Author's Note: I know it's a little odd, but at the time I started this fic I was experimenting with stream of consciousness writing. So all the prologues and the epilogue are in stream of consciousness from the perspective of one of the characters. The rest of the fic is traditional third person POV.
Prologue: Part One
Oh, God. He's dead. Dead and my fault. I killed him. Call Prue, Phoebe. What do I say? How do I tell them? How could this happen? Why didn't I just...How do I explain this? The police won't believe. Even Darryl. He can't hide this. How do you explain this? Yeah, officers, I just pulled out my trusty flamethrower, so much more reliable than guns or alarms. Why did I try to freeze him? Why did I get this power now? So sudden. Tried to freeze, did the opposite. Set him on fire. It's always so sudden. When Prue channeled through her hands, astral projected, Phoebe levitating. God, it could have been them. That charred human on my dance floor could have been them. Or Leo. Or an employee. I'm going to jail. I can't explain this away. Can't make excuses. Can't hide it. Call Prue, Phoebe. They'll help. They're better at this. They can handle it. Dial the phone, God what's our number? I can't even remember our number. I hope I'm dialing right. "Prue, please come to the club." My voice is so shaky. She knows something's wrong. She didn't ask questions. Just said yes and hung up. She knows. No questions asked. Where's Leo? Leo! Maybe he can help. Leo, come on. I'm thinking about you. I know you can hear me. Please come. Can he hear me? Can he be too far away? Or maybe "they" won't let him. Damn it! Damn them! Damn our powers! If we weren't witches...that's what I always blame everything on. Why do I do that? Because it's true. I wouldn't have given stopping this guy a second thought if I wasn't a witch. Would have given the money like he wanted. I'd have lost a night's revenue. We're insured for robbery. Should have given him the money. Why'd I use my powers? Damn everything! I'm going to jail. I'll be put in prison. Probably not murder. It was self-defense...if anybody buys that. Self-defense with fire. Right. I'll go down to death row for murder. At least I'm not in Texas. Of course, if they don't even question how I set him on fire. If they question it, they'll know. They'll know my powers. It'll be Nathaniel Pratt. I'll go down like Phoebe did in the future. Die just like him. In flames. Dead. God, that was horrible. Someone's here. Phoebe wants to know what smells. Charred flesh, fresh off Piper's barbecue! I can't look at them. How do I explain? They won't understand. I can't...how do I? I'm crying. Knew it would happen eventually. I always cry. Why do I always cry? It's inevitable. Prue and Phoebe are staring at the body. Can't even tell who it is anymore. Now, they're staring at me. They're worried. They're scared to ask. But Phoebe does. What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. I'm a murderer, that's what's wrong. I won't say it. I can't talk. Oh God, why did this happen?
Prologue: Part Two
Piper's crying. What happened to her? She called and said to come. I knew something was wrong. She sounded so scared. Terrified. Dead guy on the floor. Smells like burnt flesh. Horrible smell. Remember it from the future, but that was Phoebe's...no, can't think about that. Phoebe's trying to get Piper to talk. Can't get anything out of her but tears now. It must have been horrible. But who's the person on the floor? An employee? Leo? No, Leo can't die. Or can he? Did he clip his wings? Is that him? No, he wouldn't. Would he? They've had it so hard. No, it can't be Leo. It can't be. It's someone else. But who? "Piper, what happened? Who is that?" I don't sound as confident as usual. I'm scared. Not of anything in particular. Just scared. Gotta get Piper to talk. Darryl is going to have to cover somehow. This definitely needs to be covered. But he's dead, burnt. How? How can Darryl cover that? "Piper, please say something." Phoebe's looking at me. She wants me to take charge, be the big sister like usual. Phoebe's scared too. She's trying to comfort Piper, but she's scared. Wait, Piper said...what? So quiet I couldn't hear. "What, Piper? What did you say?" She said it louder, but still crying. She killed him? That's what she said. She killed him. No. Piper couldn't, how? How did she set him on fire? "How? You couldn't." A new power. He was robbing her. Trying to anyway. She tried to freeze, but she shot fire. She's so scared. She thinks she'll go to prison. "That's not going to happen Piper. You're not going to jail." But she could. Darryl can't hide this. How do you claim spontaneous combustion as self defense? She could go to jail. I won't let that happen. I'll take the blame. She can't go to prison. I'll take the blame.
Prologue: Part Three
She killed him? Not Piper. A new power. Why does it always do that? New power so sudden that people are in danger. Prue and I both know that. When we got ours it wasn't so dangerous. Piper killed a man. How could this happen? She would never intentionally hurt anyone like this. This is Piper. She wouldn't. How can we cover this? Dump the body? We'd be seen. Piper wouldn't agree. She'd rather die. Go to death row for murder. It could happen. Nathaniel Pratt, I know the feeling. Can't let her go to jail. Where's Leo? I guess he can't help. He could at least be here. Gotta call Darryl. This is the worst ever. He won't be able to help. God, why did this happen? Why Piper? Why not me? Or Prue? Why at all? How do we fix this?
Prologue: Part Four
Have to get to Piper. Can hear her calling. She needs me. Don't know why. They won't tell me. Won't let me go. They say I can't help. Maybe not the situation. But I can help her. I need to be there. What happened? All I can hear is her calling, her fear. Why is she scared? Is she hurt? Let me go! She needs me! Always forbidden. Even when they allowed us to be together. Still forbidden. Always hard. Piper saw our future. She said it might still happen. But what did she see? What's happening now? I need to go. Please let me go. I hope you can hear me, Piper. I love you. If they would let me be there, I would.
Prologue: Part Five
Screams of terror and pain at P3. Why am I not surprised? Better get there first. Why do I cover for them? I'm gonna get fired one of these days. All right, moment of truth. Do I need my gun? Oh man, what smells? Is that what I think it is? Piper's crying. Why? Whose the burnt guy? Are they going to explain this? "Prue, we got reports of screams. You gonna tell me what happened?" Not sure? Of course she's not sure. There's a burnt up human in the middle of the club, but she's not sure. What the hell am I supposed to do? Piper what? "How'd she set him on fire?" Her powers. "He's human?" I can't cover that. Demons disappear. Burnt humans don't. "I'm not going to be able to cover this up. There will be questions." I can't let Piper go to jail. It was an accident, surely. "It was an accident, right?" Even if it was, how to explain. The guy just spontaneously combusted. Can that slide? Doubt it. This is huge.
Prologue: Part Six
Screams at P3. Hope Phoebe is okay. No, I don't. I don't hope she's okay. But…no, can't let it win. Can't let it happen. Should find out what happened. Should go. Check on Phoebe. Make sure…maybe job's been done for me. I'll go. See what happened. Maybe I can get something out of this.
Part One: The Decision
Police sirens blared outside, nearing P3 by the second. Not much had been said since Darryl's arrival. Nobody knew what to say. Darryl was pacing, glancing from each of the sisters to the charred remains of the main who had made the mistake of trying to rob P3 back to the sisters. Finally, he spoke up.
"We've got like two seconds to come up with a story," Darryl said, nervous as ever. "What do you want me to tell them? This isn't going to be easy to cover up."
Phoebe and Prue looked to Darryl, having no idea what to say. For once nobody knew what to do, until Piper spoke up. "Don't."
Prue and Phoebe looked back to Piper in surprise. Piper's face was devoid of any emotion. She was in shock. Darryl looked at her like she had grown a horn.
"What?" he asked.
"Don't cover up," Piper said. "Don't bother."
"Piper, you're upset and you're in shock. You're not thinking rationally," Phoebe said, hoping she could get Piper to realize what she was saying.
"Like hell," Piper responded. "There is no convincing way to cover this up. The police are going to be here soon. They're going to want to know what happened. They're going to want my security tapes. It's code to have security cameras, so I can't say I don't have them. And it's not likely that all the cameras would malfunction at the same time. So, I can't say that. There's no way to cover this up."
"Piper, there's gotta be a way," Prue said. "You can't give up that easily."
"I'm not giving up. I'm facing reality," Piper said. "Our reality and the non-demon reality. Both together. They don't mesh real well, but when they come together there's too big of a mess to clean up."
