Under the thorny shield of unkempt shrubbery, Wyatt Halliwell peered with eyes squinted against the darkening evening sky. He was going on his second hour of keeping watch on their lead, following Dr. Maxwell Salt to the grocery store, a strip club, the liquor store, and finally the San Francisco Memorial Hospital. It wasn't exactly the most appealing chain of events when considering the physician was supposed to be saving lives, but he wasn't one to judge. Instead Wyatt waited with complete patience, stalking his target with grace and expertise. He ignored the growing stiffness of his neck, the ache of his feet, and the uncomfortable position he kept among the leaves, dirt, and branches. Patience had been poured into the witch's bones and he now put the attribute to good use.
"Hey."
Though her arrival was stealth, Wyatt sensed his cousin without even glancing to insure she was indeed his visitor. As the pink lights fell down around her, Laura found herself kneeling next to her cousin, peering through a small gap between two bushes.
"You took longer than I expected," Wyatt told her.
"Yeah, well, we thought we had found Salt," Laura whispered. "Is he in the hospital now?"
"For the last half hour, yeah," he nodded.
"That's weird…"
"Why?"
"He's not on call today," Laura murmured.
"Yeah, well neither were you and you ended up here," Wyatt smirked.
"Don't remind me…"
"So, what exactly is the plan?" he asked. "Not that I don't like stalking this guy but I was hoping there would be an eventual goal to work up to…"
"You mean you don't have one?" Laura asked.
"You wanted me to come up with the plan?" Wyatt asked with wide eyes.
"I thought that's what Chris sent you for," she hissed.
"Yeah, to help you, not orchestrate the entire thing. You're the Charmed One!" he exclaimed.
"You're Twice Blessed!"
"If we don't have a plan, this entire thing is a waste!" Wyatt told her.
"Shhhhh! He's leaving!" Laura growled, shoving his shoulder. The two cousins went silent, watching with apprehension as Dr. Maxwell Salt slowly slipped out the main entrance of the hospital. "Where's he going?"
"I don't know, I must have left my power of premonition at home," Wyatt quipped.
"You're not being very helpful," Laura mumbled. "I'm going to go talk to him."
"And say what?"
"What if we grab him and then take him back to the house?"
"And then what?"
"We interrogate him?" Laura asked.
"He's not a demon."
"No but he's a walking clue," she replied.
"Okay but . . . what the hell?"
"Who is that?"
Shimmering in front of Dr. Salt's path was a curvy figure, merely a shadow in the dim light but undoubtedly a demon. The entryway was vacant, leaving no other bystanders as witnesses to Salt's encounter. From what Laura could tell, the doctor was hardly fazed by the visitor. He seemed far too at ease with the display of magic to not have been earlier exposed.
"Wyatt, what do we do?" Laura asked shakily.
"I don't know," he whispered.
A long mane of hair trailed down to the center of the demon's back and the voluptuousness of the interloper was exemplified by the tight black leather pants and dark shirt being worn. The Halliwells could at least discern that Salt's "friend" was a woman. The sparse lighting of the parking lot and entrance did little to reveal any other attributes of the figure, leaving Wyatt and Laura caught in a rather useless position as they spied on the pair.
"What do you think they're doing?" Wyatt asked.
"They're just talking, I think. Maybe they know each other . . ."
"Shit."
In a swift movement the woman grabbed Salt. Her arm flew around his throat, nearly paralyzing him in a chokehold. Before Wyatt and Laura could spring into action, an object appeared in the demon's free hand. It caught a sliver of light, allowing a glimmer to reveal a sharp blade. In an instant the knife cut across Salt's throat.
"Oh God," Laura choked, far too shocked to move from her position in the bushes.
"Hey!" Wyatt shouted. He stood, capturing the attention of the demon. Before he could move to reach her, the woman shimmered out, taking the bleeding Dr. Maxwell Salt with her.
