I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. However, I do own Dan, the Elemental Mechanics and developments. These are under copyright and I will pursue those that steal my ideas to the fullest extent of the law.

This story is just before the beginning to Season 5

Please enjoy the story.

"Find the Charmed Ones. They are the only ones who can save you now."

Dan's eyes snapped open. He was wide awake and staring at the roof of his 1969 Plymouth Satellite. It was night in the city of San Francisco, but it was far from dark. The concrete jungle was alit with stars of its own, which took the forms of streetlights and florescent bulbs glowing from office windows. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and was not surprised to find sweat there. The dreams were coming back now.

Bringing the back of his chair into the upright position, Dan started the car. It was now or never. He had no misconceptions about the Charmed Ones. In the demonic Underworld they were the most feared and hated beings in their tier of power, but there were worse things out there now.

It wasn't that these other beings hadn't existed before, just that the Charmed Ones hadn't appeared on their radar until now. A world of Vampires, Werewolves, True Demons, and Mages that once lurked in the shadows was preparing to step into the light. This was his world, and he was the prey among the predators.

Being a mere mortal in a world of ravenous wolves was not something most people could take, but it was something Dan had been forced to live with since childhood. He hadn't wanted this life of battle and pain and death, but it had been forced upon him by a fanatical being that thought he was a creature of prophecy. Dan didn't know what to think of this. He had never seen any evidence to support the theory, as he possessed no magical abilities whatsoever.

As he pulled to a stop in front of the Victorian-style home, Dan found himself wondering just what kind of people these witches were. To have vanquished the Source three times and throw the Underworld into upheaval like they had, he assumed they would be quite militaristic in their style of magic. Not for the first time in his life, Dan felt fear grip his chest. What if they saw him as a threat? He was a physically imposing man and quite adept at combat, but he doubted that he would stand much of a chance should they decide he was a threat.

The lights in the windows were on, which led him to believe that at least one of the three sisters was home and or awake. Summoning up the rest of his courage, Dan walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

Paige Matthews was busy in the kitchen trying as always to perfect her potion-making skills when she heard the doorbell ring. Who on earth would be calling this late? she wondered. She checked the clock. It was 9:30.

Letting out a sigh, she quickly hid the evidence before walking to the door and opening it. Standing before her was a handsome, if intimidating man. He stood well over six feet, and looked to weigh around two hundred-fifty pounds. Long black hair flowed past his shoulders, and icy gray eyes stared out from a strong face. He was dressed completely in black, down to his boots, and she could tell that he sported thick armor beneath his leather jacket.

"Can I help you?" she asked uncertainly.

"I'm looking for the Charmed Ones," the man replied. His voice was deep and a little intoxicating. Paige mentally kicked herself. This man apparently knew who they were, and she was thinking about how sexy his voice was? Maybe Piper was right and she did need to reconfigure her priorities.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about," Paige ventured somewhat weakly.

"If you want to be more convincing when you lie, look into the person's eyes," he replied. "I'm not here to cause you harm. I'm an innocent, and I need your help."

"Forgive me for being skeptical, but that's not the first time someone's said that," she retorted. "And usually it ends in nothing but trouble."

"Feel free to run a background check on me if you like," he said. "But I promise you that I'm legit. How do you protect innocents if you don't trust anyone? I realize that you are probably attacked by demons on a weekly or even daily basis, but feel free to test my blood against a vanquishing potion. I assure you I'm a mortal."

Paige sighed, rubbing her forehead. Her instincts told her that he was telling the truth, that it was her job to protect this man, but her mind told her to turn him away. After a few moments of mental warring, she stepped aside and let him into the house.

"What's your name?" she asked as she led him into the conservatory.

"Dan," he replied. "Dan Harborson."

"So wait," Piper began. "You're telling me that there is a six-foot four, two-hundred fifty pound tower of muscle sitting in our conservatory claiming to be an innocent!?"

"I tested it, and he isn't a demon. He's completely mortal," Paige replied over the phone.

"The witch hunter was also a mortal, Paige," Piper said skeptically. "Just don't let him out of your sight, and definitely don't let him near the Book of Shadows until I get home."

"Yes, Mother," Paige replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She hung up the phone before walking back into the conservatory. Her eyes widened when she saw that her new charge was no longer there, and she frantically began looking around for him. She did not have to search for long, however, and quickly found him rummaging through the kitchen.

Dan turned around to face the witch, a bottle of water in his hand. "I take it you guys don't keep any beer around here. Damn pity," he said before taking a swig from the bottle.

"You're right, we don't keep beer around here," Paige said indignantly. "And just where do you get the impression that you can go rummaging through our refrigerator?"

"Well a polite host would have offered me something a drink fifteen minutes ago," he replied calmly. "It's a long drive from Atlanta."

Paige sighed, shaking her head. What did I do to deserve this, exactly?

"Regardless, I'd appreciate it if you didn't go digging through our house right now," she said. "Let's go back into the conservatory and talk. My sisters should be home shortly, and I'm sure they'll want to hear your story as well."

