Author's Note: A huge shoutout and a thank you to 1joehz for the fav. Welcome to my version of the Charmed universe. Everyone who reads my stories are welcome and I really appreciate the outpouring views and reviews as the storyline progresses. I hope you guys are enjoying it thus far. As always, your reviews are encouraging and they are always welcomed.
-KingKenfordIV
10x08: We Are Not Amused (Part 1)
The moon hid behind the dark clouds hovering over San Francisco, but it didn't stop the moonlight from beaming brightly over the city. A change of scenery later, the Halliwell restaurant can be seen, lit up with numerous cars parked on the side and the valets standing outside, waiting for more guests to arrive.
The restaurant was full with nary an empty table in sight. An old couple sat on one side of the restaurant, eating side by side, one glass of wine each, studiously bent over their meals. A group of young women in their thirties sat on the other side, collapsing with helpless giggles as a stern woman dining alone nearby looked on and frowned.
Businessmen in their grey suits sat in the middle chatting up a storm, American tourists sat at a round table nearby trying to decipher the menu; and a family with their teenage children clapped loudly as one of the waiters delivered a sliver of cake with a birthday candle. The noise level was high, mixed with clinking of glasses, the scraping of the utensils on plates, laughter, conversation and perfect jazz music for ambience.
Sitting in a corner with her husband, Piper's eyes scans her restaurant and periodically checks her watch.
"Where are they?" Piper asks, "She said they were ten minutes away and it has been thirty."
"Do you want me to call them again?" Leo asks as he reaches for his phone placed on the table.
"No, I don't want them to think we're rushing them." Piper says.
"But we are rushing them. They're an hour late." Leo says calmly but his impatience can be detected in his voice.
"I'll give them five more minutes and then we'll call them again." Piper says.
A few moments later, Phoebe, Coop, Henry and Paige speed walk towards Piper's table.
"We're here!" Phoebe waves as she walks faster with every step with a nervous tone, "We're here!"
"It's about time!" Piper blurts out, which makes Leo smile.
Coop and Henry draw out the chairs and Phoebe and Paige take their seats. Henry and Coop sit down shortly afterward.
"I'm sorry!" Phoebe smiles nervously, "We're sorry. We had to drive to Paige's to drop off the kids since they had a babysitter and we didn't. Kids, you know?"
"Yeah, I know." Piper says as she takes her napkin and places it on her lap.
"Paige, I love the hair by the way." Piper compliments her sister.
"Thank you, Piper." Paige says with a blush, "I really missed my long hair but this style agrees with me."
"I agree." Phoebe joins in, "The shaved sides? C'est magnifique."
"Well, I thank you!" Paige smiles.
A waiter comes to their table with a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice.
"The wine you ordered, Mrs. Halliwell." The waiter says politely as he places the wine at the center of the table.
"Thanks, Zach." Piper says, "I'll call you when we're ready to order."
Zach bows and walks away. Leo takes out the wine and pops it open. He pours a glass for himself and then for the rest of the people at the table.
"So before we order, I'll like to propose a toast." Leo begins as he raises his glass.
"Congratulations to Coop and Phoebe on closing the deal on their new home. I'm still kind of weirded out that it is a house that belonged to my wife's ex at one point in time but still…"
"Leo…" Piper laughs nervously as she nudges him.
"But you guys are going to be our neighbors and it's another step closer to bringing our family together so I'm here for it." Leo says as he raises his glass, "To Coop and Phoebe!"
"To Coop and Phoebe!" they all sound off in unison as they clink their glasses.
"And another toast to Phoebe…" Paige adds, "Tomorrow is your first day back at the Bay Mirror and I'm happy for you that you're finally going to be back where you belong. May San Francisco bask in your ever loving wisdom and may your advice make this world a better place."
"TO PHOEBE!" she shouts.
"To Phoebe!" they all repeat.
"Last but not least…" Coop interjects, "I would like to propose a toast to my wonderful wife."
"Coop…" Phoebe begins to say but Coop cuts her off.
"I fell in love with you the first day we met and every day since then has been like living in paradise. Tomorrow is our tenth year wedding anniversary and here's to an eternity more." Coop says as he raises his glass.
"Happy anniversary, Coop and Phoebe!" Henry screams.
"Happy anniversary!" the group toasts as they clink their glasses and sip their wine.
"What did Leo mean about his wife's ex? Did Piper's ex live in the house?" Coop asks.
"Mmm." Phoebe pauses as she swallows the wine, "It's a long story."
"It's not that long. Piper's ex lived in that house for a year." Leo comments with a fake smile, "See? Not that long."
"Is this going to be a problem for you? Because if it is, we'll gladly rescind and just find somewhere else." Coop offers.
"Oh, no. It's fine." Piper smiles nervously as she hits Leo in the chest playfully, "He is just being petty."
"Yeah, don't mind me." Leo says, "Just sharing facts, making sure no one is kept in the dark."
"Dan was a good guy. You just don't like him because he took me away from you." Piper says.
"Yeah, for a while because I was never around." Leo counters.
"You have to agree he was a nice guy at least." Piper says as she turns to Phoebe, "Dan was a nice guy, right?"
"Umm…" Phoebe stutters, "I guess?"
Leo laughs out loud.
"Well, you should know a good guy when you see one considering you were on a bad boy streak throughout up until your thirties." Piper snaps.
"Wait a minute…" Phoebe stammers, "What?"
"Come on, Phoebe." Piper laughs, "You went through that bad boy phase. My type never changed. Remember the 'How to attract a lover' spell we cast? The qualities you wanted in a man reeked of bad boy persona while mine was basically describing Leo."
"Really?" Paige says, intrigued, "Tell us more."
"I-I guess I had a bad boy streak but then I found Coop and everything was peachy. I was a different person back then." Phoebe giggles nervously.
"Hmmm." Henry smiles at Coop, who looks down in deep thought.
"Whooo!" Phoebe screams nervously as she begins to fan herself, "Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? Where's the waiter?"
"It's okay, Phoebe." Paige says, "It's all fun and games here."
"I know that…" Phoebe scoffs anxiously as she grabs her wine glass. She grabs the bottle of wine and pours the wine about halfway into the glass and begins to chug.
"Are you okay, honey?" Coop asks her as he watches her finish the glass.
"I'm starving. Is anyone else starving?" Phoebe says as she looks around, "Piper, can you call the waiter?"
Right on cue, Zach the waiter comes back to the table.
"Are we ready to place our orders?" he asks.
"Yes, thank God!" Phoebe says as she hides her face behind her menu.
