A/N: Sit tight guys! (P.S. Ever seen, "Murder, She Wrote"?)

Change Happens

Chapter 12: Murder, She Croaked

Labored breathing could be heard, as a young woman struggled through an alley way. Her blonde hair was streaked with what appeared to be blackish-brown oil, while the right sleeve of her white blouse had been viciously torn. The young woman, a college student at best, was neurotically glancing over her shoulder every few moments as she limped through the garbage and puddles of muddy brown water. Her only illumination happened to be the light of the full moon, casting her shadow against the dirty brick wall. However, when she limped under the dark shelter of one of the overhanging roofs, a more burly shadow remained against the wall.

Moments passed and the larger shadow just stood there, then suddenly what appeared to be the shadow of a knife appeared against the wall. All at once the two-dimensional shadow lunged into the darkness, followed by the sound of a muffled cry, and then a small pool of cherry liquid began to leak out from the darkness and glisten in the moon light's rays.

----

Glenn slapped a tired hand to his mouth, muffling a yawn as he shuffled towards his and Paige's bedroom. Clad in a pair of blue and white stripped pajamas and white slippers, he was all set to retire for the night. As he approached his wife's room, he could hear a soft humming and immediately knew it had to be Paige. He was quite positive that they were the last two up at ten to midnight.

Stopping at the door, he leaned quietly against the frame and lightly pushed it open, allowing his eyeballs to roam the room. They landed on the bed and a smile grew on his face.

Paige, who was completely unaware of her husband's presence, had a pair of headphones over her bulging stomach and an earpiece in each of her ears; both were connected to the lime green iPodon the dresser next to her.She was proudly swaying to the beat, her pale lids hiding her brown irises, and humming a Mozart tune.

The mortal snickered quietly to himself, because he hadn't seen his wife in such a predicament since she'd been pregnant with Pearl. Of course back then, he thought with a chuckle, she was sporting a white walkman. Part of him really didn't even want to go into the room, because he knew that Paige's momentary joy would subside at the sight of him. He let out a painful sigh and wondered why things with their marriage had been so rocky the last few years. Finally deciding to bite the bullet, Glenn pushed open the door and strolled into the room.

Hearing the creak of the door, Paige's head shot up. Her smile faded and she merely nodded in her husband's direction. She gently placed her hands around her stomach, removing the headphones and then plucked the earpieces away.

"What were you listening to?" Glenn inquired, hoping to breath new life into the situation.

"Mozart."

"Oh." Glenn rubbed his head. "Any good?"

Paige shrugged, as she coiled the wires around the iPod.

"How does my niece like it?"

Again, the whitelighter-witch shrugged.

Glenn shook his head in dismay. "What are you so mad about?"

"Glenn, lets not go there right now, okay? Today's been a long day." She turned her back to the mortal and rolled to her side, facing the wall.

"Paige-"

"Goodnight." A small haze of blue surrounded the light switch, and before Glenn had a chance to respond, the room was clouded in darkness.

----Next Morning----

"What about this one?" Piper looked up curiously, as she held a saucy satin pink maternity top trimmed with white lace and spaghetti straps.

Paige's brows rose and she placed a porcelain hand to her head in dismay. "Good Goddess, they're trying to make maternity hip now!" She quickly snatched the top from her big sister and turned it around. "I swear I saw a normal version of this thing in a lingerie isle last month!"

"Did you ever stop to think that that's maybe why it's here now?"

The whitewitch scrunched up her face. "Good point!"

"How about this one?" The elder witch tried again, this time displaying a silken Summer dress, dotted with bright yellow daises.

"Oh Piper..."

"What?" The timer returned the dress and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm just trying to help!"

"I know you are, sweetie. It's just that," she turned towards one of the full length mirrors, "I just never thought I'd be in this predicament again."

Piper's hands slid from her waist and the air about her seemed to dissipate. "None of us thought this was going to happen, Paige."

"Piper, I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine. It's just, hard, you know? I'm trying, Paige. Really, I am."

"I know, Piper, and I couldn't be more grateful! I mean, I've always wanted this kind of time with you. I just wish it could've come at a better time." She closed her brown eyes and sighed. "I know you'd rather be doing this with Pr...her."

