him around to appreciate, don't we?"

Paige nodded. " But can I still get my outfit?"

Piper smiled. She wrapped her arm around her youngest sister. "Sure." Turning to Leo, she added, "Do you think that we can leave you two alone without you killing each other? One of you needs to update Phoebe when she comes back here." Piper said. She flashed both her husband and Cole a look.

Cole offered a sexy and admittedly disarming smile. "Of course you can. Leo and I will be good little boys. Won't we Leo?"

Leo didn't answer.

"Okay, whatever. Paige and I will be back in a little while." With those words, Piper kissed her husband goodbye before she and Paige left the hotel room.

A brief silence.

"You do know that your wife is going to get that guy killed, don't you?"

"Piper's plan is going to work." Leo answered optimistically.

"Piper is not thinking with her head. She is so determined to avenge Prue's death that she's on the warpath to fight all demons, even the ones she can't see. But you won't say anything, will you? You'll just smile and agree with every crazy idea she has. You'll come wagging to her with your tail between you legs, won't you? Maybe being her 'White Lighter' has made you forget how to be a man, huh Leo?"

Leo's eyes became ablaze with anger rarely seen from the pacifist guardian angel. He approached Cole menacingly.

"Good, Leo. That's good. Anger. Such a manly emotion. Use it."

Leo hesitated, mentally reminding himself not to accept Cole's goading.

Another brief silence.

"You think that Piper will get Gary killed. I take it that you have a better plan."

Cole smiled confidently. "Of course I do. My plan will assure that Gary Hobson and 'The Charmed Ones' remain alive. I will not allow anything to happen to Phoebe."

"So what is this plan of yours?" Leo probed.

"As Belthazor, I was the most powerful demonic force that ever was. I killed more innocents and left an unprecedented path of destruction."

"And does this morbid trip down memory lane have a point?" Leo asked impatiently.

"The underworld has no idea that Belthazor is dead. I still carry a lot of weight down there, a respect that lesser demons will do anything to please me. If Npu is the threat after Gary, I can find a demon willing to talk, to perhaps give me a clue when and how Npu plans to strike." Cole explained.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"By having you orb me right now to the underworld." Cole revealed.

Chapter Twenty-Four

"A brief case full of money. But...But...how?" Marissa asked, shocked.

"We don't know how. Chuck thinks that whoever sends The Paper left the money

for me as a reward. I thought that it might be stolen, but there was nothing

in The Paper about a bank robbery or about anyone losing a lot of money.

It's as if.... as if the money appeared by magic."

"Where is the money now?"

"I left it with Chuck." Gary revealed. Even with her sightless eyes, Marissa

flashed him a concerned look. "And I know what you're thinking." He said.

"Giving the money to Chuck is like inviting trouble. But he promised me that

he won't touch a cent of it and I have to believe him. As incredible as it

may sound, I have to trust him not to spend that money until we figure out

what's going on."

A brief silence.

"You know, maybe Chuck is right. Maybe the money was left for me. What is it

that you always say? The Paper is a miracle. Maybe this money is The Paper's

miracle." Gary said.

"Do you really believe that?" Marissa asked.

Gary hesitated briefly before answering. "I don't know. I guess...I guess I

don't. But would it really be so bad if I kept it?"

"Gary!" Marissa exclaimed, surprised that Gary sounded more like Chuck than

himself.

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. " I know that I can't

can't keep it. But sometimes I think about the kind of life I could give my

family with that kind of money. Mr. Metcalf believed that he was doing me a

favor buying that house, like it was some kind of gift to accept me into his

family, but I don't see it that way. Do you know how it felt to have my

father-in-law buy our home? It made me feel like I was worth two cents, like

he believed that I wasn't capable of providing for my family. I felt like I

was back in that court room during my trial relying on him to save my life.

And you know something else? I'm glad that the final inspection found a

nest of termites and all those other problems and Mr. Metcalf threatened the

seller with a lawsuit unless the sale was nullified. I'm glad that we

won't be living in that house. I want to be the one to buy our house. I

don't want to spend the rest of my life as a lackey for my father-in-law."

"Gary, I'm sure he doesn't see you that way."

"Doesn't he? Maybe Chuck was right about that lawyer control thing, that

manipulation. And maybe Jennifer doesn't want to see it because the man is

her father and she loves him. Who's to say that Mr. Metcalf will stop with

just buying the house. What if he wants to control Garrett's future? Select

the schools my son attends and Garrett's friends. You know how he felt when

he discovered that I made Chuck Garrett's godfather? He tried to get me to

change my mind. Do you know what he said to me? That Chuck was unacceptable.

That my best friend who I trust with my life was unacceptable as my son's

godfather. I want my son to grow up loving and respecting his grandparents,

but I also want Garrett to know that he is his own man, that he has the

right to make his own choices and mistakes."

Marissa could hear the weighty emotion in Gary's voice.

"And there's something else. Something Chuck said. I know that he was joking

when he said it, but it has really got me thinking."

"What?"



"What if...what if whoever sends The Paper decides that Garrett is supposed

to follow in my footsteps after I die? I never told you this, but do you

remember a few years ago when I learned that Lucius Snow had saved my life

when I was a kid?"

"Yes."

"Morris gave me some of Snow's things and in there was a key to the Illnois

Trust Bank for a safety deposit box Snow kept there. I went to the ITB and

had the clerk open up the safety deposit box. I found a letter from Snow. I

guess he wanted to tell me that if I somehow felt that I owed him a debt of

gratitude for saving my life, I had repaid it by how I've handled The Paper.

And Snow's letter also reminded me that despite The Paper, I needed to live

my life. I never expected to find Jennifer and to have Garrett, but I got

lucky. I got very lucky. But it took such a long time. I know that you call

The Paper a miracle and feel that it is a blessing that I'm able to make

some kind of difference in people's lives. I've learned to feel that way,

too. I have. And maybe it is selfish of me, but I don't want Garrett to have

this burden, this responsibility. I want him to grow up, play sports, have

friends, meet the girl of his dreams, fall in love, get married, and have

kids. I don't want him running around the city day after day like some kind

of a nut. I want him to have a life that is his own to live. I want...I want

him to be happy."

Another brief silence.

"I know that you do, Gary. But what if Garrett inheriting The Paper isn't

your choice to make?"

"Then I'll make it my choice. I'll...I don't know...I won't let him learn

about The Paper. When he's old enough, I just won't tell him."

Marissa realized that Gary's argument was predicated on emotion and his

paternal instincts to protect his son. "Well, that is something you and

Jennifer need to talk about." She said simply.

A longer silence.

"So Piper called to tell me that she's bringing the manager of her club by

tonight for us to meet." He said, clearly changing the subject.

"I know. She seemed very excited about getting the club here off of the

ground. Maybe once P3 becomes a Chicago mainstay, you and Jennifer can go

dancing there. That is, if you remember how to dance." She teased.

"If I remember how to dance....ha, ha....that's a good one. I happen to be a

very good dancer." He contended.

"I think that I'll have to ask Jennifer about that when she comes home."

Marissa countered.

"What? Do you think that my wife will tell you that I can't dance?"

Marissa smiled. "I won't answer that."

Gary returned her smile. Marissa always had a way of putting him at ease.

"You know, I was worrying about tonight with Paige and Lois starting,

worrying about having new people working with Piper coming and our regulars

so used to Sheridan. But you know something? I have a really good feeling

about tonight. The Paper doesn't have any late stories for me to handle. It

looks like it's going to be a nice quiet evening with no surprises."



* * * * * *

"Are you crazy? I can't orb you to the underworld. You're not Belhtazor

anymore. You don't have any powers. And if the other demons find that out,

they'll kill you."

"I'm willing to take that chance." Cole insisted.

"Well, I'm not willing. The answer is no." Leo said adamantly.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Neither the elders nor Piper would approve and we

know that Leo needs to get permission first. Far be it from me to believe

that you'd actually exercise free will."

"That strategy won't work, Cole. I know what you're doing."

"What I'm doing is trying to save this Gary's life and make sure that your

wife and her sisters don't end up dead along with him. Are you willing to

take a gamble on Piper's plan, on her life?"

A brief silence.

Leo let out a frustrated breath. "Okay, Cole. Okay. You win. But let's do

this now. Fast. I don't want the girls coming back and discovering that

we're gone."

Cole flashed a triumphant smile. "Okay, let's do this."

With those words, Cole took Leo's arm. A few moments later, tiny specks of

light briefly illuminated the room. And a second later, Leo and Cole were

gone.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The dark abyss was a closet of Hell with its numerous caves and tunnels embracing the evil brethren. This demon fraternity, the three demons that they saw, with their black cloaks and cold and sadistic eyes, congregated in a central alcove plotting misery that they hoped to visit upon unsuspecting and helpless mortals. Their manly appearance sinisterly masked their demonic powers and intentions. And to the uninformed, the tongue that they spoke was frighteningly unfamiliar. But to an ex-demon, who feasted on torment and pain, he recognized their language as a dialect of Satan.

He had been, after all, evil incarnate, lauded as the anointed prince of the underworld. And some of these demons had worshipped and respected him like willing disciples.

As an emissary of goodness, 'The White Lighter' emitted a unique aura that was strangely out of place in this hellish dimension. Cole reminded Leo to remain out of sight telling Leo that all he wanted was ten minutes with the demons and he knew that he could obtain the information that they needed. Leo nodded his agreement and stayed hidden along one of the tunnels. From his vantage point, 'The White Lighter' could see but not hear what was happening as Cole approached the demons.

"Well, well. Looks like a Council meeting was called and I wasn't invited." Cole remarked.

The demons turned around to face the familiar voice. "Belthazor!" One demon uttered, shocked. "We thought that you might be..."

"Dead?" Cole responded with a smirk. "Well, as you can see, the rumors of my death were grossly exaggerated. I am very much alive."

"But when you disappeared all these months, we thought that you had been destroyed by 'The Charmed Ones'. Another demon chimed.

"The witches were no match for me. In fact, I'm on the verge of defeating them and unleashing evil on earth the depths of which have never been seen. But it seems that there is a demon among our ranks, a pathetic pretender that has located a mortal, a vessel of goodness to corrupt in his fight against the witches. But what he will do instead is expose us all and make it possible for 'The Charmed Ones' to extinguish our kind."

A brief silence.

"I've heard talk of Npu, how he foolishly believes that he has the cunning to take on 'The Charmed Ones'. Well, that is my province and no one will usurp my authority. If any of you know Npu's plans, now would be the time to tell me."

"Belthazor, we don't know if we can..."

"Trust me?"

Another brief silence.

"There has been talk that you have fallen in love with one of the witches." A demon revealed.

Cole laughed. "I've fallen in love with my plan to destroy her and her sisters. Now, who is willing to stand in my way?"

A demon approached Cole. "What would you like to know, Belthazor?"

Cole smiled again. "Everything you know about Npu's plans for this mortal."

* * * * * *

Phoebe returned to an empty hotel room. "Piper?! Paige?! Cole?! Le..."

Tiny specks of light filtered the room. The light quickly disappeared and the two men stood in its place.

"...O." Phoebe continued. She eyed her brother-in-law and boyfriend curiously. "Where did you guys disappear to?"

Leo sported a guilty expression and shifted uncomfortably. Cole, however, was very calm. "I needed to pick up something so Leo orbed me to San Francisco." Cole lied. "Isn't that right, Leo?" He flashed Leo a conspiratorial look.

"Right." Leo agreed hesitantly.

"What did you need to get?" Phoebe probed.

Cole proceeded to Phoebe and gave her a brief, yet smoldering kiss on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her. "I've missed you." Cole continued as he peppered a trail of kisses along her neck.

His strategy worked for Phoebe seemed distracted enough to forget her inquiry. "I wasn't gone that long. Where's Piper and Paige?" Phoebe asked.

As if on cue, Piper and Paige walked through the door. The sisters were embroiled in a heated discussion.

"I'm just saying that you were supposed to get an outfit that would make you look like a waitress not a hooker." Piper said.

"This outfit doesn't make me look like a hooker!" Paige insisted.

Paige noticed her audience with their curious expressions. "Piper wanted me to go to McGinty's tonight dressed like a reject from 'Saturday Night Live'. I wanted an outfit that was colorful, an outfit that says something."

"Oh, yeah, that outfit says something all right. It says hooker." Piper quipped.

Paige rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated breath over her sister's annoying commentary. She opened her bag and removed her outfit. "What do you guys think?" She asked Phoebe, Cole, and Leo.

Their wide-eyed expressions were her answer.

Paige's outfit consisted of a hot pink sheer blouse that left little to the imagination. A black leather mini-skirt completed her ensemble.

Phoebe proceeded to where Paige was standing. "Well, one thing that I can say about this outfit is that we won't have to worry about Gary getting out of our sight. This outfit will definitely keep his attention. He'll be sure to be wherever Paige is."

"Phoebe!"

"Ah, come on, Piper. I know that he's a married man, but he's still a man and he's not blind."

"And what man doesn't appreciate the sight of a beautiful woman in a stunning outfit." Cole added.

"You're not helping, Cole." Piper replied. Piper glanced at Phoebe. She noticed the tormented expression on Phoebe's face. "Phoebe, you okay?"

Phoebe searched Piper's eyes. Her latest premonition had upset her a great deal, but she knew that Piper had bonded with Gary more than any of them. Phoebe also realized that Piper still shouldered a tremendous amount of guilt over Prue's death. Phoebe wondered how Piper would handle it if they were unable to save Gary's life. Further, Phoebe had experienced premonitions before that she hadn't shared with her sisters. She considered whether she should keep this premonition to herself.

The sound of Piper's voice shook Phoebe from her musings. "I'm okay, Piper. It's just that...it's just that I hope that this plan will be enough. That it's not already too late." Phoebe said. She decided not to reveal her premonition right now.

"Invisible demon or not, 'The Charmed Ones' will kick evil's butt, right Piper?" Paige responded optimistically.

Piper smiled. "That's right." Piper glanced at her watch. "It's almost six-thirty. We should get going. Cole, will you be..."

"I'll be just fine here by myself. I'll do some more tinkering on the computer. Maybe I'll find something that was missed."

"Okay. We shouldn't all arrive at McGinty's at the same time. Since you two are employees, Paige, you and Phoebe need to get there first."

"Let's go, Paige." Phoebe said. Turning to Piper and Leo, she added, "Good Luck."

"You too." Piper responded. With those words, Paige and Phoebe left the hotel room. Fifteen minutes later, Piper and Leo also departed.

Finally alone, Cole proceeded to the night stand. He removed the yellow pages next to the phone. Opening the book, he began turning the pages until he came across the item he sought- A full page advertisement of various gun shops stared back at him. With a satisfied smile, he dialed a number. "Hello. Yes. I need to buy a gun. No, I need to have it immediately."

* * * * * *

McGinty's was packed tonight with the regular customers and a few newcomers. Gary was surprised when Paige and Phoebe entered McGinty's together and appeared comfortably familiar. Phoebe quickly covered telling Gary that she and Paige met on the El, struck up a conversation, and were shocked to discover that they were both starting a new job tonight. Of course, Paige almost slipping out and calling her Phoebe instead of her alias "Lois" hadn't helped matters. Fortunately, Gary didn't seem to notice the near faux pas.

But when Paige removed her coat, he did notice her revealing outfit. He swallowed hard and prayed that his face hadn't turned a bright shade of red. Paige was clearly amused, but she continued playing the ingenue asking Gary whether she looked okay because she wanted to make a good impression. He could barely get the word "sure" out stuttering nervously. He was grateful at this moment that Jennifer was out of town. He knew that Jennifer had a difficult time with Sheridan's flirtation and he wanted to believe that Paige was just a kid who needed a job, but her outfit was sending him signals that made him very uncomfortable. Still, he couldn't bring himself to tell her that her attire was inappropriate for the workplace.

Phoebe went behind the bar saying a silent prayer that she wouldn't get drink orders that were too difficult. She had helped the bartender a few times at P3, but the extent of her knowledge included how to make a margarita, martini, scotch on the rocks, gin and tonic, and a Shirley Temple.

A short while later, Piper and Leo entered McGinty's. They spotted Gary and Marissa seated at a table.

Gary stood up as Piper approached the table. "Hi, Piper."

"Hi, Gary. Marissa."

"Piper."

"I would like you two to meet my manager. This is Brian McGowan." Piper introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Gary said, shaking Leo's hand.

"You too." Leo replied returning Gary's handshake before shaking Marissa's hand. They all sat down at the table.

Paige approached the table. "My name is Paige. I'll be your waitress this evening. May I get you anything." Piper and Marissa ordered white wine. The men chose beer. Piper glanced over at Phoebe who seemed to have her hands full with the drink orders but appeared to have everything under control.

Paige returned a few minutes later with their drink orders and menus. Piper asked for Gary's recommendation. Ten minutes later, four orders of steak (well done for the ladies, medium rare for the men), mashed potatoes, and creamed asparagus was conveyed to the kitchen staff.

They talked for a half-hour before a loud noise emanating from the kitchen captured Gary's attention. "I better check on that. Excuse me." He said before hurrying from the room. When he entered the kitchen, he found Cat seated on the counter and the kitchen staff trying to get the feline to move. Cat refused to surrender his berth.

"Hey!" Gary yelled at the cat. The sound of Gary's annoyed protestation sent Cat flying off of the counter and disappearing from the room.

A tall man with dark hair entered through the door leading from the alley. "Gary Hobson."

"Yes?"

"Cole Turner, Chicago P.D." Cole informed. He flashed a bogus badge. "I have a warrant for your arrest."

"My...my what? On what charge?" Gary asked dazed.

"Solicitation of prostitution." Cole revealed. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and then slammed Gary against a back wall. "If you love your wife and son and you don't want to die, you keep your mouth shut. You understand?" Cole whispered in Gary's ear.

Gary saw the gun peeking out of Cole's pocket. His heart pounding, Gary nodded his cooperation as the cold metal of the handcuffs bit at his wrists and Cole led him out of the kitchen through the door leading to the alley.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The cold jaws of the metal ate into his flesh. And at this moment he felt as helpless as a lamb cornered by a wolf, the predator salivating expectedly over its impending kill while the victim's eyes were flooded with fear and silently begging for mercy. Only there would be no mercy. The lamb would spend its last moments on Earth awaiting a painful death.

Now he was the lamb in his own hellish nightmare.

As he sat in the back seat of the dark rental car, his arms pulled back and his hands restrained by the tight bracelets, his heart was racing and his mind became tortured by worse case scenarios. He desperately tried to free himself. If only he could loosen these handcuffs. If only he could reach The Paper.

Cole glanced into the rear view mirror seemingly amused by Gary's squirming. "You might as well sit still. I'll take those cuffs off when we arrive. It won't be long now."

Long for what? Until this mystery man kills him and dumps his body? Gary feared.

God, if he could just get to The Paper then maybe he could find a clue that would save his life. And where was Cat when he needed him?

When this stranger entered McGinty's with a warrant for his arrest, he chalked it up as a terrible misunderstanding. And while he realized that he would have some explaining to do given Paige's attire, he was certain that a charge of solicitation of prostitution wouldn't stick. He could have asked Mr. Metcalf...no, on second thought, there was no way he could have asked Mr. Metcalf. There was no way he would have wanted Mr. Metcalf to know anything about this. He still cringed at the memory of his first meeting with his then future father-in-law at Cafe Carlucci. During that time, he might as well have been public enemy number one with the unfavorable first impression he made. Mr. Metcalf even implied that being a bar owner was akin to running a house of prostitution before the man asked whether the quick engagement was because a baby was on the way.

Right now, though, he wished that legal troubles were the reason for his abduction. Humiliation would be far less painful (and final) than what he suspected this guy had planned for him. Gary knew that his abductor wasn't a cop. Despite the mixed feelings he had about cops because of his dealings with Brigatti and Armstrong, he knew that a police officer would not have told him to keep his mouth shut if he loved his wife and his son and he didn't want to die. His heart sank; he had a pretty good idea what this guy was after. But why hadn't The Paper warned him?

A dumpster full of money. Stupid. How stupid of him to even allow Chuck to convince him that that the mysterious appearance of a fortune in his trash was at the hand of a divine source. Since when did God make a pact with the Sanitation Department when handing out blessings? He should have followed his instincts and gone to the police with that money. He hadn't done anything wrong, he could have convinced them of that. Somehow. And even if they had arrested him, it wouldn't have been like Scanlon or Rosengardo. Marissa always told him to have faith. And Jennifer she would...

Jennifer.

A few months ago he almost lost Jennifer and Garrett when she fell down those stairs. He would never forget when the doctor came to him in that hospital waiting room and told him that Jennifer would need an emergency C- section. In one cruel moment, he faced losing his wife, his soul mate, and their child, the culmination of his life long dream.

But God had spared their lives. Faith had waited in the wings like a blushing bride waiting to enter the church during her wedding processional before floating effortlessly down the aisle towards her groom. Holding his son for the first time was the most wonderful moment of his life.

Garrett.

He found himself fighting back tears at the thought that he was about to die. He never even got a chance to say goodbye to Jennifer and Garrett, to his family and friends nor to tell them they he loved them.

Maybe if he kept this guy talking, yeah, stall, maybe until he could come up with a plan to get out of this mess.

"Um....I get a phone call, right?" Gary asked awkwardly.

"Phone call?"

"Yeah. To my lawyer?"

Cole laughed. "Come on, Gary. I'm sure that you must have figured out by now that I'm not a cop."

Oh Boy.

Gary's heart was beating so loudly that he could hear it inside of his head like a mocking death knell that had invaded his brain. No images of his life flashing before him, though...not yet anyway.

A brief silence.

"Who do you work for?" Gary finally asked.

"I really don't think that you are in the position to ask questions at least not right now, do you?"

"If you're going to kill me then I think that I have the right to know who gave you the order." Gary responded his fear and anger meshing into defiance.

But his inquiry was met by another laugh from his captor.

The seconds stretched into minutes and those minutes seemed like the hours in a diary of a doomed man. Yet, he continued twisting his hands, waging a vigilant campaign to free himself from those handcuffs. Perhaps his persistence was the mark of a stubborn idiot, but he wasn't about to accept death gracefully.

Finally, the car stopped. In actuality, the drive hadn't been that long, but for Gary it seemed endless. "We're here." Cole announced.

Gary looked out of the car window. He was shocked and confused by what he saw.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Like Houdini appearing at the end of his performance to receive accolades

and to take a well earned bow, Cat came into the bar and proceeded to where

Marissa, Piper, and Leo were seated. The feline sat directly at Piper's

feet seemingly gazing into her eyes knowingly before offering a "Meow" that

appeared to take on urgency.

Quentin St. George entered McGinty's. His eyes searched the room before

those eyes settled on Marissa. He smiled and walked towards the table.

"Good evening, folks. I'm so sorry to interrupt, but Marissa, I'm looking

for Gary. I need to have a word with him. It's a matter of utmost

importance." Quentin said.

Previously the room temperature had been comfortable and Marissa felt warmth

sitting at the table talking with Piper and Leo, but now that comfort and

warmth were strangled by an evil presence that had enveloped the room.

Marissa felt an inexplicable chill. Piper also experienced the chill. And

Leo, his 'White Lighter' instincts honed as a sixth sense, momentarily

locked eyes with Quentin.

Phoebe was fixing drinks and Paige was collecting an order when both of them

shivered. The younger witches glanced at the well-dressed man in the Armani

suit talking to Marissa.

Marissa couldn't explain or understand why but somehow at this moment she

felt an overwhelming need to protect Gary from Quentin. "I'm sorry, Mr. St.

George, but Gary isn't here. I'm not sure when he'll be back." She lied.

A surge of anger coursed through Quentin's body, but outwardly, he

maintained a calm veneer. "I see." Quentin replied flashing an insincere

smile. "Well, when you hear from him, please tell Gary that it is

imperative that I speak with him tonight. I'll stop by again later. You

folks have a pleasant evening." With those words, Quentin left McGinty's.

The chill was gone.

"Something about that guy gives me the creeps. I'm sorry, I shouldn't say

that. He's probably a friend of Gary's." Piper remarked to Marissa.

"Actually, Quentin used to be Gary's mentor when Gary worked at Strauss and

Associates. He and Gary haven't spoken in years and now Quentin has come to

Gary with an investment opportunity. It is odd why he is coming to Gary

now." Marissa explained.

"I guess I'm not the only one seeking a business opportunity." Piper added

awkwardly.

A brief silence.

"I should go and see what's keeping Gary. Excuse me." Marissa said. She

rose from her seat and started for the kitchen.

Piper turned to her husband who sported a concerned expression. "Leo,

honey, what is it?"

"I don't know. There's something about this Quentin, an energy that is...is

not of this world."

"An energy that is not of this world? Are you saying that he could be a

demon?" Piper asked.

"I don't know yet. But I think that I need to get back to the elders and

see if they know anything."

"Okay. Then Phoebe, Paige, and I will stick to Gary like glue and if we need

your help, I'll call. We better go fill in Paige and Phoebe." Piper and

Leo rose from their chairs and proceeded to the bar. Fortunately, there were no

other customers in close proximity to hear their conversation.

"Status?" Phoebe asked Piper.

"Well, Leo thinks that our recent visitor could be demonic." Piper

revealed.

"I'm not exactly sure. I need to find out what the elders know." Leo

reiterated.

"That guy did give me the willies." Paige offered.

"Me too." Phoebe chimed. "Where's Gary now?"

"In the kitchen with Marissa. I think that we should all get in there.

Phoebe, you and Paige make some excuse that you need to ask your boss a

question and I'll just pretend that I came in to get a look at the kitchen."

Piper said.

"A look at the kitchen?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I was a chef and besides it would make sense for me to be curious if

I'm thinking about expanding my club." Piper explained.

"Seems pretty lame to me." Paige commented.

"Hey, you got a better excuse?" Piper challenged.

"Not really." Paige admitted.

"I didn't think so." Piper said.

"I better go, too." Leo ducked behind the counter pretending to pick up

something. A brief light emanated from the floor before Leo was gone.

"Let's go." Piper said. "The Charmed Ones" proceeded to the kitchen. Upon

entering the kitchen, Piper immediately noticed that Marissa seemed very

upset.

"Marissa, what's wrong?" Piper asked, her voice laced with concern.

"It's...It's Gary. A cop came in here a little while ago and arrested

him."

"Arrested him? For what?" Paige asked shocked.

Marissa hesitated briefly before speaking. "Solicitation of prostitution.

Why would a cop come in here through the kitchen and then arrest Gary on

such a ridiculous charge?"

Piper and Phoebe flashed Paige a look. Paige glanced down at her outfit

then shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course it's ridiculous. We'll all go to the police station and get

things cleared up." Piper reassured.

"That cop seemed pretty angry with Mr. Hobson. He slammed Mr. Hobson

against the wall before slapping the cuffs on him." A kitchen worker

informed.

"Well, that's police brutality. My fiancé is a lawyer. That cop is going to

be in a lot of trouble. What's that loser's name anyway?" Phoebe asked.

"Cole Turner." The kitchen worker revealed.

Piper and Paige were shocked. But not as shocked as a speechless Phoebe.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It certainly wasn't what he expected to see. It wasn't some desolate location, cold and barren, devoid of life, the kind of place where the air smells of death and the wind whispers with the cries of tormented and forgotten souls. And it wasn't an unseen corner of a bridge in the darkness of night where a muffled gunshot could send a body plummeting towards a watery grave.

What Gary saw instead from out of that car window shocked and confused him. The car was parked across the street from The Hilton.

Why was this guy planning on killing him at The Hilton? It just didn't make any sense.

He's not going to kill you right away. He still needs to know what you did with the money. He's probably going to take you to a room where some of his friends are waiting to work you over to get you to talk. Gary's inner voice surmised.

Maybe it was making sense after all...deadly sense. That money was tainted; probably the fruits of some criminal scheme gone awry. Maybe it was from a drug deal that the police were keeping under wraps. The criminals decided to hide the money until it was safe for them to move it. And what better hiding place than a no name bar on a no name street? The police wouldn't have a clue and the criminals could come back later for money. Only thing was when they came back the money was gone.

And now they wanted it back and they would do anything, kill anyone who stood in their way. He had to make sure that they didn't learn of Chuck's involvement in this whole thing.

As incredible as it sounded, he believed that Cat would find some way of letting Marissa know that he was in trouble. Marissa would find out about his false arrest and alert the police. The police would find him and help him. Somehow.

The sound of the door to the back seat of the passenger side of the car opening jolted Gary from his musings. "Get out." Cole demanded.

Gary slid across the seat, his movement made more difficult with his arms twisted behind his back and his hands restrained by the cuffs. The darken streets appeared to mask the silhouette of the subdued hero from public scrutiny.

"I'm going to take off those cuffs. Just remember that my gun is loaded so don't even think of trying anything. You understand?"

Gary nodded. Cole removed the handcuffs. Instinctively, Gary rubbed his sore wrists, tender from the abuse of the oppressive metal restraints. The Paper remained in the back pocket of Gary's jeans, an unreachable life raft.

The men entered the hotel and proceeded to the elevators. Inside the elevator, Cole removed the gun from his pocket. Gary's eyes locked on the gun as the telling ring announced each floor. The ride was the longest ride of his life.

1...2...He swallowed hard...3...4...His heart pounded forcefully...5...the final ring.

Oh Boy.

The elevator door opened and Cole motioned for Gary to exit the elevator. "Room 521." Cole announced. Gary walked down the hallway slowly, his footsteps measured yet unable to keep up with the forcefully overture that his violently pounding heart was playing inside of his body. Cole walked behind Gary. Finally, they reached room 521. Cole directed Gary to stand on the side while he placed the key into the lock.

Think Hobson! Think! Gary's inner voice pleaded.

