A/N: Hey, I hope you guys don't feel like you had to wait too long. My vacation was totally awesome and I loved coming back and reading the reviews. One of my anonymous reviewers called exactly what I was planning on doing. So don't go read my reviews if you want to be surprised. :) All the other suggestions are going to be discussed with my idea bouncers. Anyways, I'm ecstatic everybody seems to like Andy and Paige's addition oh and the kids' names. I didn't want to use Patricia as it was confusing enough to have two And(y/ie)'s and I thought Brianna was a little more unique.
So yeah, read and review if you can and I'll get started on the next episode!
The Devil's Music
P4
Prue, Andy, and Phoebe sat around one of the tables at Piper's newly opened club while Piper made sure everything was going smoothly with the customers. Phoebe's gaze shifted over the few people in the club and Prue and Andy spoke loudly to each other as if to cover how quiet the business was.
"This place couldn't be more dead if I was embalmed." Phoebe commented, effectively interrupting whatever nonsense conversation Prue and Andy were having.
Prue followed Phoebe's gaze and she frowned. "Yeah…" She admitted. She glanced at Andy with a questioning look to which he shrugged. Prue sighed and continued. "… I think we're gonna have to take that offer."
Phoebe echoed Prue's sigh. "What's this guy's name again?" Phoebe asked.
"Chris Barker." Andy answered, saying the name as if it was a curse.
Phoebe appeared a little surprised by Andy's tone but didn't bring it up. "And he's not a loan shark or anything, is he?" She questioned to Prue.
"No, he's a collector, an investor. And it's a no-interest loan that we can pay back any time." Prue clarified.
"And you approve?" Phoebe turned to Andy.
"Depends on whether he smartens up and quits trying to steal my fiancée or not." Andy replied.
Prue rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "The point is that he's not going to miss the money." She added.
"Mmm… must be nice." Phoebe muttered, dropping her head into her hand. "When do we tell Piper?" She inquired hesitantly.
"Not until the club is in the black." Prue decided with a nod to herself.
Andy exchanged a look with Phoebe. "You sure you're going to be able to hide it from her?" Andy pressed, his thoughts obviously trailing to Prue's telepathy.
Prue nodded confidently but didn't answer as Piper was walking toward them and now in hearing range. "So, you guys, you do like the name of the club, right? P4. A little nod to the Power of Four, to us, partners." Piper asked hopefully.
Phoebe forced a smile. "Yeah, it's very clever." She complimented.
Piper's eyes flickered around the table. "Speaking of us, where's Paige?"
"Uh, Glen picked her up for a date." Prue answered cryptically.
"Um, Piper, it's a little, uh, quiet in here. Don't you think?" Phoebe changed the subject hastily and attempted to keep from hurting Piper's feelings. She glanced at Prue and saw her nod ever-so-slightly in approval for her word choice.
"It'll pick up once word of mouth kicks in." Piper insisted.
Phoebe worked to keep her smile up. "And when will that be exactly?" She prompted for more.
"Well, you can't predict these things exactly. It's not like starting a restaurant. Besides, the bank's not gonna call the loan. It's not like we're gonna lose the house." Piper returned a little sharply. Phoebe's jaw dropped slightly at Piper's last sentence.
Andy hastily got Piper's attention before she could notice her sister's lack of confidence. "I'm sure in two weeks this place will be packed." He offered casually.
Piper smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Andy." She appreciated and then waved her hand at her soon to be brother-in-law. "See, he's got the right attitude." Piper added with a pointed look at Phoebe before she went back to work.
"Who said anything about losing the house? We're not gonna lose the house, are we?" Phoebe demanded, spinning on Prue as soon as Piper was out of earshot.
"No because we're gonna take that loan and trust Piper to pack this place with people." Prue assured her.
Phoebe glanced pointedly around them. "What people?" She countered.
Prue didn't reply and instead transferred her gaze to the table until Andy stood up next to her. "Come on. Might as well dance." He explained to her questioning look. He smirked and held his hand out for her. "We can have the whole floor to ourselves." Prue smiled and accepted his hand.
Phoebe watched them leave to the mostly empty dance floor. "Where is everybody?" Phoebe sighed to herself.
Another Club
Leo pushed through the dance floor that was crowded with people dancing or drinking to the Dishwalla music as it was played live for their entertainment. He searched for the manager of Dishwalla who was his person of interest for his current case. As his eyes flickered over the crowd, Leo caught sight of Paige dancing with Glen. The youngest Halliwell sister followed in Glen's wake as he cleared the way to the front of the stage, dancing all the way after him. The two were clearly enjoying themselves so Leo ignored them instead of asking Paige to help him. He knew she would willingly help but it felt unfair of him to steal her from such a good time. Leo tore his eyes away and continued his search.
~PO4~
Jeff Carlton, Dishwalla's manager, opened the door to the backstage area and allowed a pretty young woman in before him. The woman paused just inside, her eyes scanning the room curiously. "So, you like, produce records or what?" She asked.
Carlton closed the door behind him and let out a soft chuckle at her question. "No, no, nothing that creative. I'm their new manager. I take care of things, whatever needs to be done, I do." He explained, leading the way down the hallway.
"Man, I can't believe this. This is like the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to me." She admitted with a dreamy look as she eagerly followed him.
Carlton's smile fell for a fraction of a second but was corrected before she noticed. "Ah, the night's young."
"I can't believe you picked me." The woman enthused.
They stopped outside another door and Carlton turned to face her. "Well, you seemed like a good… soul. Plus, you said the magic words. You said you'd do anything, remember?" Carlton prompted.
The woman nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin crossing her features. "Yes, yes, I do." She agreed.
"Alright, just wait inside, the band should be down any minute." Carlton promised as he opened the door for her.
She nodded again and walked inside. "Thank you, thank you so much!"
"Oh, don't thank me yet." Carlton replied, just a hint of a sigh in his voice. He closed the door behind her and leaned against it, listening intently.
The woman had only been in the room for a few seconds when she heard a noise across the room. She frowned slightly and scoured the room. "Hello? Is somebody there? Hello?" She called.
Carlton clenched the edge of the doorframe. "Hurry up, damn it." He cursed under his breath.
The woman turned around upon hearing another sound behind her. Her eyes widened in terror at the sight before her and she let out a piercing scream that was abruptly ended.
Carlton waited about a full minute after the scream before shuffling inside the room. He stared around the seemingly empty room. "Okay, that's it. No more. I can't keep doing this. It's got to stop." He yelled to one of the walls.
It was apparently the wrong one as a cloaked demon by the name of Masselin appeared from the wall behind him. "We have a pact…" Masselin spoke in a warped and echoey voice. Carlton spun around to face him. "… You get what you want and I get what I want." Masselin pulled back the cloak to reveal the agonized innocents inside him while Carlton could only watch in disgust.
[Opening Credits]
FM Studio
"Good morning, San Francisco. This is Ralph Garmend and that was Dishwalla's hit Counting Blue Car's. Dishwalla and their manager, Jeff Carlton, are my in-studio guests this morning talking about club dates and we'll let you know when you can see them…" The DJ announced and then continued onto the rest of the day's important events.
Carlton exited the talk studio and addressed the first person he found. "Excuse me." He called but was ignored. "Jerk." Carlton muttered under his breath and then turned to see Leo coming up the hall. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" Carlton asked.
"Yeah, it's, uh, right over here." Leo lied, pushing Carlton against the wall but out of sight of any passerbys.
Carlton shoved Leo back angrily. "Hey, what is this?" He demanded.
"An intervention." Leo answered cryptically. He blew some kind of magic dust on Carlton, whose face went blank and waited for instructions from Leo.
P4
Piper read over the expenditures list from her seat at the bar. "This is bad." She whispered as she saw that it was negative by over $21,000. She dropped her head into her hands just as the club door opened.
A few seconds later, Jenny walked down the steps. "You should keep that door locked, you know? Anyone could just walk in." Jenny pointed out, using herself as an example.
Piper turned in her seat and looked surprised to find her neighbor's niece. "Jenny? What are you doing here?" She questioned curiously.
"Am I breaking the law, right now? Being under-age and all?" Jenny asked instead of answering Piper's question.
"No, we're not open." Piper replied, her voice still radiating her confusion. She paused when she realized she wasn't too sure of that answer. "Uh, actually, I don't know. What's your point, Jenny?" Piper prompted.
Jenny slowly made a circle around to Piper's other side so that Piper had to turn in her seat again. "Well, if you were open for business and I was here, would you have me arrested? Because I think friendship counts for something. Even though we're not really friends yet but at least we're neighbors. And neighbors do favors for each other, right?" She dodged, smiling hopefully up at Piper.
Piper smiled slightly. "What kind of favors, Jenny?" Piper pressed suspiciously.
Jenny leaned forward with an intense expression. "I need a ticket to the show." She finally explained.
"What show?" Piper asked, once again confused.
"It's all over the radio. I have to see them. If I don't, I'll die." Jenny dramatized.
"Not a clue what you're talking about." Piper admitted.
"She's talking about passion." Carlton interrupted their conversation. Piper jumped slightly in her seat at his surprise entrance. "Piper Halliwell?" He guessed.
Piper slid out of her chair to meet him. "Yeah, can I help you with something?" Piper inquired while eyeing Carlton a little suspiciously.
"Jeff Carlton." He introduced himself and then took the moment to scan over the building. "And I have to tell you when I heard about P-quad, it was as if the fates had smiled upon me." Carlton continued.
"P-four." Piper corrected.
Carlton shrugged her correction off. "Whatever." He passed her a business card. "I manage Dishwalla." He stated.
Piper stared at the card. "Dishwalla? The Dishwalla?" Piper repeated in surprise.
Carlton didn't answer, just walked in a circle around the club, taking everything in. "I've been looking for the right place, something small, new, intimate." He explained and then turned back to face Piper. "The boys want to reacquaint themselves with the personal side of performing. They want to connect again and I think your little hole-in-the-wall here is just what the doctor ordered."
"Dishwalla wants to play in my little hole-in-the-wall?" Piper quoted, narrowing her eyes suspiciously and taking the comment as offensive.
"I want them to, don't you?" Carlton replied.
Piper appeared taken aback while Jenny grinned and nudged Piper pointedly. "Uh… yeah." Piper managed to get out.
"Then let's cross some T's and dot some I's." Carlton decided, pulling out the contract and passing it to Piper.
Jenny eagerly ran forward while Piper read through the contract. "Uh, Mr. Carlton, sir? Do you think it will be possible for me to meet the band?" She asked. Carlton's smile fell slightly at her words. "I'd do almost anything." Jenny added hopefully.
