Chapter Three: Out of the frying pan, into the Coven
At first, Prue half-expected that these "Witches" were not of the magical kind, judging by how some wore very folksy attire and danced around with bundles of rosemary giving off cheesy chants to ward off any evil doers. However, there were some that were otherwise.
Heather, for example, could freeze things like Piper, except she literally froze things, turning them into solid iced objects that shattered with the slightest of touch. Her other powers were impressive as well, all elemental. She could cause lightening showers, snow, rain, fog, and even hail. Helen, who looked more like a Hell's Angels roadie, could manipulate fire and metal whenever it was around her. Pulling it away from its source and cause it to multiply or expand. Cloony, one of the only two male Witches in the safe house, could shrink his size, literally, to that the size of a mouse and pulled pranks on all the women. It was only until Heather had threatened to put in a flytrap the last time she caught him in the shower stall waiting for her to take off her towel, did he swore to stop causing pranks.
Roger, the other male Witch, could astral-project, like Prue but for longer period of times. Heather told Prue that there were times were the rest of them wondered if he was asleep or merely just "AP-ing". The two other women, Janice and Bethany seemed to be the most ordinary of the group. All they did was the over-the-counter magic routines: charms, un-useful-chantings, and seances. Heather explained that their being here was to throw off suspicion from Warlocks and Darklighters and other demons. This had all had to look like a regular Wicca Coven meeting place, which they all called "the Circle of the midnight Jade." Prue was proudly made a member on the spot and for that, she was happy.
Despite herself, Prue was beginning to like her new group of friends. The longing for her sisters, however, still tugged tightly against her heart.
Leo made occasional appearances and everytime he did, Prue tried her best to snag him away from the rest of his charges to find out how her sisters were doing.
"They're fine, really." He answered,
She then would ask him question after question about Paige, the sister she never has met. Leo was patient and kind with all the questions asked to him and Prue finally stopped when she asked her usual last question.
"Have you or Cole found out why I'm back?"
Leo sighed, "It's still a dead-end, Prue. As far as both sides are concerned, this was done outside their jurisdiction; someone else is pulling the strings here. My advice to you is to be best on your guard."
Prue nodded and, with the rest of the people in the safe house, bid him farewell as he orbed out of the building.
The guard behind the steel cage took the signed document from Bane and gave him his clothes, never once looking directly at him or making any acknowledgment that he was really there.
All of Bane's old clothes, including those that he had on him when he was arrested the second time upon turning himself in, were neatly folded with his brown suede shoes resting on top of them. The last thing the guard gave him was his Rolex.
"Be good now." The guard said, still not looking at Bane.
Bane nodded and walked to the right of him to the exit that led him out into the high set sun.
Breathing in the San Francisco air, Bane looked around him, wondering where to go next from here. In his pocket he had the name and phone number of his parole officer, which he was to call often.
This was going to be a first time, in Bane's life, that he was going to start a life fresh and without a plan. Being born into a life of wealth and privilege, Ban never really had many obstacles laid out in front of him; everything seemed to be planned for him.
Walking down the street, he reached the nearest, usable, payphone and decided to give a call to his Parole Officer, as instructed post his release.
"Gary, hi, it's Bane. Yes, they treated me well…no, I don't plan on going drinking…No, actually, I haven't that many friends that could help me, at this time…Sure," He took out a pencil the release guard gave him, along with a small notebook; "I'll look into it. Thanks. Yeah, I'll be sure to call you every week. Goodbye." Hanging up the receiver, Bane looked at the address, which turned out to be the name and number of a bookstore nearby.
Leo strummed through the Book of Shadows just as Cole shimmered in, causing Leo to jump.
"I'm never going to get used to you doing that, you realize." Leo said, shaking his head.
Cole grinned, "Second nature. What did you find out about our girl's situation? Anything in the Book?"
Leo sighed, "Nothing about any demons possessing the power to resurrect the dead and have them re-coporalized into their natural body." He looked to Cole, "What disturbs me, and the Elders, even more is that Prue's body is still in the mausoleum; it hasn't been disturbed since she was put in there."