Recovered, Laura rose, hand on her chest as she kept her gaze trained on where Salt was last seen. "Should we go after them?" she asked.
Wyatt shook his head. "No," he murmured. "That's it. Salt's already dead."
"We should've protected him," Laura whispered. Wyatt frowned as he recognized the emotion swelling in his cousin's voice.
Oh Lord, have mercy on me
"We couldn't have known," he replied, gently reaching out and squeezing her shoulder. "He could have just easily been for the other side."
"No," she shook her head. "No, I knew him Wyatt. I worked with him every day at this hospital and deep down I knew he wasn't a bad man. We should've been able to save him…"
Please pull me from this heat
Without another word she teleported out, leaving nothing behind but a few flashes of neon magenta light. Wyatt bit on his lower lip, a slow guilt warming his insides. And with a heavy sigh, he orbed away, clinging to reason in order to avoid regret.
My hands are burning and I can't feel my feet
The sun had long ago set but it wasn't until now that Kate felt so conscious of the darkness. A light breeze tangled her hair and a light speckle of stars peered out from above. Her gaze however was stuck on the bold sign: Cornerstone Rehabilitation Facility.
"This is it," she mumbled to herself.
This wasn't how my life was to be
Her siblings stood behind her, doing their best to maintain strong facades. Joey was loaded with her bags while Sam carefully approached her twin's side. Together the three of them trekked up the cobblestone path, passing the well-landscaped flowers and greenery, and soothing fountains. If it didn't all represent such a depressing purpose, it would have seemed peaceful. Maybe even beautiful.
Kate was trembling too harshly to pull open the glass door. Instead she simply stood, timidly watching as Sam opened it for her. Her heart raced as they walked through the lobby. The trio went slowly as if on some sort of death march. Together, the three stopped at the front desk.
Bum bum bum bum, Oh no
"We're here to check in Katherine Matthews-Mitchell," Sam told the receptionist. Her voice shook with the words and Kate and Joey pretended not to notice.
"Of course, we've been expecting you," the woman nodded kindly. She handed Sam a clipboard. "You'll need to complete these forms. We already faxed the information over to your insurance."
"Thank you," she replied.
"Scott will be out to escort you back shortly," the woman said.
Bum bum bum bum, Oh no
An unsettling silence fell as they sat in the lobby chairs. Sam anxiously completed the forms, asking for Kate's signature every few papers. Joey twiddled with his thumbs, his auburn gaze stuck to the grainy carpet floor. And then far too quickly, a door swung open behind them.
"Are you Kate?"
She swallowed hard, nodding hesitantly to the man. Sweat coated the back of her neck. Her head pounded. She longed for a drink. She longed to flee. She longed to cry and hide.
It was time.
I'm going down with the Devil's thunder, yeah
"I'm Scott. I'll show you to your room after you say goodbye to your family," he said gently.
Kate nodded again, though this time the lump in her throat grew even harder. Her eyes fell to Sam who was staring at her with seemingly equal dread. As if she too wondered if it was too late to turn back. But they both knew better. It's what made it so difficult.
With weak knees and hopeless eyes, Kate stood. It was perhaps the hardest stand she had ever taken. This was harder than the demons or the monsters. This wasn't something she could fight her way out of.
"I'm going to miss you," Joey told her, forcing a smile as they faced each other. Tears glistened but he kept his buoyant outlook. He would be strong. He would be positive. For at this moment, as with many others, it was all he could do. "I'm proud of you."
"I'm proud of you too," Kate sniffled, embracing him tightly. She rested her ear against his chest, listening to his calm heartbeat for a few moments. Savoring the fact that Joey gave the same hugs as their father had so many years ago. "Thank you, Joey. For everything."
"Don't thank me," he chuckled as they pulled a part. He wiped one of her tears away. "I love you."
"I love you so much," she said, forcing a smile as she dried her eyes. "Visit me, okay?"
"I will," Joey nodded.
