Disclaimer: I do not own "Charmed" or its characters or its demons, I make zero financial profit from this nor would I like to as it is merely for fun

Something Wicca This Way Comes

Prologue

"Come on baby, good girl," Serena cooed over her cat putting the bowl of her food down for her.

Oblivious to the figure watching her ever move she moved back over to her altar, lighting each of the candles with a burst of flame from her finger.

"Ancient one of the earth so deep, master of moon and sun. I shield you in my wiccan way, here in my circle round, asking you to protect this space, and offer your sun force down," she recited the spell whilst the figure crept up behind her, she finally noticed and spun around, "what are you doing here?"

The figure smiled and drove the blade through the witch's heart.

[-]

"Payt?" Pan called for his brother as he walked through the front door.

"In here! Working on the chandelier."

"Sorry I'm late."

"What else is new?" Paty grumbled, "Pan I would have been here to meet the electrician myself but you know I can't leave the museum until six."

"I just didn't realize how long I was in China town," Pan shrugged nervously, "did Jerri call?"

"No, but she had a package delivered. What were you doing in China town anyway? I thought you had an interview in North Beach."

"I did but I want to Young Lee market after my interview to get the ingredients for my audition recipe tomorrow."

"So… that wolfgang-puck knock-off didn't hire you then?"

"No, but this just may get me the job," Pan pointed out showing his brother the bottle of port to which he only scowled.

"Jerri sent you port?"

"The ultimate ingredient for my recipe," he stated before his eyes were caught by something else, "oh my God, I don't believe it. Tell me that's not our old spirit board?"

"Yeah, I found it in the basement when I was looking for the circuit tester," Payt answered while Pan excitedly picked it up and flipped it over to see the inscription on the back.

"'To my three wonderful sons. May this give you the light to find the shadows. The power of three will set you free. Love, Mom.' We never did figure out what this inscription meant."

"Well, maybe we should send it to Phoenix. That boy is so in the dark, maybe a little light will help."

"You're always so hard on him."

"Pan, the boy has no vision, no sense of the future."

"I… really think Phoenix's coming around," Pan said slowly hoping his brother would take the hint.

"Well, as long as he doesn't come around here I guess that's good news."

[Opening Credits]

"Well, it's about time!" Darryl complained angrily as his partner finally arrived at the victim's apartment.

"I got here as soon as I heard," Angela pointed out defensively, "another dead female, right? Mid to late twenties?"

"I've been paging you for over an hour, Trudeau, where have you been?"

"Checking out a lead."

"What lead?"

"One that didn't go anywhere."

"You're avoiding my question."

"Because you don't want to know that I went to an occult shop," Angela admitted and Darryl suppressed the urge to groan.

"You hate me don't you? You wanna see me suffer," Darryl said instead.

"I wanna solve these murders," Angela protested fiercely, "someone's after witches."

"Women."

"That woman up there, I bet she was killed with an athame."

"Wrong. Double edged steel knife."

"Right. That's an athame, it's a ceremonial tool. Witch's use them to direct energy."

"That woman didn't direct jack. She was stabbed. Plain and simple," Darryl stated firmly wishing she wouldn't go on about this crazy stuff.

"Was she found by an altar?"

"Well yes."

"Were there carvings on that altar?"

"Just do me a favor, don't follow a lead without checking with me first," Darryl offered trying to get off the subject of witches.

"Do you want to go occult shops?"

"Get to work okay?" Darryl said while noticing a petite brunette walking over to them waving a notebook, a dislike of reporters was one thing they could agree on at least.

"Jerri Burns. San Fransisco Chronicle," the woman introduced herself quickly, "you care to comment?"

"A woman was stabbed. Plain and simple," Angela stated deadpan.

"Well, that's the third one in three weeks," the reporter prompted expectantly but Angela merely walked off.

[-]

Pan glanced at the clock anxiously, he was running out of time. Reluctantly he turned attention back to Payt who was still fiddling with the uncooperative circuit tester. He had to tell him.

"I don't get it," Payt complained frustratedly giving up on it, "I have checked everything, there's no reason why the chandelier should not be working."

"You know how we've been talking about what to do with the spare room? I think you're right, we do need a roommate."

"We could rent the room at a reduced rate in exchange for some help around the house," Payt agreed stalking through to the foyer with Pan hurriedly following.

"Phoenix's good with a wrench."

"Phoenix lives in New York."

"Not anymore," Pan blurted out and Payt stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"He left New York… He's moving back in with us."

"You have got to be kidding," Payt said darkly.

"Well I could hardly say no!" Pan protested, "it's his house too. Grams left it to all three of us."

"Yeah months ago and we haven't seen or spoken to him since!"

"Well…. You haven't spoken to him."

"No I haven't. Look, maybe you've forgotten why I'm still mad at him."

"Of course not but he had nowhere else to go! He's lost his job, he's in debt-"

"And this is news? How long have you known about this anyway?" Payt demanded glowering.

"A couple of days… Maybe a week… or two," Pan answered slowly and awkwardly and saw his brother's eyes cloud with disappointment and seething rage.

"Thanks for sharing," Payt spat, "when does he arrive?"

"Surprise!" Phoenix called cheerfully as the front door swung open, "I found the hide-a-key."

"Phoenix, welcome home," Pan greeted him warmly going over to hug his little brother who as usual looked unkempt and in need of a shave.

"Hello Pan."