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Across the city, police sirens broke the silence of the night as their tires screeched at every turn. The red and blue lights flashed brightly against the darkness as pedestrians ran across the crosswalk in order to get away. A young man runs into his apartment and shuts the door. He exhales loudly with his chest rising and falling very rapidly. The sirens draw closer and he begins to laugh to himself maniacally.
An African American woman materializes in the shadows, dressed in a light blue gossamer gown long enough to hide her sandaled feet when she walked. Her long black locks were blowing in the imaginary wind that was only available to her. She walks closer to the man, revealing herself to be transparent and apparently invisible to the human eye.
Darryl and his team run up the stairs and head towards the apartment. After climbing three flights of stairs, they arrive at a door with the number '3" centered in the middle.
"Jesse Desmond!" Darryl shouts, "This is SFPD. We have the building surrounded. We want to do this the easy way. Come out with your hands up and behind your head, and no one gets hurt."
Darryl pauses and waits for an answer. He looks back towards his team and then back towards the door.
Inside the apartment, Jesse closes his eyes as he begins to soak in the moment. The transparent woman walks closer to Jesse and hover her hand over his shoulder. Jesse's eyes open suddenly and fall into a trance-like state. Walking around calmly in his apartment, he begins to toss his belongings around, flipping furniture upside down and finally walks into his coat closet.
"Jesse?!" Darryl's muffled voice can be heard on the other side of the door, "Jesse!"
Jesse walks out of his closet with a red can and begins to douse everything in sight with the clear liquid pouring out. His face is void of emotion as he drops the can and looks around one last time.
Darryl standing outside of the apartment turns to his team.
"On the count of three, I'll kick down the door and we go in, copy?" Darryl announces to which his team repeat the final word back to him.
"Copy."
Darryl begins to sniff around and looks back.
"Do you guys smell that?" he asks.
One of his men point to the gap underneath the door and see white smoke gushing out.
"Stand back, I'm going in!" Darryl orders as he prepares himself to kick the door.
"But Captain!"
BANG!
With a precise and heavy kick, the door flies off the handing and a cloud of smoke charges towards Darryl and the SFPD. The apartment is filled with fire, growing by the minute. His team marches in with guns in arms.
"Find Jesse!" Darryl coughs as he searches for the young man.
"The flames are too much. We have to leave, sir!" one of the men shouts to Darryl.
After hesitating, Darryl backs out of the room with his men and looks back into the apartment, which has been completely engulfed in flames. Running down the stairs, Darryl bangs on every single door on the way down, warning the occupants of the fire occurring upstairs. He leads them all outside and then grabs his radio.
A crowd of bystanders gather outside of the apartment as their curiosity peaks as high as the rising smoke. The police forces try their best to hold them back.
"We have a code 447 with a possible 10-53. Please send the SFFD and ambulance to 359 Sheridan Avenue." Darryl says in a defeated tone.
"10-4" the voice on the radio replies
BANG!
Cries of shock and murmurs begin to buzz in the air as the final explosion on the highest floor of the apartment releases a bright orange fireball of a cloud.
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I am the son,
I am the heir.
I am human and I need to be loved.
Just like everybody else does…
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone.
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STARRING
Alyssa Milano
Rose McGowan
AND Holly Marie Combs as "Piper"
Brian Krause
Dorian Gregory
Created by: Constance M. Burge
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As the sun sat beautifully on the horizon of the Pacific Ocean, its reflection gleamed across the water as if the sunrise was promising the city of San Francisco a perfect sunny day. The day in itself was postcard perfect, even the buses and the BART and the street cable cars were running on time.
Downtown, the skyscrapers shone silver in the morning sun and the sky was an unbroken backdrop of blue. Commuters walked like shoals of fish in a myriad of directions, not one of them in cold weather attire. Spring had finally arrived in San Francisco and for once it wasn't with a deluge of rain. The Victorian manor of the Halliwell family radiated in the sun's rays as Piper and Leo walked outside with their children.
Piper stares across her lawn to her right and smiles as she watches Phoebe and Coop walk out of their cream colored Victorian, as happy as they can be. Piper, Leo and their children walk to Phoebe's new house and Phoebe greets them cheerfully.
"Good morning!" Phoebe says with a wide smile as she hugs Piper and then begins to hug Leo and the children.
"Good morning?" Piper says questionably as she watches her sister's cheerful behavior, "You seem awfully chipper this morning."
"It's a beautiful day!" Phoebe says with glee, "When was the last time we had a great day like this? It had been raining all month with a few nice days in between but this is the fourth day in a row we've had with beautiful weather."
"I guess?" Piper says, still skeptical about Phoebe's behavior, "So I kind of woke up late today but I can whip up something quick for breakfast today if you guys have the time."
"That's not necessary." Phoebe says, "I was actually going to invite you guys to see if you wanted to come over for breakfast this morning. Something like a morning welcoming gathering type of thing."
"Really?" Piper asks in a surprised tone, "But you don't cook though."
"Oh, I know. I can't cook to save my life." Phoebe laughs, "Coop did."
Piper's eyes shift quickly from Phoebe to Coop in a quick second.
"Nice. I'm starving!" Leo says happily but Piper shoots Leo an angry look.
"I don't feel right eating without Paige and the rest of the family." Piper lies.
"No worries." Coop says with a smile, "Paige, Henry and the kids are already in the house."
"I guess we have no choice but to go in there to eat now, do we?" Piper says through gritted teeth.
"Come on!" Coops says as he leads them into the house. Piper sighs and drags herself into the house with Leo.
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The sound of cameras flashing and radio chatter fill the room of the burnt apartment building from the night before. Crime scene investigators and members of the SFPD dig through the apartment and yellow caution tape can be seen at every turn. Darryl walks into the apartment and he is offered a pair of gloves and boot covers before walking through the crime scene.
"Captain…" one of the detectives calls him as he walks closer.
"Brown. Talk to me." Darryl answers.
"There isn't a lot on Jesse that we don't already know," Detective Brown begins, "He's a comic sketch artist, has a mother in Oakland he visits every weekend, has never been in trouble before, not even a parking ticket. That's why it's really is baffling that he broke into the dealership and stole a Porsche and took it for a joy ride."
"Has his mother been notified of his death?" Darryl asks.
"Yes, she was notified this morning. She's on her way down now." Brown answers, "That's not the only thing…"
"What is it?" Darryl asks.
"The coroner found this symbol on his forearm…" Brown discloses to Darryl as he pulls out a picture of a quill branded into his charred arm.
"That's the…."
"Same symbol branded onto the last two suspects who died under similar circumstances." Brown completes Darryl's sentence.
"Can you have a copy of that sent to me as soon as possible?" Darryl asks.
"No problem, Cap." Brown nods as he walks away.