The lock of the door clicked, the sound as ominous as the click of a soon to be fired gun. Cole opened the door and indicated for Gary to enter the room. Empty. There were no menacing goons with brass knuckles waiting to "talk" to him.

Gary sighed gratefully. But his gratitude proved fleeting when he remembered that he was still being held hostage by a mystery man with a gun.

God, if he could only get a look at The Paper. Mud green eyes scanned the room. He prayed for an inspiration. Then he thought that he found one.

"Um...I...um...need to...you know." Gary said. His eyes darted towards the partially opened bathroom door.

Cole laughed. "Call of nature? Nice try, but I don't think so. See I know how this works. You go into the bathroom and try to escape through the window. Or, maybe you plan to do something a little more inventive, huh? Say like light a match, get the smoke alarm going to alert security?"

Gary didn't answer. He swallowed hard. Every muscle in his body tensed under his fear.

"I have another idea. You go over there, sit on that bed, and you and I are going to have a talk."

Oh Boy.

Gary proceeded to the bed. Cole sat on the chair directly facing the bed. He studied Gary intently.

A brief silence.

"Do you believe in Fate, Gary?"

"Howzat?"

"Fate. You know, that things happen for a reason, that you can't change the future?"

Unless you get tomorrow's newspaper today. Gary's inner voice quipped.

Great. He was facing death at the hands of a philosophical spewing lunatic!

"Fate? Well...I...ah...I" He stammered. Cole glanced down at the gun in his hands. "Some people believe that when it is your time to die there's nothing you can do except pray that it's quick and painless."

Gary swallowed hard. His eyes widened.

I love you Jennifer and Garrett. Thank you for making my dreams come true. And Mom and Dad, I love you. I know that I don't say it often enough, but I love you very much. Thank you for being the best parents that a guy could ever ask for. Chuck and Marissa, I love you guys. Thank you for being there for me, for being my friends. I'll miss you.

He silently conveyed what was in his heart, but prayed that his loved ones could hear him, that they could feel his love.

This was it.

"And there are others," Cole continued, "that will fight the good fight until the bitter end, that will tempt Fate and win. Or, that will have others watching over him, guarding his life."

Another brief silence.

"What do you want from me?" Gary finally asked, his voice weary from emotional and physical exhaustion born from fear.

"What do I want from you?" Cole repeated, his eyes locking with Gary. "I want...I want to save your life."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Her face grew deathly pale as the words sank in; yet disbelief dominated. What she just heard couldn't be true.

"Cole...Cole Turner?" Phoebe said breathlessly. "No...no, that can't be. There must be some mistake."

"Lois, are you okay?" Marissa asked. "Do you know this man?"

"I...I..."Phoebe stuttered. But she couldn't answer. She just stood there paralyzed.

Piper took control of the situation. "Lois is fine. That name just reminded her of a singer we had at P3...ah...Joel Turner." Turning to Phoebe, Piper added, "He said 'Cole' not 'Joel'. You're okay, aren't you Lois?"

It took all of the strength that Phoebe had to regain her composure. "Of course. I'm fine."

"We should go to the police station to see how we can help Mr. Hobson." Paige chimed. She flashed her sisters a knowing look.

"Yes, we should. Marissa, I think that you should stay here." Piper suggested.

Piper could see that Marissa was wavering. "We wouldn't want to alarm the customers with both of McGinty's owners disappearing. We'll call you when we know something." Piper promised.

Marissa nodded, but her agreement was reluctant. "The Charmed Ones" proceeded towards the kitchen door. "Call me." Marissa yelled out. "We will." Piper reiterated.

"There has to be some mistake." Phoebe said to her sisters once they were outside of McGinty's.

"I think that we all heard the truth loud and clear. Maybe Cole has been keeping his own secrets." Paige commented.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Paige?" Phoebe asked defensively.

"It means that...well, are we really sure that Belthazor is dead?"

"We vanquished Belthazor. You know that." Phoebe countered.

"I know. I just meant that...well, Cole was a demon for like a hundred years. Maybe it's not so easy for a guy to give up evil so easily. Maybe that's why you never saw a demon in your premonition. Maybe it was because..."Paige stopped mid-sentence.

"Because what, Paige? Because Cole is the demon that's going to kill Gary? Is that what you're saying?!"

"I just meant that..."

"Look this is getting us no where." Piper reminded. "I think that we need to get back to The Hilton. Maybe Cole left a clue."

* * * * * *

"To save my life? You come into my business, accuse me of committing a crime, slam me against a wall, handcuff me, wave a gun in my face, abduct me, and now you say that you want to save my life?!"

Cole leaned forward in the chair. "Look, I'm sorry that I had to use creative methods to insure your cooperation, but I didn't have time to explain things to you and I needed to get you away from that bar as soon as possible because..."

"Because?"

"Because you would have died?"

Gary looked at Cole incredulously. "I would have died? In my own bar?"

"Actually, you would have died outside of it."

Gary's features contorted in anger. "I don't know who you are or what your game is here, pal, but I'm through playing it." Gary rose from the bed. He sat back down when he saw that Cole still had the gun aimed at him. "You want to save my life, but you keep threatening me with a gun?"

"I can't let you leave. My partners and I have put in a lot of time and effort in keeping you alive."

"Really? And just who are these partners of yours?"

"I'm just saying that there has to have been a reason why Cole did this." Phoebe said to Paige as she and her sisters entered the room. "The Charmed Ones" turned around, their collective gazes meeting the surprised and betrayed mud green eyes of their innocent.

Chapter Thirty

Those mud green eyes were filled with the pain of betrayal as his gaze fixed

on the three women who had just entered the room. But it was Piper who

those eyes settled upon, the woman he had considered a friend. Only she

wasn't his friend. The hurt he felt at that moment was indescribable.

Everything was starting to make sense, painful sense. This guy, this gun

toting lunatic and these women were in cahoots from the beginning. The

money he found in his dumpster had to be from a drug deal or maybe even a

bank robbery that occurred across state lines. And just as he thought, they'd

needed a place to hide the loot. Perhaps they had been spying on McGinty's

for awhile now and decided that the dumpster behind the bar offered the

perfect solution to their problems. But when they came back for the cash,

they discovered that it was gone. They were angry, but they knew that they

couldn't kill him right away. That would be too messy and draw attention to

them. So instead they devised this elaborate scheme. One of the

women would pretend that she wanted to open a club in Chicago and the other

women would get jobs at McGinty's so they could keep an eye on him. Then

this guy, probably the leader in this nefarious scheme, would abduct him,

hold him prisoner until he told them where the money was.

He looked at the women again and silently cursed his stupidity. Their

physical resemblance was uncanny. Why hadn't he noticed it before? They

had to be sisters. That was why Lois and Paige were so friendly when they

came into work. There had been no chance meeting on the El. And that's why

Lois just happened to work at Piper's club. What he still couldn't figure

out was Piper's near death experience at the hands of that speeding car and

how she knew that he would show up to save her. Maybe that part was just a

coincidence that Piper used to her advantage in worming her way into his

life. Piper (if that was really her name. Maybe they all were using

aliases) must have had a great laugh at his expense. Stupid Gary Hobson.

Such a stupid idiot.

Piper could read the turmoil in Gary's eyes. "Gary, we can explain."

"Really? You can explain your partner here coming into my bar, accusing me

of a crime, slamming me against a wall, slapping handcuffs on me, abducting

me, and threatening to kill me?"

"Cole." Phoebe stared at her boyfriend, shocked.

"Phoebe, it's not as bad as it sounds." Cole defended.

Gary offered a wry laugh. "Phoebe, huh? Here I thought that your name was

Lois. I suppose that there's a reasonable explanation why you felt the need

to use an alias, huh? And I also suppose that there's a reasonable

explanation as to why you just happened to pick my mom's name, huh Ms.

Trudeau?" He said sarcastically.

"Halliwell. Phoebe Halliwell."

"Why am I not surprised." He said, his voice laced with hostility. "And I

take it that you're the third sister?" Gary said to Paige. "I know that

your last name is Halliwell. So what's your first name?"

"Paige Matthews is my name. And yes, Piper and Phoebe are my sisters. But

if you just let us explain..."

"Sure. How about you explain that outfit of yours first, huh? Did you

decide to go shopping at Frederick's of Hollywood to make it easier for your

partner to come into my bar and arrest me for solicitation of prostitution?

Is that what..."

Piper raised her hands, freezing Gary mid-sentence. This conversation

wasn't going well and they weren't going to get anywhere with Gary throwing

accusations. They needed time to regroup.

Piper glared at Cole. "I suppose you realize that you just destroyed our

plan at protecting Gary, our covers. How are we suppose to keep him alive

when now he doesn't trust us? How could you do this, Cole?"

"What I did was save Gary's life. While you three were out playing

'Charlie's Angels' I was learning about Npu and his plans for Gary.

Belthazor still has alot of clout in the demon community and I was able to

find some demons in the underworld willing to talk."

"Demons in the underworld willing to talk? Cole, how did you get to the

underworld?" Phoebe asked.

"With the help of a 'White Lighter'. It took some convincing but Leo

realized that your plan was going to get Gary killed."

"Leo knew about this?" Piper asked, her features contorted in anger.

"Oh boy." Paige chimed.

"Not about my plan to get Gary here, no. But Leo did orb me to the

underworld."

"So you could ruin everything that we had set up." Piper accused angrily.

"Piper, come on. What Cole...what Cole did may not have been the best

strategy, but you could at least hear him out." Phoebe suggested.

A brief silence.

"Okay, Cole. What did you learn?" Piper asked.

Cole took a deep breath. "Npu is more cunning than I had given him credit

for. It seems that he is after Gary and wanted to kill him to corrupt his

soul. But Npu's plan is more ingenious than just wanting the soul to

enhance his powers to help in his fight against 'The Charmed Ones'. The

demons I spoke to aren't quite sure how, but there are rumors that Gary

Hobson's abilities are something that Npu wanted to destroy forever. There

was talk that Npu wanted to turn Gary into a 'Dark Lighter', but Npu

believed that it's better to sever Gary's legacy of goodness, a legacy that

will prove more powerful than even Gary realized."

"Legacy of goodness?" Piper inquired.

"His son. Gary Hobson's son is what Npu is most afraid of."

"A demon is afraid of a baby? Why?" Paige wondered.

"Because that baby is the purest innocent ever known in demonic circles. An

evil star has foretold that this baby will inherit his father's gift and be

even more successful in raining goodness on Earth. So Npu's planned to kill

Gary and insinuate himself into the child's life. The mother and child

would be very vulnerable after Gary's death. The child would grow up angry

and resentful at having lost his father. Then Npu could convince him to

choose the path of evil rather than goodness." Cole explained.

"An invisible demon could do all this?" Piper questioned.

"Yes. Especially if that demon jumped into the body of someone who could

use Mrs. Hobson's grief over her husband's death to manipulate her." Cole

added.

"Maybe that's what my latest premonition meant." Phoebe realized.

"What latest premonition, Phoebe?" Piper asked.

Phoebe looked at her sisters. "I...I wasn't sure if I should tell you this

Piper because I know how upset you feel because of Pr...ah...how upset you

would feel if we couldn't save Gary. Anyway, after I got the job at

McGinty's, I shook Gary's hand and had another premonition. I saw a woman

dressed in black holding a baby staring at Gary in a coffin. The woman was

Gary's wife. She looked so grief stricken, so lost. And the baby, their

son, kept crying almost as if he understood that his daddy was dead."

"Piper, remember that guy who came into McGinty's looking for Gary? We all

sensed something about him that was bad news and didn't you say that Leo

said that he had an energy that wasn't of this world?" Paige remarked.

"An energy not of this world...demons emit that kind of energy. Mortals

can't feel it, but witches and 'White Lighters' can even if the demon has

gone to great lengths to cloak it." Cole said.

"Leo is with the elders, seeing what he can find out." Piper commented.

"So what do we do now?" Paige asked her oldest sister.

A brief silence.

"Well, since Cole had played our hand, we don't have any choice but to tell

Gary the truth. With all this new information and if we're going to fight

Npu, we need to be honest with Gary. I just hope that he can still trust

us, that it's not too late." With those words, Piper raised her hands again

to unfreeze Gary.

"...your plan was?" Gary continued, unaware that he had been frozen for a

short time.

A longer silence.

"Gary, I know that you're upset, that you're very angry with us right now

and you have every right to be, but I swear to you, that none of us ever

meant you any harm. Look, this is going to sound strange, but it's the

truth. And it's very important that you believe us and that you trust us."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because your life depends on it." Piper answered. She took a deep breath

before continuing. "Gary, the reason why we're here in Chicago, why we're

in your life is because...it's because we're trying to keep you alive."

"Because you think someone is going to kill me?"

"Because we know that someone, something is going to kill you. Phoebe had a

premonition about your death."

"A premonition? What is she, a psychic?"

"No, she's not a psychic." Piper paused briefly. "Phoebe, Paige, and I are

witches."

Chapter Thirty-One

"Witches?" Gary repeated incredulously. "Oh, and let me guess, you all think that I'm a warlock and you need me for your spell to help restore a dead sister, right?"

Piper and Phoebe flinched over Gary's reference to a dead sister.

"Where's your spell pot?" He asked Piper. "Are you going to pull a toad and some chicken's feet out of that bag of yours?" He added sarcastically.

"You know, you can stop being so sarcastic and listen." Paige offered.

A brief silence.

"Okay, so all of you are witches?"

"No, actually Piper, Paige, and I are witches." Phoebe interjected.

"And Cole's a demon." Paige said.

"Ex-demon." Phoebe quickly corrected. "Cole is a lawyer."

"What's the difference?" Gary quipped.

"I know that this is hard for you to believe Gary, but Phoebe, Paige, and I really are witches. We're called 'The Charmed Ones' and we're charged with vanquishing demons and protecting innocents. A few days ago, Phoebe had a premonition about you."

"In my premonition I saw you laying on the pavement outside of McGinty's. You were covered in blood and there was a blind woman crying over your body." Phoebe explained continuing the story from Piper.

"I came to Chicago to protect you while Phoebe and Paige stayed in California trying to figure out what was after you. When I met you I couldn't come out and tell you the truth because I knew that you wouldn't believe me. But I also couldn't leave you unprotected so I made up a story about needing your advice because I wanted to open a club here in Chicago. And Phoebe and Paige came here and got jobs at McGinty's to help me watch over you. We had Leo with us just in case you needed...special attention. Leo is my husband and he's also our 'White Lighter'.

"White Lighter?" Gary questioned.

"Yes. A 'White Lighter' is a guardian angel. Leo has healing powers. I introduced him to you as my manager at P3." Piper paused briefly before continuing. "Gary, at first we didn't know what was after you, but now we do. It's an invisible demon named Npu who wants you dead so he can possess your soul."

A brief yet excruciating silence.

"Let me see if I got this all straight. You three witches and a demon..."

"Ex-demon." Phoebe corrected.

"... ex-demon and an angel came to Chicago because one of you had a vision that I would be killed by an invisible demon that wants to possess my soul. You know what? You all are certifiable! If you let me walk out of here then I won't call the police and have you all arrested for kidnapping!"

Paige glanced at her sisters. There had to be a way to get Gary to believe that they were telling the truth. Then she had an inspiration. "Cole, give Gary your gun."

"What?"

"The gun, Cole. Give it to Gary." Paige insisted.

Piper and Phoebe flashed Paige confused looks. "I'm going to prove to Gary that we are witches and that we're telling him the truth."

Cole rose from the chair, walked over to the bed, and handed Gary the gun. "Oh, by the way, it was never loaded." Cole said to Gary, the smirk on his face meeting Gary's ire.

"I'm going to call for the gun in your hands. One of my powers is that I can move things with my mind." Paige informed. She focused for a brief moment then with her hands outstretched whispered "gun."

The gun answered the witch's summons quickly disappearing from Gary's grasp and re-emerging in Paige's hands. Gary jumped, clearly startled. "How...how did you do that?" He stammered.

Paige smiled at him. "I told you. We're witches."

"But...but you can't be." He uttered holding on to his doubt. One would think that a guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today with a cat would be more willing to accept the unexplainable.

"There's one final way we can prove it to you." Piper revealed. "Leo!"

Tiny specks of light filtered the room. A moment later, the lights vanished and the "White Lighter" appeared.

"What the..." was all Gary managed to utter.

"Gary, this is Leo Wyatt, our 'White Lighter'.

But Leo wasn't about pleasantries. The grave expression on his face spoke volumes.

"Leo, what is it?" Piper asked concerned.

"I just spoke with the elders. The situation is far worse than we thought." Leo replied ominously.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jennifer watched from her window seat on the plane the animated ballet performed by the exuberant clouds as they hurried to their designation in the sky. "Swan Lake" it was not, but still the clouds seemed to possess a rhymth that was almost poetic, an artistry of grace in their movement.

She glanced down at a sleeping Garrett. Although asleep, the baby's mouth was moving furiously in a sucking motion. She smiled. Grandmom had noticed yesterday that when Garrett slept he moved his mouth as if he were nursing. Granddad was near by when Grandmom made that observation so Grandmom couldn't help but throw in a playful rib at Granddad by adding that Garrett had inherited the Metcalf appetite and even when the baby was sound asleep, he was apparently still thinking about eating. Granddad countered the rib with a remark that Garrett's loud wail then must be pure Szabo. It was the kind of cry that could cut into a person like a knife and send all within earshot running for the hills. Grandmom pretended to be hurt by the remark; Granddad flashed his puppy dog look and apologized. Then he mumbled something to Grandmom that made her blush slightly. Grandmom said "Jeffrey Metcalf, you'll never change" and Granddad winked at her and added "that for her sake she better hope that he didn't."

Witnessing this loving exchange between her grandparents had warmed her heart. Linda's sudden illness had taken its toll on the entire family, but Granddad was the one who had been hit the hardest. He almost acted like Linda getting sick was his fault. Now that Linda was out of the woods, everyone was able to breathe easier. The doctors insisted on keeping Linda in the hospital for a few more days and then requested that someone stay with her for a week or two while she recuperated. Mike and Aunt Marissa promised to play nurse during the recuperation. And Mom, Dad, Grandmom, and Granddad also insisted on staying in River Run for a while to help out. But that insisted that she go back to Chicago. They could handle things. Grandmom told her that she and Garrett needed to go home to Gary. She was going to call Gary to announce her early arrival, but decided that it would be more fun surprising him.

Garrett stirred slightly. A few moments later, he was asleep again, his mouth moving desperately. She gazed at him in awe. Motherhood was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she would always be amazed at this wonderful gift of life created from hers and Gary's love. Garrett looked so much like his daddy with his dark hair and his mud green eyes. Even his temperament was Gary. During those long hours in the hospital, he wasn't as fuzzy as a lot of young babies would have been. Sure, he cried when he wanted to be fed and changed, but his wails weren't persistent nor overbearing. It was as if Garrett sensed that Linda was sick and that everyone else was worried about her so he wanted to "save" the day by not causing any unnecessary problems. Just like his daddy Garrett had put others welfare above his own.

And just like Gary women swooned over Garrett. But Garrett seemed unfazed by the attention. Nurses, patients, and visitors couldn't help but be enchanted by the gorgeous little baby. "Isn't he the prettiest baby you've ever seen?" One nurse had gushed to a colleague. Garrett Jeffrey Hobson was his father's son all right.

The announcement that passengers should fasten their seat belts as the plane began to descend shook Jennifer from her musings. She felt very excited and happy to be home.

Because she had only a carry on bag, it didn't take long for Jennifer to get through the maddening crowd at O'Hare and proceed to the taxi stand. And she was lucky to catch a cab without any difficulty. The ride from the airport was a pleasant one. She had made sure to dress Garrett to ward off the night air's affect on his little system. Almost a half- hour later, she arrived at McGinty's.

The bar was unusually busy this evening. Carrying her son, Jennifer quickly proceeded towards the office.

Marissa had been sitting in the office and was a bit startled when the door opened. "Gary?" Marissa inquired hopefully.

"No, Marissa, it's me. Sorry if I scared you." Jennifer apologized.

Marissa rose from her seat and walked towards Jennifer. "No, I'm okay. Jennifer, welcome home." Marissa greeted Jennifer with a warm embrace. "Gary didn't tell me that you were coming home tonight."

"He didn't know. I wanted to surprise him. The doctors told us that Linda is out of danger. Grandmom said that they could handle everything from River Run and thought that I should go home. I'll fill you in more tomorrow but right now all I want to do is get upstairs and see Gary. I've missed him so much." Jennifer responded excitedly.

"Gary isn't upstairs."

"He isn't? Where is he?"

Marissa wasn't sure what to say. She hated lying to Jennifer, but she didn't want to upset her friend with the news of Gary's arrest.

However, before Marissa had a chance to respond, there was a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, ladies for interrupting." The man said. He walked towards Jennifer, a huge smile on his face. "You must be Mrs. Hobson and there's no mistaking this little guy. He has to be Gary's son."

Jennifer felt inexplicably uncomfortable around this stranger. And for some reason, her maternal instincts to protect Garrett were triggered. She held her son close.

"May I help you?" She asked the stranger.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Quentin St. George. I'm an old friend of your husband's."



Chapter Thirty-Three

His intense gaze at her sleeping son unnerved her.

"What a handsome little fellow. Gary must be on cloud nine. If there was ever a man who wanted to be a father, it's Gary. That's all he ever talked about. And to be blessed with such a beautiful, talented wife to be the mother of his son...well, I know that there are a lot of men out there myself included who would kill to have the kind of life he has. Figuratively speaking, of course." Quentin said, a smile on his face. Jennifer returned his smile, but her polite effort looked sick and emaciated. She was an actress trained to conjure emotions that didn't exist, dress them accordingly and translate them on screen for an adoring audience that accepted the images portrayed as genuine. Yet, at this moment, her craft was unable to rise to the challenge or quell the uneasiness stirring in the pit of her stomach like restless bile ready to explode.

"I don't mean to be rude Mr.."

"St. George, but please, call me Quentin."

"I don't mean to be rude Mr. St. George, but it's getting late and I would like to take my son upstairs and put him to bed. You said that you're an old friend of Gary's. Is there something that I can do for you?"

"If you'll excuse me, I have something that I need to do in the bar." Marissa said tactfully before leaving the office. The door remained slightly ajar.

However, a surprise gust of wind succeeded in slamming the door shut. The loud noise frightened the sleeping baby. Garrett's face crinkled and he began whimpering in displeasure. Jennifer rocked him gently and whispered soothing words that lulled him back to sleep.

Jennifer had wanted Marissa to stay. She didn't want to be alone in the office with this man, but she couldn't think of a plausible excuse to detain her friend. Besides, Marissa was acting very strangely tonight, edgy and preoccupied. And why wasn't Gary home? Maybe that was what Marissa was about to tell her before this stranger arrived. Her brain kept telling her that Gary was out handling The Paper, but her heart felt as if something wasn't right.

She walked towards the door and opened it. "It's a bit stuffy in here. That kind of air isn't good for Garrett." She covered. "So, you've known Gary for a long time?" She said awkwardly.

"Yes. I was his mentor at Strauss & Associates. I was sorry when he left the investment business. I saw a lot of potential in him."

"Gary told me that he hated being a broker."

"That's because his talents weren't appreciated at Strauss & Associates. Plus, he was a greenhorn then. Now he's older. He has his wife and son's futures to consider. I can't imagine that he wants to spend the rest of his life as just a bar owner. And I'm sure that you want what's best for him."

"You're right. I'll always want what's best for him." She responded.

"And that nasty and unfortunate business of his trial must have thrown him for quite a loop. I can't begin to imagine how humiliating that whole experience must have been for him." Quentin paused briefly before continuing. "Please don't take offense at what I'm about to say, Jennifer, but I know that Gary has a lot of pride so it can't be easy for him watching his wife as the breadwinner. He lived through that experience before when Marcia was earning more money. And to have his ex father-in- law view him as a loser, I know that...well, his ego must have taken quite a beating. That had to have put a terrible strain on their marriage. I would hate to see him go through that again."

Jennifer's features contorted in anger. "How dare you!"

"Please, if you just let me explain. I have a business proposition..."

"I want you to leave."

This is something that will make Gary a very rich man."

"I want you to leave. Now! Or, do I need to call someone in here to help you leave?!" Jennifer said forcefully.

Quentin looked at Garrett again. "I apologize for upsetting you. That certainly wasn't my intention. I'll leave now so that you can take care of your little boy." Quentin moved closer towards Jennifer narrowing the space between them. "I'll be back. I'm sure that once you've had a chance to think over what I've said, you'll want to hear my offer. I know that you'll want to do what's best for your husband and son." With those words, Quentin left the office.

Jennifer could feel her body shaking. She glanced down at Garrett. The baby was now awake. He stared at her silently, his mud green eyes seemingly focusing on the troubled face of his mother. "Everything is fine, honey." She reassured before gently kissing him on the cheek.

A moment later, Jennifer left the office to talk to Marissa. Surveying the room, she spotted Marissa seated at the bar about to use the telephone. As she proceeded towards her friend, she was shocked when she overheard a conversation between two McGinty's employees.

"So anyway, Mr. Hobson hired this new waitress and she's gorgeous and the skimpy outfit she wore to work tonight...wow!" One employee remarked.

"And a cop really came in here and arrested Mr. Hobson for solicitation of prostitution?" Another employee inquired.

"Yep." The other employee confirmed.

"What?!" Jennifer exclaimed. * * * * * *

This had to be a bad dream Gary tried telling himself. That was it...he was still dreaming. Pretty soon he would wake up to the grating sound of a meow and a thump.

Please God let me be dreaming. He pleaded.

Only he knew that he wasn't.

One would think that a guy who got tomorrow's newspaper today and had time traveled to Old Chicago during the Great Fire and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre as well as a brief sojourn to 1946 (where he met his mirror image, switched places, and fell in love with his wife's look alike grandmother) would be more receptive to the possibility of three witches, a demon, and an angel, but he wasn't.

Ex-demon. His inner voice corrected.

How does one become an ex-demon anyway? Gary challenged his subconscious.

"Leo, what is it?" Piper asked concerned.

"I just spoke with the elders. The situation is far worse than we thought." Leo replied ominously. Leo glanced at Gary. "The White Lighter" was clearly troubled.

"So are you going to tell us or are we going to have to guess?" Cole asked impatiently, a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"The elders confirmed that the negative energy was definitely Npu's presence." Leo replied.

"Great. So all we need to do is get that guy. What was his name, Piper?" Paige asked.

"Quentin." Piper said.

"Whoa...wait a second? Quentin? Quentin St. George? My former mentor is a demon?"

"No. But Npu has taken control of his body." Phoebe explained.

"Actually, Phoebe, that's not true. Npu's energy was in McGinty's tonight, but the elders aren't convinced that he has taken over Quentin's body. Npu's primary goal is the purest innocent."

"Yes. Gary's son. Leo, you are a day late and a dollar short." Cole quipped.

"Cole already told us Npu's plan for Garrett." Phoebe echoed. "He wants...," Phoebe looked at Gary before continuing, "...he wants Gary dead so he can manipulate Jennifer and take control of Garrett as Garrett grows up."

Gary stared at Phoebe, wide-eyed with shock over her announcement. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come.

"No, Phoebe. It's far worse than that." Leo acknowledged.

"Of course. It always is with us." Piper added frustrated. "Well, what is it?"

A brief yet excruciating silence.

"Leo?"

Leo struggled. He looked at his wife then at Gary. "Npu plans to take over a body that is close to Gary so that he can...so that he can kill Garrett. 'The Charmed Ones' can't stop him. The only way that Garrett can be saved and Npu can be defeated is if...is if Gary kills the person whose body Npu has controlled." Leo revealed.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The two McGinty's employees were justifiably startled and alarmed by the

knowledge that Jennifer had overheard their conversation. Engaging in gossip

about the boss within the earshot of his wife never made for good

employer-employee relations.

"Ah...Mrs. Hobson. I-I didn't see you. I was just saying...I mean that..."

The one employee stammered.

"Mrs. Hobson...ah...we didn't mean to imply that Mr. Hobson and that woman

did...what I mean to say is that there must be some mistake. I mean, Mr.

Hobson would never solicit a prostitute. I mean, why would he need one when

his wife looks like..." The other employee stopped mid-sentence when he

realized that his feeble attempt at damage control had only served to dig

him deeper and deeper in a hole.

They were the unwilling recipients of Jennifer's expression, a palpable

mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.

"If you'll excuse us Mrs. Hobson, we need to get back to work." They

chimed, eerily in unison as they made a hasty retreat into the kitchen.

Jennifer stood there numb. She glanced down at Garrett. Those little mud

green eyes stared at her almost knowingly. Sometimes her son's stare

frightened her with its undercurrent of perceptiveness. Some people say that

young babies don't really have an idea what they are seeing or wouldn't

understand what is happening around them, but Jennifer believed that this

theory was incorrect when it came to her son. Garrett seemed so attuned to

her emotionally. And it was as if he *understood* everything that affected

her.

This whole evening was quickly turning into a nightmare. Sitting on the

plane earlier all she could think about was how surprised and happy Gary

would be that she and Garrett were home. She even plotted her strategy.

She would put Garrett to bed and then she and Gary could have their own

special, private reunion, make up for lost time perhaps set off some

explosions of their own. She had finally lost all that excess weight that

she had gained during her pregnancy. And last week, she had gone shopping

and had ended up in a lingerie store. Impulsively, she had purchased a

provocative and unquestionably naughty black, lacy teddie that left little

to the imagination. When the shop clerk remarked that whoever would be the

beneficiary of that teddie was in for quite a treat, she had blushed

profusely almost like a teenager caught by her mother doing something that

she shouldn't have done. Then she mentally scolded herself. She was a

married woman in love with the most wonderful man in the world. There was

nothing sinful about her wanting to express her love for her husband in this

way. And all on the plane, she had fantasized about Gary's reaction to that

teddie.

