TWO
"Piper, are you okay?" Chris asked.
"I'm fine," said Piper. "Now why don't you answer my questions? Who are
you and why are you in my backyard."
Just then Phoebe came into the kitchen from the entryway.
"The others will be in in a minute," said Phoebe. "We should be able to
leave in just a few.... oh, sorry Piper. I didn't know you had company. Who's
your friend?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," said Piper.
"Phoebe, what's the matter?" Chris asked. "You act like you don't know
me."
"Should I?" asked Phoebe. "Have we met?"
"It's me, Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry. I've been staying here the
last couple of months. Don't you remember?"
"Well, I don't get back to the manor as much as I'd like," said Phoebe.
"Piper, isn't he just a little young for you?"
"I never saw him before in my life," said Piper. "And as for staying at
the manor, unless you've been hiding out in the cellar or the attic, you haven't
been staying here."
"Where's Leo?" asked Chris. "You guys must be under some kind of spell.
Maybe Leo can help."
"Leo?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean Leo Wyatt? The handyman who helped
fix up the place a few years ago? He hasn't been around here in years. Is he a
friend of yours?"
'Years?" questioned Chris. "That's impossible. He was here just this
morning. Piper, you must remember. He came to see Wyatt."
"Leo came to see himself?" questioned Piper. "Chris, or whatever your
name is, you aren't making any sense. Maybe you've been out in the sun too
long."
"I haven't been in the sun too long," said Chris, his temper beginning to
flare. "You have to be under a spell. That's the only explanation. I just
wonder if Paige is under the same spell."
"Paige who?" asked Phoebe.
Just then the front door opened and three people walked into the manor.
Chris didn't wait to see who they were.
"Paige, is that you?" he called out to them. "Is Leo with you?
Something's wrong with Piper and Phoebe. Someone's messing with their
memories."
"Who's Paige?" said a woman with dark hair walking into the kitchen. "And
how and why would someone mess with their memories? For that matter, who are
you? Piper, is this a friend of yours?"
"Not mine," said Piper. "He just showed up at the back door saying
something about someone named Wyatt and something being up. Then he goes on and
on about Leo. You know, that handyman we had here five or six years ago. And
he asked about someone named Paige. I think he might be hallucinating. I don't
understand anything he's talking about."
"Oh my God," said Chris looking at the woman who had just entered the
kitchen.
The other two people who had just entered the house hadn't come into the
kitchen. Apparently they had gone into the living room. But there was no
mistaking who this woman was. He had never met her but he knew who she was. He
had seen enough pictures of her. He stood staring at Prue Halliwell, alive and
apparently in good health.
"That's impossible," Chris gasped. "You're dead. You died nearly four
years ago fighting the Source."
"The Source?" Prue asked. "The Source of what? And I'm obviously not
dead since I'm standing right here in front of you. Are you feeling okay?"
"Honey," said a male voice coming from the living room, "we'd better hurry
if we're going to make your appointment."
Chris stared in amazement as he watched another "ghost" walk into the
kitchen. Andy Trudeau walked up next to Prue and put his arm around her. She
snuggled a little closer to him whether it was from affection or for protection,
Chris couldn't be sure.
"Wait a minute," said Chris. "What's going on here? You can't be here.
You died a long time ago. You died fighting Shax."
"What's a Shax?" asked Andy.
"Andy, honey," said Prue, "this young man is obviously not feeling well.
Can you call the station and have them send someone for him. He thinks I died
fighting some source of something."
"It's going to be okay, Chris, is it?" asked Piper, starting to take
Chris' arm. "You're just a little confused, that's all. Maybe you hit your
head or something. Don't be worried. We're going to get you some help. Just
have a seat and we'll get a doctor here to take a look at you as quickly as we
can."
"I'm not sick," said Chris. "And I didn't hit my head. This isn't right.
You two can't be here. You've both been dead for years. Piper, Leo is, or was,
your husband. You have a son name Wyatt. What's the matter with you guys?"
"Who's been dead for years?" asked another male voice as a man entered the
kitchen. "And have you been secretly married and not told anyone, Piper? Shame
on you."
Chris was struck nearly speechless. Things were getting screwier by the
second. Not only were Prue Halliwell and Andy Trudeau still alive, but also
Chris was staring at one of the most deadly foes the Charmed Ones had ever
faced. Staring at the man who had just entered the kitchen Chris could only
utter two words.
"Cole Turner?" gasped Chris as Cole walked up and stood next to Phoebe.