Darryl looks around and takes out his phone. With a press of a single button, he dials a number and awaits an answer on the other end.
"Come on, Phoebe. Pick up."
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Donning a white apron with the words "I'm with Cupid " embroidered on it; Phoebe sets a bowl full of red skinned roasted potatoes in the center of the table. The dining room table was decorated with different spreads of breakfast; scrambled and boiled eggs, bacon and sausages, a jug of milk, apple and orange juices, pancakes and waffles and French toast.
Piper watches as her children devour the food without chewing. There was a moment where Wyatt choked on a piece of waffle and scared the room for a split second but he waved at his family, signaling them to let them know he was fine. Piper's mind drifted into the distance while looking at Coop and Phoebe coming in and out of their kitchen with one bowl after the other. She hasn't taken a bite of food since she sat down but judging by the reactions from her husband and children, she imagined it was delicious.
Her daydream is shattered by the ringing of a phone sitting on the table next to her.
"Mom!" Paisley screams as she picks up the phone, "Uncle Darryl is calling."
Phoebe walks into the dining room and grabs the phone from Paisley.
"Hello?" she answers as she walks away.
"This is so good. I can't get enough." Wyatt says with his mouth full as he takes a glass of milk and chugs,
"Can you slow down? You'll choke again!" Mellie says with a smile.
"It wouldn't be the worst thing that would happen to this family if he chokes again." Chris jokes.
"That's not nice, Chris." Henry says in a mildly scolding tone.
Paige leans closer to Piper and whispers in her to her, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Piper whispers back, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You're extremely quiet, your mind is wandering and you haven't even touched any of the food yet." Paige answers.
"I'm not too hungry…" Piper lies.
"Sure…" Paige sighs as she takes a sip of her orange juice.
Phoebe and Coop finally come back into the dining room and take their seats at the opposite ends of the table.
"Is everyone enjoying their meal?" Phoebe asks.
"Yeah, Uncle Coop out did himself!" Wyatt compliments.
"Thank you!" Coop nods with a smile as his eyes turn to Piper, "Piper? What do you think?"
"What do I think? Why does it matter what I think?" Piper asks, rambling nervously.
"You're the chef. I just need to know if I did well or not." Coop says as he chuckles anxiously.
"Ha ha ha…" Piper laughs nervously, "It's great."
"Piper, you haven't even taken a bite." Phoebe says as her smile begins to subside.
Piper grabs her fork and digs it into the scrambled eggs. As all eyes watch her take a bite, the table waits with bated breath to see her reaction and hear her opinion.
"This is good." Piper says with a mouthful as she swallows, "It's really good."
"Thanks, Piper!" Coop says with excitement, "It means a lot coming from you."
"You're welcome." Piper says with a feigned smile.
"So do you have any recipes you can send my way so I can get better?" Coop asks.
"Phoebe!" Piper says, trying to change the conversation, "How's Darryl? What did he want?"
"He is dealing with a case and he thinks it might be supernaturally linked. He wants me to come take a look." Phoebe answers with hesitation.
"What did you tell him?" Paige asks, "Are you going to do it?"
"Any other day, I would." Phoebe admits, "But with today being my first day of work and all, I directed him to Billie."
"What happened to you guys accepting your responsibilities that comes with being protectors of the innocent and not tossing them to the side?" Leo asks.
"It's not ignoring the responsibilities." Phoebe defends, "I'm just having Billie accessing the situation and if Darryl is right and there are demons or warlocks involved, then yeah I will take charge and do what needs to be done."
"You couldn't have directed Darryl to Piper or Paige to do it?" Henry asks.
"We have the funeral to attend today, remember?" Paige reminds Henry.
"Oh yeah! Belay my last. Forget I said anything." Henry chuckles nervously.
"What about Piper?" Coop asks.
"I have a business meeting with Jeffrey St. James to talk about my restaurant and then book a band for the club." Piper answers.
"I thought I was the one booking the band for the club today?" Leo ponders out loud, causing Piper to glare at him angrily.
"I'm sure Laylah is going to love all of these excuses." Chris mutters under his breath.
"Chris? Honey?" Piper says with a smile, "Grown folks are talking. That means zip it!"
"All of this doesn't matter anyway." Phoebe interjects, "I bet Darryl is just being paranoid as always and we won't have anything to worry about."
"Where's Laylah anyway?" Paige asks.
"She said she needed to get out of the house so she went meditate on top of Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Karisimbi or some mountain in Africa." Piper answers.
"Does she think that will help her get her powers faster?" Leo asks to which Piper shrugs.
"Ok, so I've got to get going!" Piper says as she stands up.
"Already? You didn't even finish your food." Coop says, slightly disappointment.
"Yeah, I know. I'm too nervous to eat right now but the food is good, though." Piper says as she steps aside and slides the chair back underneath the table.
"I will see you guys later, okay?" Piper waves at her children as she gives Leo a kiss and walks out of the house.
"What the hell was all of that about?" Paige asks the table.
"I don't know, Paige…" Phoebe says with her eyes still resting on the front door Piper walked out of, "I don't know."
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Confined in her dimly lit apartment, Laura sits in the middle of the floor surrounded by various notes and leaves of paper. Her wall is littered with post-its, diagrams and countless research. The room brightens up as a white and blue orbs of light materialize and Rosier appears in its place.
"Wow, you are really dedicated, aren't you?" Rosier asks, looking around in disbelief.
"Something big is going on and I am on the verge of finding out more than what we already know." Laura answers without taking her eyes off her notepad.
"What have you figured out so far?" Rosier asks as he walks closer to Laura, "The Elders can use a little bit of new information since they found out about Abaddon and his sister from The Charmed Ones instead of me."
"We thought the Uncovering had to do with Abaddon cloaking all the demons and warlocks for his greater plan but we were wrong." Laura begins.
"Do tell." Rosier says as he takes a seat, watching Laura in amazement.
"See, ten years ago, the sisters faced a demon king who enslaved other demons for his own gain. They were searching for something…a weapon." Laura explains, "I believe that this is what Abaddon is looking for. The discovery or 'the Uncovering' of this weapon is what Abaddon is planning."
"Do you know what this weapon looks like?" Rosier asks.
"No, unfortunately I do not." Laura answers, "The weapon was buried so long ago that no one really knows what it looks like. Abaddon does because he was around the last time anyone saw this weapon."
"Do we know where the weapon is buried or at least have an idea of where it is?"
"No but that's not the craziest part." Laura pauses, "The weapon needs some sort of key to track it and to unlock it. That is another dilemma Abaddon is facing."
"A key?" Rosier ponders, "How do you know all of this?"
