Episode 3 : Semi-Charmed Life
She scanned the note with indifference, still yawning as she deciphered her mother's rushed handwriting. "At a meeting with publishers. Be back soon. Love, Mom. P.S. You were in my premonition this morning. I don't know when it will happen. But watch your back. Love you Louie."
She rolled her eyes at the sloppy heart drawn next to the last line and suppressed a smirk. Sometimes her mother's perkiness was just a little too much to handle. Especially so early in the morning, even if it was in note form. She rubbed her hazel eyes with the back of her hand and mumbled to herself about more demon problems.
Just enough coffee for another cup was left and she gladly filled her mug. The liquid was still steaming, so Phoebe must not have departed long before she woke. The handle was warm in her palm and she tried to shake herself awake as she waited for it to cool. She lifted the cup to her mouth for a drink, stopping only when she heard a discreet thump behind her.
The noise was barely audible, but years as a witch had seemed to increase all her senses. Her shoulders quickly hunched as she spun around. A shimmering cobalt energy ball was headed straight for her face. The coffee mug slipped from her hand and shattered on the linoleum.
And then it was dark.
A violent choking noise came from Lucy Halliwell's throat as she caught her breath. Her back was damp from the intensity of the premonition that had snuck into her thoughts and the beat of her heart had accelerated to such a rate that she was certain she was only a few more notches from a heart attack. She tried to reaffirm her focus as her mother had taught her, grounding herself back to reality by taking in her surroundings.
Years ago, when Lucy's powers had advanced and her visions of the future became more vivid, it became difficult for her to distinguish between reality and premonition. She had adapted quickly to the intense visions, learning to separate the physical and metaphysical worlds through the senses. Sight, smell, and touch were the pinnacle of her sanity.
She studied the things in front of her as she caught her breath. The kitchen. She was in the kitchen, in front of the counter. She pulled in a deep breath, searching for scent. Coffee. She smelled fresh brewed coffee. It must be morning. It was morning and she was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. The mug was warm in her hand. In fact, the heat nearly shocked her back to realism.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
Staring up at her from the counter was her mother's note, scrawled in messy cursive. Adrenaline suddenly heated through her veins. Her stomach clenched and her mouth became hot with nausea. I don't know when it will happen, but watch your back. Her eyes burned onto the words and she bit on her lower lip. The skin on her forearms chilled and her palms became sweaty.
And suddenly there was a light thump behind her.
Remembering her fate in the drab premonition had Lucy quickly diving to the floor not a second too soon. A yelp escaped her as she caught sight of cerulean sphere out of the corner of her eye. The flickering energy ball slammed into the kitchen cabinets, breaking open the pine and splintering the wood. She rolled over, setting her almond gaze on the intruder.
A fury ravaged his scarlet eyes as he glared down at her. Dark tattoo ink covered his face, twisting in a pattern that mazed around each crevice and dimple. His teeth were sharp and a bright white against his dark skin, and if she wasn't mistaken, a self-satisfied smirk curled his lips. His leather boots, crusted with grime from the Underworld thundered along toward her, vibrating the floor with each step.
In a desperate scramble, Lucy quickly began crawling away, knees and arms flailing like a soldier in training. The demon gave a twisted chuckle as she went, taking a sadistic delight in her struggle. Even in the trying situation, Lucy's brow furrowed in outrage. "Screw you buddy!" she growled at him. She quickly grabbed onto the sofa in the living room and threw herself up to her feet, turning in time to find another energy ball soaring her way. Without a second to spare she levitated above the offensive attack, avoiding it by several inches.
As the demon scowled in surprise she dropped back down to her feet and assaulted him with a firm fist to the jaw. She struck next with her good foot, hitting his chest so hard that he stumbled back onto the ground. Still heaving for air, Lucy yanked the nearby lamp from its place on the end table, breaking the cord from the wall before smashing it onto his bald head. At this he almost instantly went limp and the young Halliwell scrambled backward.
