A/N: Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed!
I wasn't sure if Bella's ability - which is called 'Agility' - would be well-received. It's an actual power in the Charmed universe. If any of you remember the empath episode in season 3 when Prue fought Vinceres, the demon who had been cursed previously before she intercepted, Prue could suddenly move at a speed and grace she didn't have prior to receiving empathic powers and she could fight way better than she could before. Prue's Agility in that episode was fuelled by her telekinesis and her temporary empathic powers, of course, but Bella's is purely her own.
If 'Agility' still confuses you (I'm not sure I'm explaining it right to begin with), then just go to the Charmed Wiki page and look it up there. They have a page dedicated to it.
Please enjoy this next chapter and review to tell me what you think. Thank you once again, I appreciate every review I've received for this story.
Disclaimer: Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.
Piper had just left Quake, and her nerves were still rattled. Chef Moore had absolutely loved the pasta she had made, but what had occurred in the kitchen with Chef Moore freezing so strangely was too unsettling.
Knowing that it was in no way normal - and wasn't some sort of a joke by the Frenchman, either, as Piper had checked by 'subtly' referencing the awkward moment once she had gotten the job - she knew that there was only one person she could talk to about what she suspected had happened in the kitchen.
The moment she was out of the restaurant, Piper had quickly made her way towards the nearest phone booth. Dialing the familiar number to the manor, Piper waited impatiently for Phoebe to answer. "Phoebe, answer the phone," she muttered to herself. She knew Phoebe had to be at home. With Prue, herself and Bella gone for the day, Phoebe had mentioned wanting to stay at home, relax and take the time to catch up on some much-needed rest. "Answer the phone."
The phone continued to ring, uninterrupted, and too impatient, Piper hung up. I'll just go home right now, she decided. Maybe it's better to have this conversation face-to-face, anyway.
Turning around, Piper pushed open the door to the phone booth and exited. She wasn't looking where she was headed, however, her eyes fixed to the floor as her mind reeled over the day's surprising events and everything that had happened last night. As a result, she completely missed the fact that her boyfriend, Jeremy, was standing right in front of her until she bumped into him.
She let out a small shriek of surprise when she bumped into a solid body, her paranoia acting up. "Oh, God, Jeremy!" she gasped, one hand pressed to a racing heart as she recognized Jeremy's face. "You scared me."
"I-I can see," he gave her a concerned smile. "I'm sorry. You okay?"
"Yeah, now I am," Piper replied sincerely, feeling some of her earlier apprehension melting away at his comforting, familiar presence. "I really am. Um…What are you doing here?" she asked, looking around. The paranoia was starting to creep back in.
"Well, I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you on your new job," he replied with an easy smile.
Piper smiled back, her anxiety dissolving completely. "You're always surprising me," she said fondly. "How did you know?"
He shrugged. "You prepared your specialty," he answered as though this was reason enough for her to get a job at one of the best restaurants in town. "And anyone who's ever sampled your work can truly see how talented you are."
Giving him a coy smile, Piper placed both her hands in his and allowed him to pull her near. "I get so turned on when you talk about food," she told him playfully.
He smiled. "Hot dogs…Hamburgers…" he murmured in a low, teasingly seductive voice. Pulling her even closer so that their lips were almost pressed against one another, he whispered into her mouth, "Pizza…"
She stifled a smile as she leaned up and kissed him, all thoughts of her stressful interview and the impossible, inhuman feat she'd managed to do thrown out of her head.
After Piper had left for the day, Phoebe had gone back into the house. She considered getting something from the kitchen for breakfast but she was far too tired to feel much hunger. Deciding to get some sleep in to make up for staying up all of last night, Phoebe trudged upstairs to her bedroom, turned on the TV for some background noise and curled underneath the covers. She fell asleep ten minutes into watching a mindless daytime soap.
She woke up a few hours later and was surprised to find that it was already past lunchtime. "I guess I was more tired than I thought I was," she mused to herself. Swiping a hand down her face, Phoebe stifled a yawn. Climbing out of bed, she decided on a shower before heading downstairs for some lunch.
They didn't have anything she could whip up to the best of her culinary abilities, like instant noodles, but tons of fresh produce.
She knew that Piper must have taken over all mealtime duties ever since Grams had passed away. A small pang of guilt hit her as she remembered Bella's emails during her time in New York, telling her stories about the family that were sad even when they weren't supposed to be, the young girl still grief stricken over losing their family's matriarch.