Kate pulled in a deep breath. Saying goodbye to her baby brother was painful. And with even more sorrow, she knew Sam awaited her.
I'm going down
"I wish I knew what to say," Kate told her sister as she turned to face her.
The tears were visible as they rolled down Sam's cheeks. She made no attempt to hide them. Kate sniffled, hastily attempting to dry her face, though it was of no use. "You don't have to say anything," Sam said. "We're going to get through this, all right?"
"Yeah," Kate whispered with a nod.
Sam quickly reached into her jacket pocket, grabbing a single envelope. "This is for you," she whimpered.
So throw me some water
"What is it?" Kate asked, slowly taking the item from her sister. It had her name scrawled on the front in careful black ink.
"It's from mom," Sam answered while more tears fell. "I should have given it to you sooner. She wrote everyone a letter before she died. Uncle Leo gave them to us when we read the will. I'm sorry I kept it from you…"
"No, it's okay," she nodded. "I could use it now."
Sam nodded as well. With tears and sadness they fell into an embrace, clinging to each other tightly. Desperately holding on as if it was the last hug they would ever share.
Yeah, Throw me some water
"I love you," Sam said when they released.
"Love you too."
Joey carefully handed Scott his sister's bags, heart heavy in his chest, making it harder to suppress his tears with each thud.
"You can do this," Sam told her.
Kate forced a painful smile and nodded.
"So can you," she replied. "Just do me a favor: Finish what I started."
Sam swallowed hard, knowing far too well what her sister meant. "I will."
Kate's feet felt heavy as they carried her away from her brother and sister. And unable to stare at their gentle faces any longer, she turned on her heel, following Scott with a battered spirit. The only thing she gripped to was the letter in her hand.
Water, oh no
As the door closed behind her, Joey released the first whimper. A plump tear rolled down his cheek, marking the first of his long awaited cry. Sam wrapped an arm around his broad shoulder and he sunk his head onto her chest, shrinking in size like a small boy. They were children again. Mourning one more loss.
You said last time in old Quebec
"Mother, where's Malum?" Jack asked. He frantically stalked down the marble hallway, his footsteps echoing loudly off the high ceiling.
"He's in his office," Aliah answered. "Why dear?"
"I need to speak with him," he replied tersely. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she quickly scurried after him. His strong arms threw open the large doors to Malum's chambers, his face streaked with determination.
"What have I told you about interrupting!" Malum growled.
"I'm sorry but we need to talk," Jack replied.
Malum glared up from his oversized desk and leaned back in his chair. When he realized Aliah entered behind his step-son, his face soon softened. "Well, I always have time for you, Delezar," he cleared his throat. "How can I help you?"
"You can't kill Max," Jack said.
Your child of comfort, of guilt and regret
"It's business, Delezar. He went against my orders. More importantly, he's a loose end. The Charmed Ones will realize his connection to the virus and where do you think that will lead?" he explained tiredly.
"Just send him away. Don't kill him . . ."
Before Jack could finish, the topic of conversation was shimmered in. A woman, clad in leather and with silky brunette locks glared at the men as she dropped a limp body to the floor.
"Oh you're early," Malum grinned at her.
Jack's face fell when he recognized the corpse. A bleeding and lifeless Maxwell Salt was draped across the marble.
It's no wonder you feel you're going down
"You killed him," Jack mumbled. He glared up at the woman. She only returned the gesture.
"Jack, this is Bianca Lawrence," Malum said. "She's a Phoenix."
So I buck up, and back on my feet
"An assassin witch?" Aliah spoke up, raising an eyebrow. "Impressive."
"I'm only here to collect my pay," Bianca said coolly. "It was hard to fit this into my schedule."
And the money is good and revenge is sweet
"Oh please, you were the one complaining that you were becoming bored," Malum told her.
Bianca rolled her eyes. "I may be a detective, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this case going. I have people to report to," she said.
