CHARMED
"A DIFFERENT KIND OF EVIL"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: PG (for mild language)
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property
of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically
created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement
of copyright is intended.
* * *
(Authors' note: This story takes place between the episodes "We All Scream
For Ice Cream" and "Blinded By The White Lighter".)
* * *
The Charmed Ones are approached by a young man who needs their help
and who knows all about them. A young man who is harboring a secret that
will impact the Charmed Ones profoundly.
ONE
Phoebe was watching the news when Prue came into the living room and
sat down. Prue had a bowl of chocolate ice cream with her and was eagerly
engulfing the entire bowl.
"Ugh," said Phoebe. "How can you eat that? After what we just went
through? Just two days ago we were trapped in an ice cream truck and nearly
devoured by the big Nothing."
"It wasn't the ice creams' fault," said Prue. "Besides, it's chocolate.
Chocolate couldn't be responsible for any evil in the world."
"Still," said Phoebe, "I think it's going to be a while before I can look at a
bowl of ice cream the same way."
"What about kids?" asked Prue, between bites. "Those demons were kids,
you know?"
"I know," said Phoebe. "It's not the same. They weren't really kids. They
were demons. If it wasn't for us, they might have done a lot more damage."
"Well," said Prue, smiling, "it wasn't really an ice cream truck, either. It was
a portal to another dimension where the big Nothing destroyed those
demons."
"Daddy called today," said Phoebe, changing the subject.
"Oh?" questioned Prue. "What did he want?"
Her question was one of genuine interest. Only a few days before, she
couldn't have cared if he was alive or dead. His help with the demon kids had
helped to smooth over the hard feelings she had been harboring against him.
Soon, she thought, they might actually be able to have a normal
father-daughter relationship.
"Oh, he just wanted to say hi," said Phoebe. "And to let us know he's going
to be out of town for a day or two. Something about business."
"I guess we'll have to get used to it," said Prue. "Where's Piper?"
"Where do you think?" asked Phoebe, looking at the ceiling.
"She and Leo are upstairs. AGAIN!"
"You can't really blame them," said Prue. "They get so little
privacy around here, what with both of us and demons popping
in at all hours."
"I know," said Phoebe. "I was thinking. Maybe you and I
should spend the day out together. Give them some real privacy
for change."
"Not a bad idea," said Prue. "We can give them the whole
house to themselves for a change."
Just then the doorbell rang. Phoebe looked at Prue and Prue
looked at Phoebe. Neither moved for a moment. The doorbell
rang again. Suddenly Phoebe got up and moved to the door.
"Okay," she said, "I'LL get it."
"Well," said Prue smiling, "it is chocolate."
Phoebe opened the door and saw a young man standing on
the porch. He was about twenty years old and was wearing blue
jeans and a wind breaker. His brown hair was tumbled from the
breeze that was blowing. He was looking down at a piece of
paper he was holding.
"H . . . hi," he stammered. "Is this 1329 Prescott Street?"
"Yes," she said. "Can I help you?"
"That depends," said the young man. "I understand this is
the Hallowell Manor."
"Right again," said Phoebe. "Looks like you got the right
place. What do you need?"
"My name is . . . Vic," said the young man. "I need to speak
to you and your sisters. It's very important. A matter of life and
death. I understand you sometimes help people in need. I'm in
need of your help. Desperately in need."
"Come in," said Phoebe.
She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was pretty sure
he wasn't a demon. For one thing, demons didn't use the
doorbell. For another, this young man was nervous, almost
timid. She had never heard of a timid demon before.
She escorted Vic into the living room where Prue sat eating
her ice cream. When she saw the two, she sat the bowl on the
table next to her. She straightened herself on the sofa.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"He says his name is Vic," said Phoebe. "He says he needs
our help."
"What kind of help?" asked Prue.
Vic looked around the living room. As if he was studying the
entire room. He even looked at the ceiling and floor as if they
held his total fascination.
"There's a third sister, isn't there?" he asked.
"Yes," said Prue. "Piper, the middle one. Why?"
"This will probably be easier if you were all present," said Vic.
"So I can tell you every thing once and answer any questions
you might have. And I'm sure there's going to be a lot of
questions."
"Okay," said Phoebe, "I'll go get her. Will you be okay,
Prue?"
"She'll be fine," said the young man, now a bit more relaxed.
"I'm not a threat to you. Not like the kind you usually face,
anyway."
Phoebe went upstairs to get Piper and Leo. The mans'
cryptic words rang in her ears and she just knew this was not
going to be a normal evening in the Hallowell Manor.
TWO
"Explain what?" asked Piper when Phoebe had explained
about their guest.
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "All I know is he said that he
needed our help and made some allusions to an explanation."
"Are you sure he's not a demon?" asked Leo.
"A demon who uses the doorbell?" asked Phoebe. "You ever
hear of a demon who uses the doorbell?"
"No, I guess not," said Leo.
"Well," said Phoebe, "besides that, he seems kind of timid.
Almost like he's overwhelmed by us. Or intimidated by us."
"And he said he wasn't a threat like the kind we normally
face?" asked Piper.
"That's what he said," said Phoebe. "It almost seems like he
knows we fight demons. If he does, he could be a problem if we
don't agree to help him with whatever he needs our help with."
"There's only one way to find out," said Leo. "Let's go see
what he wants."
The three left the bedroom and descended the stairs to the
living room. When they entered the living room, Vic was sitting
in one of the chairs. He immediately stood up when Piper and
Phoebe came into the room.
"Well," said Phoebe, "your manners seems impeccable."
"That comes from my mother," said Vic. "She said there was
always time for good manners."
"Sounds like a nice woman," said Piper. "I'm Piper. Phoebe
says you wanted to talk to us. About some trouble you're in."
"Yes," said the man. "I'm sorry if I'm staring. I've heard a lot
about you. You're Piper, the middle sister. Phoebe is the
youngest. And Prue is the oldest. You have no idea what an
honor it is to finally meet all of you."
"This is Leo," said Piper. "He's my boyfriend."
"I see," said Vic. "I assume he knows . . . about you."
"What about us?" asked Prue.
"That you're so . . . charming," said Vic hesitantly.
The three sisters and Leo immediately took notice. His
choice of words had seemed very deliberate. As if he was he
was trying to say something without actually saying it.
"Yes," said Piper slowly, "Leo knows all about us. We're
planning on getting married soon. Why do you ask?"
"It's because of your, shall we say, special talents," said Vic.
"Special talents?" asked Phoebe. "Just what type of special
talents would those be?"
Vic looked at the sisters then at Leo. He took a deep breath
before he spoke again.
"Your Charmed talents," he said finally.