Carlton didn't immediately reply. "Careful what you wish for, sweetheart." He advised and then turned to discuss details with Piper.
The Halliwell Manor
"Prue, don't feel awkward." Mr. Barker's voice sounded through the phone as Prue paced nervously around her house.
In the background, she could hear the soft roar of Mr. Barker's limo which only increased her nerves. "Well, it's a big deal." Prue pointed out neutrally while running a hand through her hair.
"I know starting a business with that bank loan breathing down your neck can make things kind of scary." Mr. Barker soothed.
"Yeah, on top of your loan." Prue added.
Mr. Barker rolled his eyes. "Hey, listen, I have no doubt I'll be seeing my money again as soon as your sister gets her club off the ground."
Prue leaned against a doorframe, still hesitant. "And the terms are still the same?" She pressed.
"Absolutely. No interest." Mr. Barker assured her.
Prue shook her head slightly although she knew he couldn't see her. "Uh, no, we'll… we'll pay you interest." She insisted.
"Okay, fine, a quarter percent, whatever." He allowed and then smiled as he switched the conversation to what he really wanted to talk to her about. "Now, speaking of getting off the ground, the plane trip to Paris is still open to discussion, isn't it?" Mr. Barker asked eagerly.
"Mr. Barker… I have a fiancé and…" Prue started with a sigh as she attempted to keep polite.
"That doesn't matter. I mean, come on, hasn't that rain check burned a hole in your pocket by now?" He interrupted.
Prue rolled her eyes, thinking it was a very good thing Andy was at work right now or he might have snatched the phone from her by now. "Look, I really appreciate your offer…"
"It's not an offer, Prue, it's a dinner request." Mr. Barker corrected.
"In Paris." Prue deadpanned. "And, you know what, it does matter to me." She added, seemingly offended that Barker would just as soon go out with someone that was married. Although, she couldn't really say that she was surprised.
Mr. Barker laughed at her reaction. "You know what they call French bread in France?" He inquired.
"Bread." Prue snapped.
"Exactly, dinner in Paris is where it all begins." Mr. Barker returned with a wry smile.
Prue let out a short humorless laugh at the situation she found herself in. "Okay, you know, why don't we just start with your loan, followed with us paying you back as soon as possible?" She suggested in a voice that she hoped he took as final.
"Oh, you're a hard bargainer." He laughed.
Prue smirked. "So are you." She admitted coldly.
"I haven't even begun to fight." Mr. Barker promised. Prue didn't respond but to sigh loudly into the phone. "Paris?" Mr. Barker couldn't resist asking again.
"Stop it." Prue ordered, glaring at the phone as if Mr. Barker could see it.
"Never." Mr. Barker assured her but he seemed to realize that Prue wasn't going to be broken into it this time so he let her off. "I'll see you at the club with the money."
"Okay, bye-bye." Prue hung up hastily and dropped the phone onto the receiver in the kitchen. She turned to where Phoebe and Paige were sitting at the kitchen table. Phoebe was having a drink while Paige had a textbook open. They both looked up with identical questioning looks as Prue joined them around the table. "Well, it's all set. Mr. Barker's gonna meet us all at the club and that'll be that." She announced less-than-enthusiastically.
Phoebe frowned down at the cup in her hand. "We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" She questioned uncertainly.
Prue gave the faintest of nods though she didn't appear any more certain. "Well, we're helping out our sister. That's always the right thing, right?"
"Okay, distraction…" Phoebe decided, unconvinced with Prue's decision. She turned to Paige with a smile. "How was your date with Glen?" She demanded.
Paige smirked and sat her pencil down on the table as this was bound to be a long conversation. "Great actually. You'll never guess what he did…" She paused dramatically so that Prue raised her eyebrows and Phoebe waved her hands in the air in a sign to keep going. "He surprised me and took me to see Dishwalla. They were playing at this other club in San Francisco." Paige exclaimed.
Phoebe squealed in excitement. "Oh, that's awesome! How were they? I can't believe you got to see them. Did you hear what Paige got to do, Prue?" Phoebe rambled.
"Yes, I did, Phoebe." Prue assured her as if talking to a child. "How did he get in? It must have been packed."
Paige nodded in agreement. "I think some friends of his couldn't go so they gave him the tickets or something like that. Sorry I didn't get back in time to stop by P4." She apologized.
"I'm sure Piper's not going to hold that against you." Prue laughed softly.
They all looked back behind them as they heard the door slam and hurried footsteps. "Guess what I did? Guess what I did? All by myself?" Piper screamed excitedly as she ran into the kitchen to find her sisters. She was nearly jumping with excitement.
"What?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
"Ready?" Piper demanded.
"What?" Paige repeated the question with raised eyebrows.
Piper leaned against the kitchen table. "Get this… Dish… walla … my club… playing there… tonight!"
Prue's eyes widened. "What?" She echoed while Phoebe's jaw dropped and Paige grinned.
Piper nodded, immensely proud of her accomplishment. "I networked. Sent off feelers, sent off press releases and wouldn't you know it. Dishwalla decided to put P4 on their schedule." She explained. She dropped her jacket and purse on the table before moving around so that she was behind her sisters where she threw her arms around Prue and Phoebe's shoulders. "How's about that? P4 has officially been validated as the place to be. We are on the map! And I couldn't have done it without you, you patient…" She trailed off to kiss Prue's cheek. "… most generous…" She kissed Phoebe's cheek. "… sisters in the whole wide world…" Piper moved again so that she threw her arms around Paige and kissed her on the cheek as well. She looked up eagerly as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." She offered and then took off.
"Well, aren't you lucky. Two nights of Dishwalla in a row." Phoebe laughed, her eyes following after Piper though she was obviously talking to Paige.
~PO4~
Piper pulled the front door open to find Leo on the threshold. "Leo, this day just keeps getting better! Hi." She greeted cheerfully while pulling him into a hug.
Leo smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He reluctantly let go after several moments. "Hi, uh, Piper, we have to talk." He explained.
Piper shut the door after Leo stepped inside. "Yeah, okay, uh, are you free tonight?" She asked but then continued before he could even answer. "Better be because you're my date. We have backstage passes, all access, baby, to see Dishwalla at P4. I made it happen!"
"Uh, no, actually, I made it happen." Leo admitted.
Piper's smile fell and she looked at him in confusion while her sisters came in the room behind her. "What?" Piper prompted to Leo.
"Yeah, look, I wanted to tell you sooner but I didn't have time. I had to move fast. There's a demon involved." He explained quickly.
"A demon?" Piper repeated, her eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, he'll be at your club tonight." Leo warned.
Piper glanced behind her at her sisters before turning back to Leo. "But, no, their manager, Jeff Carlton, came to me and- and booked them himself." She insisted.
Leo nodded. "I know. I cast a spell on him." Leo apparently didn't catch on to Piper's mounting anger.
"You what?" Piper demanded.
Leo offered her a sheepish smile, more concerned with how he was able to do that than with how angry Piper was. "I sort of cribbed it from one of the other witches I look after. I suggested to Carlton that he get Dishwalla into your club."
Prue hastily spoke up before Piper could blow up on him. "Why didn't you just come to us?" She wondered neutrally although she sincerely hoped Leo had a good reason for his sake. Her eyes flickered nervously to Piper.
"Because he knows I would have been pissed off." Piper snapped before Leo could answer. "What are you doing?" She interrogated coldly.
"My job." Leo answered, taken aback by Piper's attitude.
"Your job? What are we, like, Leo's witches now?" Piper questioned sarcastically. "We're supposed to kill a demon during a sold-out concert? Are you nuts?" She ranted.
Phoebe exchanged glances with Prue and Paige. "Piper…" She started.
"No." Piper interrupted, holding out a hand to stop Phoebe from speaking. "Leo, anywhere else, but not there. Not my place." Piper pleaded. She stared at him but he made no move to change his mind. Piper threw her hands in the air and spun around to stand next to Prue instead of Leo.
Leo sighed and instead transferred his gaze to the other three sisters. "The band's manager made a bargain with Masselin." Leo explained.
"Masselin's the demon?" Paige guessed.
"Yeah, in exchange for human sacrifice, Masselin will make Carlton rich and powerful by attracting successful bands to him." Leo continued, every now and then glancing at Piper who stubbornly wouldn't look at him.
Phoebe frowned at the information. "Are you telling me Dishwalla is hooked up with a demon?" She asked.
"No, they don't know anything about the demon." Leo replied.
"So these innocents… what happens to them?" Prue questioned.
"They're devoured by Masselin. Consumed for their souls." Leo answered.
Paige appeared disgusted at the thought. "How long has this been going on?" She demanded.
Leo looked thoughtful for a moment. "A month maybe. The more souls Masselin collects, the more successful Carlton becomes. You can't destroy the demon without first freeing those trapped within him." He instructed.
"All this freeing and destroying… is this in between sets or during the encore?" Piper snapped at Leo.
Leo slowly approached Piper. "Look, I know you're upset…"
"No… no… I skated past upset just after you came in the door. Right now, I'm at furious." Piper corrected harshly.
"We have to talk." Leo stated.
"You bet your whitelighter ass, we do." Piper agreed.
"Later, I have to go." Leo explained before he orbed out.
Piper glared at the wall and only looked up when Phoebe spoke up. "Now see, this is exactly why you should never date a co-worker." She joked.
Prue stabbed her in the ribs with her elbow while Paige placed her hands on her hips. "Phoebe." Paige scolded her elder sister for her insensitivity.
"It was joke." Phoebe insisted but sighed when she saw Piper didn't appear cheered at all. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey." She apologized.
"How could he do this?" Piper wondered aloud.
"Well, it sounds like he didn't have a choice and quite frankly, I don't think we do either." Phoebe soothed.
Prue shifted nervously from where she stood. "Well, I have to get to the office and call this… investor." Prue offered and then lowered her voice so only Phoebe and Paige could hear her. "Barker, gotta talk to Barker." She whispered.
"I'll orb you there and be right back to help you guys." Paige decided with a nod to Phoebe and Piper as she took Prue's hand and they orbed out.
Outside the other club
Dishwalla's instruments were being loaded up in the moving truck along with all the sound and lighting equipment that went with the performance. Andy and Darryl had managed to get Carlton away from instructing the crew for questioning.
"Tina Hitchens. She's been missing since last night when she came to this club." Darryl explained, passing Carlton a photo of the said young woman.