Cole nodded and sighed as he sat down in the dusty armchair in the attic, "It's all quiet below with the exception of the Source offering a big reward to whatever demon could either find out how she came back or to kill her itself."
Leo sighed, "That's reassuring."
Cole shrugged, commenting no further on the subject.
"What are you boys doing up here?"
Leo and Cole turned to see Phoebe walking towards them. Leo closed the Book up.
"Just researching some demons."
Phoebe smiled and put her arm around Cole, "Why not ask our in-house expert?"
"I'm afraid this is far beyond my area of expertise." Cole said, giving an acknowledging look at Leo.
Phoebe looked between the two of them, curiously.
"What's going on, really?"
Cole coughed while Leo walked toward Phoebe placing a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "Cole's just helping me with some Whitelighter business."
Phoebe sighed, "So I guess I should stick my nose out of it, huh?"
Leo nodded.
Phoebe turned back to Cole. Cole was preoccupied with brushing off the remaining dust on the chair he was sitting in, and was unaware she was looking at him.
She sighed, exasperated, and left the two in the room.
Prue found Heather reminding her more and more of Phoebe the more time she spent with her. Not in personality, but in spirit as Prue found her sneaking out of the safe house through the window.
"What are you doing?" Prue asked.
Heather smiled, "Getting a bit of fresh air, you wanna come?"
Prue too felt an urge to get out away from the cramped apartment, not to mention to get away from Janice and Bethany and their fumigating the apartment with their burnt sprigs of thistle.
"Sure, why not." Prue said.
Climbing out the window, the two women shimmied down the drainpipe to the ground and then cut across the street. Heather pulled Prue along as they went into a dive bar, called the "Wild Pelican" where KT Tunstall blasted at a high volume.
The bar was overcrowded. Many people wore leather and most of the people were at the counter or at the pool tables.
"Come on." Heather said as she drug Prue over to the bar counter.
The bartender, who had an eye-patch, a bald spot, and gray ponytail.; waddled over to the two of them, coughing in the process.
"What'll you have?" He asked in a gruff voice.
"Seven and Seven." Said Heather, she looked to Prue.
"A Tequila Sunrise." Prue answered.
The bartender nodded and scuttled off as Prue and Heather turned around and looked around the area.
Prue felt comfortable here. It was a place where she could feel self-conscious-free as to what she was wearing and still enjoy a good time; it seemed. Heather took them to a table, surrounded by stools, and they sat down as a teenage-looking barmaid went to their table with their drinks.
"So, tell me, what is Matilda Hollis like before she found out she was apart of the few, the proud, the witchy?"
Prue laughed, almost inhaling her drink. "Well, I was living a pretty dull life. I was engaged to an auction house proprietor that is until he cheated on me with a size-one with bleached hair. Then I went into photography and have been happy ever since."
"Until you found out you were a 'magical one', right? Then it became "Where does my Whitelighter want me to go next? Who can I trust? Is there a Darklighter somewhere nearby that's going to kill me?" All of this junk we have to live with, now." Heather said; she drank the rest of her drink, slammed the glass down against the counter.
"Damn! That's good!"
Prue had never felt more alone, now. Having only lived as one of the Charmed Ones and never as one of the separate magical witching community. Seeing Heather, it became apparent to her that all Prue, and her sisters, had taken for granted for being so magically gifted, and to have eachother, no less. Prue found it hard to imagine the past as where she had done this by herself and had gone through the journey Heather and the others had.
After finishing their third drinks, the two decided to head back to the safe house. Prue, who knew how to hold her liquor, held Heather steady as she swayed from side to side, drunkenly. The two went around the corner to an alleyway to allow Heather to relieve herself.
Holding back her hair, Prue turned her head around as three "snapping" sounds happened behind their backs. Three well-dressed men stood with their arms behind their backs; they smiled sinisterly.
'Two little Witches, standing in an alley all alone
Ran my knife through one's heart, the other turned to stone'
'The first one bled quickly, the other's fate was sealed,
'Better run quickly, girls'
'Cause like grapes you're easy enough to peel!'
Prue grimaced at the tacky rhyming the man made. Looking to Heather, she was surprised to see her friend wide-eyed and terrified.