Now this.

Something was terribly wrong. Yet, the one thing she knew for certain was

that Gary would have never done what he was being accused of doing. He

would have never solicited a prostitute. He would have never violated her

trust and made a mockery of their love.

But she needed answers and she knew that she wasn't about to get them from

two hormonally challenged employees salivating over the lewd thoughts that

they had created in their head. Her answers would come from the quiet,

dignified woman sitting at the bar. Her answers would come from the woman

that she called her friend and felt privileged to have as her son's

godmother. Her answers would come from the woman who has loved and taken

care of Gary for a very long time.

Undaunted, she quickly proceeded to the bar and approached Marissa. Marissa

had just finished a phone call, a call that apparently left her confused and

troubled from the expression on her face. Jennifer let out a polite cough

to alert Marissa to her presence before she began speaking.

"Marissa, may I see you in the office?" She asked.

Marissa nodded her agreement. Both women walked towards the office. Once

inside, Jennifer closed the door behind them.

"I've just heard some very upsetting news about Gary and I need for you to

tell me if it's true. Has Gary been arrested for solicitation of

prostitution?"

A brief silence.

"Marissa?"

"Yes." Marissa confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper. "How did you

find out?"

"Some employees were talking about it. I just don't understand. It doesn't

make any sense. They said that it had something to do with some waitress

Gary hired. He didn't tell me that he was hiring a new waitress."

"That's because he didn't plan to hire her. You know that Sheridan has been

having family troubles and that she had to go back to Muncie. I placed an

ad in the paper for a new waitress. This woman, Paige Matthews, applied for

the job. From what Gary told me, she's very young and just arrived in

Chicago. She didn't want to ask her parents for financial help. She was

desperate for a job and even though she didn't have a lot of experience,

Gary hired her. You know how soft hearted he is."

"Yes, I do. And I also know how people have taken advantage of him because

of that."

"What are you saying, Jennifer?"

"I'm saying that it doesn't make any sense that Gary just happened to hire a

young, desperate woman as a waitress, that she just happened to come in for

her first day at work wearing a skimpy outfit, and that a cop just happened

to show up here and arrest Gary for solicitation of prostitution. I'm

saying that whoever this woman is that I think that she set Gary up and

there's no way that I'm going to let her get away with that!" Jennifer

vowed.

Chapter Thirty-Five

A palpable silence had engulfed the room as the power of the "The White Lighter's" revelation circled ominously in the air like some impending end of the world prophecy that destroyed hope and supplanted fear in its wake. Armageddon was nothing compared to the implications of Leo's announcement.

Piper silently cursed her birthright as a "Charmed One". For years, she and her sisters had sacrificed a normal life to answer the call of vanquishing demons and protecting innocents. She longed for a normal life and desperately wanted to be a mother. But a daily diet of combating the denizens of Hell and being physically abused by demons apparently had not rendered her body a vessel that was conducive for making babies. She wondered whether she and Leo would ever be able to conceive a child. And if her dream of having a baby were granted, would it be fair to bring a child into a society fraught with prejudice and intolerance as well as a world where his or her parents fought demonic influences? The baby would quickly lose innocence and likely become evil's pawn in its desire to conquer good. Prue had selflessly given her life in the quest to preserve good. And now, according to the elders' prediction an unspoiled life, a helpless little baby, was marked for death and "The Charmed Ones" were powerless to stop it. What deity would allow such a tragedy? Piper swelled with anger, anger more intense and more all consuming than she had ever imagined possible.

Phoebe was shocked and confused. How often had she complained that she lacked an active power like her sisters? The power of premonition had even been dubbed by some demons as "inconsequential". How many times had she felt like the weakest link in the power of three? Then inexplicably her mind had fed her the premonition of Gary's death and she, along with Piper and Paige, had become embroiled in saving Gary's life. Somehow she felt more connected to this innocent than any other innocent "The Charmed Ones" had ever protected. And her last premonition where she saw Jennifer and Garrett crying over Gary's body had deeply affected her. Usually, her premonitions were effective blueprints for ensuring that good prevailed. But now Leo had revealed that her premonitions were completely worthless and that she, Piper, and Paige were supposed to sit around and just do nothing. How could they do that? How could they just sit around and do nothing? What cruelty had placed these premonitions in her head if she weren't meant to act upon them? Maybe the elders were wrong. They had to be.

Paige felt defiant. She had belatedly been anointed a "Charmed One" and was navigating through the spells and discovering the full range of her powers. And as irrational as it sounded she still felt as if she were living in Prue's shadow. She wanted more than anything to protect Garrett and Gary not only to save them but also to prove to her sisters (and herself) that she was as valuable a witch as Prue.

Gary was reeling. His worst nightmare seemed to have frightening materialized. Here he was the guy who got tomorrow's newspaper today, the guy who gave other people their futures. What good was The Paper if he couldn't save his own son? He was supposed to kill an invisible demon occupying the body of someone he was close to or else Garrett would die. Instinctively, he knew that he would do anything to keep Garrett save, but rationally he wondered how he would be able to kill someone if the time came. Even if he could accept the argument (which he couldn't) that he would be destroying evil not a human being, how could he look at the person and just see the evil that polluted the person's body? And not just any person, but someone that was close to him that Npu would use as an ark. Was he to see the shadows of evil in the faces of his family and friends? Was he supposed to prevent everyone he knew (his parents, Marissa, and Chuck) from getting close to Garrett because Npu might have taken control of their bodies. And if one of them in an evil incarnation tried to kill Garrett, how would he be able to kill them?

"Leo, there must be something we can do." Piper finally said breaking the silence.

Leo glanced at his wife then at Gary. "Well, according to the elders, as the body Npu has occupied is on the verge of dying, Npu's essence won't be able to survive so Npu will exit the body. However, because Npu would have integrated with that particular body, it won't be easy for him to find another host. Npu's essence will hover in the air helpless."

"Can't we...I mean, couldn't 'The Charmed Ones' then destroy Npu's essence once and for all before he had a chance to jump into another body?" Paige questioned.

"Maybe, but the elders aren't sure. Npu's essence may be invisible or there may be a brief rift in the demonic portal that would enable 'The Charmed Ones' to see that essence just as Npu is leaving the host body."

"You said that Npu's energy was in McGinty's tonight. We all sensed it around this Quentin. Doesn't that mean that Quentin is the host body?" Phoebe asked.

"The elders don't believe so. They aren't sure if Npu has selected a host body yet." Leo confirmed.

"Doesn't seem that the elders are sure of anything." Cole quipped.

Leo shot Cole a dirty look but didn't verbally acknowledge the ex-demon's remark. "Anyway, the elders believe that once Npu leaves the dying host, I'll be able to heal that body. And Npu can't re-enter that body once the body has become that close to death."

As Gary watched and listened to Leo's explanation, a sudden thought crossed his mind. Could these mysterious elders be the forces that send him The Paper? All these years he had never discovered the origins of his early edition and now he learned that his and son's lives were in jeopardy and three good witches and an angel had been charged with their protection. Why would Phoebe have received a premonition about him and these elders have taken an interest in him if it weren't all connected to The Paper somehow? The only part that he still couldn't figure out was Npu's interest in Garrett.

"You might be able to heal the host body? So you don't know for sure whether you can or not?" Cole inquired.

"Well, I..." Leo stammered.

"No." Gary uttered.

All eyes focused on the hero.

"What?" Leo asked.

"I said no. I've been sitting here listening to you talk about my life and my son's life as if it is some supernatural game that you all play. Well, I'm not going to play Russian roulette with Garrett's life or the lives of anyone else I care about on uncertainties. These elders of yours know more than they're telling you and that's what I'm going to find out."

Leo looked at Gary puzzled. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"By talking to them face to face." Gary responded. He paused briefly before continuing. "I want you to take me to meet your elders." Gary demanded.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The wind appeared to have awakened from its nap, slowly, but its whispers were

vigilant and purposeful. It's voice was foreboding; it held secrets. And

maybe it even knew of impending tragedy.

As she exited the cab, the biting winds slapped her hard across the face

determined to make her acknowledge their presence. Such a self-absorbed

strategy didn't work. She seemed oblivious to their cold sting. She had

left McGinty's tonight in search of answers. Yet, life was the

quintessential Pandora's box. She returned home with more questions and a

plethora of fear stabbing at her psyche. She climbed the stairs to the loft

with a gait as heavy as the pain in her heart. Something was terribly

wrong.

Her Szabo-Metcalf instincts had told her that the mysterious Paige Matthews

wasn't some downtrodden kid trying to find her way in a heartless city.

This woman was a beguiling temptress, a black widow perhaps, that donned an

ingenue persona to ensnare Gary in an insidious web of deception and

betrayal. Marissa was skeptical of her suspicions but she knew that Paige

held the key to what had happened to Gary.

Jennifer had suggested that it would be better if they continued their

conversation in the loft. Marissa nodded her agreement so the two women

left the chaos of the bar that was quickly becoming a hotbed of activity for

the peace of the loft. After she changed, bathed, and put Garrett to bed,

Jennifer made some herbal tea. Grandmom always said that herbal tea had

such a calming effect. Jennifer needed calm; she needed calm to remove the

cobwebs swirling in her brain like parasites. She had to remove those

cobwebs to think clearly and rationally if she was going to help Gary.

But if the herbal tea were a prelude to calm, Jennifer wouldn't find out. The

hot liquid sat untouched in her cup while she fervently paced the floor, the

tiny loft growing even smaller with her movement. She seemed to have

conquered every inch of the loft with the gait of a caged tigress moving

forcefully back and forth in her cage. She waved her arms in that wild

animated fashion that was a Szabo trademark. It didn't matter to her that

her audience of two couldn't appreciate her fitful movements. Marissa could

only hear Jennifer's frantic steps. And Garrett was blissfully unaware of

his mother's turmoil. The baby had succumbed to the exhaustion of his

recent travel. He slept peacefully in his crib, his little chest raising

methodically with each breath.

Her dizzying ballet quickly ended. She asked Marissa to watch Garrett while

she went out. When Marissa inquired where she was going, Jennifer informed

her friend that she was going to the police station. Her chief priority was

ensuring that Gary was released on bail. She wasn't about to let her

husband spend yet another night in a jail cell on a false accusation.

Marissa didn't have a chance to speak before "Hurricane Hobson" blew across

the room and stormed out of the door. With a forlorn sigh, Marissa rose

from the couch and proceeded to Garrett's crib. She stood over the crib and

allowed the comforting sound of the baby's breathing coupled with her faith

to fill her with hope.

The Chicago police station was maddening. Phones were ringing off of the

hook while numerous police officers rushed about in a frenzied state like

overactive bees hovering protectively around a hive. Undaunted, she

approached the information desk and politely asked for assistance. She was

ignored. She asked again and she was again ignored. Already worried and

upset about Gary and perturbed by the blatant rudeness, she loudly demanded

help. The frenzy momentarily stopped as all eyes gazed on the petite

strawberry blonde with the commanding presence. Fortunately, she wasn't

recognized as "Jennifer Metcalf, television star". She wouldn't care if she

had been. At that moment, it didn't matter to her whether the morning

tabloids screamed with headlines proclaiming her prima donna behavior. And

ironically, none of the officers seemed to recognize her as the wife of Gary

Hobson, a man that was a frequent staple in the lives of the men and women

in blue because he eerily held the pulse of the city in his hand, a man who

appeared at every disaster befalling Chicago and a man that had been the

fodder of water cooler gossip because of his "relationship" with the volatile Toni Brigatti. Tonight Jennifer was just an ordinary wife inquiring about her husband.

She explained to the officer at the information desk that her husband had

been arrested this evening and charged with solicitation of prostitution.

She needed to speak to someone immediately about posting his bail. The

officer appeared to undress her with his eyes then mumbled a disgusting wise

crack when she mentioned the charge. It took every ounce of strength to

quiet the rising bile over the cop's remark. A few minutes later, the

officer searched his paperwork then the computer for information about

Gary's recent arrest. Nothing. She made him repeat his efforts. Still

nothing. She told him that the arresting officer's name was Cole Turner.

There was no Officer Cole Turner on the Chicago Police Department he

revealed. The actress was rendered speechless.

She didn't even remember leaving the station or how she ended up in that

cab. All she knew was that she was more afraid than she had ever been in

her entire life. She had left McGinty's worried about their legal troubles.

She returned home worried about her husband's life.

The loft door opened slowly. "Jennifer?" Marissa called out.

"Yes." She acknowledged, her voice barely above a whisper.

Marissa knew that tone all too well and it frightened her. "What happened?

You weren't able to post bail for Gary?"

Jennifer collapsed on the couch. Her eyes were glazed with fatigue and

worry. "No. The police...," she stammered, her voice shaky,"...the police

checked their computers. There's no record of Gary's arrest. They told me

that there isn't an officer named Cole Turner on the force."

"What?"

"Whoever that man was that came in here tonight, he wasn't a cop.

Mar-Marissa... I think that Gary has been kidnapped."



Chapter Thirty-Seven

Marissa proceeded to the couch and sat down next to Jennifer. She reached for Jennifer's hand, squeezing it in a comforting gesture of support.

"Kidnapped? That...that just can't be." Marissa said.

Jennifer gazed into Marissa's sightless eyes. There was always something about Marissa's eyes besides for them being reservoirs of truth and honesty. Those eyes were windows of faith and hope. Jennifer had been raised on faith and hope, welcome friends in the Metcalf home. As a little girl, she had grown to love, respect, and admire her paternal great- grandmother who died before she was born, a great-grandmother whose memory was kept alive by family stories. Anne Metcalf had courageously fought the devastation of polio by defying the odds and conquering a virus that was determined to strip her of her dignity. And when an entire community had branded her husband a Communist, Anne refused to abandon Al. She refused to accept Jeff's and Father Dreher's urgings that she annul her marriage because Al had married her under false pretenses. She knew that Al had married her out of love. And after Al's sullied reputation made it impossible for him to find a job in River Run, Anne left the security of the town that she had called home with her husband and infant son for the unknown. As Al held Mike, he watched in quiet reverence as Anne walked towards the car. Her gait was slow, but it was the gait of a proud and determined woman. Faith and hope had carried Anne even when her legs couldn't.

And faith and hope had always allowed Marissa to "see" clearly. It was Marissa who had helped her see during her engagement when she felt betrayed by Gary keeping his relationship with her grandparents (forged from his time travel adventures) and The Paper a secret. She had almost permitted her fears, insecurities, and stubbornness to make her walk away from her destiny. It was Marissa who had the idea of the videotape where Gary poured the words from his heart into a declaration of love. That tape taught Jennifer how to listen with her heart and led to her reconciliation with Gary.

Now was not the time for tears, not when Gary's life might depend on her actions.

"Marissa, I think that what happened to Gary has something to do with Quentin St. George."

"Quentin? How?"

Jennifer took a deep breath. "I met him tonight. He told me that he was Gary's mentor at Strauss & Associates. He praised Gary's abilities as a broker and said that Gary had a lot of potential. Then he implied that our marriage could be headed for trouble because I made more money on the show than Gary made with the bar. He said that Dad's attitude towards Gary was the same as Marcia's father had acted. He made it seem like that and the money issue was what put a strain on their marriage. Then he mentioned some business proposition that could make Gary a very rich man. But what bothered me the most was how he kept looking at Garrett. He really frightened me, Marissa. He made it seem like he was envious because Gary had such a beautiful son. But he acted like...I don't know, maybe I'm just being an overly cautious mother, but I sensed that..."

"You sensed what?"

"I sensed that he wanted to hurt Garrett. I don't want that man anywhere near my son." Jennifer revealed. "He said that he would give me time to think and that he would be back. I believe that this Cole Turner and Paige Matthews are somehow connected to Quentin and Gary's disappearance. Marissa, I need for you to tell me everything that happened to Gary since I went to River Run."

* * * * * *

Mud green eyes studied "The White Lighter." Gary remembered the intense fear that he felt when Cole abducted him from McGinty's and how the whole time he sat handcuffed in the back seat of that car, he knew that he was going to die. He tried preparing himself for death. He was afraid of dying. But what he was most afraid of was the realization that he would never see his loved ones again. He would never feel the warmth of Jennifer's body next to his or the ecstasy of lips. And he would never be able to hold his son. He would never see Garrett grow up. He would only be a memory to his son kept alive by the stories told by family and friends. For as much as this Cole Turner claimed of being a life saver, the man's actions succeeded in making Gary feel like a victim. But his concerns for Garrett's welfare outweighed his fears over his own mortality. And he was not going to be made to feel like a victim again with his son's life at stake.

"You want me to take you to meet the elders? But...but that's impossible." Leo remarked.

"Why? You took this guy to the underworld." Gary reminded, gesturing to Cole.

Leo glanced at Piper who flashed him a "I-already-know-what-you-did-and- you're-in-trouble-with-me-but-we'll-deal-with-that-later" look.

"Yeah, Leo. Why is that impossible?" Cole said, a smirk on his face. He was clearly enjoying watching Leo squirm.

A brief silence.

"Look." Gary began breaking the silence. "I never asked for any of this, but I'm not going to trust my son's life to your trial and error methods nor am I going to kill someone I care about who has been possessed by a demon and pray that you're able to heal them in time. These elders of yours have the answers. They know something that they aren't telling you. My wife and son are out of town so I need to be able to find these answers before they come home."

Another brief silence.

"You owe me. I...I saved your wife's life." Gary revealed. He glanced at Piper. Normally he wouldn't resort to emotional blackmail, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Leo looked at Piper, the shock evident by his expression.

Phoebe and Paige were also understandably surprised. "Piper, what is he talking about?" Phoebe asked.

"I'll tell you later." Piper responded simply.

All eyes focused on Leo.

"No mortal has ever spoken to the elders." Leo explained.

"But it's not impossible for you to take me to them, is it?" Gary inquired.

"No. No, it's not impossible, but..."

"But what?"

"But there are certain...risks in you doing this. Are you prepared for what could happen to you if you go through with this?" Leo questioned.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

His little face crinkled with displeasure as his body shook. Those mud green eyes were still closed when he let out a cry so loud and pitiful that it seemed bred from unspeakable torment.

To sleep, per chance, to dream. He was dreaming. But he was suffering.

Some people believe that small babies are incapable of dreaming. How could a baby have nightmares when his spectrum of experience and knowledge was limited to the very basics of Maslow's hierarchy of needs- food, love, and shelter? Arguably, nightmares are manifestations of repressed fears. But what repressed fears could a seven week old baby be harboring?

Jennifer wasn't a psychologist. She was a mother and Garrett's wails had succeeded in momentarily holding all other worries hostage. He needed her.

She rose from the couch and quickly proceeded to his crib. She had memorized the tone and intensity of his cries. His cries were like some encrypted Morse code, the silent language of mother and child that told her when he needed to be fed or changed. She knew that the sound of his cries at this moment were neither a desire for nourishment nor changing.

She gently lifted him from his crib. Walking back and forth, she massaged his back in a soothing, circular motion. Eyes still shut, Garrett's cries lessened, became whimpers before ceasing altogether. She hesitated for a few minutes before placing him back in his crib. Her eyes and ears were trained on him seemingly expecting the advent of additional crying now that he had left the comfort of her arms. Nothing. She stood over his crib until she felt confident that whatever demon had intruded upon his dreams had been vanquished.

Marissa sat on the couch, her ears also absorbing Garrett's cries then the silence that had blanketed the room. Five minutes later, Jennifer walked back towards the couch and sat down next to her friend. Instinctively, she glanced at the crib keeping a watchful eye on her son. Whatever menace had tortured the little baby was gone now. He had fallen back into a restful sleep.

"He needs me so much. They both do and I'm not going to allow anyone to hurt either one of them. Not ever." Jennifer vowed. A brief silence.

"Marissa, please. Please, I need you to tell me everything that happened to Gary when I went to River Run."

Marissa didn't need to see Jennifer to hear the desperation in her friend's voice. She still didn't believe that Gary had been kidnapped, but something was very wrong. But, if Gary were in danger, why hadn't The Paper warned him?

Marissa took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm not sure what to say, Jennifer. It was the usual for Gary handling The Paper. I know that he was worried about you and your family because of Linda's illness and that he missed you and Garrett very much while you were away."

"He didn't have any unusual saves?"

"No. No, not that he mentioned."

"How about visitors? Did he have any strange visitors? You know, people that he didn't expect?"

Marissa hesitated. She knew that Genie had showed up unexpectedly and had asked for Gary's help with her problems with Stan. And from what Gary told her Genie's marital concerns stemmed from Stan's business relationship with Quentin St. George. She knew that Jennifer believed that Quentin was the link to Gary's disappearance. But should she tell Jennifer about Genie's visit? How could she violate Gary's confidence like that?"

"The only save that he talked about was Piper, but there was nothing unusual about the save."

"Piper?"

"Piper Halliwell. She's a club owner from San Francisco who is trying to open another club here in Chicago. She's been asking Gary and me for advice. It's funny because our temporary bartender, Lois Trudeau, also worked at Piper's club. We were lucky that Lois needed a job and was able to help out on such short notice."

Another brief silence.

"Jennifer? Jennifer, what is it?"

"Halliwell. That's my Uncle Dan's last name, but I know that he doesn't have any relatives named Piper. But there are too many other coincidences. Gary saves a woman who just happens to own a club and she just happens to need advice from him about opening a club in Chicago. She just happens to have a bartender who has the same first name as Gary's mom and that woman just happens to need a job. "Oh my God!" Marissa exclaimed.

"What?"

"Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were in the kitchen with me when one of our employees told us about Gary's arrest. They said that they were going to the police station to see how they could help him. They told me to stay here and they were supposed to call me as soon as they knew anything, but they haven't called. Jennifer, do you suppose that they... But Piper...she can't be involved in this. Why would she want to hurt Gary ?" Marissa asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

The sound of the ringing phone intruded upon their conversation. Before Jennifer had a chance to get to the phone, the answering machine came on and a familiar voice crooned from the device. "Hey, buddy. It's me. I wanted to let you know that the money we found in your dumpster is safe and sound. I know that you think that it's stolen, but I still think that The Paper left it for you as a reward for all your hard work. Just think, over a quarter of a million dollars. Now you don't have to worry about that jerk father-in-law of yours controlling Garrett's life. Anyway, give me a call."

Jennifer stared at the answering machine, shock etched on her face.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The word "risks" hovered possessively in the air like some foregone conclusion of doom. Angels were supposed to bastions of hope. Well, maybe this angel never read the manual. Or, maybe this guy...this angel...this 'White Lighter'...whatever...was just testing him, treating him like some errant child who could be controlled by fear. Maybe this guy was waiting for him to call his bluff. He was never much of a gambler and he lacked the seemingly bloodthirsty mentality of a broker. But now, the stakes were much higher than losing his shirt in some financial scheme gone awry. Whatever the risks to himself didn't matter not with his son's life in danger.

"I don't care what the risks are to me. I want to talk to your elders. They know more than they're letting on and they're going to tell me what they know." Gary said defiantly, a trace of forcefulness in his voice.

Leo glanced at Piper then returned his gaze to Gary. Phoebe and Paige exchanged worried looks.

Cole seemed very amused. The air was thick with tension, but the ex-demon that had reigned as evil incarnate for over a century, was ready to lighten the mood.

Turning to Gary, Cole said, "Don't you even want to know about these alleged risks? I mean, you could come back with a tail or horns. Oops, sorry, that's the wrong locale." Cole quipped.

Gary shot Cole a dirty look. This ex-demon designation might give solace to the man's comrades in believing that this man was now one of the good guys, but Gary sensed something else. Cole Turner had taken a perverse pleasure in roughing him up, slapping those handcuffs on his wrists, watching him squirm in that car, and waving that gun in his face. Gary didn't see a reformed menace when he looked at Cole. What he saw was evil. He saw evil percolating below the surface and desperately seeking to be unleashed to its full potential. He saw someone who couldn't be trusted.

"Leo, what risks could Gary be facing?" Paige finally asked.

Leo took a deep breath. "I'm not really sure. No mortal has ever been granted an audience with the elders. It would be different if I were to go up there first, plead Gary's case, and then come back and let him know if he were given permission to see them."

"No!" Gary exclaimed. "No, there's no time for me to wait for permission or to worry if they'll deny me."

Leo's eyes fixed on Gary. "They might see your request as arrogant. They might..."

"...Punish me? I don't care. I don't care what they do to me. And I'm not being arrogant. My only concern here is saving my son. They will have to be able to see that once I talk to them."

"Leo, why would the elders punish Gary just because he wanted to talk to them and he didn't get permission first? He's an innocent. Isn't that why I had the premonition about him in the first place?" Phoebe questioned.

"Look, we can't bring him home until we're able to counter Npu's next move. I think that Gary has a good point. Maybe the elders do know more than they're letting on. Maybe they knew more about The Source then they told us. Maybe if they had been honest with us we might have been able to save Prue." Piper contended.

A brief silence.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Leo asked Gary.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Leo let out a frustrated breath. "Okay. Okay, then take my hand."

Gary rose from the bed. He swallowed hard. His heart was pounding. He reached for Leo's hand. Tiny specks of light enveloped the room. A few moments later, Leo and Gary were gone.

"Piper, I just remembered, we told Marissa that we were going to the police station to see how we could help Gary and we were supposed to call her back and let her know what we found out about Gary's arrest." Phoebe realized.

"Phoebe, you and I will go back to McGinty's. We'll tell Marissa...I don't know, we'll make up some excuse, we'll say that Gary's bail hearing is not set until tomorrow morning. That will buy us some time. Paige, you and Cole stay here and wait for Leo and Gary to return." With those words, Piper and Phoebe left the hotel room and headed for McGinty's.

* * * * * *

Gary felt very strange. It wasn't a floating feeling and he couldn't really explain it, but he somehow felt different. Was this heaven? It didn't look like the stories of heaven he remembered being told as a child. There weren't an array of fluffy clouds or a blinding light or people walking around in white clothes. What he saw instead looked like a park. There were trees and a small gazebo in the immediate distance.

"Remember, you're here for a specific reason. Anything that you learn about your family or friends, you can never reveal to them. And whatever you find out except how it relates to your son and Npu, you can't change. You have no control over the future." Leo reminded.

Gary nodded.

Leo and Gary proceeded slowly towards the gazebo. As they got closer, that blinding light that had been absent emerged. Gary squinted his eyes.

"Gary?" A familiar female voice called his name. The voice came from the light.

The light's intensity lessened so that Gary was able to make out the figure. She was dressed in 1940s styled clothing. And he remembered her. He couldn't believe his eyes. He never thought that he would see her again.

"Hello, Gary." Anne Metcalf greeted, a smile on her face.

Chapter Forty

He gazed into her eyes even as disbelief washed over him. She smiled at him

reassuringly. He really didn't understand what was happening.

He suspected that once Fate and Time had merged and had succeeded in opening

the portal to the past and that portal had embraced him. For so long he

tried to make sense out of how a simple story in The Paper directing him to

save Morris from a fire caused by a discarded cigarette in a waste paper

basket resulted in him bumping his head and waking up in 1946 and eventually

living the life of his mirror image. Sure, Dorothy had hit her head during

a cyclone and ended up in the magical world of Oz, but that was L. Frank

Baum's imaginative classic. And Dorothy *was* dreaming when she ended up in

Oz (wasn't she?) He hadn't been dreaming. His sojourn to 1946 had been

very real. At the time he would have happily and gratefully surrendered the

burden of holding the future in the palm of his hand for the dream of

holding a baseball bat and achieving major league stardom. And he convinced

himself that he had loved Ginger, wanted to have children with her, and

wanted to grow old with her. He felt extremely bitter when that same

cosmic force that had abducted him to the past later returned him to his own

time period. He thought that he would never survive the pain of losing

Ginger, but he discovered that his destiny awaited him in a Chicago studio. It

took him awhile to realize that he no longer needed to run away because he

had found his heart's desire. Dorothy was right. There was no place like

home.

But in the past he had assumed another man's identity and had called this

woman in front of him "mother" even as his heart ached for his own mother.

How strange it felt to see her now. He reached out his hand to touch her

then quickly pulled back. He was afraid. She appeared to him exactly as he

remembered her, but how could that be? Why did she appear the same as she

had in 1946? And how bizarre that all of her sons, her daughter, and her

grandchildren now looked older than she did.

She sensed his hesitation. "It's good to see you again, Gary."

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come out. He swallowed

hard. He tried again, but it was a struggle.

"Mrs...Mrs...Met...Metcalf...but...but...how?" He stammered.

She approached him narrowing the space that separated them. She gently

touched his hand. She felt so real, so warm, and so...so alive.

She smiled. "Life and death are miracles. Sometimes, death isn't an ending,

but a chance for a beginning. It's a chance for a new life. That's God's

greatest blessing." She explained.

He didn't understand. Was she talking about the afterlife or something

else? He didn't know.

A brief silence.

He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, his trademark gesture of

nervousness and confusion. He took a deep breath. There was so much that he

had wanted to say to her, so much that he never thought that he would have a

chance to say.

"I'm...I'm sorry about what I did." He began slowly and awkwardly.

She looked at him, her confusion evident.

"You know, for lying to you and for pretending to be Jeff."

She gazed into those mud green eyes of his. She remembered those eyes so

well. They were her son's eyes. She remembered how Jeff would look at her

when he was a little boy when he was scared of thunder storms, a sensitive

little boy who believed that he *had* done something wrong to cause the loud

roar and God's anger. She remembered when Jeff looked at her with those

eyes filled with guilt as he struggled for forgiveness for a variety of

sins. And she remembered when those eyes were tormented after his breakup

with Ginger even as he put up a brave front trying to convince his family

that he wasn't hurting.