No one spoke. If this man was a demon, he was the most
peculiar demon they had ever faced. Most demons didn't
announce the fact that they knew these were the Charmed
Ones. At least not without throwing energy balls or some other
form of attack.
"I'm sorry to just blurt it out like that," said Vic. "I couldn't
think of any graceful way to say it. I know you're witches and
that you are what they call the Charmed Ones. Very powerful
witches with extraordinary powers. It's why I've come to you. I
can't go to anyone else. I need help and you're the only ones I
can turn to."
"Okay," said Piper, looking at her sisters, "assuming you're
right, what kind of help do you need?"
"A couple of months ago," said Vic, "my mother became
seriously ill. We didn't have any insurance and she desperately
need medical treatment. I couldn't get a loan from any bank for
the amount of money I needed for her. So I did a stupid thing."
"You went to a loan shark," finished Prue.
"Yeah," said Vic. "I didn't have any other option. Without the
medical treatments, my mother was going to die. I couldn't let
that happen. So I borrowed some money from this loan shark."
"How much?" asked Phoebe.
"Two hundred fifty thousand dollars," said Vic. "I needed that
much for the treatment and the medication she would need
afterward."
"That's a lot of money," said Leo. "How did you plan to pay
the money back?"
"I don't know," said Vic. "I wasn't thinking about that at the
time. All I was thinking about was saving my mothers' life. The
money got her the treatment she needed and she's doing fine."
"Now this loan shark wants his money," said Piper.
"Yes," said Vic. "I don't have that kind of money. I'm a
carpenters' apprentice. There's no way I can repay that money.
I've tried to explain that to Mr. Jackson. He's the loan shark. I
tried to make arrangements to pay him back a little each week."
"But he wouldn't agree with that," said Prue. "He wants all of
his money back right now."
"Yes," said Vic. "I don't know what to do. I'm not afraid he'll
kill me, because then he won't get his money."
"I don't understand," said Piper. "How do you think we can
help you?"
"This Jackson has taken my mother," said Vic. "He's holding
her prisoner. He says if I don't pay him everything I owe him
within," he looked at his watch, "forty three hours, he's going to
send her back to me. A piece at a time."
The sisters looked at each other. Their mission, as it were,
was to protect the innocent. But that had always meant
protection against demons, warlocks, and the like. This was a
much more mundane evil that society had ways of dealing with.
"I'm not sure they can do that," said Leo. "If you know who
they are, you also know they're supposed to use their powers
only against evil."
"This man IS evil," said Vic. "He preys on innocent people
who have no where else to turn. People who are only trying to
do the best they can but who get jammed up for one reason or
another. Isn't that evil?"
"Yes," said Piper, "but the law has recourse for that. Our
powers are only for those situations where nothing else will help.
Perhaps if you went to the police . . . ."
"I've tried," said Vic. "They said without proof, there's nothing
they can do. And my word alone isn't proof enough. They say
they know he's a known loan shark, but they need some hard
evidence to do anything."
"I still don't see what we can do," said Phoebe.
"Don't you help each other?" asked Vic. "Even if the
problems aren't demonic in nature?"
"That's different," said Leo. "In helping each other, they help
protect the Charmed Ones."
"Because they're family," said Vic.
"Well, sort of, I guess," said Prue. "Besides, our . . . bosses
sort of look the other way when we help each other. We're
expected to help family."
"I see," said Vic. "Then you won't help me?"
"I don't see how we can," said Piper. "I'm sorry, Vic, I really
do wish we could. I really do. I just don't see how this falls
under our purview."
"There is something I haven't told you," said Vic. "Vic is
actually sort of a nickname. Well, really, it's short for my first
name, Victor. My full name is Victor Halliwell, Jr. Your father
and my father were the same man. I'm your half brother."
No one spoke. No one even breathed. They all just stared at
Vic in total amazement.
THREE
"You're joking?" said Phoebe finally.
Vic removed his wallet and opened it. He removed a small
photograph and looked at it for several long seconds. Then he
handed it to Phoebe. All three sisters crowded together to look
at the picture. It showed a man, a woman, and a baby in the
womans' arms. Although somewhat younger, each of the sisters
recognized the man. It was Victor Halliwell, their father.
"No, I'm not," said Vic. "It's how I learned about you. He told
me everything. About how your mother was a witch. How each
of you were witches. And not just witches, but the Charmed
Ones. He told me of your fight with demons and of something
called a White Lighter."
The sisters just looked up at Leo for a second. The look
didn't go unnoticed by Vic.
"What?" he asked. "Are you one of these White Lighters?
My father said it was a White Lighter that broke up his marriage
to their mother."
"I am A White Lighter," said Leo. "I'm not that White Lighter,
though."
"In all fairness to daddy," said Prue, "her White Lighter didn't
break up their marriage. He didn't come into the picture until
AFTER they broke up."
"I always figured there was another side to the story," said
Vic.
"Let's stay on the subject, here," said Phoebe. "All you've
shown us is a photograph which could or could not be of you as
a baby. It doesn't prove you're our brother."
"Then how do I know so much about you?" asked Vic. "I
knew your names, that you're witches, even the Charmed Ones.
I knew where you lived. How do you explain all that?"
"You could have learned all that from almost anywhere," said
Piper. "It doesn't prove a thing."
Vic reached into his pocket once more and removed an item.
He held up a small pendant. The pendant was the same symbol
that was on the cover of the Book of Shadows.
"My father had this," he said. "He gave it to me. He said it
was the symbol that represented the three of you. And that it
was on a book called the Book of Shadows. Which you keep in
the attic upstairs."
No one spoke. He knew an awful lot about them. But as
Piper had said, he could have learned that anywhere.
"Look, Vic," said Phoebe, leaning over and placing her hand
on his shoulder, "it's not that we don't want to believe you. It's
just that . . . ."
She was stopped in mid sentence as a vision suddenly
flashed in her mind. It was the vision of her father pushing a
small child in a stroller. Next to him walked a woman. The same
woman in the photograph they had just looked at.
"Conference," she said suddenly, jumping up and heading for
the kitchen.
"Uh, wait here for a moment," said Piper. "Phoebe seems to
be having one of her episodes again."
Once in the kitchen, Phoebe told them of the vision. Her
visions were usually premonitions of the future. Occasionally,
she would have flashes of the past.
"Well," said Leo, "it happened when you touched him. Which
means that the vision was about him. Since your father was in
the vision, I think we have to assume he's telling the truth. He's
your half brother."
"Whew," said Prue. "All these years and we never knew
about him. What do you suppose happened?"
"I think it's pretty clear," said Piper. "After daddy and mom
broke up, daddy apparently found someone else. Bingo, bango,
bongo, instant little brother."
