I still don't own the copyright on anything here, boy do I wish otherwise!
This whole Charmed FanFic arrived in my skull the other day and I wanted to
get it down fast while it was still fresh. This bit just wrote itself.
Weird.
Thanks to Witch Goddess and Chub for reviews!
SAN FRANCISCO
Paige was toasting waffles in the kitchen when she heard a groan and turned to look at the doorway. Piper was standing there, dressed in pajamas and slippers, a dressing gown loosely pulled on and her hair all over her face.
"Please tell me that there's fresh coffee on?" she mumbled and spat some of her hair out of her mouth.
"There's some fresh coffee on," Paige reassured her half-sister and poured some out into a mug. When she turned back to Piper she saw that she was slumped on a chair with her head on the table. The clunk of the mug being placed next to her was greeted with a deep sigh. Half the coffee disappeared in a few gulps, followed by more spitting noises as she removed strands of hair from her mouth again.
"Jeez, you look terrible," said Paige and then regretted her comment at once as a single baleful eye opened and focused on her.
"Yeah, well, some of us were up until 4am last night going through P3's books, while other people, who will remain nameless, were tucked up in bed," said Piper with a false sweetness in her voice.
Paige sat down at the table and pushed over a plate of buttered waffles as a peace offering. "Why were you going through the books? I thought the club was doing great?" she asked.
"It is," came the reply, "but the best way to make sure that it stays 'doing great' is to crunch the numbers and crack down on any financial wanderings. Like mysterious inconsistencies in the bar bills."
Shocked, Paige blurted: "Someone's stealing from the club?"
Piper bit the end of a waffle off savagely, glugged the rest of the coffee and then rested her head back on the table, waving the mug out vaguely. "Yup, keep the coffee coming, honey, my brain is still covered in red ink."
Paige hurried to refill the mug and then sat next to her sister. "Who's the thief?"
"We're not sure," was the weary reply. "Pheebs thinks its Guido being inventive with the bills. Gotta say I agree with her, but Leo thinks it's someone else."
"It can't be Guido! Guido's cute!" said Paige, causing her sister to half sit up and pat her hand.
"Honey, even the cutest people can be thieves. You're young, but you'll learn." She paused and her eyes narrowed. "Anyway, what are you doing up so early on a Saturday? Normally you're dead to the world until 10, and it's barely 9 now."
Paige shrugged. "Couldn't sleep and it was beautiful morning, so I went for a walk." She looked back at her sister. "Come on," she said encouragingly, "I'll put some more coffee on and you can lie on the sofa and be as bad- tempered as you like. Especially if Phoebe's going to be anything as tired as you are."
"She will be, she's not sleeping properly, what with Cole away in the underworld trying to find out what the Source is up to." She yawned hugely. "Why can't some nice scientist come up with a caffeine pill for general use? The sofa sounds nice though."
Piper got up and walked through to the living room, zigzagging slightly as she tried to see through half-closed eyes until an alarmed Paige tried to steer her.
After an irritable cry of: "I'm tired, Paige, not infirm!" she put her hands in the air and walked back to the kitchen, where she put more coffee on. There was a 'wumph' noise and she looked back into the other room. Piper was lying on her face on the sofa, her legs sticking out over its arms. "It's all right," she grunted through a cushion, "I meant to do that."
"Meant to do what?" asked Phoebe as she walked in, also yawning hugely. "Piper, why are you lying on the sofa like that?"
"I'm tired, Leo's being all cheerful again and there isn't enough caffeine in my system yet."
Phoebe turned to Paige, who shrugged. "I guess you guys aren't morning people, are you?" Phoebe smiled wryly in response and walked through to the kitchen, where she fell upon the coffee with glad cries and much rejoicing and on the waffles with even more gusto.
"Do you want some more coffee Piper?" she called and got a groan in response. Paige stuck her head around the doorway. "I guess that means 'yes.' Morning Leo! You, at least, look all bright and chirpy and energetic."
"I don't need much sleep," replied the Whitelighter as he entered and looked down at his wife worriedly. "Piper, honey, are you asleep on the sofa again?"
"Blurgh," was the response.
"'Cause if you sleep like that you'll wake up with a crick in your neck," he said. Piper parted enough hair to reveal one of her eyes and regarded the man she's promised to love, honour and obey with an eye that was even more baleful than before. Then she held her hand out with the index and middle fingers in a v-shape and the rest of the hand clenched. After a few seconds of shaking this up and down she collapsed back onto the sofa. Leo sighed and sat down on the end of the sofa, where he lifted her head onto his lap and started to stroke her hair. Piper looked up at him. "I don't deserve a husband like you."
"I'm getting used to the morning..." he paused, obviously looking for any other word but 'moodiness', "adventure."
Phoebe shuffled back in with more coffee. "There you go honey." Piper opened her eyes again and made a gesture that was 50% thank you and 50% random waving of hands.
"What was the deal with the victory salute?" hissed Paige.
Phoebe blinked. "What victory salute?"
