The television show "Charmed," including the characters of Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt, Darryl Morris, and Cole Turner, is copyrighted by Spelling Television, Inc., a subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment Group, Inc.
"You say that without any flicker of pride. Either the good kind or the bad kind."
"Simple statement of fact."
"Then why are you standing here talking to a soul healer?"
He sighed. "I met Phoebe.
"For a hundred years I was the Source's loyal assassin and enforcer. Loyalty isn't a demonic trait, by the way. It was a part of my human aspect, which the Source found useful. My understanding of human nature let me get close to humans in a way no other demon could, which the Source also found useful. About four years ago the Charmed Ones started becoming a problem, and every demon who was sent up against them, they vanquished. I volunteered to get close to them, and figure out how to kill them.
"I tried to – When I first – When I realized – how I felt about her, Phoebe, I tried to – think of her as a sacrifice. I would sacrifice what I loved to that which I believed in."
"But you didn't."
"Couldn't. Neither could she. When they caught on to me she had a chance to vanquish me, and didn't. The Source considered that I'd turned against him, and for awhile I was on the run from the forces of both good and evil."
He turned his back and stepped up onto the veranda, beginning to walk slowly.
"Hope is interesting to see," Clara said, following him. "It brightens the soul. This is the first time I've seen it in you. But it sounds like you were in a desperate situation."
"I was. But I was certain that I could overcome whatever the Source threw at me, and I was certain that I could eventually win Phoebe's love. And I did. And then –
" – Does grief affect the soul?"
"Yes. But it affects different souls in different ways. Some buckle a little, some a lot. Some, eventually, expand. Their suffering opens them to other suffering souls."
"Phoebe and Piper had an older sister. Prudence." That flashing smile again. "If you'd known her, you'd smile at her name too. The Source killed her, and without the power of a third sister, Phoebe and Piper were very vulnerable to upper-level demons. It was the worst time of Phoebe's life. It was the best time of mine."
She remained impassive, as if daring him to curdle her blood. "Because she needed you?"
"Because they both did. Because I felt connected to someone and something. Because, for the first time in my life, I was putting my demonic abilities to work for my human soul instead of my human abilities working for demonic goals. I saved their lives, you know. Several times."
"What happened?"
A muscle in his jaw rippled. "Paige happened. Once Phoebe and Piper found their half-sister, they didn't need me any more. Three Charmed Ones together are more powerful than any – " he gestured vaguely – "several demons. Then I lost my demonic powers, and of course I was no use to Phoebe at all. Better to be a demon with full powers than a human being with none."
"I disagree," Clara said quietly.
Cole looked at her, a little startled. She'd been so accepting of everything he'd said until now that he'd started thinking he was doing a soliloquy.
"A man, even with no supernatural powers, always has the ability to be constructive – to create, to build. From what you're telling me, a demon, even with enormous powers, can only be destructive."
Cole looked for a moment as if this was a new thought. Then his eyes narrowed a little. "What if destruction is all you're good for?"
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"I cannot believe I am letting you do this," Paige whispered to Piper as they walked down the sidewalk together. Actually Paige was walking; Piper was sashaying, decked out in short skirt, low-cut blouse, and strappy high heels.
"You're not letting me do anything. I'm doing it, and you're backup. Phoebe doesn't want to do the vamp routine, and she's working on the vanquishing potion anyway. I never get to vamp, and you vamped last time."
"First, I wasn't pregnant! I know you're not showing yet, but ick! And second, I vamped nice road workers! You're vamping lowlifes in a sleazy bar!"
Piper looked at the chipped painted lettering on a small square window next to a battered door. "Ah. Said sleazy bar."
"If Darryl had known what you were going to do when he gave you the name of this place – if LEO knew what you were doing – "
Piper patted her arm. "Honey, relax. I'll be out in a few minutes. If there's a grabber I'll freeze the room; if there's a demon I'll blow him up."
"And then Leo will blow me up," Paige mumbled as Piper sauntered into the bar.