"So, what do we do about it?" asked Phoebe.
"You aren't seriously suggesting we help him?" asked Prue.
"Remember about our powers? Only for fighting demons and
warlocks and such?"
"He needs our help," Phoebe shot back. "And, he's family. If
one of us was in this situation, we wouldn't hesitate to help."
"WE wouldn't be in this situation," responded Prue. "WE
wouldn't go to a loan shark for money."
"If a loved ones' life was at stake," said Phoebe, "we might. It
was his mothers' life at stake. None of us can say how we'd
react in a situation like that."
"This isn't helping anything," said Piper, the voice of reason
between here sisters' arguments. "Okay. For the moment, let's
assume that he is our brother. Do we help him or not?"
"Yes," said Phoebe.
"No," said Prue, almost at the same instance.
"Leo," said Piper, "weren't we told that our job is to protect the
innocent? That we were given our powers to fight evil?"
"Well, yes, but," began Leo.
"But nothing," said Piper. "Whatever Vic has done, his
mother is an innocent in all this. And I don't think anyone will
dispute that a loan shark is basically evil. I don't see the
problem. We have to help him. Especially since he's family."
"I'm not sure what the Elders will think about this," said Leo.
"I don't give a damn what the Elders think about it," said
Phoebe. "They can't tell us to help and protect the innocent,
then tie our hands simply because the evil is mortal. I'm not
saying we make this a habit. But he does have a point. We
WOULD help each other in a situation like this simply because
we are sisters."
"Okay," said Prue. "Let's help him. Only this isn't a demon
we're going after. We can't just bust in and start killing. While
they may not be innocents, they are mortal. We'll have to be
very careful that no one gets hurt unintentionally. Any ideas?"
"Well," said Phoebe, "I think I might have one. But we'll need
Darryls' help. With any luck, we can put this Jackson away for a
long time."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Leo.
Patiently, Phoebe explained to them what she had in mind.
They all listened intently to her plan. From the look on their
faces she could tell they were impressed with it.
"Okay," said Leo when Phoebe had finished. "I'll orb out and
get Darryl. I suggest the rest of you go back into the living room
and explain all this to Vic. We don't have much time and I have
no doubt that a loan shark will keep his promise to kill Vics'
mother if we don't do something."
Leo orbed out and the sisters went downstairs to explain what
they were going to do.
FOUR
"I hope this works," said Vic, sitting in the car outside of a
small restaurant. "If it doesn't, my mother is dead."
"Don't worry," said Piper. "Just play your part and everything
will be fine. All we have to do is wait for Leo and Darryl to get
into place"
As if on cue, a hand radio sitting on the dash of the car
keyed.
"We're in place," came Darryls' voice over the radio.
"Whenever you guys are ready. Remember, we have to have a
full confession if we're going to do anything about him."
"Don't worry, Darryl," said Piper over the radio, "we'll get you
everything you need." She put the radio in the seat next to her.
"Everyone ready?"
"About as ready as we'll ever be, I guess," said Prue. "Let's
get this over with."
The four of them got out of the car and walked to the
restaurant. Even before they reached the building, they could
see two men standing just inside the front doors. They were
large men; the type that someone might hire as bodyguards.
Vic was the first one to enter the restaurant. As he did, one
of the men stepped forward directly in front of him. Vic didn't say
anything. He simply raised his arms and let the man pat him
down. He had told the sisters that would happen. Jackson was
a VERY cautious man. As he finished patting Vic down, he
motioned for Vic to enter the restaurant.
"Who are they?" demanded the other man.
"Friends," said Vic. "We have business with Jackson."
"Mr. Jackson," corrected the man. He turned to the sisters.
"You'll have to be frisked. Gotta make sure you ain't armed."
"Go ahead," said Piper, raising her arms. "Just be careful
where you put your hands."
The first man patted her down and was apparently satisfied
Piper had no weapons on her. He motioned her into the
restaurant and Phoebe stepped up. Just as the man was
beginning to pat Phoebe down, Piper used her powers to freeze
the entire restaurant.
Phoebe reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled
out a small micro-cassette recorder. She handed the recorder to
Piper, who pressed the record button, then placed it in her shirt
pocket. The vest she was wearing covered the slight bulge of
the recorder perfectly. Then Piper unfroze the restaurant.
The man patted down first Phoebe, then Prue. He seemed
satisfied that neither the sisters nor Vic was carrying anything
they weren't supposed to. He motioned them into the restaurant.
In the back of the restaurant sat a large, balding man about fifty
years old who was thoroughly enjoying a very large plate of
spaghetti.
"Vic," said the man with a mouthful of the pasta, "it's good to
see you. You're early. Usually I have to go looking for my
clients. And just who might these lovely ladies be?"
"Friends," said Vic. "Mr. Jackson, I don't have the money. I
told you I couldn't get that kind of money in such a short amount
of time. I need more time."
"Vic, Vic, Vic," said the man, wiping his mouth, "we've had
this discussion before. I loaned you the money in good faith.
You agreed to my terms. Now, it's time to repay that loan. It's
simply business."
"My mother doesn't have anything to do with this," said Vic.
"My dear boy," said Jackson, "she has everything to do with
this. She's the reason you borrowed the money. So what are
these young ladies here for? Moral support?"
"No," said Prue arrogantly. "We're here to tell you to lay off
Vic. And to let his mother go."
"Or what?" asked Jackson. "Just what do you think you little
girls can do about it?"
"We know your kind," said Piper. "You're a loan shark that
preys on innocent people."
"First of all," said Jackson, "loan shark is such an ugly term.
Secondly, there is no such thing as an innocent person. I'm a
business man. I provide a service for a fee. Nothing wrong with
that."
"We expect you to charge a reasonable rate," said Prue.
"And have a reasonable repayment plan. Not what you're doing.
Maybe the police would like to know what you're doing."
"Is that a threat?" asked Jackson. Prue felt rather than heard
one of the men from the front of the restaurant step up behind
her. "I can assure you, my dear young lady, I know quite well
how to deal with threats."
"So do we," said Prue. "Okay, let's get this over with. How
much does Vic owe you?"
"Five hundred grand," said Jackson.
"That's outrageous," said Phoebe. "He only borrowed two
hundred fifty thousand."
"Interest," said Jackson. "You can't expect me to loan money
for nothing."
"One hundred percent for three months?" asked Vic. "The
law calls that usury. It's illegal."
"So what?" said Jackson. "It's your word against mine. The
law can't touch me. I'm much too careful. And it will take more
than the word of the four of you to pin anything on me."
"Maybe they'll believe your own words," said Piper, pulling the
recorder out of her pocket.