"Demons have loose lips when you hit them where it hurts." Laura says with a smile/
"Good." Rosier smiles back.
"I feel like I'm on the verge of discovering something big but I cannot put my finger on it." Laura groans.
"Well, you've done an outstanding job." Rosier says as he stands up, "I'll report this back to the Elders and you continue doing what you're doing."
"Uh huh." Laura mumbles.
Rosier nods and orbs out of the room.
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The sounds of running water, clinking and clashing of the dishes and laughter can be hears as Coop, Leo and Henry begin to clean up the breakfast table; walking from and to the kitchen carrying empty dishes.
"I'm serious, Coop, you really did a good job with this meal." Henry compliments, "How come none of us knew you could throw down in the kitchen?"
"I never had the chance to cook for anyone besides my family before. I mean, I didn't cook for Phoebe and the girls until we moved to Europe but you think it was that good?"
"Well, you're giving Piper a run for her money so I'd say so." Leo laughs, "Just don't tell her I said that."
The men laugh at Leo's last comment.
"Coop, can't you just you know? Snap your fingers and let all of these dishes disappear or something?" Henry asks.
"I can but you know, personal gain and all that…" Coop answers.
"Personal gain is mainly a rule that witches follow and seeing as how you're not a witch…." Leo snickers.
"You were a whitelighter and I doubt you used your powers for anything else besides your job, did you?" Coop states defensively.
"I used it once in a while for my own gain, didn't hurt anyone." Leo says.
"To each his own. I can't risk it." Coop mumbles
"Of course you can't. I'm not surprised." Henry says as he begins to walk into the kitchen.
"Wait…" Coop says as he stops Henry, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, don't mind me." Henry chuckles.
"I know you, Henry." Coop says with his hand on Henry's chest, holding him back, "You never say anything you don't mean. Say what's on your mind."
Henry flashes Leo a hesitant glare, to which Leo shakes his head and shrugs mindlessly. Henry takes a deep breath and as he exhales, the wall holding back all the words he was trying so hard swallow came out rapidly.
"Honestly, you are very passive…"
"Of course I'm passive, I'm a Cupid." Coop says with pride.
"No. Like you're very safe, you do not possess an element of danger or have anything about you that intimidates anyone or anything." Henry says.
"I don't want to be intimidating…" Coop retorts.
"No, that's not what I mean." Henry groans, "You're too cautious, you always play by the rules, there's nothing exciting about anything that you do. Honestly, watching paint dry for a day sounds more exciting that hanging out with you for an hour."
"Ouch…" Leo says, wincing at Henry's comment.
"I'm sorry but it's true." Henry says, placing his hand on Coop's shoulder for comfort, "You're a good person. You're a good father and a good husband and a damn good friend…"
"The best…" Leo adds.
"But you're too damn boring. You cannot live your life like this all the time especially seeing as how you're immortal. You need to kick things up and make things more exciting for you and your family."
"Is this true, Leo? Do you feel the same way?" Coop asks with his eyes tinged with sadness.
"I wouldn't put it as harsh as Henry did but he's not too far off." Leo begins, "For example, remember when we went to Las Vegas for Darryl's birthday? You only spent one night out with us and spend the remaining nights in bed watching Netflix."
"I was watching Supernatural! Those Winchester brothers are dangerous and fun." Coop says.
"When we started binge watching Game of Thrones, you quit watching after the first episode just because you saw Khaleesi's breasts." Henry comments.
"Listen to me, Coop…" Leo begins, "We're not saying you should go out and be aggressive all the time but this passive personality you got will get tiring one day. We don't care. You're our friend no matter what. But Phoebe?"
"What about Phoebe?" Coop asks.
"Her whole love life, with the exception of you and Jason Dean were all what she considered bad boys. You may have an idea because you're a Cupid but those were her type. Hell, her first husband was a demon." Leo says, trying to open his brother-in-law's mind, "There will come a time where your marriage will hit a snag and you will need to spice things up…"
"I'm a Cupid; I know what to do to keep my marriage happy." Coop retorts defensively.
"You know what? Forget we said anything. If Phoebe loves you just the way you are, then who are we to tell you to change who you are?" Henry says as he pats Coop on his shoulder gently. Coop can tell by Henry's tone and the pat on the shoulder reeked of condescending vibes.
"I think we should go." Leo says as he places the dishes in his hands on the dining room table.
"You're right." Henry sighs as he checks his watch, "I'm supposed to meet up with Paige anyway."
"I'm auditioning a band this afternoon. Come by the club this evening before the opening if you want, okay?" Leo says as he walks towards the door and opens it.
"Yeah…" Coop answers as he watches Henry and Leo walk out the door and slam it shut.
Coop walks into the kitchen and gently places the dirty plates in the soapy sink. He shuts off the faucet and sighs heavily.
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A man sits in a music studio with his band tuning his guitar. He plays with the chords of the guitar and groans out of frustration. He writes on the piece of paper and then scratches what he scribbled down.
"You alright, Scott?" one of his bandmates asks as he approaches.
"Yeah, I'm fine Joe. It's this song." Scott answers, "The melody is in my head but the lyrics are not flowing. It's frustrating."
"You don't have to finish the song today. Our primary goal is to land this gig at P3 and then worry about this song later." Joe says trying to ease Scott's burden.
"I know but I really wanted to premiere this song tomorrow night at the club." Scott insists.
"The audition is at 1:00 pm. We should get ready to head out there now." Joe says.
"You guys start packing up. I'll be out there shortly with my stuff." Scott says as he continues to tune his guitar.
"Are you sure?" Joe asks.
"I'm sure." Scott reassures Joe. Joe nods and walks away.
"Ok, you guys! Let's pack up!" he announces. Scott watches as his bandmates begin to carry their equipment out of their studio. With each passing band member, he nods and flashes a smile and they do the same in return.
The studio falls silent with Scott being the only remaining. He plays a few chords on his guitar and then groans out of frustration. He sets his guitar aside and as he folds his arms on his engineering console; he rests his head on his arms as he lets out a defeating sigh.
A light blue glow appears behind Scott and in an instant, the transparent woman from before materializes. With her hair and her light blue dress blowing in the wind, she steps forward and hovers her hand over Scott's shoulder and smiles. The symbol appears on his neck and burns bright for a moment and disappears. Scott raises his head and looks around for a brief moment.
He picks up his guitar and with the strum of his pick, he begins to play a beautiful melody while he sings out loud. His bandmates return and watch in awe as they watch their leader sing and play a song leaving them enthralled.
"Do you feel that?" Scott says as he continues to play the guitar.
"Feel what?" Joe asks.
