Charmed Kitsune
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Naruto x Phoebe x Prue x Piper x ?
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Story Start
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Rodriguez is in his apartment, looking at photos.
The first one is of Prue standing in front of a mailbox. He puts the photo down on the table and stares at the next photo of Piper checking her wrist watch. He also puts that photo down on the table and stares at the photo of Phoebe also looking at her watch. The final photo is of the three girls sitting at a table in their conservatory. Not that the photos will do him much all good with all the newest developments that have come in.
Suddenly the flames in the fireplace rise. Rodriguez looks up, his eyes widening as the flames shoot out from the fireplace engulfing a tall figure in red robes. The flames disappear leaving the tall figure. Rodriguez recognizes him immediately and kneels. "Tempus. I never..."
Tempus turns around and removes the hood from his cloak. "...expected to see me. Of course not. You were not worthy before now. What is the name you are using here?" He motions for Rodriguez to stand up. Rodriguez gets to his feet to answer the question.
"Rodriguez."
"Ah, yes. I have been... sent to you, Rodriguez,... as a gift." He raises his arms with a flourish and the cloak falls to the floor at his feet.
"Sent... by who?"
"I think you know who... and why." Rodriguez steps forward, closer to Tempus."I can defeat the charmed ones on my own. I don't need any help."
"Really? Even so not only are their four of them now they also have protection of Tempest as well? As those who have gone before you have already discovered. It's one thing to have found the charmed ones. It's quite another to defeat them. " Tempus glances down at his pocket watch. "Tomorrow is Wednesday. I want you to get all four witches together in one place by midnight. Then, give it your best shot. But if you fail…"
"I will not fail."
"Well... if you do... I'll be there to help you learn by your failures. Trust me. Now, how do you expect to get them together?"
"Trudeau."
The weather girl is giving the current report."Good morning, San Francisco. Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful Wednesday…"
Phoebe is on the telephone with Piper. "Piper, what are you doing at Quake? It's eight o'clock in the morning." Prue walks into the kitchen."Morning."
"Morning. All right. Yes, I'll be there in an hour. Bye." Kit jumps onto the counter and paws at the pepper shaker.
"You'll be where in an hour?" Phoebe hears something hit the counter. She turns and sees Kit playing with the pepper shaker on its side. Phoebe turns back to answer Prue's question."Uhh... Quake. Piper's doing that thing for the food network, and she needs me to bring her another dress because she spilled marinara sauce all over the one she's wearing."
"Just stay out of my closet."Prue turns back to the newspaper."Oh, don't worry. I don't think she'd want to ruin another one of yours."
"I don't believe this."
"I'm kidding. Don't have an aneurysm."
"No, I'm talking about the paper. Did you see the front page? Andy's in trouble."
"What?"
"Why?"Prue shows Phoebe the paper front. The headline reads: Inspector suspected in I.A. murder.
"They think that he killed that internal affairs cop? No way."
"Maybe it's a setup to try and force him to reveal our secret. Let me see that." Phoebe holds out her hand for the newspaper. Prue hands it over to her and Phoebe gets a premonition when she touches the paper.
Phoebe, Prue, Paige and Piper kneel next to Andy who is dead on the floor. Phoebe reaches out and closes Andy's eyes. "Oh, no."
"What is it?"
"I saw... Andy, Prue. He was dead."
"What did you see exactly?"
"You, Paige, me and Piper were knelt beside Andy, he was dead."
"Now, are you saying you didn't see a demon or a warlock in your premonition?"
"No, but the way he was hurled across the room, there had to have been one."
"This room, here?"
"Right here, yeah.""Ok, and you're positive that it was Andy?"
"Prue!"
"I just want to be sure, all right? This isn't just anybody that we're talking about, you know."
"I know. And I care about him, we all do."
"I know you do. I'm sorry. Um... all right, why don't you fill in Piper and Paige, could you look in the book?"
"For what?"
"I don't know, anything. I'm going to warn Andy."
"How? He said it was too risky for you to be seen with him."
"Yeah, well, I don't care. Let internal affairs find out that we're witches. Andy's life is a lot more important."
"Ok, just please be careful. We don't know what kind of demon we're up against here."
Andy is sitting in the interrogation room, accompanied by Morris."You ask me, I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez was the one who whacked his own partner."
"I.A. already cleared him."
"I.A. clearing I.A. Go figure."
"Yeah."The door opens, Rodriguez walks into the room.
"What are you doing here, Morris?"
"Backing my partner, Rodriguez. Something you wouldn't know anything about."
"This is just between him and me."Morris glances at Andy who nods.
"It's ok, Darryl." Morris leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Andy leans back in his chair and puts his feet up on the desk, his ankles crossed. "Just for the record... I'm not saying anything without my lawyer present."
"You don't need a lawyer. Not if you're willing to help me."
"You want me to help you? What, you can't frame me yourself, Rodriguez?"
"Look, Andy…"
"Oh, it's Andy now."