"Well," said Jackson, "I don't know how you managed to
sneak that in here. But I can assure you it will never leave this
building. Mike, Craig, take care of this riff raff. And when you're
done, get rid of the bitch. She's no use to us any longer. Pity,
Vic. You should have paid up. I might have let you live a little
longer if you had paid something. Now, I'm afraid, it's too late."
Suddenly, Prue dropped to the ground and spun. Phoebe
reacted almost as fast, striking out with her foot, catching the
man standing behind Prue along the side of the head. The man
went flying against the wall and clamored to the floor.
The man still standing by the door turned and reached into
his jacket. As he pulled a pistol out of his jacket and aimed it at
the sisters, Prue stretched out her hand, sending the man flying
through the front window. The window shatter under his weight
sending him flying onto the sidewalk beyond. His pistol fell at his
feet.
The man quickly recovered his feet and reached down for the
gun. As he came up he began to raise the pistol at the sisters
once more. Just as the pistol was level with the window, the
man froze. The muzzle of another pistol rested squarely against
his left temple.
"I'd think long and hard about your next move," said Darryl as
he cocked his service pistol.
The man looked around and saw half a dozen policemen
standing around with shotguns pointed directly at him. He froze
in place, letting the pistol swing around his trigger finger to come
to rest hanging upside down from that finger. Darryl reached
down and took the pistol, tucking it into his waist as two more
policemen took the man into custody.
Inside the restaurant, Jackson just sat in stunned
amazement. Everything had happened within seconds. He
didn't even have time to put down the napkin he had just wiped
his mouth with.
"You're going down, Jackson" said Piper. "This time, you
screwed with the wrong guy."
"I don't think so," said Jackson, smiling. "That tape will never
stand up in court. I'll be out of jail an hour after they book me.
And I can assure you, no one will ever testify against me."
"I wouldn't count on that, Jackson," said Darryl, coming into
the restaurant.
Behind him walked two police officers. And Leo.
"It seems this young man heard a woman scream a bit ago,"
he said, indicating Leo. "When he went to see what was going
on, he found a woman being held prisoner. With his help, we
were able to get her out unharmed.
"The men holding her seem very eager to talk. It seems they
say you paid them to kidnap the woman and hold her. We've go
you on kidnaping, racketeering, attempted murder, and anything
else I can make stick. You're not walking on this one. I'll make
sure of that."
The two officers took custody of Jackson as Leo moved over
to Piper.
"She was right where we thought she would be," said Darryl.
"Once Leo told me about him holding that woman prisoner, I
remembered that warehouse Jackson owns. Seemed like the
perfect place to hold someone hostage."
"I was able to orb in and get Vics' mother and orb out before
they knew I was there," said Leo.
"So," said Piper, turning to Vic, "it seems everything turned
out okay. What say we all go home and take it easy for the rest
of the day?"
"I can't," said Darryl. "I have to go book that scum.
Something I've been wanting to do for ten years."
Piper handed Darryl the tape recorder, then the rest of them
piled into the car and returned to the manor.
FIVE
"He's already talking deal," said Darryl that evening at the
manor. "The district attorney says we have enough on him to
put him away for the rest of his natural life."
Vic and his mother sat on the sofa while Darryl explained
what had happened to Jackson.
"Good," said Phoebe. "Guys like that get my goat. It's bad
enough having to deal with demons and warlocks. Dealing with
scum like that is even worse."
"Will you need me to testify?" asked Vic.
"No, I don't think so," said Darryl. "The racketeering charges
are the least of Jacksons' problems. I think the DA is going to
use them as a bargaining chip. He drops the racketeering
charges and Jackson gives us information.
"But it would probably be a good idea if you got out of town
for a while. Men like Jackson usually work for someone else.
That person may still be after his money. Is there anywhere you
can go?"
"Yes," said Margaret, Vics' mother. "I have a sister in
Connecticut we can go visit. We should be safe there."
"Good," said Darryl. "I'll make sure you get out of town with a
low profile."
"Thanks," said Vic.
"So," said Piper, "what's the story between your mother and
our father?"
"Well," said Vic, "after him and your mother split up, he met
my mother. They fell in love and I was born a couple of years
later. He always said one of the reasons he and you mom split
up was because he couldn't deal with the fact that she was a
witch. And he blamed the White Lighter for breaking them up."
"Which, as we told you," said Piper, "isn't exactly true."
"No, I suppose not," said Vic. "Anyway, he's the one who told
me about you. He didn't want you to know about me because he
was afraid you might influence me somehow. But he thought I
had a right to know I had three sisters out there somewhere."
"So when you got into trouble with Jackson," said Phoebe,
"naturally, you thought of us."
"Sort of," said Vic. "I realized I needed some real help. You
were the only option I could think of. If what dad had told me
about you was true, I figured you could help."
"I told him not to bother you," said Margaret. "Victor didn't
want you to know Vic existed. I was afraid if you found out,
you'd turn him down. I didn't know what kind of terms you were
on with Victor."
"What happened between the two of you?" asked Prue.
"He's never mentioned you."
"We split up about ten years ago," said Margaret. "He
couldn't get over your mother and I couldn't live with the memory
of her coming between us. We did part on good terms, though.
I wish him the best."
"Well," said Phoebe, "you may not be our mother, but you're
welcome here any time. You just have to be prepared for
demons and warlocks and God knows what else that might pop
in at any moment."
"You make it seem so inviting," said Margaret, smiling.
"Actually, we don't want to be a burden. I do appreciate
everything you've done for Vic and me. Maybe we can find a
way to repay you sometime."
"Aw, it was nothing," said Piper. "Actually, it was kind of nice
being the superior forces for a change. It was almost too easy."
"We're not making a habit of it, remember?" asked Leo,
smiling.
"I remember," said Piper.
"Well," said Darryl, "I'd better get back to the station. Vic, call
me in the morning. I'll give you the details on getting you out of
town."
"Sure, Lieutenant," said Vic. "Mom and I should get going,
too. She's pretty worn out from all this."
"Just stay away from loan sharks from now on," said Prue. "If
you need help again, call us first. There might be something we
can do to help and keep you out of trouble."
"I will, I promise," said Vic. "And I'll make sure you have the
address and phone number where we're staying in Connecticut.
Now that we know about each other, I'd like to stay in touch."
"You'd better," said Phoebe. "Finally, I'm not the youngest
any more."
"You're still the youngest sister," said Prue, a smirk on her
face.
Phoebe just stuck her tongue out at Prue and everyone
laughed, thankfully that the entire ordeal was finally over.