Paige demonstrated what her sister had done and Phoebe scowled at Piper who was sipping more coffee. "That wasn't a nice thing to do to Leo!" She turned back to Paige. "Its... a British gesture. Not a very nice one, either, for a wife to give to her husband!"
Piper looked embarrassed and then laid her head back onto Leo's lap.
"Where'd you pick up a British insulting gesture? What does it mean, can I do it to people so they don't know what I'm telling them to go and whatever?" burbled Paige. Phoebe quelled her with a look.
"No, I'm not telling you," she said as she walked over to the window and sat down. "We picked it up from a British cousin of ours who was over here a year ago and... oops." She cringed from Paige's own scowl.
"Is this another relation I haven't been told about? Jeez, how many more people are in this family that I don't know about?" the younger woman hissed.
"Well, we haven't seen him for a year. Not since he learnt that he had magic and went away to hone it. Paige, honey, we have a lot of stuff that you need to know about the family, and we apologize, we really do,-" Piper made a sleepy 'yup' noise "-but so much has been happening that we kind of forgot about it." She directed a sheepish smile at her sister, who came over and sat down next to her.
"So what's he like?" she said.
"Well, he's a bit older, not much, about 31, he lives in London, where he does something for the British Museum. Piper, what does Tom do again?"
"Wstgl"
"Honey, not helpful. Leo, is she asleep?" The Whitelighter nodded.
"Well, he's a cousin on mom's father's side. He's Welsh, he's kinda bald, he likes wearing black, he's very kind and Prue found him very cute, and why are you looking over my shoulder like that?
Paige looked out at the man with short balding hair, black clothing and a concerned look on his face who was walking outside up to the front door with two rather attractive women following. "Is that him?" she asked.
HELL
Cole ran through the dark tunnel, pausing now and then to look behind him. After a while he slowed, stopped, half crouched and drew a deep breath. There was a rough graze along his left arm where he had scraped himself on an unexpectedly jagged bit of wall.
The tunnel walls here were smoother, but were also dank and slimy. Few demons knew about where they led and fewer bothered to explore. There was only one who did know all the passageways in the lowest levels and he was, from what Cole had just learnt, a long way away.
On the surface. Being hunted. Cole shook his head. It made no sense. Why were they hunting HIM of all people. Most demons were terrified of... his mind skittered around his name... him.
He tilted his head in thought. "They have every reason to be terrified of him. Hell, he terrifies me," and he shuddered at the memories that surfaced again. Then he straightened up and started to walk down the damp tunnel.
"That bounty hunter saw me, I know it," he muttered. "But it looks like the bounty on him is more than the one on me. What's going on? Why does the Source want him dead so badly?"
He could only think it was fear. And what could the Source fear so much that he put such a vast amount of money on the head of one of his own?
SAN FRANCISCO
Paige was toasting waffles in the kitchen when she heard a groan and turned to look at the doorway. Piper was standing there, dressed in pajamas and slippers, a dressing gown loosely pulled on and her hair all over her face.
"Please tell me that there's fresh coffee on?" she mumbled and spat some of her hair out of her mouth.
"There's some fresh coffee on," Paige reassured her half-sister and poured some out into a mug. When she turned back to Piper she saw that she was slumped on a chair with her head on the table. The clunk of the mug being placed next to her was greeted with a deep sigh. Half the coffee disappeared in a few gulps, followed by more spitting noises as she removed strands of hair from her mouth again.
"Jeez, you look terrible," said Paige and then regretted her comment at once as a single baleful eye opened and focused on her.
"Yeah, well, some of us were up until 4am last night going through P3's books, while other people, who will remain nameless, were tucked up in bed," said Piper with a false sweetness in her voice.
Paige sat down at the table and pushed over a plate of buttered waffles as a peace offering. "Why were you going through the books? I thought the club was doing great?" she asked.
"It is," came the reply, "but the best way to make sure that it stays 'doing great' is to crunch the numbers and crack down on any financial wanderings. Like mysterious inconsistencies in the bar bills."
Shocked, Paige blurted: "Someone's stealing from the club?"
Piper bit the end of a waffle off savagely, glugged the rest of the coffee and then rested her head back on the table, waving the mug out vaguely. "Yup, keep the coffee coming, honey, my brain is still covered in red ink."
Paige hurried to refill the mug and then sat next to her sister. "Who's the thief?"
"We're not sure," was the weary reply. "Pheebs thinks its Guido being inventive with the bills. Gotta say I agree with her, but Leo thinks it's someone else."
"It can't be Guido! Guido's cute!" said Paige, causing her sister to half sit up and pat her hand.
"Honey, even the cutest people can be thieves. You're young, but you'll learn." She paused and her eyes narrowed. "Anyway, what are you doing up so early on a Saturday? Normally you're dead to the world until 10, and it's barely 9 now."
Paige shrugged. "Couldn't sleep and it was beautiful morning, so I went for a walk." She looked back at her sister. "Come on," she said encouragingly, "I'll put some more coffee on and you can lie on the sofa and be as bad- tempered as you like. Especially if Phoebe's going to be anything as tired as you are."
