Disclosure: I do not own any of the original characters of Charmed, only the ones of my own creation. Namely: Priscilla, Pearl, Penny, Patty, Poppy, Parker, The Brennans, Jude and Gabby.
Chapter 1 Schools Out
It had been a month since Melinda's announcement that whatever was responsible for taking Jude and her visions were after her child. She was almost four months along now with the first child to be conceived between the two magical lines who shared a destiny together. The aunts had gone on the offensive and operation "Charmed" was on its way.
They had broken the family into regimes; the Halliwell-Wyatt children were the "Blessed Division", the Halliwell children (Phoebe's) went by the "Sacred Hearts Division", and finally the Halliwell-Mitchells went by the "Gemini Division". Melinda and Poppy were to sit and watch on the sidelines most of time, researching more often than accompanying their family on vanquishes.
That was fine for Melinda, who was spending more uninterrupted time at the police station. She was riding desk duty because of her pregnancy; chemicals used at crime scenes were bad for pregnant woman and she had handed all her assignments off to others, offering only her professional opinion. When she wasn't at work she was training with her cousins Chris and Penny to develop her control over molecular biology. While the aunts had wanted her to rest she had summoned her Grams who had gone toe to toe with the aunts. That had been interesting. It had been decided that daily practice would not only be good for her strength during the pregnancy but also for the baby. Besides, once the baby came there would be little time for her to train and the ability to control this power may prove beneficial in the upcoming battle.
Poppy was also training along side Melinda, granted for shorter periods of time. She was almost eight months along and she already had incredible control over freezing, phasing and molecular power. Since she had been brought together with Jude again there had been some unresolved tension between them and her parents. Derek had been relieved at the sight of his son and Jude's return to the side of good, while Paige and Henry still wanted to tear him to shreds.
Paige could appreciate what Tricia had discovered of the events that lead to his disappearing act and she herself had been turned evil once or twice. But Poppy was her daughter, and she wanted to make sure nothing would ever happen to any of her babies. Henry however, only cared that this guy had seemingly abandoned his daughter. He saw no reason to be rational. He was a father and that was his right. Henry had taught his daughters the "nectonies" approach to dating when they first became interested in boys. No one touched them from their necks to their knees or Henry would end up breaking the poor guy's neck and knees and everything in between (ouch!!).
Jude had been left to pick up the pieces of his life that had been affected by his disappearance. His grades had slipped and he was now aware that he was on academic probation. He had had a 3.8 average that had slipped to a 2. 34 and he would have to attend an extra semester in order to graduate with his bachelors of science degree in physics. He was also finding it hard to move on with Poppy although things seemed to be going great for them. They had decided not to marry right away even though the baby was due soon. Too much had happened for them to start where they had left off. They would wait until after the baby was born and see how things were going. If things were fine, Poppy and Jude would move in together while they finished school and play things out.
It was already November and everyone was preparing for upcoming finals. Poppy was a biology, chem. and herbology major which was hard enough as it was with out the thought of impending motherhood. She already knew it would take her an extra semester to earn her degree even though she had entered school with forty credits. But she was only a junior and school would be over and done with soon enough. Poppy and Jude would be graduating at the same time and both of their parents wanted to help them out with the baby.
As a whitelighter, she was a natural healer and she wanted to open her own shop one day and sell her own herbal remedies. In order to do so she would need to be licensed but she also figured it would be a nice legacy for her children someday. It was hard to be a Halliwell and not leave some kind of legacy behind. Her aunt Piper had her restaurant and club, Chris was in med school to be a doctor just like Leo, and Wyatt was an architect who had gotten started in carpentry. Poppy wanted to pass on the legacy she had inherited from her own mother. Her large, open heart and want to help others.
It was the middle of the school day and Patricia couldn't believe how much work she had. Not so much from school, but rather the connections she was making between fellow class members. She'd never really thought of her dad or other cupids getting involved in the love lives of teenagers but apparently they did. A lot.
She was entering her fifth period class – math (groan)—when she noticed a familiar face. It was Val (the name Gabriel Valentine likes to go by). What the heck is he doing here?
Tricia looked to the front of the room as she put her books down on her desk. He had conveniently chosen the desk behind hers. She had been trying to avoid him ever since the scene in the manner a month ago. It was still incredibly embarrassing for the girl to think she had a crush on someone who worked for her dad.
Trish was a bit of a rambunctious teen —trouble maker— and the idea of dating someone her parents approved of wasn't exactly on her list of characteristics she wanted in a guy.
It wasn't like Tricia was into drugs, or partying all the time. She just had a small penchant for being free spirited like her mother had been. Not really boy crazy, rather she knew what she wanted and she went after it. Still, Patricia was an incredibly smart girl and she had the grades to prove it. Since her cupid duties had been added to her list of jobs and she had been doing a lot of research for operation "Charmed" ---so original--- she hadn't been able to just relax. Sure she had always given most of her time to practicing magic but now she could feel everything piling up on her. Did she really need Val to interrupt her life right now?
"Class," Ms. Van Buskirk addressed the students, "we have a new student joining. His name is Gabriel Valentine and comes here from Nevada."
School had let out and Patricia made her way to the bus. Surprise, surprise. None other than cupid himself was waiting for her in the only seat left. "What do you want," she asked him.
Val was a little surprised by her attitude. Sure, he knew she had been avoiding him but Val didn't think Tricia would be so hostile towards him. "Oh, you know. I'm the new kid, and you're the only person I know around here," he said trying to be witty and failing miserably by her standards. He knew he wasn't on good standing with her and Val wanted to know why. Of course he could understand that she was surprised when she found out he worked for her dad but he thought that they were starting to become friends.
Besides, he was responsible for training her. Even though, he had technically been pulled from her case because it had been decided that she no longer needed treatment, but he had been personally asked by her father to keep an eye on her. And believe me you…Gabriel Valentine had his eyes all over Patricia Halliwell. Oohhh, that upturned nose and glaring eyes was sending him a very angry message.
Tricia slammed her bedroom door and threw her bag on her desk. Okay, she wasn't really mad at Val, but as long as he thought that than he wouldn't know that she had a crush on him, would he? She would be free to get over him and to work on the research that she was working on with Chris and Mel. Sitting at her computer she looked away, thinking she had heard something. Getting up to investigate, Trish found nothing out of place. She sat down at her desk again and put her hand under the slide out shelf that held her keyboard.
All of a sudden a demon shimmered in behind her and grabbed her shoulder. Tricia turned and stabbed her with the athame she had hidden under her desk. The demon slapped her, grabbed her by the hair and shimmered out of the room.