Carlton's attention was stolen away by his crew. "Yo, the address is on the front seat. P4!" He ordered them.
Andy paused from writing information on his notepad upon hearing Piper's club mentioned. He could feel Darryl's eyes boring into him, wondering if he had known and raising his suspicion. Andy inconspicuously shook his head before addressing Carlton. "P4? You're playing in Piper Halliwell's club?" He asked professionally.
"Yeah, so I don't have a lot of time." Carlton admitted impatiently.
Darryl didn't appear amused. "Oh, you've got time for this." Darryl returned, showing him the picture of Tina again.
"I answered your question." Carlton reminded him.
"I didn't ask one." Darryl retorted.
Carlton rolled his eyes. "You asked me if I saw Tina whoever." He argued.
Darryl exchanged a glance with Andy before looking back at Carlton. "I don't believe I did, did you?" He interrogated.
"What?" Carlton snapped.
"See her?" Darryl clarified, thrusting the picture in his face again.
"I didn't see anybody, Inspector." Carlton answered sharply.
Andy flipped his notebook of information to a different page. "One of the bartenders claims to have seen you talking with her at around 2:00 am near the stage." He stated. Andy and Darryl watched Carlton's reaction intently.
Carlton swallowed a little nervously, having not counted on anyone being able to notice that in the crowded club. "Listen, I talk to a lot of people and do you know how many women like that show up to something like this? Hundreds of them. Thousands. And they all look the same. Short skirts, tight tops. Like sexy little peas in a pod." He explained.
"So what difference does it make if one of them disappears?" Darryl finished for him.
Carlton shook his head in frustration. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to." Darryl replied.
"Why aren't you hassling her boyfriend?" Carlton demanded.
Andy placed a hand on Darryl's shoulder as he became increasingly mad. "Already done that. However, women all over the country have gone missing at clubs. Clubs that your band has played at. Don't you wonder why that is?" Andy asked, his voice carefully emotionless.
Carlton drew himself up. "I have nothing to do with it. I haven't seen them. What's with the Gestapo routine?" He returned with a harsh nod in Darryl's direction.
"It usually follows the 'acting like a suspect' routine." Darryl explained coldly.
Carlton raised his eyebrows and cast Darryl and challenging look. "Am I under arrest?"
Darryl met his gaze. "Not yet." He admitted though there was a clear warning in his voice.
"Melanie Jenkins?" Andy interrupted their stare down by thrusting a picture in front of Carlton.
"No." Carlton replied with barely a glance at it.
"Brittany Tyler?" Andy followed with another picture.
Carlton shook his head stubbornly. "None of them. Never saw them. Now if we're done, see ya' around." He stalked off to supervise the crew.
"Count on it." Darryl muttered under his breath. Darryl didn't take his eyes off the departing Carlton but he appeared much more relaxed than before. "You believe him?" He questioned to Andy.
"Not in the slightest." Andy answered and then let out a soft chuckle. "Nice 'Gestapo routine.' It's a good look for you." Andy complimented.
"It is, is it?" Darryl laughed as he led the way back to the car.
The Halliwell Manor
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were gathered around the Book of Shadows in the attic. "There's Leo's problem." Piper announced, pointing to the page on Masselin after she found it.
"It's our problem." Phoebe corrected her.
Piper paced in a circle around the pedestal, Phoebe, and Paige. "You wanna know what the real problem is?" She asked.
Phoebe rolled her eyes and stared at the table. "Oh, do tell." She allowed in a voice that said they'd spoken of this already.
Piper seemed to catch on. "Never mind."
"Thank god." Paige exclaimed in relief before looking at Phoebe. "Now can we move on to the demon so that we can vanquish him and Piper and Leo will have to plenty of time to work this out?" Paige suggested.
Phoebe nodded and turned the book so that she could read it. Piper cast Paige a look of annoyance but didn't say anything. However, she only gave Phoebe a few moments to read the page before speaking again. "So how do we vanquish this creep?" She prompted for some progress.
"If you would keep quiet for five minutes, Phoebe will be able to tell you." Paige pointed out with a roll of her eyes.
"What was with that attitude?" Piper demanded.
Paige narrowed her eyes and appeared offended. "I am not the one with an attitude." She argued.
"Not you. Leo." Piper corrected as if it should have been obvious. Paige fell silent while Phoebe dropped her head into her hands. "It was like he was angry that I was angry. I have a right to be angry, don't I?" Piper questioned. She didn't wait for either of her sisters to answer. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Then don't." Phoebe suggested.
"Whoa!" Piper exclaimed.
Paige sighed loudly. "What now, Piper?" She asked, fully expecting something to do with Leo.
Piper pointed at the page on Masselin. "Look at Masselin's victims." She ordered.
"Yeah…" Phoebe admitted sadly. "… 'trapped within the demon. The unfortunates are kept alive, their souls tortured for the pleasure he gets from their suffering.'" She read.
Paige wrinkled her nose at the summary. "What is it with demons and souls now? Everywhere we turn someone's about to lose their soul or something." Paige ranted.
"Just what they do, I guess. We gotta get them outta there." Phoebe decided.
"With what? Demonic Ipecac?" Piper questioned sarcastically.
Phoebe raised her eyebrows as she continued reading. "Actually, yeah, that seems to be the idea." Phoebe admitted before pointing at another line in the Book of Shadows.
"The demon seeks willing, trusting souls, delivered by the one who sealed the pact." Paige finished reading.
"The manager." Piper realized.
Phoebe nodded in agreement. "So we have to get close to Carlton."
"Well, I'm already close and as far as we know, I'm a willing, trusting soul… a sucker. Someone who falls for a quick line from a pretty face." Piper dramatized.
"Will you please stop that?" Phoebe pleaded after exchanging another glance with Paige.
"You're right. Fine. Leo is the least of my worries." Piper agreed.
Paige grabbed the Book of Shadows off the pedestal. "Yep, that is tomorrow's problem."
Piper frowned at the thought. "I don't think I can wait that long." She admitted seriously.
Phoebe laughed softly. "Well, you're gonna have to because tonight we have some major demon ass-kicking to do." She argued, jabbing at the book in Paige's arms. Piper didn't look pleased while Paige rolled her eyes and led the way down the steps to work on the potion.
Inside the other club
Carlton warily entered the back room where Masselin was currently hiding out in. Masselin immediately appeared out of the wall and Carlton spoke. "Cops are asking questions. And you know what? They're not gonna catch you, no, sir. They're gonna catch me. Alright, okay! I'm out. I'm done with it. No more souls. The pact, the agreement is officially null and void." Carlton decided with an air of finality despite how his voice shook with nerves.
Masselin slowly approached and waved his hand over Carlton. Flames erupted around the manager and he dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. Masselin waved his hand again and the flames disappeared. "You will honor your agreement, Mr. Carlton. You'll bring me more souls." Masselin ordered.
Carlton nodded weakly. "Okay, okay." He whispered.
Ingredients Store
Piper and Paige warily approached a small run-down shop on the very edge of town. It was said to sell ingredients that were used in potions and therefore was probably run by a witch. Despite whoever ran the place, the two sisters were reluctant to actually go inside. It looked sketchy at best and it was one of the last places they wanted to be caught hanging around in. Piper and Paige were now standing just outside the door.
"Alright, Paige, what ingredients do we need?" Piper asked. "I don't want to spend more time than I have to in this place." She added, eyeing the building nervously.
Paige dug through her bright red and yellow bag for the lists. "Uh, Myrrh bark and Sarresh." She read, knitting her eyebrows together. She didn't recognize either of the names.
Piper narrowed her eyes at Paige's bag. She personally thought it was hideous but had learned that her opinion on the matter didn't faze Paige a bit. "Let's get this over with." Piper decided. Piper led the way inside and winced when a bell tinkled against the door and announced their entrance to the owners.
"Subtle." Paige joked under her breath, earning a glare from Piper which she shrugged off. Piper approached the person behind the desk while Paige scanned the shelves. She noticed the store had some normalish ingredients: thyme, rosemary, holy thistle among them but there were plenty of weird stuff too. Eye of Newt, fairy wings, blood meal, and gypsy blood to name a few. This place was most assuredly Wicca run.
Piper leaned against the counter and tried to appear nonchalant. "Do you have Myrrh bark and Sarresh?" She questioned. The man that was running the store at the moment glanced up from his crossword puzzle. Piper had a vague thought that not many people stopped by this place. Other than the condition of the building… this guy didn't look much better. Finally, he pointed a grubby finger at one of the shelves. "Thanks." Piper offered and hurried over to it. "Paige, over here." She called.
Paige tore herself away from studying a book of potions (most had seemed dangerous) and joined Piper. "This place gives me the creeps." Paige admitted with a soft laugh. She located the Sarresh the same time Piper found the Myrrh bark.
"Agreed. Let's get out." Piper suggested. They had just turned around and nearly ran into another customer.
"Oh, sorry." Paige apologized.
The young woman that was the victim shrugged them off. "No problem." She assured them and then hesitated when she actually looked them over. Her green eyes landed on Paige. "Paige?"
Paige froze at hearing her name and glanced over the other woman curiously. "Uh, Jana, right?" Paige realized.
Jana nodded while brushing her light brownish-blonde hair from her face. "Yeah, 10:15, Mr. Bradford." She added and then glanced around her nervously. "Uh, what are you doing here?" She wondered.
"Uh…" Paige mumbled.
"Aphrodisiacs." Piper blurted out, earning a look of surprise from Jana and a dropped jaw from Paige. "Um, yeah, these are natural aphrodisiacs." Piper explained while holding up the Myrrh bark.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Right. What she said…" Paige agreed slowly. "What are you doing?" She questioned to change the subject away from her.
"Just… looking around." Jana answered absently. She was eyeing Piper with a weird look. Probably because of the aphrodisiac comment.
Piper grabbed hold of Paige's wrist and pulled her toward the counter. "We're sorta in a hurry." She stated none-too-subtly.
Paige waved a farewell behind her. "I'll see you in class." She offered, not entirely sure if she would or not after this. Jana probably thought she was too weird of a person.
"So who was she?" Piper demanded under her breath as she paid for their items.
"Someone in my class. We worked on a mini-project for a couple days." Paige replied. She allowed her gaze to flicker over to where Jana had been only to find her gone. "Don't know what she's doing here though. Never seemed the type for this kind of thing."
"Well, let's just go before we get caught by someone else." Piper suggested and they hurriedly left with their ingredients.