But at this moment, she remembered the tortured mud green eyes that weren't

her son's eyes. She remembered the look in Gary's eyes when he stood in the

living room before the family, exposed as a fraud, vulnerable as he bravely

accepted Hank's harsh words like some betraying Judas deserving of the

lash. She had never forgotten that look on his face.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Gary. You did nothing wrong. You had no

choice. I can't even imagine how scared you must have been to find yourself

in a strange world. And I know that you must have struggled with telling us

the truth. You didn't deserve all those things that Hank said to you. When

you left the house, I prayed that Jeff would find you and convince you to

come back. I didn't want you to be alone. We wanted you to be a part of

our family. We would have taken care of you. But you didn't come back with

Jeff. All those years ago, I worried so much about you out there in the

world, surviving out there without a family. I prayed that God would keep

you safe, that you found a warm place to sleep, and food to eat. I prayed

that you would find love and happiness. You coming into our lives was God's

plan all along, Gary, just as it was God's plan for you to become a part of

our family. I've always worried so much about my children, but in a way, I

worried the most about Jeff. He was always so painfully shy. He would hide

behind wise cracks to cover his shyness. Even after he became a ball

player, there was still a part of him that was this shy little boy. And I

know that he felt guilty about what happened to you. When you left that

day, Jeff lost a part of himself. You were very special to him. He

wouldn't talk to us about it, but losing you affected him a great deal."

Gary listened attentively.

"Jennifer is a lot like Jeff. She's stubborn and headstrong, but there's a

part of her that is like a scared little girl. And she was so scared of

thunderstorms as a little girl, just like Jeff had been. I've watched over

her and I've worried about her. And I was very happy when you two found

each other." Anne paused briefly before continuing. Her face revealed

great concern over what she was about to say next. "Gary, you will need to

be there for her to help you both face what you need to face next. It will

be God's greatest test. You and Jennifer will need to hold on to your love

for each other and to faith if you are to survive. Just remember that

things happen for a reason and even if you don't understand them at the

time, God always has a plan."

Gary's eyes widened. "A test? What do you mean? Is..Is it about Garrett?

Is something going to happen to Garrett? Please...please tell me." He

pleaded.

"You're a special man, Gary. That's why you were chosen to carry a special

burden. But you need to let go of the guilt and the pain and you need to

forgive yourself."

"But Garrett? What's going to happen to Garrett?" He reiterated

desperately.

"Hold on to Jennifer. Help her, Gary." With those final words, Anne faded

away.

Gary felt numb and confused by her ominous words. His heart sank as he

pondered what her prediction meant for his son.

He glanced at Leo. "Please, you have to take me to the elders. Now." He

begged.

Leo was silent as a strange light re-emerged. When the light disappeared,

Gary was even more shocked by the figure that now stood in place of the

glow.

Chapter Forty-One

Chuck's words had sent a painful surge of fear biting across her chest. She

stared at the answering machine, shocked; no, she was almost paralyzed as

this new fear took root in her heart like some uninvited and possessive

squatter.

She had cast Quentin St. George as the central character in Gary's

disappearance. When she was a little girl, Dad used to say that she had an

overactive imagination whenever she confessed to having "feelings" about

people. He was a lawyer after all so unexplained feelings that weren't

grounded in logical support held little credence for him. "Explain

yourself, Jennifer" Dad would say in that stern lawyer tone of his. Maybe

Dad forgot that he was talking to his daughter, to a little girl, and not

cross-examining some errant witness while seeking to expose an inconsistent

statement. And she would get angry with herself when she couldn't offer an

explanation. But the feelings would remain, silent, but strong and powerful

shadows nonetheless.

Like now.

She still remained convinced that there was something sinister lurking

behind Quentin's smile. Those eyes of his as he focused so intently on

Garrett weren't about complimenting a beautiful baby. She sensed that

Quentin wanted to hurt Garrett. But she couldn't explain herself. She had

no logical argument to substantiate her feelings. But the feelings

remained, silent, but strong and powerful. They were shadows that spoke of

something...they were ominous, foreboding shadows of doom.

However, with Chuck's revelation, she entertained the notion that Gary's

disappearance might be linked to another cause.

Money. Cold, hard cash. Money that could have been obtained via some

criminal scheme. Money that was maybe tainted with the faint smell of a

victim's blood. Money that some nefarious character or characters had

concealed away in a convenient hiding place, a dumpster in back of a bar.

Money that they had intended to retrieve later, but had returned to discover

that it was gone. And perhaps they suspected the good-natured bar owner as

the one who had taken their money. Perhaps they were going to make him pay

for that.

"Oh God!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Jennifer, what is it?"

She had forgotten. With her outburst, she had forgotten that Marissa was

sitting on the couch. And for a brief moment, she had even forgotten her

son, finally sleeping peacefully after possibly surviving a devastating

nightmare.

He was awake now.

His mother's outburst had intruded upon his tranquillity. Instinctively, she

proceeded to his crib and glanced at him. He was quiet, but those little

mud green eyes stared at her knowingly perhaps registering understanding.

She gently lifted him from his crib and cradled him closely to her breast.

"Jennifer?" Marissa repeated, the alarm evident from her tone.

She heard Marissa's voice, but somehow the sound seemed so far away as if

it were captured in a tunnel. She couldn't answer. Instead, she proceeded

to the phone, picked it up and dialed a number. She held Garrett in her

arms even as she dialed the phone. Becoming a mother had seemingly given

her the physical agility of an octopus when manipulating multiple tasks.

It took a few minutes before the caller answered the phone. "Chuck?

Yes...it's Jennifer...No; I'm back in Chicago...Chuck.... I need for you to

come over to McGinty's right away...No, it can't wait until tomorrow

don't care what you're doing...Right now, Chuck!"

She didn't mean to sound so rude, but her heart was pounding with fear.

Gary's life could depend on Chuck's answers.

"Jennifer, please tell me, what's wrong!"

She proceeded to the couch and sat down next to her friend. "I'm sorry,

Marissa. I didn't mean to ignore you." She finally began, drawing from her

training as an actress hoping that it would allow her to compose herself in

order to explain. "It's just that...Chuck's message about the money...did

you...did you know about that?"

"Yes. Gary told me. He didn't know what it meant. He said that there was

nothing in The Paper to explain why the money appeared in his dumpster."

Jennifer's face grew ashen. "So The Paper never gave him any warning. My

God, Marissa. I believed that Quentin was responsible, but now I think that

Gary's disappearance may be tied to that money. Maybe that man who pretended

to be a cop and those women plotted this whole thing from the very

beginning. Maybe they stole that money in some other state, fled the

police, and ended up in Chicago. Maybe they decided to hide the money in

Gary's dumpster and when they came back for it, they discovered that it was

gone." She rambled, her words uttered quickly under the strain of worry.

"Jennifer, calm down. That can't be."

"Why can't it, Marissa? Gary could have unknowingly become a victim. And

The Paper...The Paper didn't warn him. Or, maybe it did. Maybe, where ever

he is right now, The Paper warned him but somehow he couldn't stop what

happened to him. Where's Cat? Do you think that Cat could be trying to

help him? God, Marissa, what if Gary is hurt?" She asked. Hysteria had

crept into her voice.

Sensing that she was upset and always attuned to his mother, Garrett began

whimpering. She gently rocked him back and forth hoping to quiet him.

"What do you think that Chuck knows?" Marissa asked.

"I don't know. He might know something, anything, he might have a clue that

would help us figure out Gary's whereabouts. The police won't do anything

because Gary hasn't been missing for 48 hours."

A brief, yet excruciating silence.

Jennifer quickly rose from the couch. "I can't stay up here. Let's go

downstairs and wait for Chuck."

Marissa nodded her agreement as the women (with Jennifer carrying Garrett) left the

loft. They had just entered the bar when Jennifer was stopped in her tracks

when she overheard an unexpected query.

An attractive brunette, her long tresses cascading down her back, was

standing by the bar. A shorter woman, also with dark hair, stood next to the

woman. The woman was talking to one of the kitchen staffers who was

removing some glasses from behind the bar. "Excuse me, do you know where I

could find Marissa Clark? Tell her that Piper Halliwell needs to talk to

her."

Fire burned in Jennifer's eyes when she heard the woman's name. She quickly

walked towards the woman and yanked her by the arm. Piper turned around to

face her aggressor. Both she and Phoebe were shocked as they stared into

the face of Mrs. Gary Hobson.

"Jennifer." Phoebe whispered underneath her breath. But her whisper was

still audible enough for Jennifer to hear.

"You know who I am? Right, I guess that you would. We can talk out here

before the police arrive or in the office. It's your call." Jennifer said

to Piper.

The Halliwells, Marissa, and Jennifer proceeded to the office. Jennifer

closed the door behind them.

Phoebe's eyes fixed on Garrett. However, Piper's eyes locked with

Jennifer's eyes.

"I know who you are and that you have something to do with Gary's

disappearance. You're going to tell me where he is and you're going to tell

me now!" Jennifer demanded from Piper.

Chapter Forty-Two

Quentin stared at his reflection in the mirror, the face staring back at him unrecognizable through his pain. Migraines. Migraines must be the scourge inflicted upon people leading high-pressured lives. He was certainly no stranger to these torturous pounding headaches. Ever since college, migraines had tormented him. But they had never been this bad...not until recently. Sometimes he felt as if he wasn't himself. And this memory loss. He had no time for that. He removed a bottle of pills from the medicine cabinet. Unscrewing the lid, he poured two tablets into his palm then popped the pills into his mouth.

Hobson's wife was a problem, but she wasn't a problem that couldn't be..."handled." She was a woman after all and there was no woman that he had ever met that he couldn't bend to his will. Sure she was feisty, but that would be her undoing. He was putting the final stages of his plan into motion. There was no way that he was going to allow some woman, a two- bit actress, to stop him.

But these headaches...if only they would end. Quentin stared at the mirror once again. Perhaps he should accelerate his plan, not wait any longer. Perhaps he should do what he came to do tonight. With a determined smile, he left the bathroom. He proceeded to the living room and glanced at the item on the coffee table. He picked up the object and placed it in his suit jacket pocket before leaving the penthouse.

* * * * * *

The Book of Shadows never offered a spell to deal with an innocent's angered wife.

Jennifer cradled Garrett in her arms as her icy gaze oscillated between Piper and Phoebe. The "Charmed" sisters exchanged conspiratorial looks. Maybe it was time that they told Jennifer everything. What other choice did they have?

"Well? I know that you two had something to do with Gary's disappearance. I want to know where he is and I want to know now!" Jennifer demanded.

A brief silence.

"You can tell me or you can tell the police. And you just better pray that you haven't hurt him."

Piper briefly looked at Marissa before speaking. "You're right. We did have something to do with Gary's disappearance, but it's not what you're thinking."

Jennifer could feel the bile rising in her stomach. "It's not? You didn't arrange for Gary to be abducted?"

"We didn't arrange for Gary to be abducted. It just kind of happened." Phoebe interjected.

"How does someone 'just kind of get abducted'?" Jennifer demanded.

Piper swallowed hard. "I know that this is going to sound strange, Jennifer, but you need to listen and to believe me. Gary's life and your son's life may depend on it. Phoebe, our sister Paige, and I...we...we're witches. We're called 'The Charmed Ones' and we're charged with vanquishing demons and protecting innocents. A few days ago, Phoebe had a premonition about Gary. In her premonition she saw him lying on the pavement outside of McGinty's. He was covered in blood and Marissa was crying over his body.

I came to Chicago to protect him while Phoebe and Paige stayed in California trying to figure out what was after him. When I met him I couldn't come out and tell him the truth because I knew that he wouldn't believe me. But I also couldn't leave him unprotected so I made up a story about needing his advice because I wanted to open a club here in Chicago. And Phoebe and Paige came here and got jobs at McGinty's to help me watch over him. We had Leo with us just in case he needed...special attention. Leo is my husband and he's also our 'White Lighter' which is a guardian angel with healing powers. At first we didn't know what was after him, but we learned later that it's an invisible demon named Npu who wants Gary dead so he can possess his soul."

"Actually, we thought that Npu wanted to possess Gary's soul, but we learned later that the demon is really after Garrett. My boyfriend Cole is the one who took Gary away from McGinty's. Cole may not have used the best methods, but he did what he did to save Gary's life just as we all want to save both your husband and son's lives." Phoebe added.

A brief, yet excruciating silence.

"You expect me to believe that crazy story?! I want to know where Gary is and I want to know now!"

* * * * * *

Gary couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the figure that now stood in place of the

glow.

"Jeremiah." He whispered.







Chapter Forty-Three

He fought back a wave of vertigo and nausea as he slowly and deliberately

negotiated each rung of the ladder that served as a makeshift bridge

connecting to a nearby roof. He held his breath as if the mere act of

breathing would destroy his concentration and cause him to fall to his

death. Even as a child heights had been a fearful demon for him. Over the

years he had been forced to confront the demon and had been successful to a

certain extent, but the demon was always there; it always shadowed him. And

even now, the power that it had over him sometimes made him feel like a

little boy once again.

He reached the other side and removed The Paper from the back pocket of his

jeans. The headline still screamed the impending tragedy- "Apartment Fire

Kills One." Defiantly, he told Jeremiah to put the boot in his pocket and

resolved to talk Jeremiah across the ladder. He could see that Jeremiah was

jumpy, but he was determined that his words would instill the guy with the

confidence needed to make it across. Slowly. Very slowly. One rung at a

time. Slowly. Don't look down. Look at me. Don't you look down.

Jeremiah was almost across the ladder when Jeremiah began to slip. He

grabbed Jeremiah's hand and implored Jeremiah to hold on, but Jeremiah said

that he couldn't. He watched in horror as Jeremiah plummeted to his death.

Later, he wouldn't even remember Jeremiah's name.

Gary stared at Jeremiah with wide-eyed amazement. Jeremiah looked exactly

as he remembered from that day on the roof. In his hand, Jeremiah clung

tightly to his boot. But there was something written on Jeremiah's face and

something in Jeremiah's eyes, something that he couldn't read.

"Jeremiah." He said.

No answer.

"Jeremiah, I'm...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said softly, his voice

pleading for understanding.

Jeremiah appeared to study him intently.

A brief silence.

"Death." Jeremiah whispered into the wind, the word eerily foreboding and

taken hostage in the air of this strange place.

"I'm sorry, Jeremiah. I'm sorry that I...that I let you die. I'm sorry."

Gary repeated.

"No. Death. Soon. Very soon." Jeremiah said adamantly.

Gary felt a terrifying chill as the realization hit him. Jeremiah wasn't

referring to his own death, but was talking about a death in the future.

"Death? Whose death, Jeremiah?! Whose death?!" He asked alarmed.

"Death. Soon. Very soon." Jeremiah repeated as his spirit began to fade.

"No, Jeremiah! Wait, please! Whose death, Jeremiah?! Whose death?!"

"Death. Very soon." Jeremiah insisted.

Then the spirit of Jeremiah was gone.

Gary's heart was pounding. Turning to Leo, he said, "Why are you doing this

to me, huh? Is this some kind of weird test before I get to meet your

elders? What did he mean about death very soon?! What did he mean?!"

"This isn't a test, Gary. Neither I nor the elders have nothing to do with

what you have seen so far. What you have seen is what your heart has needed

to see."

Gary looked around. "What is this place anyway?"

"It's a gateway, a bridge between two worlds." Leo replied.

"A bridge between two worlds? I don't...I don't understand."

"Come on, it's time to go to the elders." Was Leo's response.

Instinctively, Gary reached in the back pocket of his jeans for The Paper

only to discover that The Paper was gone.



* * * * * *

"You know, that was a pretty crazy stunt that you pulled kidnapping Gary. I

thought that Piper and Phoebe were going to have a cow when they found out

what you had done." Paige remarked to Cole.

"Everyone seems to be forgetting that I'm the one who found out about Npu in

the first place and that I saved Gary's life while Leo has been running

around chasing his tail." Cole argued.

A brief silence.

"Do you think that Gary will be okay? I mean, you know, up there with the

elders? You don't really think that they will be angry that he came to see

them without first asking permission do you?" Paige inquired.

"I couldn't say. That's not exactly a question that Belthazor ever had to

consider." He reminded her.

"Meow."

Paige followed the sound that emanated from a far corner of the room. She

proceeded to where the cat was sitting on top of a newspaper.

"Hey, where did you come from?" She asked Cat.

"Meow."

Paige bent over and removed The Paper from underneath Cat. She picked up

The Paper and stared at it curiously.

"How odd."

"What?"

"This newspaper. It has tomorrow's date." Paige explained. Paige opened

The Paper.

"My God!" She gasped.

"What is it?"

Paige eyes widened in shock when she saw the headline on page 3- "Local

Actress and Infant Son Killed At McGinty's."

Chapter Forty-Four

Paige Matthews had always been a restless spirit, a girl who rejected

convention because it strangled her individuality. Her mantra was that rules

were meant to be broken. Life was too short to follow the rhythm of others'

rules. Consequently, as a teen, she smoked, drank,partied and lied to her

adoptive parents as often as she could. She lived life with no thought of

tomorrow. Tomorrow didn't exist. While others might view tomorrow as hope,

for her, tomorrow represented the possibility of unfulfilled dreams and

overwhelming regret. She wouldn't worry about the future. She was arrogant

and impatient. Paige worshipped instant gratification with little

consideration for the welfare of others.

Then one day she became a "Charmed One" and all the rules changed.

The novice witch stared at the telling headline as shock washed over her.

"Paige, what is it?" Cole asked.

She was momentarily rendered speechless. But she quickly composed herself.

"This...this newspaper. It says that Jennifer and Garrett were killed at

McGinty's. She didn't even wait for Cole's response before reading the

story. "Local Actress and Infant Son Killed At McGinty's. Late last night, the

bodies of Jennifer Metcalf, a local television actress, and her infant son,

Garrett, were discovered in a loft at McGinty's, a bar located at Franklin

and Illinois. Metcalf, a popular television actress, starred as Alexandra

Carrington in the hit show 'When Lovers Meet In Chicago' filmed right in

Chicago . Ms. Metcalf was also married to Gary Hobson, the owner of the bar

where the bodies were found. Hobson was acquitted last year of the

aggravated assault of freelance photographer Steven Rosengardo. Details are

still sketchy, but initial reports list the cause of the deaths as

strangulation. Investigators noted that there was no sign of forced entry.

The deaths are being ruled as homicide. Police are looking to question Mr.

Hobson regarding the deaths of his wife and son, but his whereabouts remain

unknown."

Paige let out a frustrated breath. "This newspaper is making it seem as if

Gary murdered Jennifer and Garrett." A sudden thought occurred to Paige.

"Wait a minute. This newspaper can't be true. Gary said that Jennifer and

Garrett were out of town so they can't be dead. This paper has to be some

sort of evil trick, maybe something conjured by a demon or a wizard."

"May I see the paper?" Cole requested.

Paige flashed him a puzzled look before handing him the newspaper. Cole

studied the paper for a moment, his gaze focused and determined."

"There are wizards who have been known to utilize their own magic in their

power struggles against demons and other wizards. There were even a few

wizards who thought that they could go up against Belthazor. Of course,

Belthazor made sure that they were..well, that they were 'dealt with'

appropriately. But this paper doesn't have an evil aura." Cole explained.

"You can tell whether the paper has an evil aura just holding it? How?

You're not even a demon anymore?"

Cole offered a shy smile. "Just because a guy is no longer a demon doesn't

mean that he's forgotten what was in his blood for over a century. And in

my opinion, this paper was molded by the hand of good. It's like Phoebe's

premonitions. It's a warning of what will happen in the future unless the

event is changed."

"But where did it come from? Where did this cat come from?" Paige asked.

"Meow."

Paige didn't wait for an answer to her question. She walked a short

distance away from Cole, her back towards him. Turning back around, she

said, "Okay, newspapers usually report on the news that happened the day

before, right? So that means that Jennifer and Garrett must be back in

Chicago and Gary didn't know it and they are going to be killed late

tonight. The paper didn't say when the murders would take place and there

was no sign of forced entry according to the paper. Cole, I think that Npu

possessed the body of someone who Jennifer knew, she let the person in, and

then she and Garrett were strangled by that person. We need to get to

McGinty's. We need to let Piper and Phoebe know what's going on so we can

protect Jennifer and Garrett."

"Do you want me to call a cab or do you want to orb us there?"

Paige looked at Cole, the expression on her face a mixture of impatience and

annoyance. "I'm a 'Charmed One' and I have the power to orb, so we're going

to orb. The paper didn't let us know when Jennifer and Garrett would be

killed. For all we know, it could be soon and the person who wrote the

story indicated late last night because that was the only information they

had. Piper and Phoebe are already at McGinty's. Come on, we may not have

much time." With those words, Paige walked towards Cole. She wrapped her

arm around his. Tiny specks of light enveloped the room and in a second,

she and Cole were gone.

Chapter Forty-Five

There was a baby crying, his little lungs emitting a powerful wail that permeated the air. Maybe the little guy was hungry. Maybe he needed to be changed. Maybe he was cold and he craved the warmth of his mother's bosom to sustain him. His cry seemed tormented. It seemed desperate. The baby was in pain. Gary could tell from the intensity of the infant's cries. Why couldn't he reach the baby? Why couldn't he see him? But he could feel the baby. It was almost as if he could feel the baby's heartbeat pulsating eerily in sync with his own heartbeat. He sensed that the baby needed him.

"Can you hear that? I need to get to him." Gary announced to Leo. Gary couldn't understand why, but an overwhelming urge to hold and comfort this baby had gripped him. "The White Lighter" looked at Gary, but while Leo's expression was caring and sympathetic, it was also determined and unyielding. "No, you can't get to him. Not yet. It's not time yet." Leo said cryptically.

The cries suddenly stopped as if Leo's words had been carried in the air on a thread and had been heard by the mysterious infant.

Gary's heart was pounding. Here he was...where was he? He didn't really know. He thought that he was in heaven, but all Leo would confirm was that this place was a gateway, a bridge between two worlds. What did that mean anyway? A bridge between two worlds. Was it a bridge between the worlds of reality and fantasy? What was reality? He wasn't even sure if he knew the answer to that question anymore. One day he was a happily married man; well, he * believed* that he was a happily married man. A short time later, he was divorced, unemployed, and receiving a futuristic newspaper from a precocious feline. And he wasn't charged with simple saves. He has had to face life- threatening situations. As an additional wrinkle, he had also been forced to transcend the invisible portal between time and space to effectuate the demands of The Paper.

Time travel.

It was so "H.G. Wells". It was like an overdose of science fiction only it wasn't. Time travel had happened to him not just once but on three separate occasions. It was real not some notion induced by too much alcohol or bred by insanity. And he wasn't dreaming. 1871 was real; he had traveled to old Chicago during the time of the Great Fire. The beating that Daniel Sullivan's men had given him was real. And the fire and smoke in Mrs. O'Leary's barn was very real.

His trip to McGinty's basement to check the fuse box and coming up from the basement and opening the door to the 1920s was real. Unexplainable, but real. Prohibition, flappers, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre....all of it had been real and all of it had happened to him.

And 1946 River Run had been real. He had traded destinies with his "mirror image" and later found his own destiny in a Chicago television studio in his own time period.

Jennifer.

His dream had come true when their hearts had joined together so perfectly and so completely. The seed of their love was realized by the birth of their son, Garrett.

"Life and death are miracles. Sometimes, death isn't an ending, but a chance for a beginning. It's a chance for a new life. That's God's greatest blessing...Jennifer is a lot like Jeff. She's stubborn and headstrong, but there's a part of her that is like a scared little girl. And she was so scared of thunderstorms as a little girl, just like Jeff had been. I've watched over her and I've worried about her. And I was very happy when you two found

each other. Gary, you will need to be there for her to help you both face what you need to face next. It will be God's greatest test. You and Jennifer will need to hold on to your love for each other and to faith if you are to survive. Just remember that

things happen for a reason and even if you don't understand them at the

time, God always has a plan." Anne's words echoed forcefully in his brain.

What had Anne Metcalf meant about death being a chance at a new beginning? And what was this great test that Anne had alluded to, God's greatest test as she called it? Anne seemed adamant that it was something that he and Jennifer had to hold on to their love for each other and faith in order to survive.

Jeremiah kept ranting about death being very soon. Whose death? Why wouldn't Jeremiah tell him?

Witches. Ex-demon. Guardian angel. Invisible demon. God, his head was in competition with his pounding heart to see which organ would explode first! He wasn't sure why any of this was happening. But he was sure that he would do anything to save Garrett's life regardless of the risks to himself.

The answers to some of his questions were about to be revealed when Leo told him that they had arrived at their destination. He swallowed hard as his mud green eyes fixed on the sight before him.

Chapter Forty-Six

Just as quickly as he had started, Garrett had stopped crying. Jennifer

didn't know what had made her son cry so forcefully or why he had suddenly

stopped. But now he lay in her arms, in quiet reverence it seemed, his

little mud green eyes trained on her.

His stare unnerved her. She knew that he was attuned to her, but his gaze

also appeared eerily perceptive. To Jennifer, Garrett behaved as if he felt

her fear. He acted as if he knew that his daddy was in trouble.

What was keeping Chuck? She wondered. She tried to bluff these women with

her threat that the police were on their way and by implying that they could

make things easier on themselves if they returned Gary unharmed. Dad used

to say that one of the marks of a skilled trial attorney was the ability to

make his opponent believe that his case was stronger than it actually was.

It was the old "never let them see you sweat" as applied to the legal

profession. Mom would say that Dad could get a new case file the very

morning that he had to argue a crucial motion and could prepare his argument

on his way to the men's room. Dad always thought like a lawyer.

But she wasn't a lawyer. She was a wife and a mother who was frantic about

her husband's life in the hands of homicidal lunatics. Witches...the fact

that these women would weave so ridiculous a yarn to mask their criminal

intentions was evidence of their instability.

Come on, Chuck. Jennifer silently pleaded. Jennifer had decided that when

Chuck arrived, she would have him tell her what he did with the money then

she would offer these women a trade- the cash for Gary's safe return. She

fought back the persistent nagging voice that told her that there was no

guarantee that the women would return Gary even if they got their money back.

Granddad would tell her to have faith that everything would be okay. Then

Granddad would add that no matter how tough things got, a Metcalf never

backed down from a fight.

"Jennifer, I know that what we just told you sounds crazy, but it's the

truth. Piper and I are witches and we're here in Chicago to save Gary and

Garrett. You have to believe us." Phoebe said.

A brief silence.

Piper glanced at Marissa. From the moment that she met her, Piper could

tell that Marissa exuded genuineness, a honesty that was a rarity. There

was nothing "mystical" about Marissa, but Gram would probably marvel that

Marissa was a real life angel touched by a unique brand of goodness. Gram

would probably add that Marissa's blindness allowed her to "see" with her

heart without the clouded vision that the eyes often provided. Piper

remembered one of the things that Gram would always say: "Eyes see with

suspicion and cynicism while a heart sees without misconception." Piper

sensed that Jennifer had a lot of love and respect for Marissa. If she and

Phoebe were going to reach Jennifer and get her to believe them, they needed

to reach Marissa first.

"Marissa," Piper began,"I know that we haven't been completely honest with

you, but you and I have talked. You've heard how I've acted with Gary. I

know that you don't know me very well, but I can tell that you know how to

read people, their honesty. Do you really believe that I would do anything

to hurt Gary?"

Marissa looked at Piper with her sightless eyes as if she were reading the

depths of Piper's soul. Jennifer turned to face her friend in anticipation

of Marissa's response to Piper's query. Marissa hesitated briefly before

answering. "No."

"But...but Marissa...their story about being witches, you don't really

believe that?" Jennifer asked.

Before Marissa had a chance to respond, tiny specks of light enveloped the

room. A second later, Paige and Cole stood in place of the light.

"Oh My God!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Jennifer, what is it?" Marissa asked alarmed.

"Sorry to scare you, but there was no time to come through the door." Paige

said to Jennifer matter of factly.

"Paige? What is it? What happened?" Phoebe inquired.

Turning to Jennifer (who was rendered speechless), Paige said, "I'm Paige

and this is Cole. I'm Piper and Phoebe's sister and as you probably already

know, I'm a witch, too. And Cole's an ex-demon." Paige paused briefly

before continuing. She looked at Phoebe. "I came because of this." Paige

said holding up The Paper.

"A newspaper?" Piper remarked puzzled.

"It's not just a newspaper. It's tomorrow's newspaper. It showed up in our

hotel room with a cat. I don't know where it or the cat came from, but Cole

doesn't think that it's an evil trick." Paige explained.

Jennifer stood then, dazed. She glanced at Garrett. The baby had fallen

asleep in her arms despite the turmoil swirling around him.

The Paper...they have Gary's paper! Jennifer's heart was pounding

forcefully in her chest.

"What have you done to Gary?" Jennifer demanded.

"Gary is fine. But you and Garrett aren't." Paige said to Jennifer. She

opened The Paper, turning the page to the telling headline for Jennifer to

see. "You and your son are going to die unless you let us help you."

Chapter Forty-Seven

Jennifer stared at the telling headline, her mortality staring back at her. No one is ever prepared to accept the Grim Reaper's cold hand. And there is little solace when one's death is foretold in a futuristic newspaper, a morbid prophecy with chilling accuracy. But it wasn't just the fact of seeing her death predicted in The Paper that had unnerved her. The Paper also revealed that Garrett was going to die. Perhaps Heaven desired a baby's soul, innocent and unblemished by societal cruelties, to add to its roster of angels.

She glanced at her sleeping son in her arms. Garrett seemed so peaceful and oblivious to his fate. She had been raised on unwavering faith and instilled with the belief that God's plan should never be questioned. Yet, at this moment, she was questioning this plan and any fear that she had regarding her own death was supplanted by the fear and anger she felt thinking about Garrett's death. He was almost seven weeks old. He hadn't even experienced life. Why would he now have to experience death? It wasn't fair.