The End
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more of my stories for a
variety of shows and subjects at
http://pub57.ezboard.com/bjerrysfanfictionsite. You can also
post your stories if you like to write fan fiction.
"A DIFFERENT KIND OF EVIL"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: PG (for mild language)
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property
of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically
created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement
of copyright is intended.
* * *
(Authors' note: This story takes place between the episodes "We All Scream
For Ice Cream" and "Blinded By The White Lighter".)
* * *
The Charmed Ones are approached by a young man who needs their help
and who knows all about them. A young man who is harboring a secret that
will impact the Charmed Ones profoundly.
ONE
Phoebe was watching the news when Prue came into the living room and
sat down. Prue had a bowl of chocolate ice cream with her and was eagerly
engulfing the entire bowl.
"Ugh," said Phoebe. "How can you eat that? After what we just went
through? Just two days ago we were trapped in an ice cream truck and nearly
devoured by the big Nothing."
"It wasn't the ice creams' fault," said Prue. "Besides, it's chocolate.
Chocolate couldn't be responsible for any evil in the world."
"Still," said Phoebe, "I think it's going to be a while before I can look at a
bowl of ice cream the same way."
"What about kids?" asked Prue, between bites. "Those demons were kids,
you know?"
"I know," said Phoebe. "It's not the same. They weren't really kids. They
were demons. If it wasn't for us, they might have done a lot more damage."
"Well," said Prue, smiling, "it wasn't really an ice cream truck, either. It was
a portal to another dimension where the big Nothing destroyed those
demons."
"Daddy called today," said Phoebe, changing the subject.
"Oh?" questioned Prue. "What did he want?"
Her question was one of genuine interest. Only a few days before, she
couldn't have cared if he was alive or dead. His help with the demon kids had
helped to smooth over the hard feelings she had been harboring against him.
Soon, she thought, they might actually be able to have a normal
father-daughter relationship.
"Oh, he just wanted to say hi," said Phoebe. "And to let us know he's going
to be out of town for a day or two. Something about business."
"I guess we'll have to get used to it," said Prue. "Where's Piper?"
"Where do you think?" asked Phoebe, looking at the ceiling.
"She and Leo are upstairs. AGAIN!"
"You can't really blame them," said Prue. "They get so little
privacy around here, what with both of us and demons popping
in at all hours."
"I know," said Phoebe. "I was thinking. Maybe you and I
should spend the day out together. Give them some real privacy
for change."
"Not a bad idea," said Prue. "We can give them the whole
house to themselves for a change."
Just then the doorbell rang. Phoebe looked at Prue and Prue
looked at Phoebe. Neither moved for a moment. The doorbell
rang again. Suddenly Phoebe got up and moved to the door.
"Okay," she said, "I'LL get it."
"Well," said Prue smiling, "it is chocolate."
Phoebe opened the door and saw a young man standing on
the porch. He was about twenty years old and was wearing blue
jeans and a wind breaker. His brown hair was tumbled from the
breeze that was blowing. He was looking down at a piece of
paper he was holding.
"H . . . hi," he stammered. "Is this 1329 Prescott Street?"
"Yes," she said. "Can I help you?"
"That depends," said the young man. "I understand this is
the Hallowell Manor."
"Right again," said Phoebe. "Looks like you got the right
place. What do you need?"
"My name is . . . Vic," said the young man. "I need to speak
to you and your sisters. It's very important. A matter of life and
death. I understand you sometimes help people in need. I'm in
need of your help. Desperately in need."
"Come in," said Phoebe.
She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was pretty sure
he wasn't a demon. For one thing, demons didn't use the
doorbell. For another, this young man was nervous, almost
timid. She had never heard of a timid demon before.
She escorted Vic into the living room where Prue sat eating
her ice cream. When she saw the two, she sat the bowl on the
table next to her. She straightened herself on the sofa.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"He says his name is Vic," said Phoebe. "He says he needs
our help."
"What kind of help?" asked Prue.
Vic looked around the living room. As if he was studying the
entire room. He even looked at the ceiling and floor as if they
held his total fascination.
"There's a third sister, isn't there?" he asked.
"Yes," said Prue. "Piper, the middle one. Why?"
"This will probably be easier if you were all present," said Vic.
"So I can tell you every thing once and answer any questions
you might have. And I'm sure there's going to be a lot of
questions."
"Okay," said Phoebe, "I'll go get her. Will you be okay,
Prue?"
"She'll be fine," said the young man, now a bit more relaxed.
"I'm not a threat to you. Not like the kind you usually face,
anyway."
Phoebe went upstairs to get Piper and Leo. The mans'
cryptic words rang in her ears and she just knew this was not
going to be a normal evening in the Hallowell Manor.
TWO
"Explain what?" asked Piper when Phoebe had explained
about their guest.
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "All I know is he said that he
needed our help and made some allusions to an explanation."
"Are you sure he's not a demon?" asked Leo.
"A demon who uses the doorbell?" asked Phoebe. "You ever
hear of a demon who uses the doorbell?"
"No, I guess not," said Leo.
"Well," said Phoebe, "besides that, he seems kind of timid.
Almost like he's overwhelmed by us. Or intimidated by us."
"And he said he wasn't a threat like the kind we normally
face?" asked Piper.
"That's what he said," said Phoebe. "It almost seems like he
knows we fight demons. If he does, he could be a problem if we
don't agree to help him with whatever he needs our help with."
"There's only one way to find out," said Leo. "Let's go see
what he wants."
The three left the bedroom and descended the stairs to the
living room. When they entered the living room, Vic was sitting
in one of the chairs. He immediately stood up when Piper and
Phoebe came into the room.
"Well," said Phoebe, "your manners seems impeccable."
"That comes from my mother," said Vic. "She said there was
always time for good manners."
"Sounds like a nice woman," said Piper. "I'm Piper. Phoebe
says you wanted to talk to us. About some trouble you're in."
"Yes," said the man. "I'm sorry if I'm staring. I've heard a lot
about you. You're Piper, the middle sister. Phoebe is the
youngest. And Prue is the oldest. You have no idea what an
honor it is to finally meet all of you."
"This is Leo," said Piper. "He's my boyfriend."
"I see," said Vic. "I assume he knows . . . about you."
"What about us?" asked Prue.
"That you're so . . . charming," said Vic hesitantly.
The three sisters and Leo immediately took notice. His
choice of words had seemed very deliberate. As if he was he
was trying to say something without actually saying it.
"Yes," said Piper slowly, "Leo knows all about us. We're
planning on getting married soon. Why do you ask?"
"It's because of your, shall we say, special talents," said Vic.
"Special talents?" asked Phoebe. "Just what type of special
talents would those be?"
Vic looked at the sisters then at Leo. He took a deep breath
before he spoke again.