"You don't need to solve the murder. You already know how she was murdered," Malum scoffed. "You just need to distract the Halliwells. Keep them tense enough to make a mistake. They falter under pressure and most especially at the prospect of exposure."
"You mean you've been investigating them this whole time without a case?" Jack asked.
"Very good, Delezar," Malum growled. "You're a quick learner. You know, if you were a better demon, I wouldn't have had to have Bianca kill Max in the first place. In fact, she did such a good job that she will continue helping me infiltrate the Halliwells."
"I will?" Bianca asked.
"The Charmed Ones' whitelighter to be more specific. He's a pain in the ass," Malum replied.
"I'll see what I can do," she murmured before shimmering out. Malum sighed.
"Aliah, shall we go for a stroll?" he asked.
"I would like that," she answered, though her gaze remained trained of her son.
Jack was silent as the two departed. He took to a knee at Max's body, frowning with remorse. His friend was gone. His only friend. With trembling fingers he reached out and carefully pulled down Max's eyelids. It was depressing to think this was how the man's life ended. It was cruel and tragic and far too simple. And as the feelings tormented him, Jack could only dread the idea that he could not be both. He could not survive a dual identity. He could not be Delezar and Jack. He could not be demon and human. He would have to choose.
But I still wonder about me
"Hey Jack, it's me. I know you're probably working and I didn't want to bother you, but I wanted to check in. I uh . . . hope everything is all right. You just seemed different today and I wanted to make sure you were okay. If there's anything you want to talk about . . . I mean, not that there would be. I mean I'm not trying to start anything, I just worry about you, and I know you don't like when I do that, but I can't help it. If there's anything I can do . . . I just . . . I don't know what I'm trying to say. Call me when you get a chance. I love you . . ."
Melinda grimaced as she ended the call, silently putting her cell phone back into her pocket with hesitancy. She wished to call him again. She wished to go back to his apartment. There were so many things she needed to know. So many questions that needed answers. For she was beginning to fear she had been missing something all along.
Bum bum bum bum, oh no
"Hey, have you seen Laura?"
Melinda nearly jumped at the voice of her oldest brother but managed to keep her composure as she faced him. "Uh no," she stammered. "Why? Is everything all right?"
Wyatt sighed and shook his head. "We lost Salt."
"Lost Salt?"
"He's dead," Wyatt answered.
"What?" Melinda choked. "How?"
"Laura and I were tracking him and a demon showed up. She killed him and shimmered off with the body," he said. "Laura seemed to take it pretty hard."
"Well, I've only been here for a little while. She could've teleported in and I didn't see her. Lila and Lucy are up in the attic with Chris," Melinda said.
Bum bum bum bum, Oh no
"Actually, I'm right here," Chris spoke up as he jumped down the last steps to the first floor. He joined his brother and sister with a smirk.
"How'd everything here go?" Wyatt asked.
"Kate's with Sam and Joey on her way to the rehab center," Chris said. "But the intervention was a little harsh, let me tell you . . ."
"I'm sorry," Melinda sighed.
"It's all right. I feel bad for Sam and Joe mostly," Chris replied. "I couldn't imagine if the three of us had to go through that."
Wyatt and Melinda both gave sad nods. "How'd everything else go today?" Chris asked them.
"We made progress," Melinda started hesitantly. Wyatt nodded in agreement.
"Anything on Salt?" Chris asked.
Wyatt sighed. "Salt's dead."
"What?"
"It was just a little while ago. A demon got to him before we could."
"Are you kidding me?" Chris choked. "How could that happen?"
"There was a lot going on . . ."
"He was our only lead!"
"This isn't the end of the line," Wyatt said.
"We did a lot of research. We can pursue another angle," Melinda nodded.
"We needed Salt," Chris growled. "I can't believe this happened."
"It's not like we killed him, Chris," Melinda rolled her eyes.
"Well, you didn't do anything to prevent it either."
