Original Spell
Disclaimer : I don't own anyone. None of the characters including the children do I own. So , don't sue me.
Rating : T : Detailed death , frightening moments , medical terms , language , and some brief sexual implying.
Summary : There are some things I know for certain. Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck. And fall in love whenever you can.
Notes : I didn't think this would be so when I first wrote it but Kylie (Sally's eldest) is a very important asset to this story !
Notes 2 : My other stories will get updated ! Truthfully I'm in the process of finishing two of them. 'Perfect' will not be posted until finished ! And as for 'The One' it may need to be discontinued due to the lack of ideas. Sorry , but we'll see. If I can finish this story soon and be inspired than it may still have a chance. 'Love Me Anyway' is kinda a maybe , Dex Lawson is no longer on Charmed , I didn't know that until after I wrote the first four chapters , so ... 'Independent Woman' will live on , that is official !
Notes 3 - Viggo Mortensen is my inspiration for the character "Aaron Shaw". I want to thank my younger sister for giving me permission to use this marvelous man for my own creation. Thanks sis. -Winks-
Crossover : With Practical Magic (1998 film with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman , also one of my favorite books written by 'Alice Hoffman') If you haven't seen the movie that's perfectly alright. You don't necessarily need to.
I hope you enjoy my story. I worked rather hard on it. I warn it starts out slow , but will get better. Read on ... Chapter 4 ...
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Chapter 4 - Man under the roses ...
"Charlie Gable , summer of 8th grade. Remember ?" Sally snorted happily as she pulled on her sweater by the door. "You had the biggest crush on him !"
"I did not !"
"Yes , you did." Sally laughed when Piper folded her arms in distaste. She opened the large framed doors and let her children out. Antonia and Kylie ran out onto the pathway , flinging their arms to and fro with no cares in the world. Today they would get to see their elders in action.
"Oh , now the truth comes about. Gillian and I always knew you and Charlie had something going on." Phoebe made her way down the steps , holding on to the stairwell with a joyous smile. Just as Gillian and Sally , she was wearing a long flowing lilac colored skirt and a semi-tight white tank top under a gray button up sweater.
At first sight , Piper was alarmed at how well she had made herself come to. When she had checked on her a half-hour ago she was still in bed , brushing off the sheets from crumbs she had consumed during breakfast.
Phoebe's skin had a soft glow and her braids were an odd shade of lightly colored brown. She wasn't as pale as usual and Piper suspected that today must have been one of her 'good' days.
"Ready to go ?"
"Yea. It's been so long since I've been around here. I can't wait to go see how every things changed." Phoebe came to give Gillian a slight hug at the door and arm in arm they followed Piper and Sally (as they walked the same) out onto the pathway and down to walk on the street.
"Well , Pheebs , not much has changed. Not so many stones being thrown but still there are a few pebbles." Sally avoided a small dent in the road and casually flounced when she safely got over it. "The towns been fixed up so we have a few new shops. Including my own."
"What type of shop ?" Paige inquired , letting Antonia hop on her back with a smile. "Piper didn't say you had one. She owns a club now too."
"I own a botanical shop. I sell shampoos , oil remedies and things."
"I'm not surprised. There's like a million different flowers in that huge garden of yours." Billie added. She studied the houses around them as they headed off of Magnolia lane and towards Peabody street. This place was growing with magic and history. Billie's two favorite things.
"See something you like , Billie ?" Sally unlinked her arms with Piper and twirled around to give Billie a light and sobering look. "This town is as much a part of you as it is us. You should respect it for it's heart , not it's beauty."
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"Wisteria vines in herbal tea. What's that suppose to do ?" Paige sat Antonia down finally. The little girl was a chubby thing and Paige was afraid if she was forced to carry her around much longer she might accidentally drop her.
"Truthfully , it does the opposite of Belladonna. Belladonna calms the nerves. Wisteria is a stimulant. It's good for those late nights when you want to stay up well past your bedtime."
"Why would you want to do that ?" Phoebe fumbled with a bottle of peppermint shampoo in her fingers. She sat it back on the shelf when she caught her hand shaking. Phoebe had never been good with holding glass yet that wasn't the sense that she got. It was more like she was afraid suddenly.