"I don't think you had anything to do with my partner's murder. That's right. But what I do think is completely off the record, and I think you'll understand why." Rodriguez shows Andy a photo. Andy glances at it and turns his head at the sight. "It's my partner... or, at least, what's left of him. No human could've done that to him. I think he was killed by something... supernatural, and I think you can help me figure out who or what it is."
"Really? What makes you think that?"
"Come on. I know all about those unsolved cases of yours, and I know who's behind them, too. Who you've been covering for. It's very noble. You must care about her very much to give up your career for her. Prue Halliwell is a witch."
Andy glances at Rodriguez."A witch, huh? You wait here. I'll go warn the Wizard of Oz."Andy gets to his feet. Rodriguez moves to stand in Andy's way.
He gets into Andy's face."I don't have time to screw around, Trudeau. I want you to arrange a meeting between her and me. It has to be tonight. If she can help me find who killed my partner, I'll drop all charges against you, and I won't tell anybody about her. You think about it, but not too long."Rodriguez turns and leaves the room.
Morris walks back into the room."You all right?"
"I'm not sure. I got to go see Prue."Andy grabs his jacket and puts it on.
"That's funny. She called, said she had to see you, too."Andy turns and nods to Morris. He heads out.-
Tempus stands in front of a clock shop, holding up the newspaper. He glances sideways and sees Rodriguez approaching. Rodriguez grabs a flower off the vendor as he walks by. Obviously in a good mood, he smells the flower and makes his way towards Tempus."Well?"
"I'm sure I made Trudeau suspicious of me. He'll go to Prue, she'll have no choice but to meet with me."
"But you have to get all four of them together."
"Trudeau cares about her. He won't let her risk meeting me alone. He'll insist she have the power of four there with her. For protection."
"And you think you have the power to defeat them all?"
"You don't think I do, do you?" Tempus turns to look at Rodriguez. "You think I'll fail."
"Time will tell."-
Phoebe walks into Quake carrying the dry cleaning clothes. She looks around for Piper. "Phoebe, over here." Phoebe turns and rushes over to Piper who stands with a towel over her shoulder. "Oh, thank god. The segment producer's going to be here any minute, and I'm a complete and total wreck."
"Piper…"
"I thought I was gonna have to pull a Celine Dion and wear my dress backwards."
"Piper, you've got to listen to me. I had a premonition of Andy dying."
"What? When?"
"This morning. Don't you check your voice mail? I called, said it was important."
"Oh, no. Where's Prue?"
"She's warning him. But in the meantime, we have to figure out who the demon is.""
"Piper?" Piper turns to see a woman walk into the room. Piper grabs Phoebe and puts her strategically in front of her to cover the marinara stain. "Piper Halliwell? I would recognize you anywhere. You have not changed one bit. You don't recognize me, do you?" Piper exchanges puzzled looks with Phoebe. "It's Joanne! Joanne Hertz. Baker High, class of '92."
"Oh... sure. Of course. Joanne. Well... what are you doing here?"
"I'm the segment producer."
"You're the segment producer." She turns to Phoebe "She's the segment producer."
"I heard."
"He, wow! What a small world. I thought you moved to New York."
"I did. And that's where I met my fabulous husband who had this crazy idea about starting this little cable show and putting me in charge of everything, and here we are, the Food Network's most popular show. Talk about dreams coming true! Anyway... enough about me. What have you been doing?" She waves her hand and freezes Joanne.
"Why'd you do that?"
"What am I supposed to say, that I'm a cash-strapped, restaurant manager who still lives in the same house I grew up in with my sisters?"
"And a cat. Don't forget our cat."
"Phoebe, this isn't funny."
"Look, I don't know why you're getting so upset. She is a freak. I'm sorry, but no one is that successful at age 26. Besides, you are successful. You're talented, you're creative, and the Food Network is here to see you, not me, not her. You. You feel better now?"
"Very little."
"Good. Then unfreeze that bitch in heels. You've got a segment to shoot, and we've got a demon to find."
-Andy and Prue meet in front of the swing."Has Phoebe ever been wrong about her premonitions before?"
"No. But the good news is, every other time, we've been able to affect the outcome. Stop the demon or warlock before..."
"Before I get killed. Can I get that in writing?"
"Andy, you just have to be extra careful until we figure out who this demon is and why he's after you, ok?" Andy's quiet and thoughtful. "Andy... ?"
"I was just thinking. What if the demon is Rodriguez?"
"Why would you say that?"
"He pulled me into the station house this morning. I thought he was going to arrest me. What he really wanted was a meeting with you."
"Meet with me? Why?"
"Because he thinks his partner was killed by a supernatural being, and somehow... I don't know how, Prue. He knows you're a witch."
"How would he know that unless..."
"Unless he's the demon."
"All right. Uh... tell Rodriguez to meet me at the manor at six o'clock."
"It's too dangerous, Prue."
"I don't have a choice. If I don't meet with him, he'll frame you and try and expose me."
"But if he is a demon and it turns out to be a trap?"
"I'll have Piper, Phoebe and Paige there to back me up. The power of four."
"Plus one, me."