Bucklands Auction House
"So what you're telling me is that you no longer need a white-knight to rescue you and your sisters from debt." Mr. Barker summarized as he circled Prue like a hawk.
Prue watched him warily from her desk. "No." She declined his help.
Mr. Barker stopped and met Prue's eyes with a faint frown. "But we have a deal." He pointed out, carefully expressionless.
"Well, what we had was an agreement to make a deal and I no longer agree." Prue argued lightly.
Mr. Barker nodded. "I see. This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain band choosing to play at P4 tonight, would it?" He guessed. He smirked when Prue looked surprised. "Word travels fast." Mr. Barker explained.
"Yeah, well, Piper pulled us out of the fire." Prue admitted.
"Yes, and in doing so, revealed to me quite a diamond in the rough." He agreed.
Prue narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Meaning what?" She prompted.
"Well, meaning, I understand you're showing me the door but I think I rather like this party." Mr. Barker clarified. His smile widened as Prue stared at him in disbelief. "I think your sister's little venture is on its way to great success. Which is why I've already gone to your bank and made an offer to pick up your loan."
Prue shifted in her seat. "You didn't." Prue stated, stunned by the double cross.
"Did." Barker promised her.
Prue hastily stood up from her desk and approached Mr. Barker. "Okay, Mr. Barker… uh, we have a relationship…" She started.
Mr. Barker nodded in agreement. "Yes, and you've brought so many valuable items into my field of view…" He trailed off with a none-too-subtle look over her body. "… I just have this feeling that your sister's club is going to be the best one yet. Could you put me on the guest list for tonight? Me plus one. I'd like to see what I'm buying." Mr. Barker explained.
Prue took a deep breath to keep herself under control. "Okay, I am asking nicely, for your own sake, not to go through with this." She advised carefully.
"Is that a threat, Ms. Halliwell?" Mr. Barker asked, narrowing his eyes. He took a step toward her so that he towered over her short stature but she met his eyes confidently. "Be careful. You could be jeopardizing a very profitable relationship." He warned. Mr. Barker took another step toward her that forced her to step back against the wall. "Two passes." He reminded her, holding up two fingers before placing his hands against the wall on either side of her. "I'd like a booth, too, close to the stage." He ordered.
"Hey, Man, is there a problem?" Andy interrupted from his place in the doorway. He took one look at Barker too close to Prue and Prue looking angry and flustered at the same time before fixing his gaze squarely on Mr. Barker.
Mr. Barker slowly backed away from Prue and smirked at Andy. "No, we're done." He stated and then with one last hard glance at Prue, he slipped out of the room.
"You okay, Prue?" Andy questioned as soon as he was gone, trying to read the expressions on her face.
"No, Piper's going to hate me." Prue groaned while moving back to her desk and dropping heavily into her seat.
"Is this about P4? I heard about Dishwalla." Andy explained.
Prue sighed and nodded. "It just happened. I haven't had time to call you. Is that why you're here?" Andy gave her the faintest of nods for her to explain whatever problem she had and took the seat across from her desk.
The Halliwell Manor
"How's the bear root, Paige?" Phoebe asked from the other side of the kitchen where the sisters were working on the potion that would vanquish Masselin.
Paige paused from using the mortar and pestle to grind the bear root into a powder. "Fine." She admitted, meaning that the task was going well as well as the root was now a fine powder. She sneezed when some of the powder got in the air around her and accidently orbed out. Paige reappeared in the same spot looking a little flustered. "Can we switch? I think I'm allergic to this or something." She pleaded.
Phoebe nodded and switched places with Paige. "I was just cutting up the Sarresh and boiling the water clean." She explained.
Piper looked up from gathering the Myrrh bark. "How is this gonna work?" Piper wondered.
"We're just gonna slip a little extra-strength antacid." Phoebe offered, waving her hand at the ingredients that would soon become the potion.
Paige shifted around so that she could read the open Book of Shadows while cutting the Sarresh. "The book says that he should disappear like a demonic gas bubble, freeing his victims and leaving them safe and sound." She added helpfully.
"Okay, but we can't even give our cat a vitamin. How are we gonna get this down a demon's throat?" Piper returned.
"In this." Phoebe answered, holding up a balloon for her sisters to see.
"In a balloon?" Paige asked, not appearing too confident in Phoebe's plan. Phoebe just nodded confidently.
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Okay, where is it?" She demanded.
Phoebe tilted her head in confusion. "Where is what?"
"The spoonful of sugar big enough to hide that thing." Piper clarified. She crossed her arms and stared at Phoebe for an explanation.
Phoebe smirked at her sisters' confusion. "You're looking at her." She replied with a soft laugh.
"You?" Paige realized and she didn't sound happy about it.
"Yeah, well, the only way to get Masselin is through Carlton, right? So all I'll have to do is get close to Carlton, pretend I'm some choice tidbit. Then we get Masselin to swallow this." Phoebe explained.
"Right before he swallows you, Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed. "No, it's too dangerous." She decided.
Phoebe rolled her eyes at their reaction. "Well, unless you have a better idea, it's our only choice." She retorted.
Paige raised her hand quickly. "I got one. I do it." Paige announced and all eyes turned to her. "I can orb just before he swallows me whereas, Phoebe can't." She pointed out.
"Fine, Missy Paige can do the honors." Piper agreed after a few moments of contemplation.
"Okay. Good luck, Paige. Try not to get eaten. I would miss you." Phoebe admitted with a dramatic air. "All three of us will be there to back you up and we'll find someone to distract Glen so that he doesn't see you catching Carlton's attention." Phoebe continued with a nod to herself.
Piper sighed as she grabbed the bowl of her Myrrh bark and tossed the stuff in the blender. "I hate him." She muttered.
"Of course you hate him. He's a demon." Phoebe stated. She sat down on the edge of the table to wait for the Myrrh bark.
Paige, also, finished cutting her part of the potion and watched Piper. "I don't think that's who she's talking about." Phoebe frowned and looked to Piper for an answer.
Piper didn't appear to have been listening to Phoebe and Paige. "He didn't even have the decency to ask me first. He at least could have discussed it with me." Piper ranted.
"Oh, Leo." Phoebe realized with a nod to Paige.
"I mean, can you believe him? He acted as if we've never had a relationship before. Like it was just business." Piper went on as if Phoebe hadn't interrupted. She spun back to the blender and pressed the 'on' button without putting on the lid. The Myrrh bark began flying in all directions and Piper jumped back, using her hands to keep the stuff from her face. "Oh! Oh!"
Phoebe jumped off the table and stepped around Piper so that she could turn the blender off. She picked up the top after it had stopped and slammed it on the blender. "You have to put the lid on, honey." She reminded her over the soft laughter behind them that was Paige.
"And I saw the future too, you know. Leo and I got married. A marriage in the future implies some sort of relationship in the present… the question is, where is the relationship?" Piper continued, ignoring the mess with the blender. She knocked a few pieces of the bark off her shirt but otherwise, looked to her sisters for an answer.
"Piper, sweetie, um, Leo was kept prisoner in the underworld for… well, we don't know exactly how long. We don't know what could have happened and where it put him in regards to his superiors. So, before you blow up on him again, just talk to him." Paige suggested in soothing voice.
Piper sighed, realizing Paige was right but not quite ready to forgive him yet. "I'd rather just freeze him and kick him in the…." She trailed off when the doorbell rang. "That had better not be him." Piper stated before stalking off to answer the door.
"In the shins?" Phoebe asked as Piper made for the front door.
Piper paused just long enough to look over her shoulder. "Not exactly."
Phoebe laughed while Paige went to grab the now diced Myrrh bark to continue the potion. "Oh, the poor guy." Paige giggled.
~PO4~
Piper opened the front door to reveal Dan on the other side. Dan turned to meet her as soon as he heard the door open. "Piper." He greeted, carefully neutral.
"Dan, hi." Piper returned. She offered him a small smile despite being more than a little surprised that it was him at her doorstep.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Dan asked hastily.
Piper tilted her head to the side. "Sure." She allowed, opening the door wider for Dan. She closed it behind him. "What's up?" Piper wondered as she turned to face him with a questioning look.
"It's Jenny… did you tell her she could go see Dishwalla tonight?" He questioned almost immediately upon entering.
Piper's eyes widened and she shook her head enthusiastically. "No. No. She can't go." Piper insisted.
Dan appeared to relax just a little. "She said you said it was alright." He explained.
Piper frowned and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I didn't exactly tell her it wasn't but things were happening kind of fast…"
"Well, she's in her room right now, picking out her clothes." Dan interrupted.
"Oh god, okay… I'll go talk to her." Piper assured him. She pulled open the front door and started out with Dan only to find Leo in the way.
Leo waved a little hesitantly at Piper. "Hi." He greeted softly.
Piper froze and fixed him with a cool stare. "Hello."
"Listen, I was hoping that we could, uh…" Leo trailed off when he saw Dan standing behind her. "…talk." He finished kind of awkwardly.
Piper nodded slightly and then remembered Dan. "Sure, uh, Leo, this is…"
"Dan Gordon." Leo stated with a faint nod of greeting to Dan.
"Wait, you know him?" Piper asked in surprise.
Leo looked at her as if she was crazy. "What? Are you kidding? He used to play second base for the Mariners. He had an all-star season going 'til he blew out his knee sliding into home." Leo explained to her before turning to Dan. "I still think you were safe." He added.
"So do I." Dan agreed.
"I'm Leo." Leo introduced himself and held his hand out to shake.
Dan politely took it. "Nice meeting you…"
"No, it's not." Piper interrupted before spinning back to face Leo. "You follow baseball?" She questioned.
Leo grinned and gave her a slight nod. "Yeah." Leo admitted.
"You have time for baseball, but you don't have time to tell me about you-know-what before you-know-who shows up you-know-where?" Piper demanded with a glare at him that made Leo hesitate.
Dan glanced between them awkwardly. "Uh, listen, if you two need to talk or something, I can…" He pointed toward the door, signaling he could leave them alone.
Piper spoke up before Leo could. "No, no, no. We don't need to talk. Leo stops by occasionally to fix things. Phoebe and Paige can show him around." She decided, waving her hand in the direction of the kitchen where Phoebe and Paige were coming to see what was going on. "Ahem, let's go talk to Jenny." Piper insisted before leading the way out the front door with Dan.
"It was nice meeting you." Dan offered as he followed Piper.
"Yeah, you too." Leo allowed. He watched Dan close the door behind them before he faced Phoebe and Paige.
Phoebe was watching him sympathetically. "She's just a little upset." Phoebe explained.