"I feel so good. I feel like I can write an entire album right now, much less a song…" Scott says as he stops playing his guitar and grabs his notepad. He begins to pour his thoughts and feelings onto the parchment.
"Uh, Scott?" Joe says as he looks at his bandmates and then back at Scott, "That's great and all but we have to get going."
"Give me just a minute. I want to write all of this down while it's still fresh in my mind…" Scott says as he begins to mumble his lyrics while he writes them down.
"Can you do this in the bus then? I mean we really got to go." Joe pleads.
"I SAID GIVE ME A MINUTE!" Scott bellows as his eyes lock with Joe's. He looks at the rest of his bandmates and looks down at his notepad, startled. The rest of the band mates stare back at him, perplexed.
"Mason, can you uh…can you grab my guitar and the case? I'll go get the rest of the stuff." Scott says in a low voice.
"Sure…" Mason replies as he steps out and grabs the guitar case.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Joe asks his band mate one last time.
"I just need some rest. I'll be fine." Scott says as he walks out of the studio.
The invisible woman looks on as the rest of the band members walks out, murmuring to each other. The woman closes her eyes and disappears into the darkness of the studio.
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Across the city in the San Francisco Police department, Darryl marches into the precinct and heads to his office when his subordinate, Detective Brown approaches him.
"Captain!" he screams as he runs towards Darryl. Darryl turns around and walks towards him and they meet half way.
"What's up, Brown?" Darryl asks.
"Desmond's mother is here and she wants to talk to you." Brown says.
"Where is she?"
"She's sitting outside of your office." Brown replies.
"Why is she outside my office?" Darryl asks.
"Because you have another visitor in your office." Brown answers.
"Do you have any idea who it is?" Darryl asks as he walks closer to his office and the door swings open.
"Hey, Darryl." Billie says with a smile, "You rang?"
Darryl groans and walks to Mrs. Desmond, an older woman with dirty blonde hair crying hysterically wipes her tears with her handkerchief.
"Hi, Mrs. Desmond?" he reaches out to her, "Please give me a minute and I will be right with you."
"Julia." Mrs. Desmond says through her sniffles and raspy voice.
"I'm sorry?" Darryl asks politely.
"My name is Julia." She repeats.
"Well, Julia?" Darryl begins, "I have to take care of this issue for a second so I'll be with you shortly."
Julia nods and watches Darryl walk into his office and shut the door.
"What are you doing here?" Darryl asks.
"Phoebe called me and told me you needed help so here I am!" Billie says cheerfully.
"Yeah, I needed her help, not yours." Darryl says, obviously irritated.
"Well, the sisters are busy so you're stuck with me."
"I don't need your help. I thought this issue was a magic problem but I thought wrong." Darryl says as he walks to his desk and shuffles the papers. He pulls up a picture of the symbol found on Jesse's body.
"Ooooo! What is that?" Billie asks, intrigued.
"Nothing." Darryl says as he tries to hide the picture but Billie flexes her finger, sending the picture flying towards her.
"This is interesting." Billie says, observing the picture, "This mark looks familiar, like I've seen it in the book before."
"So you think it's a demon or something?" Darryl asks.
"I'm not certain but I'll need to borrow this to find out." Billie says.
"You know what? I think I'm just tripping." Darryl says as he bursts into maniacal laughter, "Every time I run into an issue, I automatically think it is something supernatural and I have got to stop."
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Darryl." Billie says as she continues to stare at the picture.
"Excuse me; I have a grieving mother out here to talk to." Darryl says as he walks to his door and opens it, showing Billie the way out.
Billie groans and walks out and Julia walks in. Darryl slams the door shut and invites Julia to sit.
"For starters, I just want to say I'm very sorry for your loss." Darryl says in a sympathetic tone.
"Thank you." Julia responds in a weepy voice.
"What can I do for you?" Darryl asks.
"I wanted to know what you guys have gathered so far in the homicide case concerning my son." Julia asks.
"I'm sorry, homicide?" Darryl asks in confusion, "Your son committed suicide by way of arson."
"That wasn't my son." Julia insists, "My son would never kill himself. He was murdered."
"Uh, Mrs. Desmond…"
"Julia."
"Ok. Julia?" Darryl begins, "Jesse was cornered in his apartment and he locked himself in and set the place on fire."
"Were you in the apartment with him?" Julia asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you see him set the fire? Did you see him die?" Julia asks.
"Not really. I just…"
"Then how can you be sure?" Julia asks, "I spoke to him earlier in the day and he was fine. He was happy and he couldn't wait to come see me this weekend. Then he called me terrified and paranoid in the evening because he thinks something happened to him and that he was losing control of his actions. He died a few hours after that. I raised Jesse. For 33 years, I knew that boy better than I know myself. He was always happy and even on the days where a person wish for death, Jesse would try his best to brighten your day. That's why he was a comic book artist. He liked to make people smile and be happy. He would not kill himself. He just wouldn't."
Darryl sits there in silence as he watches the tears fall down from the eyes of this grieving mother. His heart broke with every tear drop and his instinct agreed with her. Taking a deep breath, Darryl sighs and grabs Julia's hand in an effort to comfort her.
"I'll do the best I can to figure out what happened to your son." Darryl says with determination.
"That's all I ask." Julia sniffles as she manages to crack a smile in the midst of her living nightmare. Julia stands up and Darryl walks with her towards the door.
"I'll keep you updated as much as possible." Darryl says with a smile. Julia nods and walks away. As Darryl watches Julia walk towards the exit, Billie steps out of the side of the front with a smile.
"What the hell?!" Darryl screams.
"Sounds like you're going to need my help after all." Billie says as she folds her arms. Darryl steps aside and Billie walks into his office. With an agitated look on his face, Darryl slams his door shut.
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In a room boasting with black and gold colors, Piper sits at the table nervously as she fidgeted with the framed pictures of her children, her husband and her sisters on her desk. Whenever she faced adversity or confronted with something she feared, she always drew strength from her children, comfort from her husband and reassurance and support from her sisters.
A light knock on the door can be heard and Piper stands up immediately.
"Ahem…" Piper clears her throat nervously and then announces, "Come in!"
The door swings open and Jerry Mercer, dressed in a black business suit with a black suitcase in his hand walks into the office.
"Jerry?" Piper asks, startled, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here for a meeting." Jerry answers with a smile.
"I'm waiting for your father; I don't know why you're here. Does Billie know you're here?" Piper asks.
"No." Jerry says with a smile, "She doesn't but my father knows I'm here. I'm here to take my father's place. He had a last minute appointment he had to honor. It was either cancel this meeting or have me stand in his place."
"Great…" Piper says as she steps aside and allows Jerry to enter the room. Jerry looks around and sits down. He sets his briefcase onto the side and interlocks his fingers.
