THREE
Piper walked into the manor and dropped her car keys on the table. She was a bit tired but she knew there were still wedding plans to be made. Paige came out of the living room.
"Hey, what's up?" asked Piper.
"Nothing," said Paige. "Phoebe is getting neurotic over the wedding."
"You mean more than normal?" joked Piper. "I still remember my wedding. I just hope nothing like that happens this time."
"Everything will be fine," said Paige. "Hey, we're twins."
She held up her right hand, exposing a band-aid on the index finger. Piper held up her right hand showing a band-aid on the same finger.
"Oh," said Piper, "I broke a glass at work. How'd you cut yours?"
"Some salesman with defective items," said Paige. "It's not serious."
"Me, too," said Piper. "An alcohol salesman. He distracted me for a moment."
"Was he cute?" asked Paige, smiling.
"I'm married," said Piper.
"You can still look," said Paige. "No harm in looking."
"I'm still married," said Piper. "Happily married. Where's Cole? I thought he'd be here."
"He said something about farming his cases out to other lawyers," said Paige.
"Justice doesn't stop just because you get married," said Phoebe, coming down the stairs.
"No, I guess it doesn't," said Piper. "How are you doing?"
"Nervous," said Phoebe. "Only a few more days. Now I know how you felt."
"It'll be over before you know it," said Piper.
"Where's Leo?" asked Phoebe.
"Probably off with one of his charges," said Piper. "Occupational hazard, I guess."
"Evil doesn't stop because you get married, either," said Paige.
"Boy, do we know that," said Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "I'll make something quick for dinner and then we can get back to the wedding plans."
Leo had arrived by the time dinner was ready. As usual, he couldn't talk about why he had been gone so long. Piper and Phoebe were very used to it. Paige was getting more used to it.
And, as usual of late, the talk around the table was about the upcoming wedding. A hundred decisions still had to be made about the wedding and Phoebe was concerned nothing would be ready in time.
"Every bride-to-be feels that way," said Leo. "I know Piper did. I guess it's one of the pitfalls of a wedding."
"Most weddings don't have to worry about demons crashing the party," said Phoebe.
"That's not going to happen," said Paige. "Your wedding will go off without a hitch and pretty soon you and Cole will be honeymooning, wondering what all the fuss was about."
"I hope so," said Phoebe.
"Trust me," said Paige. "You'll see. All of these worries will be for nothing."
Suddenly a man simply appeared behind Phoebe. Piper and Paige recognized him immediately. He was Paige's cosmetics salesman and Pipers' alcohol salesman. He pulled out a long dagger and put it to Phoebes' throat.
"If anyone moves," said the man, "she dies."
Piper walked into the manor and dropped her car keys on the table. She was a bit tired but she knew there were still wedding plans to be made. Paige came out of the living room.
"Hey, what's up?" asked Piper.
"Nothing," said Paige. "Phoebe is getting neurotic over the wedding."
"You mean more than normal?" joked Piper. "I still remember my wedding. I just hope nothing like that happens this time."
"Everything will be fine," said Paige. "Hey, we're twins."
She held up her right hand, exposing a band-aid on the index finger. Piper held up her right hand showing a band-aid on the same finger.
"Oh," said Piper, "I broke a glass at work. How'd you cut yours?"
"Some salesman with defective items," said Paige. "It's not serious."
"Me, too," said Piper. "An alcohol salesman. He distracted me for a moment."
"Was he cute?" asked Paige, smiling.
"I'm married," said Piper.
"You can still look," said Paige. "No harm in looking."
"I'm still married," said Piper. "Happily married. Where's Cole? I thought he'd be here."
"He said something about farming his cases out to other lawyers," said Paige.
"Justice doesn't stop just because you get married," said Phoebe, coming down the stairs.
"No, I guess it doesn't," said Piper. "How are you doing?"
"Nervous," said Phoebe. "Only a few more days. Now I know how you felt."
"It'll be over before you know it," said Piper.
"Where's Leo?" asked Phoebe.
"Probably off with one of his charges," said Piper. "Occupational hazard, I guess."
"Evil doesn't stop because you get married, either," said Paige.
"Boy, do we know that," said Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "I'll make something quick for dinner and then we can get back to the wedding plans."
Leo had arrived by the time dinner was ready. As usual, he couldn't talk about why he had been gone so long. Piper and Phoebe were very used to it. Paige was getting more used to it.
And, as usual of late, the talk around the table was about the upcoming wedding. A hundred decisions still had to be made about the wedding and Phoebe was concerned nothing would be ready in time.
"Every bride-to-be feels that way," said Leo. "I know Piper did. I guess it's one of the pitfalls of a wedding."
"Most weddings don't have to worry about demons crashing the party," said Phoebe.
"That's not going to happen," said Paige. "Your wedding will go off without a hitch and pretty soon you and Cole will be honeymooning, wondering what all the fuss was about."
"I hope so," said Phoebe.
"Trust me," said Paige. "You'll see. All of these worries will be for nothing."
Suddenly a man simply appeared behind Phoebe. Piper and Paige recognized him immediately. He was Paige's cosmetics salesman and Pipers' alcohol salesman. He pulled out a long dagger and put it to Phoebes' throat.
"If anyone moves," said the man, "she dies."