CHARMED
"UNCHARMED"
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language)
PART 3: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
With mixed emotions about the possibility of having to kill an
innocent to set things straight, the sisters and their new White
Lighter set out to see if Patrice has, in fact, changed things. Each
secretly praying they can fine a way to set things right again without
having to go to such extremes.
* * *
ONE
Matilda and the sisters sat in the kitchen of the manor. They
had spent several hours discussing what they should do next. They
didn't have many options available to them. Without knowing what
changes had been made, beyond what they already knew, they couldn't be
sure who might be behind the changes.
"I think," said Piper, "that the first thing we have to do is
find out if Patrice and her sisters are actually the Charmed Ones now.
All we have to go on is the necklace she was wearing and some cryptic
message from Leo. And that Leo was with her."
"Didn't you say that Leo orbed them out of the center?" asked
Paige.
"I said it looked like he orbed them out," said Piper. "All I
caught was a bluish light just as the elevator doors were closing. I
could have been mistaken."
"Piper's right," said Matilda. "That necklace could have been
nothing more than what Patrice said it was. A family heirloom.
Although, with Leo being with her, I think it's much more than that."
"Okay," said Piper. "Matilda, can you orb to Matilda's home and
see if she has the Book of Shadows? Since you aren't evil, they
shouldn't get any warnings when you get there. And it should be a
simple matter to locate the book if it is there."
"That's a good idea," said Matilda. "If the Book of Shadows is
there, it will confirm that they are the new Charmed Ones. They're
the only ones who would have the Book of Shadows. But as I said,
that's no guarantee that they're the ones who have done this."
"It's a start," said Piper.
"I'll go back to my office and see if I can find out anything,"
said Paige. "I need to check it out anyway. We may be in this time
line for a while, and I don't want to make a fool of myself."
"I guess I'd better check with my parole officer," said Phoebe.
"Maybe I can find out something from him. If nothing else, I can find
out what I did to get sent to prison."
"Okay," said Piper. "I'll go to the library and do some
research. I should be able to check through back issues of the paper
and see if there's anything in there about Andy. To see if he's
really still alive.
"I'll also check their genealogy records. See if I can find out
what I can about Prue, assuming she even existed. I should even be
able to find out something on Pamela McIntyre and her sisters. That
might give us an idea who, or what, is doing all this."
"Not a bad plan," said Matilda. "I can see why you have the
reputation you do. Even though some claim your methods are less than
orthodox."
"We've been accused of that a time or two," said Phoebe. "But
it seems to work well enough for us."
"Well enough to have vanquished the Source," said Matilda. "Not
once, but three times, if memory serves."
"That brings up something," said Paige. "In the original time
line, we vanquished the Source. What about in this time line? Is
there still a Source or did these Charmed Ones vanquish him, too?"
"I don't know," said Matilda. "I can try to find out. But
since you aren't the Charmed Ones in this time line, you don't have to
worry about him coming after you. Or any other demons, for that
matter. Your normals. There's no reason for them to come after you."
"Oh God," said Phoebe suddenly. "That's something I hadn't
thought about. If everything has been changed I wonder who else may
still be around. Besides Andy."
"You mean Cole," said Piper. "In the original time line, we
stripped Belthazor from him. Then he was possessed by the Source and
we thought he had been vanquished."
"You mean we vanquished him, don't you?" asked Paige.
"Whatever," said Phoebe. "Then he figured a way to come back.
And he had powers when he did. I just thought of him. I wonder what
changes have been made of him in this time line?"
"If any," said Matilda. "He changed from evil to good because
of his love for you, Phoebe. It's unlikely that it would have
happened twice. It's possible he's still Belthazor. Or that the
Charmed Ones in this time line have vanquished him. In either case,
he won't know who you are."
"I know," said Phoebe. "It was just so hard loosing him the
first time. I'm not sure I can handle it a second time."
"Well," said Piper, "if it's any consolation, just remember that
it's not really him. Just the him of this time line. If . . . when
we correct the changes, he'll go back to what he was before. Whatever
that was."
"Well," said Paige, "I'd better get some sleep. It's going to
be a big day tomorrow."