"This is a beautiful club, Piper. I'm glad he's finally taken my word in trying into invest in you."
"You told him to invest in my restaurant?" Piper asks as she takes her seat, "Why?"
"Initially, Billie suggested it. Then when I came here for the first time and saw what you've done with it, the requests I receiving and the accolades your restaurant and your food received, I knew I had to let you shine a little more than just in a small corner in California."
"Well, thank you." Piper blushes, "Well, I've put together charts and graphs and I…"
"Piper, Piper…let me stop you there." Jerry says, interrupting Piper's presentation, "Like I said I'm not my father."
"At least let me know what you're trying to get into before you have the contracts drawn out." Piper suggests.
"That's great but I did my homework on all of this before I came here today. In addition to the charts and records, your reviews are amazing and it also helps that I know you personally." Jerry begins, "We are interested. We do not need convincing. You, on the other hand…"
"What about me?" Piper asks as she begins to put her paperwork away.
"We want to reiterate on expanding your brand…"
"Brand?" Piper chortles, "I don't have a brand."
"Yes you do, you're just not aware of it." Jerry says, "We want to establish you in a bigger city and establish a clientele. We heard your concerns about branching out and we will just base you here in California until you're ready to move forward."
"That's great!" Piper says excitedly.
"The next city we are planning to have you take over is Los Angeles…" Jerry says.
"L.A.?" Piper asks as her jaw drops, "Are you sure?"
"Like a heart attack." Jerry answers, "We just need you to go to Los Angeles to oversee everything and make sure it's up to your standards. We're just providing the funding and you are just going to run the business."
"You just want a piece of the pie in return, don't you?" Piper says slyly, "How many percent?"
"Twenty." Jerry whispers.
"That's it?" Piper asks as her suspicious nature takes over, "What's the catch?"
"The catch is that I believe in you so much that I know 20% will be enough profit from an investment. You just need to divide your time between San Francisco and L.A."
"I can't do that…" Piper says softly, "My kids and my husband…"
"You have time to think about it, Piper. No rush, we are working on your time do move as comfortable as you feel." Jerry says as he stands up. He places the briefcase on Piper's desk and opens it, taking out the papers. He places the papers in front of Piper.
"Have your lawyers look it over and call me whenever you're ready." Jerry says. He grabs his suitcase and walks away. He opens the door to Piper's office and looks back.
"I have no worries, Piper." He says with a smile, "You'll figure it out."
Jerry nods and walks out of the office, leaving Piper to contemplate about her decision. Her eyes fall onto the picture of the family picture consisting of Wyatt, Chris and Mellie standing behind them while Piper and Leo sit on a chair in front, all five people bearing a happy smile. Piper takes a deep breath and runs her fingers through her long, brown hair.
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A church organ plays a somber tune in the background as a picture of Bob Cowan can be seen perched in the hallway outside of a slightly crowded room. Paige found herself dressed in a black pantsuit, with dark sun glasses to match. The turnout was a surprise, close to a hundred people marched in and out of the room, but she hardly recognized any of them. She kept looking down at her watch and then looks around the room while pacing impatiently.
Henry runs to his wife, fixing his jacket as he got nearer.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Henry apologizes as he kisses his wife in a poor attempt to pacify her, "I was helping Leo and Coop at their house and then I had to get dropped off at the house to change…"
"The important thing is you're here now." Paige whispers, "You're just in time for the service to start."
"Great. Let the weeping begin." Henry jokes as he follows Paige into the room where Bob Cowan lay.
The funeral service was slower than a country bus, taking just as many detours. Everyone had a memory to share, an anecdote to recite and a favorite hymn to sing. The tears accompanied by the wailing were the emotional soundtrack to Bob Cowan's life and just like that, the service was over.
Going down the assembly line of mourners, Paige and Henry shook the hands of the family members who were too distraught with grief to say anything more than 'Thank you'. Paige worked for Bob Cowan for three years and she had never met his family. She knew Bob had a wife and four children but up until today, she never thought she would care to find out who they were and what their names were until now; now that she was standing before them, frozen and the words of condolence failed to escape her lips.
"We're sorry for your loss, Mrs. Cowan." Henry says in a tone hoping to provide solace to the Cowan widow.
"Thank you. And it's Eugenia." Mrs. Cowan responds, shaking Henry's hand and then Paige's, "How did you guys know Robert?"
"My wife here worked for him a few years back." Henry answers in a gentle tone.
"That's great. I know he worked in Social services and he helped a lot of people but I never knew how much of an impact he made until now." Eugenia says as her voice begins to break.
"From what I know, he was a great guy. This isn't surprising." Henry says.
"That's why it shocked me that he died the way he did." Eugenia states.
"What do you mean?" Henry asks.
"He died in a freak accident. He fell from a second story window and broke his neck. His body was found in a neighborhood he has never visited before and his car was found three blocks away. It doesn't make any sense." Eugenia reveals as she begins to break down and her oldest son consoles her.
Paige snaps out of her petrified state and looks at Henry and then Eugenia.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Eugenia." Paige finally says, extending her sympathies.
"Thanks, dear." Eugenia says.
Paige and Henry walk away into the hallway, away from the rest of the mourners.
"What happened to you?" Henry asks Paige.
"I don't know. I'm not good at being at funerals." Paige answers.
"Clearly." Henry sighs, "What a nice lady. Shame what happened to her husband."
"Yeah, shame." Paige says as her mind begins to wander. Henry stares at his wife and a look of realization hits him.
"I know that look." Henry says, whispering to his wife, "You're up to something."
"What if there's more to Bob's death than we know?"
"But we don't know anything." Henry says, trying to dissuade his wife.
"What we know so far is what his wife told us. Something doesn't sound right. I think I was here for a reason." Paige says.
"Yeah because you initially went to the Social Services place looking for a job and found out he was dead." Henry says sarcastically, "It's a coincidence."
"Everything happens for a reason, Henry. I don't believe in coincidences and neither should you." Paige says as she puts on her shades, "Come on, we have some work to do."
Paige storms out of the funeral home and Henry watches her walk out for a moment.
"Isn't anything ever simple in this family?" Henry complains to himself.
"HENRY!" Paige can be heard yelling outside.
"Coming dear!" Henry shouts back, running out of the funeral home.
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The school bells ring in Dwight Eisenhower Elementary school and the students pour out of their classrooms, heading into the cafeteria. Tricia walks the hallway with her sister, Paris, heading in the same general direction as everyone else.
Mellie walks out of class, smiling and greeting with Penny and Gabby next to her.
"Hey, Mellie!" a girl screams, "Are you up for the mall after school?"
