A/N: Have any of you ever watched Judge Marilyn Millian on, "The People's Court"? She is SO much better than all of those other court shows! And I love her red hair. It makes her stand out. And I love when she yells at people. lol I so enjoy her, and only her, court show. In a quick note to a question I received, Piper only referred to (and I'll use the term Ross coined) the Prutus as "the fetus" to make a point that the unborn baby couldn't understand what she was saying. Paige replied to that with "the fetus," because she was making a distinction between Prissandra and the unborn baby.
Change Happens
Chapter 15: The Pagans' Court
"Cole!"
Phoebe dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her husband and placing a comforting hand over his wound. "It's okay, it's fine. We'll get this cleaned up in no time." She took his arm and draped it around her shoulders. "Come on, we need to get you to the sofa."
She hauled him up, taking him to the ancient sofa that used to belong to one of Warren ancestors by the name of Pearl. Although it'd taken countless fireballs, energy balls, and demonic beatings in its time, it had been partially refurbished and was still suitable for sitting. Or, in Cole's case, laying.
"Cole, what happened?" Piper asked, stalking over to the sofa. "How did this happen? Was it another bounty hunter?"
The demon-mortal shook his head. "No," he whispered hoarsely. "It was Ohanzee."
"Ohanzee?" Piper's sugar brown hair flailed, as she whipped her head towards her sisters. "As in, our Ohanzee?"
"You know him?" Cole's voice was a mixture of pain and surprise.
"Cole," Phoebe pressed, "what do you know about him?"
"He," the demon let out a strained cough, "was one of The Source's most powerful assassins. At least until-"
"Brianna."
"Yeah." Cole winced. "How'd you know?"
"Leo filled us in." Piper walked over to the Book of Shadows and swiveled the stand to face her demonic brother-in-law. "It's also in the Book." She chewed her lower lip for a moment, venturing with, "You wouldn't happen to know how she hurt him, would you?"
Cole shook his head, fighting off the pain of his wound. "Only he and The Source knew...Why don't just summon Brianna herself?"
The Charmed Ones exchanged looks, before explaining their current situation.
Cole scrunched his eyes, shaking his head. "There are only a handful of demons powerful enough and versed in that kind of magic."
Phoebe drew her index finger across the side of her husband's face. "Let me go get the first aid kit. I'll be right back and once we have you fixed up, we'll need you to make a list of those demons for us." Before he could say anything, she was dashing out of the attic.
----
The electrokinetic crossed her arms as Tyler ushered her through the doorway of a popular fast food restaurant. "You want to have an important conversation with me in the middle of Kentucky Fried Chicken, during the busiest hour of the day?"
"It was closest place," Tyler groaned. He led the witch up to the counter. "Pick out anything, it's my treat."
Again, the witch groaned. I should make him eat his words, she thought quietly. "I'll have two Snackers," she directed to the woman behind the counter.
"And I want the kid's meal."
"The kid's meal?" The brunette asked incredulously.
Tyler's shoulders slumped back. "What? I like them, okay?"
The woman rung up the order with only a mild look of amusement. However, as she studied the blonde more, her brows rocketed upwards and she looked rather confused.
"What's her problem?" Tyler whispered into Persia's ear, as he reached for the wallet in his back pocket. It was at that point that he noticed several other stares coming his way, and he cocked his brow in confusion.
"I think," Persia snickered, "that those are your problem."
"Wh-" Tyler stopped mid sentence, gazing down at his electric blue rubber gloved hands. "Oh," he smiled meekly at the gathering crowd. "D-dare," he stuttered. "My good ol' friend here got me in a game of truth or dare," he explained, slipping an arm around Persia's shoulders.
Persia snagged the boy's wrist and peeled his arm from her shoulders, flashing a fake smile around. "And truth be told, I'd rather not have your hand there right now. And if you want to have children later on in life, I suggest you take my advice."
