By J. B. Tilton email: Rating:K+ (for mild language)
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
(Authors note: This story takes place between season 2 episodes "That Old Black Magic" and "They're Everywhere".)
The girls come home to the manor to find the manor has been broken into and the intruder is still inside. The events that follow point to a startling conclusion. Instead of the benevolent witch everyone thought she was, Grams may have been a warlock.
ONE
"Phoebe, I'm ready," Prue called up the stairs of the manor.
"On my way," said Phoebe coming down the stairs. "I just had to grab my jacket."
"It's not that cold out," said Prue.
"Yeah, but the weatherman said the temperature was going to drop later," said Phoebe. "I want to be prepared, just in case."
"This isn't New York," said Prue. "A low temperature is anything below eighty degrees. I don't think you're going to need that jacket."
"Well, better safe than sorry," said Phoebe, reaching for the door handle.
"Whatever," laughed Prue as Phoebe opened the door and nearly collided with the postal carrier.
"Oh, excuse me," said Phoebe, backing up a step. "I didn't realize anyone was out here."
"Just me," said the man, smiling at them. "Here you go."
He handed them a stack of envelopes.
"Thanks," said Phoebe, taking the envelopes from him and glancing at them
She tossed them on the entryway table as the man headed for the next house.
"I'll look at them when I get back," Phoebe.
"Good idea," said Prue. "Right now I need to get to work and you need to get to the store. If there isn't any coffee in the kitchen in the morning someone one is going to pay for it."
"I'll make sure there's plenty of coffee," said Phoebe. "God knows I don't want to go through what I went through this morning. You can be a total bear without your morning fix."
"It's not a fix," said Prue as they headed for her car. "I just like to start my day with a fresh cup of coffee, that's all."
"You know what they say?" said Phoebe smiling. "Denial is the first sign of guilt."
"Very funny," said Prue. "Get into the car before I turn you into a toad or something."
"Then you wouldn't get your coffee," giggled Phoebe.
Prue pulled out of the driveway and headed up the street.
A couple of hours later Phoebe pulled back into the driveway in Prue's car. Without a car of her own she had to rely on the good graces of her sisters to help her out. Fortunately they were usually very accommodating even if they did chide her teasingly. She carried the groceries into the kitchen and put them on the table. Piper was probably somewhere finalizing her plans to start her club. It promised to be something special. Piper left nothing to chance practically designing the entire place herself.
As Phoebewalked into the entryway she noticed the pile of letters sitting on the table. She picked them up and started to flip through them. There was something odd about the envelopes. At first she wasn't sure what it was. After a moment she realized what seemed out of place.
The top letter was the bank statement. Nothing so unusual except that she distinctly remembered one of those "you may have just won one million dollars" envelops being on top. She knew she wasn't wrong. Which meant that someone had rifled through the envelopes.
It couldn't have been Prue. Phoebe had dropped her off at work. And Piper had plans to be out the entire morning working on her club. Besides, if Piper had gone through the mail, she certainly wouldn't have left the envelopes unopened on the entryway table. And this type of junk mail went immediately into the trash unopened. Just as she was considering that maybe Piper had come home, looked through the mail, but hadn't had time to open any of them, the front door opened and Piper walked in.
"Hey, Pheebs," said Piper, smiling at her. "Get all the shopping done?"
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "Say, did you come home earlier and then leave again?"
"No," said Piper. "I've been gone all morning. I just now got home, why?"
"Someone's been going through the mail," said Phoebe. "It came just as Prue and I were leaving and when I got home I found the envelopes in a different order."
"Are you sure?" Piper asked. "It seems kind of strange that someone would break into the manor just to rifle through..."
Suddenly there was a creaking upstairs. They both knew that sound. It was the attic door being opened. But whoever was opening it was doing so slowly. Prue would still be at work. And when she was ready to come home, Phoebe would have to pick her up.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. Obviously someone had broken into the house and it sounded as if they were still there. With all the uninvited guests that had come to the manor in the last year or so, it wasn't hard to figure out who - or what - this one might be.
There was no time to go get Prue. Whoever it was would probably be long gone before they got back. Piper and Phoebe would have to handle this intruder without the benefit of the Power of Three. Cautiously, they began to make their way up the stairs.