She had felt that way before, cursing the unfairness of The Paper in predicting the death of the people that she loved. She would never forget the time during her engagement. It was supposed to be the happiest time of her life, a time of love and new beginnings. Instead, she worried that all of her dreams of a life with the man that she loved were about to go up in smoke. The Paper had a story about an

abandoned building collapse where Granddad, Chuck, and Bernie were going to be the tragic victims. Gary had rushed to the building to save them. When she learned from Grandmom about the story, she felt a pang in her chest. She was terrified that Gary would also die in the rescue effort and that she was going to lose two of the men that she loved with all of her heart- Gary and Granddad. She would never forget sitting in that cab flanked by Grandmom and Lois as they hurried to that building determined to save their men. They were trying to be strong for her, but she could see the fear etched on their faces. When they arrived at the building and she heard the boisterous music and saw the bevy of women dressed in cat costumes and wrapped around the men, she couldn't believe her eyes. She was angry and hurt when she realized that the devastating headline had just been some elaborate rouse orchestrated by Chuck, Granddad, and Bernie to lure Gary to the building for his bachelor party. She thought that she would never forgive Granddad for his part in this scheme. Granddad had lived Gary's life when he was sent to the future. How could he have felt that The Paper was something to play with like that?

She did forgive him and learned how to trust him again, but that was the day that Granddad had fallen off of the pedestal that she had placed him on ever since she was a little girl. Maybe she had been wrong to put him up there in the first place, but she loved, respected, and admired him so much. And in feeling such intensity of emotions for him, she had seen him as her role model and her guardian angel. She had forgotten that he was a human being capable of making terrible mistakes. Why did the road to forgiveness have to be paved by such great pain?

When she fell in love with Gary Hobson and vowed to share his life, she knew that marrying him would be about more than being his wife and the mother of his children. She had also vowed to share his burden with The Paper and in helping to ease that burden anyway that she could. She had vowed to nourish his soul and help him battle the cobwebs of guilt and failure that often entangled him and caused him to scream out in the night tortured by nightmares about those people that he had failed to save. She would hold him tightly, as his heart was pounding and his body was drenched with sweat. She would caress him with her touch and her words. She had vowed to help give him the strength to go on each day and to do what he needed to do. She knew that it was a Herculean burden that Gary carried each day as a phantom of mercy saving people.

But reading about the tragedies of strangers was one thing, seeing stories in The Paper about the death of family and friends was another thing far more gripping. Gary had told her about the times when he had to prevent Marissa and Chuck's deaths. Failure was not an option then because he knew that if he failed, if they died, a part of him would die, too.

Gary would never allow his wife and son to die if he could save them. Her inner voice challenged.

If he could save them.

But he can't.

He isn't here which means that he...

"Jennifer, you have to believe us and let us help you. It's the only way that we can save you and Garrett." Paige insisted breaking the eerie silence that had engulfed the room.

"Where is Gary?! What have you done with him?! Why isn't he here?!" Jennifer said, the force in her voice bred from her fear.

"The Charmed Ones" exchanged worried looks. "Gary is...Gary just can't be here right now. Let us help you and Garrett. Please." Phoebe pleaded.

"Why can't he be here?! Where is Gary?!" Jennifer reiterated.

"Let's just say that Gary is, well, Gary is not of this earth at the moment." Cole interjected.

Jennifer's face grew ashen. "Not of this earth? What does that mean? What are you saying? Are...are you saying that...that Gary is dead?!"

Chapter Forty-Eight

The car pulled up to the curb, its violently screeching wheels burning the pavement with hostility. There was something haunting, frightening, and chillingly foreboding about the manic way that car had arrived at McGinty's.

Chuck emerged from the vehicle. He glanced at the car for a moment then smiled. Fast cars and fast women...there was nothing comparable to them. Each was wickedly exciting, undisciplined, and untamed. They presented a thrilling challenge, an aphrodisiac that fed his ego. He loved breaking in a fast car. And he loved bending a woman to his will especially when the woman was feisty and independent. Those kinds of women offered the sweetest pleasure when conquered.

Who did Jennifer think that she was calling him and demanding his presence? He wasn't some junk yard dog trained to beg at her feet and jump through hoops. If Gary enjoyed that kind of treatment, that was his business, but he wasn't about to take that from her. Perhaps the studio bosses permitted her prima donna antics and her daddy had raised a spoiled, self-absorbed woman, but such behavior was going to be her undoing. And he had big plans for his godson, for Garrett, and no one was going to stand in his way, not even the baby's parents. With a satisfied smile, Chuck entered McGinty's.

* * * * * *

The silence was deafening. It was a palpable hush that possessed its own brand of mystique...fear, of course; confusion, probably; doom, maybe. But silence was powerful only because it had the potential to secure a stronghold in the brain by allowing tormented thoughts to run rampant. The imagination, galloping unencumbered like a rebellious filly exploring uncharted terrain, was a terrifying proposition. Horrible thoughts rising from the pit of the stomach and left to simmer in the mind could destroy a person.

"Answer me! Is...is Gary dead?!" Jennifer repeated angrily, her voice choked by emotion.

Surprisingly, his mother's loud and frightened voice only caused Garrett to stir slightly in her arms. Instinctively, she gently rocked her son back and forth even as her own heart felt as if it had been shattered into a million pieces.

Marissa seemed equally frightened and lost.

"No, Jennifer. No. Gary isn't dead." Piper reassured.

"Then what did he mean that Gary is not of this earth at this moment? And he...him...that guy...demon...you're Cole Turner. You're the one who abducted Gary!" Jennifer rambled.

Cole flashed a shy smile. "Guilty as charged. But you have to understand. I did it for his own good. I saved his life. You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you?!"

"Look, we're wasting time here. Jennifer, you have to believe us. This paper, where ever it came from, says that you and Garrett are going to die here tonight. We need to get the two of you out of here." Paige insisted.

"Paige is right." Phoebe chimed. "Where Gary is...it's complicated, but I promise you, that we'll explain everything once we get you and your son to someplace safe. You and Garrett are innocents. We have to protect you."

"Jennifer, Npu is probably behind what that paper says about your deaths. It's not safe for you and Garrett to be here. Gary saved my life. I won't allow anything to happen to his wife and his son." Piper echoed.

Just then Chuck entered the office. "So what's the big emergency?" He asked Jennifer, his tone laced with annoyance. "Ah...there's my godson." Chuck gushed, his voce softer. "Come to Uncle Chuck." He reached for Garrett.

Jennifer was momentarily surprised by Chuck's overwhelming interest in holding Garrett. Usually, Chuck complained that every time he went to hold Garrett, Garrett intentionally "showered" him. Gary had told her about Chuck's aversion to babies' "fluids".

Nonetheless, she handed her son over to his godfather.

"You're such a cute little fellow, aren't you?" Chuck cooed.

Garrett opened his eyes. He stared at Chuck, his little mud green eyes seemingly glazed with panic. Suddenly, Garrett let out a piercing wail that flooded the room.

Jennifer reached for Garrett. Chuck appeared hesitant about turning the back over to her. Once Garrett was back in Jennifer's arms, he immediately stopped crying.

Piper studied Chuck intently. A moment later, and without warning, she raised her hands freezing the producer.

"Piper, why did you do that?" Phoebe questioned.

"We need to get Jennifer and Garrett out of here...Now!" Piper insisted.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Because that man isn't Chuck." Piper revealed.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Fate had changed the rules without warning. And that wasn't fair.

Piper had been born the middle sister and it was a position that she expected to retain until her dying day. She harbored no resentment about being in the position, no "sister envy" towards older sister Prue that caused her to offer a demented chant of "Prue, Prue, Prue" and propel her to dye her hair blond so that she could be distinguished from her siblings. Prue was the confident and focused older sister who always had a plan. Phoebe was the rebellious, spirited younger sister who challenged authority and lived her life on the edge. And she was the peacemaker, middle sister, Ms. Neutrality, The Hague, called upon as a mediator to settle squabbles. Growing up there was more brewing at Halliwell manor that spells; tensions and jealousies percolated and it took a level-head to preserve order. Of course, the Halliwell sisters knew nothing of their 'Charmed" destiny because Gram had bound their powers until they reached adulthood. They were just three strong-willed sisters dealing with the conflicts that all sisters faced. Becoming "Charmed Ones" didn't make the conflicts disappear. It just made the stakes higher- balancing their lives against the backdrop of protecting innocents and vanquishing demons.

Then, in one moment it seemed, Prue was killed and she and Phoebe discovered that they had a long lost younger sister. Everything changed forever. The rebellious younger sister who had drifted through life challenging authority and trying to discover herself became the middle sister. A new younger sister, hungry to assert her independence and determined to push the envelope, moved into the manor. And the middle sister was now the oldest sister, the one expected to have all the answers in the never-ending battle of good versus evil. Except she didn't. Phoebe and Paige were looking to her for guidance when all she had were gut instincts. Somehow she had to make that be enough.

"We need to get Jennifer and Garrett out of here...Now!" Piper insisted.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Because that man isn't Chuck." Piper revealed.

Phoebe and Paige exchanged puzzled looks. Jennifer was surprisingly silent. She held Garrett close to her bosom and she tried not to surrender to her fear. She had to keep herself from falling apart, for Garrett, for Gary; yes, as strange as this whole thing sounded, witches and demons, and as uncertain as she was about trusting these women, she knew one thing- Gary wasn't dead. Even when her heart sank and she had asked that question, she waited for her body to confirm her husband's death, but it didn't. She could feel Gary. Wherever he was at this moment, she could still feel him. And he was alive.

"How can you be sure?" Phoebe asked.

"Do you sense an aura of evil? Do you think that Npu has done his psycho body snatching thing?" Paige chimed.

"Yes, I do have a strong feeling. Maybe being married to a 'White Lighter' has helped me detect that demonic energy that Leo talked about. But I know that this man isn't Chuck. I only met Chuck once . He was arrogant and self-centered, but not cruel. There's something in this guy's eyes, a cruelty. I can see it. And this is going to sound strange, but I think that Garrett saw it, too. That's why he started crying the way he did."

Jennifer stared at the frozen man as realization began to set in. "Chuck...he...he has never asked to hold Garrett before. I know that he loves him, but Chuck is very uncomfortable around babies. And...and he...Chuck...this demon...he acted like he was desperate to hold Garrett and that he didn't want to give him back to me. My God!"

"Now do you believe us?" Paige asked.

A brief silence.

"Yes." Jennifer whispered.

Piper turned to face her sisters. "This is what I need for you two to do." She began. "Paige, you orb Jennifer, Garrett, and Marissa back to the hotel. Phoebe, you and Cole go into the bar. If I need you, I'll yell."

"What are you going to do?" Phoebe questioned.

"I'm going to set a trap for Npu." Piper revealed. "Now, Go!"

Paige had no idea what Piper had planned, but she trusted her sister. "I'm going to hold on to the both of you and then we're going to sorta disappear. It might feel strange, but I promise that you'll be okay." Paige explained to Jennifer and Marissa.

Jennifer was visibly frightened as was Marissa, but both women held on to Paige. Tiny specks of light enveloped the room. A moment later, Paige, Jennifer, Garrett, and Marissa were gone.

"Piper, what are you going to do?" Phoebe asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I don't have time to explain now. You and Cole go into the bar. If I need you, I'll call."

"But Npu...what if he tries to kill you? Paige isn't here. We don't have the power of three."

"I'll be fine, Phoebe. Now you and Cole get out of here."

Phoebe flashed her sister one last worried look before she and Cole left the office.

Piper took a deep breath. She raised her hands to unfreeze Chuck. One thing that Piper had always been grateful for is that the people who have been placed under her freezing power didn't seem to realize how much time had elapsed.

"Wonder why Garrett became so fussy all of the sudden? It's a good thing that Jennifer took him upstairs to put him to bed. Gives us a chance to talk. I'm been seriously thinking about what you said." Piper began.

"What I said?"

"Yes. And Chuck I've decided to take you up on your offer."

Chapter Fifty

There were no harps playing. Why? Weren't there supposed to be harps playing some melodious tune that tickled the senses and bathed the body with serenity? He remembered Mom telling him a story when he was a little boy about heaven where angels played harps. He remembered the story so well. Heaven...a garden, glorious. Angels dressed in white, pure silk maybe, spun on a golden loom, the material so precious and diaphanous covering their human forms. How appropriate that the clothing should be clear now that they had been stripped of earthly prejudices and inhibitions.

Was he supposed to remove his shoes or something as he walked on holy ground? He wondered but he couldn't remember. And would he even be allowed to gaze into the faces of the elders? Would they even have faces, look like men? Was he supposed to bring them something, an offering, to show his humility? What was the protocol when seeking an audience with elders and pleading for help in saving his son's life? He had nothing to offer them except maybe his watch. Ticking. Ticking. The ticking seemed louder than usual, manic almost. But what good was a watch in a place where time didn't matter, where time was irrelevant?

Heaven.

But this place wasn't heaven. He knew that much...right? Yet, at this moment, none of this made any sense his mind had repeated once again. But he was grateful that Jennifer and Garrett were in River Run. When Jennifer learned of Linda's illness and he insisted that she and Garrett go to River Run to be with her family during their ordeal, his heart ached over his selfless act. He blinked back his tears as he watched her and Garrett leave the waiting area in the airport for the plane. And that night, lying in his bed, his hand gently caressed her side of the bed as he felt the pang in his chest. God, he missed her so much! How had he been able to sleep all those nights before he met her? How had he been able to sleep without inhaling her scent and feeling the warmth of her body embracing him? He was so lost without her.

But now he was very grateful. She and Garrett were safe far away in River Run. They were far away from the danger. The elders would help him. They had to. And he would be able to defeat this threat, this Npu, and he, Jennifer, and Garrett would be able to continue leading normal lives. Well, as normal a life one could lead with advance knowledge of the future foretold in an early edition. He vowed never to tell Jennifer about any of this. He hated keeping secrets from her, but hearing about witches and demons and sinister plots to destroy their son was something that needed to remain buried. And maybe, if The Paper permitted it, when she returned home, he would ask Mom and Dad to babysit Garrett for a night and he and Jennifer would book a room at the Hilton. Perhaps they would even been able to get the Honeymoon Suite with that heart-shaped bed and sizzling Jacuzzi. He smiled briefly despite his anxiety as pleasant memories were stirred.

But then he felt a gentle tap on his arm. "Are you ready?" Leo asked softly. He swallowed hard even as he felt the lump forming in his throat. He nodded.

They stopped walking. Apparently, they had arrived where they needed to be. In the immediate distance, Gary saw two white marble, stone pillars. The pillars flanked a long, white marble bench. Seated at the bench were three older men dressed in long, white robes. The men seemed like monks from some order that was unfamiliar to him. Their faces were careworn and not very friendly.

"Gary Hobson." The man in the middle bellowed, his tone as condemning as a judge ready to pass sentence.

Oh Boy.

His mouth was dry; his palms felt sweaty. Should he drop to his knees to show respect? He wasn't sure.

"Yes, sir." He answered with reverence peppering his words.

The elders glanced at each other. One elder leaned over to his brethren and whispered something in the man's ear. Then the second elder shared the information with the third elder like some well-planned conspiracy or a domino of doom. All three elders fixed their gaze upon Gary, the power of their stares seemingly reading directly into his soul.

Oh Boy.

He turned briefly to look at Leo hoping to see reassurance on the "White Lighter's" face. Instead, the expression on Leo's face revealed concern.

"You were not summoned by us. No mortal has ever dared to seek our counsel before without permission." The first elder reminded in an ominous tone.

Oh Boy.

He flinched. This whole scene was like something right out of a movie except that it was very real. He almost expected to see the collective group point their fingers at him before summoning a ball of flames or some other form of destruction upon him as punishment.

They are men of good, of mercy. They'll help you. His inner voice offered encouragingly.

"Sirs, I...I came because..."

"We know why you're here. This is about your son. And about choice. Are you ready to make a choice, Gary?"

"A choice?"

"Yes. Your son's life or the life of someone else that you will love. The choice is yours."

Chapter Fifty-One

The memory gnawed at his gut, vigilant and hungry for recognition. He would

never forget it.

* * * * * *

"Mr. Hobson, I'm Dr. Dangelo." Dr. Anthony William Dangelo introduced.

"My wife?" Gary asked.

"We've stabilized her."

"And the baby?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Hobson. Your wife took a bad fall and

we're concerned about stress on the fetus. It is the opinion of the medical

team assigned to your wife's case that if we don't perform an emergency C

section immediately, we'll lose them both."

A brief, yet excruciating silence.

"Mr. Hobson, I need for you to sign a release giving us permission for the

surgery. The nurse at the front desk will show you the paperwork you need to

sign." Dr. Dangelo paused briefly before continuing. "And Mr. Hobson, I have

to ask. If we can only save one......."

"Jennifer." Gary whispered his answer. His heart ached fearing that he had

just signed his child's death warrant.

* * * * * *

He had made his choice then. Fate had asked him to play Russian roulette

with the lives of two people that he loved with all of his heart- The soul

mate he never thought that he would find and the child that he had always

wanted. An unfair choice. A horrible choice. But he made it telling the

doctor that day that if only one life could be saved, he couldn't lose

Jennifer. Wandering the hospital corridor, he was like a displaced phantom,

an unwanted ghost longing for his spirit to find rest from his torment where

no rest would come. Even in his dazed and despondent state the chapel had

called out to him, had embraced him. He didn't know how to pray, not

really; maybe his cynicism had made him blind to the strength of faith. It

was Marissa who had appeared in the chapel, told him that God was listening,

and showed him how to pray imploring the words that lived within the depths

of his heart. They held hands and prayed. A short while later, the

Metcalfs and Hobsons appeared in the chapel and all assembled had united in

their fear and love for a heartfelt prayer for Jennifer and the unborn child

that they all loved so much already.

And God heard them.

Little Garrett Jeffrey Hobson had fought his way into this world. But

someone had been watching over him.

Maybe even now.

But he couldn't rid himself of the whisperings of doom that had invaded his

brain like some determined conqueror. Jeremiah alluded to a death being

soon. Anne Metcalf talked about he and Jennifer needing to hold on to their

love for each other and their faith if they were to survive some kind of

"test" that God had planned for them. While Jeremiah talked about the

present, he sensed that Anne was referring to the future. Except he had no

idea when or where this test would take place and somehow he suspected that

The Paper would be involved.

But what were these elders talking about? Were they referring to the test

that Anne felt adamant that would confront him and Jennifer or were they

referring to something else?

"My son's life or the life of someone else that I will love? I...I don't

understand."

"Life is about choice and accepting the consequences of one's choice. The

choice between good and evil is the greatest choice that man must face.

Evil is seductive because of its promise of unlimited power. Evil feeds on

the soul of the innocent, the misguided, and it's a meal that is the most

satisfying." The first elder explained.

Gary's fears were mingled with impatience. Here he was seeking answers

about how to protect his son and he was being given a morality lesson.

"I understand about choice." Gary said simply.

"We know that you do." The second elder responded knowingly. "But do you

understand about consequences? About loss? About grief? How those things

can grip a good man and lure him into evil? But you have the power. And

you have the choice."

Great, more riddles. Gary's inner voice murmured sarcastically.

"I will not lose my son." Gary vowed.

Once again, the first elder whispered something in the second elder's ear.

Then the second elder shared that knowledge with the third elder. The three

elder briefly exchanged looks then nodded.

"Then Garrett will not die. You have made your choice."

"But...but this demon...this Npu...how do I..."

"Npu hungers for the soul of an innocent. Evil hungers for the soul of an

innocent. Death is impatient. It is always impatient. Sometimes it waits

and watches. And becomes part of a choice." The third offered cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Gary asked.

"'The Charmed Ones' will help, but they need you. They need to know your

choice. And you need to prepare to accept the consequences of your choice.

We can do nothing for you."

"But." Was all Gary managed to say.

"We can do nothing for you." The elders repeated in unison. A surreal

light enveloped the elders. A moment later, the elders had vanished.

And somewhere in the distance, Gary heard a baby's desperate cries.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Maybe this was what time travel felt like as the body surrendered to the gravitational pull of forces beyond its control. She would have to ask Gary when she saw him. She realized that she had never asked her husband about what it felt like to transcend the invisible portal between time and space.

It was clear that Garrett was unhappy as his piercing wail flooded the room. Perhaps it was all of the sensations, the intense light and floating feeling, strange and deliberate, that had shocked his little system into turmoil. Garrett's desperate cries had tunneled through the millisecond of darkness and had emerged strong and powerful in the hotel room at the Hilton.

Surprisingly, Marissa was very calm. Maybe blindness had offered her a

distinctive advantage over Jennifer and Garrett. Marissa lived in a world of darkness, a world where the light only existed in her imagination and perhaps in a long buried childhood memory before Fate had stripped of her sight. The light also existed in her heart where she allowed her faith to be a constant touchstone. A long time ago Marissa had learned how to embrace intense sensations as a blessing; the smells and sights around her soothed her and provided definition to a sightless existence.

Cat had come out from his peaceful sanctuary underneath the bed and

proceeded to where Jennifer was standing. Cat looked up at Jennifer,

appeared as if he were studying her, before he offered a reassuring meow.

Then Cat rubbed his fur against her leg appreciatively. Cat seemed very

happy to see her.

Jennifer exchanged a glance at Cat as she continued gently rocking Garrett back and forth. Garrett's little face was crinkled with displeasure. However, fortunately, his loud cry had turned into measured whimpers before the sound disappeared altogether. His mud green eyes, glazed with the remnants of tears from his heartache, gazed at his mother as if he wanted answers.

Jennifer wanted answers, too.

"Why do you two sit down on the bed?" Paige suggested to Jennifer and

Marissa.

Jennifer guided Marissa to the bed and the two women sat down. Marissa

asked Jennifer if she could hold Garrett. Jennifer obliged, handing her son over to his godmother. Marissa gently caressed the baby's face and sang hymns to him, her soft and melodious voice giving him solace. Garrett smiled gratefully.

A brief silence.

"Where is Gary?" Jennifer asked Paige, a question that she had demanded

answers to for what seemed like the thousandth time since this whole

nightmare had begun.

"Maybe we should wait for Piper and Phoebe to be here. All of us can

explain everything to you then." Paige replied.

"No! You've asked me to trust you. You've told me that my husband is fine, but that he's not of this earth. I don't know what that means. Gary could be hurt. He may need me. I don't want to wait anymore. I want to know where Gary is and I want to know it now!"

"Gary isn't hurt. But where he is it's...well, he's not the easily thing to explain. You trusted me to orb you, Marissa, and your son here Please, you're just going to have to trust us for a little while longer."

Another brief silence.

"You know, you're a very lucky woman to be married to a guy like Gary. He loves you so much. He's one guy that you don't ever have to worry about straying. I can't imagine any woman be able to tempt him." Paige remarked.

"That's right. You're Paige. You're the one who came into McGinty's 'to work' dressed in a skimpy outfit. Tell me, Paige, was your intention as you claim just to play a part in helping to protect my husband's life or did you figure that it might be fun to seduce him while you were at it?"

Paige let out a frustrated breath. "First of all, my outfit was very tasteful. Okay, so maybe it was a bit low cut in certain places and a little tight, but I didn't choose it to seduce Gary. I mean, it wouldn't have worked anyway. I could have walked in front of him completely nude and he still wouldn't have made a move on me."

"You could have...what?!"

"That didn't come out right, did it? What I meant to say was that I admit it that sometimes I like to flirt, but I don't mean anything by it. And it's flattering when a good-looking guy compliments my outfit. But I could have been wearing a sack as far as Gary was concerned." Paige paused briefly before continuing. "Look, Jennifer. You think that all of this is confusing. Witches. Demons. Ex-Demons. White Lighters. I felt the same way not too long ago. I was an only child and I was working in social services. Next thing I knew I had two sisters who were witches and I found out that I was a witch, too, that I was a "Charmed One". Do you think that it's easy accepting a destiny like that? And do you think that it is easy for Phoebe to get premonitions and knowing that we hold the lives of innocents in our hands? None of us expected Phoebe to get a premonition about a guy in Chicago. We have enough trying to protect the innocents in San Francisco. And for Phoebe not to see a demon in her premonition...we had no idea who or what was after Gary. All we knew was that it had to be a reason why Phoebe got the premonition about Gary in the first place. And it had to be a reason why Npu is determined to kill Garrett. There is something

special that Garrett will do in the future. That's why all of us- me,

Piper, Phoebe, and Cole are working so hard to keep Gary and Garrett alive."

"You said that a demon was after Gary and Garrett? And you think that the guy who was in McGinty's tonight, the guy with Chuck's face, was this demon?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes." Paige responded.

"How do you know that this demon, this Npu is working alone?"

"What do you mean?"

"Cole Turner. He's a ex-demon. How do you know that he's really good now?

How can you be sure that he's not working with Npu?" Jennifer questioned.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Piper took a deep breath. She raised her hands to unfreeze Chuck. One thing that Piper had always been grateful for is that the people who have been placed under her freezing power didn't seem to realize how much time had elapsed.

"Wonder why Garrett became so fussy all of the sudden? It's a good thing that Jennifer took him upstairs to put him to bed. Gives us a chance to talk. I'm been seriously thinking about what you said." Piper began.

"What I said?"

"Yes. And Chuck I've decided to take you up on your offer."

"My offer?"

"Yes. Remember? You said that you were a Hollywood Producer always scouting for new talent and that you thought that I had a look that would radiate onscreen. You told me that you were developing a few projects and that if I ever want to break into show business that I should give you a call and that you could help make me a star. I have to admit that I thought that you were just using a pickup line on me, but I know that you're Gary's best friend and he told me that you're a good guy. Besides, after Jennifer's latest career news, I got to thinking that maybe I could make it in show business. Maybe it's every girl's fantasy, you know, to be discovered. At the very least I didn't want to regret not giving it a try."

"Jennifer's latest news?" Chuck asked.

"Yes. She, Marissa, and I were talking about it earlier. Jennifer has been chosen for a small part in some independent film that will be shooting in California in a few days. From what she said it's a pretty dramatic role, too, and she's very excited about it. I imagine that the role will give her more of a chance to flex her acting muscles, prove to everyone in the industry that she can do more than just a romantic comedy. I think that as much as she loves her show, she's worried about getting pigeon-holed as an actress. Let's face it, 'When Lovers Meet In Chicago' is kind of like a soap opera and to be stuck with that label won't be easy for Jennifer to break into movies without getting typecast. This movie will help her. But the biggest thing that she's worried about now is how Gary will take the news. I mean, Garrett is less than two months old and she's going to be leaving him to do a movie." Piper explained.

"Wow. This is news. So Jennifer is going to shoot a movie huh? Why isn't she taking the baby with her? It seems strange that she would leave Garrett behind. She acts like she doesn't let that kid out of her sight for a second." Chuck remarked.

Okay, Halliwell. Make this sound good. Piper's inner voice encouraged.

"Well...um...I'm sure that she...she just doesn't want to leave her son with some studio nurse, have some stranger taking care of him in the trailer while she's on the set shooting her scenes. That doesn't sound like the best environment for a baby to me. I read somewhere that even very young babies are attuned to their surroundings. Garrett would probably be unhappy in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people. And I think that Jennifer would be miserable and probably not be able to focus on her work knowing that Garrett isn't happy. As much as she'd miss him and Gary while she's gone, she trusts Gary to take good care of their son. And Garrett would be much happier with his daddy than with strangers."

Chuck smiled. "Gary will love playing Mr. Mom. And the Hobsons and Marissa can help him. Heck, I can help out, too. After all, I am the godfather."

"I'm impressed, Chuck. A Hollywood producer who is comfortable around a young baby."

"I wasn't always good with babies, but I have to say that the little guy is rubbing off on me. He's such a cute little fellow. Looks just like Gary."

A brief silence.

"So when is Jennifer leaving for the West Coast?"

"I think that she said in two days."

"Two days. That's great. It'll give me time to organize my schedule. I want to be able to spend as much time with Garrett as I can, you know, so Gary won't get overwhelmed. This news couldn't have come at a better time. I think that Jennifer going away to shoot this movie will be the perfect chance for me to bond with my godson. In fact, I plan to use this time to make it a memorable experience for both Gary and Garrett."

Chapter Fifty-Four

Seated at a table in McGinty's and seemingly oblivious to the chatter of the

other customers, Phoebe stared intently at the closed office door. This was

one time that she wished that she had the power of x-ray vision to

supplement her arsenal of other magical blessings. Piper was in there

confronting an invisible demon who had taken possession of a man's body.

What if this possession meant that Chuck was no longer in control of his

actions and that he was helpless to fight against Npu's will? What if Npu

made his move now and attacked Piper? Piper wouldn't have the power of

three to help her. Phoebe knew that she couldn't survive losing another

sister. When Prue died, Piper had shut Phoebe out, hoarded grief and guilt

as if it were the elusive Holy Grail that she had uncovered. The Source may

have killed Prue, but it was Piper who acted as if her hands were stained

with her sister's blood.

Piper was shutting her out now, too. If only she had some idea of what

Piper's plan was for Npu then she could help her sister.

"You know, you're going to burn a hole right through that door." Cole

quipped from the seat next to Phoebe.

"I don't like this, Cole. Piper's in there alone with a demon."

"Npu won't hurt her." Cole reassured.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because killing a 'Charmed One' right now would upset his plan. He wants

Gary, but more importantly, he wants that baby dead." Cole explained.

"That's something that I still can't figure out. Why would a demon be so

afraid of an innocent little baby that he'd want to kill him?"