Shaking the sadness off, Phoebe reminded herself that she had needed the time away from San Francisco. Things at home had gotten too tense and Grams' death had only served as the push Phoebe had needed to get on the road. Bella had understood that, even if she hadn't liked it.
Grabbing some cereal and a large slice of leftover homemade pie Bella had obviously made (she couldn't cook to save her life but she'd grown up bonding with Grams and Piper in the kitchen whipping up desserts to satisfy her sweet tooth), Phoebe sat in front of the TV and channel-surfed as she ate.
There was only so much mind-numbing TV a person could watch, even Phoebe, and she found herself turning it off halfway through a badly acted show with horrible dialogue and too-predictable plots. Throwing the remote almost violently on the couch next to her with a disgusted scowl, Phoebe slumped back against the cushions, wondering what she could else she could do to entertain herself until Bella, at least, came back home.
I wonder if she's still taking martial arts lessons, Phoebe mused to herself. A glance at the clock read it was nearing four. She must be. She would be home by now if she wasn't.
She sighed, before a thought occurred to her. Her eyes drifted towards the stairs and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she considered.
I've got nothing else to do, she reasoned. And there's nothing wrong just reading in my head, is there? Prue seemed very intent on ignoring this, and it's not like Piper and Bella are jumping up and down to learn more. Maybe I should learn as much as I could in case we ever need the information…
It only took her a moment to think it over before she was jumping up from the couch and racing up the stairs to the attic. The Book was right where she had left it - inside the trunk where Prue had stashed it last night. She didn't want to risk her sisters, especially Prue, coming up here for whatever reason and realizing that the Book was out in the open. Prue would be even angrier than she already was.
Picking up where she had left off in the early morning, Phoebe begun reading about the terrifying existence of warlocks and the reason they existed in the first place - to steal witches' powers by killing them, and moving up the food chain.
She was so absorbed in her reading, hunched over as she sat on top of the chest lid like she had the night before with Bella by her side, losing track of time. When she straightened up to give her tired eyes a rest, she winced at the soreness of her back and the tiny 'crack' she had heard from her bones.
Glancing at her wristwatch, Phoebe's eyebrows raised to her hairline. It had been over an hour since she had been reading. Feeling too exhausted to continue, Phoebe closed the heavy book on her lap and carefully placed it back in the trunk.
Stretching, Phoebe slowly made her way down the stairs. A quick peek out the window and at the empty driveway told her none of her sisters were back. Deciding that it was best if she got out of the house and get some fresh air, Phoebe shrugged on her jacket and headed out of the house. A detour into the garage made her smile triumphantly when she found her old bike. After making sure that it was still safe to ride on, Phoebe climbed on the bike and rode out onto the pavement.
This was a good idea, Phoebe thought to herself as she rode down the street. She could already feel her head clearing up. Thoughts of the very real possibility of magic being a part of their lives, of her mangled relationship with Prue, of how she still felt lost despite everything that had happened to her in the past six months…All of those flew out the window as she allowed herself to get lost in the serene feeling of just riding on her bike without a care in the world, the wind gently blowing through her hair.
Peace didn't last long, however, as she was suddenly struck by a flood of images in her mind. Her body tensed, a gasp escaping her lips as moving pictures begun to form in her head; images of events she had never witnessed happening, involving people she had never before seen in her life.
Two teenage boys were joking around with one another as they skated down the street on their roller skates. They were too preoccupied to notice the car approaching them until it was too late. The panicked driver, unable to stop in time, honks to warn them. They looked up, shouting when they saw the car heading straight for them, but it was too late to stop for them and the car. The car hit them head on and both boys were hit as they crashed into the moving vehicle. They lurched forward, to the side of the car, obviously hurt as they collapsed.
Phoebe blinked a few times to rid herself of the horrifying mental image her mind had just drug up. What the hell was that? She wondered to herself. Man, I must be going insane…
Just as she dismissed the bizarre mini movie that had just played in her mind, she caught sight of the black car that she had just pictured in her mind. She stared at it in disbelief. No, that can't be it, she tried to reason. I mean, there are a lot of black sedans like that in San Francisco. It's a coincidence…Isn't it?
She rode her bike a little further, past some bushes, and her eyes widened when she saw the same two teenage boys she had seen in her mind's eye a few seconds ago. They were wearing the same clothes, joking around in the same manner they had been in her 'vision' and they were on roller skates, as well.