"So, what you're just going to tell the truth? Everything?" Darryl asked. "Even about you being witches?"
"I'm going to answer their questions. If they ask me if I'm a witch I'll tell them," Piper said.
"And how will you explain the guy bursting into flames?" Phoebe asked, now frustrated with Piper's attitude.
"They'll see it on the tapes," Piper said. Before anyone could say another word, several police officers burst into the club brandishing their guns. Darryl turned and approached the lead officer.
"I'm Inspector Morris, Homicide," Darryl said, showing his badge. The officers holstered their guns. "I'll be handling this case."
"We have instructions not to allow that, sir," the lead officer said.
"What?" Darryl asked, shocked by this comment.
"Inspector Allen is on her way," the lead officer replied. "The captain said not to allow you to handle this case."
"Why?" Darryl asked, still shocked.
"He said you had a personal connection to it," the lead officer said.
"How would he know? He doesn't even know what's happened here," Darryl asked.
"He said you have a personal connection to the owners of this club," the lead officer said.
"Morris," a woman said as she descended P3's stairs.
"Allen," Darryl said, looking none too pleased to see her.
"You can go now," Inspector Allen said. "You're no longer needed here."
"These women are my friends," Darryl said. "I have the right to stay."
"You're on duty," Allen said. "You don't have the right to stay. You can go now. Or would you like me to call the captain?"
"Darryl," Piper said. Darryl turned and saw her shaking her head. She didn't want him risking his job for this. Darryl approached Piper and whispered to her.
"You're crazy to go through with your so-called plan," he whispered. "Call me if you need anything." Darryl left, worried about the situation.
Inspector Allen watched Darryl leave and then she surveyed the scene. She looked the sisters up and down and then ordered one of the officers to call the coroner and the violent crimes team.
"So, who was here?" Inspector Allen asked, approaching the sisters and flipping open a notebook. Piper raised her hand, not so sure how she would do this. "Are you the owner of this establishment?"
"Yes," Piper said.
"So, do you want to tell me who lit the barbecue and what was on the menu?" Inspector Allen.
"He came in here with a gun, and he ordered me to give him all the cash in the register," Piper said.
"You'll have to let me know what security company you go with. How'd he get fried?" Inspector Allen asked.
"Um…I'm not sure," Piper said.
"You're not sure."
"No."
"Do you have security tapes?" Inspector Allen asked, knowing full well that Piper had them.
"Yes, I do," Piper said.
"I'll need them for evidence," Inspector Allen said, slightly annoyed.
Piper headed for the back rooms of the club with Inspector Allen following close behind her. Piper quickly handed the inspector the security tapes. "There you go, inspector. Anything else?"
"You'll need to give your official statement to one of the officers and then you'll be free to go," Inspector Allen said. "A team is on the way to take evidence."
Piper nodded her head and returned to the main area of the club.
It wasn't far into the next day when Inspector Allen called. She had reviewed the tapes, and quite frankly was baffled by what she had seen.
"From what I see on the tapes, Miss Halliwell," she said over the phone to Piper, "the fire that killed that man originated from your hands."
"Really?" Piper asked, trying to see where this would lead.
"I've never seen anything like this before, but I've watched all the tapes several times. I know that my eyes aren't playing tricks on me."
"So, what do you plan to do?" Piper asked.
"I plan to take the tapes to the DA's office and see what they want to do with this," Inspector Allen said. "From what I saw, it appeared to be self-defense, no matter how bizarre the defense. But I have to do my job. If what I saw was real, you killed a man. Even self-defense doesn't always get off."
"I understand," Piper said. "And then what?"
"Depending on what the DA wants to do with it, they'll either let it slide or they'll go to a judge and get a warrant for your arrest," Inspector Allen replied. "Do you understand what could happen if you went to trial?"
"Yes, inspector, I do," Piper said. "Thank you for calling me."
"Goodbye, Miss Halliwell."
Piper hung up the phone, sat at the kitchen table and rested her head in her hands. It was happening. She was going to be arrested for murder. There was nothing she could do to stop it.
The DA made quick work of the tapes. And the assigned attorney was none other than Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner. When Phoebe found out she was outraged. But she didn't have time to go chew Cole out. The second she found out about Cole's assignment, Inspector Allen and two uniformed officers showed up at the Manor with a warrant. Phoebe stared in shock. They were really there to arrest Piper for murder.
"Is Piper Halliwell here?" Inspector Allen asked Phoebe. Phoebe couldn't answer. She didn't have to. Piper came out from the living room, fully prepared for this. "Miss Halliwell. We have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Charles Sutter."
"I know," Piper said. One of the uniformed officers stepped into the foyer past Phoebe. He pulled out his handcuffs. "Do you have to cuff me? I'm going willingly."
"Procedure," Inspector Allen said. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back." Piper did so. Phoebe watched on in shock as Inspector Allen read Piper her Miranda rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided to you by the courts. Do you understand your rights, Miss Halliwell?"
"Yeah," Piper said as the officer finished cuffing her. He began to lead her out of the Manor. Phoebe, who had been silent this entire time, spoke up.
"Hang on," Phoebe said, not sure how she should go about protesting this. Everything was done by the book and Inspector Allen really didn't seem pleased about having to arrest Piper. Piper gave Phoebe a look that said she shouldn't protest this. Phoebe understood. "I'll call Prue. We'll try to get you out."
It was hours before Prue and Phoebe were allowed to even see Piper. They waited in a square, gray room while the guard brought their sister in. Piper was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and her hands were cuffed in front of her. Prue and Phoebe both hugged her and then the three of them sat at the table provided.
"Are you okay?" Prue asked.
Piper shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I'm in jail. I'm as okay as I can get here."
"We checked into bail," Phoebe said. "It's really high."
"How high?"
"You were arrested for murder. Let's just say it's sell the Manor, the club, and both cars high," Prue said.
"You're not selling anything to get me out of here," Piper said adamantly. "In fact, you probably shouldn't even be here."
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe said, slightly hurt.
"I talked to my lawyer. He's seen the tapes. So, he knows what happened. I'm really surprised he's still willing to represent me," Piper explained. "I told him the truth. I told him I was a witch. We're going to plead innocent, that it was self-defense."
"Okay, I think you should plead insanity," Prue said. "Because you must have lost your mind. The media is going to be all over this and us."
"No, they're not," Piper said. "You're not witches. I already told my lawyer that. You have to act shocked that I've been hiding this from you for so long."
"You're nuts, Piper," Phoebe said. "Do you really expect that to work?"
"Does it matter? I've got nothing to lose," Piper said, her frustration evident. "I'm up for trial for murder, and if I deny what happened in those security tapes, I'm as good as convicted. This is the only way I can go free. You guys have to trust me on this. You have to act like you didn't know about the witchcraft. You have to deny that you're witches. I don't want you pulled into this."
"Piper, we're your sisters. We're already involved in this," Phoebe said. "Do you really expect us to deny it?"
"You have to. If you don't, you'll only be hurt in the long run," Piper said. Phoebe could see Piper's concern. Prue could, too. "I don't want you to get hurt by this. Especially if I'm convicted."
Prue looked at Phoebe and they both looked back to Piper. "You won't be convicted, Piper. I have faith in that," Prue said.
"We'll be with you every step of the way," Phoebe said.
Piper smiled and took both her sisters' hands in hers. Then the guard knocked on the door and opened it. "Time's up, Halliwell. Let's go!" The guard grabbed Piper by the arm and dragged her away.
As she left, Piper called back, "I love you guys."
"Cole, you have to get out of this!" Phoebe demanded. She was at Cole's apartment, pleading with him to get the case reassigned to someone else. Cole looked at her sympathetically.
"Do you think I didn't try?" Cole asked. "The second I got the assignment I tried to beg out of it, but they wouldn't change their minds." Cole sat next to Phoebe and looked into her eyes. "I don't want this to hurt us, but I have to do my job."
"Even if your job means you have to get Piper convicted for murder? She's my sister," Phoebe said, her anger and frustration evident.
"I know. I don't want to do this," Cole replied.
"Then don't."