"Help!" she shouted.
No one answered and she couldn't say she was surprised. Even the whitelighters in the family were good at "missing" her calls. Lucy hurriedly made her way down the hall, slipping into the potions room and slamming the door shut. With little time to spare she fumbled around for the phone and dialed with desperation, biting the nail of her thumb and watching the door with fear as she awaited an answer.
The demon attacks hadn't yielded since the vanquish in the attic. It seemed word had circulated throughout the Underworld that the Charmed Ones had been reincarnated and everyone seemed determined to test their luck against the rookies. Laura, Lila, and Lucy had seemed to be under some sort of attack at least twice daily, and by day four the fatigue seemed to be settling in.
Laura slept soundly on the chest of James Clement, her tiered body nearly dead weight on the mattress. The two hadn't spent anytime together since Paige's death and the evening before had seemed to be exactly what she needed. James, despite his obliviousness to her life as a witch, always knew exactly how to calm her. He somehow knew what she needed, even when she didn't.
The doctor was two years her senior and was on his way to becoming Chief of Surgery at the San Francisco Memorial. Prior to dating, he and Laura had consulted on several cases at the hospital, but it wasn't until their paths crossed in the cafeteria and he had slyly offered her a pudding cup had things heated up.
The truth was that Laura loved James. He was perfect in so many ways. Looks were just the beginning of his appeal, starting with light gray-blue eyes and honey brown locks. He was protective and sensitive when it came to her, while it seemed any other time he was calm and collected and strong. And the most important part? He was human. A mortal. He wasn't as her father had been and for that Laura loved him even more. He was a man she could see herself spending the rest of her life with. Having children with.
Of course, that meant that the truth had to develop at some point. And Laura would avoid it as long as possible.
Her cell phone droned from the bedside table and she quickly flashed open her eyes. She had always been a light sleeper and tuning into the sound of her pager from the hospital or a demon cry from her family, had her nearly zeroed in on even the slightest noises. A light sigh slipped through her parted lips as she rolled over and reached, pulling the sheets up around her as she flipped it open.
"Hello?" she greeted groggily.
"Laura, I need your help!"
"Louie?"
"There's a demon. He's here at mom's house."
"Well, I'm at . . . I'm busy and . . ."
"Teleport your ass over here now!"
Laura winced at the volume of her sister's demand and pulled the phone from her ear to recover. Even with it a distance from her face, she could hear a sudden thud on the other end and the shriek of her sister.
"Hurry!"
"I'll be there in a minute," she hissed with urgency now, her heart racing.
She ungracefully yanked off the sheets and tossed her phone aside. Laura tripped over a pair of James' shoes and searched frantically for something to wear. Without care for anything fashionable she picked up her beau's button up shirt and a pair of his boxers, glancing back to make sure he wasn't looking as she disappeared in a neon flash.
"Behind you!"
The voice came in time for Laura to spin around and watch as the door of the potions room – her room – was kicked down. She quickly threw up her hands, sending an explosion toward the adversary. Rather than hitting him, the wall was rocked in the combustion, and picture frames cracked and fell from their places.
"You've got to be kidding me," Lucy growled. "Just freeze him!"
Laura ignored her sister's criticism and tried to remain calm as the demon conjured up an energy ball. Squeezing her eyes shut she flicked her hands and when she could see again she was relieved to find that all was motionless except for her sister.
"Your aim sucks," Lucy said.
"Hey, you're just lucky I came when I did," Laura countered back.
"Nice shirt," she said.
"Yeah, well you caught me at a bad time," Laura muttered. She glanced back at the frozen demon. "So, how long do you think until he unfreezes?"
"Long enough for us to get Lila hopefully," Lucy answered before grabbing onto Laura's hand. "Think you can get us to her apartment or will we end up in Nicaragua again?"
"Don't be a smart ass," she mumbled before the pair was consumed in a ray of pink light.