"I'm with you," said Piper. "We've been through a lot today.
Matilda, you're welcome to stay here if you'd like. I'm afraid we
don't have a room for you. But I understand the sofa can be quite
comfortable."
"Thanks," said Matilda. "I guess I do need a place to stay for
the time being."
"I'll make up the sofa for her," said Phoebe. "I'll see you
guys in the morning."
Piper and Paige left the kitchen and went up to their rooms.
Phoebe and Matilda stayed in the kitchen a while longer talking.
"Piper is more confident than I am," said Phoebe.
"I understand," said Matilda. "To be honest, I'm not very sure
of our chances, either. I've never been in a situation like this
before. Most of my work involves administrative work. I'm afraid
it's been a while since I've been in the field, as it were."
"Don't apologize," said Phoebe. "We've never been in a
situation like this before either. I mean, we've moved through time
before, but nothing like this. At least we know it couldn't be Shax.
He died the same time Prue died."
"I know," said Matilda. "Besides, this doesn't feel like time
has been altered. I can't explain why, but this feels different. It
almost feels like a dream. Only this dream is real."
"There's something else that Piper hasn't thought of," said
Phoebe.
"You mean Leo," said Matilda. "I've thought of that, too. If
Leo IS the other Charmed Ones White Lighter, that means that he and
her have never met."
"Which means she isn't married to him," said Phoebe. "And she's
no longer pregnant."
"That's true," said Matilda. "It's possible she may have
thought of it but just haven't said anything about it. Maybe she
doesn't want to believe it. I can't imagine what it would be doing to
her right now."
"Well," said Phoebe, "we'd better get the sofa made up. I'm
sure you'll find it comfortable."
"I'm sure I will," said Matilda. "And to be honest, I am a bit
tired. As Prue said, we've all been through a lot today."
Phoebe made up the sofa for Matilda then went up to her room to
get some sleep. She hadn't mentioned it, but she felt the same way
that Matilda did. Somehow, none of this seemed real. She finally
decided that it would take a while before the reality of it sunk into
her on an emotional level.
"UNCHARMED"
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language)
PART 3: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
With mixed emotions about the possibility of having to kill an
innocent to set things straight, the sisters and their new White
Lighter set out to see if Patrice has, in fact, changed things. Each
secretly praying they can fine a way to set things right again without
having to go to such extremes.
* * *
ONE
Matilda and the sisters sat in the kitchen of the manor. They
had spent several hours discussing what they should do next. They
didn't have many options available to them. Without knowing what
changes had been made, beyond what they already knew, they couldn't be
sure who might be behind the changes.
"I think," said Piper, "that the first thing we have to do is
find out if Patrice and her sisters are actually the Charmed Ones now.
All we have to go on is the necklace she was wearing and some cryptic
message from Leo. And that Leo was with her."
"Didn't you say that Leo orbed them out of the center?" asked
Paige.
"I said it looked like he orbed them out," said Piper. "All I
caught was a bluish light just as the elevator doors were closing. I
could have been mistaken."
"Piper's right," said Matilda. "That necklace could have been
nothing more than what Patrice said it was. A family heirloom.
Although, with Leo being with her, I think it's much more than that."
"Okay," said Piper. "Matilda, can you orb to Matilda's home and
see if she has the Book of Shadows? Since you aren't evil, they
shouldn't get any warnings when you get there. And it should be a
simple matter to locate the book if it is there."
"That's a good idea," said Matilda. "If the Book of Shadows is
there, it will confirm that they are the new Charmed Ones. They're
the only ones who would have the Book of Shadows. But as I said,
that's no guarantee that they're the ones who have done this."
"It's a start," said Piper.
"I'll go back to my office and see if I can find out anything,"
said Paige. "I need to check it out anyway. We may be in this time
line for a while, and I don't want to make a fool of myself."
"I guess I'd better check with my parole officer," said Phoebe.
"Maybe I can find out something from him. If nothing else, I can find
out what I did to get sent to prison."
"Okay," said Piper. "I'll go to the library and do some
research. I should be able to check through back issues of the paper
and see if there's anything in there about Andy. To see if he's
really still alive.