"I have to."
"I better go," Phoebe said. She rose from the sofa and grabbed her purse, heading for the door.
"Phoebe, wait," Cole said, truly desperate to get her to stay. His feelings for her were overriding his sense of purpose. He couldn't think straight, and he couldn't do his job when she was around. And not his human job, his demon job. His job as Belthazor. He couldn't let her talk him out of this case. This case could very well be the key to his triumph over the Charmed Ones and his triumph over his feelings for Phoebe.
"Cole, right now you're the enemy," Phoebe said. She didn't know how right she was. "You can't play for both teams. You have to choose, and right now it looks like your choice is to play against me and my sisters." Phoebe turned and slammed the door behind her.
Part Two: The Trial
The first day of the trial the courtroom was packed. The contents of the security tapes had been leaked to the press somehow and they were crawling all over Piper's confession of witchcraft. The press bugged Prue and Phoebe for a few days before the trial, but eventually gave up, believing that Piper had hidden the witchcraft from them up until the incident in P3.
Prue and Phoebe had front row seats, right behind the defense table where Piper would sit. They both were dragged from their conversation when Piper was brought in. She was dressed in the clothes that Prue and Phoebe had brought for her so she didn't have to go to court in the orange jumpsuits she wore whenever she was taken brought out of the confines of her jail cell. Her hands were cuffed in front of her and she was ushered to her seat next to her lawyer. Piper turned and gave a brave smile to Prue and Phoebe. Prue smiled back and Phoebe gave a small wave.
A few minutes later, everyone was asked to rise, as the presiding judge was announced. The Honorable Judge Peter Ruger took his seat at the bench, and everyone else in the courtroom followed suit. All the formalities were taken care of and then the opening statements by the attorneys began. Cole went first. He approached the jury holding a remote control in his hand. He pointed it at a television set and pressed play. One of P3's security tapes played for the jury. They watched as Charles Sutter pulled a gun and pointed it at Piper. They watched Piper seem to be going for the register, but then she waved her hands in front of her. They watched fire shoot from her hands and engulf Charles Sutter. He screamed and writhed in agony on the floor of P3 as the flames did their work. Piper stood behind the bar of P3, apparently in shock, watching the man burn to death. Cole shut off the tape.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I've showed you this tape to illustrate what exactly Piper Halliwell is capable of. She admits to witchcraft and she admits to what happened on that tape. Now, I can understand that what you just saw may be a bit difficult to believe. I know I was shocked. A person capable of generating fire in her bare hands and causing such pain and devestation just doesn't seem possible. It's never been seen before. But she admits it, and we've all seen it right on this tape. She admits her guilt. Yet, she's pleading not guilty. She claims that it was self defense. Perhaps I'm a bit confused, but Mr. Sutter never fired a shot at her. He demanded money from her, and she could have easily given it to him and called the police. No harm, no foul. But instead, she chose to set him on fire. And as he lay on the floor of her nightclub, burning and writhing in pain, she didn't even move. She didn't reach for the fire extinguisher that was only a few feet away from her. She didn't try to help him at all. Also, she called her sisters before she called the police. In fact, she never called the police. They only arrived promptly because residents in a nearby apartment building heard Mr. Sutter's screams. She did nothing. All she did was kill a man, a man who didn't deserve to die in such a manner. No one, not even the lowest criminal or the coldest killer deserves to die in such a manner. I wouldn't have wished such a death on Adolf Hitler. Piper Halliwell is guilty of murder, something she wholly admits to. So, during the course of this trial you must decide if you will convict her for the crime she admits to committing, or if you will let a murderer go free."
Cole returned to his seat, not making eye contact with Phoebe because he could feel her eyes boring holes in his skin. She hated him. She would never forgive him for what he was doing. And he was happy. It cut him free. If she didn't have feelings for him, then his feelings for her would slowly disappear. At least, that's what he believed. Piper's attorney stood and approached the jury.
"Ladies and gentleman, my name is Richard Bloom. I'm Piper Halliwell's attorney, and like you I was shocked when I saw the tapes from P3's security cameras. Who wouldn't be? Her sisters were shocked when she finally revealed her secret. But will you convict Piper simply because she is a witch? Piper clearly described the events of that evening to me, and here is what happened. Think of the tape that you just saw, and then put this description to it. Let's see how your perception changes. Charles Sutter came into P3 that night and pointed a gun in Piper's face. He demanded money. She was nervous and she was about to give him the cash when she remembered her power…to freeze time. That's right, she had no idea she could create fire until it happened that night. Piper Halliwell tried to stop the man from robbing her by using the power she knew she had, but instead used a new power, something that caught her by surprise. It was an accident of self defense. She had no intention of killing Mr. Sutter like the prosecution is trying to say. She didn't move after he caught on fire because she was frightened and shocked. Getting a new power so sudden can be frightening and overwhelming as I'm sure all of you would believe. Once the fire had been extinguished, going out on its own, Piper called her sisters because she was afraid. A man was dead in her club, by her hand yes, but by accident. Now, picture yourself in her position. If you had just been through what she had been through, seen what she had seen, would you think clearly? I doubt it. She didn't call the police because she was frightened of what they would do to her. The prospect of prison can be a frightening thought. But the truth of the matter was that Piper was defending herself under the assumption she would use one power when she really used another. To use an analogy, she was trying to subdue Mr. Sutter with a gun she thought had blanks which was loaded with real bullets. It was an accident of self defense."
Piper's attorney returned to his seat and looked to his notes. Now it was time for the trial to truly begin.
"State your name for the record," Cole said to the witness on the stand.
"Inspector Darryl Morris."
"How long have you been in law enforcement Inspector Morris?"
"Fifteen years," Darryl replied.
"And how long have you known the Halliwells?"
"Two and a half, give or take."
Cole looked at his notes. "Now, since you have known the Halliwells there have been several strange cases that you have handled, and often their names come up in the files as well. Is this true?"
"Objection. Relevance," Richard said.
"Goes to precedent, Your Honor," Cole argued.
"Overruled," Judge Ruger said. "Answer the question Inspector."
"Yeah, I've had some weird cases," Darryl replied.
"With the Halliwells involved?" Cole asked.
"With Piper Halliwell involved, yes," Darryl lied. He was reeling with guilt. He, an officer of the law, was committing perjury in a murder trial.
"But then why are there cases with her sisters' names on them?" Cole asked.
"Objection. Relevance," Richard said again.
"Sustained," Judge Ruger said. "The defendant's family is not on trial here, Mr. Turner."
"Your Honor, her sisters' credibility could very well prove perjury in their witness statements given to the police, thus raising suspicion to the defendant's innocence," Cole argued.
"Objection sustained counsellor. Move on," the judge ordered. Cole looked frustrated and then turned back to Darryl.
"You were the first on the scene at P3. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Darryl answered.
"What did you believe you would find as you entered the building?" Cole asked.
"Someone hurt, at least. Screams were reported," Darryl explained.
"And what did you find?"
"The victim was burnt up pretty badly," Darryl said. "It smelled really bad. Piper was there with her sisters."
"And what was Piper's emotional state when you arrived?"
"She was upset. She looked to be in shock," Darryl replied. "She'd been crying, but she wasn't anymore."
"What did she say to you?" Cole said.
"Nothing," Darryl lied again. "She didn't say anything while I was there."
"How long were you there?"
"About 15 minutes, until Inspector Allen arrived."
"Why didn't you handle the case?" Cole asked.
"I was ordered off of it," Darryl replied.
"You were ordered off of it? Why?"
"My captain knew that I was friends with the Halliwells," Darryl explained. "He believed it was too personal for me to handle."
"Has your captain ever ordered you off of cases before?"
"No," Darryl replied. "Never."
"Even when your partner Andrew Trudeau was killed in the Halliwells' home two years ago?"
"Objection!" Richard exclaimed. "Again, relevance?"
"Goes to credibility," Cole said, not taking his eyes off of Darryl.
"Overruled," Judge Ruger replied.
"Did your captain order you off the case when your partner, Andrew Trudeau, was killed in the Halliwells' home?"