"No. You can't be there, Andy. That's where you were in Phoebe's premonition when, uh... just promise me you'll stay away."
"I can't do that, Prue."
"I mean it. Don't make me use my magic on you." Andy smiles. Prue smiles back. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Andy. You know how much I still care for you."
"Okay. I promise."
Rodriguez arrives at the manor. Watching from across the street, Andy ducks down behind the steering wheel and out of view. Rodriguez exits his car and makes his way up the front walk. Andy watches as he heads toward the front door. As he passes Kit, Kit lets out an angry growl. Rodriguez turns and looks at Kit.
The quartet walk through the sitting room to the main hall."All right. Let's go over the plan again."
"Yeah, let's, because I wanna know why I'm the one answering the door."
'Cause you're the one who has the best martial arts skills? That way if Rodriguez shows up and tries something right off the bat, you can knock him down."
"And if he tries something magical, I'll be right after you." And then I can come in from the living room and freeze him."
"And I can come down the stairs and send him flying."
"Still feel like cannon fodder."The doorbell rings."What time is it?"Piper checks her watch.
"Just before six. "The doorbell rings several more times."That's a little too anxious. That's not a good sign."
"Which means if he doesn't wanna kill Prue, he wants to date her."
"All right, come on. Let's get this day over with."Piper and Prue turn to take their positions. Phoebe heads for the front door, followed by Paige. The doorbell continues to ring. Paige stops a few feet away from Phoebe, who holds the knob in her hand.
"All right, already!" Phoebe opens the front door. Rodriguez shows Phoebe his badge."Inspector Rodriguez. I'm here to see Prue Halliwell." Phoebe turns her back on Rodriguez. Rodriguez closes the door behind him.
"Yeah, no kidding. Prue! Piper! Company!" When Rodriguez turns around, his eyes are blood red. Phoebe turns back around, sees Rodriguez's eyes and gasps. Rodriguez powers up an energy ball and throws it at Phoebe.
It hits her point blank in the chest. The impact throws her up and over the stairs where she hits the far wall, smashing into the framed photos. She hits the floor and falls down the stairs.
He makes another ball to hit Paige, but she already conjured her shield. He keeps on throwing them at her, not noticing Prue coming down the stairs. Prue uses her powers and several of the energy ball he aims at Paige come flying back. He explodes. Piper steps out from the living room.
"Phoebe!"Paige rushes over to the stairs."Phoebe!"Paige checks on Phoebe, while Piper holds her in her arms."Oh, my god."Prue runs down the stairs.
"Oh, god. Phoebe."
"Paige, is she okay?" Paige doesn't find a pulse. She starts to cry. "She's dead."
"What?"Piper grabs Phoebe and turns her over."Phoebe. Phoebe!"Prue cries while Piper starts rocking Phoebe back and forth. Paige sits back in shock.-
Tempus is back in Rodriguez' apartment, holding an hour glass in the palm of his hand. He checks his watch: a minute to midnight. He closes the watch and tips the hour glass over to allow the sand to spill out into the palm of his hand. He sprinkles the sand into a cauldron. The cauldron explodes with a cloud of white smoke. Tempus puts the hour glass down on the counter near the window. Through the glass looking out onto the San Francisco city, the sky goes from dark back to light. In the middle of the living room in front of the fireplace, Rodriguez reappears, his arms stretched up wide and screaming from the pain of the vanquish. He falls to his knees, panting from exhaustion. Tempus turns around to look at Rodriguez."Hurts to die, doesn't it? Especially at the hands of a witch."
"Wait... what happened? Where am I?"
"Exactly where you were when you first met me. Time has been reset. Or rather, I have reset time."
"But they killed me."
"That was Wednesday night. This is Wednesday morning, all over again. This is why I have been sent to you, to keep resetting time until you learn from your failures. Only you will carry with you the memory of what has happened before. And each time you fail, you will learn more until ultimately you will kill all of them."
The weather girl is giving the current report."Good morning, San Francisco. Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful Wednesday…"Phoebe is on the phone with Piper."Piper, what are you doing at Quake this early? It's eight o'clock in the walks into the kitchen."Morning."
"Morning."Phoebe turns around to look at Prue. She hears something hit the counter. She turns and sees Kit playing with the pepper shaker on its side. Phoebe stops."Okay, I'll be there in an hour."Phoebe hangs up.
"Be where in an hour?"Phoebe is still looking at Kit."We really need to buy Kit something to play with. She also played with the peppermill yesterday morning."
"What are you talking about? Piper only took it out of it's packaging yesterday evening."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"That's strange, I could have sworn that I saw Kit playing with it yesterday."
"I don't believe this. Did you see the front page?" Outside, a car horn beeps, tires screech and a car crashes into something.
Paige is already looking out of the window."Mrs. Henderson's car just took a hit. Just a little fender-bender." Paige called out from the window.
"Paige turns away from the window and Prue looks back at the newspaper."Guys, Andy's in
trouble.""What?" Prue shows them the front page. The headline reads: Inspector suspected in I.A. murder. Paige takes it out of Prue's hands. "Let me see that." Phoebe holds out her hand for the newspaper.
