Shadow

Feb 6/03

Disclaimer: The Charmed characters do not belong to me. They are the creation of Constance Bruge and Aaron spelling. I just borrow them for your enjoyment.

This is set in season 5 with one lil change. Ok big change. It has Prue still alive and no Paige.

Always in the shadows. Hidden from anyone to see. Here he can watch everything and everyone. But it is not everyone he was watching, it is just one. One that had caught his attention years before. In just that fleeting moment she had been all he thought of. Every waking moment. Every night in his dreams. But he knew he would never have her the way he wanted. Or would he?

He watched her now as she walked down the street. He had been standing there knowing she would walk by at that moment. How many days had he watched her? Followed her from her home, knowing now her every move and where she went at every minute. Raising the camera he snapped ever motion she made.

He looked over the lens and watched her enter the building. The camera still snapping as he watched her disappear from site. But he would wait, the few hours till she exited again would seem like minutes for him.

--- ----

"Phoebe let it go."

"No way. I missed your 30th. I will not miss Pipers too."

"What is it with you and this game of yours anyway?"

Phoebe leaned back against her office chair, "It like an addiction. Besides I just wanna see if you guys can ever top me. Which will never happen so you know you are right. Maybe I should let it go."

Prue held her cell phone and smiled at her youngest sisters' attempt at trying to throw her off. "Nice try Phoebs. Ok you got me. What do you need me to do?"

"Oh sweet." Phoebe squealed into the phone as she laid out her plan for Prue.

"Oh she is sooo going to kill you."

"Me. Hello big sister. You are now an accomplice might I remind you." Phoebe explained to her sister, "And if you tell. You do NOT want to know what I will do to you for your next big one. Which according to my calendar, is not that far off." Phoebe threatened her sister, though knowing it would get Prue to cooperate even more. She hated anything to do with birthdays. Especially if it surprised her or embarrassed her.

"What? No way."

"Yup. Gotcha now Sis. Meet me at P3 this afternoon. Leo is taking her out to lunch."

"Ok now I'm going to kill you. But I have no choice now. I'll see you later, you lil trouble maker."

Phoebe scrunched up her nose, "Love you."

"Love you too." Prue hung up her phone and laughed at Phoebes idea. "How does she come up with this stuff?" she asked no one as she made her way through the office at 415 magazine.

"Prue can you take care of this for me?"

Prue looked up to see a fellow photographer handing her a thick file.

"Do I wanna know?"

"Look I had a little problem with my ex. She poured all my chemicals down the drain last night. I don't have time to get some more."

"So you want me to develop them for you." She said more then asked

"Would you. Huge lifesaver."

Prue took the file and smile, "Sure. But if I'm late meeting Phoebe and she completely embarrasses me for my next big birthday. I will find you and hurt you." She told him as she laughed and started down the hall with the file in hand. Leaving her colleague more then a little confused.

--- ----

Piper entwined her arm through Leo's, as they exited the club. "Why can't we just have lunch here. I have a million things to do before tonight."

"No, you are done. You are just wasting time so you don't have to go home."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Look Prue is at work and Phoebe is at work. They are progressing in something they like to do. Let them be happy. You just don't want to go home to the empty Manor."

"Yeah well, in a few months I'll be kicking to get out of that Manor." She said as she rested her hand on her stomach.

"You'll be fine honey. Now come on. Let's go home and have the house to ourselves. Because once junior does come along. We won't get much us time." Leo spun her around in her arms ands leaned in for a passionate kiss.

Piper looked up at him holding his gaze a moment as they stood at the top of the stairs. "Hmm quick way home or normal way home."

"Well seen as we are outside already and the elders don't know the effect that orbing will have on the baby. I'm thinking normal. Until we get home that is." He leaned down again to kiss her.

--- ----

"Phoebe I need that copy before five."

"I got it Elise." Phoebe shot back as she hit send on her emial before grabbing her coat and pruse and left the office and started down the stairs. She was almost out of her office when she ran right into Darryl

"Whoa, Phoebe. Where's the fire?"

"Oh sorry Darryl. I'm running a bit late to meet Prue. So talk and walk." She said a she started out the door.

"Ok look its about Cole."

"Look Darryl he is gone from my life. For good." She looked up at him hoping he would get her meaning.

"I know that. But you see there is this thing called missing persons."

"Darryl I can't help you. He went to the past, became Belthazor again and apparently I vanquished him." she wasn't cold, but she didnt want to deal with any more thoughts of he demon ex. "Like I should have done in the first place. And apparently it set off a chain of different events."

"That's fine. But he was a DA when he met you. And he was a DA when he died."

"I can't help you Darryl. I'm sorry." She stepped up and planted a quick kiss on his check. "Thanks for worrying though." She got in her car and drove off to meet Prue.

Darryl smiled, she had moved on and to him that was thebest thing, he watched as she drove off before heading to his own car and back to the station.

--- ----

Prue opened the door to the office of 415 and started for her car.

"Prue hold up a sec."

Prue turned around and looked at the man running towards her. She couldn't help but smile at his boyish face.

"They are on my desk Patrick."

"Oh you are the best. Thanks. If there is anything I can ever do to repay you."

"I know where to find you." She turned to go when he grabbed her arm to stop her. Reaching over he kissed her gently and quickly on the cheek. "You're a lifesaver." He said before running back into the building.

She laughed to herself, "No. I'm a witch." smiling as she got in her car and made her way to meet Phoebe at P3.

--- ----

He had been leaning against the wall, holding the door in his eyes, ever since she had gone in a few hours before, waiting for her to exit.

He looked up with anticipation of seeing her again; talking to her. But he stopped. She was with a man. Who was that? Was he kissing her? He felt his rage inside him boil. She was his. But he watched as she got in her vehicle. Her hair bouncing over her shoulders. Just like he remembered it. The confident walk.

How long had it been since he last talked to her. Weeks, months, a year? He lost track of time. He lost track of her. Missing her every motion, every move. He kept her picture whenever he could get hold of one. Which was not often. But lately, her face was everywhere he turned. She was just as beautiful as she was in college. But that now seemed like a lifetime ago, a portion of which he lost to her because of her sister.

"But not this time. This time you will be mine. If I have to kill your sister to get to you."