Darryl sighed. "He didn't order me off it. He warned me off it, but it wasn't because of—"
"Nothing further," Cole interrupted, knowing that Darryl would say that he was warned off the case because of his friendship with Andy and not with Piper or her sisters.
"Your witness, Mr. Bloom," the judge said.
Richard stood and approached Darryl. "How well do you think you know the defendant, my client, Piper Halliwell?"
"Well enough," Darryl said.
"Well enough for what?"
"Well enough to know she would never intentionally kill someone," Darryl replied.
"Has Piper Halliwell ever hurt anyone prior to the incident at P3, as far as you know?"
"Not to my knowledge," Darryl said. "In fact, she's probably the most caring, non-violent person I know."
"Nothing further, Your Honor."
The judge looked to Darryl. "You may step down, Inspector."
Inspector Allen was the next to testify. Cole approached the witness stand.
"Inspector, when you arrived, what was your first impression of the scene?"
"Someone had burnt to death. He was unrecognizable. In fact, I didn't know it was a man until I saw the tapes," Inspector Allen explained. "I didn't have to see anything to know that someone had burnt, however. I could smell it the second I opened the door."
"What was Piper Halliwell's emotional state when you arrived?"
"She seemed calm. She answered my questions and gave me the tapes without hesitation."
"She was calm?"
"Somewhat. It could have been shock."
"So, over fifteen minutes time she changed from being upset and crying to calm and cooperative," Cole said. "You watched the tapes, Inspector?"
"Of course," Inspector Allen replied.
"And you are certain that you saw Piper Halliwell shoot fire from her hands and kill a man."
"Yes," Inspector Allen answered. Cole nodded his head and returned to his seat. Richard stood.
"Inspector," he began. "You called my client after you reviewed the security tapes. Why?"
"I called to warn her about what might happen to her as a result of what was on those tapes," Inspector Allen replied.
"Do you often warn potential murder suspects that they could be arrested?"
"No."
"Why did you warn my client?"
"I felt she deserved to know what could happen."
"Why did you feel that way?" Richard asked. "Couldn't it have been possible that she would take your warning as a hint to leave town?"
"I believed she wouldn't run. She gave me the security tapes willingly," Inspector Allen explained. "She knew what I would see."
"But why did you feel she deserved a warning?"
"She seemed like the kind of person who would tell the truth, an honest person," she replied. "And after watching all the tapes several times, I believe she was acting in self defense."
Richard smiled and took his seat. "Nothing further, Your Honor."
The prosecution brought in its final witnesses—a forensics expert and the coroner. Once they had testified, the judge called recess over the weekend until Monday.
Piper was taken back to her cell after having changed back into the orange jumpsuit. She sat on her bunk, wondering what exactly she was supposed to do with her time in prison. She would soon find out.
Her cell mate, a stocky woman named BJ, was staring at her.
"Can I help you?" Piper asked.
"I don't know," BJ replied. She stood and approached Piper. She smirked and looked Piper in the eyes. "Are you gonna set me on fire, witch?"
"Maybe," Piper said. She leaned back against the wall and looked through the bars of the cell. "If you don't leave me alone."
BJ leaned forward, resting her mannish hand on the wall next to Piper's head. Piper looked back at BJ. "Big talk from a shrimpy, little witch," BJ said.
"Gotta make up for the small talk from the big bitch," Piper mumbled to herself. BJ grabbed Piper's throat. Her hand wrapped almost all the way around Piper's neck.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"Nothing," Piper squeaked, having a bit of trouble speaking with BJ squeezing her throat. BJ hurled Piper across the cell into the wall. Piper coughed and rubbed her throat. "Anybody tell you that gap between your teeth makes you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?" she muttered. BJ rushed Piper and backhanded her. Piper fell to the floor. She wiped her nose with her sleeve and saw blood there. She looked up at BJ.
"Look, I don't care who you think you are, but nobody crosses me," BJ threatened. "You mess with me, and you get messed up."
"If you know anything about why I'm here," Piper began as she pushed herself up from the floor, "you know what I can do to you. So, I think you should back off before I'm forced to defend myself." Piper put extra emphasis on the word defend to get her point across. BJ glared at Piper angrily. "And you might wanna share that warning with your friends here." Piper walked past BJ to the sink to clean her face off.
BJ scoffed and jumped up onto the top bunk. "You just stay out of my face. I'll stay out of yours."
Piper looked up from the sink to BJ. She smirked. "Sounds like a plan."
Visiting time rolled around on Sunday, and Prue and Phoebe were there right on time, waiting for Piper. They stared through the glass partition as Piper sat down in front of them. The black eye and swollen lip caught them both by surprise. Piper picked up the telephone and Phoebe and Prue picked up theirs.
"What happened to your face?" Prue asked with concern.
"I had a little argument with BJ, my cell mate," Piper said with a smirk.
"Really? What about?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh, she had a problem staying out of my space," Piper replied. "I convinced her not to mess with me or I'd be forced to defend myself."
"Piper, you didn't," Prue said with disgust. "What if she told someone what you said?"
"She wouldn't. She's like the school yard bully," Piper explained. "She's got her pride. And it's not like I'm going to do it. It was an empty threat. The important thing is that she thinks I'm going to do it. She hasn't bugged me since."
"So, how are you doing?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm getting used to it, I guess," Piper said. "It's kind of boring. I sort of wish I hadn't pissed BJ off. I just have to sit there in the cell and twiddle my thumbs."
"Do you think they'd let us bring you a book or something?" Phoebe asked.
"I doubt it," Piper said. "They'd probably think I'd try to give someone a deadly paper cut or something. Ironically, they haven't given a second thought to the fact that I could burn this place to the ground."
"You should really watch what you say, Piper," Prue said seriously. "Don't joke about your powers. Someone important is going to take you seriously, and things will get worse."
"I know. I know," Piper replied, shaking her head. "I'm just going nuts here. My life is on the line here all because of this stupid power that I have. And to be honest, of all the powers I could get, throwing fire isn't one of the first ones I would have asked for."
The trial resumed and the defense was up. There wasn't much in the line-up for the defense's case. The only witnesses available were the Halliwell sisters. Richard was basing the entire case on Piper's description of what happened and character witness statements. Piper was a little worried about Richard's approach, and she was afraid she had made a mistake with this strategy.
"Please raise your right hand," the bailiff said. Prue complied and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help her God. She took a seat and Richard approached the witness stand.
"Please state your full name for the record," he said.
"Prudence Ann Halliwell," Prue said.
"And what is your relationship to my client, Miss Halliwell?" Richard asked.
"She is my sister," Prue replied.
"Your younger sister. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"So, you quite possibly know more about her life than she does. Could I say that?" Richard asked.
"I suppose you could," Prue replied.
"So, what is she like, personality-wise? Is she fun to be around? Does she have a short temper? Is she a nice person?"
"Yes, no, and yes," Prue said. "Piper, is and always has been a caring and non-violent person. She hates seeing anyone hurt, and she does her best to keep from hurting others."
"So, she doesn't have a short temper?"
"No, the opposite actually," Prue said.
"Really? How so?"
"Well, Piper's the typical middle child," Prue explained. "Phoebe, our younger sister, and I didn't get along all that well growing up and Piper was our buffer. The eye of the storm in our family. I've never seen her yell at anyone."
"When Piper called you the night of the incident, what did she say exactly?" Richard asked.
"She said that something had happened and she needed me and Phoebe to come to the club," Prue said.
"And when you arrived?"
"She was in tears. She could barely talk to us," Prue explained truthfully. She wanted to lie as little as possible. "She finally said she got a new power and that she had set that man on fire."
"When she said a new power," Richard began, "what was your reaction?"
It was time for the well-rehearsed story she and Phoebe had thought up. "I was confused. I didn't know what she meant by new power, and I had no idea how she could have possibly set the guy on fire."
"And what happened next?"
"It took her a while, but she explained what happened and she confessed to us that she had been hiding something from us," Prue said. "She told us she was a witch, and that she had magical powers."
"And your reaction to this?"
"I was shocked at first. Once I let it sink in I was a little angry that she had kept such a huge secret from us," Prue said.