"Piper, are you okay?" Chris asked.
"I'm fine," said Piper. "Now why don't you answer my questions? Who are
you and why are you in my backyard."
Just then Phoebe came into the kitchen from the entryway.
"The others will be in in a minute," said Phoebe. "We should be able to
leave in just a few.... oh, sorry Piper. I didn't know you had company. Who's
your friend?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," said Piper.
"Phoebe, what's the matter?" Chris asked. "You act like you don't know
me."
"Should I?" asked Phoebe. "Have we met?"
"It's me, Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry. I've been staying here the
last couple of months. Don't you remember?"
"Well, I don't get back to the manor as much as I'd like," said Phoebe.
"Piper, isn't he just a little young for you?"
"I never saw him before in my life," said Piper. "And as for staying at
the manor, unless you've been hiding out in the cellar or the attic, you haven't
been staying here."
"Where's Leo?" asked Chris. "You guys must be under some kind of spell.
Maybe Leo can help."
"Leo?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean Leo Wyatt? The handyman who helped
fix up the place a few years ago? He hasn't been around here in years. Is he a
friend of yours?"
'Years?" questioned Chris. "That's impossible. He was here just this
morning. Piper, you must remember. He came to see Wyatt."
"Leo came to see himself?" questioned Piper. "Chris, or whatever your
name is, you aren't making any sense. Maybe you've been out in the sun too
long."
"I haven't been in the sun too long," said Chris, his temper beginning to
flare. "You have to be under a spell. That's the only explanation. I just
wonder if Paige is under the same spell."
"Paige who?" asked Phoebe.
Just then the front door opened and three people walked into the manor.
Chris didn't wait to see who they were.
"Paige, is that you?" he called out to them. "Is Leo with you?
Something's wrong with Piper and Phoebe. Someone's messing with their
memories."
"Who's Paige?" said a woman with dark hair walking into the kitchen. "And
how and why would someone mess with their memories? For that matter, who are
you? Piper, is this a friend of yours?"
"Not mine," said Piper. "He just showed up at the back door saying
something about someone named Wyatt and something being up. Then he goes on and
on about Leo. You know, that handyman we had here five or six years ago. And
he asked about someone named Paige. I think he might be hallucinating. I don't
understand anything he's talking about."
"Oh my God," said Chris looking at the woman who had just entered the
kitchen.
The other two people who had just entered the house hadn't come into the
kitchen. Apparently they had gone into the living room. But there was no
mistaking who this woman was. He had never met her but he knew who she was. He
had seen enough pictures of her. He stood staring at Prue Halliwell, alive and
apparently in good health.
"That's impossible," Chris gasped. "You're dead. You died nearly four
years ago fighting the Source."
"The Source?" Prue asked. "The Source of what? And I'm obviously not
dead since I'm standing right here in front of you. Are you feeling okay?"
"Honey," said a male voice coming from the living room, "we'd better hurry
if we're going to make your appointment."
Chris stared in amazement as he watched another "ghost" walk into the
kitchen. Andy Trudeau walked up next to Prue and put his arm around her. She
snuggled a little closer to him whether it was from affection or for protection,
Chris couldn't be sure.
"Wait a minute," said Chris. "What's going on here? You can't be here.
You died a long time ago. You died fighting Shax."
"What's a Shax?" asked Andy.
"Andy, honey," said Prue, "this young man is obviously not feeling well.
Can you call the station and have them send someone for him. He thinks I died
fighting some source of something."
"It's going to be okay, Chris, is it?" asked Piper, starting to take
Chris' arm. "You're just a little confused, that's all. Maybe you hit your
head or something. Don't be worried. We're going to get you some help. Just
have a seat and we'll get a doctor here to take a look at you as quickly as we
can."
"I'm not sick," said Chris. "And I didn't hit my head. This isn't right.
You two can't be here. You've both been dead for years. Piper, Leo is, or was,
your husband. You have a son name Wyatt. What's the matter with you guys?"
"Who's been dead for years?" asked another male voice as a man entered the
kitchen. "And have you been secretly married and not told anyone, Piper? Shame
on you."
Chris was struck nearly speechless. Things were getting screwier by the
second. Not only were Prue Halliwell and Andy Trudeau still alive, but also
Chris was staring at one of the most deadly foes the Charmed Ones had ever
faced. Staring at the man who had just entered the kitchen Chris could only
utter two words.
"Cole Turner?" gasped Chris as Cole walked up and stood next to Phoebe.