"C'mon now. Don't let them get to you. We can take them." Prue whispered into her ear.
Heather gulped and Prue helped her up as one of the men began charging at them, knife held high.
Prue waived her hand sending the man flying into the bricked wall of the bar, his comrades charged as well and then "blinked", disappearing.
Prue listened with her ears for footsteps, breathing, anything that would give their attackers' positions' away. Then, she heard Heather shriek. Turning around, Prue watched as Heather held up her hands as one of the men began to strike. The man then stood rigid and began slowly to become enveloped in ice. As soon as he was frozen, entirely, Prue kicked out and caused the man to shatter all over. Another blinking sound happened and Prue spun on the spot as the last man, who was ten feet away from her, gathering up the first that Prue had delt with; threw his dagger at her. Prue swung her hand again, the blade went back to its owner but failed to meet him as he "blinked" away with his friend in hand.
Prue smiled to herself, feeling good to be back in the game and kicking the asses of the baddies again. However, the triumphant feeling wasn't being shared as Prue looked down and noticed Heather, slumped up on the ground, shaking.
"Hey." Prue said, comforting. She bent down and hugged her friend, slowly rocking her. Heather was close to tears as she blubbered out apologies and self-pitying sobs.
"Prue?"
Prue froze. Knowing fully well that Leo had gone through a lot to disguise her, she silently cursed herself for being discovered and then slowly turned to see who it was that recognized her.
A tall man with short hair, but awfully good looks, wearing a plaid shirt and Levi's, holding a grocery bag, looked at her with wide eyes.
Bane? Prue thought.
He slowly approached, his dark eyes unchanging as they were filled with questions and self-doubt. "I…I saw you on the news. They said you were…dead."
Prue looked down to Heather who seemed oblivious to everything around her as she continued to cry and chide herself. Prue turned back to Bane.
She picked herself up, resting a hand on Heather's shoulder, she looked at Bane carefully.
"What'd you call me?" She asked.
Bane smirked, "I know it's you, Prue. Despite the 'change of look' your eyes haven't."
Prue gulped. She then bent down low to Heather and whispered to her.
"I need to talk to someone, I won't be far."
Heather nodded as she took shallow breaths, rubbing her eyes but continually rocking herself.
Prue, then, walked up to Bane. "I thought you were still in prison. Did you break out, again?"
Bane shook his head. "I'm out on parole. Prue, what are you doing here in this neighborhood. It's twenty miles away from your sisters."
Prue sighed, "Look, I don't have a lot of time to explain, I need to get Heather back home. I'll tell you this, though. I DID die, Bane, but why I'm back, I'm not sure."
Bane nodded and Prue appreciated it. After all, he knew she was a Witch both when she was living and now. She felt a sort of comfort that there was someone besides Leo and Morris that knew she had returned.
"Live near by?" She asked.
Bane sighed and said, "Yeah."
Prue nodded, "Good. It's nice to know that there's a friendly face in the neighborhood."
Bane nodded.
Prue jerked her head, "I live across the street from the bar, so, don't be a stranger, ok?"
Bane smirked, "Don't worry, I won't."
Prue looked at him. God, how she loved that smile of his. His strong hands, thick shoulders, and those eyes, especially those eyes.
"I'm known as Matilda Hollis, now, so don't be confused." She said.
Bane smiled, "Matilda, huh?"
Prue nodded, she then looked back to Heather who was starting to get back on her feet.
"Well, I have to go now. Good to see you, Bane; I'm happy they've let you out." Prue , then, went back to Heather and held her upright as the two staggered back out of the alleyway and to the safe house.
Bane watched them leave smiling more and more. It felt good to finally be free, again. Maybe the world won't be scary after all.
As soon as Prue and Heather returned, Heather woke everyone up and told them of the adventure Prue and she had. She described in full detail of the men who attacked them and how, between the two of them, she and Prue had vanquished them. Everyone in the room looked to the between of them with immense awe and respect.
"But that's nothing, right?" Prue asked, looking at everybody. "I mean, I'm sure all of you have vanquished your share of Warlocks and demons"
Everyone in the room either coughed or looked in another direction. Heather laughed, ruefully.