Leo just nodded slightly. "Yeah… I don't blame her."
Paige stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "Don't worry about it, Leo. She'll get over it." She promised confidently, causing Leo to smile a little hopefully.
Bucklands Auction House
Prue led the way to the elevator with Andy just behind her carrying her bag. The former was hurrying the latter along so that they almost missed passing by Darryl. Andy looked confused while Prue just looked surprised at seeing the other cop.
"Right, and this is where you say 'Darryl,' I say 'Prue' and then you say something like 'what are you doing here?'" Darryl quoted with a pointed look at Prue.
Prue tilted her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
Darryl ignored her for the moment and met his partner's gaze evenly. "I want to talk to her." He stated neutrally but in a voice that clearly said alone.
"We were just leaving." Prue decided, grabbing onto Andy's arm and pulling him toward the elevator.
"To P4?" Darryl guessed, causing Prue to stop in her tracks. "As usual, I barely know what's going on and I don't like it." Darryl continued.
"I do know and I'll tell you after I drop Prue off at the Manor." Andy offered.
Darryl shook his head and blocked their way to the elevator. "Funny, she used to say the same thing to you." He pointed out icily so that Andy sighed. Darryl was obviously insinuating that Andy wasn't going to explain everything either as Prue never had. He seemed to realize he won that round so he went on. "I know it's all about keeping me safe…" He started with a glance at Prue. "… and you're all about keeping her safe and I respect that." Darryl insisted, now staring at Andy. "But we're partners and we need to be on the same level." Andy didn't reply so Darryl turned back to Prue, interpreting his partner's silence to mean that he was allowed to have his conversation with Prue. "What do you know about Jeff Carlton?" He asked.
"I can't." Prue pleaded softly.
"Look, I know you have a secret. Andy has spilled that much to me and if he says to help you than I will, that is enough for me. I don't even want to know what was going on at that stand-off with Rodriguez and Anderson but whenever you and your sisters get involved, the whole playing field goes crazy." Darryl pressed.
"Yeah and gets a lot more dangerous." Prue countered.
"I'm a cop. Stop protecting me, Prue." Darryl snapped.
Prue's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment while she gathered something to say. "You have absolutely no idea…"
"I'm an imaginative guy. I have plenty of ideas. I even had you four working for the CIA awhile." Darryl interrupted before looking to the silent Andy. "None of that matters. What matters is that we…" He made a motion with his hand indicating all three of them. "… work out some kind of relationship. We're gonna need to communicate or I'm gonna become very unsociable." Darryl warned.
"Prue…" Andy called for her attention. He nodded slightly in Darryl's direction, silently conveying that he thought she should tell him what he wanted.
They seemed to have some kind of silent conversation before Prue sighed and reluctantly nodded to Darryl. "Okay, ask what you want." Prue allowed.
"The missing women and Jeff Carlton." Darryl prompted after a moment of silence.
"We're working on it." Prue admitted.
Darryl nodded, unsurprised. "I figured."
"Look, Darryl, just trust us, okay? We've got this one for right now." Prue promised before glancing at Andy. "Andy will keep you informed with how we're doing…" She trailed off and smirked a little. "Just badger him until he tells you what you want." Prue offered as a joke to lighten the somber mood.
Darryl smiled slightly. "Sure." He agreed.
"I have to go." Prue insisted. She glanced at Andy again before heading for the elevator.
"Tell her to be careful." Darryl wished to Andy as he watched Prue leave with a concerned expression.
Andy nodded faintly. "Okay, man, see you in an hour." He hastily followed after Prue and regrouped with her just as the elevator opened to admit them.
Dan's House
"Jenny, the state could shut me down." Piper attempted to explain to the young teenager as Jenny searched through her clothes and Dan waited in the doorway.
"How are they gonna find out? Are you gonna tell them? 'Cause I'm not gonna tell them." Jenny pointed out before looking down at her two skirts. "Do you like the red or the denim?" She asked, holding them up for Piper to see.
Dan sighed and stepped into the room to help Piper with his niece. "Jenny…"
"Yeah, sure, let's hear from Uncle Dan. Who never in his life faked an I.D. or snuck into a bar. Who did nothing wrong ever." Jenny interrupted in a sarcastic tone.
Dan had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "We're talking about you." He turned it around.
Jenny shook her head. "No, we're talking about Piper and she said I could see the show." Jenny argued with a point in Piper's direction.
"Jenny, I never said that…" Piper denied before a huge argument broke out. "… I'm sorry, but I can't let you in the club." She apologized.
"Your mom and dad, they put me in charge." Dan reminded her.
Jenny glared at her uncle with fresh tears shining in her eyes. "Right, everybody's in charge, but not me. Never. Why is that?" She snapped. Jenny threw her skirts on the bed and stormed out of the room.
"I'm sorry. She's just feeling a little, you know…" Dan started to Piper.
"Betrayed." Piper finished for him. She slowly turned to face Dan. "It's okay. I know the feeling." Piper admitted before offering Dan a half-smile and then making her way out of their house.
P4
Prue, Phoebe, and Paige huddled around a table in the packed-out bar making last minute preparations on how to deal with their demon visitor and his lackey.
"You didn't leave any passes for that investor guy, did you?" Phoebe asked Prue with a nervous glance toward the bar where Piper was helping her staff.
"No way. The last thing we need is for Piper to find out she's going to lose her club." Prue assured her.
Paige nodded in agreement. "I told the bouncer that anyone by the name of Chris Barker is not allowed in under any circumstances. That should buy us some time with him." Paige added, waving her hand in the direction of the front entrance where people were still pouring in.
Phoebe only relaxed a little. "If the bank accepts his offer…"
"One hellish complication at a time." Prue interrupted, feeling as if any more bad news was to come, her head might just explode. She glanced at Paige. "Do you have the poison pill?" She questioned.
Paige shook her head and pointed to Phoebe. "Phoebe does. Her bag was bigger." She explained.
Phoebe smiled and pulled out the balloon filled with the potion and passed it to Paige. "She is now armed and dangerous." Phoebe joked.
"What about Andy? Is he coming?" Paige inquired, a little surprised that he wasn't here.
Prue nodded slightly. "Yeah, but he's coming on duty with Darryl so he's only going to get involved if we're in serious need of help. Mostly he's just going to try and keep everyone's attention away from us." Prue answered just before catching eyes with Piper. Piper tilted her head at Carlton who was just now approaching her. "Alright, demon boy's here." She announced to Phoebe and Paige.
"Positions?" Paige suggested, earning a nod from Prue and Phoebe.
The sisters split up. Paige joined Glen at a table where she was immediately pulled into a conversation that she was only half-listening to. One eye was kept on Prue, who was to give her the signal for action. Phoebe and Prue took a seat at the bar, both watching Piper but feigning at ease with some pointless girl-talk. Piper waited for Carlton to join her. "Mr. Carlton." She offered as a way of greeting.
Carlton nodded to her. "Nice crowd. Is the band here?" He asked.
"Yep, they came in the back way. They're right over there. Everything's ready." Piper assured while pointing in the corresponding direction for the band.
"Better be. I don't want any problems." Carlton stated before leaving her to check on his band.
"Too bad." Piper muttered under her breath as Carlton walked away.
"Talking to yourself again, I see." Leo teased, coming to stand next to her as soon as Carlton was gone.
Piper smirked and glared playfully at him before she remembered she was supposed to be mad at him. "What are you doing here?" She questioned.
"I'm watching over things. It's what I do, remember?" Leo reminded her, attempting to ignore her tone of voice and continue a civil conversation.
Piper just nodded and scanned the crowd. "I remember when it didn't use to be a job." She retorted.
Leo sighed as she knocked down his attempt. "Look, this isn't easy for me either, Piper, you know…"
"Leo, I really can't talk about this right now." Piper interrupted while trying to get Prue's attention that step two of the plan could be commenced. "Excuse me." Piper offered to Leo and then slipped through the crowd to Prue and Phoebe.
Prue nudged Phoebe in the side with her elbow as Piper approached them. "Your turn, Pheebs. Good luck." She whispered.
Phoebe gave her a thumbs up and approached Paige and Glen while Piper took Phoebe's vacated seat next to Prue. Phoebe pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat it at Paige and Glen's table. "Hey, Paige, Prue and Piper need some help with the lighting." She lied smoothly.
Paige feigned annoyance at her 'date' being interrupted. "Why can't you help?" Paige returned.
"They won't let me. Remember the last time I tried to help with the lights?" Phoebe prompted, lowering a voice as if it was a secret.
"But…" Paige trailed off with a groan as she realized the inevitable. She glanced inconspicuously at Glen to see if he was buying the scene.
Glen's eyes kept flickering between Paige and Phoebe, his face unreadable. After a moment he offered them a smile. "It's cool, Paige. Go help them." He suggested and then winked conspiratorially. "Just be quick."
Paige blushed ever-so-slightly when Phoebe wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She mumbled something inaudible before disappearing into the crowd where she dropped her annoyed façade. Phoebe smirked at Glen and pulled a pack of cards out of her bag. "How 'bout a game of poker, Glen? It's been awhile and I think I can beat you now." Phoebe insisted, already dealing out the cards.
Glen laughed and took his cards confidently. "You're on." He agreed. He didn't notice Phoebe only had half her attention on her cards as she watched Prue and Piper closely who were no doubt watching Paige like a hawk.
~PO4~
Paige was just able to catch Prue and Piper's eye before getting to Carlton. "Keep watch on me." She mouthed, earning a nod from both her eldest sisters. She took a deep breath, made sure the potion balloon was secure, and stepped confidently up to Carlton. "Hey, uh, you're Jeff Carlton, right?" Paige asked in a falsely eager voice.
Carlton smiled, appearing pleased that someone knew his name. Especially since Paige was far from being bad to look at. "Yes." He answered pleasantly.
Paige shifted to accentuate her flashy and on-the-revealing-side clothing. "I knew it. I'd recognize you anywhere!" She gushed as a fan would. Paige hastily jumped to explain how she would know him before she creeped him out or something. "I go to Berkeley and my music management class uses you as an example all the time."
"They do? Learn good things, I hope." Carlton prompted a little surprised but more intrigued by Paige.
Paige nodded enthusiastically. "I have learned so much from your example. I even wrote a paper for another class on how you went from being an ordinary guy to successful music manager." She giggled seemingly embarrassed but Carlton looked flattered so she continued. "I'm hoping to be able to do the same thing." She admitted.
"Really?" Carlton looked at her thoughtfully.