It was the same bar where Anders and Jimmy had struck their deal just hours before, but Piper didn't know that, of course. There were a lot more people at the tables and the bar than there had been earlier, but there was still room for her to slide between two men and lean forward on the bar, her crossed arms framing her cleavage nicely.
She didn't think she'd have to try to get the bartender's attention, and she didn't; he came right over. "What can I get you?"
"I'm looking for an old boyfriend of mine," she said. "Jimmy Haines?"
The man to her right and the bartender both chuckled; the man to her left, she was pretty sure, was asleep. "Go on back to the station house, honey," the bartender said. "I told the uniforms earlier and I'll tell you now, I don't know where he is."
"Do I look like a cop to you?" she said, aiming the question at the man on her right.
"Honey, I don't care what you are, you look pretty damn good to me."
"Well, thank you." The bartender had just put a jar of olives on the bar, and she had to fight a sudden urge to eat 10 or 12 of them. Maybe she'd have some later, with some mandarin orange slices. She leaned a little closer to her prey. "I heard Jimmy came into a little money."
"And you want to help him spend it?"
She nodded demurely. "Was he in today?"
"A little while ago." The man, ignoring death rays from the bartender, dug into his pocket and showed her a hundred-dollar bill. She let her eyes go wide, as with avarice. "He was throwing these around like an idiot, a couple hours ago. Said he had new friends in high places. I thought, yeah, high, that's the word for it, but it's hard to argue with the real thing." He popped the bill between his fingers.
"Did he say where he was going?"
"Mm. I don't want to get him into trouble."
"I'll do you a big favor," she murmured.
Clearly he didn't believe her; just as clearly he wanted to stay on the good side of this pretty, sweet-smelling creature. "Yeah? What kind?"
"Where's Jimmy?"
He looked her over again and laughed. "Oh, the hell with it. I don't care if you are a cop. What's he ever done for me? When he was in earlier, there was a lady sitting right where you are now. Jimmy started throwing around money, and all of a sudden he had himself a new girlfriend."
"He should've called me! The whole reason I broke up with him was because he could never pay for anything!"
"Well, he can pay for something now. He told the girl he had a connection with some great stuff, and she told him to come right up when he got it."
"Come right up where?"
The man hesitated again, and Piper leaned a little further forward, smiling. "Come on. I just want my fair share. I gave him a lot, you know."
"Well – " He shrugged. "She said it was a pink apartment building around the corner, upstairs, number 122."
"Thank you." She cupped his chin gently with her hand. "And now the big favor."
She turned his head, put her lips near his dirty ear, and whispered, "If Jimmy's friend who got all the money for him comes around and wants to make a deal with you, say no. Say no absolutely. Unless you want to roast on a barbecue spit in Hell for a few thousand years."
He laughed. She looked into his eyes, dead serious. "Believe me. Biggest favor anyone will do you this year." She patted his shoulder and was off, using a gait as businesslike as the skirt and shoes would allow.
Outside, Paige, anxious because the dark glass of the window didn't allow a good view inside the bar, was trying to smash her ear against the doorjamb as subtly as possible. She was so intent on listening for any sound of trouble that a raspy voice behind her almost startled her into orbing. "Hey, baby! You like parties?"
Paige spun and saw a man whose seamy, debauched look indicated that he liked parties a whole lot. She widened her eyes, tapped the doorjamb where she'd been listening, and said with great intensity, "Ants! Ants in the walls! Why didn't I see it before? They're in the walls of buildings, they're on the ground outside – they can hear everything! They're the ones giving information to the aliens!" She pointed at the man, and he took a step back. "Call the White House. Tell them to fumigate. I'm gathering evidence." She smashed her ear back up against the doorjamb.
After a moment the man passed by, mumbling "You're messed up" – or words to that effect.
The door began opening and Paige leaped away as Piper came out. "Finally! If you were in there any longer, I was going to set you up with a date."
"He's around the corner, and let's hurry," Piper murmured. "That idiot was in here earlier flashing money and talking about buying drugs. He's pleading to be robbed."
