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.
Paige felt for a pulse in Jimmy's neck and Piper for one in his wrist, but it was pretty clear.
"Overdose, I think," Paige said. "He's gone."
"All the money in the world," Piper said, "and all the freedom to spend it."
"You think the soul collector guessed this would happen?"
"I think he was counting on it."
Paige nodded. "Now what do we do?"
"Wait a little. Maybe his soul's still around here somewhere, and the collector will come for it. Of course, Phoebe has the potion back at the Manor, but maybe –"
Paige was shaking her head. "The collector came and went."
"Already? The body's still warm."
"That was part of the research we were doing this afternoon when you were eating lunch. When someone agrees to sell his soul, the collector puts some kind of magical substance on him. Souls are more individual than fingerprints, and this magical goop finds a soul's impression through the physical body. It acts like a homing device, lets a collector know when a client is calling, and most importantly when the client's dead. The collector gets to the client in seconds by following the track of the soul."
"Well. That's it, then."
"I'll put in an anonymous call to 911, tell them what's happened here."
"Don't forget to wrap something around the phone – Paige! The collector took Jimmy's soul with him?"
"Right."
"Do you suppose that demonic homing device is still working?"
"You mean – could we follow the track of Jimmy's soul to the collector?"
"That's what I'm wondering."
"No idea. It's worth a shot." Paige thought for a moment, then said:
"The thing the collector has known,
We command that to us it be shown.
With the start in this place,
This soul we must trace.
Reveal it to our eyes alone."
A murky orange glow rose from Jimmy's body and narrowed, about six inches over his chest, to a zig-zag line of light that made its jagged way out the door of the room.
"Very nice," Piper said.
"Thank you." A pink camisole was on the night stand next to the telephone, and Paige put it over her hand to lift the receiver.
"Rhymed couplets you have problems with, but you can improvise a limerick spell?"
Paige smiled back at her. "I know a lot of limericks."
"I never knew that."
"Most of 'em I can't say in front of Leo. – Hello, 911?"
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"Why Phoebe?" Clara asked.
"Have you seen her?"
"Yes, I have. Is she the only beautiful woman to whom you've ever had access?"
"No."
"Why Phoebe?"
"You should have known her when I first knew her. She threw herself into everything passionately, physically, emotionally. She was impulsive and light-hearted and trusting."
"She's changed, hasn't she?"
He couldn't meet her gaze. "Yes."
"But you still love her."
"I always will."
"Why? Why Phoebe?"
Irritably, "I don't know, Clara, but you obviously have a theory. Why don't you tell me?"
"I think you just told me, a few moments ago. The thing that hasn't changed about her is an indomitable will to do good, even if it means giving up power, even if it means giving up love, even if it means admitting that she sinned. I think the human part of you was drawn to that."
"Mm. Maybe. Did you ever wonder why Phoebe was drawn to me?"
She smiled a little. "You obviously have a theory."
"On some level, she knew I was evil. Phoebe's got a wide dark streak in her. Did you see that in her soul? She was a trouble-maker in high school and a hell-raiser in New York. She rejects authority and did her best to get sensual pleasure without consequences."
"But you're not telling me that she's doomed to be demonic. In fact, you just went to some pains to tell me that she has a strong will to do good."
"What applies to her doesn't necessarily apply to me. We're different people."
"Are you? Isn't it possible that what drew Phoebe to you was that – on some level, as you say – she knew that her soul and yours faced the same kinds of conflict?"
"That's a comfy-cozy thought, Clara. Then why did I do my best to destroy her, instead of our marching off to Heaven together arm in arm?"
Clara chose her words carefully; she was brave, not stupid. "I am certain that you loved each other in the beginning. I wonder, if you'll pardon me, if what you felt for her later was less love than – addiction."
This was, she knew, exactly the kind of thing Piper had warned her not to say. She tried to look him in the eyes and avoid checking his hands to see if one of those horrible weapons was in them.
To her surprise he simply said, "What's the difference?"
"Oh! All the difference in the world! Love requires that you want what's best for the other person, even if that means walking away from them. I'm sure that several of those times when you saved her life you put your own life at risk. Love requires that you do the same thing emotionally and mentally, as well as physically."
"You sound like Morris. I can only show that I love her by not seeing her?"
"At least until you've worked through this addiction to her, which is one of the burdens crushing your soul."
"Well, Clara, you've just put yourself in serious danger, because without Phoebe humanity holds nothing for me, and I might as well go completely demonic right now."
After a moment she said, "Nothing? – Tell me about Piper."
There was a funny moment of real confusion on his face. "Phoebe's sister?" he asked, like there were a lot of Pipers.
"Yes."
"I think Leo would object if I had a run at Piper."
She laughed. "I didn't tell you to fall in love with her. I asked you to describe her."
"Uh – smart. Tough. She used to have a lot less self-confidence, you know. After Prue's death she damn near fell apart, and then she pulled herself together by main force and kept going. Earth-mother type, underneath. Always feeding people. Mad for Leo."
"You respect her."
"I suppose."
"And Leo?"
He laughed. "What's to respect? He's an angel. It's easy for him to be a good boy. – I will say, he stood up to the Elders when they wanted to split him and Piper. Can't be easy to talk back to higher-level angels who could orb you to Tibet if they wanted to, but he just – "
He stared off, seeing something else, and sighed.
"– he wouldn't be separated from her."
After a moment she said, "So there is something to respect about him too."
"Are you going somewhere with this? Because I hate this discussion."
"You said that humanity could hold nothing for you without Phoebe. But you're obviously capable of respecting at least some others. Finding people you respect, and earning their respect in return, can be a basis for a truly good human life."
He looked at her, a flicker of interest on his face. Then his gaze dropped. "I suppose it could be."
"But?"
"But I was a demon for more than a century, Clara. I know a hell of a lot more about getting fear than about getting respect."