"Your Charmed talents," he said finally.
No one spoke. If this man was a demon, he was the most
peculiar demon they had ever faced. Most demons didn't
announce the fact that they knew these were the Charmed
Ones. At least not without throwing energy balls or some other
form of attack.
"I'm sorry to just blurt it out like that," said Vic. "I couldn't
think of any graceful way to say it. I know you're witches and
that you are what they call the Charmed Ones. Very powerful
witches with extraordinary powers. It's why I've come to you. I
can't go to anyone else. I need help and you're the only ones I
can turn to."
"Okay," said Piper, looking at her sisters, "assuming you're
right, what kind of help do you need?"
"A couple of months ago," said Vic, "my mother became
seriously ill. We didn't have any insurance and she desperately
need medical treatment. I couldn't get a loan from any bank for
the amount of money I needed for her. So I did a stupid thing."
"You went to a loan shark," finished Prue.
"Yeah," said Vic. "I didn't have any other option. Without the
medical treatments, my mother was going to die. I couldn't let
that happen. So I borrowed some money from this loan shark."
"How much?" asked Phoebe.
"Two hundred fifty thousand dollars," said Vic. "I needed that
much for the treatment and the medication she would need
afterward."
"That's a lot of money," said Leo. "How did you plan to pay
the money back?"
"I don't know," said Vic. "I wasn't thinking about that at the
time. All I was thinking about was saving my mothers' life. The
money got her the treatment she needed and she's doing fine."
"Now this loan shark wants his money," said Piper.
"Yes," said Vic. "I don't have that kind of money. I'm a
carpenters' apprentice. There's no way I can repay that money.
I've tried to explain that to Mr. Jackson. He's the loan shark. I
tried to make arrangements to pay him back a little each week."
"But he wouldn't agree with that," said Prue. "He wants all of
his money back right now."
"Yes," said Vic. "I don't know what to do. I'm not afraid he'll
kill me, because then he won't get his money."
"I don't understand," said Piper. "How do you think we can
help you?"
"This Jackson has taken my mother," said Vic. "He's holding
her prisoner. He says if I don't pay him everything I owe him
within," he looked at his watch, "forty three hours, he's going to
send her back to me. A piece at a time."
The sisters looked at each other. Their mission, as it were,
was to protect the innocent. But that had always meant
protection against demons, warlocks, and the like. This was a
much more mundane evil that society had ways of dealing with.
"I'm not sure they can do that," said Leo. "If you know who
they are, you also know they're supposed to use their powers
only against evil."
"This man IS evil," said Vic. "He preys on innocent people
who have no where else to turn. People who are only trying to
do the best they can but who get jammed up for one reason or
another. Isn't that evil?"
"Yes," said Piper, "but the law has recourse for that. Our
powers are only for those situations where nothing else will help.
Perhaps if you went to the police . . . ."
"I've tried," said Vic. "They said without proof, there's nothing
they can do. And my word alone isn't proof enough. They say
they know he's a known loan shark, but they need some hard
evidence to do anything."
"I still don't see what we can do," said Phoebe.
"Don't you help each other?" asked Vic. "Even if the
problems aren't demonic in nature?"
"That's different," said Leo. "In helping each other, they help
protect the Charmed Ones."
"Because they're family," said Vic.
"Well, sort of, I guess," said Prue. "Besides, our . . . bosses
sort of look the other way when we help each other. We're
expected to help family."
"I see," said Vic. "Then you won't help me?"
"I don't see how we can," said Piper. "I'm sorry, Vic, I really
do wish we could. I really do. I just don't see how this falls
under our purview."
"There is something I haven't told you," said Vic. "Vic is
actually sort of a nickname. Well, really, it's short for my first
name, Victor. My full name is Victor Halliwell, Jr. Your father
and my father were the same man. I'm your half brother."
No one spoke. No one even breathed. They all just stared at
Vic in total amazement.
THREE
"You're joking?" said Phoebe finally.
Vic removed his wallet and opened it. He removed a small
photograph and looked at it for several long seconds. Then he
handed it to Phoebe. All three sisters crowded together to look
at the picture. It showed a man, a woman, and a baby in the
womans' arms. Although somewhat younger, each of the sisters
recognized the man. It was Victor Halliwell, their father.
"No, I'm not," said Vic. "It's how I learned about you. He told
me everything. About how your mother was a witch. How each
of you were witches. And not just witches, but the Charmed
Ones. He told me of your fight with demons and of something
called a White Lighter."
The sisters just looked up at Leo for a second. The look
didn't go unnoticed by Vic.
"What?" he asked. "Are you one of these White Lighters?
My father said it was a White Lighter that broke up his marriage
to their mother."
"I am A White Lighter," said Leo. "I'm not that White Lighter,
though."
"In all fairness to daddy," said Prue, "her White Lighter didn't
break up their marriage. He didn't come into the picture until
AFTER they broke up."
"I always figured there was another side to the story," said
Vic.
"Let's stay on the subject, here," said Phoebe. "All you've
shown us is a photograph which could or could not be of you as
a baby. It doesn't prove you're our brother."
"Then how do I know so much about you?" asked Vic. "I
knew your names, that you're witches, even the Charmed Ones.
I knew where you lived. How do you explain all that?"
"You could have learned all that from almost anywhere," said
Piper. "It doesn't prove a thing."
Vic reached into his pocket once more and removed an item.
He held up a small pendant. The pendant was the same symbol
that was on the cover of the Book of Shadows.
"My father had this," he said. "He gave it to me. He said it
was the symbol that represented the three of you. And that it
was on a book called the Book of Shadows. Which you keep in
the attic upstairs."
No one spoke. He knew an awful lot about them. But as
Piper had said, he could have learned that anywhere.
"Look, Vic," said Phoebe, leaning over and placing her hand
on his shoulder, "it's not that we don't want to believe you. It's
just that . . . ."
She was stopped in mid sentence as a vision suddenly
flashed in her mind. It was the vision of her father pushing a
small child in a stroller. Next to him walked a woman. The same
woman in the photograph they had just looked at.
"Conference," she said suddenly, jumping up and heading for
the kitchen.
"Uh, wait here for a moment," said Piper. "Phoebe seems to
be having one of her episodes again."
Once in the kitchen, Phoebe told them of the vision. Her
visions were usually premonitions of the future. Occasionally,
she would have flashes of the past.
"Well," said Leo, "it happened when you touched him. Which
means that the vision was about him. Since your father was in
the vision, I think we have to assume he's telling the truth. He's
your half brother."
"Whew," said Prue. "All these years and we never knew
about him. What do you suppose happened?"
