THREE
"You're sure that's safe?" asked Leo.
"Perfectly safe," said Piper as she poured the potion into half
empty whiskey bottle Charles had been drinking from. "All it will do
is make him invisible and silent for a few hours. Then you can take
him to the locations you've selected. No one will be able to see or
him or you. Now drink your potion and we'll go hide."
"Okay, okay," said Leo. "I don't know why we had to wait until
Christmas Eve to do this. We could have completed this last night and
had it over with."
"It will have more impact on Christmas Eve I think," said
Phoebe. "Now, quit complaining and just drink the potion."
Leo pulled a vial out of his pocket, looked at Piper once, and
then emptied the contents of the vial. He flashed for a second, and
then he vanished.
"Well," he said.
"It worked," said Prue. "We can't see or hear you. Of course,
I'm assuming you're talking to us. As soon as we take the counter-
potion, that potion won't affect us. Now, wake Montgomery up and make
sure he drinks from that bottle. We'll see you at the first place."
The girls left the alley where Montgomery was currently sleeping
soundly. They got into Prue's car and she drove down the street.
After they left, Leo took his foot and nudged Montgomery. After a
second he came awake a looked around.
"Must be the wind," he mumbled.
He picked up the whiskey bottle and took a drink. Just as he
did, he flashed once. Then he looked up and saw Leo standing over
him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A friend," said Leo.
"Got any spare change, friend?" asked Montgomery.
"I'm not here to give you money, Charles," said Leo.
"How do you know my name?" asked Montgomery.
"I know a great deal about you," said Leo. "You're a very
important person. Despite your present circumstances, you have a lot
to offer. And you've done a great deal of good. Regardless of what
you might think."
"Yeah, right," said Montgomery. "Look at me. I'm a bum. I've
never amounted to anything. Never will. I even have delusions about
being on top of a building and trying to jump off. I can't even do
that right."
"It was no delusion," said Leo. "I was there. You did try to
jump off the building."
"So how come I'm not dead?" asked Montgomery.
"Before you make such a drastic decision," said Leo, "there are
some things you need to know. Things that you've done over the years
you may not be aware of. The good you've done."
"What good?" asked Montgomery. "I ruined my wife's life. I
can't hold a job. I can't even stay sober. I don't know who you are,
but you got the wrong guy."
"Have I?" asked Leo, extending his hand. "Take my hand. Let me
show you something."
Montgomery looked at the outstretched hand. He put the cap on
the bottle of whiskey and shoved it into his pocket. The he reached
up and took Leo's hand. Leo pulled him to his feet.
"Now," said Leo, "let me show you something you may not be aware
of."
To Montgomery's total amazement, Leo orbed them out of the
alley.
"You're sure that's safe?" asked Leo.
"Perfectly safe," said Piper as she poured the potion into half
empty whiskey bottle Charles had been drinking from. "All it will do
is make him invisible and silent for a few hours. Then you can take
him to the locations you've selected. No one will be able to see or
him or you. Now drink your potion and we'll go hide."
"Okay, okay," said Leo. "I don't know why we had to wait until
Christmas Eve to do this. We could have completed this last night and
had it over with."
"It will have more impact on Christmas Eve I think," said
Phoebe. "Now, quit complaining and just drink the potion."
Leo pulled a vial out of his pocket, looked at Piper once, and
then emptied the contents of the vial. He flashed for a second, and
then he vanished.
"Well," he said.
"It worked," said Prue. "We can't see or hear you. Of course,
I'm assuming you're talking to us. As soon as we take the counter-
potion, that potion won't affect us. Now, wake Montgomery up and make
sure he drinks from that bottle. We'll see you at the first place."
The girls left the alley where Montgomery was currently sleeping
soundly. They got into Prue's car and she drove down the street.
After they left, Leo took his foot and nudged Montgomery. After a
second he came awake a looked around.
"Must be the wind," he mumbled.
He picked up the whiskey bottle and took a drink. Just as he
did, he flashed once. Then he looked up and saw Leo standing over
him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A friend," said Leo.
"Got any spare change, friend?" asked Montgomery.
"I'm not here to give you money, Charles," said Leo.
"How do you know my name?" asked Montgomery.
"I know a great deal about you," said Leo. "You're a very
important person. Despite your present circumstances, you have a lot
to offer. And you've done a great deal of good. Regardless of what
you might think."
"Yeah, right," said Montgomery. "Look at me. I'm a bum. I've
never amounted to anything. Never will. I even have delusions about
being on top of a building and trying to jump off. I can't even do
that right."
"It was no delusion," said Leo. "I was there. You did try to
jump off the building."
"So how come I'm not dead?" asked Montgomery.
"Before you make such a drastic decision," said Leo, "there are
some things you need to know. Things that you've done over the years
you may not be aware of. The good you've done."
"What good?" asked Montgomery. "I ruined my wife's life. I
can't hold a job. I can't even stay sober. I don't know who you are,
but you got the wrong guy."
"Have I?" asked Leo, extending his hand. "Take my hand. Let me
show you something."
Montgomery looked at the outstretched hand. He put the cap on
the bottle of whiskey and shoved it into his pocket. The he reached
up and took Leo's hand. Leo pulled him to his feet.
"Now," said Leo, "let me show you something you may not be aware
of."
To Montgomery's total amazement, Leo orbed them out of the
alley.