FIVE
"Yes?" questioned the young woman sitting at a makeup table.
"Miss Crandall?" asked Phoebe nervously. "My name is Phoebe Halliwell. This is my friend, Leo Wyatt. We saw you on the program. I just wanted to say I think you're a great writer. I enjoy your books very much."
"Thank you," said Jennifer. "It's always nice to hear from a fan. Have we met? You look familiar."
"No," said Phoebe, "I don't think so."
"Phoebe, the book," said Leo.
"Oh, yeah," said Phoebe. "Would you autograph this for me? It would mean a lot to me."
"Sure," said Jennifer.
"Your new book sounds interesting," said Phoebe. "The one about the sisters who are witches."
"I hope so," said Jennifer. "It's only about half finished, though."
"Where, uh, where did you get the idea for it?" asked Phoebe nervously.
"Believe it or not," said Jennifer, handing the book back, "I started having dreams about it a few months ago."
"Dreams?" questioned Leo, taking the book from her.
"Yes," said Jennifer. "They're like no other dreams I've ever had. So vivid and realistic. After I realized I was having more than one of them, I started writing them down. After a while, I realized they'd make a good book. At least, I hope they do."
"I guess ideas have to come from somewhere," said Leo. "Well, thank you for the autograph. Phoebe and I need to be going."
"Oh, uh, thanks," said Phoebe, confused.
"My pleasure," said Jennifer.
"What was that all about?" asked Phoebe after they had left the room.
"She's not a warlock," said Leo, "or a demon, either. And she didn't seem to know you. Except that you looked familiar. If this was a deliberate attempt to expose you, she would have known who you were."
"Maybe she was just pretending," offered Phoebe.
"I don't think so," said Leo. "She was too relaxed. She didn't seem nervous at all. I don't think it's a coincidence her new book is so similar to the real thing, but I don't know what's going on. I need to check with the Elders. But first, I need to get you home."
They returned to the closet where they had first orbed. Once the door was closed, Leo orbed them back to the manor. Prue and Piper were waiting for them.
"Phoebe can fill you in," said Leo, putting the book on the table. "I need to go see the Elders right now."
He orbed out before any of them could speak. Phoebe told them about their meeting with Jennifer. She also told them about Leo's assertion that Jennifer was neither a warlock nor a witch.
"That doesn't make sense," said Piper. "How could she know so much about us?"
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "But Leo began acting weird when she mentioned having those dreams. He wouldn't say why, though."
"Well, I guess she's not a threat to us," said Prue. "Not directly, anyway. But her new book is a threat. We still can't let her publish it. There has to be a way to convince her from going ahead with it."
"Not without revealing our secret," said Piper. "And then there's no guarantee she'd believe us anyway."
"Maybe a spell," offered Phoebe. "Maybe we can use a spell to stop her dreams. She said the book was only about half done. If she doesn't have any more dreams, maybe she'll abandon the idea."
"That's a possibility," said Prue. "I think we'd better wait for Leo to get back before we do anything. He might have an idea or two."
"Well," said Phoebe, "at any rate, I did get the autograph of a real author. Who knows? Maybe this autographed book will be worth something some day."
Phoebe reached down and picked up the autographed book Leo had laid on the table. As her hand closed around the book, a premonition flashed through her mind.
"Uh, guys," she said. "We have another problem. This author who's about to expose us to the entire world? I just saw her being attacked by a warlock."
"Yes?" questioned the young woman sitting at a makeup table.
"Miss Crandall?" asked Phoebe nervously. "My name is Phoebe Halliwell. This is my friend, Leo Wyatt. We saw you on the program. I just wanted to say I think you're a great writer. I enjoy your books very much."
"Thank you," said Jennifer. "It's always nice to hear from a fan. Have we met? You look familiar."
"No," said Phoebe, "I don't think so."
"Phoebe, the book," said Leo.
"Oh, yeah," said Phoebe. "Would you autograph this for me? It would mean a lot to me."
"Sure," said Jennifer.
"Your new book sounds interesting," said Phoebe. "The one about the sisters who are witches."
"I hope so," said Jennifer. "It's only about half finished, though."
"Where, uh, where did you get the idea for it?" asked Phoebe nervously.
"Believe it or not," said Jennifer, handing the book back, "I started having dreams about it a few months ago."
"Dreams?" questioned Leo, taking the book from her.
"Yes," said Jennifer. "They're like no other dreams I've ever had. So vivid and realistic. After I realized I was having more than one of them, I started writing them down. After a while, I realized they'd make a good book. At least, I hope they do."
"I guess ideas have to come from somewhere," said Leo. "Well, thank you for the autograph. Phoebe and I need to be going."
"Oh, uh, thanks," said Phoebe, confused.
"My pleasure," said Jennifer.
"What was that all about?" asked Phoebe after they had left the room.
"She's not a warlock," said Leo, "or a demon, either. And she didn't seem to know you. Except that you looked familiar. If this was a deliberate attempt to expose you, she would have known who you were."
"Maybe she was just pretending," offered Phoebe.
"I don't think so," said Leo. "She was too relaxed. She didn't seem nervous at all. I don't think it's a coincidence her new book is so similar to the real thing, but I don't know what's going on. I need to check with the Elders. But first, I need to get you home."
They returned to the closet where they had first orbed. Once the door was closed, Leo orbed them back to the manor. Prue and Piper were waiting for them.
"Phoebe can fill you in," said Leo, putting the book on the table. "I need to go see the Elders right now."
He orbed out before any of them could speak. Phoebe told them about their meeting with Jennifer. She also told them about Leo's assertion that Jennifer was neither a warlock nor a witch.
"That doesn't make sense," said Piper. "How could she know so much about us?"
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "But Leo began acting weird when she mentioned having those dreams. He wouldn't say why, though."
"Well, I guess she's not a threat to us," said Prue. "Not directly, anyway. But her new book is a threat. We still can't let her publish it. There has to be a way to convince her from going ahead with it."
"Not without revealing our secret," said Piper. "And then there's no guarantee she'd believe us anyway."
"Maybe a spell," offered Phoebe. "Maybe we can use a spell to stop her dreams. She said the book was only about half done. If she doesn't have any more dreams, maybe she'll abandon the idea."
"That's a possibility," said Prue. "I think we'd better wait for Leo to get back before we do anything. He might have an idea or two."
"Well," said Phoebe, "at any rate, I did get the autograph of a real author. Who knows? Maybe this autographed book will be worth something some day."
Phoebe reached down and picked up the autographed book Leo had laid on the table. As her hand closed around the book, a premonition flashed through her mind.
"Uh, guys," she said. "We have another problem. This author who's about to expose us to the entire world? I just saw her being attacked by a warlock."