Dan nodded, allowing her to lead him back into the other room. He took a seat in one of the white wicker chairs, setting the bottle of water on the table beside him. Paige sat down on the sofa across from him, leaning back and crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

"So what's your story, Dan?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Wouldn't you rather wait for your sisters?" he replied.

"I can give them the cliff notes version," Paige said. "Right now I want the whole thing." That sounded really dirty, Paige. Shut up! Get your head out of the gutter! Ah hell, what's the use?

"Fine," Dan said. "I'm not actually from America, but from a small town in Norway called Rheinhart."

"Never heard of it," Paige said.

"That's because it doesn't exist anymore. At least not on this plane," he replied. "It happened when I was seven. It was just like any other evening…"

Dan watched the stars hanging above the snow-swept landscape outside the living room window, smiling when he heard a wolf howl at the crescent moon. Nothing could have been more perfect in that moment, but it was all about to change. The smell of dinner wafted throughout the house, filling it with the warmth and love of family.

The front door smashed open, revealing a tall, intimidating figure garbed in black and red. His face was hidden by a dark cowl over his head, but his voice was one that Dan would never forget. He spoke in a language Dan had never heard before, but nevertheless it terrified him. Another voice filled the air, that of his father.

"Dan! Go! Run! Get out of here!"

Without a second thought Dan leapt to his feet and ran for the back door. Behind him, the screams of his dying parents followed… screams that would haunt him until the end of his days.

Paige regarded him with great empathy as he finished the first part of his story, and she found herself unable to take her eyes off of his. She knew what it felt to lose family. Not a day went by when she didn't think about her adoptive parents; not a day where she didn't mourn them.

"That man has followed me ever since that day," Dan continued. "He has chased me to the ends of the earth trying to kill me, and I still don't understand why. He will stop at nothing to kill me, and I can't defeat him on my own."

Paige was at a loss for words, but fortunate for her the door opened at that moment, permitting Piper and Phoebe entrance. She stood, taking a deep breath and rubbing her upper arms uncomfortably. After hanging up their jackets, Piper and Phoebe walked briskly into the conservatory.

"Alright, where is he?" Piper asked with a huff. Phoebe stopped when she saw their new "innocent," arching an eyebrow.

"I think I found him," she said, looking Dan up and down. "You didn't tell me he was so… big."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Phoebe, focus! Now, does somebody want to let us know what's going on?"

Several cups of coffee later, Dan had finished telling his story for the second time. He hadn't made it through as well. Rarely had he ever told anyone about his past, and he had never done so twice in one night, but he knew it was the only way to gain their trust. When he was finally able to sit back and relax for a moment, he found himself exhausted. No one spoke for several moments, and a thick silence hung in the air. Unable to deal with the uncomfortable silence, Paige was the first to speak.

"I say we help him."

"I'm inclined to agree," Phoebe replied. She cast a sympathetic glance towards Dan. "So tell us more about this demon who's trying to kill you."

Dan shook his head. "He's not a demon. He's far worse than any demon. Of course, the 'demons' that you face aren't really demons at all. They are merely Thralls to higher, True Demons. But that's beside the point. His name is Valdaar, and he is a rare breed of supernatural known as an Elemental. From what I can tell, there are very few of them left, and for good reason. Each represents a different element of earth, but not in the traditional sense. Of course there are those that wield fire, water, air, and earth; but I've also seen evidence of metal, electricity, wood, and several others. I'm not really sure how it all works, but I know two things for certain: First, they can control any aspect of the element they represent. Second, they are worth about ten of any normal thaumaturge."

"So you're telling us that this guy is more powerful than we are?" Piper asked, arching an eyebrow.

Dan nodded slowly. "I know that this is a lot to take in, but in order to survive I've had to immerse myself in the demonic Underworld. Knowledge is the key to survival, and like it or not, they have the most knowledge about these types of creatures."

"What did you mean when you said the demons we've faced aren't really demons?" Phoebe asked.

"They aren't. They're slaves to those who were once Angels. Some are imbued with more power than others, but the fact remains that they are mere shadows of what truly lurks in the darkness," Dan replied. "The one you call the Source of All Evil is nothing more than a reflection of the Demon Abaddon."

Paige ran her fingers through her hair, letting out an exasperated sigh. "So why are these True Demons just now coming out of the woodwork? Why haven't they destroyed us before now?"

"The gates of Hell hadn't loosed them until just recently. In fact, I daresay that you three are responsible," Dan said. "When you vanquished the Source for the third time, you unleashed a torrent of power so great that it cracked the bars of the Pit, allowing the lower ranks of Hell to escape into the world. From what I've seen in the past couple of months, they are forced to possess a host body in order to survive in the mortal world, but that doesn't make them any less deadly. They only possess a fraction of the earth-shattering power they once did, but that is still more significant than anything you three can put together. What I'm trying to say here, is that unless your powers mature to their full potential, the Charmed Ones will no longer be the greatest power in the world."