"I was hoping that maybe you could help me out a little. You know, give me the inside scoop from your point-of-view." Paige pressed carefully. She smiled flirtatiously, all the while thinking that she wanted to drop the stupid smile from her face.
"You want an exclusive interview?" Carlton guessed.
Paige nodded again. "I would do almost anything."
Carlton mulled the thought over. "Anything, huh? I suppose I could share a few secrets." He waved for her to follow him. "This way." He called and Paige eagerly skipped after him.
~PO4~
"Where is he taking her?" Prue asked as she and Piper watched Carlton lead Paige away. She could just see Paige reach into her bag where the potion pill waited.
Piper narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge Carlton's direction. "In the back." She stated.
Prue frowned but waited until Carlton and Paige made it to the door before moving. "Alright, let's go." Prue ordered. Piper turned to look at Phoebe and found her staring at them intently. Piper waved her hands frantically, hoping that Phoebe would get the idea before she hurried after Prue.
~PO4~
Phoebe jumped up from her and Glen's poker game. "Uh, Glen, I forgot… I forgot something. I'll be right back." She promised hastily, all the while backing away from their table. "Don't peek at my cards." She added over her shoulder.
Glen watched her leave in confusion. He shrugged and grabbed at her unguarded cards and did exactly what Phoebe had told him not to.
~PO4~
Carlton pushed Paige, a little roughly if she said so herself, into the back and closed and locked the door behind them. Paige narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's the rush?" She demanded, growing uneasy despite knowing that a locked door would hardly slow her sisters down much.
"No time to waste. I have to be back out in thirty minutes." Carlton replied and then grabbed her arm. He pulled her to the office room and thrust her inside before she could say anything. He closed and held the door from the outside so that Paige wouldn't be able to get out.
Paige nervously scanned the room and backed into a corner, her hand on the potion in her bag.
~PO4~
Piper pushed against the door but found it wouldn't move. "Oops…" She mumbled, realizing that Carlton must have locked it from the inside.
Phoebe came running up to them and was surprised to find Piper and Prue waiting outside the door. "What are guys waiting for?" She inquired, looking nervously at the door that separated them from Paige.
"It's locked." Piper stated.
Prue grabbed Piper's arm and pulled her away from the door. She threw her hand at the door and it swung open, nearly falling off its hinges. Carlton spun around at the sound and tried to make a run for it but Piper froze him, mid step.
"Paige must be in there." Phoebe decided, pointing at the office door.
~PO4~
Paige had just backed to the wall when she shivered violently with the familiar bad feeling. She spun around and found Masselin leering over her. She shrieked and grabbed the poison balloon and made to throw it at the demon. Masselin took one look at the balloon before disappearing into the wall again.
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe tumbled into the room, every eye scanning the room for danger. "Are you alright?" Piper asked immediately.
"Where are the innocents?" Phoebe questioned.
"Did you get him?" Prue demanded when she didn't see any demon.
"No." Paige mumbled, partially in shock.
Piper looked surprised. "What?"
"He left." Paige answered simply, holding the balloon carefully.
Prue grabbed Paige's arm, still scanning the room warily. "Okay, we're gonna have to regroup. Come on, let's go." Prue ordered and then led the way out of the room. They had just left outside when Carlton unfroze to find an empty room in front of him.
[Commercial Break]
"No, you guys, he was big and ugly and scary and- and I really think we need more potion." Paige insisted while pacing around the bar. She waved her hands dramatically when her sisters didn't appear to really believe her.
Phoebe linked arms with her and stroked her hair soothingly. "Paige, honey, the book said the potion was big enough. Just calm down." She soothed.
"You didn't see him." Paige retorted.
"Maybe we just came in too soon." Piper suggested with a shrug.
Phoebe frowned and shook her head. "More likely, he saw the potion and disappeared." Phoebe offered.
Piper returned the shrug as it didn't really matter. "Well, in any case, the spook's spooked." She pointed out.
"And took the trapped souls with him. The ones we have to save." Phoebe added dejectedly.
Prue cut in before they could freak out anymore. "Look, we don't know for sure that the demon is gone. If he is still here then he's gonna feed again and Carlton's the one to feed him." She stated before glancing at the still in shock Paige. "Do you still have the poison pill?" Prue asked.
Paige nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah."
"Alright, we need to cover the exits, look for Carlton, if we see him grab anybody, Piper, you freeze the room and we'll get into positions." Prue ordered and received nods from each of her sisters.
Phoebe frowned suddenly. "Uh, what about Glen?" She questioned, looking to Paige.
"I'll just ignore him. He can entertain himself just fine." Paige decided before following Prue as the eldest sister moved into a position to study Carlton and watch an exit.
Piper was glaring around the club. "I wish we could just stuff his head in a toilet and make him cough up the demon." She muttered under her breath.
Phoebe turned sympathetic eyes to Piper. "Oh, honey, still upset with Leo?" She guessed with a sigh.
"I was talking about Carlton." Piper replied as if it should have been obvious.
Phoebe threw her hands in the air as Piper walked to a position. "I can't keep up." She groaned, hurrying off as well.
PO4~
In the back office room, Carlton stood before a very unhappy Masselin. "You brought witches to destroy me." Masselin accused.
Carlton's eyes widened in horror. "What are you talking about? No, I didn't. I swear." Carlton jumped to deny in the hopes Masselin wouldn't think he was lying.
"To whom do you swear?" Masselin demanded.
Carlton dropped to his knees in front of Masselin. "To you. Just you. I didn't know about the witches." He promised, daring to hope he might actually make it out of this alive.
Masselin considered him for several long and agonizing moments for Carlton. "Your most recent selection, she holds the key to my destruction. Take it from her." The demon ordered.
"But why? They know about you, they know about me." Carlton pointed out nervously.
"Take it from her and bring the witches to me." Masselin replied.
"Alright, alright, but how am I gonna get 'em back here? I mean, they're gonna be a little suspicious." Carlton agreed despite not knowing how to proceed.
"Tempt them with an innocent soul." Masselin answered shortly.
~PO4~
Jenny finally arrived outside the club and began to push through the crowd. "Excuse me… I'm sorry… Pardon me. Sorry." She offered as she slowly made her way to the front despite the long line waiting to get inside.
~PO4~
"I'm sorry but if you don't have a ticket and your name isn't on the guest list then I can't let you in." The bouncer insisted.
Barker chuckled to hide his embarrassment and gave his date a smug smile while pulling out a fifty dollar bill. "Try looking under 'G' for Grant." He suggested, surreptitiously slipping the bouncer the bill.
The bouncer accepted it and turned his attention to his clipboard and the names. Jenny took the opportunity to slip by them unnoticed. "Oh here you are, Mr. Grant." He lied, allowing Barker through.
"Thank you." Mr. Barker gratified and then led his date inside the club.
~PO4~
Dishwalla began their first song of the night and the four sisters continued their rounds searching for Carlton. Piper was the first to spot him moving through the crowd. She turned to find Prue and Paige, who had just passed by but instead found herself face to face with Leo. "I wish you would quit doing that." She griped after collecting herself.
"What's happening?" Leo demanded, leaning down so that his softer words could be heard.
"We're on it, Leo. We're just waiting for Carlton to do his thing." Piper assured him.
Leo threw that conversation to the wind and pressed what really mattered to him. "Look, you think I like this?" He asked. His voice clearly showed that he didn't.
Piper sighed at the conversation turn. "Leo…" She started.
"Do you think I like not being with you?" Leo continued, ignoring her attempt to disengage him.
Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, can we cut the crap? I know what you have to do. I always have but since you finally came back from down there…" She pointed to the ground. "… where we stand is just that much more confusing." Piper snapped. Piper paused, taking a moment to breath before beginning again. "The question is: What do you want? What do you wanna do? With me? With us? Do you ever think about that?" She questioned.
"All the time." Leo admitted.
"You ever want to discuss it with me?" Piper pressed.
"Yes, it's just the timing always seems to…" Leo began.
Piper caught sight of Darryl and Andy coming down the stairs of the entranceway. She frowned, that probably wasn't good. "… seems to suck." She finished for him. Piper sighed and turned back to Leo. "Okay, hold that thought. Don't let go. Just hold it." Piper ordered before hurrying towards Prue and Paige. "Morris and Andy are here." Piper exclaimed.
"Where?" Prue asked, spinning around to look at the entrance. Instead of seeing her fiancé and his work partner, she locked gazes with Mr. Barker. "Oh boy…" She whispered while staring at him in horror. He had obviously seen her and was moving this way.
"What are you looking at? They're over there." Piper told her, pointing farther down the club.
Prue grabbed Paige's wrist and pulled her close. "Go get Andy and get him to keep him…" She nodded in Barker's direction. "…away." Prue ordered. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the confused Piper and pulled her in the opposite direction. "Huh, yeah, okay." She muttered, desperately forcing up a mental block as she felt Piper try to probe for what was going on.
~PO4~
Carlton caught sight of Paige hurrying through the crowd as she tried to get to Andy and Darryl. Since it was so crowded, he didn't realize she was approaching two cops and didn't think much of her hurry. Carlton waved and got the attention of a security guy. "See that honey by the stairs with the bright floral bag? She's got something in it." He tipped.
The security bouncer followed Carlton's pointing finger. "Something illegal?" He asked.
"Extremely. Get it out of here." Carlton ordered.
The security bouncer nodded and advanced on the unsuspecting Paige. "You got it." He assured to Carlton.
Paige had just made it to Andy and Darryl, surprising the two cops. "Andy, Andy, Andy, you gotta distract that guy!" She exclaimed, pointing frantically at Mr. Barker, who was still attempting to catch up with the fleeing Prue and Piper.
"What guy?" Andy wondered. He scanned over the crowd but frankly there were so many people he had no idea who Paige was talking about.
Darryl ignored Paige's demand and decided she was probably as good as any of the other sisters. "Hey, Paige, what's going on with everything?" He questioned.
Paige was about to respond when the security bouncer grabbed her bag from her shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing?" She demanded, harshly pulling it back to her.
Darryl had his police mark out and forced the security bouncer back a step. "Answer the lady." He ordered harshly when the security guy didn't answer Paige.
"Weapons check." The security guy answered shortly as he forced open Paige's bag.
"There's nothing in this!" Paige insisted. Andy looked as if he was about to order the security bouncer away when Paige noticed the balloon as the bouncer reached for it. She deftly reached out to grab it the same time he did and the balloon popped, the potion seeping out over her over-skirt.