She slowly turned to stare Sally in the eyes when Sally answered : "When you're a mother you'll know why."
Phoebe nodded , "You're probably right."
"You okay ?" Kylie tapped Phoebe's arm. Phoebe sat down at the ledge of the window seat inside Sally's shop. She gave the little redheaded girl a weak smile. "I'm alright... Kylie , do you feel that?"
Kylie shook her head , blinking her eyes just like she was adjusting a tv to get a better picture. "You should be careful."
"I should. Thanks."
"Hey , are we going to start working or what ? Didn't the last victim get trampled around here ?" Billie peeked out the shop door. She was startled that the over-top bell rang. She jumped and clutched her heart. "It didn't do that when we came in."
"We could go now." Gillian pointed to the outside , in the middle of the lane in front of Sally's shop. "It only happened right there. If you hurry before the milk-man makes his stops you should be able to get a premonition."
The girls followed outside and Phoebe came as well. She still couldn't stifle her shaky hands. The sun had faded just a bit and she figured it was from the temperature change , although it wasn't at all cold. 'Weird things.' Phoebe thought. Her body was in the process of harboring a child and that could be why she was shaking. Maybe.
Sally checked both ways before leading her cousins out onto the middle of the road. "Hurry. With this town's karma I don't know what'll come around that corner."
Phoebe deeply sighed. She let Piper take her hand and bend down with her to touch the brick way that was slightly still blood-stained. She could feel just how hot the white bricks were and her hands shook more. Piper grasped a hold of them , not knowing if it was from fear or just the imbalance Phoebe was feeling from kneeling forward.
"It's alright , Phoebe. We got it covered." Piper whispered in her ear. Phoebe didn't hear , she connected with the ground and was thoroughly moved.
Her heart hurt to see the poor man. It'd been so long since she'd seen such horror spread through someone's features so quickly. It was awful. The site was awful.
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Mr. Rogers turned in fear as he caught a glimpse of a woman still pointing at him despite the fact that the bicycles had disappeared. He stood there , face to face with a large loading truck. He held up his hands like he was surrendering to a battle. The loading truck's driver quickly hit the brakes but it was too late , the man had already been forced under the truck and the only thing that was left was his cap that landed atop the windshield.
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"Ah." Phoebe covered her eyes with her palms , rising from the street in one vast movement. She felt vulnerable and nothing had even begun yet.
"Did you see anything ?" Billie pressed , moving a long strand of blonde hair behind her shoulder.
"That wasn't really necessary." Phoebe breathed. Watching someone die was harder than it used to be now that she had someone so small to protect. "Can we please move on ?" Piper laid a hand on her back and the group headed further down the lane.
"Beatermen's book shop. Gosh , it's been so long since I've been in here." Piper pushed open the door and stepped into the small antique building. It was much different from last she remembered it. Books were out of order , dust resided on shelves , and Piper swore she could see the wallpaper starting to detach itself from the wall. "Who owns this now ?" She knew it was not the same tidy being that had owned it almost eighteen years ago. He would have never let it become this bad.
"Aaron." Gillian picked up a few unsorted hard-back books and threw them carelessly back onto separate tables. "His grandson."
"Beatermen died a few months ago. Aaron was the closest living relative , so he took over. He's young so he doesn't really care much. He just doesn't want to get rid of it. I can understand that." Sally trotted Antonia to the children's section (or whatever was left of it) and picked out a fairytale book. "Sit here and wait til we're done." She told her , sitting Kylie next to her and returning back to the front of the store.
"Excuse me ?" A man appeared from behind a curtain to the side of the group of women. He raised an eyebrow , slightly frowning. "If you're looking for a specific type of book ..well , I can't really help you , ... but you're welcome to browse if you'd like."
"You must be Aaron." Paige guessed , folding her arms and leaning on one of the tables. She smiled at him and he returned the favor by rolling his eyes.