Vision, Phoebe started. No way. Maybe I got the power of premonition!
She started getting excited for a moment before realizing that if that were true, then everything that she had just 'Seen' was about to happen. Those two boys were about to get hit by a car. As it were, they were heading straight towards the path of the moving car.
"No!" she shouted, fearing for them. "Wait!"
Without thinking of her own safety, Phoebe leaned forward and pushed the pedals of her bike faster, speeding towards the direction of the would-be collision. Riding past the startled teenagers, who managed to halt in time to avoid crashing into her, she swerved in front of the car, falling onto her side in the middle of the road as she lost her balance. The black car swerved, as well, to avoid hitting her and, in the process, managed to miss hitting the two boys.
Although the pain in her side was excruciating, Phoebe found herself feeling glad that the two boys were fine and oddly prideful for having stopped an accident from happening. Once she had registered that everyone was okay, the adrenaline started to recede and the pain started to get a little more unbearable.
The black car screeched to a stop a few feet away from where Phoebe had fallen and the driver quickly got out of his vehicle. The boys and the driver rushed to Phoebe's aid, all blissfully unaware of the much larger tragedy that would've happened had it not been for her interference.
When Prue came to pick her up at five thirty, Bella was no less confused than she had been hours ago back at the school running tracks.
"Hey," Bella greeted her sister as she slipped into the passenger seat of Prue's Mazda. She twisted around in her seat to place her school bag and her duffel in the backseat. Her eyebrows drew together at the boxes full of things already occupying part of the backseat. She threw her bags next to the boxes then turned back around to face the front. "What's with the boxes?" she asked, twisting open the cap of her water bottle.
Prue gave Bella a proud little smile. "I quit my job," she stated happily.
Bella choked on her drink. Coughing and spluttering, she rasped out, red-faced, "God, that went down the wrong pipe…"
Prue, after making sure her youngest sister wasn't going to choke to death in her care, started driving away from the dojo.
Bella watched incredulously as Prue drove, humming slightly to imaginary music, her fingers tapping against the steering wheel. "Okay, have you completely lost it?" Bella finally asked when they'd driven two blocks and Prue hadn't uttered another word about the meltdown that had obviously been the only reason why she would've quit her job out of the blue.
Stopping at a red light, Prue gave Bella a bewildered look. "What?"
"Prue, you quit your job," Bella said slowly, as though Prue didn't grasp what this meant. "This means that you can't go back in tomorrow and go into your office and start authenticating stuff or whatever lame thing it is you do there."
Prue scowled slightly. "I know," she answered, choosing to ignore the last part of Bella's rant. "I just…I walked in on Roger stealing an exhibit from right under me."
Bella's eyes flared in anger. "And you decided to let him walk all over you?" she asked disapprovingly. "That was your idea of payback? Quitting on him and letting him take credit for work you've done?"
Prue knew Bella's indignation stemmed from two reasons - firstly, Bella had always hated Roger. Even before the whole Phoebe fiasco, Bella had never been a fan of the man. She'd told Prue time and time again that Roger was a 'slime ball' but Prue had never believed her. After all, she had been about thirteen when Prue and Roger had decided to get together. What could a thirteen year old girl know more about love and relationships than her, Prue had thought naively.
Secondly, Bella was a feminist. She loved being a strong, independent, tough chick who would gladly - figuratively and literally - beat anyone who tried to do her wrong. She had always been happy that they'd grown up in a female-dominated household. While Piper and Phoebe - and on very rare, never-spoken-of moments, Prue as well - had wondered from time to time what it would be like if their father had stuck around, Bella had never been curious about how different things would be if Victor had never left or if her own unnamed, unknown father had chosen to be in the picture. She strongly held on to the belief that what men could do, women could do better.
"No," Prue sighed, a little exasperated already. Bella was a stubborn arguer. If she got started, it'd take hours for her to wind down even just a little. Grams used to say that it was the same for each sister - they just refused to see it. "I just…Didn't see the point in staying anymore, Bella."
Bella's immediate witty comeback died on her lips when she caught the slightly saddened edge in her sister's voice. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
Prue shrugged. "You know, before today…I don't really know what I was expecting, considering everything that happened, but I guess a part of me was hopeful," she said carefully. As good as it felt to finally admit all of this, she had to remember that she wasn't talking to Piper, but to a young teenager who believed she was older than she really was. It wouldn't do to reveal too much of the gory details to her. "But today, he was trying to pull a fast one over me, stealing an exhibit that I've slaved over for months…And it just hit me. Everything about my job there - including him - sucked. I didn't have a reason to stay."