When their feet hit the ground again, they were greeted by a surprised shriek. A hand had flown to Melinda Halliwell's chest as her cousins appeared out of thin air, and as she realized it was them and not a demonic interloper she heaved a sigh. "Jesus, how many times do I have to tell you guys to stop doing that?" Melinda asked.
"Good morning to you too," Lucy mumbled. She glanced around the cramped kitchen quarters and gave a sniff. "Yum, what's for breakfast?"
"Hey, focus, we have things to do," Laura told her sister.
Melinda's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you guys doing here? And why are you dressed like that?"
"No time. Demon waiting for us back home. Need Lila," Laura explained in brief fragments as she began down the narrow hall toward her sister's bedroom. Lucy quickly followed after, leaving Melinda behind with a skeptical look on her face.
Without so much as a knock Laura pushed open the door of Lila's bedroom, simultaneously raising her voice as she did so. "Wake up," she ordered.
An angry whine erupted from under the covers and as Laura went to throw open the blinds, Lucy gave a disgusted hiss. "Ew!" she exclaimed as she spotted the second lump in the bed. "Gross. It's Gage."
"Morning Louie," Gage Jenkins greeted with a grin as he rolled over onto his back.
"What are you doing here?" Lila asked.
"We have a demon problem back at mom's house, so if we can move it people . . ." Laura advised.
Lila threw her head back with a melodramatic flare. "I am so sick of this! It's been four days straight and they haven't given us a break," she announced as she bitterly got out of bed.
"Well, maybe you can take it up with customer service in the Underworld, but right now we don't have time. I don't know how long my freeze is going to last," Laura said.
"You guys need my help?" Gage asked, while Lila put her pajamas back on.
"No, we're better off without you getting in the way," Lucy quipped.
"Thanks for the offer though," Laura said, forcing a kind smile. Lila quickly pecked him on the lips.
"Love you," she said.
"Love you too," Gage grinned.
"You're making me nauseous," Lucy grumbled.
"Let's do this people," Lila said, grabbing onto her younger sister's hand. As Gage gave a wave goodbye from the bed, the three swirled out.
An energy ball greeted them upon arrival in the potions room. Lila and Lucy both shrieked, jumping a part and allowing the cobalt sparks to pass between them. Upon standing firmly on her feet, Lila glared down her enemy and quickly threw him across the room with her telekinesis. He landed in the hallway and Laura cautiously followed after, prepared to finish him with an attack of her own. Before she could raise her hands in preparation, an energy ball was soon hurled toward her from the ground and she quickly fired back with little time to think. The combustion of the energy ball sent force in all directions and Laura caught the heavy backlash of her own power, being thrown from her feet and slammed into the wall.
"Laura!" Lucy cried.
The demon was back on his feet and Lila spun, avoiding his own strike and planting a blow to his ribs. He groaned in pain and Lucy quickly levitated up, kicking his chin and forcing him back a few steps. He growled, his ink covered face twisting in discomfort. With vengeance in his eyes he formulated another energy ball and chucked it with a good measure of force. Lila expertly re-directed the sphere back at its owner with a quick use of telekinesis.
A cry slipped from the demon as the energy ball clipped his shoulder, burning his flesh and tearing away layers of skin. Almost immediately he clutched the wound and hissed at the spew of blood that began to formulate. Before the Halliwell girls, who now had the upper hand, could strike again he quickly shimmered out.
"Bastard," Lila said between gritted teeth.
"Laura, you okay?" Lucy asked, moving quickly to meet her big sister who was slowly sitting up at the end of the hall.
Laura rubbed the back of her head and nodded. "Fine," she replied. "Just a bump."
Lila joined the duo and held out a hand, carefully helping Laura back to her feet. "Want to call one of the boys or Kate?" Lila asked.
"No, I'll survive. I just need some aspirin," she answered dully.
"And I need some breakfast," Lucy announced. "Who's with me?"