"Because Garrett is an innocent little baby. From what I learned when Leo

took me to the underworld, this baby is regarded in demonic circles as the

purest innocent. A seer foretold some very big things for this child in the

future, a tremendous shift in the balance of power between good and evil,

and that has a lot of demons running scared. If Npu can destroy this baby

then there will be scores of demon followers willing to align themselves

with him. Npu can install himself as the new Source and possibly acquire

unlimited power. He can destroy 'The Charmed Ones" once and for all and

unleash evil of such magnitude that this world has never seen."

"Great." Phoebe mumbled sarcastically. "But how is Garrett going to be

able to shift the balance of power between good and evil?"

"I don't know. Belthazor wasn't given the whole picture from the brethren."

A brief silence.

Phoebe flashed Cole a look. The ex-demon didn't miss the hidden meaning

captured in her gaze. "Phoebe, what is it? Are you mad at me?"

"No. No, I'm not mad. Okay, maybe I'm a little mad. You took a big chance

going to the underworld. If the demons had discovered that you were no

longer Belthazor, they would have killed you."

"But they didn't. And if I hadn't gone to the underworld, Gary probably

would have been dead now and so would his son."

"And how about your plan to kidnap him from McGinty's? Couldn't you have

thought of another way without scaring the poor guy to death?"

Cole laughed. "I admit it that when I came here and pretended to be a cop

it was fun watching Gary squirm."

"You thought that it was fun?!" Phoebe asked, her voice slightly raised.

"How could you say that? You slammed him against a wall, handcuffed and

abducted him, pointed a gun at him, and you thought that was fun?"

"Phoebe, I was Belthazor for over a century. I left behind a legacy of

evil. I did some unspeakable things as a demon, things that I'm not proud

of now that I'm completely human. But I'm not going to lie to you. It's

not that easy now following the rules all the time. Evil is like an

addiction. I gave it up cold turkey when you vanquished Belthazor. But

once in awhile, I do get a craving for it."

"That's just great, Cole. It's hard enough trying to convince my sisters

that I'm not nuts for loving an ex-demon, that you are on our side, without

you confessing that you crave evil. What are we going to do about that?"

Cole hesitated briefly before speaking. "Well, I do have a solution, a

cure, but only you can help me. I don't need the power of three."

"What is it? How can I help?" Phoebe asked.

"Marry me. Phoebe Halliwell, will you marry me?"

Chapter Fifty-Five

An impish breeze blew in from the silence and flirtatiously kissed the wisps of black hair that clung restlessly against his face. But like a preoccupied lover, he ignored the attention. He felt nothing. Just numbness. He came to this place for answers, but instead more questions confronted him. What was worse, fear, strong as a serpent, strangled him.

"It's time for us to go back, Gary." Leo informed him.

"No." He whispered. "No, it can't be time to go back. I still need to know...all your elders gave me were riddles. They didn't tell me how I could fight Npu, how I could save my son."

"They did tell you."

"What? By telling me that I had a choice between Garrett's life or the life of someone that I will love? By asking me if I know about grief and loss? Is that what you...you guardian angels, you 'White Lighters, do all day? Huh? Come up here for philosophical ramblings so you can go back down there and confuse your charges?!" Gary asked, his tone laced with anger.

"Innocents."

"Your innocents?! Or is this your elders' way of punishing me for not seeking permission before I came up here to speak with them?"

A brief silence.

Leo hesitated before responding to Gary's question. "The White Lighter" gazed into the tormented mud green eyes imploring answers. "Gary, I spoke to you about the risks before I agreed to bring you here. Things up here aren't always...they aren't always so cut and dry. The elders...the elders give assignments for us to protect innocents, but we aren't always given direction as to how we're supposed to do that. Sometimes, though, the answers lie deep within ourselves and we just need to find them. And answers, like decisions, sometimes come with consequences. That's what the elders meant by choice. You have a choice with every decision that you make and you have to be willing to accept the responsibility and the loss."

A chill ran down Gary's spine. "Accept the responsibility and the loss", those were the words that Lucius Snow said to him when he was lying battered in that abandoned carpet store. That day he made two choices: he chose to live and he chose to continue answering The Paper's call. After Jeremiah, more choices, more decisions haunted him and he had to reach deep within himself for his own mental and physical salvation. Frank Scanlon. Earl. Time traveling to 1946. No, the time travel wasn't his choice. But there were consequences that he faced when he decided that he wanted to remain in the past and live another man's life. And there were consequences when he returned to his own time period and kept the truth from Jennifer and his experiences with her grandparents. He almost lost her.

What was happening? A circle? Everything was turning around and around. Dizzying pace. He couldn't breathe. Responsibility and loss. Lucius Snow. Jeremiah. Anne Metcalf. Time travel. The past. The present. Death. The future. Jennifer.

Garrett.

And still no answers. Just questions.

"Is this a test? Were those...those men, elders...ah...were they the preliminary gatekeepers or something? I mean, there are other people, other elders I can talk to, right?" Gary asked his tone softer and more desperate.

Leo flashed him a sympathetic look. "No, those were the elders, the only elders that you were supposed to meet. And you were given the only answers that they could give you. Come on, it's time to go back." Leo said as he offered his hand to Gary.

Gary stared at the proffered hand. He hesitated for a moment before he reached out his own hand to take Leo's. Gary felt sick to his stomach as the mysterious light emanating from "The White Lighter" enveloped both of them. But it wasn't the strange light that had made him sick.

It was a choice that he had made and consequences that he didn't understand.

Yet.

Chapter Fifty-Six

It was a loaded question if ever she heard one. And what was the acceptable answer? Paige had asked herself similar questions since learning of Cole's demonic heritage and she still didn't know the answers. Has Cole been completely purged of his demonic tendencies? Was he now a disciple of good, not only in love with a "Charmed One", but willing to support and defend her mission? God, she hoped so, for Phoebe's sake. Heck, for all of their sakes. Having "Belthazor" running around in Cole Turner's body would spell death for all of them.

Belthazor was vanquished. Paige's inner voice reminded. Sure, the demonic form was destroyed, but what of the evil cravings? Paige countered.

Paige had not been provided any real training on being a "Charmed One". She had hesitated about moving into the manor even though Piper and Phoebe insisted that they needed to live together in order to have the power of three ready for emergencies.

"Demons don't exactly ask to be put into an appointment book before they attack us or go after innocents." Piper quipped.

Phoebe's premonitions offered them a distinct advantage in their fight against evil, but still, those premonitions weren't always enough. Paige had worried about sacrificing her independence and individuality by living with her sisters. And in her heart, Paige was upset because she knew that Piper had only made the invitation because their powers worked effectively as a trio. Paige needed to be embraced into the home because Piper and Phoebe wanted to have their sister living with them. Phoebe had been warm in her welcome, but not Piper. Paige sensed that Piper, at times, harbored the residuals of resentment. Paige had learned that Piper had used "The Book of Shadows" hoping to resurrect Prue. A "Lost Witch" spell. Piper was searching, was hoping, to bring Prue back into her earthly body before Prue crossed over to the other side. Instead, the Halliwells discovered that they had a younger, illegitimate sister who was the product of their mother's affair with her "White Lighter". Paige felt a special connection to Leo, probably because she was part "White Lighter", but Piper remained distant.

Not that Paige didn't try to make Piper proud of her, as a sister and as a witch. Paige studied hard for Piper's weekly quizzes on potions. She tried to remember that "The Book of Shadows" was meant as an aid to their powers not as a tool for personal gain. And it's not easy coming down to breakfast, going into the refrigerator hunting for left overs, and having to be careful not to pull out a potion instead. Or, wanting chicken salad for lunch and hoping that you don't accidentally confuse it with left over "Belthazor flesh." Great. Some siblings argue about eating each others' food. Paige had to worry about eating the body parts of her sister's boyfriend!

"Do I think that Cole is working with Npu? No. No, I don't." Paige finally answered Jennifer.

Jennifer studied Paige intently. The tone of Paige's voice reeked of self- doubt. Jennifer surmised that Paige didn't trust Cole anymore than she did.

"And you really believe that? Okay, then tell me why it was that if this Cole says his goal was to save Gary's life, why he had to torture him first? I can't believe that the only way that he could have thought of to get Gary out of McGinty's was to pretend that he was a cop, accuse Gary of some absurd charge, slam him up against a wall and handcuff him. Can you even imagine how terrified Gary must have been?"

A brief silence.

"I agree that Cole's methods weren't the best, but I know that he's not working with Npu. He can't be. If he had been, he could have easily killed Gary or have taken him somewhere and turned him over to Npu. But he didn't. If I don't believe anything else about Cole, I believe that he loves Phoebe. Belthazor, Cole's demonic form, is gone. Cole would never kill an innocent or conspire with another demon to kill an innocent, not when he knows what that would do to Phoebe. Look, Jennifer. What we all need to do here is to work together not take sides. Someone, something, wants 'The Charmed Ones' to keep you, Gary, and Garrett alive. I mean, look at that newspaper. We don't know where it came from, but it warned us that you and Garrett were going to be killed. Leo didn't think that The Paper was evil. He said that it had an aura of goodness attached to it. I know that you don't trust Cole, but do you think that he had something to do with creating that paper so he could trick us?"



Before Jennifer had a chance to answer Paige's query, tiny specks of light enveloped the room. When the light disappeared, Leo and Gary stood in its place.

"Gary." Jennifer whispered.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Those tiny specks of light were surreal, mischievous and teasing, but she knew that the sight before her wasn't an apparition. It wasn't some wishful figment of her imagination conjured by a brain that was drunk on hope and fear. He was real. And he was alive. Her body had told her as much, but now her eyes had received proof. She knew that he wasn't dead. Even when this magical coven talked in riddles about him not being of this earth, she knew that he was still alive. There were two heartbeats, in addition to her own, in which she felt a powerful connection, to heartbeats that her body remained inexplicably attuned to. Her husband and her son. That was the way destiny was, she surmised. Destiny's fulfillment required no explanation. It was just because it was.

He gazed at her, then at their son. Everyone else in the room had disappeared for him, floated into some waiting room of inertia. There were only two people he saw at that moment. His wife and his son.

He was like a soldier returning home from war. And she was his grateful, welcoming heart's desire. She rushed into his arms, smothered him with kisses, and held him tightly. She didn't want to let him go.

Marissa smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks that Gary was okay. Garrett seemed happy, too. The baby was smiling. Garrett's pleasant yet incoherent chorus, billowing in the air, washed the room with contentment and gratitude.

Gary didn't know what had happened to have brought Jennifer and Garrett home from River Run and how his family ended up in this hotel room. Was Linda okay? Or, was she...no, she couldn't be? Jennifer had called him earlier and told him that Linda was suffering from a viral infection and that the doctors just needed to determine about the nature of the infection so that they could treat her. But how did Jennifer end up in the hotel room?

"I hate to break up this reunion," Paige's voice broke through his musings with the force of sandpaper scraping across his body, "but Gary, what did you learn from the elders about how we can fight Npu?"

What did he learn when he was...when he was, wherever he was?

Nothing.

No, that wasn't true.

Fear burrowed in his body. He felt his skin crawl from the chill of foreboding. He prayed that she wouldn't notice. She was his wife and he loved her; he promised that he wouldn't keep secrets from her. But what did he really possess except a big jigsaw puzzle of masked riddles? God, he hated jigsaw puzzles! He was never very good at putting the pieces together.

So many pieces. Dancing. Dancing restlessly inside of his head, but providing no answers:

"Gary, you will need to be there for her to help you both face what you need to face next. It will be God's greatest test. You and Jennifer will need to hold on to your love

for each other and to faith if you are to survive. Just remember that

things happen for a reason and even if you don't understand them at the

time, God always has a plan."

"No. Death. Soon. Very soon."

"Life is about choice and accepting the consequences of one's choice. The

choice between good and evil is the greatest choice that man must face.

Evil is seductive because of its promise of unlimited power. Evil feeds on

the soul of the innocent, the misguided, and it's a meal that is the most

satisfying."

Then Garrett will not die. You have made your choice."

"But...but this demon...this Npu...how do I..."

"Npu hungers for the soul of an innocent. Evil hungers for the soul of an

innocent. Death is impatient. It is always impatient. Sometimes it waits

and watches. And becomes part of a choice." The third offered cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Gary asked.

"'The Charmed Ones' will help, but they need you. They need to know your

choice. And you need to prepare to accept the consequences of your choice.

We can do nothing for you."

The elders could do nothing for him.

Gary looked at Jennifer and Garrett, then at Paige. "The elders didn't tell me anything that could help us." Gary replied.

Paige sighed. "Then we have to come up with our own plan, something that will help Piper. Maybe this newspaper can help."

"Newspaper?" Gary asked, still a bit disoriented from his "flight" to another realm.

"Yes. This newspaper." Paige confirmed, picking up The Paper. "I don't know where this paper came from, but Cole says that it doesn't have an aura of evil. It's weird, though. It's like Phoebe's premonitions, in a way. It tells the future, what's going to happen...tomorrow." Paige explained.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Sometimes the greatest magic comes from neither an incantation nor can it be conjured up from a spell book or potion. Even if you have a "charmed" destiny.

His proposal hung undisturbed in the air, its allure intoxicating and its force over her unquestioned. Will you marry me, Phoebe? Marriage. Why did the proposal paralyze her, hinder her in the same way that Piper's freezing power did on other hapless victims? Why was she so shocked? It was a natural progression, surely. First comes love, then comes marriage. Right? And it wasn't as if she never thought about her wedding day before. Sure, she was a free spirit, independent, refusing to be imprisoned by convention. Yet, there was a little girl still dwelling inside of her. And like many little girls, she possessed a "Cinderella complex". She had dreamed of meeting her prince, having her rags transformed into yards of pure silk, and a pumpkin that changed into a sparkling carriage. She had kissed many a toad in her journey towards romantic utopia. But finally, she, Phoebe Halliwell, had found her tall, dark, and handsome "Prince Charming." She should be ready to ride off to his castle and live happily ever after. Her fairy tale should just be beginning.

Except no one told her that her prince would have started out as a murderous demon.

"Marry you? Cole, I'm serious." She said with a nervous laugh.

Cole smiled. "So am I. I love you, Phoebe. And I know that you love me. Don't you think that it's time that you made an honest man out of me?" He said hoping that a little humor would ease the tension he read on her face. He paused briefly before continuing. "Look, I admit that I'm still learning about what it means to be 'fully human' and that sometimes, I mess up. But I have no doubt about how much I love you. I know that I can make you happy, that I will make you a good husband. Hearing Gary talk about his wife and son made me realize how much I want the same thing. I want you to be my wife and I want to have children with you. Say you'll marry me, Phoebe."

A brief silence.

"Cole, I...I...it's...this is just so sudden. What about Piper and Paige?"

"I don't want to marry them. My proposal was meant just for you." Cole quipped.

Phoebe flashed him a look.

"I know how much you love your sisters and how important their opinion is to you, but you can't let being a 'Charmed" one rule your life. Piper and Leo are married and they still do their...duty."

"That's different."

"Why?"

He was going to make her say it. She didn't want to hurt him, but she loved him too much to lie to him.

"Piper and Leo had to get permission from the elders before they got married. And Leo is our 'White Lighter'. What would the elders say if I announced that I wanted to marry an..."

"Ex-demon? You can say it. And it is 'ex'. We've been through all this, Phoebe. I can't change who, what I was. I can't erase everything that Belthazor has done. But Belthazor is gone. How long am I going to have to be punished for something that I had no control over? I'm on the 'good guys' team now. Why should we have to sacrifice our happiness because of what the elders or your sisters think about our relationship?"

A longer silence.

"Phoebe?"

"Cole, let's not talk about this now, okay? Let's concentrate on fighting Npu and protecting Jennifer, Gary, and Garrett. And I promise...I promise you that once we return to San Francisco, I'll tell my sisters about your proposal, get them to understand how much we love each other, and that Belthazor is gone forever. They'll understand and they'll help me convince the elders that we should be granted permission to get married. Okay?"

"So, your answer is a 'maybe'?"

She managed a weak smile. "Yes. It's a 'maybe'" Phoebe confirmed despite the unsettling feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Her revelation filtered the air in hungry gasps. It was a revelation that

appeared as if it stopped momentarily to await the reaction of a man who

already knew the secret.

Oh Boy.

The Paper. The list of people who were already privy to this secret was

expanding like the swell of a pregnant woman's belly during her last

trimester. Circumstances beyond his control had precipitated the exposure

of his secret to more people than his initial and trusted inner circle of

Chuck and Marissa. Still, he always experienced trepidation, irrational

perhaps, whenever a new person learned about The Paper. But intentionally

telling someone that he received tomorrow's newspaper today had to be born

from his trust of the recipient of the news. And he didn't trust Paige, her

sisters, their "White Lighter', and their sadistic ex-demon friend.

Especially not that so-called ex-demon.

Gary stole a glance with Jennifer, their silent stare like a Morse code

interpretable just between the two of them. She smiled at him

encouragingly. Her smile communicated everything that he needed to know.

They knew each other so well; it wasn't just their bodies that connected so

completely and so effortlessly. Sometimes he believed that they could read

each other's minds. Gary didn't understand everything that had happened to

have brought them to this moment. But he was sure of one thing: He was

going to safeguard his secret from these strange visitors from California.

And from the look on Jennifer's face he could tell that she supported his

decision.

"That newspaper tells what's going to happen tomorrow? But how could that

be?" He asked feigning shock. He had worn the clothes of deception.

Deception stood sentinel over his secret, quiet and reverent, like a guard

outside of Buckingham Palace faithfully protecting Her Majesty. Yet, for a

moment, a chill marched up his arms leaving goosebumps in its wake. And

deception appeared weakened like a gossip eager to expose his secret to

virgin ears.

What if Paige could pierce through his facade and realize his connection to

The Paper? She was a witch, after all. Maybe she had a sixth sense or

something. Maybe she could read his mind. Now he was being silly.

Piper hadn't made the connection between The Paper and his sudden appearance

to save her from a hit and run. A knight riding to the rescue on his

dependable...motorcycle. No horse, though. He had done his "Prince

Valiant" thing aboard a stallion once before in his rescue of Abigail, an

accident prone librarian.

The sound of Paige's voice shook him from his musings. "So this newspaper

and cat show up here. The minute I saw the headline about Jennifer and

Garrett, I knew that I had to orb to McGinty's to tell Piper and Phoebe."

"Whoa...wait a second. What headline are you talking about?" Gary asked.

He looked at Jennifer then Garrett.

Gary had heard a baby's desperate cries when he was seeking audience with

the elders. A baby that needed him. Could that baby have been Garrett?

"The newspaper said that Jennifer and Garrett would be killed at McGinty's.

We had to get them out of there, to someplace safe. That's why Piper thought

that we should bring them and Marissa here. Piper is back at the bar

confronting Npu." Paige paused briefly before continuing. "Gary, there's

something that you need to know about the body that Npu has taken over."

Chapter Sixty

The unexpected meow that could be heard in the room seemed anti-climatic when measured against the backdrop of a life and death discussion about a body-snatching, invisible, killer demon. Maybe the meow was just an involuntary response, like the long suppressed yawn finally breaking free from confinement to realize its full potential. Or, maybe Cat's cry was an expression of boredom. Perhaps the arguably clairvoyant feline already knew how the story ended and was finding the subplots an encroachment upon his domain. After all, this animal was a peddler of sorts in a futuristic newspaper. In a way, Cat had been chosen, too, to deliver this very special bounty to a special champion. Possibly, Cat's allegiance was to the proprietor or proprietors of this early edition. Witches, White Lighters, Demons, and Elders were a gallery of characters that belonged in someone's life, not the life of a guy who got tomorrow's newspaper today.

So how did Gary's story end? Wasn't it the story of a shy hero from Hickory who rescued, fell in love with, and married a spunky actress from River Run? And wasn't it a story that showed that despite the obstacles to their relationship and marriage, their love had survived, their little prince was born, and they lived happily ever after?

When is life ever that simple? Even fairy tales are sometimes burdened by an assortment of villains like power hungry wizards or vanity obsessed queens communing with talking mirrors while hatching nefarious schemes.

Still, as Cat emerged from hiding and soaked in the discourse, one couldn't help but wonder if the feline was thinking that a different kind of "magic", other than witches' intervention, was the key here.

"Gary, there's something that you need to know about the body that Npu has taken over." Paige revealed.

Gary glanced at Jennifer then at Marissa. He read the fear in Jennifer's eyes. And not surprising to him, there was a twin fear that he saw registered in Marissa's eyes as his friend lovingly cradled his sleeping son.

"Remember when we told you that there was demonic energy in McGinty's earlier?" Paige asked.

"Yeah. You thought that my ex-mentor was the demon."

"Actually, we thought that Npu was hovering undetected in McGinty's looking for a host body. We weren't sure then if he had taken over a body." Leo corrected.

"But now you're sure that he's taken over Quentin's body?" Gary asked Leo.

"Now exactly. Npu has taken over a body, but it's not Quentin's " Paige interjected.

Gary briefly studied Paige. "Then whose body has he stolen?" Gary probed his voice a combination of fear and agitation.

Another brief, yet painful silence.

"Whose body?" Gary repeated.

"Chuck's." Paige finally confirmed.

"Chuck's? A demon is walking around wearing my best friend's face? And you're sure about this? This isn't just some guesswork."

A brief silence.

"Gary, I saw that man. He looked and sounded just like Chuck only he wasn't." Jennifer began. "You know how Chuck has tried really hard, but he still gets skittish whenever he holds Garrett because he's worried that Garrett might...well, he's worried that Garrett might do some of the things that babies do that they can't control. We tease him about that all the time. Tonight when Chuck...when that demon...when he came into McGinty's, he asked to hold Garrett. Since when has Chuck requested to hold Garrett? He acted like he was really eager and enthusiastic to get the baby away from me. This is going to sound crazy, but Garrett started crying very loudly when he was in that man's arms. Garrett acted like he was terrified. I remember Grandmom told me that babies are able to sense things even when they are unable to communicate their fears. And when I reached to take Garrett back, that...demon acted like he was reluctant to give our son back to me."

A chill coursed through Gary's body as the distant memory of Jeremiah's re- emerged:

"Death. Soon. Very soon."

Turning to Leo, Gary said, "You told me that in order for me to fight Npu, I had to kill the body that he controlled and that once that happened, your elders believed that Npu would leave the dying host and couldn't re-enter that body once it became that close to death."

"That's right."

"You told me that you would try to heal that body. You weren't even sure if you could heal the body. You're asking me to gamble on Chuck's life. You're telling me that the only way that I can save my son is by killing my best friend."

Chapter Sixty-One

Thou shalt not kill.

It was one of the Ten Commandments that some people believed had been engraved by God's own hand into the sacred stone tablets and presented to Moses. Those words were also the foundation embraced by American state and federal law. Of course, the American legal system also promulgated degrees of liability for causing the death of another person, distinctions between murder and manslaughter as well as justifications such as self-defense when the taking of a life is deemed

legally excused. Unpunishable, in some cases. Yet, an arguably higher law was fed by morality and burned into the human consciousness. It was perhaps a voice lingering deep within the soul that told a person that there was no justification for the savage act of destroying human life. And even if the law offered the requisite justification, the conscience was not always as forgiving. How does one reconcile such an act? How does one find forgiveness within himself?

"You're telling me that the only way that I can save my son is by killing my best friend." Gary said. The words gnawed at his chest like vultures feasting on a decaying carcass.

Quiet blanketed the room. The quiet was almost as painful for him to deal with as the implication of his question. Gary's eyes darted from Paige then to Leo. They were supposed to have answers. They *had* to have answers. The alternative was unacceptable. Life may be about probabilities, uncertainties lurking in the shadows as uninvited phantoms; yes, fifty percent, sixty percent, ninety percent, those were odds that governed a situation and helped a person in the decision making process. Michelle Kwan, the media darling, the celebrated queen of the ice, a sure thing for Olympic gold. Yet, it was another American, Sarah Hughes, who stood on the highest podium with a gold medal dangling proudly around her neck as the strains of the United States national anthem flooded in the background. Life is fickle. The only certainty is that life is paved with uncertainties.

Even when you got tomorrow's newspaper today and were privy to disasters a day early, there was no guarantee of a favorable result. Jeremiah and Earl's deaths were painful reminders of that.

"It is true that we've never dealt with a demon like Npu before," Paige offered breaking the eerie silence, "but if it comes to you having to kill Chuck to extinguish Npu, Leo will be able to heal him in time." Paige said optimistically.

Gary looked Leo again. The "White Lighter" appeared to flinch under the scrutiny. Uncertainty reared its head.

A brief silence.

"Could there be another way? I mean, the body that the demon has invaded, it's still Chuck, right?" Gary asked.

"Yeah." Leo replied not sure where Gary was going with his line of questions.

"Then demon or no demon, somewhere deep in there, is Chuck. Somewhere in there is my best friend. And I know Chuck. He's a fighter. There's no way he would let some demon force him to kill my son. Chuck will find a way to stop this. Somehow."

Before anyone could respond to Gary's remarks, the front door opened.

"Of course I support you, Piper. But I don't like this. It's too risky." Phoebe said as she Piper and Cole entered the room. The trio seemed momentarily taken aback by the reappearance of Gary and Leo.

"What's too risky?" Paige inquired.

"Piper's plan to stop Npu."

"It's a little risky, but it will work." Piper assured.

"What are you going to do?" Gary inquired.

"We are going to back you up. It's you and Jennifer who will save Garrett from Npu." Piper said.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Gary heard confidence in Piper's voice, like the haunting melody of a song that lingers in the mind long after the music stops. Those elders, those self-appointed guardians of destiny, spoke of his life as if it were some philosophical wonderment. They talked of life and death in abstract terms seemingly removing the human element from their discourse. And they offered him nothing, nothing except for a heavy heart fed by his own fears. Life wasn't some poker game where he would haphazardly throw down his inconsequential cards before an opponent. Dismiss the "Chuck card" while pressing the "Garrett card" close to his chest like a well-guarded ace not revealed until a pivotal moment in strategy. Chuck was not some inconsequential card to be traded in without blinking an eye. Chuck was his best friend; he loved Chuck like a brother. He loved Garrett and Chuck too much to bluff on either of their lives.

His eyes locked momentarily with Piper and something was translated between them during that silent stare, something that he believed was lost forever once her deception had been exposed. Trust. He trusted her, God help him. He trusted her in a way that he didn't trust her sisters.

Piper felt it, too, the trust. She flashed Gary a warm and sincere smile. He was hesitant about returning her smile, but he relaxed his features hoping that she'd understand that gesture as his leap of faith, as his trust in her. That was all he was prepared to give right now.

She understood.

"So what is this plan of yours?" He asked expectantly.

Piper took a deep breath before speaking. "I got to thinking about something Cole said to me earlier about Npu, how Npu is this lower level demon on some power trip. Take over the underworld. Rule the Earth. We've all been giving Npu far too much credit when he probably is the stupidest demon that 'The Charmed Ones' have ever confronted."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused looks. "The stupidest demon?" Phoebe said.

"Yeah. He's stupid because he's so arrogant. He believes that being invisible and playing body snatcher gives him the upper hand over us."

"And it doesn't?" Gary chimed.

"No, it doesn't. So long as he believes that he is winning the game, he'll get careless. If we were to run in there and expose him, he could just as easily jump into another body. The key here is for you and Jennifer to make him believe that we think that he is Chuck Fishman. You have to talk to him the way that you'd talk to Chuck. Confide in him the way you'd confide in Chuck. Right now I've convinced him that Jennifer is planning to leave town, leave you and Garrett in a few days to go to California to work on a movie. She hasn't told you yet and you aren't going to be too happy with her when she does."

"I don't...I'm not understanding. How does that stop Npu from hurting Garrett?"

"It buys us some time. Phoebe and Paige can continue going through the 'Book of Shadows' for a spell or potion, something to help us. I'll be hanging around McGinty's and Chuck because I told him that I'm interested in breaking into show business. Paige and Phoebe can continue with their covers working in the bar. Your 'arrest' for solicitation of prostitution, of course, will be explained as a misunderstanding. Still, the embarrassment of the whole thing and your insistence to Jennifer that you want Paige to continue working at McGinty's, will put a strain on your marriage. Jennifer won't be too happy about your making this decision without talking it over with her first. And you won't be too happy with her for leaving you and Garrett for the bright lights of Hollywood. Chuck...Npu...he'll...he'll want to play the sympathetic friend and help you with your problems. He'll also want to help you with Garrett. But poor Chuck, he's going to experience an accident."

A brief silence.

"I won't kill my best friend."

"You won't have to. It's a shame about the big city, all the crime I mean. Anyone could become a crime victim at any time. Look, there are some details which we have to iron out, but the first step is that you, Jennifer, and Marissa go back to McGinty's. And Gary, it looks like you and Jennifer are going to have a terrible fight tonight and that you will be sleeping on the couch." Piper announced with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Chapter Sixty-Three

The sick feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach refused to be ignored. This feeling was certainly no stranger to him. It had often taken residence in his body as an uninvited and self-absorbed squatter. He experienced the feeling during most of his frantic dashes through the city to effectuate his saves literally within moments to spare before disaster rained upon an unsuspecting victim. He didn't calculate the risks to himself nor did he ponder failure. There was no time for that. People needed and depended upon him whether they knew it or not. Admittedly, he had lost his edge, his confidence, in the wake of Jeremiah and Earl's deaths. And for as much as he tried to dismiss the defeatist thoughts echoing against the silent recesses of his mind, he heard them loud and clear. Guilt and failure constantly shadowed him and probably would do so for the rest of his life.

He had to fight. He couldn't fall victim in this instance and make failure the self-fulfilling prophecy. Garrett and Chuck, even if they weren't aware of it, were depending on him.