"And Roger?" Bella asked, her voice softer but still with a steely edge in it. "He's gonna just get away with it?"
Prue shrugged, a slightly sly smile on her lips. "Well, he's got over seventy discs and hundreds of files to sort through for the exhibit," she grinned at Bella. "Let's see how he enjoys actually doing the work himself."
"You think he's gonna fail?"
"Epically."
Bella eyed her sister for a few long moments with narrowed eyes before reaching over to pat her leg. "You might have some of my evil in you," she grinned, back to her old exuberant self.
Prue chuckled, shaking her head. She opened her mouth to comment but all of a sudden, the sharp ring of her cell phone pierced the air. Not recognizing the number, Prue pulled over on the side of the road before answering her cell. She didn't always remember to do that, nor did it always matter to her, but Bella would be starting Driver's Ed soon enough and she wanted to set a good example for her baby sister. If she didn't, then who would?
"Hello?" she said into the phone as she answered the call. "Yes, this is Prue Halliwell. What!"
Bella turned to look at Prue, a frown settling on her lips as she heard the startled tone and saw the worried shadow on the older woman's face.
"Is she alright?" Prue asked, and Bella begun to panic.
'She', Bella could only assume, had to have meant either Piper or Phoebe. Were one of her sisters injured somehow? Irrationally, her mind flashed back to last night, when she and Phoebe had been perusing the Book of Shadows, and the drawings of scary looking monsters had decorated the edges of pages in the book.
Almost immediately, she swatted away the thought. Now isn't the time, Bella, she chided herself. Piper or Phoebe could be hurt. I can't be thinking of magical powers and imaginary beings.
Is it imaginary, though? Another sneakier voice drifted to the forefront of her mind. Think back to everything you did today. Every impossible thing. Isn't it even the slightest bit possible…?
"Alright. Yeah, I'll be there," Prue sighed as she hung up.
Bella snapped back to reality. Concerned eyes rest on Prue. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
Prue nodded. "Phoebe got into a little accident," she said. Seeing the fear flashing across Bella's face, she quickly added, "Everything's fine. She just has a minor concussion. They called me because, apparently, I'm still listed as her emergency contact. Is it okay if we swing by the hospital to pick her up?"
"Uh - yeah!" Bella said in a tone that told Prue she was crazy for even asking. "Step on it. I wanna make sure Phoebe's really okay…But not too fast because us getting into an accident right now would be pretty ironic."
Prue rolled her eyes as she pulled away from the curb.
They made it to the hospital in an hour, twice as long as it would've taken had it not been for rush hour traffic. By the time they approached the receptionist's desk, the sun had already set, the sky as dark as night outside.
Bella walked next to Prue, uncharacteristically quiet. Prue didn't give it much thought, assuming that she was just worried about Phoebe. "Hi," Prue greeted the nurse behind the counter. "Um, I'm looking for my sister, Phoebe Halliwell."
Bella glared slightly at Prue. "We're looking for her," she corrected, a slight hint of indignation in her tone.
Prue had to smile - Bella had never been fond of being left out of anything. In the event that she was made to feel left out, she'd do her best to make sure others knew she was still 'in the loop'. She was sure Bella's hatred for being left out of anything had something to do with the fact that her sisters were all much older than she was. Even Phoebe, the youngest next to Bella, was almost seven years her senior. Bella hated being the baby in the family, after all.
The nurse nodded. "One second, please," she said to them. Turning to the person who had been there before the two sisters - a man with his back turned from Prue and Bella - she asked, "What's the name again?"
"Inspector Andrew Trudeau," the man replied, and Prue and Bella started, sharing a shocked look. "Homicide. Dr. Gordon's expecting me."
The nurse turned and left, presumably to find Dr. Gordon, and Bella nudged Prue in the side to encourage her to approach her old childhood sweetheart. Prue threw Bella a small glare without any heat in it, which Bella smirked at in response, and called out, "Andy?"
Andy spun around, startled, and his eyes lit up when he caught sight of Prue. "Prue?" he grinned. She smiled back at him, her eyes taking him in as a pang of nostalgia hit her heart. "I don't believe it. How are you?"