"She will be, she's not sleeping properly, what with Cole away in the underworld trying to find out what the Source is up to." She yawned hugely. "Why can't some nice scientist come up with a caffeine pill for general use? The sofa sounds nice though."
Piper got up and walked through to the living room, zigzagging slightly as she tried to see through half-closed eyes until an alarmed Paige tried to steer her.
After an irritable cry of: "I'm tired, Paige, not infirm!" she put her hands in the air and walked back to the kitchen, where she put more coffee on. There was a 'wumph' noise and she looked back into the other room. Piper was lying on her face on the sofa, her legs sticking out over its arms. "It's all right," she grunted through a cushion, "I meant to do that."
"Meant to do what?" asked Phoebe as she walked in, also yawning hugely. "Piper, why are you lying on the sofa like that?"
"I'm tired, Leo's being all cheerful again and there isn't enough caffeine in my system yet."
Phoebe turned to Paige, who shrugged. "I guess you guys aren't morning people, are you?" Phoebe smiled wryly in response and walked through to the kitchen, where she fell upon the coffee with glad cries and much rejoicing and on the waffles with even more gusto.
"Do you want some more coffee Piper?" she called and got a groan in response. Paige stuck her head around the doorway. "I guess that means 'yes.' Morning Leo! You, at least, look all bright and chirpy and energetic."
"I don't need much sleep," replied the Whitelighter as he entered and looked down at his wife worriedly. "Piper, honey, are you asleep on the sofa again?"
"Blurgh," was the response.
"'Cause if you sleep like that you'll wake up with a crick in your neck," he said. Piper parted enough hair to reveal one of her eyes and regarded the man she's promised to love, honour and obey with an eye that was even more baleful than before. Then she held her hand out with the index and middle fingers in a v-shape and the rest of the hand clenched. After a few seconds of shaking this up and down she collapsed back onto the sofa. Leo sighed and sat down on the end of the sofa, where he lifted her head onto his lap and started to stroke her hair. Piper looked up at him. "I don't deserve a husband like you."
"I'm getting used to the morning..." he paused, obviously looking for any other word but 'moodiness', "adventure."
Phoebe shuffled back in with more coffee. "There you go honey." Piper opened her eyes again and made a gesture that was 50% thank you and 50% random waving of hands.
"What was the deal with the victory salute?" hissed Paige.
Phoebe blinked. "What victory salute?"
Paige demonstrated what her sister had done and Phoebe scowled at Piper who was sipping more coffee. "That wasn't a nice thing to do to Leo!" She turned back to Paige. "Its... a British gesture. Not a very nice one, either, for a wife to give to her husband!"
Piper looked embarrassed and then laid her head back onto Leo's lap.
"Where'd you pick up a British insulting gesture? What does it mean, can I do it to people so they don't know what I'm telling them to go and whatever?" burbled Paige. Phoebe quelled her with a look.
"No, I'm not telling you," she said as she walked over to the window and sat down. "We picked it up from a British cousin of ours who was over here a year ago and... oops." She cringed from Paige's own scowl.
"Is this another relation I haven't been told about? Jeez, how many more people are in this family that I don't know about?" the younger woman hissed.
"Well, we haven't seen him for a year. Not since he learnt that he had magic and went away to hone it. Paige, honey, we have a lot of stuff that you need to know about the family, and we apologize, we really do,-" Piper made a sleepy 'yup' noise "-but so much has been happening that we kind of forgot about it." She directed a sheepish smile at her sister, who came over and sat down next to her.
"So what's he like?" she said.
"Well, he's a bit older, not much, about 31, he lives in London, where he does something for the British Museum. Piper, what does Tom do again?"
"Wstgl"
"Honey, not helpful. Leo, is she asleep?" The Whitelighter nodded.
"Well, he's a cousin on mom's father's side. He's Welsh, he's kinda bald, he likes wearing black, he's very kind and Prue found him very cute, and why are you looking over my shoulder like that?
Paige looked out at the man with short balding hair, black clothing and a concerned look on his face who was walking outside up to the front door with two rather attractive women following. "Is that him?" she asked.
HELL
Cole ran through the dark tunnel, pausing now and then to look behind him. After a while he slowed, stopped, half crouched and drew a deep breath. There was a rough graze along his left arm where he had scraped himself on an unexpectedly jagged bit of wall.
The tunnel walls here were smoother, but were also dank and slimy. Few demons knew about where they led and fewer bothered to explore. There was only one who did know all the passageways in the lowest levels and he was, from what Cole had just learnt, a long way away.
On the surface. Being hunted. Cole shook his head. It made no sense. Why were they hunting HIM of all people. Most demons were terrified of... his mind skittered around his name... him.
He tilted his head in thought. "They have every reason to be terrified of him. Hell, he terrifies me," and he shuddered at the memories that surfaced again. Then he straightened up and started to walk down the damp tunnel.
"That bounty hunter saw me, I know it," he muttered. "But it looks like the bounty on him is more than the one on me. What's going on? Why does the Source want him dead so badly?"
He could only think it was fear. And what could the Source fear so much that he put such a vast amount of money on the head of one of his own?