Paige hands it to her and Phoebe gets a premonition when she touches the paper. Paige, Phoebe and Piper kneel next to Andy who is dead on the floor. Phoebe reaches out and closes Andy's eyes.
"Alright, that premonition was extremely familiar in a strange way.
"What?"
"I have the feeling I already saw it once."
"Maybe in a dream?"
"No, this is too specific. It was Andy. He was here and he was being killed by a demon."
The door opens and Rodriguez steps into the office. Morris and Andy are there."Morris, could I please talk to your partner alone?"Morris looks at Andy."It's okay, Darryl. I got it."Rodriguez closes the door behind him. Andy leans back in his chair and puts his legs up on the table, crossing them at the ankles."Just for the record... I'm not saying anything without my lawyer present."
"...I know my partner was killed by a supernatural being. And I think you and the one you are covering for can help me figure out who did it."
"Really? Well, I'll just get my friend superman to help you then."Andy smiles."You think I'm joking? I know everything, including the fact that Prue Halliwell is the one you are covering for and that she is a with. Now, you're gonna arrange a meeting with her tonight, you understand? Or else I'm gonna bust your ass and expose hers."Rodriguez turns and leaves the office. Andy stands up just as Morris walks in."What was that about?"
"I'm not sure."
"Prue called."
"Thanks."Andy turns and grabs his jacket. He walks out the office.
Tempus stands in front of the clock shop holding up the newspaper. He glances sideways and sees Rodriguez approaching. Rodriguez rips a flower off the vendor as he walks by. He's livid as he makes his way towards Tempus, shredding the petals off the flower and furiously tossing the mess to the sidewalk."Well?"
"Trudeau will set the meet. But what I need to know is how to avoid the pain of getting vanquished again."
"Depends on whether you learned enough to vanquish them first. What do you remember?"
"Last time, I killed Phoebe without a fight. But then Paige made her shield and I couldn't get trough it with my energy balls. While I was doing this one of the others must have sent the balls back to me."
"Adjust. Kill her before she has the time to react and make her shield. Then kill the two oldest."Tempus looks at Rodriguez and smirks. Rodriguez nods.
Phoebe has already told Piper about her premonition."Andy dies? Are you sure that's what you saw?"
"And the weird thing is, I had the feeling I already saw that premonition before. Like in a dream or something."
"Okay, all right, what does that mean?"
"I don't know, think maybe Naruto would know?"
"Well it wouldn't hurt to ask." She replied before they were approached by a woman in her late twenties.
"Piper?" Piper turns to see Joanne walk into the room. Piper grabs Phoebe and puts her strategically in front of her to cover the marinara stain. "Piper Halliwell. I would recognize you anywhere. You have not changed one bit." Piper shakes her head.
"You don't recognize me, do you? It's Joanne. Joanne Hertz. Baker High, Class of '92... although I wasn't in that class."
"Oh, sure. Of course. Joanne!"
"Sorry have we met before?"
"Not that I can remember, what's the name?"
"Phoebe Halliwell."
"Sorry, doesn't ring any bells."
"That's weird, I have a feeling I already know you."
"Well I do meet a lot of people in my kind of work. I'm the segment producer. I first moved to New York and that's where I met my fabulous husband who had this crazy idea about starting this little cable show and putting me in charge of everything, and here we are, the Food Network's most popular show. Talk about dreams coming true! Anyway... enough about me. What have you been doing?"
Piper waves her hand and freezes Joanne."Why'd you do that?"
"What am I supposed to say, that I'm a cash-strapped, restaurant manager who still lives in the same house I grew up in with my sisters?"
"And a cat. Don't forget our cat."
"Phoebe, this isn't funny."
"Look, I don't know why you're getting so upset. She is a freak. I'm sorry, but no one is that successful at age 26. Besides, you are successful. You're talented, you're creative, and the Food Network is here to see you, not me, not her. You. You feel better now?"
"Very little."
"Good. Then unfreeze that bitch in heels. You've got a segment to shoot, and we've got a demon to find. I still have the feeling I know her from somewhere."
Andy and Prue meet in front of the swing."But if he is a demon and it turns out to be a trap..."
"Then I'll have Piper, Paige and Phoebe there to back me up. The power of four."
"Plus one: Me."
"Andy, you can't be at the meeting. In Phoebe's premonition, that's where you were when, just promise me that you'll stay away."
"Prue, I can't do that."
"I mean it. Don't make me use my magic on you." Andy smiles. "And I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You know how much I still love you."
"No. I didn't."They hug each other.
Rodriguez arrives at the manor. Watching from across the street, Andy ducks down behind the steering wheel and out of view. Rodriguez exits his car and makes his way up the front walk. Andy watches as he heads toward the front door. As he passes Kit, Kit lets out an angry growl. Rodriguez turns and looks at Kit.
Paige, Prue, Phoebe and Piper walk through the sitting room to the main hall."All right. Let's go over the plan again."
"Yeah, let's, because I wanna know why I'm the one answering the door."