"You had no idea that she had been hiding this from you?"
"None."
"After you moved past your anger, how did you feel?"
"I felt sympathy for her and concern," Prue said. "She explained to us that it was an accident, that she was just trying to protect herself. I was afraid she might get sent to jail because of an accident."
"You accepted her big secret?"
"I wouldn't say accepted. I dealt with it. She's my sister before she's a witch. I know that she would never hurt anyone intentionally," Prue explained. "I didn't want to see her hurt because of this."
"Thank you. Nothing further, Your Honor."
"Your witness, Mr. Turner," Judge Ruger prompted.
Cole sat and went over his notes for a long moment. People shifted in their chairs and cleared their throats. He was stalling, and nobody was quite sure why. Even Cole wasn't sure what he was doing. He knew he had to prove that Prue knew about Piper being a witch. He wished he could prove that Prue was a witch as well. All credibility and sympathy votes would be thrown out the window if he could prove that she was blatantly lying under oath. She'd get put in jail right along with her sister. But he didn't know how. Then something came to him. He started cringing and he put his hand to his stomach. "Your Honor, I'd like to request a recess. I'm not feeling very well."
"Is this necessary, Mr. Turner?" Judge Ruger answered. Before Cole could answer, he turned and ran out of the courtroom. Everyone watched, wide-eyed. Judge Ruger picked up his gavel and banged it on the desk. "Fifteen minutes recess. I think we should all take advantage of this. I am." He stood and left the courtroom. Prue walked over to the defense table and Phoebe leaned forward over the railing separating her from the others.
"So, how are things looking, Richard?" Piper asked in a hushed tone. The jury was still there, and she didn't want them to hear anything. Richard knew this game.
"Well, right now it's looking about fifty-fifty," Richard explained. "Jurors one through three, six and twelve look like they're on our side. Seven through eleven are with the prosecution. But four and five still look undecided, although five looks like she's leaning closer towards our side of the fence."
"What's it going to take to get a majority of them on our side of the fence?" Phoebe asked.
"What are you talking about?" Richard asked, sensing some kind mischief.
"I just want to know what the likelihood is that Piper's and my testimonies will seal this case," Phoebe replied.
"It's all about the sympathy vote. Piper has to look like a saint to them," Richard explained. "She's got to be nothing short of Mother Theresa to them. If they think she's a harmless little lamb that fell prey to circumstance, they'll never convict her."
"So, you think I have a chance?" Piper asked.
"Of course I do," Richard said. "You've got a good chance, Piper. Nobody wants to convict you. We just have to pull the sympathy vote."
After Cole finally returned the recess was over and Prue took the stand again. Judge Ruger reminded her that she was still under oath, and he then left her to Cole.
"Miss Halliwell, how long have you lived with Piper Halliwell?"
"Almost my entire life," Prue said. "We grew up in our grandmother's house. Then we got an apartment once she started college. I lived with my former fiance for a year and a half, leaving Piper alone in the apartment. Then our grandmother died and we moved back to her home, which all three of us inherited."
"So, for all but one and a half years of Piper's life, you lived under the same roof, shared the same bathroom, kitchen, et cetera. How exactly did she hide the fact that she was a witch from you?"
"I don't know," Prue replied.
"You're telling me that for over 25 years you have shared a home with that woman, and you don't know how she hid the fact that she was a witch with magical powers."
"Well, don't you think if I knew how she hid it from me, I would have known she was a witch?" Prue asked sarcastically. This prompted a light chuckle from the rest of the courtroom.
"Did she tell you how long she had been a witch?" Cole asked.
"No."
"So, possibly she could have been hiding this from you for her entire life," Cole suggested.
"I suppose," Prue responded.
"Yet, you got over your anger for her deceit in less than twenty-four hours."
"People keep secrets all the time. Piper didn't need me to be angry. She needed me to be supportive," Prue said.
"How touching," Cole said with a smirk. He turned to his notes and was about to continue when a man appeared out of thin air in the middle of the courtroom. He was dressed all in black and he was very greasy looking. He turned and shot a crossbow toward Cole. Prue stood, instinctively ready to use her power, but Piper beat her to the punch and froze the entire courtroom. Nobody moved except for Prue, Piper and Phoebe.
"Don't you dare use your power, Prue," Piper ordered, her hands shaking slightly because of how close Prue had come to giving herself away.
"I'll give the guy credit. He's got good timing," Phoebe said. "So, what are we going to do with him?"
"Piper, you could take care of him," Prue suggested.
"No, I'm not using that power in here. If I get out of this, I don't even think I'll use it," Piper said. "Prue, switch Cole and the warlock's positions. Hopefully, this guy's own arrow will take care of him." Prue moved Cole and the mystery man so that they had switched places. "Now, both of you sit down." Phoebe and Prue sat, and Piper unfroze the courtroom.
The arrow resumed its course, but instead of embedding itself into Cole's chest, it plunged into the chest of its owner. He looked down at the arrow in shock and then disappeared. Everyone was mumbling and looking around, trying to determine what had just happened.
"What in the hell was that?" the judge asked.
"An evil being," Piper said. Everyone was staring at her now.
"An evil being? Miss Halliwell, what are you talking about?" the judge asked.
"He was a demon or something," Piper said.
"And how exactly did Mr. Turner switch places with that evil being?" Judge Ruger asked.
"I froze the room."
"You froze the room? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I stopped time so that everyone in the room was frozen like statues. Then I moved Mr. Turner and that guy so that Mr. Turner was out of harm's way and the demon, or whatever he was, was in the way of the arrow."
"And how did you move Mr. Turner and that evil being?" Judge Ruger continued his interrogation.
"Telekinesis."
"You can move things with your mind as well?" Judge Ruger asked. Piper nodded her head. "Is there anything else you would like to tell us now, Miss Halliwell?"
"No, Your Honor, that's it," Piper replied.
"Then perhaps we can move on with this trial," the judge said. "Mr. Turner, you can continue questioning the witness."
Cole pretended to be shocked by the whole encounter. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and went to pour himself a glass of water. He smiled at the judge. "Sorry, Your Honor. I'm still a little flustered by what just happened here."
"Understandable Mr. Turner," Judge Ruger replied. "Continue when you are ready."
Cole took a drink of water and then turned to the court reporter. "Could you remind where we were at?" he asked.
She picked up the paper and read, "Mr. Turner…Did she tell you how long she was a witch?…Witness…No…Mr. Turner…So possibly she could have been hiding this from you her entire life…Witness…I suppose…Mr. Turner…Yet, you got over your anger for her deceit in less than twenty-four hours…Witness…People keep secrets all the time. Piper didn't need me to be angry. She needed me to be supportive…Mr. Turner…How touching."
"Thank you," Cole said. "So, Miss Halliwell, what do you think just happened in this courtroom. Who do you think that guy was?"
"I don't know who he was, but it looked like my sister just saved your life," Prue said with a smug smile on her face. "Do you have any idea who would want to kill you?"
"I'm a district attorney. There's plenty of suspects for that. But what I want to ask you is what do you think happened while we were supposedly frozen?"
"I think it happened like Piper said."
"Really? You trust her whole-heartedly?"
"Of course," Prue replied, wondering where Cole was going with this.
"Even though she lied to you for so long about being a witch, you still believe everything she says,
"Yes," Prue replied.
"Well, I guess you are more trusting than I am, Miss Halliwell," Cole said. "No further questions for this witness."
"State your name for the record," Richard said.
"Phoebe Marie Halliwell," Phoebe replied.
"And you're the defendant's younger sister. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"What is your relationship with Piper like?"
"We're pretty close. I generally would turn to her for help with anything. Like Prue said, we used to not get along very well and Piper was our referee, sort of. If I had problems I would go to Piper," Phoebe explained.
"Do you trust Piper?"
"With my life," Phoebe said honestly.
"Even after she kept this secret from you."
"I know that she was afraid of how I would react if she told me," Phoebe said. "She told me that she was afraid I wouldn't consider her my sister anymore. She was afraid I would think she was some kind of freak."
"Do you?"
"No, she's just different," Phoebe said. "Everyone has special qualities and talents. Hers are just a little out of the ordinary."