"Let's not start blaming people, all right?" Wyatt sighed. "If anything, I'll take responsibility. If anyone could have stopped it, I could've."
Chris bitterly shook his head. "I can't do this right now," he said. "I'm going to get some air."
I'm going down with the Devil's thunder, yeah
"What's the matter?" Lila asked the instant her sister landed in the attic.
"Salt's dead," Laura answered.
"What?" Lucy and Lila simultaneously gasped.
Laura anxiously paced over to the Book of Shadows. Emotion swam about her face, but she desperately held it back. "We should have been protecting him; not pursuing him as a suspect. He was just an innocent…"
Lila's face dropped slightly. She glanced at Lucy who only shrugged before striding toward her sister. "Laura, it's okay."
I'm going down
"He was killed by demons, Lila," she stammered. "I see him at the hospital all the time and now he's gone. Everyone's going to ask questions and . . . and I know. I know what really happened. I know that we didn't save him."
"Listen, calm down," Lila told her. "You can't blame yourself for this."
"We have to fix it," Laura insisted as she flipped through the pages.
So throw me some water
"Laura, there's nothing to fix," Lucy said. "You can't bring him back."
"I know that," she nodded, swallowing down a lump in her throat. "But we can bring him back."
Lila and Lucy both scrambled to peer over their older sister's shoulder. "Cole Turner," Lila said.
"We summon him," Laura told her.
"Why the hell would we do that?" Lucy asked.
"Because Salt was our only lead and he died. I won't let that be in vain. We summon Cole and he answers our questions."
"I think you should slow down," Lila shook her head. "You're thinking with your emotions."
"Laura, you've had a long day. Between James and now Salt . . ."
"It's not because of that, Lucy," Laura said. Determination flashed in her eyes. "We all know this is the next best lead we have."
"What about mom? And aunt Piper? I think we should consult them about this," Lucy replied.
"They're not the Charmed Ones anymore," Laura told her. "We are."
Yeah, Throw me some water
Chris' knee bounced up and down as he sat on the porch steps, watching the empty street with disenchanted emerald eyes. The neighborhood had fallen into a careful calm and he appreciated the solitude to recollect his mood. He was disappointed with Salt's death but he had been disappointed before. He knew better than anyone that the man's death didn't mean the end of their search. No, that's not what troubled him.
What ate at him were the words he did his best to ignore. The ones he convinced himself were spoken out of anger and impulsiveness. But no matter how much he tried to soothe himself, he couldn't deny that there was also truth in them. "Is your life really so disappointing that you have to get involved with everyone else's? Are you really so insecure and unhappy that you have to make sure that the rest of the family is heeding to your beck and call?"
What drove him to near insanity was the idea that perhaps Kate had been right. His duties as a whitelighter and to his family were all that consumed him. Even his job was connected directly to the Halliwells."Why don't you get a life, Chris? Is this family the only thing you have? Is bossing everyone around and following these rules and being an ass the only way you can build your self-confidence?"
Who was he without the family? Who was he without someone to boss around or a problem to solve? Was his life really so one-dimensional? She was right. He was insecure and lonely. The demon fighting and bossiness and planning were all just a façade. A mask to hide the fact that he didn't feel half as strong as he acted. That he was weak and vulnerable and just as scared as everyone else.
"Hey Halliwell…"
Chris quickly glanced up, his mouth instantly twitching into a smile when he spotted her. "Detective," he greeted. "Can I help you with something?"
Bianca was silent as she took a seat next to him. Her brown eyes twinkled. There was a softness about her face that made Chris want to melt. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.
They say sing for your supper
"Don't you need to read me my rights before you start interrogating me?"
"I'm off duty," Bianca replied gently.
"So what are you doing here?" Chris asked. His heart raced beneath his chest. He longed to hear the answer fall from her lips. The revelation that she wanted to see him. To be with him.