"'Cause you're the one who is the most skilled at martial arts. That way if Rodriguez shows up and tries something right off the bat, you can knock him down."
"And if he tries something magical, I'll be right after you."
"And then I can come in from the living room and freeze him."
"And I can come down the stairs and send him flying."
"Still feel like cannon fodder."The doorbell rings."What time is it?"Piper checks her watch."Just before six. "The doorbell rings several more times."That's a little too anxious. That's not a good sign."
"Which means if he doesn't wanna kill Prue, he wants to date her."
"All right, come on. Let's get this day over with."Piper and Prue turn to take their positions. Phoebe heads for the front door, followed by Paige. The doorbell continues to ring. Paige stops a few feet away from Phoebe, who holds the knob in her hand."All right, already!"Phoebe opens the front door. Rodriguez shows Phoebe his badge."Inspector Rodriguez. I'm here to see Prue Halliwell."Phoebe turns her back on Rodriguez. Rodriguez closes the door behind him."Yeah, no kidding. Prue! Piper! Company!"
When Rodriguez turns around, his eyes are blood red and he is holding an energy ball. Before Paige or Phoebe know what's going on, he throws the ball at Paige, sending her flying. She lends on the eating table. Rodriguez powers up another energy ball and throws it at Phoebe before she can react. It hits her in the side, she falls down next to Piper. Piper sees Phoebe landing next to her. She steps out from the living room. She sees Rodriguez and freezes him just as he throws a third energy ball at Piper. The energy ball freezes mid-air. Prue rushes down the stairs."Paige!"
Prue sees Paige. She waves her hand and pushes the energy ball back into Rodriguez. He unfreezes on impact and explodes."Piper! Paige got hit."Prue kneels down next to Paige and checks up on her."Oh no, Piper? Phoebe?"
"Prue!"Prue goes into to the living room, to find Piper holding Phoebe, crying."Don't tell me…"
"She is…"
"How is Paige?"Prue shakes her head. Piper starts to cry hysterically, Prue takes Piper in her arms and lets out quiet tears.
"Prue! Piper! Girls!" Rushing through the door was Naruto with none other than Aviva trailing behind him.
"No." Aviva let out a whimper and clasped her mouth. They were too late.
In the middle of the living room in front of the fireplace, Rodriguez reappears again, his arms stretched up wide and screaming from the pain of the vanquish. He falls again to his knees, panting from exhaustion. Rodriguez looks up to Tempus."Son of a bitch!"
"Failed again, I see."
"Yeah, but I learned. This time I got two of them. Third time is the charm."
The weather girl is giving the current report."Good morning, San Francisco. Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful Wednesday…"Phoebe is on the phone with Piper."Piper, what are you doing at Quake this early? It's eight o'clock... in... the morning." Phoebe hesitates as something feels strange. Prue walks into the kitchen."Morning."
"Morning. Wait a minute." Phoebe turns around to look at Prue. Phoebe hears something hit the counter. She turns and sees Kit playing with the pepper shaker on its side. Phoebe stops. "Whoa. I am freaking out. Okay, I'll be there in an hour." Phoebe hangs up."Be where in an hour?"Phoebe doesn't answer the question immediately."Okay, pinch me."
"What?"
"No. I mean it. Pinch me. I wanna make sure I'm awake, because if I am, I am having one killer déjà-vu."
"So it's just a deja vu. Everybody gets them."
"Not like this, they don't." She walks over to Prue who is reading the paper. "Look, Prue... something weird is going on here."
"I don't believe this."
"Trust me, okay? This has happened before. Everything."
"I'm talking about the paper. Did you see the front page?"
"See, like that. Right there. You said that before, I know it." Outside, a car horn beeps, tires screech and a car crashes into something. "Okay. And that just happened before, too."
Phoebe follows Prue out the kitchen. Paige is already looking out the window."Mrs. Henderson's car. Just a little fender-bender. No big deal."Paige turns away from the window and Prue looks again at the newspaper."Prue, I am not nuts. Ok, maybe just a little, but that's irrelevant here."
"Guys, Andy's in trouble."
"What?"Prue shows them the front page. The headline says: Inspector suspected in I.A. murder."Let me see that." Phoebe holds out her hand for the newspaper. Prue hands it to her and Phoebe gets a premonition when she touches the paper.
Paige, Phoebe and Piper kneel next to Andy who is dead on the floor. Phoebe reaches out and closes Andy's eyes.
"Now, that was a premonition which I've had before."
"Of what?"
"Of Andy. Here. Being killed by a demon."
The door opens and Rodriguez steps into the office. Morris and Andy are there."What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm backing my partner. You got a problem with that?"
"Get out. Now!"Morris slowly turns around. Andy puts a hand out to stop him from lunging at Rodriguez."It's okay, Darryl. I got it."
On his way out the door, Morris glares at Rodriguez. Rodriguez continues to stare at Andy and slams the door shut behind Morris. Andy leans back in his chair and puts his legs up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. "Just for the record... I'm not saying anything without my lawyer present."