"Thank you. Nothing further."
Cole stood and approached the witness stand. Phoebe glared coldly at him. He glared right back. "So, Miss Halliwell," he began. "You and Piper have always been pretty close. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Phoebe replied.
"Do you two tell each other everything?"
"Almost," Phoebe answered.
"Almost. What does almost mean? Does it mean that you thought you told each other everything until you found out about her big secret?"
"No, it means almost. There's some things we just don't tell each other," Phoebe said, her anger toward Cole already rising.
"Would you place being a witch with magical powers in that category?" Cole asked.
"Well, no, but—"
"Nothing further," Cole interrupted. Phoebe glared at him. She was so furious with him, she just wanted to scream right there in the courtroom. She glanced over at Piper who was looking at her sympathetically. Piper mouthed the words, "He's not worth it." The judge instructed Phoebe to step down from the witness stand.
"Call your next witness, Mr. Bloom," Judge Ruger said.
"Defense calls Piper Halliwell."
"How long have you been a witch?" Richard asked.
"I was born a witch, but my grandmother bound my powers until I was 18," Piper lied.
"Explain this please."
"Well, in my family every generation has one witch, one girl that has magical powers," Piper explained. She had had plenty of time in her jail cell to make up this story. Even Prue and Phoebe didn't know she was going to say this. "My grandmother was a witch. My mother was an only child so she got it by default. But since I wasn't an only child, Grams had to hide the truth until I was old enough to understand it and control it."
"Grams is your grandmother?"
"Yes," Piper replied. "She raised us because our mother died when we were all very young."
"Why did your grandmother hide this from you for so long?"
"She felt that I deserved to live a normal childhood with my sisters," Piper replied.
"And she unbound your powers when you were 18?"
"Yes, she knew that once she died I would automatically receive my powers so she went ahead and gave them back to me while she was still alive so she could teach me how to control them," Piper explained. "She also told me that I should not tell my sisters because they wouldn't understand."
"How did you feel when your grandmother told you about this?"
"At first I was scared," Piper replied. "I'd grown up seeing all these stereotypes that witches were evil. I was afraid that's what I was. But my grandmother explained to me that there are good witches and bad witches. The bad witches are called warlocks. She explained that I would only become a warlock if I used my powers to intentionally harm others. She made me memorize the rule of Wicca."
"And what was that?"
"The wiccan rede. An' it harm none, do what ye will," Piper recited.
"So, let's get back to what happened in your night club," Richard said. "Did you break the rules when you set Charles Sutter on fire?"
"No," Piper said, not entirely sure of that. "I had no intention of harming him, and I didn't know that I even had that power until it happened. I thought that I was just going to freeze him."
"Like you froze the courtroom?"
"Yes."
"Explain to us in your own words what happened."
"Well, I was closing up the club. I'd just sent my assistant home, and I was alone," Piper said. "I was about to start counting the cash drawers when he came in with the gun. He ordered me to put all the cash in a bag and give it to him. I thought about it, and I thought that maybe I could keep him there long enough for the police to arrive, so I tried to freeze him. Instead, I set him on fire." Piper paused and looked down. Describing what happened was making her guilt resurface.
"And then what happened?" Richard prodded.
"I was totally shocked. I was stunned to a point where I couldn't even move. By the time I got myself to move again the fire had already put itself out and he was…dead," Piper replied. "I didn't know what to do. At the time I thought that I had broken the wiccan rede and I was going to become a warlock. Then I thought about the police and how I would never be able to come up with a way to explain this that would sound normal. People don't just spontaneously combust. I didn't want to have to tell the police my secret, but I knew if I didn't I would go to jail."
"You called your sisters next."
"Yes, I was scared and confused, but I knew that I had to tell them the truth before the police arrested me," Piper said.
"You expected the police to arrest you?"
"Yes. I remembered P3's security tapes and I knew what they would reveal. It would look like I intentionally killed that guy, and they would arrest me, even if it was self-defense."
"So, you decided to reveal that you were a witch. When exactly did you decide this?"
"When Inspector Allen called the next day," Piper replied.
"How do you feel about what happened?"
"I feel really bad about it. I would like to apologize to his family for it," Piper said, finally able to tell the truth again. "I wanted to give up my powers, too. But I can't."
"Why can't you?"
"As far as I know there is no way for me to give them up," Piper explained.
Richard nodded his head and returned to his seat. Cole stood and cleared his throat. "You say you want to give up your powers. Can't you just bind them like your grandmother did?"
"I can't bind my own powers. Another witch has to do it for me," Piper replied. "My grandmother is no longer alive, and I don't know anyone else with powers like me."
"Powers like you. That brings me to something else I'm a bit curious about. You said you can move things with your mind," Cole began.
"Yes, that's right," Piper said, nervous about where this was going. She made eye contact with Prue, who was equally nervous.
"That's the only power of yours that none of us have witnessed. How do we know you're telling the truth about it?"
"Why would I lie about that?" Piper asked.
"I don't know, but I think we would all like to see this," Cole said with a grin.
"Objection, Your Honor," Richard said, rising from his seat. "He's treating her like this is just some kind of sideshow."
"I'm inclined to agree, Mr. Turner, unless you have some kind of explanation," Judge Ruger said, giving Cole a stern glare.
"None of us have seen this power. If she's lying under oath that throws her credibility right out the window," Cole argued.
Judge Ruger nodded his head. "Objection overruled."
"Move something in this courtroom," Cole said to Piper.
"Like what?" Piper asked. She made eye contact with Prue again, who nodded her head slightly, knowing that they would have to work together on this.
"Oh, I don't know. How about me?" Cole suggested.
"Okay," Piper said. She made eye contact with Prue again and then stood in the witness stand. Piper held out her hands like she was using them to channel the power. Behind Cole, Prue was staring at him intensely. She lifted Cole off the floor as Piper lifted her hands. Everyone in the courtroom began murmuring in awe as Piper lowered her hands and Prue lowered Cole back to the floor.
Cole was utterly shocked. He didn't know that Prue could channel her powers through her eyes so he had no idea how Piper could have accomplished this without Prue's help. He tried to hide his surprise as he glanced back at Prue. Cole turned to his notes and shuffled through them. The murmuring in the courtroom grew louder and Judge Ruger banged his gavel to bring the room to order.
Phoebe leaned over to Prue. "Did you see how Cole looked at you?"
"Yeah," Prue whispered back. "It's like he knew or something."
"Mr. Turner, I think we've had enough of the magic show for today," Judge Ruger said. "Perhaps we could continue with the trial."
"Uh, yes, Your Honor," Cole said. He was truly upset now. He had hoped that he could either prove that Prue was a liar by getting her to reveal that she was a witch, or that he could prove Piper was a liar when she said she had the power of telekinesis. Both his plans—the warlock from before and this—had failed. He had totally lost his concentration. "Uh, Miss Halliwell, I've done some studying of wicca and I learned something interesting. This wiccan rede you mentioned, it doesn't just cover hurting people with your powers. It covers using your powers for personal gain. There's consequences. I'd say this is quite a consequence. Don't you agree?" Piper just looked at Cole. "So, using your powers in this instance, did you not think that it might be considered personal gain?"
"Yes, for a moment, I did, but self-defense doesn't count as personal gain," Piper said.
"Self-defense. You keep saying it was self-defense," Cole said. "Did it ever appear that Charles Sutter was actually going to shoot you? Or was he just using the gun to provoke you into giving up your nightclub's money?"
"He could have shot me," Piper said.
"Did he ever say he was going to shoot you or make a move to shoot you?" Cole asked.
"When someone points a gun in your face, you get the feeling that they might shoot you, and you want to do anything to keep that from happening," Piper said defensively.
"You're not answering my question, Miss Halliwell," Cole countered. "Did it ever look like Charles Sutter was actually going to shoot you?"
Piper looked down at her hands. "I'm not sure."
"You're not sure. You don't know whether or not he actually had the intention of shooting you, yet you claim you were defending yourself from harm. I find that hard to believe."