The older witch dabbed at the corner of her eyes with the sleeve of her brown suede jacket. "Paige..." She moved lightly, wrapping a protective arm around her baby sister. "C'mon. What d'ya say we ditch this joint and go get ice cream or something?" She laid a soft hand on her sister's bulge. "Do you like ice cream?"

Paige clicked her tongue. "She likes mocha ice scream with vanilla swirls, sprinkles, and extra whip cream!"

Piper's brow twitched. "Her or you?"

"Okay, so maybe I like the extra whip cream.."

"Well good, there's an ice cream parlor down the street. My treat."

"But-"

"No buts," she protested, placing a finger to Paige's lips. "We'll try this maternity gig again later this week. Right now it's all about the scoops." The timing Charmed One proceeded to loop arms with her sister and lead her out the door.

----

Persia leaned her head against the cold metal of her gray locker, relieving herself of a soft moan. The last thing she wanted to do was go to Chemistry and face Mr. Burgoise. Unfortunately the loud ringing of the school bell echoed against her eardrums and she knew that ten minute break was over. "Damn," she cursed, flicking her locker closed. As the locker slammed against the metal, however, she came face to face with the guy she'd been avoiding since her Aunt Prue's capture. "Tyler."

"Hi," the blonde managed to squeak.

"What do you want?"

"To talk.."

"Do you realize what time it is?" She shoved her watch into his face, as she glided past him.

"I know, but I can't get to you any other way."

"Exactly."

"Oh come on! You can't still be mad at me!"

"Oh, believe me, I can and I am!" The electric shifted the weight of her heavy backpack to her right shoulder, as she rounded the corner.

"Come on, Persia!"

"I've got to go."

"This is important!"

"So is Chemistry." She glared, turning another corner. "Speaking of which, don't you have your own Science class to get to?"

"I'm a Senior, remember? Fourth period is my free period."

"Lucky you." The electrokinetic's voice was like acid.

"Please!" Desperately, the blonde grabbed hershoulder and wheeled her around to face him.

"Let go of me!"

"Persia-"

"I said let go!" Her brown hair seemed to prickle with static electricity, along with the fibers of her cotton dress.

Tyler Michaels drew in a sharp breath and drew back his hand, seeing several small white shock marks that had partially melted the top layer of his skin. "Damnit!" He held his wrist and by the time he looked up, Persia was gone. His shoulders slacked, as a Sophomore bumped into him.

"Sorry!" The kid dashed off down the hall, running around the corner just as the bell rang.

"Damnit!" The Firestarter hollered again, flinging his arms within the empty corridor. He heard a small hiss and looked down, to see a tiny licking flame at his feet. "Shit!" He quickly stomped at the flame, extinguishing it, only to reveal a dark black mark on the brown carpet.

----

"Ooh!" Paige grinned, as the man handed her a large waffle cone topped with three scoops of mocha and vanilla swirls, coated in sprinkles, and topped with obscene amounts of dairy whip. As she lifted the cone to her awaiting red lips, she felt herself lunge forward and the cone flew from her hands as she fell into her sister.

"What the-"

A young woman scuttled past Paige, jogging vigorously towards the door.

"Hey! Hey!" Piper yelled. She wanted to go after the woman, but the need to stay and make sure her sister was okay was far too overpowering. "Paige, are you alright?"

Paige stood stoic for a moment, a few beads of sweat knitting on her forehead. "Piper, after her!"

"What?"

"Come on!" Paige grabbed her sister's hand and waddled towards the door, the cone completely forgotten.

"Miss! Hey, wait! What about your other-" But the man was too late. His words were lost against the swinging door, as he stood holding Piper's cone.

----

"Where are we going?" Piper hissed, as she and Paige raced down the sidewalk.

"I don't know..."

"Stop!" The timer grabbed her sister, pulling her to a halt. "What happened back there?"

"I had...I mean, the baby had a premonition. That woman's going to get killed! I have to find out where she went!"

Piper waved her hands at the nearly desolate sidewalks. "I don't think you're going to find her this way, Paige."

"But we've got to! Piper, this was brutal!"

"Well you're going to have to-" Her voice seemed to drown out by the sound of a piercing scream.

"This way!" Paige once again assumed her course, this time following the scream towards an alley a few shops down from the ice cream parlor. As she turned the corner, her heart seemed to skip a beat.