"Forget your lawyer, Trudeau. I'm not screwing around this time."
"This time? What are you talking about?"Rodriguez gets into Andy's face."Bottom line... I know my partner was killed by a supernatural being. And I think Prue Halliwell can help me figure out who did it."
"Really? Well, I'll just get the commissioner to signal Batman, and then I'll get right on it."Andy smiles and stands up. Rodriguez pushes Andy back into his seat."You think I'm joking? I know everything, Trudeau. Everything, including the fact that Prue Halliwell is a witch. Now, you're gonna arrange a meeting with her tonight, you understand? Or else I'm gonna bust your ass and expose hers."Rodriguez turns and leaves the office. Andy stands up just as Morris walks in."What was that about?
""I'm not sure."Andy turns and grabs his jacket. He walks out the office.
Tempus stands in front of the clock shop holding up the newspaper. He glances sideways and sees Rodriguez approaching. Rodriguez throws the vase of flowers to the ground as he walks by."Well?"
"Trudeau will set the meet. Last time, I killed the two youngest one without a fight. But then when I turned to kill Piper, I think she's the one who has the power to freeze."
"Adjust again. Simply anticipate where she's coming from earlier before she has a chance to freeze you, then kill Prue."
Phoebe has just told Piper about her premonition."Andy dies? Are you sure that's what you saw?"
"Even worse, I know that I've had the same premonition before. I mean, before I had it earlier today."
"You mean like yesterday."
"Yes. I mean... no. It's not just the premonition that I've seen before. It's everything. And don't tell me that it's just déjà-vu because I know that it's not."
"Okay, all right, then what is it?"
"Piper?" Piper turns to see Joanne walk into the room. Piper grabs Phoebe and puts her strategically in front of her to cover the marinara stain. "Piper Halliwell. I would recognize you anywhere. You have not changed one bit." Piper shakes her head. "You don't recognize me, do you? It's..."
"Joanne. Joanne... Hertz. Right? I'm right, aren't I?""I'm sorry. Have we met?"
"Yes. I mean... sort of... before. Uh... Baker High, Class of '92..."
"Oh, sure. Of course. Joanne! Phoebe, how did you..."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. I think we're in some funky time loop here."
"Phoebe..."
"Freeze her. I'll show you."Piper waves her hands and freezes Joanne."Okay. Joanne here is the Food Network Segment Producer. She's about to brag how she's happily married to some rich guy, how she's following her dreams, how she's had a really bad nose job, okay. Added the last part. But this is all gonna make you feel like you're wasting your life away in comparison. Unfreeze her. Go ahead. See for yourself."Piper unfreezes Joanne."Are you the, uh, Segment Producer?"
"Why, yes, I am."She chuckles."Uh-huh. Following your dreams, are you? Happily married, stinking rich?"
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but…"She waves her hand showing off her ring and laughs."Oh, god." Piper freezes Joanne again. "All right, Phoebe, spill it."
"Okay. The best I could figure is some demon has cast a spell, and I'm the only one who can sort of see it because my power lets me see things that have happened in different times. Do you have a better explanation?"
"No. All right, so if you're right, you think this has something to do with Andy being killed?"
"I don't know, but we're never gonna find who the demon is unless we get to…"
"Book of shadows. I'm right behind you."Phoebe leaves. Piper follows her.
Andy and Prue meet in front of the swing."But if he is a demon and it turns out to be a trap..."
"Then I'll have Piper, Paige and Phoebe there to back me up. The power of four."
"Plus one: Me."Prue's quiet."What is it?"
"This seems a little familiar to me, that's all. Kind of like déjà-vu. Never mind. Um... Andy, you can't be at the meeting. In Phoebe's premonition, that's where you were when… Just promise me that you'll stay away."
"Prue, I can't do that."
"I mean it. Don't make me use my magic on you." Andy smiles. "And I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You know I still care about you."
"No. I didn't."They hug each other.
Prue, Piper and Phoebe stand around the main hallway table as Paige and Naruto came down the stairs holding an open book of shadows."Anything in there about time loops?"
"I looked all morning and nothing. But I did found a spell to accelerate time. I'm telling you this is all part of his evil plan. I just haven't had enough time to figure it out yet."
"There is only a hand full of entities that can manipulate time. None of them common. Very few of them are of course on the side of evil because they would have little qualms about abusing such a power. Either way if what Phe says is right then this demon is either the user or knows the user." Naruto theorizes.
The doorbell rings."What time is it?"Piper glances at her watch."Just before six."The doorbell continues to ring. They look at each other before Phoebe moves towards the door."I'll get it."Piper and Prue leave to take up their positions.
"I'll hang back in case I need to intervene." Naruto said as he used his camouflage jutsu.
The doorbell continues to ring."All right, already!"Phoebe heads to the door, but before she gets there, Rodriguez bursts into the house. He powers up an energy ball and prepares to throw it into Paige.
In that instant the attack was thwarted before anyone could comprehend. Rodriguez screamed in pain as his hand was grabbed and crushed as the energy ball was disrupted. "Yeah, I don't think so." With the full force of his strength Naruto slugged Rodriguez's head with enough force to decapitate him.