"Sure. We can go to the arcade afterwards." Mellie answers back.
"Cool! Will text you the details later!" the girl says as she walks away.
Mellie walks backwards and bumps into Tricia, both of them dropping their books onto the floor upon making contact.
"Watch where you're going!" Tricia snaps as she bends to pick up her books.
"I'm sorry…" Mellie apologizes but pauses when she sees Tricia, "I'm sorry."
"Whatever." Tricia says as she stands up, "Get lost."
"You know, a few of us are going to the mall after school. Do you want to come with?" Mellie asks.
"I want to go!" Paris exclaims.
"Paris!" Tricia shouts with her gritted teeth.
"I guess not…" Paris says, unenthused.
"Well you're invited…both of you." Mellie says, "So whenever you feel like you're over this family feud, you know where I live and you know my number."
Mellie turns around and walks away with the twins following her.
"Why are you still mad at her?" Paris asks her sister.
"She made my life a living hell ever since she started running for Class President. No one talks to me anymore after the election; no one was to be seen with me." Tricia answers.
"Have you ever thought that people don't want to be around you because you act like you're better than everyone else?" Paris asks.
"In Paris, I was adored and worshipped. I even modeled for Yves Saint Laurent in Paris. People should be flocking to me, not the other way around." Tricia says as she flips her hair.
"You know what?" Paris says as she walks backwards away from her sister, "Pais and I only stuck on your side because you're our sister and that's what sisters do but your reason for doing this is pretty selfish."
"What does that mean?" Tricia asks.
"This is San Francisco, not Paris. Your ego is too inflated for your own good. I love you but I can't be around this anymore. It's depressing." Paris says as she walks away, "Come find me when you become the big sister I love and remember."
"Fine! I don't need you! I don't need anyone!" Tricia yells as the school bells ring and the hallway doors slam shut, leaving Tricia standing and feeling alone for the first time in her life.
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As the ding of the elevator sounds the air, the doors slide open and Phoebe steps outside and walks towards the double glassed doors of the Bay Mirror. Phoebe takes a deep breath and with a smile on her face, she pushes the door open.
"There she is!" Elise screams as everyone turns around and applaud loudly.
"No, please stop…" Phoebe smiles as she walks further into the office, "Thank you, I appreciate it."
"Welcome back, Phoebe." Sophie says as she hugs Phoebe.
"Thank you." Phoebe answers as she pulls away.
"Follow me…" Elise says excitedly as she grabs Phoebe's hand and yanks her towards an office.
"Where are you taking me?" Phoebe asks.
"Your office." Elise answers.
"But my office was back there."
"Not anymore!" Elise says in a sing song voice as she opens the door.
A picture of Phoebe hangs on the wall behind a desk with a large leather chair. The window to the left overlooks the tall buildings in the city with the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the distance.
"Wow." Phoebe gasps.
"I take it that you like it?" Elise asks.
"I do, I really do but I don't think it's necessary." Phoebe stutters.
"I think it is. You're going to be under a lot of stress dealing with deadlines with the newspaper and with your book, the best thing we can do is make sure you work in a relaxing visual atmosphere." Elise says.
"I don't know what to say, Elise." Phoebe says with a tone of gratitude in her voice.
"I'm just glad to have you back, Phoebe." Elise says happily, "Do you know what you're trying to do first?"
"Well, I don't think I have any letters yet since today is my first day back so I guess try to start working on my book for this first week." Phoebe answers.
"Any ideas of what you're going to write about?" Elise asks.
"No, but I'm pretty sure it's going to come to me." Phoebe chuckles.
"Well, no ideas can come to you if I'm standing here so I'm going to leave you alone to get started." Elise says as she backs up from the office, "Welcome back and if you need anything from me, just know that I'm right next door."
"Thanks so much for all of this, Elise!" Phoebe says with a smile as Elise walks out of the door and closes it.
Phoebe takes off her purse and sets it on the desk. She takes a deep breath and looks around at her new office. She walks around her desk, sliding her fingers gently on the surface. She takes a seat in her chair as her face lights up with happiness. She opens up the laptop sitting on her desk and logs in.
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Chris jumps out of the way of an incoming fireball as it hits the wall behind him, leaving a large scorch mark in its wake. A demon stands before him, covered in all black with white tribal marking tattoos over his body. The iris of his eyes was bright red and his teeth were jagged and sharp. The demon spins around and transforms himself into a large black gust of wind, similar to a tornado, heading towards Chris.
"Any minute now!" Chris yells as the dark funnel heads closer to him.
Bianca shimmers in behind the tornado and with her hands glowing a blue color, she plunges her hand into the ground, creating a portal.
The portal begins to pull all manner of objects into its midst, with Chris and Bianca holding on to solid objects for dear life.
The tornado begins to move back away from Chris and towards the portal. As soon as the tornado touches the blue lit portal, it disappears from sight, leaving Bianca and Chris behind.
"Now close it!" Chris yells, trying his hardest not to lose his grip.
Bianca stands up and moves towards the portal, using the wall as a brace. As she nears the portal, she slips and immediately, the pull of the portal yanks her towards the open vortex. Bianca screams as she thrashes around on the floor and immediately, she levitates into the air and finds herself suspended above the portal.
Chris holds up his left hand, apparently holding Bianca in the air while sliding towards the portal by force.
"In fine Ostium!" Chris shouts as he foot touches the portal. The light from the portal flickers and disappears instantly. Chris lowers his hand as Bianca gently lands on her feet. Chris lies back and breathes a sigh of relief.
"That was close!" Bianca says, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Yeah, you think?" Chris snaps at her, clearly out of breath, "You need to learn to control your power."
"That was the first time I used my power to create a portal, thanks to you." Bianca says as she extends her hand, offering to help Chris stand up. Chris hesitates for a second and grabs her arm. Bianca pulls him up.
"I didn't help create anything. That was all you. All I did was help you tap into the power that was already there."
"Still, I wouldn't be able to do that without you." Bianca says with a smile, "Thanks."
Chris looks at Bianca and catches the color of her eyes. The light from the sunset outside illuminates her face and turns her brown eyes into a light brown, slightly hazel hue. Chris immediately looks down and gently mutters, "Don't mention it."
An awkward silence fills the room for a brief moment before Chris tries to change the subject.
"This is the fifth practice in a row Wyatt has missed so far. It's funny how he was the one who pushed me to start doing this and he's barely here." Chris says.
"Actually, I insisted he have you join us, and it looks like I made the right choice." Bianca says as she tucks her hair behind her ears.
"That's how you feel?" Chris laughs.
"Something like that." Bianca replies with a chuckle.