"It's probably best that we move the stage over here actually…"
Chris Halliwell was certain that a hole would form soon if he didn't stop biting his lower lip. He had spent the last hour struggling to control his temper as he listened to the prude and perky charity events coordinator bark out her unwarranted opinions and orders. At her latest interjection his fists clenched into tight balls and he could feel a red warmth crawl up his neck. Piper, who stood close to her youngest son, forced a smile as she discreetly placed a hand on the inside of his forearm, indirectly advising him to keep his cool.
"Thanks Molly, but I think we'll keep it in the back where we have it," Piper said. "The guys spent all evening setting it up yesterday."
"But don't we want everyone dancing to be at the center of the party?" she questioned with an over bubbly zeal in her voice.
Now both Piper and Chris were bursting at the seams and before they could do just that, Wyatt quickly cleared his throat. "Well, actually, it's best to keep it where it is. We don't want waiters having to shuttle back and forth across the dance floor. It'd be a disaster if someone got tripped up in the confusion," he said.
Molly nodded her head. "Of course, of course," she laughed shrilly. "You're right. Sheesh, who am I to talk anyway, you three own and operate the place after all!"
She chuckled and Wyatt kindly did the same. Piper and Chris suddenly joined in a little too enthusiastically and could only cringe at the irony. "Well, we're glad to accommodate in whatever ways we can," Wyatt assured.
"That's why we're so happy to have the event hosted here. I've been telling them for years that this is the best restaurant in town. I said it was simply fate that we were doing the benefit in Paige Matthews' name this year," Molly said.
"And we can't tell you how much it means to our entire family that you are," Piper nodded.
"She was a saint. It would be a travesty in itself to not celebrate her contribution to San Francisco's social services and the city ordinance committee," she replied. Molly patted Piper on the arm. "We really are sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Piper said gently.
"Well, there's still a lot to be organized. Expect lots of press tonight. Especially now that the Mayor is coming," Molly warned them. She shifted her focus to Wyatt. "Now, remember that he and his wife are . . ."
"Vegetarians, yes," Wyatt nodded. "I changed the menu. We should be good to go."
"Oh, I just knew we made the right choice. You all are such gems," Molly said as she headed for the door. "We'll see ya'll later tonight."
"Bye," Wyatt waved.
As soon as the door closed Chris gave a frustrated groan and pressed his forehead to the nearest table. "I thought I was going to off myself right then and there."
"Yeah, she was a little too opinionated for my liking," Piper snipped. "And did she just call us gems?"
"She wasn't that bad," Wyatt said. "Besides, the ends justify the means here. This is going to be huge for the restaurant."
"You're right. The media coverage is already going to put us through the roof and we haven't even gotten through tonight," Chris agreed. "I'm just worried that we'll be over occupation capacity…"
"Don't worry about it," Wyatt advised.
"Don't worry about it? You know who worries about it? The fire marshall. And you know who worries about the fire marshall coming? I do," Chris said.
"Just relax honey," Piper told her son, patting him on the shoulder. "Everything will be fine, okay?"
Wyatt's brow twisted in surprise. "You're uncharacteristically calm…"
"What? I'm always calm," Piper said. Both Wyatt and Chris were silent as they continued staring at her unconvinced and she groaned. "Fine. Well, I guess I'm just getting used to this retirement thing. You know, now that the girls are the new Power of Three and you two are handling the club and the restaurant, I feel as though a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders…and besides, your father and I recreated our honeymoon last night and . . ."
"Oh God!" Chris cut her off in disgust. "Mom, please don't tell me those things."
"Yeah, I'm a little grossed out."
"You asked!"
"Not about that!" Chris sputtered.
"I'm going to go work on the menu," Wyatt said with a snicker.
"Yeah, I have a charge or something," his brother decided as well.
"What! Boys! Come on!"
"Bye mom! Take your erotic stories back home to dad!" Chris yelled over his shoulder.