"I was frightened. You can't always be sure of what's going to happen. And I wasn't trying to set him on fire. I was trying to freeze him," Piper said. She hated how Cole was turning everything she said against her.
"You keep saying that," Cole said. "Nothing further, Your Honor."
Piper, Prue and Phoebe all glared angrily at Cole as he returned to his seat. The bailiff took Piper by the arm and led her back to her seat next to her lawyer. Judge Ruger spoke up.
"We'll adjourn until 10 a.m. Wednesday morning for the closing arguments," he said. "Bailiff take the prisoner back into state custody. Dismissed."
Part Three: The End
Prue and Phoebe sat in Richard's office discussing the case.
"So, how does it look?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, it's all in the closing arguments. I generally do well in closing. But Turner's one of the best closers out of all the DAs I've gone to trial with," Richard said.
"What do you mean?" Prue asked.
"Sometimes, in really tight cases, it can look like the jury is on your side, but then the DA will give this killer closer and everyone in that jury will switch sides. In a case like this, the closing argument can decide everything."
"So, in other words, you have no idea how this is going to turn out," Phoebe said disappointedly.
Richard sat back in his chair and sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't. It's up in the air."
Piper laid on her bunk. It was late. BJ was snoring away above her, and Piper was having a hard time falling asleep. She stared up at the bottom of BJ's bed wondering where Leo was in all this. She hadn't seen him since it happened. He never came to her. He never even came to the trial; she had looked thoroughly throughout the crowd. Where was he? As Piper thought about this, she started to drift off to sleep, the sound of BJ's snoring making no difference anymore.
Piper opened her eyes and she was standing in Golden Gate Park by the lake. She walked down the edge of the lake and then walked to the middle of the bridge. She stood there staring at the smooth surface of the lake. She felt that someone else was there and she looked to her left. It was Leo. She walked up to him and kissed him. When they pulled apart he looked at her and smiled.
"Leo, where have you been? Is this a dream?" Piper asked.
"You're sleeping, but this isn't a dream," Leo said. "They've kept me from seeing you this whole time. They won't even tell me what's going on."
"Are you saying you don't know what happened?" Piper asked, pushing away from Leo, suddenly ashamed of herself and wondering how she could tell him.
"No, they wouldn't say," Leo replied. "I knew you were in trouble. I could hear you calling, but they wouldn't let me go."
"A lot has happened, Leo," Piper said.
"What is it? Please tell me," Leo said. Piper took his hand and led him off the bridge. She walked over to a bench and they both sat down, staring out at the sunset over the lake.
"Leo, I killed a man, in P3," Piper said. She looked at Leo for a reaction. He was shocked. "He was trying to rob me. He had a gun. I tried to freeze him, but instead I got a new power. I set him on fire. He died, and I was arrested. And now I'm on trial for murder. All that's left is the lawyers' closing arguments and the jury gets to decide my fate."
"How are they trying you for murder? What evidence did they find?" Leo asked, now worried for Piper.
"P3 has security tapes. I had to give them over to the police. They showed what happened. So, I admitted to being a witch," Piper said.
"How could you do that? You put yourself and your sisters at risk," Leo said.
"Nobody knows about Prue and Phoebe. I made sure of that," Piper explained. "It's just me. It was the only way I could plead self-defense. I had to admit to it or I would definitely be convicted."
"Are you okay?" Leo asked.
"I've been better," Piper said. A tear slipped down her face. She leaned against Leo, who held her tight. "I'm afraid that it's not going to work. I'm afraid they're going to convict me. If I'm convicted of second degree murder, the minimum sentence is life in prison. I can't spend the rest of my life in prison."
"You won't, Piper," Leo said, trying to sound reassuring. "I have faith in that."
Piper let a tearful laugh escape. "Well, I'm glad you do. Because I don't."
Leo stroked Piper's hair and just held her. Piper sat there leaning against him, content for now in this place. She didn't want to wake up. If she woke up, there was the chance that she would never see Leo again. She couldn't bear that thought.
Wednesday morning Piper was led back into the courtroom. Piper looked back at Prue and Phoebe and was surprised at who she saw with them. Sitting to Phoebe's right was Leo. Piper smiled. Leo waved to her and gave her a reassuring smile. The bailiff announced the judge's arrival, and then it was time for the closing arguments. Richard stood and approached the jury. He cleared his throat and began.
"The prosecution has plead an interesting case," he began. "Mr. Turner has tried and tried again to prove that my client is a liar. He tried to prove that certain witnesses were liars. His whole strategy seemed to be based on credibility. Let's make this person look bad and then the jury will think he's just trying to work for the benefit of the defendant. Interesting. But not very good. The prosecution is trying to prove that my client is guilty of second degree murder. Let me tell you the definition of second degree murder. Second degree murder is when one person intentionally kills another in the heat of the moment. The circumstances enrage the person so much that they intentionally cause the death of the other. Now, my client certainly had no intention of killing Charles Sutter. She never knew him before he came into her night club brandishing a gun and demanding money. She never spoke with him about anything. She had no reason to want him dead. All she wanted to do was subdue him until she could get the police to come to her aid. She wanted to subdue him with the power she knew she had, the power to freeze time. Unfortunately, whatever greater being there is out there handing out these magical powers to witches, it decided that this moment was the time to give Piper Halliwell a new power, a power she couldn't stop in time. Even in her own defense from Charles Sutter, she had no intention of harming him. The fact that he was hurt at all was an accident my client could not prevent. You cannot convict Piper Halliwell of second degree murder because Piper Halliwell had no intention to hurt Charles Sutter in any way. Do the right thing. Don't convict her because she's a witch. Find her not guilty because she is a fellow American with the same rights as you, including the right to a fair trial, under the law."
Richard took a seat and everyone waited for Cole to stand and deliver his great closing argument. Cole was waiting for himself to stand and deliver his great closing argument. But this whole trial had thrown him for a loop. He had thought, when he heard about this case, that there would be a media frenzy to crucify Piper as evil. He had thought that he could make proof in court that not just one but all three of the Halliwell sisters were witches. He had thought that he would get a conviction. But he thought wrong. There had been a media frenzy, but not like he had expected. All his plans to prove what the sisters were failed. And as far as he could tell, he wasn't going to get a conviction. Cole stood and grabbed the remote control of the vcr and pressed play. He watched with the jury and the rest of the courtroom as Piper's so-called crime played out on tape. Charles Sutter's screams echoed throughout the courtroom. Shock factor was about the only card Cole had left to play. Piper couldn't watch the tape again. Neither could Prue or Phoebe. Leo had never seen it, but after a few seconds he couldn't watch it either. The tape ended and Cole turned to the jury.
"You've seen what Piper Halliwell is capable of. You've heard from her own lips that good witches can turn into warlocks, can turn into something like what attacked me right here in this courtroom. An' it harm none, do what ye will. It looks like quite a bit of harm came about because of her powers. Think about your worst enemy. Picture the person you hate most in your mind. Picture them so clearly. Maybe picture them doing something that you truly hate. Now, try to picture them burning in agony as Charles Sutter burned. Can you do it? I can't. A man is dead because of Piper Halliwell and her supposedly good powers. Mr. Bloom wants you to do the right thing. Well, the right thing is to not let that witch go free. Her powers are dangerous, and you've already seen that it's possible for them to get out of control."
Cole sat down in his seat quickly and shoved some of his papers into his briefcase. He had lost. He knew it. He could smell it. The jury would be back in record time. He didn't dare look at any of the Halliwells. He simply stared at the oak table in front of him, fuming with a newfound rage. He knew it was time to stop playing games. His human façade had taken him over for a short time, but now Belthazor was regaining control. The Halliwells would not live to see another day.
Piper, Prue, Phoebe, Leo and Richard sat in an office in the courthouse. A guard stood outside, supposedly to make sure Piper didn't escape—like she would try. Richard was beaming and pacing about the room excitedly.
"Richard, you're making me dizzy," Piper said with a smile. "Stop pacing."
"Come on, Piper," Richard said smiling right back. "You have to know this is a done deal. It may not be official, but you're a free woman."
"So, I guess your closing argument worked," Phoebe said.