"Last time I checked." He replied. He passed by the ladies and went behind the bookstore counter. "I've got a computer if you want me to look anything up. Although it probably won't do you any good. Personally I enjoy the section on naked science." He smirked. "But that's me." He followed their glare with a content leer. They were obviously not amused.
"Look , what do you know about Mr. Rogers ?" Billie put her hands on her hips , matching Piper's stance.
"Who ?" Aaron's face appeared to be at a loss. "I don't know any Mr. Rogers."
"The man who died here last week. Come on , everyone knows about him." Billie pressed. Sally laid a comforting hand on her shoulder , afraid that Billie might soon find herself in a place where she didn't want to be.
"Lady , I don't know who your talking about. I'm kinda new to the locals , so ..." Aaron's usual tan skin had taken a sickly shade of ivory. His eyes weren't filled with guilt but filled of the unbeknownst pressure he was feeling. He carefully waved a hand through his blonde-streaked raven hair. "I can tell you about books. That's all. Sorry."
"But..."
"Billie , He doesn't know anything. Move on." Phoebe softly said. She headed towards the children's section to find Kylie.
"Anything in particular you're looking for ?" Aaron followed her , and Phoebe smiled at his antics. "We're running low on 'Narnia' , 'Harry Potter' and that one book about how to spice up your sex life... Although I might have some 'Playboy' in the back ..."
"Do you mind ?" She motioned towards the two little girls staring up at them. Kylie wasn't yet at the age to inquire such words but terms like 'Sex life' and 'Playboy' weren't things you heard in everyday child-like conversations.
"Not really , no. Why ... do you mind ?" He plopped himself down onto one of the child stools next to Antonia and cheekily grinned at the woman not so very far up above him. He marveled at how short she was.
"Yes , as a matter-of-fact , I do. There happen to be children present."
"Well , I would hope so this is the children section." Aaron had spent his childhood west of the Mississippi. He was born in a small town much different from this , yet basically the same. Nobody talked or knew anything of the other. Privacy was like a virtue and nosiness was not.
His dad had left him when he was small and his mother died when he was fourteen. He'd spent most of his entire life wishing he was somebody else yet by the way he talked and by his attitude you would never know the secrets he held inside. When he was thirty he had a near death experience at a gas station when five mobsters held a gun to his head. Luckily enough an innocent bystander was able to cross between him and the gun fire and save his life , but he didn't get away that easily. He was left in a coma for several months. On his thirty-first birthday he revived and ever since been the most negative person an optimist could run into.
"I don't have time for games." Phoebe rested her hand on a bookshelf to her right. Sally collected the children and walked back to the bookstore door. "If you see anything weird going on just give us a call. Six Magnolia lane. Anytime." She turned up her nose and the man glowered , crossing his arms and sighing slyly. Phoebe lifted her hand and as she did the shelf slide forward letting the books tumble to the floor. Phoebe covered her mouth in horror. The bookshelf swayed in a threatening manner.
"Heads up!" Gillian warned , her gray eyes widened and she soon gaped in horror.
Aaron was too terrified to move. Phoebe reached out and grabbed his arm. She dragged him forward and down to the floor , falling on top of him and shielding him with her own body. She waited until the last book hit the dusty floor to uncover him. Sally and Piper rushed to them and carefully helped them to their feet.
"Are you okay ?" Piper brought Phoebe into her arms. She brushed a loose strand of her braids behind her ear. She felt her sister's body shake within her arms and gave Aaron a fierce look.
Phoebe nodded slowly.
"Thanks." Aaron patted the dust from his jeans. "I guess that means I owe you one." He himself realized that this moment could have turned out badly. He smiled in spite of his growing fear in the pit of his stomach.
"We need to go." Sally piped up , pushing her way out , covering Antonia's eyes and taking her on to the sidewalk. "Bye Aaron."
Paige and Billie made a subtle move. "Bye."
"Come on sweetie. Let's go home." Piper whispered , pulling Phoebe out the door. Aaron watched , biting his lower lip. He obviously was still caught in the moment. Whatever had just taken place did not help his case.
"You're welcome." Phoebe quietly replied , Piper brought her to the sidewalk and the girls headed home.