"Christopher Perry!" Piper shouted back at him. One of the many restaurant workers was staring at her in intrigue, mouth slightly ajar at what he had heard. Piper gave him a sharp scowl. "What are you looking at buddy?"
"Nothing Mrs. Halliwell."
"Uh-huh…"
The silence was cringe worthy. As Joey descended the stairs with another heavy box in hand he could only feel uneasiness in the living room.
"This is the last one from the closet," he announced, desperate to break the silence.
He only received a brief nod from Kate, who then went back to piling old paperback novels into a moving box. As she turned to face her work, she stole a glare at her twin sister who seemed to be just as bitter.
Joey cleared his throat. "So, what can I do to help?"
No answer. He anxiously pounded his fists together. "Those boxes over there are all going to the Salvation Army," Sam finally said, gesturing over to the stack in the corner.
"Great, I can . . ."
"I haven't gone through any of those," Kate replied tersely.
"Okay, that's not a problem I can . . ."
"Oh what? Now all of the sudden you want to help?" Sam spat over Joey.
"I'm here aren't I?"
"Yeah, because you ran out of excuses."
"Screw you, Sam," Kate growled.
"No! I'm sick of doing this alone, Kate," she snapped.
"You're not doing any of this alone, don't be so dramatic."
"You've been flaking out on me ever since the funeral. Joey and I have been the only ones dealing with mom's assets. I went to talk with the bank and where were you? I had to meet with the people who want to run the benefit for mom and oh, you weren't there either. I had to deal with the lawyers, break the news to her old charges and friends, talk to a real estate agent to put the house on the market. I've been doing it all and I have a job on top of it! You didn't even show up when we read her will!"
"I had a charge . . ."
"Bullshit!"
"Okay, I'm going to go to the attic to get . . . stuff . . ." Joey murmured before scurrying off.
Sam took a step closer to her sister. "You better tell me what the hell is going on."
"There's nothing going on Sam," Kate hissed. "And even if there was, it's not any of your business."
"That's where you're wrong," she said. "Of course it's my business. You're my sister. And I already know what you're doing Kate."
Her face fell. "Chris told you?"
"Chris didn't have to tell me. I saw the evidence all over your desk. The lists, the spells . . ."
For a half second Kate was relieved. At least Chris hadn't told her about the drunken state she had been in while the rest of the family was reading her mother's will. Still, her sister's snooping was unacceptable. "What the hell were you doing in my room?"
"We share an apartment."
"That doesn't give you a right to start going through my things."
"It's not the point, Kate! The point is that you need to knock it off! Quit looking for trouble. Quit looking for revenge!"
"Leave me alone," Kate grumbled.
"No! I'm not going to stand by and let you go to the Underworld and start some war."
"I'm not starting a war."
"You're leaving me out to dry here. I need you," Sam said.
"From the sounds of it, you have it all under control," Kate replied coldly. Her gaze, full of emptiness and foreboding, locked onto her sister's. "Just leave it alone, Sam. You don't know the half of what is going on. You don't know what it's like. So just let me be."
Kate knew Sam was hurt. She could see it in the slightest quiver of her lower lip. Even as her glare narrowed and she locked her jaw in anger, Kate knew she had struck a cord. Since they were children, they could basically read each other's minds. They knew what the other was feeling with just a single glance. And while she felt wrong for making Sam feel so awful, it was the only thing she could do. She watched indifferently as her younger sister swiped up her purse and jacket, eyes full of hatred.
"What are you doing?" Kate asked.
"I'm going to work," Sam replied. "And don't worry; I'll stay out of your business."
Piper Halliwell's pancakes were magical. They were magical in the sense that they could do two things; bring quiet and heal all wounds. Now as his three nieces sat across from him at the dining room table, Leo Wyatt could only smile. His theory was one hundred percent correct. As the three brunettes hovered over their plates of pancakes, there was complete silence. It wasn't the angry or sad silence that they were used to, but a good quiet. But more than the confirmation of his thesis, Leo was also appeased by the idea that sitting across from him was a trip down memory lane. It was as if the original Charmed Ones – his Charmed Ones – were before him again. And part of him swelled with delight. And for a moment he only stared in partial disbelief, a small smile touching his mouth.