"I'll also check their genealogy records. See if I can find out
what I can about Prue, assuming she even existed. I should even be
able to find out something on Pamela McIntyre and her sisters. That
might give us an idea who, or what, is doing all this."
"Not a bad plan," said Matilda. "I can see why you have the
reputation you do. Even though some claim your methods are less than
orthodox."
"We've been accused of that a time or two," said Phoebe. "But
it seems to work well enough for us."
"Well enough to have vanquished the Source," said Matilda. "Not
once, but three times, if memory serves."
"That brings up something," said Paige. "In the original time
line, we vanquished the Source. What about in this time line? Is
there still a Source or did these Charmed Ones vanquish him, too?"
"I don't know," said Matilda. "I can try to find out. But
since you aren't the Charmed Ones in this time line, you don't have to
worry about him coming after you. Or any other demons, for that
matter. Your normals. There's no reason for them to come after you."
"Oh God," said Phoebe suddenly. "That's something I hadn't
thought about. If everything has been changed I wonder who else may
still be around. Besides Andy."
"You mean Cole," said Piper. "In the original time line, we
stripped Belthazor from him. Then he was possessed by the Source and
we thought he had been vanquished."
"You mean we vanquished him, don't you?" asked Paige.
"Whatever," said Phoebe. "Then he figured a way to come back.
And he had powers when he did. I just thought of him. I wonder what
changes have been made of him in this time line?"
"If any," said Matilda. "He changed from evil to good because
of his love for you, Phoebe. It's unlikely that it would have
happened twice. It's possible he's still Belthazor. Or that the
Charmed Ones in this time line have vanquished him. In either case,
he won't know who you are."
"I know," said Phoebe. "It was just so hard loosing him the
first time. I'm not sure I can handle it a second time."
"Well," said Piper, "if it's any consolation, just remember that
it's not really him. Just the him of this time line. If . . . when
we correct the changes, he'll go back to what he was before. Whatever
that was."
"Well," said Paige, "I'd better get some sleep. It's going to
be a big day tomorrow."
"I'm with you," said Piper. "We've been through a lot today.
Matilda, you're welcome to stay here if you'd like. I'm afraid we
don't have a room for you. But I understand the sofa can be quite
comfortable."
"Thanks," said Matilda. "I guess I do need a place to stay for
the time being."
"I'll make up the sofa for her," said Phoebe. "I'll see you
guys in the morning."
Piper and Paige left the kitchen and went up to their rooms.
Phoebe and Matilda stayed in the kitchen a while longer talking.
"Piper is more confident than I am," said Phoebe.
"I understand," said Matilda. "To be honest, I'm not very sure
of our chances, either. I've never been in a situation like this
before. Most of my work involves administrative work. I'm afraid
it's been a while since I've been in the field, as it were."
"Don't apologize," said Phoebe. "We've never been in a
situation like this before either. I mean, we've moved through time
before, but nothing like this. At least we know it couldn't be Shax.
He died the same time Prue died."
"I know," said Matilda. "Besides, this doesn't feel like time
has been altered. I can't explain why, but this feels different. It
almost feels like a dream. Only this dream is real."
"There's something else that Piper hasn't thought of," said
Phoebe.
"You mean Leo," said Matilda. "I've thought of that, too. If
Leo IS the other Charmed Ones White Lighter, that means that he and
her have never met."
"Which means she isn't married to him," said Phoebe. "And she's
no longer pregnant."
"That's true," said Matilda. "It's possible she may have
thought of it but just haven't said anything about it. Maybe she
doesn't want to believe it. I can't imagine what it would be doing to
her right now."
"Well," said Phoebe, "we'd better get the sofa made up. I'm
sure you'll find it comfortable."
"I'm sure I will," said Matilda. "And to be honest, I am a bit
tired. As Prue said, we've all been through a lot today."
Phoebe made up the sofa for Matilda then went up to her room to
get some sleep. She hadn't mentioned it, but she felt the same way
that Matilda did. Somehow, none of this seemed real. She finally
decided that it would take a while before the reality of it sunk into
her on an emotional level.