0000000000000000
Tempus checks his watch: a minute to midnight. Tempus sprinkles the sand in his hand into a cauldron. The cauldron explodes with a cloud of white smoke. Tempus puts the hour glass down on the counter near the window. Through the glass looking out onto the San Francisco city, the sky goes from dark back to light. In the middle of the living room in front of the fireplace, Rodriguez reappears, his arms stretched up wide and screaming from the pain of the vanquish."Aaahhh! Son of a bitch!"Tempus turns around to look at Rodriguez."Failed once again."
"Yeah, but Tempest interfered. I need to find a way to deal with him before I can get to the sisters."
"Good morning, San Francisco. Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful Wednesday in the bay area…"Phoebe is on the telephone with Piper as soon as she hears the weather girl with her report, Phoebe picks up the remote and turns the television set off." . I already know you spilled marinara sauce on your dress, right? Am I right? Think, Piper, think. Doesn't all of this seem awfully familiar to you?"Prue walks into the kitchen."Morning."
"Freeze. No, not you, Piper. Kit knocks over pepper. Meows." Kit knocks over the pepper shaker and meows.
"Hold that thought. Piper you need to get home as soon as you can. We've got major demon hunting to do. Oh, and if you run into someone named Joanne from high school, just tell her to go stick it. I will explain later. Just hurry."Phoebe hangs up and turns to look at Prue.
"Okay. What's going on?"Phoebe puts the phone down on the counter."Quick. Follow me."Phoebe walks out of the kitchen and heads for the living room. She crosses path with Paige and motions her to follow her. Paige looks at Prue who gives her an unknowing look.
Both Paige and Prue follow Phoebe into the living room. Phoebe heads over to the window. She pulls the curtain aside and lets Prue and Paige look out to the street."5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Car honks..." A car horn beeps… "Skids..." ...tires screech... "Crashes." …and a car crashes. Phoebe lets go of the curtain. Prue and Paige turn and look at Phoebe.
"Mrs. Henderson's car. Little fender bender. "
"How did you know that?"
"Because this has all happened once before, Prue, maybe even more than once. The day keeps repeating itself. I know it. And every time it happens, I think I figure it out just little bit faster. It must be my power of premonition. Premonition... I'm supposed to be having a premonition right about now."
"Supposed to? What do you mean?"Phoebe glances and sees the newspaper in Prue's hand."The paper. Look at the front page."Prue looks at the paper and sees the headline."Andy."
"... is in trouble. More than you know, Prue. If I touch that paper, I will have a premonition, the same one that I've had before, where Andy gets killed here... by a demon. You have got to believe me.
"No, I believe you. The question is, what do we do about it?"
"Well, you've got to go warn Andy. Keep him away from our house at all costs. Meanwhile, Paige and I've gotta dig through the book of shadows, find a way to vanquish this time demon before he can kill Andy."Prue and Paige nod.
A cuckoo clock in the display window of the clock shop goes off. A gun fires and the cuckoo clock in the display explodes. Rodriguez puts his gun away."You really shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't do anything differently if you expect to succeed tonight."
"I will succeed tonight, old man. There'll be no more time loops. This time I'll kill Prue first, and then the other three. And when they die, they're gonna feel every ounce of pain they've given me."
Piper is talking with Joanne."Uh, Joanne, I'm so sorry, but I can't do the segment right now. Something's happened. Something bad. I have to go."
"What, run out of marinara sauce?" She points to the stain on Piper's blouse. "Kidding."
"Look, I know I don't have the flashy job or the flashy ring or the flashy designer suit, but that doesn't make me less than you or anybody else. And just because I may not have realized my dreams yet like you think you have doesn't mean I won't find a way to do exactly that. And when I do, you can be damn sure I'll be doing it with my own nose and not the one some discount doctor gave me."Piper turns and leaves.
Andy and Prue meet in front of the swing.
"A time loop? You mean demons can actually do that sort of thing?"
"None that I've ever seen before. But if it is a demon, it's the most powerful one that we've ever come up against."
"And he's going through all this just to kill me. No way, Prue. If he's as powerful as you say, then he's got to be after you."
"Just let us handle this. Whatever you do, you have to promise me that you'll stay away from the manor."
"I can't promise you that, Prue. If you're right, and Rodriguez is the demon, then it's a trap."
"Then I'll have Piper, Paige and Phoebe there to back me up, all right. The power of four."
"What if that's what he wants, all four of you together? What if that's the reason he set the time loop?"
"We'll just have to take our chances."
"You could get killed, Prue."
"I mean it. This is not your fight. Don't make me use my magic on you." Andy doesn't smile. "Andy, please I still care about you and I don't want to see you hurt so promise me."
"Alright Prue, I promise."
They hug each other.
Rodriguez and three other make figures exit his car and makes his way up the front walk. Andy watches as they heads towards the front door. As Rodriguez passes Kit, Kit lets out an angry growl. Rodriguez turns and looks at Kit, his eyes are blood red. Kit growls.
