FOUR
"Who are you?" demanded Piper.
"A friend," said Jeff. "And I'm not a threat to the Charmed
Ones. I'm what you would call one of the good guys."
"Then tell us who you are," insisted Prue.
"I'm a cherub," said Jeff.
"A cherub?" asked Prue. "You mean, like an angel?"
"Something like that," said Jeff. "There are different levels
of angels. I'm a caseworker of sorts. My job is to deliver
information and clarify misunderstanding."
"What do you want?" asked Phoebe.
"Only to keep you from making a mistake," said Jeff. "You are
not responsible for that woman's death, as I said."
"I ignored a premonition," said Phoebe. "That makes me
responsible."
"No, you didn't," said Jeff. "You followed a perfectly logical
course of action based on your premonition. Just as you were supposed
to."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"Why do you think you have premonitions in the first place?"
asked Jeff.
"To help the innocent," said Phoebe. "So we'll know who needs
our help."
"That's true, but only partially so," said Jeff.
"What do you mean partially so?" asked Piper.
"Phoebe's premonitions are for a number of reasons," said Jeff.
"The reason you've stated is one of those reasons. She also has them
to prepare all of you for what's going to happen. You can't change
everything. Some times it's necessary to prepare you for the things
you can't change."
"Is that why she had that premonition?" asked Prue.
"Not in this case," said Jeff. "Occasionally, a premonition is
meant to guide you in a particular direction. To get you to do or not
do something. In this case, the premonition was meant to keep Phoebe
out of that cab."
"I don't understand," said Phoebe.
"Some things are destined to be, Phoebe," said Jeff. "No matter
what you do, you can't change them. That taxi was destined to be in
that accident. And that woman was destined to be in it when it was.
You weren't. There was only one purpose for that premonition. To
keep you from getting in that cab."
"But I could have saved that woman," protested Phoebe.
"You weren't meant to," said Jeff. "That's what Prue and Piper
have been trying to tell you. And that's why I'm here. To tell you
that your premonition had nothing to do with her death."
"I didn't cause her death?" asked Phoebe, a tear in her eye.
"Of course not," replied Jeff. "You did exactly what you were
supposed to do. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It became necessary to move you, so to speak."
"It wasn't my fault," said Phoebe, the realization of what Jeff
was saying finally sinking in. "I wasn't responsible."
"No, you weren't," said Jeff, smiling. "As I said, you were
simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, since weren't
responsible for her death, you can understand why you don't need the
gloves."
"I guess you're right," said Phoebe. "Thank you."
"My pleasure," said Jeff. "I just hate seeing people blame
themselves for things that aren't their fault."
"Wait a minute," said Prue. "If we're not supposed to change
every premonition, how are we supposed to know which ones we are and
which ones we aren't?"
"That, I can't help you with," said Jeff. "I don't even know
why that accident was destined to happen. I only know that it was."
"So there's nothing you can tell us?" asked Piper.
"No, sorry," said Jeff. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to
get back to your yard. Your gardeners' minor emergency was real. It
provided me the opportunity to come talk with you. But I still have
to do the work. One of the pitfalls of the job."
As Jeff went back outside, Phoebe removed the gloves and handed
them to Prue.
"Who are you?" demanded Piper.
"A friend," said Jeff. "And I'm not a threat to the Charmed
Ones. I'm what you would call one of the good guys."
"Then tell us who you are," insisted Prue.
"I'm a cherub," said Jeff.
"A cherub?" asked Prue. "You mean, like an angel?"
"Something like that," said Jeff. "There are different levels
of angels. I'm a caseworker of sorts. My job is to deliver
information and clarify misunderstanding."
"What do you want?" asked Phoebe.
"Only to keep you from making a mistake," said Jeff. "You are
not responsible for that woman's death, as I said."
"I ignored a premonition," said Phoebe. "That makes me
responsible."
"No, you didn't," said Jeff. "You followed a perfectly logical
course of action based on your premonition. Just as you were supposed
to."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"Why do you think you have premonitions in the first place?"
asked Jeff.
"To help the innocent," said Phoebe. "So we'll know who needs
our help."
"That's true, but only partially so," said Jeff.
"What do you mean partially so?" asked Piper.
"Phoebe's premonitions are for a number of reasons," said Jeff.
"The reason you've stated is one of those reasons. She also has them
to prepare all of you for what's going to happen. You can't change
everything. Some times it's necessary to prepare you for the things
you can't change."
"Is that why she had that premonition?" asked Prue.
"Not in this case," said Jeff. "Occasionally, a premonition is
meant to guide you in a particular direction. To get you to do or not
do something. In this case, the premonition was meant to keep Phoebe
out of that cab."
"I don't understand," said Phoebe.
"Some things are destined to be, Phoebe," said Jeff. "No matter
what you do, you can't change them. That taxi was destined to be in
that accident. And that woman was destined to be in it when it was.
You weren't. There was only one purpose for that premonition. To
keep you from getting in that cab."
"But I could have saved that woman," protested Phoebe.
"You weren't meant to," said Jeff. "That's what Prue and Piper
have been trying to tell you. And that's why I'm here. To tell you
that your premonition had nothing to do with her death."
"I didn't cause her death?" asked Phoebe, a tear in her eye.
"Of course not," replied Jeff. "You did exactly what you were
supposed to do. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It became necessary to move you, so to speak."
"It wasn't my fault," said Phoebe, the realization of what Jeff
was saying finally sinking in. "I wasn't responsible."
"No, you weren't," said Jeff, smiling. "As I said, you were
simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, since weren't
responsible for her death, you can understand why you don't need the
gloves."
"I guess you're right," said Phoebe. "Thank you."
"My pleasure," said Jeff. "I just hate seeing people blame
themselves for things that aren't their fault."
"Wait a minute," said Prue. "If we're not supposed to change
every premonition, how are we supposed to know which ones we are and
which ones we aren't?"
"That, I can't help you with," said Jeff. "I don't even know
why that accident was destined to happen. I only know that it was."
"So there's nothing you can tell us?" asked Piper.
"No, sorry," said Jeff. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to
get back to your yard. Your gardeners' minor emergency was real. It
provided me the opportunity to come talk with you. But I still have
to do the work. One of the pitfalls of the job."
As Jeff went back outside, Phoebe removed the gloves and handed
them to Prue.