Over the next few days, the Charmed Ones and their new innocent began to dig deeper into the unraveling mystery that was the "greater" supernatural world. It seemed they were now visible on their radar as well, because more strange looks than usual were being cast in their direction by more and more people. The Book of Shadows had nothing to offer, as none in the line had reached this point in their power development yet.

Each of the sisters had begun to develop their own impressions of their new charge as well. Piper was still skeptical about his desire to help them in return for protection, and felt that he was putting her family, especially her unborn daughter, in unnecessary danger. Phoebe found herself strangely attracted to him, something in his dark demeanor and strong physical form reminding her of the good times with Cole, and she made sure to spend as much time around him as she could when he was at the Manor. Paige, on the other hand, found herself suffering from mixed feelings. She felt a deep empathy with him, but at the same time she was also afraid for the same reasons that Piper was.

Leo's regular visits to the Elders confirmed what Dan had been teaching them as well. Demons were not the only thing the Charmed Ones had to worry about now, apparently. The vampires that had turned Paige weren't even true vampires, but an extremely weak offshoot of a much more powerful race. Werewolves and Mages, greater entities of witches and warlocks, also posed a new threat. The world looked very dark indeed for the Charmed Ones and their allies, but the worst was yet to come.

Two weeks after their initial meeting, Dan's car came roaring around the corner of Prescott St. It came to a screeching halt in front of the manor, its driver's side door opening to permit the exit of its owner. Dan rushed up the front steps, falling heavily against the doorframe as he rang the bell. Paige answered a moment later, and when she saw his condition, quickly ushered him inside.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked in shock.

"I'll live, just a bad cut between the third and fourth rib," he replied. He held a bloody rag against his midsection, but thick red fluid continued to seep around the cloth despite his efforts.

Paige quickly moved him to the living room, helping him sit down on the sofa before rushing into the bowels of the house in search of medical supplies. When she returned, Dan's torso was bare, and his jacket, armor, and shirt lay in a heap on the floor next to his feet.

Paige couldn't help but drown her eyes with his nearly perfect figure. Toned muscles covered his arms and torso, but what caught her gaze next disturbed her greatly. Crisscrossing his chest and arms were a myriad of scars. Most of them seemed to be from deep gashes, but there were a couple that marked bullet wounds. Her heart went out to this mortal. He had not asked to be introduced to this world of magic and demons; he had been forced into it unwillingly.

"So what happened?" she asked as she pulled his hand away from the wound. She was unable to suppress a gasp when she saw the deep gash, and she quickly applied pressure with the new rag.

"He's here," Dan replied. "Valdaar is here. I just barely got away from him this time." He winces as she applies pressure, but otherwise maintains his composure. "Do you have anything I can use to stitch this?"

Paige nodded, opening the first aid kid and drawing out peroxide along with needle and stitch. Dan takes it from her, pouring the peroxide on the rag and pressing it against his side again. There was a loud hiss as the peroxide made contact with the wound, and Paige grimaced, unable to imagine just how painful his injury was. What worried her more, however, was the appearance of Valdaar.

"Do you know where he is now?" she asked.

Dan shook his head. "I have no idea. I was on my way back from meeting with my Vampire contact when he ambushed me. He started throwing stone spikes and I took off running. Thankfully he didn't damage my car."

Paige's eyebrows raised at this. "You're sitting here bleeding all over Piper's furniture and you're worried about your car?"

"I built that car," Dan replied with a chuckle. He removed the rag, letting out a sigh when he saw that the bleeding had almost stopped. He set the rag aside and began to stitch himself. Paige looked away, unable to watch him repair his own body.

"I think you should stay here for the time being," she said. "You'll be safer, and with Valdaar walking around the city, it would be better for you to stay as close to us as possible."

"I can handle myself just fine," he replied. "Bastard just caught me off guard. I'll be ready next time."

Paige set her jaw, her stubbornness kicking in. "I know that you can handle yourself, Dan, but Valdaar has a strong advantage over you. You're mortal, and he can command Earth."

Dan let out a sigh. His natural instinct was to argue with her, but he knew that she was only trying to help. In addition to that, she had made a good point. There was no way he could take down Valdaar one on one. While he was the superior combatant, Valdaar's magic gave him an advantage that was nearly impossible to overcome.

"Alright, you win," he said. "I'll crash on your couch until this is over."

Paige smiled. "Just remember that we're here to help and protect you, sweetie. You're our main charge now."

"Yeah, I haven't had a whitelighter for some time now."

"What happened to your last one?" Paige asked.

Dan sighed, his shoulders slumping. "She was killed by a darklighter. I didn't get to her in time, and the arrow passed right through her. It was a slow, painful death, something I never wanted to happen. With everything I know about magic and the Underworld, I couldn't do anything but hold her while she died."

Paige suddenly regretted asking the question. It seemed that he had many painful memories buried beneath his armored exterior, and while it intrigued her, she didn't want to cause him any more pain. She placed a soft hand on his knee, her gaze meeting his.

"I'm sorry."

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I know it's a slow starter, but look forward to a lot of action, drama, horror, and romance in the upcoming chapters.