"It was good enough, but what really did it was Turner's closing," Richard said. "Were we in the same courtroom? You act like you didn't see it. He was defeated. He was defeated before he even hit play on that remote control. It was radiating. For one thing, that closing, not his best work. Half his normal time. And the jury could see his defeat. The only thing he had was shock factor. That tape was the only thing he had. It's over. The jury will be back in no time and it's over."
"Well, if you're right, Richard, I'll let you know that there's going to be a party at P3. You're invited," Piper said with a smile.
"IF I'm right? IF? Piper, I'm so right," Richard said. "And I'll be there for the party!"
The jury came back in record time for a murder trial, and everyone was in their usual spots. Cole kept glancing nervously from the jury to Piper to Prue and Phoebe back to the jury. The judge entered the courtroom. A bailiff took a piece of paper from the jury foreperson and passed it to Judge Ruger. Judge Ruger read what was on the piece of paper and then had the bailiff return it to the jury foreperson. He had such a serious face, Piper deduced that Judge Ruger was an excellent poker player.
"The defendant will please rise and face the jury," Judge Ruger said. Piper and Richard both stood. "Madame foreperson, the jury has reached a verdict."
"We have, Your Honor," the woman said. Piper felt like she was in some tv courtroom. It was so formal and typical.
"What say you?"
"We the jury in the Commonwealth versus Piper Halliwell, on the charge of second degree murder," she read off the paper, "find the defendant, Piper Halliwell, not guilty."
Piper stood there in shock. She couldn't believe it. Richard had told her it would happen, but she still couldn't believe it. A guard came over and took off Piper's handcuffs. Prue, Phoebe and Leo jumped over the railing and pulled Piper into a group hug. The courtroom was buzzing with conversation and excitement. Nobody noticed Cole sitting there, fuming with anger. The judge told Piper she was free to go, and he then dismissed the jury. With all the excitement, no one was prepared for what was about to happen.
Suddenly, Cole cried out in rage and flipped the oak table in front of him over. Everyone screamed and immediately dropped to the floor—everyone except for the Halliwells, Leo, Richard and Judge Ruger. Cole's human façade stripped away, leaving only the evil face of Belthazor. Phoebe was probably the most stunned out of all of them. To think she had slept with a demon. Belthazor shot an energy bolt at Judge Ruger. It hit the judge, and he went flying back hard into the wall. Piper was about to freeze the room when Belthazor hit Richard with an energy bolt, and Richard fell on top of Piper. Prue threw Belthazor into the judge's bench with her power. Belthazor rose quickly and threw an energy bolt at Phoebe. Leo tackled Phoebe to the ground, the energy bolt narrowly missing both of them. Prue then threw Belthazor even harder with her power. This time he flew over the jury box and right out the courtroom windows. He didn't return.
Slowly, everyone in the courtroom started to get up. Piper pushed Richard off of her. She felt for a pulse and found none. "Oh God," she said. She rested her hand on Richard's forehead. "I'm sorry."
A guard rose from behind the desk and pulled his radio. He announced over the radio that Judge Ruger was dead and that the guilty party was Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner. He then proceeded to try to explain that Cole no longer looked human. "He kinda looks like Darth Maul from Star Wars," Piper overheard the guard say. People in the courtroom were murmuring and whispering, so shocked about what had just happen. Leo helped Phoebe off the floor to a chair. Phoebe was just looking down at Richard, the truth not wanting to sink in. Piper looked to Leo.
"Leo, please, is there anything you can do? Please, we can't just let Richard and Judge Ruger die," she pleaded.
"Piper, there's too many people, and I don't think…" Leo trailed off, seeing the look of desperation in Piper's eyes. "I'll try."
He knelt by Richard and held his hands over the still body. Leo knew that he couldn't heal the dead, but he also knew that sometimes 'they' would make an exception. He waited as his hands started to glow. He could feel it working. He could feel Richard healing. 'They' had indeed made an exception. He just hoped they would do the same for Judge Ruger. Richard opened his eyes and Piper smiled at him. Piper and Prue helped Richard to a chair.
"What the hell? Did Turner really turn into that monster?" Richard asked.
Piper nodded her head. "Yeah, but it's taken care of."
Leo approached Judge Ruger, but a guard stepped in the way. Leo protested, "I might be able to help him."
"He's dead, pal. This is a crime scene," the guard said.
"He's not dead yet. Let me try," Leo said.
"You a doctor?"
"Sort of," Leo replied. The guard let go and Leo knelt next to Ruger. He held his hands over the judge and waited. Again he could feel the healing power working and smiled. Judge Ruger opened his eyes and Leo helped him up.
"What? Can someone please explain what the hell happened here? What the hell happened to Turner?" Judge Ruger asked.
"He was a demon, Your Honor," Piper said. Judge Ruger just stared at her. Then he looked at Leo.
"Who are you? Did you save me?" Judge Ruger said.
"Yes, I did, Your Honor."
"How?"
"In the simplest terms, I can heal people. I'm like a guardian angel," Leo said with a smile, figuring honesty was the only way to go. He was following Piper's lead.
Judge Ruger didn't ask any questions. He turned to the guard. "I'm going to my chambers. If Turner shows up let Miss Halliwell and her friend here know. I think they're better suited to deal with Turner than the San Francisco police force is."
Leo smiled and looked to Piper, who just shrugged her shoulders. Then they all turned to Phoebe, who was still sitting there grappling with the truth of who Cole was.
"Phoebe," Prue said, hoping to get something out of her little sister.
"God, I slept with a demon," Phoebe said finally. Richard got a look across his face that clearly said that he'd just received too much information.
"Um, Piper, I'm so happy for you and excited that we won this case," Richard said. "But after what happened here, I don't think I'm up for a party. I just want to spend a quiet night with my girlfriend."
"That's fine, Richard," Piper said. She gave him a hug. "Thank you, for everything."
Everyone at P3 welcomed Piper back, a round of drinks on the house made all the occupants of the club even more excited to see Piper, and then it was business as usual in P3. Piper, Phoebe, Prue, Darryl and Leo sat in a booth talking about things, mainly Cole "Belthazor" Turner.
"I never would have thought Turner was a demon," Darryl said. "I mean he was a prosecutor. They fight for the good side."
"I guess that was all part of his charm," Prue said.
"Well, he certainly duped me," Phoebe said. "How could I have let my guard down so much that I would sleep with a demon?"
"Hey, you're forgetting you're not the first Halliwell to be duped by a demon," Piper said. "They have their ways, you know."
"He had us all fooled, Phoebe," Leo said. "I mean, he fooled my bosses, otherwise I would think they would have told me that Cole was actually Belthazor."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Pheebs," Prue said.
"Yeah, well, let me wallow in self-pity for a little while longer and then I'll get over it and find a way to vanquish his lying ass," Phoebe said bitterly.
"Hey, can you put off your wallowing till later?" Piper asked, trying to keep a straight face. She burst into a smile. "We're partying here, remember? I'm officially not a murderer, and I don't even have to lie about being a witch anymore."
"Yeah, but we still do," Prue said with mock disappointment.
"You guys are much better liars than me, though," Piper said. "You can handle it."
"I don't know, Piper. All that crap you pulled out of nowhere about Grams binding your powers and then unbinding them when you were eighteen and the whole thing about one witch in every generation of our family," Phoebe said. "That was damn good lying. You didn't even skip a beat."
"Well, jail time gave me some time to make up a story and practice it," Piper said. She smiled. "I even got BJ to pretend to be a lawyer."
"Well, I say enough chit chat," Prue said. She stood and took Darryl's hand. "It's time to dance!"
"Agreed!" Piper said. She grabbed Leo and Phoebe's hands and dragged them onto the dance floor. At this point the Halliwells didn't have a care in the world. Belthazor was the last thing on their minds. Piper danced like she had never danced before. Because now she was free, not just from jail but also from hiding. She didn't have to hide anything anymore. She could live her life openly. She was free.
Epilogue
Damn witches! Hate witches. Can't believe I almost fell for one. Was ready to give this up for her. I'll kill them. Piper's not free. None of them are free. They'll die. I'll get their powers and their book. This has only begun.
THE END