A light hand on his shoulder brought him out of the daze and he grinned wider when he saw it was his wife. "You okay?" Piper asked him in confusion.
"Yeah," he nodded.
Piper gave him a suspicious glance before setting eyes on her eldest niece. "Here, Laura, honey, for your head," she spoke up, offering her an icepack.
"Thanks," she sighed, reaching out and pressing it to the lump that had formed.
"You sure you don't want to get Wyatt or Chris?" Leo asked.
"I'm sure. This is just minimal damage," Laura replied.
"These attacks haven't slowed since last week," Lila spoke up bitterly.
"That can only be expected," Leo said. "Word has probably spread that there is a new power of three. Demons are going to want to test you. They think you're fresh and you're young and they're right. Until you guys make a name for yourself this is going to continue for awhile."
"Yeah, well, I'm sick of getting my ass kicked," Laura huffed.
"Speak for yourself," Lucy chuckled. "I've been the one doing the ass kicking."
"Yeah, you're a little out of shape sis," Lila teased.
"This morning she missed the guy by like three feet. And I don't know how many times you can blast instead of freeze."
"I mean, it's not just your aim . . . it's your teleporting . . . and your control . . . you know actually, it's just all of it," Lila continued.
"All right, thank you!" Laura cut in. "I know I suck okay? I'm the one getting the crap beat out of me every attack while you guys take care of business like it's no problem. But I'm trying here."
"It'll just take a little bit of time. You'll get the hang of it before you know it. You're a Halliwell after all," Leo assured. "And you two have to remember she's been out of commission for over two years."
"Yeah, that's not our fault," Lila said.
"Do not tell me we're still on that," Laura growled.
"We're not," Piper cut in. "Back to your corners. Listen, we need to focus on this demon. We can't have anything crashing the benefit tonight."
"Well, for starters he looked like he had gotten in a fight with a tattoo ink gun," Lucy said. "It was kind of hot actually . . ."
"Gross Louie."
"Sorry."
"Well, he was wounded, so I doubt if he'll be making another appearance any time soon," Lila put in. "I can check the Book."
"I'll start with some potions when I get home," Lucy added.
"And I'd help but I have a shift at the hospital," Laura replied.
"I think we should start talking about your living arrangements," Leo suddenly spoke up.
The trio of girls looked at him with nearly identical, confused looks. "What do you mean?" Lucy asked.
"Well, it's just a suggestion," he insisted. "Your aunt Piper and I were talking about it and I think she brought up a valid point."
"Which was?"
"We think you three should start living together. And your mother agrees," Piper said.
"Had you guys been drinking?"
"What? Lucy Penelope, no," Piper scoffed. "We just remember when we first became the Power of Three and how difficult it was to do a vanquish when the three of us were in different places. I mean, even when we all moved out and had our separate families we were just a stone's throw away."
"You guys were just talking about how hard it was to keep teleporting in and out to get everyone where they needed to be," Leo added.
Lila nodded. "Believe it or not, it's actually a good point," she replied. "I mean, trust me, I want to live with you two about as much as I want to get a root canal, but it's necessary at this point. If we're going to take this Power of Three thing seriously, especially with a new Source, we need to have a place where we can fight them on our own turf."
"I don't know," Laura shook her head wistfully. "I just got used to all of this Charmed business. I don't think I can deal with new living arrangements."
"And it would be near impossible anyway," Lucy spoke up. "I have to get back to school after this New Year's weekend."
"Stanford isn't far," Leo replied.
"Yeah, forty-five minute drive on a good day," Piper agreed.
"And a two second teleport away," Lila said. "Problem solved."