"I'm good," she replied instantly. "How are you?"
"I'm, uh, fine," he murmured, still sounding awed. "Just can't believe I'm running into you."
Bella cleared her throat and when Andy finally managed to tear his eyes away from Prue to glance her way, she quirked an eyebrow, cocked her hip and rested her hand on it. "What am I, chopped liver?" she asked sarcastically. "I get that you two have to have the sexual tension thing going but give a sister some love, too, Andy."
Andy laughed nervously while Prue blushed, throwing Bella another glare. "Bella, hey," Andy smiled warmly at the girl he had known since she was a tiny baby. "Wow…You look so different."
Bella smirked. "Well, I hope so," she drawled. "The last time you saw me, I was seven. I'd be concerned if I hadn't changed."
Andy smiled as Bella stepped forward, and accepted her brief hug. "You look really good," Andy complimented her.
Bella shook out her long, flowing tresses and put on a mock snotty voice as she replied, "I'm gorgeous." At Andy's chuckle, she added in her normal voice, "But you should probably save all the smooth talk for Prue."
Prue openly glowered at Bella now. "Bella!" she hissed.
Bella rolled her eyes but shut her mouth, pouting slightly now that she couldn't have fun at her sister's expense.
Prue and Andy turned their attention back to one another. "So…What are you guys doing here?" Andy asked, eyebrows crinkling slightly in worry. "Is everything okay?"
Prue nodded. "Yeah, we're, uh, picking up Phoebe," she explained. "She had some sort of accident."
Andy frowned. "Is she going to be okay?"
"Uh, yeah, she'll be fine," Prue said dismissively. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her sister with her ex-boyfriend.
Bella glowered a little at Prue. "We don't know that," she reminded Prue.
Prue threw her a glare, silently telling Bella to be quiet and allow her this reunion. When Bella huffed, crossed her arms underneath her breasts and looked away - her version of 'fine, I'll behave' even if the defiant scowl on her face hadn't disappeared - Prue turned back to Andy with a smile. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" she asked him.
Andy, who had been watching the sisters interact in amusement, was startled back to reality. The grin on his face slipped into a somber frown as he answered, "Uh…Murder investigation." The reminder of the loss of human life that had led him to the hospital in the first place made him feel guilty for being so lighthearted, but Prue's abrupt reappearance in his life had placed him on a momentary high, enough that he'd forgotten why he was there at the hospital at nearly seven at night.
They were interrupted by the admitting nurse who returned to the desk with news for all three of them. Addressing Prue and Bella, she said, "Your sister's still in x-ray, so it'll be another fifteen minutes." Turning her head, she spoke to Andy next, "Dr. Gordon's office is to the left and down the hall. He's with a patient right now, but you're free to wait outside his office."
"Thank you," Andy nodded.
Prue and Bella echoed his sentiment.
The two past lovers turned to look at each other once more, shy smiles back as they shared fond looks. "Well…It was good seeing you, Prue," Andy said finally, not knowing what else to say. He wanted to say something more, not having realized just how much he missed her until he'd seen her again.
Prue nodded, trying not to let her disappointment show in her expression or her voice as she smiled and took his hand for a shake. "Yeah, you too, Andy," she smiled coyly. "Take care."
Bella stared at the two of them in disbelief. "That's it!" she blurted out without a second thought.
It was common knowledge in their family that Bella was born without a mental filter. Pretty much most things she said were her true opinions and, even if they were harsh, she had no trouble letting it out. Piper, the kind-hearted, conflict-avoiding sister, often had to remind Bella to be tactful. 'Tact,' Bella had scoffed. 'Is just another form of lying. And I don't lie.'
"Are you kidding me? You haven't seen each other in nearly a decade and two minutes worth of meaningless chit-chat is all you've got?" She rolled her eyes, "That's the lamest reunion ever."
"Bella," Prue scolded her, shooting a mortified look Andy's way.
Andy chuckled, shaking his head. He remembered Bella being the bluntest person he had ever met, even at the young age of seven. Glad to see that hasn't changed, he thought to himself. "You know, she's right," he interrupted Prue's reprimand. "Phoebe's busy. Dr. Gordon's busy…Can I buy you a bad cup of coffee while we wait?"