"I don't know," she murmured. Chris slowly nodded his head. "It's a nice night…"
"I want to take you out on a date," he said suddenly.
"What?"
"You heard me," Chris replied. "Will you go out with me?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
But they say sing for your pain
Melinda sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Though she had seen far more eventful and hectic days, the afternoon had drained her. Between research and Jack and Dr. Salt and newfound stress and suspicion, she was exhausted. She needed time to think, though the thoughts seemed to bring more torment than comfort.
As she flipped on the light, she was slightly startled by the sudden movement coming from the couch. Frantically straightening up in his seat was Joey.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he mumbled, turning his head away.
Melinda's heart fell with sadness. Empath or not, her cousin's pain was palpable. "It's okay," Melinda told him. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," Joey answered.
But it won't bring the rain
Without another word she took a seat next to him on the couch. "You drop Kate off at the rehab center?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said. "Just got back."
"I know today wasn't easy," she whispered. She placed a gentle hand on his back and traced circles along his wide shoulders. "If you want to talk . . ."
Her words stopped as Joey breathed out a sob. The tears fell quickly and he almost instantly hid his face in his hands. Melinda wrapped an arm around him, gently cooing soothing whispers. Joey whimpered helplessly, surrendering to the long withheld emotion. He collapsed his head onto Melinda's chest and she cradled him in a gentle embrace.
No it won't bring the rain
"I don't know why this happened. I just wanted to fix it…" Joey sniffled. "But I can't."
"You did everything you could," Melinda told him. She rested her chin on the top of his head, trying to suppress tears of her own, frowning as she stared ahead. "Sometimes no matter how much we love someone, we can't change them…"
No no
"Let's try it one more time…"
"Laura…"
"Just humor me," she grumbled.
The three sisters stood in a circle, hands intertwined. Lucy raised her eyebrows in frustration at Lila who conveyed only neutrality on the manner. The concept was a difficult one. In a way Laura was right. Pursuing Cole Turner was one of their most viable options but simultaneously one of the more dangerous. Attempting to summon him on such a whim was not only impetuous but reckless. It was great that Laura was eager to continue their search, but her motivations obviously stemmed from inner turmoil and guilt.
"I don't think we should be doing this now," Lila spoke up. "We've all had rough days."
"This isn't going to go away," Laura said.
"Which is why it can wait," Lucy put in.
Oh no no
There was silence. Laura swallowed hard, her maple eyes turning a dark chestnut. "One more time," she told them firmly.
Lila sighed but cleared her throat, squeezing onto her sisters' hands a little tighter. Lucy rolled her eyes as she too prepared for their chant.
"Magic Forces, Black and White, Reaching out Through, Space and Light, Be He Far Or, Be He Near, Bring Us the Demon, Cole Turner Here."
They paused.
And again there was nothing.
And behind them, with a smirk of amusement, Cole Turner shimmered undetected from the attic.
I'm going down with the Devil's thunder, yeah
Sam anxiously chewed on her nails as she paced atop the bridge. Traffic sped quickly beneath her and the stars glimmered above. It was a rather overwhelming sight. In fact, it nearly reflected how disorientated her insides were. Her emotions tossed about in her chest and her thoughts thundered with great pace.
"Sam?"
She quickly spun on her heel, facing the voice with anticipation. "Hey," she greeted.
"What's going on? Are you all right?" Nick asked. The half-manticore took a careful step closer, sapphire eyes sparkling with confusion.
"I need your help," Sam replied.
"I thought you didn't want my help," he said.
"Well, I do now. I need to find my mother's killer . . ."
I'm going down
"Sam . . ."
"Kate's gone now. She can't do this anymore so I'll do it for her," Sam explained frantically. Nick's brow furrowed as he tried to understand. "She lost herself trying to find the truth and it would be a travesty to not continue the search while she's unable to. I'll do it for her and I'll do it for us . . ."