"Uh, Matilda, practically everyone of us has never used our powers on the evil."
"Well, except on my, now, ex; that is." Said Roger. "Taught her not to cheat on me with my roommate, while I was "conveniently" still in the same bedroom." Both he and Cloony high-fived eachother.
All the girls ignored the joke.
Heather continued, "You're the only one here whose seen real action and knows how to handle herself when her Whitelighter isn't near. Which is why…"
Prue noticed all the other girls had similarly eager faces as the one on Heather's was.
"To maybe train us on how to fight with our powers?" Heather's hands were clenched, pleading.
Prue turned away, shaking her head from all that she was now given, asked.
Her, a teacher? How was she supposed to instruct newbies when she barely had control of her own power, let alone the new one she developed, Astral-Projecting. She knew she needed to confer with Leo on this before doing something she might regret.
She turned around, "Let me think about it, alright?"
Piper was furious. Someone had conveniently forgot to refill the refrigerator again and she knew that it was Paige's turn to do it.
"Paige!" She shouted.
Two sets of legs came down the stairs in a hustled flurry.
"What, what is it? Demons? Warlocks? Oh, please don't tell me it's credit card bills." Paige said with a disgusted look on her face.
Piper smiled, "No. An under-stocked fridge, dear. Now, whose turn was it to get groceries for the week?"
Paige gave an unconvincing innocent smile. "Uh…Cole's?"
"Wrong. Paige, what happened? Where's the food?" Piper said going to the fridge, opening it and then closing it.
"Sorry, I'll go by the bank today and get some quick." Paige said, apologetically.
"Why go and blame my boyfriend, huh?" Phoebe said, slapping her on the shoulder.
Just then, the phone rang.
"I'll get it, I'll get it." Said Piper, not wanting to be apart of Paige and Phoebe's discussion any longer.
"Y-ello?" She answered.
"Hello, is one of the Halliwell's available?" Said a voice on the other line.
"This is Piper Halliwell." Piper said.
"Aw, great. This is Dr. Robert Marx at San Francisco Memorial. I just wanted to call you to let you know that we've finally got the blood work brought in as we had promised."
Piper felt her entire body froze, but not due to her own powers. The words "Blood Work" and "San Francisco Memorial" struck an unpleasant memory and experience for her. She decided to act coy. "And?"
"Well I must admit it has us all scratching our heads, Mrs. Halliwell." Dr. Marx said.
Piper looked to her squabbling sisters and ushered them over, bending the earpiece back so they could all listen.
"What did you find?" Piper asked.
"Well," The doctor paused and flipped through some notes, "It seems to be correct, actually. The Jane Doe brought in yesterday is, in fact, your deceased sister, Prue Halliwell."
The entire room went dead silent. Phoebe looked to Piper incredulously as Paige bit down on the bottom of her lip. Piper held a hand to her mouth, her eyes unreadable.
"I-Is that so. Are you…absolutely sure, Doctor?" Piper asked, cautiously, "Our sister's been…she's been dead for six months."
Now it was the doctor's turn to be surprised. "I'm surprised you weren't waiting for this, Mrs. Halliwell. After all, your husband was here and met her, and as from what we learned, took her from the station house under your friend Inspector Morris' authority."
Piper's eyes hardened, she looked narrowingly at the countertop if the table. "He did, did he?"
"Yes he did." Said Dr. Marx; "If you could please tell him, that, all of us here would very much like for her to come back and do a follow up to see as to how this could have happened"
"So would I." Piper said in a false-modest tone. Phoebe seemed to mirror Piper's anger as she too glared forward and out into the distance.
Soon, after the doctor wished them goodbye, all three women stood in silent until in one sharp voice, Piper and Phoebe yelled out, together: "Leo!!!"
To be continued…
A/N: Don't worry, ALL the sisters will be reunited, soon. Thanks to all who have reviewd, thus far. I'm looking forward to more so keep em' comin' guys! ReviewsChapters, just kidding! But please, review, enjoy and comment.
Q-n-P