Prue smiled, ducking her head slightly as a faint blush formed on her cheeks. "Sure," she nodded. She was just about to follow Andy towards the vending machines when she remembered Bella. Her eyes drifted to her youngest sister who was leaning against the receptionist's desk, arms folded across her chest and a smug smile on her lips. "Oh, wait…"
Bella rolled her eyes, understanding Prue's hesitance even if she hated the reason why. "Prue, I'm not a child anymore," she scolded gently. "I can handle staying right here for fifteen minutes while you two catch up and lock lips."
Prue's blush getting more prominent - an inherent trait in the family that affected Piper the most amongst the four sisters - she shared an embarrassed glance with Andy before turning her head to glower at Bella. "We're not…" she shook her head, trailing off. "Never mind. Are you going to wander off?"
Bella huffed. "It's a hospital," she pointed out. "Where would I go?"
When Prue still hesitated, Bella almost did a face-palm. "Would it make you feel better if I made up some lame excuse to leave the two of you alone?" Not giving her sister a chance to reply, Bella perked up and said in an overly cheery, too-animated voice, "Hey! There's my friend Marnie! I think I'm gonna go see why she's at the hospital, make sure everything's okay. If I'm not back in fifteen, just call me when Phoebe gets out and I'll meet you here."
Flashing another smile Andy's way, Bella spun on her heel and walked in the opposite direction of the two of them. "Freak," she muttered under her breath, stifling a smile. She knew Prue was protective but she also knew that he older sister's reluctance to leave her alone had nothing to do with Bella at all, and everything to do with her anxiety over bumping into Andy again after all these years.
Bella sighed as she stepped into another hallway. Now what am I supposed to do? She thought to herself, already bored. Spying the elevator, she perked up slightly and headed straight for it. Maybe I'll head to the gift shop and get a magazine…
Prue and Andy watched Bella leave, shy smiles on their faces as they snuck peeks at one another. "I'm sorry about her," Prue attempted to apologize once Bella was out of sight. "She's very…"
Andy nodded, not needing her to explain. "Yeah, I remember," he chuckled. He had, after all, grown up with the Halliwell sisters. Even if Bella had come in much later, he'd still known her since she was born all the way until she was seven years old. While her attitude had been much less, uh, colorful then, her personality had already been prominent.
The two of them shared a laugh which faded and turned into an awkward silence. Wanting to break it, Prue said unnecessarily, "So you're an inspector now?" This didn't surprise her whatsoever. His father had been a cop, too, and Andy had always expressed interest in following in his old man's footsteps when he was older.
Andy nodded. "What can I say? In any other city, I'd be called a detective."
"Hmm," Prue hummed. "'Inspector's' classier."
He grinned. "I'm liking it better already." They stopped in front of the nearby vending machines. Taking out some change from his pocket, Andy slipped the necessary amount into the slot.
"Your dad must be so proud," Prue said.
"Third generation," Andy cocked his head to the side. "You bet he's happy…" He raised his eyebrows at her. "How about you? You taking the world by storm?"
Prue's smile slipped slightly. "Well, I'm living back at Grams' house and, as of an hour ago, I'm looking for work," she said dourly. The feeling of euphoria she'd felt earlier for quitting her job and finally breaking free of Roger had dissipated, just as she knew it would eventually, and in the face of Andy's success in life, she felt embarrassed and out of place. She had always been an overachiever, the one sister who had a purpose she gunned towards intensely. Having to admit her recent failure in life to someone – especially someone like Andy who knew her only as the girl who strived to be the best – was humiliating.
"Oh," Andy said, not knowing what to say to that. He looked down at his shoes, knowing that Prue would hate it if he showed her an ounce of pity.
Changing the topic – fast – Prue said, "I heard you moved to Portland."
Andy smiled, pleased that she was interested enough to catch wind of snippets about his life, even after their break up. "I'm back," he shrugged. "You, uh…Still seeing Roger?" he asked, and the half-smile he wore and the gleam in his eyes told her that he was asking a silent question along with the one he voiced - he wanted to know if she was available at the moment.
Prue reeled back, blinking at him in shock. "How did you know about him?" she asked, fighting hard to keep the suspicion out of her voice. Oh, great, now Phoebe's crazed rants about how we're witches and whatever is getting to me, too, Prue thought, annoyed at herself.
"I know people."
Prue caught on to what he meant even as he tried to be evasive. She felt a slow smile start to spread on her lips. "You checked up on me?" she asked, feeling absolutely flattered.