"What happened?" Nick asked. His large hands wrapped around her shoulders, forcing her to stand in front of him. Forcing her to look into his concerned face. It took everything in her to keep her composure.
"We took Kate to a rehab facility," she answered him hoarsely. A few tears rolled from her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I didn't call you here for sympathy," Sam replied with a sniffle.
Nick frowned slightly but nodded, releasing his hold on her. "Right," he said.
"This is what Kate would want me to do."
"Call a demon?"
"Finish what she started," she replied.
So throw me some water
"You're going to go after them?" Nick asked.
Sam nodded. "This is my battle now."
"It's dangerous."
"I'll do it alone if I have to, but I could use some back-up," she said. The wind tore through their hair as they stood on the red iron bridge.
"So you called me?"
"I don't care if you help me, Nick," Sam murmured. "But I rather you did."
Yeah, Throw me some water
He studied her for a moment. And then with a smirk he nodded. "I've got your back."
Water, Oh no
The room was empty. And quiet. Kate silently sat on the twin sized bed, eyeing the ceiling with contempt. Many times she had roamed the Underworld but without a doubt this was hell. Already the sweat seeped from her pours. Her hands shook. Her mouth was hot and sticky. She needed a drink. She needed an escape.
Three hours into rehab and she already felt like quitting. She had already sat through her first group meeting. The orderlies had gone through her things, searching for alcohol and pills like she was a criminal. There was no privacy here. No dignity. There was only her. And only her demons and mistakes provided company.
The letter stared up at her from below. It rested on the comforter with a sense of purpose. And yet she couldn't bring herself to open it. Each time she tried her hand felt heavy and wounded. As if when she opened the envelope she would face her mother. Face her with shame and guilt.
Bum bum bum bum, oh no
She didn't just open it. She ripped it. The sounds of the paper tearing was like a vicious harmony. Her fingers fumbled with the pages inside and she struggled to hold them in front of her face. Her eyes glistened with tears. And she held her breath as she started to read.
Dear Kate,
I wish you were reading this letter under different circumstances, but of the many things I learned in my years as a witch, it's that there is never a good time to lose someone you care about. I'm sorry that you're hurting. I'm more sorry that I can't be with you. But I know if anyone can get through tragedy and hardship, it's you.
Since you were a little girl, you were fearless. You were the kind of child who refused training wheels and nightlights. You wondered without apprehension and embraced adventure. You were perhaps the bravest five year old I'd ever seen and you've blossomed into a woman with as much courage.
Kate, I don't think I have to tell you how proud I am of you, but I will anyway. You're already a far better witch and whitelighter than I ever was. You harness great will power and strength. I have complete confidence in your abilities. My only advice would be to remember that it's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay to feel and to cry. I know you have a good heart, Kate. Use it. Don't be too stubborn or proud. In fact, sometimes the greatest display of strength is a willingness to accept your weaknesses.
I am so grateful to call you my daughter. I have no regrets. You are everything I could want. And though I'm gone, I don't worry about you. I know with your intelligence, resourcefulness, and audacity you can do whatever you put your mind to. You're a survivor Kate. Don't doubt yourself.
I love you and will always be near.
Mom.
The letter floated from Kate's grasp onto the mattress. And with a trembling lower lip, she let the first tears fall. Though sobs flourished, the idea resonated as if the words were whispered into her ear by her mother: she could do this.
Bum bum bum bum, oh no
That concludes episode 5! Thank you for reading. I don't think five episodes could really happen without your reviews...speaking of which more are appreciated as this progresses! I leave for school in a few days, so updates might not be as frequent, but I plan on continuing as long as their are people still reading and reviewing. Give me a shout out and let me know what you think! I know there's a lot happening right now and though we've finished things up with Kate, a lot more characters will be facing hardship. As always, let me know what and who you like and what's working! Thanks again and I hope to continue hearing from you ~ Sammy
Song used was Devil's Thunder by Rachel Cantu. I strongly suggest you take a listen!