Chris looks at his watch and then looks at Bianca, "It's getting too late. I've got to head home."
"I do too." Bianca says as she laughs nervously, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I mean, the sun is setting, we can walk home if you'd want?" Chris offers.
"Sure. I'd like that." Bianca says as she opens the door and walks out, with Chris following her out. As they walk out of the warehouse, they eventually arrive at the park with a stunning gazebo with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The setting sun lingers between the bars of the bridge with the tinge of purple and orange colors stretched across the sky.
"What is this place?" Bianca asks.
"This is my sister's spot." Chris answers, "My dad used to bring her here all of the time."
"This is nice." Bianca says as she walks into the gazebo and takes a seat on the bench, "The view of the sunset is nice from here."
"I guess so." Chris says as he joins her.
As the sun inches closer to the horizon, the sky turns darker and the stars begin to irradiate the sky.
"Can I ask you a question?" Bianca asks.
"Sure."
"Why did you hate me or at least acted like you did?" Bianca asks.
"I didn't hate you." Chris answers.
"You weren't especially kind to me." Bianca says quietly.
"I just don't like to lower my guard until I get to know the person." Chris explains.
"So what do you think about me now?" Bianca asks Chris, staring into his eyes while biting her bottom lip.
"You're not that bad." Chris says in his soft voice, "What about me?"
"You're not an insufferable know-it-all." Bianca smiles.
"Is that what you thought about me?" Chris asks with a chuckle.
"You speak Latin. How many people do you know in high school speak Latin?" Bianca asks.
"Well, speaking Latin saved your ass today." Chris defends himself with a smile.
"I appreciate that…" Bianca says as she scoots closer to Chris, "Let me show you my gratitude."
Chris swallows a lump and watches as Bianca closes her eyes and puckers her lips. Chris' heart beats so fast, he feared his heart was going to leap out of his chest and run away.
"I've never kissed a girl before." Chris thought to himself, "How do I do this?"
With a million thoughts running through his mind, they all disappeared as soon as his lips met with Bianca's. A warm feeling rose from his chest and washed over him as he closed his eyes and sunk into the moment. He had never felt anything like this before and now, in this moment, nothing else mattered.
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The band begin to play their set, rehearsing before the club opens. Scott sings lead, Joe stands next to him singing back up and playing the bass guitar. In the back, Mason sits by the drums and Lindsay stands in the corner on the keys.
Coop sits at the bar of P3 while Leo stands behind the counter, wiping down glasses. His mind wanders far with his face and eyes frozen in a daydream.
"Hello?!" Leo waves his hands in front of him, "Coop? Are you there?"
"Yeah, yeah." Coop says, snapping out of his trance, "Sorry about that."
"Are you okay? You've been out of it since last night." Leo asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Coop says, "What band is this anyway?"
"They call themselves The Failed Experiment." Leo answers.
"That's their name?" Coop laughs.
"Yeah, young kids nowadays. I don't question them but they're apparently famous because we sold out in an hour after we booked them." Leo states.
"Can I ask you a question?" Coop asks.
"Shoot."
"What was Cole like?" Coop asks.
"Cole? Why are you asking about that?" Leo asks.
"I mean the talk about exes yesterday kind of had me thinking." Coop begins.
"As a Cupid, I imagine you know about the exes of your charges and since Phoebe was a charge before she became your wife, you know about hers too." Leo says.
"I know of her exes, yes." Coop says, "I don't know anything about them."
"There's nothing to say. Cole was a demon, pure evil." Leo answers.
"But there must have been a reason why Phoebe was with him for two years and married him." Coop says.
"Cole was a charming guy. He had good qualities but his thirst for power was stronger than his love for Phoebe." Leo explains, "I liked him when he was on our side for a little bit but he put this family through hell."
"So you'd say that he was dangerous?" Coop asks.
"He was a soldier of the Source, then he became the Source and then he became an invincible demon until he made himself vulnerable for a moment to be vanquished, so I'd say so yeah."
Scott stops playing the guitar and turns to Joe while the rest of the band continue to play.
"Can we take five? Everything is looking good so far." Scott says.
"Sure…" Joe says as he turns to the rest of his bandmates.
Scott sits on a stool in front of a microphone and begins to strum his guitar, singing his heart out.
"Is he okay?" Lindsay asks Joe.
"What do you mean?" Joe asks.
"The outburst he had earlier and now he's writing and creating this brilliant music we've never heard before…" Lindsay says with concern.
"I'm not complaining. He seems fine now." Joe says.
"That didn't look like the Scott we know but that's your best friend. I'll take your word for it." Lindsay shrugs.
The transparent mysterious woman appears on the stage, watching Scott sing beautifully into the microphone, strumming his guitar and capturing the attention of everyone in the room. The woman smiles as she walks closer to Scott and hovers her hand over his shoulder.
Coop, watching Scott sing sees the woman emerge from the shadows and stand next to Scott.
"Where did she come from?" Coop asks.
"Where did who come from?" Leo asks, while wiping down the counter.
"Her. The woman on the stage." Coop asks.
"The woman on the keyboard?"
"No, Leo, the woman standing next to the lead singer." Coop says adamantly.
Leo squints his eyes and shakes his head, confused at what Coop was looking at. Coop stands up and begins to walk slowly towards the stage.
Scott stops singing and an eerie look falls on his face. He grabs his guitar and immediately begins to smash his guitar on the stage.
"Scott! What the hell are you doing?!" Joe asks as he grabs Scott by his arm.
Scott turns around and grabs the microphone stand and tosses it off the stage. He grabs another stand and swings at Joe, knocking him off the stage.
Coop and Leo run towards the stage and Leo tackles Scott to the ground. Coop helps pin Scott to the ground with Leo. Leo sees the symbol of the quill mysteriously appear on the back of his neck. The symbol glows for a moment as the mysterious woman turns around to walk back into the shadows.
"Do you see this?" Leo asks Coop.
"GET OFF ME!" Scott screams.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Leo says as he clenches his fist and delivers a powerful blow, knocking Scott out.
"Who are you?" Coop says to the woman.
The woman turns around and smiles.
"Calliope?" Coop says with his eyes widened.
"Shhh!" Calliope whispers as she walks closer to Coop and blows him a kiss. Coop closes his eyes and his eyes become dilated for a quick second before they return to normal. The symbol appears and brightens on his arm for a second and disappears.
"I'll see you real soon, Coop." Calliope says with a smile as she fades into the darkness.
"Who were you talking to?" Leo asks, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Coop stands up, still looking in the direction of the dark corner of the stage and with fear in his voice, he whispers, "I'm not sure anymore."
TO BE CONTINUED.