As he, Jennifer, and Marissa sat in the cab returning to McGinty's, he reviewed Piper's plan in his mind. Jennifer had offered encouragement assuring him that they would be able to pull this off, that *he* could do this. He would be "acting". He now had experience playing a part and convincing an audience that what they were seeing was real. After all, most of the cast and crew on the set of Jennifer's show "When Lovers Meet in Chicago" believed that the Hobsons' marriage was in trouble. Jennifer and Gary's bickering had spread through the set like wildfire and people were already taking bets on the couple's impending divorce. Some people assigned the blame to Gary. Why did a bar owner feel that he could handle the demands of a recurring role on a television show? However, the female population on the set vehemently supported Gary. They saw Jennifer as a spoiled prima donna. The fact that she was pregnant at the time Gary insinuated himself on her terrain and that she was battling hormones hadn't helped matters. One aggressive woman even gave Gary her phone number telling him that if he decided to end his marriage that he should give her a call. No one (not even their family) knew that Jennifer and Gary's rouse had been undertaken to smoke out Brad Spellman, the producer of Jennifer's show, who Gary had nagging suspicions about. Something just wasn't right with Spellman. Gary felt that if he were on the set he could keep an eye on Spellman. And if he could make Spellman believe that he was trying very hard as an actor, failing miserably, and upsetting Jennifer, Spellman would take him under his wing and offer his assistance. Then he could uncover Spellman's agenda. Still, fooling an egomaniac producer and an evil, power hungry demon were two very different things. The stakes were much higher now, deadly.

Gary glanced at Jennifer who was holding a sleeping Garrett. The baby appeared to be smiling in his sleep. Happy dreams. Despite the inner turmoil he was feeling, witnessing the happiness painted on his son's face offered him solace. Gary was determined that Garrett stay as happy as he was at this moment.

"Everything will be okay." Jennifer's said to him, her voice a buoy floating towards him in his uncertainty. He flashed her a smile. How could she always do this? How could she always see the silver lining through the dark clouds?

"Metcalf optimism?" He teased.

"No. Hobson hope." She responded.

Hobson hope. It sounded like some guarantee recipe for success. Still, Piper's words about crime and Chuck experiencing an accident sent chills through his body. When he asked Piper what she meant by that, the witch smiled and said that that was information that she couldn't share with him. Don't worry, Piper assured him.

Don't worry. Why did those words make him worry even more?

Gary sighed forlornly as the cab pulled up towards the curb outside of McGinty's knowing that whatever was about to happened in there tonight he would not have the guidance of The Paper to help him.

Chapter Sixty-Four

The curtain opened and the performers entered the stage. Rehearsal had

ended; it hadn't been much of a rehearsal, anyway. No time for that. A

flawless performance was expected. There was also no room for temperamental

divas strutting upon the stage like over inflated peacocks with feathers

fully extended. Vainglorious. Everyone had to work together here. Each

player had to skillfully deliver the performance of his or her life.

Or, in this case, the stage was a bar called McGinty's. The performers were

a bar owner/hero, his actress wife, and their friend. The accolades, the

coveted recognition, would be the perpetuation of a baby's life. It didn't

matter that demons probably weren't connoisseurs of the dramatic arts. What

had Shakespeare insisted? Life is a stage and that we are all merely

players. Or something like that.

Garrett Jeffrey Hobson slept peacefully in his mother's arms blissfully

unaware of the intense drama swirling around him.

Gary, Jennifer, and Marissa entered McGinty's. The earlier crowd had been

replaced by a handful of loyal patrons. Regulars, really. The curtain was

raised. Act One was poised to begin.

Oh Boy.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? On second thought, you know

what, I'm not sorry. I didn't do anything wrong. Why can't you see that?

But then again, it's not like what I feel even matters to you. You're going

to believe what you want and do what you want anyway." Gary snapped to

Jennifer as they walked into the bar.

Jennifer's eyes became moist with tears.

"Gary, calm down." Marissa said softly.

All eyes and ears in the bar were glued on Jennifer and Gary. The news of

Gary's arrest for solicitation of prostitution had filtered through

McGinty's during the evening. Of course, like it was with most gossip or

clay awaiting an artist's inspired interpretation, the event had been molded

and reshaped several times. Some people who witnessed Paige's colorful

attire had dubbed her Gary's "love goddess". These people didn't believe

the prostitution allegation. Rather, they surmised that the ignored husband

of a meteoric television star was enjoying extracurricular activities and had

now gotten his hands caught in the cookie jar. These rumormongers enjoyed

speculating on the state of the Hobsons' marriage. They could give The

National Enquirer a run for its money.

"That's okay, Marissa. My husband wants to make what happened tonight about

me. That's easier then admitting to himself that he was wrong for making a

decision that affects both of us, all three of us, without discussing it

with me first." Jennifer countered.

Gary let out a wry laugh. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black."

Gary glanced at the sea of interested eyes focused intently on his marital

spat. "Hey, show's over." He informed the customers. Inside, his stomach

churned forcefully. He really hated this. Pretending to insult his wife

and insulting his customers. He briefly looked at Garrett. They were

doing all of this for Garrett. He reminded himself.

The customers averted their gaze from Gary and went back to whatever they

were doing before Gary, Jennifer, and Marissa's arrival.

"Gary." An unexpected voice entered McGinty's.

Gary and Jennifer turned around to face the young woman proceeding towards

them.

Oh Boy.

The best laid plans. Someone had made last minute revisions to the script.

An unknowing understudy had walked upon the "stage". Neither Jennifer nor Gary were prepared for that.

"Genie." Gary whispered.

Chapter Sixty-Five

A palpable hush fell over the players as all three waited for the next word to be spoken. It was an uncomfortable silence, too; the kind of gap in speech that performers dread, the kind where the ebb and flow of a performance is held hostage to the human error of forgetting one's lines. What dialogue comes next? A quick, yet, desperate scan of the brain is done for the elusive lines only to discover that they aren't there. The script has indeed been changed without warning. Time to improvise and say a prayer that the audience won't notice.

"Ah...Genie...Genie, this is my wife, Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Genie, my...ah...an old friend of mine." Gary stammered nervously.

Jennifer studied Gary's demeanor. It didn't take her long to surmise that this "old friend" was probably an old girlfriend. Jennifer remembered how she felt when she learned that Gary had arranged to meet Emma during his trial and didn't tell her. Her pregnancy had caused her hormones to run rampant and she fell victim to her own insecurities. Even though she trusted Gary implicitly and had no doubts about his love and devotion to her, his actions in lying to her about his plans and keeping the meeting a secret had hurt her. Later, she questioned whether she had handled the situation the way she should have.

She had once jokingly told Gary that she may have inherited the Metcalf temper from Granddad, but the jealousy gene was a Szabo legacy. Jennifer recalled the stories that Grandmom used to tell her when she was a little girl, tales of Granddad and his baseball groupies. And Grandmom would get insanely jealous when baseball groupies, legions of devoted female fans were determined to leave the handsome right fielder something to remember them by. Jennifer could hear from the tone in Grandmom's voice when Grandmom revealed how she felt when women would leave their lipstick kisses (like some unspoken badge of desire) prominently displayed on Granddad's cheek.

Jennifer had been jealous of Emma. As irrational as it sounded, she had been jealous of the fleeting romantic interlude that her husband had shared with the demure artist. She had been jealous that Gary had met and developed feelings for Emma in the same way that he had met her. Jennifer's surge of hormonal interlopers at that time had tormented her by communing with her subconscious, a devious inner voice that whispered to her that she was a substitute for the woman Gary's heart had surrendered to a very much alive phantom at the opera.

But then the insecurities would fly away through the air like rebellious bubbles blown from a child's wand and desiring their freedom. She would feel Gary's lips upon hers and hear the reassurance in his voice when he told her that she was the most desirable woman he had ever known (even when her swollen belly made her look like Moby Dick). She would feel his love through the gentleness of his touch to soothe her aching back and swollen feet. And she'd feel her heart tingle whenever he whispered "I love you."

She knew. She had no doubts and no reason to fear a resurgence of his feelings for the women from his past. She needed to reassure him.

Jennifer smiled. "Very nice to meet you, Genie."

Genie returned Jennifer's smile. "Nice to meet you, too." Genie looked at Garrett. "What a beautiful baby."

"Thank you. This is our son, Garrett." Jennifer added proudly.

Gary glanced at Jennifer. He understood what Jennifer was doing and was happy that she wasn't upset by Genie's appearance. However, he also hoped that Jennifer's pleasant tone hadn't jeopardized the plan. They were supposed to be a battling couple. People had to believe that they were fighting. More importantly, Npu masquerading in Chuck's body, had to believe it. He quickly surveyed the room. "Chuck" was no where in sight.

A brief silence.

"I'm so sorry to barge in here, but I really need to speak to Gary. In private." Genie said.

"Um...sure." Jennifer responded with a trace of hesitancy in her voice. "I need to put Garrett to bed anyway." Turning to Marissa, Jennifer added, "Marissa, could you come up to the loft with me? There's something I wanted to ask you."

A few moments later, Jennifer, Garrett, and Marissa departed. Gary invited Genie in the office so that they could talk privately. He saw the troubled expression on Genie's face.

"Genie, what is it?"

Another brief silence.

"It's Stan. Quentin St. George stopped by the house tonight. I was in the other room when he and Stan were talking. I couldn't hear what they were saying and then Stan left with Quentin. Stan didn't tell me where he was going but he looked upset. Gary, I think that Stan is in trouble."

Chapter Sixty-Six

Gary invited Genie into the office and closed the door. "Can I get you anything? Coffee?" He offered.

"No. I'm fine. Thanks."

A brief silence.

"You know, I like your wife. She seems very nice. And your son...wow! He's such a beautiful baby."

Gary smiled. "Thanks."

"I know how much you've always wanted a family. I never would have pictured Stan as a family man, but when I was pregnant, he was so happy and excited. Maybe if our baby hadn't..." Her voice trailed off shakily as her eyes became moist with tears of sadness and regret.

"Genie."

"I'm sorry, Gary. Maybe things happen for a reason. You can't change the past, right?" She waxed philosophically.

Another brief silence.

"Genie, what happened? I mean, you said that you thought that Stan might be in trouble."

She gazed into his eyes. Those eyes...so gentle and overflowing with concern for her. There had always been so much emotion conveyed through his eyes. She could still recall the moment all those years ago when he announced that he loved her. She could see the love in his eyes even as he struggled through a beautiful yet clumsy recitation. And the day that she had broken up with him because she knew that their relationship wasn't leading towards a future (at least not the kind of future either one of them deserved. They both were too much alike. They both lacked direction), she saw and felt his pain carried on an invisible thread from his eyes. She had never wanted to hurt him. Her decision had been something that had haunted her for years. A twinge of regret sometimes filled her heart whenever she heard the tune that she considered "their song". Sometimes the silent ghosts of memories would wander about her brain in the still of the night, echoing and challenging her with "what might have beens". But you can't change the past and she was doubtful that she would want to even if given the opportunity. She knew that she loved Stan more than anything.

Genie took a deep breath. "Stan has been acting very strangely ever since he became involved with Quentin St. George."

"Strangely? How?"

"He's been very secretive. Edgy. Every time I ask him what's going on he tells me that it's just business and that I don't need to worry about it. God, I get so angry when he says that. We're married for God's sake. I love him. What worries him, worries me. I want to help him, but he keeps pushing me away. I was reviewing our finances a few days ago and I noticed that in the last six months, he has made substantial withdrawals both to some business accounts and to our personal savings. He has withdrawn more than a quarter of a million dollars. I know that he's made some investments at Quentin's urging. I overheard him talking on the phone once about some high risk venture, a consortium I think he called it, which would make him a very rich man."

Gary remembered that Quentin had also approached him with an offer to join a consortium. When he hesitated about gambling on his family's future by using McGinty's as collateral, Quentin insisted that he only needed to put the bar up to show good faith among the other potential investors and that even if the deal went sour, he would guarantee that Gary wouldn't lose the business. But Gary declined the offer. Still, he sensed that his decision had angered Quentin. He couldn't figure it out, but there was something more going on there then a mere business proposition from a former mentor.

"How can I help?" He asked sincerely.

She flashed him a smile. "You always were the kindest, most caring man that I've ever known. I know that it must make you feel uncomfortable me discussing the state of my marriage with you... I mean, because of us...I mean, because of you and me and what we once meant to each other. And I know that it's unfair of me to come to you like that when you have your own life and everything, but I really didn't know whom else to turn to. I've asked you this before, but please Gary, please talk to Stan. Find out what's going on between him and Quentin. Please."

Before Gary how the chance to respond, there was a knock at the door. " Gary, I heard that...Oh, sorry to interrupt." Chuck said.

Gary felt a chill course through his body. A demon with his friend's face.

Fate had pulled back the curtain to the stage of destiny and ready or not, Gary was being commanded to give the most convincing performance of his life.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

"So sorry for interrupting." Chuck said apologetically.

"No, Chuck. That's okay. I really should be going anyway." Genie replied. "And Gary, thanks for listening. For everything." With those words, Genie left the office closing the door behind her.

Chuck glanced at the closed door then at Gary. He proceeded to where Gary was standing and enveloped his friend in a warm hug. "I heard about what happened. I was really worried about you, Gary."

Gary's heart was racing and he prayed that the tension he felt in his body wouldn't betray him to this impostor. Gary remembered Piper's warning that he had to treat this man as if he were Chuck. If Npu suspected that Gary was aware of the demon possession his life and the lives of his family would be in grave danger. He wanted desperately to believe that somewhere in that body was Chuck and that his friend's "essence", all that was "Chucklike", could combat the impure invasion by evil. Piper insisted that her plan would work because Npu would be oblivious that they were on to his agenda. Further, Gary wouldn't have to harm Chuck and pray that Leo healed his friend. Leo had explained that once Npu left a dying host body, he was unable to re-enter that body. Yet, it was the part of the plan that Piper wasn't sharing, the part about "Chuck's accident" and crime in Chicago, that made Gary nervous.

"Thanks, Chuck. But it was just some terrible misunderstanding." Gary responded in a surprisingly convincing tone. "After I explained things to the police, they let me go. They didn't even file charges or anything."

"It's just ridiculous that anyone would believe that you would solicit a prostitute anyway. How did they get the tip?"

"I don't know. All I know is that a cop came in here, said he had a warrant for my arrest for solicitation of prostitution, slapped handcuffs on my wrists, and put me in a squad car."

Chuck stared at Gary intently. Gary swallowed hard. Was Npu buying what he was saying?

"I just hope that the media doesn't make a field day out of this, you know, 'Actress' Bar Owner Husband Serves Up Call Girl Delight or some other tacky heading like that. How is Jennifer handling all of this?"

A brief silence.

"Gary?"

"Actually, that's something that I need to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Jennifer."

"What about her?"

"Something happened between she and I and I could really use your help."

Chapter Sixty-Eight

"You need my help with Jennifer?" Chuck asked curiously.

"Yes. I really didn't know who I could turn to with this, but I remembered how much you helped me the last time. You see, Jennifer is being irrational about some things and every time I try to talk to her, to get her to see that, she gets angry with me. She understood about this whole misunderstanding with the police over Paige, that's the waitress that I hired that the cops thought was a hooker. Paige is young, just a kid, really. She's trying to make it alone in this city without having to ask for her parents' help. Anyway, I had planned for her to work here for only a short time, but then I decided to make her a permanent offer of employment. Of course, I told her that she needed to dress a little less...ah...that she needed to dress more appropriately for the job. When I told Jennifer that I made this offer to Paige, she got very upset and angry. Do you know what she said to me? She said that I had no right to make this decision without discussing it over with her first. She acted like I committed a crime or something. I don't discuss every hiring decision with her. She knows that. She made it seem like my hiring a waitress was some monumental event that adversely affected her, Garrett, and I. But yet, do you know what she did?"

"What did she do?"

"She was offered a part in a movie and she took it without even discussing it with me first. That's a decision that does affect all of us. She's leaving for California in a few days. She's going to leave Garrett here with me. He's only seven weeks old and his mother is leaving him to become a movie star. How could she do that?" Gary said bitterly.

A brief silence.

"Gary, I hope that you know that I care about and won't take what I say the wrong way."

"I know that."

"Okay. I like Jennifer, I do, but sometimes, she acts like a self-centered, spoiled brat. I guess it really isn't her fault, I mean, her father probably treated her like a little princess her whole life, indulged her, so now she expects you to do the same thing. She expects you to cave into her every whim and when you make a decision that doesn't follow what she wants, she treats you like you're public enemy number one. I don't know what it is with you, Gary, but you seem to have this thing with possessive women. It was the same with Marcia. Whatever Marcia wanted, you gave her. If you wanted something and she felt that it interfered with her, she dismissed the idea. And you just sat there and took whatever she dished out like she was this queen and you were her whipping boy. It's the same with Jennifer. They even have the same kind of domineering fathers. Okay, so Marcia's father hated your guts and he made no secret about that. But you're kidding yourself if you don't think that Jennifer's father doesn't feel the same way about you. That guy is just a little cleverer about how he handles you. He represented you in court and got you off because he knew that you'd feel grateful to him for the rest of your life. And he sees your son as another person he can manipulate. If you think that you will be the one making the decisions in that little boy's life, think again. To 'Mr. High-Powered Lawyer', your kid is just something else to add to his portfolio, a thing that he will control all the way from what schools the boy attends to Garrett's choice of professions. Don't be surprised if he puts a briefcase in Garrett's hand and turns him into another shark to follow in his footsteps. To him, your son is a Metcalf and you're nothing more than a glorified sperm donor. You need to show all of them and that includes your wife, that you're a man not a mouse. But don't worry because I'm going to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yeah. I'm your best friend and I'm your son's godfather. I want what's best for both of you. So here's what I think that you should do. Don't fight Jennifer's decision to go to California. Use her time away to get to better know your son without having her family around to to interfere in Garrett's life. And don't worry, if you feel overwhelmed taking care of the baby alone because I'm here to help you with the little guy. In fact, you're probably want some time by yourself, away from the pressures of fatherhood. That's where I'll come in. You can go out and I'll watch Garrett for you. What are friends for, right?" Chuck said with a knowing smirk.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

"I know what you're thinking, Gary. You can't imagine me taking care of a baby, right?"

"Well, in college you did say that there was no amount of money that you could ever be paid to get you to change a diaper." Gary remarked.

Chuck laughed. "Yeah, I suppose I did say that, but I was young then and besides, things are different now. This isn't just any baby. It's your kid. And he's such a cute little fellow. I can't wait to get my hands on him."

An eerie chill coursed through Gary's body over the deadly meaning behind Npu's words.

Don't lose it, Hobson. Don't lose it. Think of Garrett. Gary's inner voice commanded.

"Garrett's very lucky to have you." Gary said. He prayed that he sounded convincing and that Npu couldn't detect his fears. Gary glanced at his watch. "Look, Chuck. I need to be getting upstairs. I want to be able to kiss my son goodnight before he falls asleep. And I'm hoping that Jennifer will have calmed down by now so that she'll at least be willing to listen to what I have to say. Can you stop by tomorrow? I'm going to have to check The Pape...ah...check my schedule." Gary quickly covered. He may be staring into Chuck's face, but he had to keep reminding himself that it was a demon' who occupied his friend's body. And the last thing that he needed was for a demon to know about his early edition. That kind of information would be lethal in the hands of evil.

"Jennifer will be out sometime in the afternoon getting ready for trip. We can talk privately then. And you'll be able to help me with Garrett." Gary continued.

Chuck flashed a huge Cheshire cat grin. "I'll be happy to."

"Good. I'll call you." Gary confirmed.

"See you tomorrow, Gary." With those words, Chuck left the office. Gary stood there, numb, staring at the door. Finally, he let out a relieved breath. He knew that it would take a few minutes before his heart rate returned to normal. But somehow he had been able to get through the first phase of Piper's plan.

Yet, as he left the office and climbed the stairs towards the loft, towards his wife and son, he was very aware that the real test was yet to come.

Chapter Seventy

Before they settled into their heavenly beds, the angels kissed all of the little babies on Earth goodnight. These kisses not only signaled a request of the Sandman to grant these innocent souls peaceful dreams, but also represented the angels' seal, their pledge of protection to ward off evil.

At least, that was the story that Mom had told her when she was a little girl.

Jennifer smiled as she stared lovingly at the sight of her son sleeping in his crib. A look of contentment washed over Garrett's face as he slept. Even though he was sleeping soundly, his mouth was moving furiously in a sucking motion as if he were nursing. Garrett had done this on previous occasions and his behavior amused her. Once she told Grandmom about it and Granddad was within earshot so Grandmom glanced at Granddad before teasing him that Garrett was "acting like a Metcalf" and was dreaming about his next meal. Granddad offered no retort, but he did whisper something into Grandmom's ear that turned Grandmom's face a bright crimson.

Garrett looked so much like Gary when he slept. Gazing at him, Jennifer would never stop marveling at the blessing of her son, the tangible byproduct of hers and Gary's love. If motherhood had taught her anything, it taught her how to seize moments like these and to cleave to her love for her husband and her son and that would enable her to withstand anything that life threw at her. Motherhood had also taught her not to be held hostage to her insecurities and jealousies. When she was pregnant, she had allowed these insecurities and jealousies to silently shadow her causing her to create problems where none existed. Like Emma Shaw. Learning that Gary had met with Emma and had kept the meeting a secret from her made her unfairly cast Emma as the femme fatale, as the long lost love that Gary was pining for. The similarities of how Gary had saved both her and Emma before embarking on a romance, haunted her and made her question whether she was a pale comparison to the demure artist. His words of love assuaged her insecurities and jealousies, but didn't destroy them. Giving birth to their son did that. Jennifer no longer felt threatened by the ghosts of Gary's past loves even when those ghosts materialized on their doorstep. That's why she didn't ask Marissa about Genie. She already surmised from Gary's demeanor that Genie was a former girlfriend and that was all she needed to know. The fact that she was Mrs. Gary Hobson, had bore his son, and had fulfilled their destinies had succeeded in dispelling any lingering insecurities and jealousies.

The sound of the loft door opening broke Jennifer's reverie. Gary entered the loft. His eyes locked with hers as he flashed her a smile.

"Were you able to help out Genie?" She asked.

Gary paused briefly before responding. "Jennifer, about Genie. She..."

"...is very lucky to have you." Jennifer said smiling. She proceeded to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around him.

"Gary, you're shaking. What's wrong?!" She asked her voice laced with panic.

"I'm fine." He responded unconvincingly.

"No, you're not. Please tell me what's wrong."

He stopped hugging her and gazed deeply into her eyes. "I love you." He whispered.

She was momentarily distracted by his declaration as she echoed "I love you, too." But the moment of concern was recaptured. "Gary, what happened downstairs? Why are you shaking?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he proceeded to Garrett's crib. He stared at his son for a moment before bending over and kissing the baby on the forehead. Turning back around, he said to Jennifer, "I met Npu. God, it was Chuck, but it wasn't. A demon has my best friend's face and he wants to kill our son." His voice was a palpable mixture of fear and anger.

She rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. "That won't happen." She reassured.

"I gave him the story that Piper told us to say, the one about you being angry that I hired Paige and how I'm upset about you going to California to make that movie. I think that he bought it. But still, what Piper said about Chuck having an accident, being a victim of crime; if something happens to him, I would never be able to forgive myself."

"Nothing will happen to Chuck, I promise. We've been through so much and faith has brought us through. We just need to hold on to it, hold on to each other and we can survive anything."

A brief silence.

"Gary?"

"Yes?"

"When you were up there, I mean, talking with the elders, what was it like? Was it like all the stories about heaven? What did you see?"

Chapter Seventy-One

Gary felt very strange. It wasn't a floating feeling and he couldn't really explain it, but he somehow felt different. Was this heaven? It didn't look like the stories of heaven he remembered being told as a child. There weren't an array of fluffy clouds or blinding light or people walking around in white clothes. What he saw instead looked like a park. There were trees and a small gazebo in the immediate distance.

"Remember, you're here for a specific reason. Anything that you learn about your family or friends, you can never reveal to them. And whatever you find out except how it relates to your son and Npu, you can't change. You have no control over the future." Leo reminded him.

* * * * * *

"There is a part of her that is like a scared little girl. And she was so scared of thunderstorms as a little girl just like Jeff had been. I've watched over her and I've worried about her. And I was very happy when you two found each other." Anne paused briefly before continuing. Her face revealed great concern over what she was about to say next. "Gary, you will need to be there for her to help you both face what you need to face next. It will be God's greatest test. You and Jennifer will need to hold on to your love for each other and to have faith if you are to survive. Just remember that things happen for a reason and even if we don't understand them at the time, God always has a plan."

"Hold on to Jennifer. Help her, Gary." With those final words, Anne faded away.

* * * * * *

How bizarre, how utterly cruel and unfair that a regular guy anointed by mysterious forces to receive a futuristic newspaper and charged with preventing the foretold disasters destined to befall unsuspecting souls, would have been told by a "White Lighter" that he had no control over changing *his* future. Something monumental would occur in his life, something that would be part of some divine test and he was just supposed to sit there and do nothing.

The ominous force of Anne's words still sent chills right to his spine. While the elders had told him that he had made his "choice" and that Garrett would not die at the hands of Npu, his gut made him leery about trusting these strange men (if they were men) who spoke in riddles.

God's greatest test...the only test that he could envision that would require him and Jennifer to cleave to each other for strength in order to survive would have to involve their son. Gary remembered that terrible day when he was out answering The Paper's call while Jennifer lay injured at the bottom of those stairs in a fall that had threatened her life and the life of their unborn child. Jennifer and the baby needed him; they could have died. And what had he been doing? Playing hero, helping people with whom he had no connection. At this moment, Gary made a silent vow. He would never again allow his responsibility to The Paper to cause harm to his family.

"What did it look like?" Gary finally answered Jennifer.

"Yes. You know, did it look like the way Heaven is supposed to look in all those stories- beautiful, quiet, peaceful? The nuns used to tell us that Heaven was one of God's greatest gifts to man, to be welcomed back home. To be forgiven for all our sins on Earth and to be allowed to live together forever in a wonderful place. But I remember Sister Mary Catherine telling me that I was a wicked, sinful child and that I would never make it to Heaven. She used to say that I would burn in Hell."

"She'd say what? What kind of a woman was she? Did she enjoy terrifying a child? I'm not so sure that I want our son to go to Catholic school." Gary remarked.

"I loved Catholic school. I just didn't like Sister Mary Catherine. I hated her. I used to pray about that and go to confession. I felt so guilty. Granddad said that great-grandmom Anne said that you shouldn't hate people, only evil deeds. But Sister Mary Catherine she...I don't know, she seemed so unhappy and she acted like she wanted to make everyone else unhappy and miserable. And all the kids were scared to death of her. If you got into trouble, she'd first lecture you about your sinful ways and your need to repent. Then she'd beat your palms with her ruler. Once I got into trouble because this bully named Sharon was teasing my friend Lisa. We were in the lunchroom and Sharon pushed Lisa and made her drop her tray of food. Then she called Lisa clumsy and said that Lisa's mom left her because she was so clumsy and stupid. Lisa started to cry and the kids laughed at her. That made me so mad that I hit Sharon. Sister Mary Catherine came into the lunchroom. She hadn't seen what Sharon did to Lisa, but she saw what I did. All the other kids lied because Sharon was this popular girl and they didn't want to make her angry by telling the truth and helping me. Sister Mary Catherine took me in her office and lectured me about my sins. Then she left me alone for a little while to think about what I had done. I was so scared because she left her ruler out on the desk and I knew that she was going to beat me with it when she returned to her office. And she would have if Granddad hadn't arrived in time to save me. I learned later that Sister Mary Catherine hated Granddad. He had accidentally knocked her down in the school yard when he was five. You know, he was just a little boy and he was playing with some friends."

"And she held a grudge against Jeff all those years because of an accident?

"I guess. I suppose it didn't help that I had inherited Granddad's stubbornness and temper. Kind of hard to intimidate a child who will continue arguing with you even when she knows that she is in big trouble. Anyway, where you were...what did it look like?"

"Actually, Leo said that it wasn't Heaven but that it was some kind of gateway. I'm not sure what he meant by that. And it kinda just looked like a park with trees and a gazebo. Leo and I walked a short distance and we came to this other place. There were these two white marble, stone pillars and a long white marble bench. The three elders sat on the bench. They had on these long robes."

"What did they look like?"

"Just like three older men. They looked like monks, I guess. I mean, the way that they were dressed, they reminded me of monks."

"What did they say?"

"What did they say?" He repeated. "They said...they said nothing. All they did was talk in riddles using all these philosophical platitudes. I had no idea what they were talking about. I felt like I was back in school and my math teacher was trying to explain Algebra to me saying all this stuff that made absolutely no sense just to confuse me and then looking at me like I was an idiot because I didn't understand him."

"So you didn't learn anything that could help us?"

Gary gazed deeply into her eyes. At this moment, she looked like an inquisitive child searching for answers, depending on him to make everything right with the knowledge that he possessed. He wanted to tell her so much about his visit to that strange place. He wanted to tell her about meeting her great-grandmother again, to warn her about Anne's prediction so that they could deal with it together and perhaps somehow change it.

Change what? You don't know what it is that you have to change. Gary's inner voice reminded him.

Well, they *could* do something. They were stronger together than separately and he wasn't sure how he was going to cope carrying this secret alone. He needed her to help him.

And he wanted to tell her about seeing Jeremiah. But then again, Jeremiah talked about death being very soon. Whose death Jeremiah hadn't revealed. No, he couldn't tell her about Jeremiah. He wasn't sure what Jeremiah's ramblings meant and he didn't want to upset her.

Gary felt a pang in his chest. He couldn't tell her any of this. He realized that he would have to carry this secret alone.