Andy blushed slightly. Bending so he wouldn't have to meet her knowing eyes, he picked up the coffee from the vending slot. "I wouldn't call it that," he said with a shy grin and a nervous chuckle.
"What would you call it?" Prue persisted, not willing to let him off the hook so easily.
Andy returned her smile. "Uh…Inquiring minds want to know?" he tried.
Prue merely gave him a perceptive look. "You checked up on me," she stated, knowing this as a fact now.
Andy sighed and shrugged once more. "What can I say? I'm a detective," he joked. Prue smiled, understanding that he had been curious to hear about her even when they were apart, and nodded, accepting his answer.
She was about to say something else but she could hear a voice on the intercom, "Miss Halliwell, please meet your sisters at the nursing station."
She shot Andy an apologetic look. "I guess I have to go," she murmured.
Andy nodded, looking as disappointed as she felt. "Yeah, me too," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Dr. Gordon should be done soon…"
They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before stumbling through an even more awkward half-handshake, half-hug. Bidding him goodbye, Prue strode off towards the nursing station with a fiery red face, bad cup of coffee in hand.
By the time she reached the station, Phoebe and Bella were both waiting for her, standing a few feet away from the counter and talking in hushed whispers to one another. Bella noticed her first and nudged Phoebe, both of them falling silent when they saw her approaching. Prue narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the two of them.
"There you are," Bella smiled at her, though Prue could clearly see that it wasn't a genuine smile. "I told you she'd be late with Andy," she directed this at Phoebe.
Ignoring Bella's words, Prue eyed both her sisters contemplatively. "What are you two up to?" she asked suspiciously.
"We're not up to anything," Bella said in an innocent tone Prue didn't buy.
Phoebe sighed, shooting Bella a look before turning back to look at Prue. "I think we need to talk," she said, her voice serious.
Prue would've argued but Phoebe looked somber and shaken, and Bella seemed to be in the same mood as she was. Nodding, Prue agreed. I just know I'm going to regret this, Prue thought grimly as the three of them walked towards the nearest elevator.
She was proven correct barely half an hour later as she sat at the bar of the restaurant just a block away from the hospital. Bella sat on the stool in between Prue and Phoebe, an unspoken agreement for her to act as the buffer between them – something that she wasn't a fan of considering her own hot-headed temperament. The job of 'middle sister' had always been reserved for Piper who was very good at keeping conflicts to a minimum.
Phoebe had been silent on the way to the restaurant but the moment they had sat down at the bar, drinks and bowl of peanuts in front of them, Phoebe had started talking. She started by, once again, telling Prue and Bella about what she had learned of their ancestors from the Book of Shadows. She told them of Melinda Warren's prophecy, of the Charmed Ones' destiny, of the powers they were going to receive.
Then she told them of the premonition she had received earlier that had led her to her heroic act and her trip to the hospital.
While Bella stared at her contemplatively, looking as though she might just believe everything Phoebe was saying, Prue was glaring at her incredulously. "The Chosen Ones? The Charmed Ones?" she shook her head. "Phoebe, this is insane."
Phoebe leaned closer slightly. "Are you telling me that nothing strange happened to you today? You didn't freeze time or move anything without touching it or move with unexplained, supernatural grace?" she asked, desperate to convince her sister.
"Roger took an exhibit away from me," Prue said dryly, wondering if that was strange enough for Phoebe. "Alright, look, Phoebe…I know that you think that you can see the future, which is pretty ironic-"
"Since you don't think I have one?" Phoebe interrupted, anger seeping into her voice. "That my vision of life is cloudy compared to your perfect hell?"
Prue had the decency to look slightly chastised.
Phoebe relented slightly, though the hurt in her voice was still audible. "Even if you don't want to believe me, just once, can't you trust me?"
Before Prue could say anything, Bella interrupted. "I actually think Phoebe's on to something," she said, causing Prue to shift disbelieving eyes to her instead. Bella shrugged. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, Prue-"
"Because it's not possible," Prue interjected.
Bella glared at her. "Hello, I was talking here," she huffed. When Prue rolled her eyes but remained silent, Bella continued, "It's hard to imagine, but I…I did some pretty unbelievable things today. I just…I can't think of any other reason why it happened at all, unless magic was involved."
Prue was already shaking her head but Phoebe leaned her arms on the bar top, a curious expression on her face. "What things?" she asked eagerly. "What did you do?"