Andy gasps when he sees Rodriguez's eyes. Kit jumps down from the fence and runs away. "Oh, my god. Prue." Andy opens the glove compartment and takes out his gun.
He opens the car door and gets out.
Naruto, Prue, Phoebe, Paige and Piper stand around the main hall table. Paige reads out of the book of shadows.
"From the top of my head the only demon I can think of is Tempus. An elderly demon that can manipulate time. To defeat him we need to take him out of the time that he's in." Naruto explained as he turned to the page where the devil's sorcerer image was on.
"The front door bursts open as Rodriguez kicks the door open. The quintet looked looked up from the book and see Rodriguez power up an energy ball. He throws it at Prue. Piper pushes her out of the way and the energy ball passes harmlessly past Phoebe where it hits the wall behind her. Naruto shoots forward as Rodriguez's flunkies charged him. They all fired fire balls only for Naruto to swat them away. Grabbing one by the throat he through one demon in the other before he shoved a wind release Rasengan through one in the back tearing through and killing the two.
Rodriguez steps forward. Andy opens the door and runs into the house."Nooo!"Andy fires twice at Rodriguez and hits him in the shoulder. Rodriguez powers up and energy ball and throws it at Andy."Andy!"
With all his strength Naruto kicked the last of Rodriguez's flunkies in the side the force tearing the body in half and being sent flying in front of Andy. The ball hit and vaporized the upper portion of the dead demon but the impact sent Andy flying backwards where he crashes into the glass cabinet at the far end of the room. He falls to the floor. Phoebe looks over at Piper to gets to her feet and promptly freezes Rodriguez."Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Is Prue okay?"
"I'm fine."
Phoebe turns and looks over at Andy who is on the floor, unmoving."Oh." The girls rushed rush over to Andy. Piper checks for a pulse.
"Oh thank god. He's just out cold."
Prue let out a breath of relief.
The clock bell chimes. Rodriguez is tied securely to a chair. Phoebe is looking through the book. "So, this is quite the interesting little development. We get to take out a pain of the ass and Tempus in one go." Naruto remarked as the demon glares at him.
"Unless you want us to start breaking limbs tell us where we can find him."
Rodriguez looks at Phoebe."In your nightmares. Kill me. I dare you."Piper pulls Phoebe aside and away from Rodriguez."Why is he so willing to let us kill him?"
"His death must trigger the spell. He must be an anchor point of sorts meaning Tempus can't trigger his power unless he dies. In other words we can rid of the demon of time for good if we take him out now."
"Well, there's only one spell I see that might be useful." The sisters gathered as they prepared to read the time acceleration spell.
Winds of time, gather around. Give me wings to speed my way.
"Wait a minute."
Rush me on my journey forward. Let tomorrow be today.
"What's happening?"All around them, something happens. They wait. Prue looks at the clock and notices that the hands are rapidly moving forward.
Tempus stands at the window watching the city outside. The sky changes from light to darkness. Tempus looks around, then glances down at his pocket watch. The hands on his watch move rapidly forward. They suddenly stop at 12:01 a.m. Tempus closes the watch and lets out a loud roar. "No!" Flames engulf him as he is vanquished. The flames glide across the room towards his robe where it vanishes along with the flames into the fireplace.
The grandfather clock chimes. And not too long after Rodriguez was sent right after Tempus to the afterlife after being frozen and shattered by Naruto.
On the television morning program, the weather girl gives the forecast."Good morning, San Francisco. Well, it looks like it's going to be a gorgeous Monday morning here in the bay area."Phoebe picks up the remote and turns the television set off. She looks over at Piper."She really needs another shtick. That one's getting boring."
"Maybe she should hire Joanne Hertz, boost her ratings."
"Speaking of the she-devil herself, did you ever call to reschedule your segment?"
"No. I'm not going to."
"Why?"
"I've decided to quit my job at Quake and focus on managing P4 full time."
"What?"
"And actually, I owe it all to Joanne. She made me realize that somehow I'd forgotten what my dreams were, still are. I always wanted to be a chef and have my own restaurant, not manage one. It's a good job and the pay's okay, but it's not my dream job. Right now it makes more sense to develop my name and cash flow from the club and in a few years use that to finance my own restaurant."
Prue sits on the front steps of the manor looking outside. The front door opens. Naruto walks out and join her. He wraps his arm around her. "Prue? You all right?"
"Yeah. Actually, I am. Andy's been exonerated." She shows them the newspaper. "They're now looking for Rodriguez."
"Oof," Naruto remarked with a wince. "Well thats going to be a hefty little drip in resources."
"Yeah."
"You sure everything is ok?"
"Yeah. I was just thinking about all that we've been through since our powers were reawakened. "
"Of everything that has happened to you and the others?"
"Its been a hassle and it can sometimes screw up our personal lives, but there's been a lot of good that's been done. There have been a lot of people we have helped and...I wouldn't have things any other way." The two of them continued to nestle up to each other. Enjoying an end to another peaceful day.