"I think it's pretty clear," said Piper. "After daddy and mom
broke up, daddy apparently found someone else. Bingo, bango,
bongo, instant little brother."
"So, what do we do about it?" asked Phoebe.
"You aren't seriously suggesting we help him?" asked Prue.
"Remember about our powers? Only for fighting demons and
warlocks and such?"
"He needs our help," Phoebe shot back. "And, he's family. If
one of us was in this situation, we wouldn't hesitate to help."
"WE wouldn't be in this situation," responded Prue. "WE
wouldn't go to a loan shark for money."
"If a loved ones' life was at stake," said Phoebe, "we might. It
was his mothers' life at stake. None of us can say how we'd
react in a situation like that."
"This isn't helping anything," said Piper, the voice of reason
between here sisters' arguments. "Okay. For the moment, let's
assume that he is our brother. Do we help him or not?"
"Yes," said Phoebe.
"No," said Prue, almost at the same instance.
"Leo," said Piper, "weren't we told that our job is to protect the
innocent? That we were given our powers to fight evil?"
"Well, yes, but," began Leo.
"But nothing," said Piper. "Whatever Vic has done, his
mother is an innocent in all this. And I don't think anyone will
dispute that a loan shark is basically evil. I don't see the
problem. We have to help him. Especially since he's family."
"I'm not sure what the Elders will think about this," said Leo.
"I don't give a damn what the Elders think about it," said
Phoebe. "They can't tell us to help and protect the innocent,
then tie our hands simply because the evil is mortal. I'm not
saying we make this a habit. But he does have a point. We
WOULD help each other in a situation like this simply because
we are sisters."
"Okay," said Prue. "Let's help him. Only this isn't a demon
we're going after. We can't just bust in and start killing. While
they may not be innocents, they are mortal. We'll have to be
very careful that no one gets hurt unintentionally. Any ideas?"
"Well," said Phoebe, "I think I might have one. But we'll need
Darryls' help. With any luck, we can put this Jackson away for a
long time."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Leo.
Patiently, Phoebe explained to them what she had in mind.
They all listened intently to her plan. From the look on their
faces she could tell they were impressed with it.
"Okay," said Leo when Phoebe had finished. "I'll orb out and
get Darryl. I suggest the rest of you go back into the living room
and explain all this to Vic. We don't have much time and I have
no doubt that a loan shark will keep his promise to kill Vics'
mother if we don't do something."
Leo orbed out and the sisters went downstairs to explain what
they were going to do.
FOUR
"I hope this works," said Vic, sitting in the car outside of a
small restaurant. "If it doesn't, my mother is dead."
"Don't worry," said Piper. "Just play your part and everything
will be fine. All we have to do is wait for Leo and Darryl to get
into place"
As if on cue, a hand radio sitting on the dash of the car
keyed.
"We're in place," came Darryls' voice over the radio.
"Whenever you guys are ready. Remember, we have to have a
full confession if we're going to do anything about him."
"Don't worry, Darryl," said Piper over the radio, "we'll get you
everything you need." She put the radio in the seat next to her.
"Everyone ready?"
"About as ready as we'll ever be, I guess," said Prue. "Let's
get this over with."
The four of them got out of the car and walked to the
restaurant. Even before they reached the building, they could
see two men standing just inside the front doors. They were
large men; the type that someone might hire as bodyguards.
Vic was the first one to enter the restaurant. As he did, one
of the men stepped forward directly in front of him. Vic didn't say
anything. He simply raised his arms and let the man pat him
down. He had told the sisters that would happen. Jackson was
a VERY cautious man. As he finished patting Vic down, he
motioned for Vic to enter the restaurant.
"Who are they?" demanded the other man.
"Friends," said Vic. "We have business with Jackson."
"Mr. Jackson," corrected the man. He turned to the sisters.
"You'll have to be frisked. Gotta make sure you ain't armed."
"Go ahead," said Piper, raising her arms. "Just be careful
where you put your hands."
The first man patted her down and was apparently satisfied
Piper had no weapons on her. He motioned her into the
restaurant and Phoebe stepped up. Just as the man was
beginning to pat Phoebe down, Piper used her powers to freeze
the entire restaurant.
Phoebe reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled
out a small micro-cassette recorder. She handed the recorder to
Piper, who pressed the record button, then placed it in her shirt
pocket. The vest she was wearing covered the slight bulge of
the recorder perfectly. Then Piper unfroze the restaurant.
The man patted down first Phoebe, then Prue. He seemed
satisfied that neither the sisters nor Vic was carrying anything
they weren't supposed to. He motioned them into the restaurant.
In the back of the restaurant sat a large, balding man about fifty
years old who was thoroughly enjoying a very large plate of
spaghetti.
"Vic," said the man with a mouthful of the pasta, "it's good to
see you. You're early. Usually I have to go looking for my
clients. And just who might these lovely ladies be?"
"Friends," said Vic. "Mr. Jackson, I don't have the money. I
told you I couldn't get that kind of money in such a short amount
of time. I need more time."
"Vic, Vic, Vic," said the man, wiping his mouth, "we've had
this discussion before. I loaned you the money in good faith.
You agreed to my terms. Now, it's time to repay that loan. It's
simply business."
"My mother doesn't have anything to do with this," said Vic.
"My dear boy," said Jackson, "she has everything to do with
this. She's the reason you borrowed the money. So what are
these young ladies here for? Moral support?"
"No," said Prue arrogantly. "We're here to tell you to lay off
Vic. And to let his mother go."
"Or what?" asked Jackson. "Just what do you think you little
girls can do about it?"
"We know your kind," said Piper. "You're a loan shark that
preys on innocent people."
"First of all," said Jackson, "loan shark is such an ugly term.
Secondly, there is no such thing as an innocent person. I'm a
business man. I provide a service for a fee. Nothing wrong with
that."
"We expect you to charge a reasonable rate," said Prue.
"And have a reasonable repayment plan. Not what you're doing.
Maybe the police would like to know what you're doing."
"Is that a threat?" asked Jackson. Prue felt rather than heard
one of the men from the front of the restaurant step up behind
her. "I can assure you, my dear young lady, I know quite well
how to deal with threats."
"So do we," said Prue. "Okay, let's get this over with. How
much does Vic owe you?"
"Five hundred grand," said Jackson.
"That's outrageous," said Phoebe. "He only borrowed two
hundred fifty thousand."
"Interest," said Jackson. "You can't expect me to loan money
for nothing."
"One hundred percent for three months?" asked Vic. "The
law calls that usury. It's illegal."
"So what?" said Jackson. "It's your word against mine. The
law can't touch me. I'm much too careful. And it will take more
than the word of the four of you to pin anything on me."