Bella regaled the tales of her gym class moments and the miracle that had happened at the dojo, her voice growing more and more animated as she spoke. Phoebe had an awed expression on her face as she listened but Prue still remained incredulous.
"Bella, you've always been athletic," she pointed out, annoyed, when Bella had finished.
Bella gave her a look. "Yeah, but this was different," she insisted. "I'm athletic, not Clark Kent. Prue, I ran half a mile in under a minute and a half. That wasn't normal, even for me. Everyone in my class knew it. They looked at me strange after that. Even Coach noticed – she asked if I wanted to join track."
Shaking her head, Bella insisted, "Something's different, Prue. You can try to deny it all you want but that Book of Shadows was in our house, locked up in the attic, even before Phoebe came back and found it. All the other stuff in the attic are things from our house. And we've owned the house for generations. Who else could've put it there but Grams or Mom or someone from our family?"
Phoebe was nodding at Bella's words, both of them looking at Prue anxiously as though expecting her to suddenly jump on the crazy wagon.
Shaking her head, Prue stared at them both sternly, irritated by their persistence on such a ridiculous subject. "Phoebe, Bella, I do not have special powers," she stated firmly, much to their disappointment. "Now where is the cream?"
She was shocked, her eyes growing round as she stared at the container of cream sliding slowly towards her from across the bar.
"Really?" Phoebe quipped. "That looks pretty special to me."
Bella, whose eyes were riveted to the container as well, breathed out, "Whoa…" in an awed tone of voice.
The three of them watched, wide-eyed, as the cream was magically drained from the container and appeared in the coffee in Prue's cup. The white mixed in with the dark liquid until it turned a lighter shade of brown. The cup filling to the brim, the liquid in it started to boil over.
Slack-jawed, Prue shook her head as though to clear it. It didn't work, and her headache only grew more intense. "Oh, my God…" Swallowing hard, she asked, "So, um…I can move things with my mind?"
Phoebe smiled at her gently. "With how much you hold inside, you should be a lethal weapon by now," she informed an anxious Prue.
Prue stared at her untouched coffee as though she was suddenly afraid of it. "I don't believe it," she said in a low voice.
Bella snorted. "You just used telekinesis to mix cream in your coffee and heat it up, and you still can't believe it?" she shook her head. "How much proof do you need?"
Prue glared at Bella, who merely shrugged.
Phoebe ignored them both, thinking out loud, "I had a premonition of the future, you just used telekinesis and I'm pretty sure what Bella have is Agility…So this must mean that Piper can freeze time…"
Reaching over, Prue grabbed Phoebe's shot of tequila and downed it in one gulp. Phoebe must've noticed the distress on her face because she asked, "Are you okay?"
Prue glared at her. "No, I'm not okay!" she snapped. "You've turned me into a witch!"
Phoebe shook her head. "You were born one," she corrected. "We all were. And I think we better start learning to deal with it."
Her grim tone sent shivers down Prue's spine and she shot out of her seat. "I think it's time we go to the pharmacy," she said in an unsteady voice. "My head's killing me."
"It's not the only thing that's going to try and kill you," Phoebe said as the three of them made their way towards the exit.
Bella shot her a look. "What?" she raised an eyebrow. "Explain, please."
Bella and Phoebe linked arms as the three of them stepped out onto the sidewalk, walking towards the pharmacy nearby. "When I was looking through the Book of Shadows," Phoebe began. "I saw these wood carvings. They looked like something out of a Bosch painting. All these terrifying images of four women battling different incarnations of evil…"
Prue scoffed. "Evil fighting evil – that's a twist," she muttered.
Phoebe shook her head. "Actually, a witch can be either good or evil," she corrected Prue. "A good witch follows the Wiccan Rede. 'An ye harm none, do what ye will'. A bad witch, or a warlock, has but one goal: to kill witches and obtain their powers. Unfortunately, they look like regular people. It could be anyone, anywhere."
"And this has what to do with us?" Prue asked, impatient but dreading the answer at the same time.
"Well, in the first wood carving," Phoebe started tentatively. "They were in slumber but in the second one, they were battling some kind of warlock. I think as long as we were in the dark about our powers, we were safe."
Bella nodded, understanding Phoebe's point. "But not anymore," she concluded grimly. Phoebe nodded in agreement.
Silence befell the three sisters as they continued to make their way towards the pharmacy, their thoughts swirling with the dangerous consequences their newfound powers would bring to their lives.