"I didn't learn anything that could help us." He finally answered.

A brief silence.

"Well, elders or no elders, nothing is going to harm Garrett. We just won't let it." She said optimistically.

He smiled at her. Gently cupping her face, he said, "do you have any idea how much I love you?"

She returned his smile. "Probably as much as I love you." She responded before their lips met for a tender kiss.

"And I've missed you." He whispered. There was a wicked gleam in his eye as he spoke. She understood the hidden meaning behind his words.

Without saying another word, Jennifer proceeded to the closet. He watched her remove a pillow, sheets, and blanket and walk towards the couch. She placed the items down on the couch.

"What are you doing?" He asked confusion evident in his voice.

"I'm getting the couch ready for you." She replied.

"The couch?"

"Yes. I figured that you must be tired from traveling to...I guess I'll call it 'The Great Beyond' for lack of a better description. And besides, Piper's plan calls for us to be a feuding couple and she said that you'd have to sleep on the couch in order for the plan to work. We need to convince people that we're really fighting."

"You're joking, right? Please tell me that you're joking." He said.

Jennifer tried to suppress a laugh. He looked so adorable at that moment. Her teasing had definitely lessened the tension of the situation. Well, at least the "tension" of dealing with demons and witches. Gary was no doubt feeling another kind of "tension" right now.

"No, I'm serious." She responded.

"Jennifer, honey. I'm not *that* tired. And I don't really have to sleep on the couch to make people believe that we're fighting and I did sleep on the couch. I'll just act like I slept on the couch. It'll be acting, remember?"

"As I recall, you aren't a very good actor. I think that you need to have actual experience to be convincing."

Another brief silence.

"Jennifer." His voice was pleading and desperate now. He looked really worried that she would actually make him sleep on the couch.

Finally, she burst out laughing. "Got you."

"You think that you are so cute, don't you? You know, that wasn't funny." He said.

"Well, maybe I need more training on comic timing. Perhaps you could teach me about that and maybe a few other things." She purred seductively.

He flashed her a boyish grin. Without saying another word, he gently picked her up and carried her over to the bed.

Witches, demons, and prophecies...they would deal with all that tomorrow. Tonight would be about exploring the pleasures of their love. Tonight, they would shut the world out.

Chapter Seventy-Two

There really was Heaven on Earth. She knew that because she had found it lying in his arms.

There were no words that could adequately describe their lovemaking. Rapturous. Of course. Pure ecstasy . Without question. But it was so much more than that. The overture to their passion, like the overture to a classical masterpiece, always teased and excited her. He knew how to touch her with his words whispered into her ear and with an array of kisses so lightly brushing against her skin. His kisses were such a delicious contradiction- a sensual wonderment that was understated yet overpowering. He had stolen her heart from the moment that their eyes feasted on each other when he saved her life from that falling studio light. Her body she had willingly given to him on their wedding night. Against a mischievous Irish moon, the fragrant greenery of lush hills that had been awakened by the light and unexpected rains, and the love nest where they began their married life, they had crossed the intimacy threshold for the very first time. That night, Irish eyes weren't just smiling. Her eyes, in the country of her ancestors, had danced happily and had rivaled the moon with an unprecedented sparkle. Their wedding night was one of the most special moments of her life.

He made her feel beautiful. And he had promised her that every time that they made love would be like that first time; that they would recapture the innocence, the hunger, and the anticipation of the initial union of their flesh.

Was there some kind of perverse irony that she was a woman whose vocation peddled in mesmerizing millions of people with romantic illusion and making it appear real on screen was so limited in her real life sexual experience? Her religious beliefs and old-fashioned upbringing had caused her to reject engaging in an intimate relationship without the benefit of marriage. In college, she remembered other girls talking about discarded lovers as if the men were pairs of shoes that had gone out of style. These girls had spoken of their sexual exploits like they were practice sessions towards Olympic gold. Well, she wasn't some heated filly needing to be cooled by experimentation with potential studs. Jennifer Metcalf knew that love, commitment, and marriage were intertwined and that she would only make love to one man in her lifetime, her husband, until death parted them.

And the seed that God had planted inside of her body as a testament to hers and Gary's love now slept in his crib. Her life was more complete and more charmed than any fairy tale. This loft was grander than the most elegant palazzo because its beauty was measured by the depths of their love.

The temperature was unseasonably warm on this Chicago night. She rested her head on his bare chest and allowed her fingers to plot a destination from his chest to his...well, her mind and body were wickedly in sync with his. He shivered from her touch and let out an appreciative moan. She had always been a gifted student, but who would have imagined that the often shy and unassuming guy from Hickory, Indiana would have been such an incredible teacher in the art of l'amour?

She would have been content to partake in a continuous and uninterrupted refrain of passion all night, to remain in bed with him until the moon passed over its baton to the sun, but she had been loudly summoned by a voice that she could not ignore.

With eyes still shut and his little face crinkled in displeasure, Garrett let out a piercing wail that flooded the room with the sheer force of a Fury exacting vengeance. He was a little guy who had entered the world with some difficulty and whose first cry had resembled a tentative whimper. His first few minutes of life had been spent with seemingly borrowed breaths that had fought their way from his tiny stomach. But now those small lungs weren't shy about vocalizing their discontent.

Jennifer arose from the bed. She grabbed her robe that had been flung unceremoniously across the foot of the bed and proceeded to her son's crib. A quick check revealed that Garrett didn't need changing. Gently, she picked the baby up and walked towards the rocking chair situated near the window. That rocking chair had such a storied history as a Metcalf family heirloom.

The moon's silhouette kissed the curtains as the lunar interloper invited itself as a witness to this special mother and son bonding. Jennifer pulled down the strap from her nightgown before lovingly cradling her son against her breast. Little mud green eyes flickered open as the baby's mouth searched for her nipple. Jennifer enjoyed nursing and cherished the fact that God had equipped her body as a loving ark to sustain her child. Garrett sucked heartily and gratefully on the feast of love that his mother provided.

Lying in their bed, Gary smiled as he watched this tender scene, his heart swelling with profound appreciation of the miracles of life and love. His wife and his son. Two destinies fulfilled.

And the glorious angel that nourished their son with her body also caressed Gary's heart and nourished his soul with her love.

Chapter Seventy-Three

There was no drum roll to herald in the advent of morning. And the sun certainly didn't behave like a wallflower amongst the denizens of the sky. Its rays were confident and purposeful and illuminated the Chicago streets with a magnificent glow during these early morning hours.

"Meow." Thump.

So began the morning.

Cat always took his "job" as the deliverer of the precious early edition very seriously. Yet, the feline's nocturnal wanderings remained a carefully guarded secret. Maybe Cat lived like a hermit avoiding his brethren whenever he crossed paths with them on the street during the dead of night and while he was ignoring the howling winds. Or, one could speculate (somewhat amused) that the animal was very popular with his kind and perhaps enjoyed spirited "celebrations" in the obscure alleys of the city. Everyone needed to unwind from job stresses and it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility that Cat had his own life and circle of friends to help him cope with his pressures.

"Meow." Came the cry again. But this time, there was something different about Cat's tone. It seemed plaintive.

Gary reached over in the bed to touch his wife, but ended up grabbing air. He never relished these early morning wake up calls and it always took him a few moments to fully awaken from his sleep induced stupor. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Jennifer, with Garrett in her arms, had proceeded to the door to let Cat in.

She opened the door. "Good morning, Sweetheart." She greeted Cat.

"Meow." The cry still seemed a bit melancholy. Cat stared at his mistress. Of course, Jennifer couldn't lay claim to understanding animal psychology, but in observing Cat's demeanor (his expression and hesitation in entering the loft), she sensed that he appeared troubled.

"What's the matter, Sweetheart?" She inquired as she stood in the doorway gazing at Cat.

"Meow." Was his response. A moment later, Cat had relinquished his bounty. He rubbed his fur against her leg before entering the room.

It must be true what some people say about having children endowing a woman with the newfound agility of an octopus for even with holding Garret in her arms, Jennifer succeeded in bending over and scooping up The Paper with perfect precision. Closing the door, she turned around to face Gary. "I think that Cat is upset." She announced her voice laced with concern.

"You do, huh? Well, I think that he's spoiled." Gary grumbled.

"Meow." Was Cat's contribution to the discourse. Cat leapt onto the couch apparently in an effort to assert his territorial rights in direct violation of the Hobson edict to stay off the furniture. Gary opened his mouth ready to scold the disobedient animal, but a quick glance at his wife and he changed his mind. He knew that Jennifer viewed Cat as a part of their family and was always willing to defend the feline's antics. And there was no question that Jennifer believed that she owed Cat a debt of gratitude for saving hers and Garret's lives following her accident. She had learned from her mother-in-law that it was Cat who had alerted Lois and Chuck that she was hurt and that she needed help. Sometimes, Jennifer watched Cat's interactions with Garrett. Cat was so protective of the baby. She couldn't explain it, but Jennifer believed that Cat would always find a way to keep the baby safe from harm even at the risk of his own life.

She felt a brief, yet inexplicable chill surge through her body. She shivered. In the second that it took to garner a more significant response from her, the chill had passed.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked her.

"Yes. I'm fine. I just felt a little cold." She replied. "And Cat isn't spoiled." She insisted. She placed The Paper on one of the end tables flanking the couch before walking towards the animal. "What do you want for breakfast? We have some tuna. You like tuna. Doesn't that sound good?" She asked Cat.

Cat licked his lips. "Meow."

"Sure, he's not spoiled. What was I thinking? I must have lost my head." Gary quipped. Gary arose from the bed and proceeded to where Jennifer was standing.

"Good morning." He greeted her with a kiss.

"Good morning." She echoed.

He gestured for his son. Jennifer placed the baby in his daddy's arms. "Good morning, pal." Gary said. He kissed Garrett on the forehead.

"After I check The Paper, I'll make breakfast. How does blueberry pancakes, toast, scrambled eggs and bacon sound?" She asked.

Gary smiled. "It sounds like I'm a very lucky man who has a beautiful wife that takes good care of me."

She returned his smile. "You mean a wife who loves to spoil you rotten, don't you?"

"I'm not spoiled." He responded with mock indignation.

"I think that your mother would disagree with that." She teased.

The playful bantering between the spouses gave no hint of the impending turmoil that awaited the Hobsons today, an emotionally gut wrenching drama that would send their lives into a tailspin.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Gazing from the window of his penthouse apartment, Quentin raised the glass of Scotch to his lips and took a sip. Less than ten minutes ago, it was the Cuban cigar that had captured his attention. Now the cigar rested in a nearby crystal ashtray situated on a black marble table with Ivory tusk legs. Quentin had taken numerous long drags and now the cigar appeared exhausted from the torturous workout.

Enjoying the cigar and observing the smoke billowing the room, holding the air hostage, had relaxed Quentin's frazzled nerves. He wasn't usually one who admitted his need for artificial stimuli to refuel a troubled spirit, but he was watching his carefully orchestrated scheme unravel before his eyes. Consequently, the Scotch and the Cuban had been pressed into service as much needed allies while he plotted contingency plans. Quentin hated relying on contingencies. In his mind contingencies were akin to accepting failure for his initial plans and if it was one thing that he didn't do it was fail. Failure was for the weak, for all of those spineless jellyfish masquerading as men.

It didn't matter that it was 7:30 a.m. and that cigar and liquor hardly qualified as breakfast. What was considered a "proper" breakfast constituted someone else's rules. He certainly hadn't amassed a substantial fortune by following others' rules. The only rules that Quentin embraced were his own.

Spineless jellyfish! He uttered loudly, cursing the silent room with his venom. Yet, those words hovered insecurely in the air as if they were a harlot that had intruded upon the quiet reverence of a place of worship. Quentin had had Stan exactly where he wanted him except that last night, Stan tried to tap dance out of their arrangement. That man was getting soft. Well, Quentin had no patience for soft. Soft could get a man very easily killed. Thus, he had prepared an elixir of machination with a dash of ego-stroking to lure Stan back into the St. George camp. The power mogul had reminded the younger financier that Stan hadn't been the successful owner of a blue chip company like Offside by fretting over "minor" concerns. Stan had listened attentively before admitting that he was worried about the operation turning sour and further, that he hated keeping this whole thing a secret from his wife. Employing subtle manipulation and infusing sexist attitudes, Quentin had patted Stan on the back before arguing that women really had no aptitude for business and that Stan shouldn't allow his wife to project her worries onto him when he was really the one who had always been the capable businessman. What Stan needed to do was to stick to his agenda. And for good measure, he should buy his wife a nice expensive piece of jewelry to take her mind off things.

The strategy had worked. Stan had apologized profusely for troubling Quentin with his concerns. Quentin had flashed an insincere smile before insisting to the unsuspecting businessmen that it had been no trouble.

"I regard my business associates as part of the St. George family and anything that troubles a member of my family, troubles me. I'm just glad that we were able to talk this through and work everything out so that we are back on track." Quentin had said. Before Stan left, Quentin reminded him of the fast approaching deadline and that the rest of the money would be needed in only a few days. Stan nodded and assured Quentin that he would have a cashier's check ready by that time.

The spider had captured the fly. Quentin found that dealing with morons was very tiring. However, he quelled any percolating annoyance regarding Stan with the knowledge that he had that man exactly where he wanted him. Stan had unknowingly sold his soul to the Devil. There would be no money back guarantee.

This time, it was an evil laugh that blanketed the room, like the cold cackling of the Grim Reaper, but nonetheless effective. But just as quickly as the laugh had emerged from the depths of Quentin's body did his ego suffer a momentary relapse. There was still one substantial piece that was needed to keep his plot glued together and that piece was as resistant as a fish caught on a hook and wiggling defiantly towards freedom.

Hobson.

Then the evil smile reappeared as a plan brewed in Quentin's mind. Gary Hobson wasn't the problem; no, it was Hobson's wife who was the stumbling block in all of this. Well, he had tried to appeal to that woman. He would just have to use more persuasive means. And he had just the thing to insure both of their cooperation.

Chapter Seventy-Five

Cat was more than melancholy. Jennifer sensed that the feline was desperately trying to tell them something, something very important. Earlier, Jennifer had lovingly placed a healthy serving of tuna in Cat's bowl. But Cat didn't touch the feast. Concerned, she lifted the animal into her arms and gently stroked its fur. Her touch seemed to momentarily pacify Cat as it let out a grateful meow. However, a few moments later that meow was transformed into a chorus of fitful cries, alarmed cries, as Cat appeared to motion for Jennifer to place it down onto the floor. No sooner had she obliged its request did Cat jump on the couch next to Gary. Cat focused its gaze on Garrett who Gary held in his arms. Animal and baby seemed to stare at each other intently. A second later, Garrett, too, let out a piercing wail. A quick check by his daddy confirmed that Garrett didn't need changing. And Gary knew that his son couldn't be hungry since Jennifer had nursed him less than fifteen minutes before. Jennifer flashed Gary a worried look. He almost wished that he could allay her concerns by suggesting that the behavior that they were witnessing from Garrett and Cat was just a sign of being spoiled, but he knew that wasn't the case. Something had agitated Cat who in turn had transferred that agitation to the previously peaceful baby.

Jennifer rushed over to the couch and sat down next to her husband. Instinctively, Gary handed Garrett over to her. Gary accepted that Jennifer had always been able to calm their child even when his efforts proved unsuccessful. And he remembered that Mom once told him that there was something inherently soothing in a mother's touch that a father didn't possess. Mom argued that the comfort came from the special closeness that a baby shared with its mother while in the womb. Gary knew that in the past Garrett had magically stopped crying whenever Jennifer held him.

As Jennifer arose from the couch, she placed a clean towel over her shoulder, and began walking the floor with Garrett. She whispered soothing words to him and gently massaged the baby's back. However, this time even her touch proved futile. Both Garrett and Cat's cries flooded the loft with a frightening medley of torment.

Jennifer and Gary were puzzled as to the source of the torment. And as ridiculous as it sounded, it was as if Garrett and Cat shared their own special language communicated through their cries.

Suddenly, an inexplicable chill invaded the loft and permeated the air. Jennifer shivered slightly.

She stared deeply into Gary's eyes. Jennifer and Gary shared their own special language, too, a completeness and understanding of each other's fears even when such fears weren't expressed in words.

He knew what she was thinking at this very moment.

Instinctively, he picked up The Paper and flipped through the pages. The headlines hadn't changed. There were still the routine saves, mostly slip and falls, and other easily preventable disasters. There was nothing to worry about.

"Gary, I think that you should call Piper and tell her that the plan is off for today. I don't think that you should face Chuck today. I know that Piper, her sisters, and Leo said that they would be here to make sure that nothing goes wrong and I can't explain it, but something bad is going to happen today. I can feel it. And having those witches and their guardian angel around isn't going to stop it. I don't want you and Garrett alone with that demon. Please, Gary. Please don't do this." She pleaded.

Gary arose from the couch and walked towards her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and managed a weak smile. " Honey, there's nothing to worry about in The Paper. Nothing bad is going to happen today. I promise." He reassured.

Little did he know that a promise sealed in love and words meant to comfort his wife would soon come back to haunt him.

Chapter Seventy-Six

"Okay...right.... No., that's fine. Bye." Piper hung up the phone. Turning to Phoebe, Paige, Leo, and Cole, she said, "that was Gary. He told me that Jennifer had some kind of...feeling that something bad was going to happen today if he carried through with the plan to meet with 'Chuck' so he called to let us know that he won't be seeing 'Chuck' today." "So, now his wife is a psychic, too?" Paige quipped, a hint of annoyance and frustration in her voice. Everyone flashed her a look.

"What?" She asked defensively. "Look, I know that Jennifer has every reason to be cautious, but with three witches and a 'White Lighter' covering them, Gary and Garrett have more protection than the President. I just think that it would make more sense to go on as we planned rather than to postpone everything. Npu isn't supposed to figure out that Gary knows that he's hiding out in Chuck's body, right? Well, won't 'Chuck' get suspicious with Gary running hot and cold all of the sudden? I know that I would if my best friend acted like he wanted to talk to me one day and the next day gave me some excuse like he was avoiding me."

A brief silence.

"Paige is right." Cole offered. "Npu may not be the brightest demon in the underworld, but he's not an idiot, either. He may very well see right through Gary's excuse and come over to McGinty's anyway which would..."

"...leave Gary and Garrett completely unprotected now that he told us to stay away today." Phoebe chimed. "I agree with Paige and Cole. I think that all of us should go over to McGinty's whether Gary likes it or not. Maybe we can...I don't know...somehow hide out not let Gary know that we're there until he needs us."

"Too bad that we can't make ourselves invisible." Paige murmured matter-of- factly.

"Maybe we can." Piper said.

"What?" Paige responded.

"Nothing." Piper answered with a knowing gleam in her eye. "Leo, are you sure that the elders didn't tell you anything else about Gary that could help us protect him and his son?"

"Nothing." Leo answered.

"I know that I haven't been a witch for very long, but if you ask me, this whole thing makes no sense. The demonic world and one power hungry demon are after a psychic and his son because they believe that killing a baby would give them unlimited power. What power could one little baby have? I know Cole called Garrett the purest innocent, but what makes him different from any other baby? I mean, all babies are pure and innocent, right? But Phoebe doesn't get premonitions about their fathers' deaths nor are there are demons running after them. I think that there's something missing, some big piece of this whole puzzle that we're not seeing." Paige reasoned.

Piper glanced at Phoebe than at Leo. "The White Lighter" averted his gaze from his wife. Leo sported a guilty look, an expression that hadn't escaped Piper. "Leo, you know something don't you? Something that you're not telling us." Piper said.

Another brief silence.

"Leo." Piper repeated.

Leo let out a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, yes I know something. There is something else, something the elders told me about Garrett."

"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" Piper asked.

"Because it's something that I'm not sure you are ready to hear." Leo replied ominously.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

A hush fell over the room. For a moment, it seemed as if the silence offered the ultimate pregnant pause for the array of conflicting emotions swirling around in the room and seeking to find a calm from their frenzy. If these emotions could find calm, that is.

Leo gazed at Piper. She looked confused, upset, and angry that he had kept information from her. Phoebe and Paige seemed surprised and curious to find out what Leo knew about Garrett. Cole was curious, too; yet, there appeared a trace of the mischievous demon lingering within his self-assured human exterior for his eyes twinkled in amusement over the unspoken drama between the spouses. Cole and Leo were not friends and Cole admittedly was enjoying the fact that Leo was in trouble with his wife.

"The elders told you something about Garrett, something that could help us protect him and you kept it from us?!" Piper said angrily.

"Pipe."

"You kept crucial information about an innocent from us.you kept crucial information from me, from your wife?! I'm not just your 'charge' Leo, I'm your wife. I thought that our relationship was based on trust. Or, is trust something that the 'White Lighter Code of Ethics' prohibits unless you get permission from the elders first? Because 'The Charmed Ones' can fight demons and make potions, but trust isn't something that we'll find in 'The Book of Shadows'."

"She has a point, Leo." Cole interjected.

"This is one of those times that I'm so glad that I'm not married." Paige whispered to Phoebe.

A brief silence.

"I love you, Piper. I love you very much. And our marriage is based on trust, but this has nothing to do with trust. I wasn't sure what this all meant. I'm still not sure and because of that, I wasn't certain how you'd handle the news. I was waiting until I knew more before I told you."

From the scowl on Piper's face, it was clear that Leo's explanation was only building a deeper hole for himself. "Leo, I think that you better tell us what you know. Now." Phoebe suggested. At this moment, Phoebe was like The Hague attempting to quell the undercurrent of hostilities brewing between her sister and her brother-in-law.

"Okay." Leo swallowed hard before continuing. "Paige is right. Garrett isn't just an ordinary baby. That's why the demons are running scared. That's why Npu wants him dead."

Piper's features softened. "What are you saying, Leo? That we're dealing with a magical child?" Piper asked.

"Maybe that's why Phoebe got the premonition. Gary must be a warlock, too. I mean, he's a good witch, right? That's why 'The Charmed Ones' were called in to protect him. Npu wanted to kill him to destroy his powers and then kill his son, you know, to destroy the bloodline. I wonder if Jennifer knows that she married a warlock. If she doesn't, I'd say that things could get pretty interesting in that house." Paige said.

"According to the elders, Gary isn't a warlock." Leo replied.

"Then Jennifer must be a witch. Garrett had to have inherited his powers from one of his parents. He must have gotten them from his mother." Phoebe offered.

"Jennifer isn't a witch." Leo said.

"Wait a minute. How can we have a magical child born to two parents who don't have any magical powers? That doesn't make any sense." Paige added.

"No, it doesn't. The elders wouldn't explain." Leo replied. "All that they said is that even Garrett's parents aren't aware that their baby will have great abilities. Because of his abilities, Garrett will require a special 'White Lighter.' She will be there to offer advice, help him cope with his powers, and protect him. And the elders also explained that she will be an extremely powerful 'White Lighter' and will do a lot of good in her own right."

"Then we need to talk to her. She must have the answers to help us fight Npu. And she has to be watching over Garrett, too." Piper argued.

"That's the thing. The elders told me that she hasn't arrived yet. Apparently, she is the youngest 'White Lighter' ever and her arrival is linked to Garrett's life. If Garrett dies, not only will Jennifer and Gary suffer a great loss, but the world will, too. The elders said that Garrett's death will cause the deaths of many people in the future and this 'White Lighter' will also never exist."

Another brief silence.

"How did the underworld know about Garrett? And do you think that they also know about his 'White Lighter'?" Phoebe inquired.

"I don't know." Leo responded.

"It wouldn't be too difficult for the demon community to learn about a special baby and a powerful 'White Lighter.' Demons rely upon evil seers all the time to garner information. Garrett's future was likely foretold at the time of his birth. Any seer would have been privy to this kind of prophecy." Cole explained.

A brief, yet excruciating silence.

"This is just great." Piper said, a twinge of sarcasm evident in her tone. "So, what we have here isn't just some ordinary psychic targeted by demonic forces. Instead, we have a magical child born to human parents who will have great powers in the future. And this child will use his powers to help people. Plus, he's going to be protected by an extremely powerful 'White Lighter' who doesn't exist yet, but who will also be a champion of good. And we have an invisible demon who possesses the body of the baby's godfather, the father's best friend. This demon intends to kill the baby in order to stop the baby from maturing into his powers as well as to make sure that the 'White Lighter' assigned to protect the baby is destroyed before she can even exist." Piper summarized. "What happened to the good old days of the run-of-the mill demons who just materialized at the manor trying to kill us, the ones that I could just blow up or we could use a spell to vanquish them?"

"Now, do you understand why I didn't tell you?" Leo asked.

"Look, I say that what we need to do now is put our plan in gear. We need to be at McGinty's in case Npu makes his move today." Phoebe reminded.

"Phoebe's right." Paige echoed. "Piper?"

"I agree. We're going to fight Npu by using his own powers against him." Piper said.

"And just how are we going to do that?" Paige queried.

Another brief silence.

"Piper?"

"By becoming invisible, too." Piper revealed.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

A gust of wind would have seemed to be the most plausible explanation for the unexpected rattling of the locked front doorknob of McGinty's. Because it was still very early in the morning, the bar was not yet opened for business.

There was no one at the front door. Yet, the doorknob turned desperately and a few moments later, a click was heard. This click was the telling prelude to the front door opening and closing in one fell swoop.

Only the sun's rays generously kissing the windows illuminated the inside of the empty bar. The floors shined under the gift of God's light. The chairs, undisturbed from the previous night, were piled neatly on top of the tables. Employees hadn't arrived yet to begin the daily ritual of preparing the establishment for customers. Further, neither of McGinty's owners was in sight. Earlier, Marissa had called to inform Gary that she would be a little late this morning. Gary and Jennifer were still upstairs in the loft.

Moments after the locked office door also opened, succumbing reluctantly to a mysterious intrusion, the stairs leading up to the loft creaked suspiciously under the weight of an unseen burden.

"I told you that I could have orbed us in." An unseen voice whispered.

"I know that you could have, but I thought that it would be rude to just show up in Jennifer and Gary's apartment. I mean, what if they're in the middle of .you know. That would be embarrassing." Another unseen voice replied.

"Phoebe, we're invisible. It's not like they'd know that we're there anyway. It's a good thing that I know how to pick locks or else we would have never gotten inside of here in the first place since you didn't want me to orb us in." Paige said. "By the way, I just thought of something. We can see each other even though we're both invisible. What are we going to do if Npu shows up and he can see us? I mean, hello, invisible demon may be able to see invisible witches."

"Cole doesn't think that's possible because Npu is in human form hiding in Chuck's body. And humans can't see things that are invisible." Phoebe argued.

"Look, I know that you love Cole and everything, but he's just guessing here. Npu is still a demon even if he's in human form. Who knows the extent of his powers? What if he can see us?" Paige countered.

"Then we'll cross that bridge if we come to it." A brief silence. "I still can't believe the invisibility spell worked." Phoebe remarked.

"Yeah, me either. But I just hope that we'll be able to return to our old selves once all this is over." Paige added concerned.

"Me, too."

Upon arriving at the loft door, the sisters discovered that it also was locked. Paige was ready to pick the lock until Phoebe tapped her lightly on the arm to stop her. "Orb us in." Phoebe requested. Paige smiled victoriously as she took her sister's arm. The usual specks of light that existed whenever Paige employed her orbing ability were absent. A second later, "The Charmed Ones" (minus one) were inside the loft.

Garrett and Cat had ceased with their tormented wails. The persistent cries had exhausted the baby and he now slept peacefully in his crib. Jennifer and Gary stood over their son's crib and gazed at him lovingly. Although he was sounded asleep, Garrett's mouth moved furiously in a familiar sucking motion.

Cat had been lying very still by the foot of the couch. When Phoebe and Paige orbed into the loft, Cat jerked his head in the direction of the witches and let out a soft, perhaps arguably grateful, meow. It was as if the feline could sense the invisible witches' presence.

Maybe he could. Animal behavior was often an unexplained mystery and after all, this was no ordinary cat.

"Can he see us?" Paige asked Phoebe as she indicated Cat.

"No.of course not. I mean, I don't think so." Phoebe reassured her sister.

Gary glanced at Jennifer. Even though she was smiling at the sight of their sleeping angel, he could read the fear etched on her face. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He whispered.

"I know." She replied unconvincingly.

"Hey, what's this. I'm the cynic and you were the one raised on Faith. You're the one who's always telling me to have Faith, remember? Isn't that what you Metcalfs are always saying?"

She gazed deeply into his eyes. "You're right. God didn't help Garrett come into this world after my accident just to take him away from us two months later. And no one, human or demon is going to hurt my son or my husband. I won't let them." Jennifer vowed forcefully.

"Well, I pity the demon willing to go up against that Metcalf temper of yours. I love you."

"I love you, too." Gary gently cupped her face and their lips met for a kiss, which was although tender, also sizzled with an unspoken undercurrent of passion.

"You know, Garrett is asleep and I have some time before I have to go out and take care of The Paper." He said suggestively.

She smiled at him knowingly. "I guess we could put that time to 'good' use."

Gary spied The Paper lying on the couch. "Let me just check The Paper one last time just to be sure."

As Gary turned around to walk away from Jennifer, he felt a pinch on his backside. "Hey, you are impatient aren't you? Now was that proper Catholic school girl behavior?" He asked her. He winked at her, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

But Jennifer stared at him, confusion evident on her face.

"Paige, stop that. He's a married man, remember? And we're here for a reason." Phoebe chided her sister.

"Sorry. My hand slipped. Involuntary reflex." Paige replied slyly.

An added benefit to the invisibility spell was the fact that only the sisters could hear each other in their current state.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Gary proceeded to the door and opened it. His face drained of its color when he saw the early morning guest.

"Chuck." He said alarmed.