Almost instantly all gazes slid over to Laura, who sat pathetically in her seat, still holding an icepack to her head. Her hazel eyes frowned with their obvious question and a groan fell from her mouth. "Don't tell me I'm the deciding factor here again," she said resentfully. "Before we get too set on this, where would we even live?"
"You're the one with a doctor's salary and a pent house suite," Lucy replied.
"I also have a landlord and neighbors," Laura countered.
"I'd offer my apartment, but it's cramped even with just Mel and I," Lila said.
"Well, I am not moving back into mom's house," Lucy told them firmly.
"I think we can all agree on that."
"Believe it or not, I think I know a place . . ." Piper mused suddenly. "You guys just keep throwing around the idea, I'll see what I can come up with here."
As she walked away, Lucy quickly called after her, "If you're going to conjure us a mansion, I want a room with a view!"
"And a hot tub!" Lila added.
"You guys are ridiculous," Laura chuckled at her younger sisters.
There were few times when Kate Mitchell ever conveyed anxiety. Her fear of needles and elevators were perhaps the only times when her countenance betrayed her, but aside from that she was always braced with stoicism. It was a nature perhaps adopted from her mother. A nature that had seemed to only improve her career as a whitelighter and witch. A quality that made her fearless if anything less than valiant.
Now, however, as she stood among the clouds and mist, she could not stop wringing her hands. She anxiously glanced around, nodding and whispering hellos to the whitelighters that glided by. It wasn't that the venue intimidated her. She had spent plenty of time up there in fact, but the prospect of the waiting Elders had her stomach swirling with unusual panic.
While nothing as traumatic as her little stint at Vince's bar had taken place in the past few days, the tribunal of magical dictators still requested her a presence and her mind could only guess exactly what was to be produced. The one assurance she had was that they had called Chris as well.
A light swirl of graceful orbs that could only belong to her cousin suddenly landed beside her. "Took you long enough," Kate scolded him.
"I had to check in at the club. I'm trying to run two New Year's Eve parties tonight," Chris said.
"Christopher . . . Katherine . . . we're ready for you," Sandra said, suddenly appearing out of the fog. Both nodded, following after her. Kate leaned in toward her cousin.
"Full names . . . not a good sign," she murmured to him.
Chris rolled his eyes as they entered the porcelain courtyard that was hazed by a thick white mist. The Elders were gathered and watched them enter with looks of diffidence. Kate and Chris stopped themselves a few yards before the clan, waiting for someone to speak up.
"We're glad you could make it," Sandra said as she joined the robed group that stared them down. Sandra was perhaps their strongest ally with the Elders. She always seemed a little more reasonable than the others. Or maybe perhaps just more sympathetic to their human plights.
"We always love the chance to confer with you," Chris mumbled.
"Let's cut to the chase," Odin suddenly spoke up. "Kate, you know why you're here."
The young whitelighter bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was out of line. I know the rules and I'm sorry."
"You could have put your charges in jeopardy," Jonnah scolded her.
"I know, I - - -"
"Drinking while charges are active is strictly forbidden," Roland put in.
"You're lucky no one ended up needing you that night," Jonnah said.
"If it was up to me your wings would be clipped, effective immediately," Odin threatened.
"What? No!"
"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Chris suddenly spoke up. "She made a mistake. She was grieving, that's all."
"You're doing her no favor by condoning her behavior," Jonnah grumbled.
"She's a good whitelighter," Chris continued, relentlessly advocating for his family in a manner that was not unusual. This was where Chris excelled. Defending those he loved in a crisis was some sort of undeniable gift he had seemed to have garnered. A fierceness, the same fierceness Leo had seen in his son's eyes the night after Paige died, was back. His emeralds flickered with resolve and aggressiveness, making his words echo even sharper. "You take away her powers and duties, you're only hurting the magical community. You should know that by now."
"Should we?"
"Yes. If you weren't so busy breathing down this family's neck all the time, maybe we'd be able to focus on our job."