"What the hell is that?" Security asked.
Andy thrust his own police mark at the bouncer. "We got her, get back to your position." He returned and the security guy ruefully stalked away.
Darryl was staring at the spilled potion uncertainly. He opened his mouth to ask but closed it again, deciding he didn't really want to know. Paige was inwardly seething and she jabbed a finger in Prue and Piper's direction. "Go help her!" She snapped at them before stomping off to Phoebe.
Andy and Darryl just exchanged a glance to which Andy shrugged. "Not a clue." He admitted and followed Darryl to Prue and Piper.
~PO4~
Jenny moved around the edge of the crowd until she found a good view of the band. It just so happened to be next to Carlton, who couldn't believe his luck as he recognized her from the club earlier that day. "Hey there, Jenny." Carlton greeted. He waited until the surprised Jenny looked up at him. "Hello, I remember you. You're a friend of Piper Halliwell's, right?" He asked.
Jenny hesitated at being caught but figured he was safe to talk to sine he hadn't turned her in already. "And Phoebe and Paige and Prue." She agreed. "We're like sisters." Jenny explained, thinking that would keep her out of trouble.
"Listen, would you like to meet the band?" Carlton inquired.
Jenny's jaw dropped in surprise. "Are you serious? Man, I'd do anything to meet them." She exclaimed. She couldn't hide the grin that crossed her features at the thought.
Carlton smiled and gave her a slight nod to ensure her that he wasn't just joking. "Follow me." He told her, leading the way to the back area.
Phoebe froze when she saw Carlton leading Jenny away. She spun around, frantically searching for her sisters when Paige came running up. "Oh my god, Phoebe. I lost the potion!" Paige panicked.
"Carlton's taking Jenny!" Phoebe yelled over the music at the same time Paige freaked about the potion. "We're in trouble…" Phoebe mumbled after they stared at each other for a few moments in stunned silence.
"Prue and Piper, first?" Paige suggested.
"Yeah." Phoebe agreed and the two sisters took off to find the other two.
~PO4~
Prue finally pulled her and Piper to a stop after running out of room to keep going. She groaned and turned around about to pull Piper in another direction when she heard him.
"Hello, Prue." Mr. Barker greeted smugly while holding onto his date's hand.
"Hi, Mr. Barker." Prue returned sheepishly.
Piper sent Mr. Barker a curious look but otherwise ignored him. "Where are Phoebe and Paige?" She asked Prue, trying to search them out despite the crowd.
Mr. Barker pointed at Piper. "Let me guess. Piper Halliwell, right?"
Piper narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yeah, who're you?" She wondered and then glanced at Prue, who obviously knew who he was. "Who is he?" She pressed. Piper sensed from Prue's reaction that she wasn't going to like it.
Prue opened her mouth to answer but Barker beat her to it. "The name's Chris Barker and I'm gonna be taking everything over from here on out." He explained, offering his hand to shake with Piper.
"Wait, what?" Piper demanded, her jaw dropping slightly. Needless to say, she ignored his outstretched hand.
"Prue, Piper, we've got to talk." Darryl stated after pushing past Barker without a second thought. Andy offered Barker a glare after he recognized the other man and Barker did the same. They seemed to be sizing each other up.
Piper barely cast Darryl a glance. "Not now." She replied.
"Andy!" Prue called, attempting to avoid a bar fight between her fiancé and Barker. She hastily ran forward and grabbed Andy's arm.
Mr. Barker seemed to realize what irked Andy and gave Prue an appraising look before addressing Piper. "I'd be willing to discuss you staying on. However, in a diminished capacity, of course." He offered.
Phoebe and Paige dashed up to the small group and stood between Prue and Piper. "Jenny's here with Carlton." Phoebe announced.
"What?" Prue demanded.
"Jenny's here?" Piper repeated in disbelief.
"And security busted the potion." Paige added, pointing down at her ruined over-skirt.
Glen walked up to join the sisters and eyed the rest of the group warily. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige looked close to panicking, Prue was struggling to keep up with their conversation and with Andy. Andy appeared as if he was losing patience with Barker and Darryl was obviously growing impatient as he also split his attention between the sisters and his partner. "Paige, what are you doing?" Glen asked, unable to see what was keeping her from him for so long.
"Uh…" Paige started but was cut off by Darryl growing fed up.
"Trudeau, get a hold of yourself." Darryl snapped, pointedly stepping between Andy and Barker. His gaze however rested on Piper. "This is important." He insisted.
Barker turned his attention to Darryl. "Yeah, wait in line, pal." He interrupted, pushing Darryl back.
Darryl pulled out his police mark and shoved it in Barker's face. "Hey, why don't you step to the back."
Paige threw her hands in the air. "Alright, you guys, this is getting ridiculous." She exclaimed. She spun and pointed at Glen, Darryl, and Andy. "You three wait here and don't move." She ordered and then glared at Mr. Barker. "Take a hike, buddy." Paige hissed.
Barker glared at Paige for trying to order him around. "Sorry, princess, but I own this place. I'm not go…"
"Not yet you don't." Andy interrupted.
"Paige…" Glen tried again to gain her attention while giving Barker an angry look for talking to her the way he had been.
Freeze them. Prue thought, abruptly dropping her mental barrier so that Piper jumped in surprise.
Piper, however, understood. "Alright, everybody hold it." She yelled and flicked her wrists. The entire club froze, Andy included as he hadn't been paying attention and wasn't prepared to absorb it.
Phoebe was the first to break the resulting silence as she saw Carlton and Jenny frozen just outside the door to the back. "Look." Phoebe pointed them out.
The three other sisters immediately obeyed. "Oh my god." Prue exclaimed when she saw them.
"Oh my god." Piper echoed and they all took off through the frozen crowd to try and get to Jenny and Carlton.
Halfway there, the club unfroze and Jenny and Carlton disappeared into the back while the sisters continued to race through the place. "Freeze them again." Phoebe ordered to Piper. They pulled to a stop so as not to run into the now moving people.
"They're through the door." Piper snapped. She pushed past her sisters and kept running after them.
Paige groaned at their luck. "Freeze this room anyway." She suggested, a plan forming in her head. Piper didn't wait to think about it and just did as she was told. Without a second to waste, Paige orbed out, hoping to be able to grab Jenny before Masselin got her.
"Oh! Oh! After her." Prue declared, picking up the pace.
"Damn it, Paige." Phoebe grumbled under her breath.
~PO4~
Carlton roughly threw Jenny into the back office and shut the door behind her. Jenny glared at the now shut door. "Hey!" She protested his roughness before taking in the room. She heard creaking noises around her so Jenny spun in a circle looking for the culprit. "Hello?" Jenny called. Masselin appeared behind her and she let out a terrified scream as he advanced.
Bright lights lit up the room as Paige orbed in. "Jenny!" She yelled, reaching for the teenager but didn't make it as Masselin swallowed Jenny. Paige stared in stunned silence before cursing and orbing out just as Masselin turned to her.
~PO4~
"Move it! Move it!" Piper ordered to anyone that got in her way before she successfully made it through the back door.
"Wait. Hold it. Stop!" Prue called after her. Prue stopped quickly when Piper reluctantly turned back to face her.
Piper appeared slightly frustrated. "Jenny's in there!" She insisted, pointing frantically at the door.
"Yeah, but we can't kill Masselin without the potion." Prue pointed out.
"Well, we can't just stand here. She's gonna die!" Piper snapped.
Prue stepped up to Piper and took her hands and lowered her voice in a soothing manner. "Paige is already in there. If anyone's going to get Jenny before the demon, it's her. The best thing for them is to have a plan as soon as Paige gets back." Prue returned while pushing a strand of Piper's hair away from her sister's face.
Before anymore could be said, Carlton opened the door, only to find three of the sisters blocking his only way out. Quite frankly, none of them looked particularly happy with him. Prue narrowed her eyes and Carlton was thrown back into the wall where he landed unceremoniously among some boxed items. Prue glared at him as she dropped down next to him. "Help us." She ordered.
"He'll kill me. He'll burn the flesh off my bones for all eternity." Carlton argued. He pushed as far back into the wall as he could to get away from them.
Piper was fed up. She leaned down over him, her eyes threatening. "Listen up, skid mark. You tell us how to save Jenny and get Elvis out of the building or spending an eternity in hell is gonna be the least of your worries." She promised him.
"There's nothing you can do." Carlton answered.
"We can break the pact and free you from Masselin." Prue promised.
Paige orbed in behind them, causing Carlton to jump from his position on the floor. "Do we have a plan?" She demanded as soon as she was corporeal.
Piper looked back at her hopefully but Jenny was obviously not with her. "We're about to." Piper replied, turning her withering gaze back to Carlton.
"Believe me, if I could help you, I would. But if you go in there he's gonna swallow you whole and you'll still be alive." Carlton warned.
Piper thought about that a moment. "That's not a bad idea." She decided.
"Huh?" Phoebe asked, looking at a disbelieving Prue and a just-as-confused Paige.
Piper spun to face Paige. "Where's the demon?" Piper questioned emotionlessly.
Paige pointed behind her to the office door. "He's inside. He comes from the walls." She explained hesitantly.
"I got a plan." Piper announced without a moment to spare. Paige tilted her head to the side, Phoebe raised an eyebrow, Prue just shook her head in disbelief. "We get eaten." She finished.
Phoebe's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, we get what?" Phoebe repeated as a question.
"And once we're inside, Prue, you use your power to blow him up." Piper continued as if Phoebe hadn't spoken. She glanced back at Paige. "Or Paige can orb us out." She added as an afterthought.
"From the inside?" Prue asked for clarification. Even though it wasn't all that necessary.
"Mm hmm…" Piper agreed.
Phoebe shook her head hastily. "Who's to say that we won't lose our powers once we get in there? Maybe that's exactly what he wants." She pointed out.
"In that case, I hope Andy's smart enough not to get himself eaten trying to get us out." Paige commented in an attempt to lighten the mood.
It went unappreciated as Prue frowned at the very thought. She decided to ignore it and respond to Phoebe's remark. "Yeah, well, we don't really have a choice, Phoebe. The poison pill is gone." Prue argued her logic.
Phoebe's gaze shifted to Paige's over-skirt. "Is it?" She wondered, pointing down at the large stain. A plan formed in her head that she personally thought was better than Piper's. "Back up." She ordered suddenly.
"Phoebe, what are you…" Piper started as she backed away from the door as her sister had asked.
