THREE
Phoebe had a restless sleep that night. She dreamt of the
accident. In her dream, however, she was the one who had been in the
cab. She awoke in a cold sweat just seconds before the truck struck
the cab.
She couldn't get the image of the woman's twisted body out of
her mind. It was bad enough she had seen it all. It made it even
worse to know it had totally been her fault.
And it had been her fault regardless of what Piper and Prue
said. If she had only gotten into that cab, she might have been able
to prevent the accident. At the very least, an innocent wouldn't have
had to die in her place. She didn't know how she'd be able to live
with herself after what she had done. She didn't deserve her powers.
And she had no right to call herself a Charmed One.
The next morning Prue and Piper were already in the kitchen when
Phoebe came down. She took her usual place at the table. She was
also wearing a pair of white gloves.
"Are those mine?" asked Prue.
Prue didn't use the accusing tone she normally did when Phoebe
borrowed things without asking.
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "I know I should have asked first. I hope
you don't mind. I thought I'd borrow them until I could get some of
my own."
"Sure, no problem," said Prue confused.
"Honey," said Piper, "it's over eighty degrees out. Why would
you be needing to wear gloves?"
"It's very simple," said Phoebe. "I get premonitions when I
touch something. If I can't touch anything, I can't get a
premonition. As long as I wear gloves, I cant' touch anything. I may
not be able to get rid of my power, but I can make sure I can't use
it."
"Sweetie, that's crazy," said Piper. "You're one-third of the
Charmed Ones. Your premonitions are a part of the Power of Three."
"Not any more," said Phoebe. "I can't be the cause of another
innocent death. We still have the Power of Three. But I can't have
any more premonitions. Not knowing what the cost might be. I can't
risk killing someone else."
"Honey, you didn't kill anyone," said Prue. "It was just a
senseless accident, that's all."
"An accident I could have prevented," said Phoebe. "If I had
done something that that woman might still be alive. She's dead
because of me.
"It was a mistake for me to get this power. Or any powers. I
don't have the right to call myself a Charmed One. The Charmed Ones
don't kill innocents. They're supposed to protect them."
"And we do," said Prue. "But we aren't perfect. Even if
somehow the accident was because of that premonition, it's not your
fault. Or your responsibility. You did the best you could under the
circumstances."
"No, I didn't," said Phoebe. "I caused that woman's death. And
I'm not going to let it happen ever again."
Just then there was a knock at the back door. Prue opened the
door to find a man about her age standing on the back porch. He was
dressed in work clothes with a pair of work gloves in his hand. He
clothes had some fresh dirt on them.
"Hi," he said smiling. "My name is Jeff. I'm filling in for
your regular gardener today. He had a minor family emergency."
"Okay, fine," said Prue.
"Could I bother you for a glass of water?" asked Jeff. "It's
getting a bit warm out here already."
"Sure," said Prue.
She got him a glass of water as he waited in the doorway. He
looked at Phoebe who simply stared down at her untouched cup of
coffee. Prue handed the glass to Jeff. He drained it and then handed
the empty glass to her.
"Thank you," he said.
"No problem," said Prue.
"Those are nice gloves you're wearing," Jeff said to Phoebe.
"Thanks," she replied without emotion.
"They're totally unnecessary, you know?" asked Jeff.
"What?" asked Phoebe.
"Prue and Piper are right, Phoebe," said Jeff. "That woman's
death was not your fault."
The three sisters looked at the gardener wondering how he knew
their names and what they had been talking about.
Phoebe had a restless sleep that night. She dreamt of the
accident. In her dream, however, she was the one who had been in the
cab. She awoke in a cold sweat just seconds before the truck struck
the cab.
She couldn't get the image of the woman's twisted body out of
her mind. It was bad enough she had seen it all. It made it even
worse to know it had totally been her fault.
And it had been her fault regardless of what Piper and Prue
said. If she had only gotten into that cab, she might have been able
to prevent the accident. At the very least, an innocent wouldn't have
had to die in her place. She didn't know how she'd be able to live
with herself after what she had done. She didn't deserve her powers.
And she had no right to call herself a Charmed One.
The next morning Prue and Piper were already in the kitchen when
Phoebe came down. She took her usual place at the table. She was
also wearing a pair of white gloves.
"Are those mine?" asked Prue.
Prue didn't use the accusing tone she normally did when Phoebe
borrowed things without asking.
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "I know I should have asked first. I hope
you don't mind. I thought I'd borrow them until I could get some of
my own."
"Sure, no problem," said Prue confused.
"Honey," said Piper, "it's over eighty degrees out. Why would
you be needing to wear gloves?"
"It's very simple," said Phoebe. "I get premonitions when I
touch something. If I can't touch anything, I can't get a
premonition. As long as I wear gloves, I cant' touch anything. I may
not be able to get rid of my power, but I can make sure I can't use
it."
"Sweetie, that's crazy," said Piper. "You're one-third of the
Charmed Ones. Your premonitions are a part of the Power of Three."
"Not any more," said Phoebe. "I can't be the cause of another
innocent death. We still have the Power of Three. But I can't have
any more premonitions. Not knowing what the cost might be. I can't
risk killing someone else."
"Honey, you didn't kill anyone," said Prue. "It was just a
senseless accident, that's all."
"An accident I could have prevented," said Phoebe. "If I had
done something that that woman might still be alive. She's dead
because of me.
"It was a mistake for me to get this power. Or any powers. I
don't have the right to call myself a Charmed One. The Charmed Ones
don't kill innocents. They're supposed to protect them."
"And we do," said Prue. "But we aren't perfect. Even if
somehow the accident was because of that premonition, it's not your
fault. Or your responsibility. You did the best you could under the
circumstances."
"No, I didn't," said Phoebe. "I caused that woman's death. And
I'm not going to let it happen ever again."
Just then there was a knock at the back door. Prue opened the
door to find a man about her age standing on the back porch. He was
dressed in work clothes with a pair of work gloves in his hand. He
clothes had some fresh dirt on them.
"Hi," he said smiling. "My name is Jeff. I'm filling in for
your regular gardener today. He had a minor family emergency."
"Okay, fine," said Prue.
"Could I bother you for a glass of water?" asked Jeff. "It's
getting a bit warm out here already."
"Sure," said Prue.
She got him a glass of water as he waited in the doorway. He
looked at Phoebe who simply stared down at her untouched cup of
coffee. Prue handed the glass to Jeff. He drained it and then handed
the empty glass to her.
"Thank you," he said.
"No problem," said Prue.
"Those are nice gloves you're wearing," Jeff said to Phoebe.
"Thanks," she replied without emotion.
"They're totally unnecessary, you know?" asked Jeff.
"What?" asked Phoebe.
"Prue and Piper are right, Phoebe," said Jeff. "That woman's
death was not your fault."
The three sisters looked at the gardener wondering how he knew
their names and what they had been talking about.