"And that's just the problem! You don't focus on your job! None of you do. Without us holding you accountable, who even knows if you would do it in the first place," Odin growled.
"How dare you question us after everything we have done to . . ."
"You have no discipline, no dedication, no . . ."
"You're pathetic, Odin! You're still angry because my father chose to be with his family instead of the Elders!"
"Chris!" Kate warned.
"You ungrateful, little, half-breed bastard . . ."
"Enough!" Sandra finally barked above the two scowling men. "Both of you are acting disgraceful!"
Both Chris and Odin sheepishly cast their gazes downward as the female Elder took charge. Sandra gave a satisfied nod after achieving order.
"Kate," she started, "the bottom line is that you broke the rules. Consider this your first and last second chance."
"Yes, ma'am," Kate said softly. "It won't happen again."
"Your mother would be very disappointed," Jonnah told her somberly.
The words stung but she wouldn't let them see her falter. She only kept her head bowed and avoided Chris' gaze of sympathy. Sandra cleared her throat. "You're excused," she spoke up.
"Thank you," Kate whispered. Both Halliwells prepared to orb out but Odin gruffly spoke up.
"Chris, you stay," he said.
He stopped mid-orb and as the blue lights dropped down from around him, he stared back at the council with slight concern. He swallowed hard. "Listen, I apologize for being rude, it's just that . . ."
"This is about something completely different Chris," Roland assured him.
"Oh," he murmured.
"As you're well aware, your cousins are the new Charmed Ones. It means they've been put in a position to be more directly involved with the greater good, especially against the new Source," Sandra explained.
"I know all of this," Chris nodded. "What does it have to do with me?"
"They've been constantly under attack. Now that the Underworld has learned of their identity, things will be rather extraneous," Jonnah said.
"They're in need of guidance. They're in need of a healer," Sandra told him. "They need a whitelighter and the tribunal has decided to officially assign you to be theirs."
Chris' eyes widened. "I'm the Charmed Ones' whitelighter?"
"Yes," Odin grumbled. "Conflict of interest if you ask me…"
"Well, no one did ask you Odin," Sandra quipped. Chris suppressed a smirk.
"You know the importance of this position," Jonnah told him. "The Charmed Ones are still very new to their powers and therefore vulnerable."
"I'm flattered, but I have to ask; why me? Why not Wyatt?" Chris asked.
"Wyatt would be adequate and an obvious choice, but you've proven yourself as a whitelighter. The girls need someone with grit. Someone who will motivate them, teach them, keep them on task," Sandra said. A smirk lifted the corner of her mouth. "Don't doubt yourself Chris. The most powerful isn't necessarily always the best suited for the job."
A blush warmed Chris' face and he lowered his chin in slight embarrassment. He hated when he was so transparent, especially when it came to his insecurities about being inferior to his elder brother. But the words of the Elders were true. Wyatt was not suited for the job. He was too happy-go-lucky, too care free, and indolent. He may have been the most powerful being in the world but Chris' work ethic had seemed to make up for what he lacked at birth.
"So, what do you say?" Roland asked.
His hazel eyes glimmered slightly. It was pride perhaps. Pride that he was now a direct part of a legacy. He may not have been a Charmed One but he would be responsible for keeping the Power of Three intact. The driving force behind their future successes. It was a position his father had once relished in. Now he would accept it decades later with great satisfaction.
"I'll be their whitelighter."
That wraps up the start of episode 3! Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them and if you're reading but haven't been reviewing I'd love to hear from you. As far as other logistics go concerning this story, I do truly mean it when I say I want your opinions on characters and storylines. I have free range here and while I have some general ideas in mind I'd love some more inspiration. Who's your favorite character? Who do you hate? What do you want to see more of? Etc... also I've created a wiki for this story, detailing the characters and background more closely. It's a work in progress but there are several entries up. its linked under my homepage. That's all for now! thanks for your support ~ sammy