"Oh my god!" Piper gasped, skidding to a stop behind her sister. She was staring at a young Asian woman, clearly not the same woman that had bumped into her sister just moments earlier.

The Asian looked unusually pale. Her hands were grasping her face in horror, as she stared at a dead body of another woman at the end of the alley. The Asian looked as though she was about to vomit, and her eyes seemed transfixed on the pool of congealed red blood that haloed the victim's frame.

"I'll call the police," Paige managed, as she slipped her hand into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone. Clicking speed dial two, her call went to Darryl Morris' private line. Two rings passed, before she heard a click and the familiar sound of the Inspector's husky voice. "Darryl, it's Paige. We've got a problem..."

----

"Hey squirt!" Victor grinned cheekily at his granddaughter, kneeling down next to her bed as he tapped her lightly on her button nose. "You daddy said you weren't feeling well today."

Pandora frowned, extending a pudgy lip and rubbing circles on her stomach.

Victor seemed to laugh as he slid his hands under the child's arms and scooped her out from under the covers. "You mother used to do the same thing when she didn't really want to go to school." The mortal grabbed a pair of Pandora's light-up tennis shoes and slid them onto her white socked feet. "What'd ya say I take you the same place I used to take her?"

Pandora wrinkled her nose. "You spent time wif mommy when she was a wittle giwl?"

"Of course!" Victor gave a wistful sigh. "We used to be real good buddies, once upon a time."

"Like in da faiwy tales?"

Victor light bit his bottom lip. "Yeah." He examined her pink and white stripped pajama set and smiled. "You know, you're the spitting image of her."

"Tank you."

"Welcome." He winked, before ruffling his granddaughter's hair and heaving her onto her feet. "C'mon. I've got something I really want to show you."

"What is it?"

"A surprise."

"Tell me!"

"No, you'll just have to wait and see." He narrowed his eyes and waved an index finger at the child. "And don't you try to probe my mind. I had your Aunt Phoebe whip me up a temporary telepath blocking potion this morning."

"You no fun," the Blessed One grumbled. Despite that, she slid her small hand into his and proudly trotted out of the room with him.

----

"You shouldn't be here," Pearlinda drawled. "You should be at school."

"How'd you know I was here?"

The curves of her rosebud lips twisted upwards as she trailed the tip of her nail across the sparkling water of the pentacle fountain at Corona Heights Park. "I'm psychic?"

"That's your Aunt Phoebe," Brandon corrected, as he slid into the edge of the fountain behind her. "Or maybe Pandora."

Pearl smirked, dipping her fingers into the cool water.

"How long have you known?"

"Oh," she closed her eyes and smiled wistfully, "about twenty minutes."

"Oh." Brandon frowned, as he slowly snaked his arms around her waist. "I was just worried about you."

"I know." Pearl laid her hand against the fountain and watched the water slowly retreat from her pale skin. "And I'm glad. But you shouldn't be missing school just for me."

"It's only lunch," the teleporter countered. He placed his chin on her shoulder and lightly blew across her ear, making a small strand of her dark brown hair twitter. "Guess what happened today."

"Hmm?"

"It involves Joanna..."

The whitewitch bashed her doe-like lashes and arched her brows in curiosity. "Do tell."

"She was doing a transmogrification potion and it required eye of newt. Unfortunately," his last word was punctuated with laughter, "she grabbed an identical bottle labeled 'Wart of Toad.'" His eyes were sparkling now and his cheeks were flushing like pink rose petals. "It exploded on her and morphed her into a toad! Everyone was laughing like crazy!" His held his stomach as he rocketed into laughter, waiting to hear his best friend do the same. However, when he heard nothing, he looked back at Pearl with concern. "Pearl?"

Pearl's expression displayed nothing of the humorous sort. She shook her somber head and frowned. "That's wrong, Brandon. To laugh at Joanna like that."

Brandon's mouth dropped, his eyes widening to the size of boulder marbles.

"You should've pointed and laughed!" She suddenly cackled, finally breaking her icy gaze and sliding to the ground next to the fountain, laughing almost insanely. "Oh my Goddess, you should've seen the look on your face!"

The male witch resumed his laughter, falling down next to his friend as tears started to form in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"A toad," she cackled. "I cannot believe it! I wish I could've seen it!"

TO BE CONTINUED...