Without waiting to answer, Phoebe kicked the door so that it flew open and led the way inside. Paige was right behind her and Piper and Prue quickly followed as they figured out what she was thinking. Masselin appeared from the wall and pulled his cloak back to reveal the tortured innocents. "It's time to join your friends, witches." Masselin stated.
The sisters stared in disbelief and disgust as they could see Jenny inside the demon. Masselin advanced on them the same moment Prue followed Phoebe's gaze to Paige's over-skirt. She waved her hand, telekinetically pulling the over-skirt off and threw it into Masselin. Masselin writhed in agony as his flesh began to stretch because of the potion.
Mr. Barker rounded the corner, having come to investigate what the sisters were up to and then hearing the noise as the demon stand-off took place. "What is going on back here?" He demanded but then froze where he stood. His jaw dropped as he stared at Masselin.
Masselin's skin finally stretched to the breaking point and he exploded. Green demon goo splattered through the room. Paige orbed her and her sisters out so that it flew through them while Barker wasn't so lucky. The impact of it all hitting him, sent him flying back out of the room and covered with the stuff. The innocents were left safely on the floor.
Andy ran into the back and paused upon seeing Barker covered in green goo but didn't spare him a minute as he ran into the office. "Prue?" He called and then sighed in relief as he saw all four Halliwell sisters seemingly okay. Not to mention the innocents. "Everyone okay?" He asked, much calmer than he had been a moment previous.
"No worries. We're fine, Andy." Phoebe assured him.
Piper and Prue were busy running over to help Jenny. "Jenny! We gotta get her home." Piper stated worriedly. Together they pulled the disoriented teenager to her feet. Paige offered her hand to a couple of the other victims. The sisters ushered all the innocents toward the door where Andy waited.
Darryl came to stand next to his partner. "Prue, what's going on here? Someone wanna clue me in?" Darryl pressed despite the nervous looks he sent at the green goo.
"You guys are arresting a kidnapper." Prue answered, grabbing Carlton less than gently and thrusting him at Andy. Andy immediately pulled his handcuffs out and pulled Carlton's wrists behind him.
"And rescuing his victims." Phoebe added as the innocents filed out and stood around Darryl with uncertain looks around them. Phoebe patted Darryl lightly on the chest in congratulations. "Good job."
Darryl glanced at Prue and his partner. "Trust me. That's all you wanna know." Prue insisted.
"Maybe you could get them a cup of coffee." Paige suggested while pointing to all the shaken victims.
"I guess that's all I need to know." Darryl decided to himself before nodding to Paige. "I'll see what I can do." He agreed. He ushered the women out of the now-crowded backstage area.
"This should look good on the old record." Andy offered lightly to which Darryl could only chuckle in agreement. Andy pushed Carlton out after the women.
Prue let everyone pass so that she was left alone with Barker. She kneeled down next to him and he looked up at her with a stunned expression as he looked at the goo that covered him. "Mr. Barker…. Here's what you need to know. This place is ours. The ups, the downs, the good, and especially the bad. It's all ours. Now, if you ever bother us again, you won't have to ask if I'm threatening you. Are we clear?" She warned with a note of finality in her voice. Mr. Barker could only nod a little in acknowledgement after the display of magic that he had just seen. "Good." Prue stated. She offered him a nod before she hurried out after everyone else.
~PO4~
Glen smirked and laid down his cards for the final hand against Phoebe. Phoebe's jaw dropped and she stared at him silently, effectively allowing Glen's smile to grow. "A straight flush? You have to be kidding." She exclaimed. He shook his head and Phoebe threw her cards on the table with a huff. "You cheated." Phoebe accused.
"Actually he did." Paige announced with a soft laugh.
"Paige." Glen whined, lightly punching her on the arm for betraying him.
Phoebe glared playfully at him. "I knew it. I would have beat you!"
"But you didn't. So I'm still undefeated." Glen returned with an air of confidence.
Paige rolled her eyes and grabbed Glen's hand. "Come on, let's go dance. It's not like you get to see Dishwalla every day." She pressed.
Phoebe gave Glen one more mock glare before following Glen and Paige onto the floor. Phoebe veered away from them and joined Prue and Piper at the front while Glen and Paige danced together among the crowd. Sometime during the night, Andy got off work and stole Prue away to the dance floor. By the end, all four sisters and Andy and Glen had retreated to table where they laughed, drank, and enjoyed the Dishwalla performance to the very end.
The Halliwell Manor (A/N: Finally made it away from the club!)
Piper was seated at one of the tables in the Solarium where all the expenses were laid out. She pulled the last check to her and signed her name before leaning back with a sigh of relief.
"Paying bills?" Prue guessed, joining her at the table with a cup of coffee. Phoebe skipped after Prue and dropped into the seat next to her and Paige took the last seat at the table.
Piper smiled at them and nodded. "Every last one. For this month at least." She agreed.
"Thanks to Leo." Phoebe couldn't help but point out. Piper narrowed her eyes dangerously in Phoebe's direction. "Well, technically if it wasn't for him, you would've never landed Dishwalla." Phoebe argued against Piper's silent anger.
"I suppose." Piper allowed, albeit grudgingly. "And technically, if we hadn't vanquished a demon, your client, Chris Barker, wouldn't have abandoned his hostile takeover." She continued, putting her sisters on the defensive this time. Prue avoided eye contact by looking sheepishly down at the table, Phoebe wrinkled her nose at being caught, and Paige just guiltily bit her lip. "The bank called and told me Mr. Barker didn't have the stomach for gruesome stage theatrics. He's withdrawing his offer." Piper explained.
"Well, that's kinda good, even though, I'll have you know, I would have personally made sure he couldn't steal the club had he not withdrawn." Paige offered
Prue nodded enthusiastically in agreement but she stopped upon catching Piper's eye. "I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely.
"He was just supposed to help. We didn't expect a double cross." Phoebe insisted.
"It's okay. I mean, I understand why you didn't want to hurt my feelings but you could have just told me the truth." Piper scolded with a pointed glance at Prue.
Prue put on her best puppy face. "I said I was sorry." She mumbled dejectedly in her cutesy voice.
"We're sorry." Phoebe repeated.
"Very." Paige added for good measure.
Piper smiled slightly though it was kind of sad. "It's just dawning on me that personal relationships and business don't mix well at all." She admitted.
Paige frowned, inwardly debating whether to speak or stay quiet. "Piper…" She paused and waited until Piper looked up at her. Prue and Phoebe were waiting curiously now too. "What about Leo?" Paige asked.
"I just need to talk to him." Piper answered cryptically. "Figure some stuff out but I don't know yet." She went on. The doorbell rang and Piper stood up from her chair. "I got it." She offered, heading for the front door.
Prue waited until Piper was out of hearing range before she glanced over at Phoebe and Paige. "Why were you guys trying to blame it all on me?" She questioned in a dramatically hurt voice.
~PO4~
Piper pulled the front door open. She had a fleeting thought that she seemed to do this a lot but as soon as she saw Leo, her thoughts were in disarray.
"Hi." Leo greeted warily, unsure whether she was still mad at him.
Piper leaned against the door and offered him a slight smile. "Hi." She echoed. She pulled the door open farther, silently inviting him inside.
Leo returned her faint smile. "Uh, thanks. For everything." He appreciated.
"Just doing my job." She assured him. Piper appeared apologetic as soon as those words left her mouth. "Do you wanna come in? Sit down?" She offered half-hopefully.
"I'd love to." Leo admitted but his tone of voice conveyed that he couldn't.
"But you can't." Piper finished. She nodded understandably before speaking again in order to avoid an awkward silence. "We got Jenny home safe. Dan doesn't know she was at the club, but are you sure she won't remember anything?" Piper pressed.
Leo nodded confidently. "I took care of it with a little Hocus-Pocus." Leo promised her.
Piper looked relieved before eyeing Leo curiously. "So you erase memories now?" She asked.
"No, I make pain go away. When I can… sometimes, I can't, no matter how hard I try." Leo corrected, sounding upset that at times he was unable to help.
Piper hesitated a smile gracing her features, knowing that he cared so much. "And Masselin's other victims?" She steered the conversation to something more neutral than her thoughts at the moment.
"They'll be fine. No memories of Masselin or Carlton." He assured her.
"Good." Piper whispered.
They fell silent, Piper looking anywhere than at Leo while Leo watched Piper uncertainly. Leo was the one to break the silence. "Piper, did you mean what you said?" Leo inquired.
Piper tilted her head the side. "When?"
"Couple of months ago, when I almost died and you saved my life. Right before… right before I was captured. I left and you said… that you loved me." Leo clarified, nervously awaiting her answer.
Piper appeared a little surprised. "I thought you were gone." She pointed out.
Leo smiled sheepishly. "Well, sometimes I linger." He admitted. His smile faded quickly as he listened for an answer. "Did you mean it?" Leo repeated.
"Yeah, I meant it." Piper answered. She couldn't help herself, after a moment she laughed softly. "You… you linger?" Piper emphasized in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Leo ignored her question. "What about now?" He wondered.
Piper sighed and nodded again. "I still mean it…" She trailed off.
"But…" Leo pressed.
"But we can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this. I feel like all I've done is wait around for you to show up. For the longest time, you didn't…" She started. Leo opened his mouth to object but she held a hand out to silence him. "… I know it wasn't your fault now but they took advantage of it. And then when you show up now… it's just never quite right." Piper explained softly.
"Well, I'm just… I'm doing what I thought you wanted me to do, Piper. You're the one who didn't want me to clip my wings." Leo pointed out.
Piper closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Leo. "And you shouldn't. Not for me." She insisted and then let out a sigh. "But that doesn't make it any easier for us." Piper continued.
"What are we gonna do?" Leo asked dejectedly.
Piper shook her head slowly. "I don't know, Leo." She admitted softly. Leo fell silent as he heard the jingle that told him the Elders were calling for him. Piper seemed to sense his attention change. "Go, its okay. I understand." She promised.
Leo leaned forward and kissed her gently before reluctantly pulling away. "I'll see you." He whispered. Piper nodded to him and Leo orbed out.
Piper stared at the place where he had been for several moments after he had gone. Deciding that she wasn't ready to face her sisters and their pestering questions, she went outside for some air. Piper allowed her gaze to stray over her neighborhood and she saw Dan getting his mail from his mailbox. He looked up at that moment and their eyes met. She waved slightly and he smiled and waved back. Piper smirked to herself and walked out of his sight toward her door. She gave him a few moments to go inside before racing out across the porch and peeking at him one last time as the door shut. She nodded to herself and retreated inside.