"Maybe they'll believe your own words," said Piper, pulling the
recorder out of her pocket.
"Well," said Jackson, "I don't know how you managed to
sneak that in here. But I can assure you it will never leave this
building. Mike, Craig, take care of this riff raff. And when you're
done, get rid of the bitch. She's no use to us any longer. Pity,
Vic. You should have paid up. I might have let you live a little
longer if you had paid something. Now, I'm afraid, it's too late."
Suddenly, Prue dropped to the ground and spun. Phoebe
reacted almost as fast, striking out with her foot, catching the
man standing behind Prue along the side of the head. The man
went flying against the wall and clamored to the floor.
The man still standing by the door turned and reached into
his jacket. As he pulled a pistol out of his jacket and aimed it at
the sisters, Prue stretched out her hand, sending the man flying
through the front window. The window shatter under his weight
sending him flying onto the sidewalk beyond. His pistol fell at his
feet.
The man quickly recovered his feet and reached down for the
gun. As he came up he began to raise the pistol at the sisters
once more. Just as the pistol was level with the window, the
man froze. The muzzle of another pistol rested squarely against
his left temple.
"I'd think long and hard about your next move," said Darryl as
he cocked his service pistol.
The man looked around and saw half a dozen policemen
standing around with shotguns pointed directly at him. He froze
in place, letting the pistol swing around his trigger finger to come
to rest hanging upside down from that finger. Darryl reached
down and took the pistol, tucking it into his waist as two more
policemen took the man into custody.
Inside the restaurant, Jackson just sat in stunned
amazement. Everything had happened within seconds. He
didn't even have time to put down the napkin he had just wiped
his mouth with.
"You're going down, Jackson" said Piper. "This time, you
screwed with the wrong guy."
"I don't think so," said Jackson, smiling. "That tape will never
stand up in court. I'll be out of jail an hour after they book me.
And I can assure you, no one will ever testify against me."
"I wouldn't count on that, Jackson," said Darryl, coming into
the restaurant.
Behind him walked two police officers. And Leo.
"It seems this young man heard a woman scream a bit ago,"
he said, indicating Leo. "When he went to see what was going
on, he found a woman being held prisoner. With his help, we
were able to get her out unharmed.
"The men holding her seem very eager to talk. It seems they
say you paid them to kidnap the woman and hold her. We've go
you on kidnaping, racketeering, attempted murder, and anything
else I can make stick. You're not walking on this one. I'll make
sure of that."
The two officers took custody of Jackson as Leo moved over
to Piper.
"She was right where we thought she would be," said Darryl.
"Once Leo told me about him holding that woman prisoner, I
remembered that warehouse Jackson owns. Seemed like the
perfect place to hold someone hostage."
"I was able to orb in and get Vics' mother and orb out before
they knew I was there," said Leo.
"So," said Piper, turning to Vic, "it seems everything turned
out okay. What say we all go home and take it easy for the rest
of the day?"
"I can't," said Darryl. "I have to go book that scum.
Something I've been wanting to do for ten years."
Piper handed Darryl the tape recorder, then the rest of them
piled into the car and returned to the manor.
FIVE
"He's already talking deal," said Darryl that evening at the
manor. "The district attorney says we have enough on him to
put him away for the rest of his natural life."
Vic and his mother sat on the sofa while Darryl explained
what had happened to Jackson.
"Good," said Phoebe. "Guys like that get my goat. It's bad
enough having to deal with demons and warlocks. Dealing with
scum like that is even worse."
"Will you need me to testify?" asked Vic.
"No, I don't think so," said Darryl. "The racketeering charges
are the least of Jacksons' problems. I think the DA is going to
use them as a bargaining chip. He drops the racketeering
charges and Jackson gives us information.
"But it would probably be a good idea if you got out of town
for a while. Men like Jackson usually work for someone else.
That person may still be after his money. Is there anywhere you
can go?"
"Yes," said Margaret, Vics' mother. "I have a sister in
Connecticut we can go visit. We should be safe there."
"Good," said Darryl. "I'll make sure you get out of town with a
low profile."
"Thanks," said Vic.
"So," said Piper, "what's the story between your mother and
our father?"
"Well," said Vic, "after him and your mother split up, he met
my mother. They fell in love and I was born a couple of years
later. He always said one of the reasons he and you mom split
up was because he couldn't deal with the fact that she was a
witch. And he blamed the White Lighter for breaking them up."
"Which, as we told you," said Piper, "isn't exactly true."
"No, I suppose not," said Vic. "Anyway, he's the one who told
me about you. He didn't want you to know about me because he
was afraid you might influence me somehow. But he thought I
had a right to know I had three sisters out there somewhere."
"So when you got into trouble with Jackson," said Phoebe,
"naturally, you thought of us."
"Sort of," said Vic. "I realized I needed some real help. You
were the only option I could think of. If what dad had told me
about you was true, I figured you could help."
"I told him not to bother you," said Margaret. "Victor didn't
want you to know Vic existed. I was afraid if you found out,
you'd turn him down. I didn't know what kind of terms you were
on with Victor."
"What happened between the two of you?" asked Prue.
"He's never mentioned you."
"We split up about ten years ago," said Margaret. "He
couldn't get over your mother and I couldn't live with the memory
of her coming between us. We did part on good terms, though.
I wish him the best."
"Well," said Phoebe, "you may not be our mother, but you're
welcome here any time. You just have to be prepared for
demons and warlocks and God knows what else that might pop
in at any moment."
"You make it seem so inviting," said Margaret, smiling.
"Actually, we don't want to be a burden. I do appreciate
everything you've done for Vic and me. Maybe we can find a
way to repay you sometime."
"Aw, it was nothing," said Piper. "Actually, it was kind of nice
being the superior forces for a change. It was almost too easy."
"We're not making a habit of it, remember?" asked Leo,
smiling.
"I remember," said Piper.
"Well," said Darryl, "I'd better get back to the station. Vic, call
me in the morning. I'll give you the details on getting you out of
town."
"Sure, Lieutenant," said Vic. "Mom and I should get going,
too. She's pretty worn out from all this."
"Just stay away from loan sharks from now on," said Prue. "If
you need help again, call us first. There might be something we
can do to help and keep you out of trouble."
"I will, I promise," said Vic. "And I'll make sure you have the
address and phone number where we're staying in Connecticut.
Now that we know about each other, I'd like to stay in touch."
"You'd better," said Phoebe. "Finally, I'm not the youngest
any more."
"You're still the youngest sister," said Prue, a smirk on her
face.
Phoebe just stuck her tongue out at Prue and everyone
laughed, thankfully that the entire ordeal was finally over.
The End
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