"It's so good to see you. Isn't it Payt?" Pan said with a forced smile, glancing between the two who were eyeing each other distrustfully.

"I'm speechless," Payt stated coldly before they were distracted by the loud blast of a car horn.

"Oops," Phoenix muttered with a nervous laugh, "I forgot about the cab."

"Don't worry I'll get it," Pan offered grabbing Payt's wallet from the table.

"Pan, that's my money," Payt called after him, which he opted to ignore, just waving his hand in acknowledgement as he rushed to pay the fare.

"Thanks," Phoenix muttered, "I'll pay you back."

"Is that all you brought?" Payt said expressionlessly.

"That's all I own, and a bike. Look, I know that you don't want me here-"

"We're not selling Grams' house."

"Is that why you think I came back?" Phoenix questioned seeming surprised.

"Look, the only reason Pan and I gave up our apartment and moved back here is because this house has been in our family for generations."

"No history lesson needed, I grew up here too. So can we talk about what's really bothering you?"

"No. I'm still furious with you," Payt pointed out folding his arms crossly.

"So you'd rather have a tense reunion filled with boring chitchat and unimportant small talk?"

"No, but otherwise we won't have anything to talk about."

"I never touched Rebecca!"

"Whoa."

"I know that you think otherwise because that's what that slutty-uptight, lying-wino, trust-funder told you…"

Pan came back into the house and saw the conversation come to swift halt, his brother's still standing staring distrustfully at each other. His chestnut eyes darted between the silent pair and put back on his best fake smile.

"Hey, I have a great idea," he offered brightly, "why don't I make us a fabulous reunion dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," Payt snapped storming off.

"I ate on the bus," Phoenix added stalking away.

"Okay," Pan muttered sighing heavily and staring at the floor, "we'll try the group hug later."

Reluctantly he headed back to the kitchen before being distracted by the photographs lining the walls, he picked up the nearest one, the most recent one of the three of them together outside of the manor. Grams had taken it, not long before she died, the three of them couldn't get further apart in the picture.

He missed her. She'd raised them after their mother had died and father had left, she'd kept the family together and taken on the task of raising three boys. She'd always wanted them to be closer, especially near her death. He wondered what she'd say if she was here right now and sadly replaced the picture, continuing on to the kitchen to get Phoenix some food, he figured his brother had to be hungry.

He fixed him up something quick along with something to drink, neatly setting it on a try to bring up to him. He stood outside the door for a moment, glancing at the thundering rain outside before knocking on the door.

"It's me!"

"Come on in," Phoenix called and he went inside, seeing his brother lazily sprawled on the bed with the TV on who grinned, "thank God! I am starving."

"Figured," Pan muttered putting the tray down on the bed and catching site of what was on TV, "hey, that's my girlfriend, Jerri. What happened?"

"Some woman got whacked."

"Whacked?" Pan repeated rolling his eyes as his brother started on the food, "Phoenix, you've been in New York way too long."

"Yeah, I should have stayed," Phoenix said solemnly, "now, why didn't you tell him I was coming back?"

"And risk him changing the locks?" Pan answered, it was partly true, "I don't think so and besides, you should have been the one to tell him not me."

"Good point, Chicken Little. It's just so hard for me to talk to him, especially when he's mad at me. He's always been more like a father anyway."

"That's not his fault, he practically had to sacrifice-"

"His own childhood to help raise us. Yeah, yeah, yeah," Phoenix interrupted not taking a sip of the juice.

"We're lucky he was so responsible. You and I had it easy, all we had to do was be there," Pan piped up defensively.

"Yeah well… I don't need a dad anymore, I need a brother," Phoenix admitted before there was another knock at the door, he glanced back and saw Payt holding a blanket.

"This was always the coldest room in the house," Payt stated expressionless setting down the blanket.

"Thanks," Phoenix muttered to which Payt nodded and left.

[-]

Darryl showed Angela to the body, the forensics people were still doing their sweep, he tried not to get in their way. Angela went straight for the body and he saw her peer at the tattoo on the victim's neck, a full circle with three interlocking arcs inside, he hoped Angela wasn't going to give him another speech on witches.

"It's the same tattoo that was on the other two victims," Angela pointed out.

"So the murderer is killing occults."

"No, the murderer's on a witch hunt," Angela corrected him.

"Oh yeah, he's five to eight hundred years old and he lives in Salem," Darryl offered sarcastically, "look around, Trudeau. Pentagrams, altars, offerings, all the tools of a freak fest."

"They call them Sabbaths," Angela informed him stubbornly, "which is hardly a freak fest. She was a solitary practitioner, she practiced her craft alone."

"Hmm," he mused still not buying it, crazy was crazy.

"Let me ask you something Morris, do you believe in UFOs?"

"Hell no!"

"Neither do I. But do you believed that there are people out there who do believed in UFOs?"

"Yes but I think they're crazy."

"Well then why can't you believe that there are people out there who believe they are witches?"

"Look, all I know is if you don't stop talking about witches, I'm going to start questioning you," Darryl pointing out and almost jumped as the victim's cat jumped onto the bench and meowed, Angela immediately petting her, "I'd stay away from that cat, Trudeau. It's been clawing the crap out of everybody. See you at the car."

Darryl turned to leave but paused to glance back at his partner, who was holding the cat without resistance and peering at the collar. He shook his head and carried on, obviously some people were just good with animals.

Note: Just a random idea I had that what if the Charmed Ones had been male? So I decided to redo the first episode with them as men. Please don't hate me