"Heh," Tyler murmured. "So funny." He turned his red cheeks away from the amused looks and plucked a ten from his wallet, sliding it across the counter. After accepting his change and stuffing the wallet back into his pocket, he pried the gloves from his hands and stuffed them haphazardly into his blue jean pockets, leaving only a few rubbery fingers to pop out.
----
"Ahh," Cole gritted his teeth as peroxide sparklets sizzled white against his spherical wound.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Paige quipped. "The mighty Balthezor is moaning over a little peroxide."
"Paige!" The psychic growled, dabbing at her husband's wound with a cotton swab.
The pregnant witch seized the moment to roll her chestnut eyes, before turning back to the Book. She raised her hands in a Piper-like fashion and then flexed her white fingers. The Book of Shadows exploded into a flurry of orbs, before reconstituting to a page about one of the demons Cole had just listed. She drew her finger down the page. "'Cerces, a high level spiritual demon with the ability to summon ancient powers.'"
"Cerces is a real bitch," Cole sneered. "I dealt with her back in nineteen-twenty and she tried to incinerate me!"
"I'm liking her more already."
Piper turned a powerful gaze towards her baby sister. "Paige," she growled, "can we get on with this without the chit chat?"
Paige looked down to the Book and flipped several pages before stopping again. "'Heracio, the demon with the ability to travel freely through the ghostly and physical planes, while still having access to all of his powers.'" She wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't that name remind you of that Jack In The Box commercial with Jack's pilgrim ancestor?"
The timer rubbed her head. "So does 'CSI: Miami,' but we really don't have time to discuss that." Pressing on, she turned to her demonic brother-in-law. "Cole, are you sure you don't remember anything else about Ohanzee that might be useful?"
The half demon rubbed his head, trying to think. "Actually, he worked with me for a short time.."
"He worked with you and you didn't tell us this?" Paige fumed.
"It was a long time ago," Cole sneered. "Long before you came along," he added vehemently.
Phoebe shot a glare at her younger sister, before patting Cole's arm and urging him on. "Well tell us now."
----Flashback----
"Justice must be served, right?"
"Tell me about it."
At that moment, Leo walked into the foyer, spotting Phoebe and Cole. "Phoebe, everything okay? I was starting to get worried. Hey."
Nervously, Phoebe introduced the two men. "Um, Cole, Leo. Leo, Cole."
"Nice to meet you," the whitelighter greeted. He shook the ADA's hand and some of his whitelighter dust rubbed off on Cole.
"Pleasure."
"Sorry to, uh-"
"No, no, I was just leaving. I really need to take care of some business," the half demon interjected.
Leo and Phoebe walked outside.
Cole walked down the stairs. He put his suitcase down and grabbed a handkerchief out of this jacket pocket, wiping off his hand. "Whitelighters always were messy."Turning to his shadow, hecommanded,"Report this."
His shadow obediently floated down the stairs anddisappeared down a drain.
----Flashback----
"It was shortly after we met," he looked to Phoebe. "The Source had assigned him to help me in my quest to kill you. He reported everything to The Source for me, so as to not arouse suspicion."
"If Ohanzee was so powerful, why did he have him as your assistant?"
"He was still reeling from Brianna's near vanquish of him," Cole explained. "So I guess you could say that The Source was just getting him warmed up."
"She must have hurt him pretty bad if his wounds lasted decades!"
Piper nodded.
Suddenly, Cole placed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Wait a minute-"
"What?"
"I wonder if Ohanzee could be helping the defense?"
"What?"
"During the beginning of my ADA cover, Ohanzee sometimes helped me to prosecute my cases. Take out critical witnesses or-"
"And you said you got attacked outside the courthouse?"
"Exactly." Cole ran a hand through his short, black hair. "What if the defense is more than just the defense?"
"Maybe Piper and I should go down there with you, and I could try to get a premonition?"
"Yeah," Piper agreed. "I'll just freeze the room." She looked to Paige. "Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, I guess." She frowned, thinking that it would be better for her to go, as she and Piper had more firepower together. Unfortunately she knew that her sisters would fire back with the fact that she was pregnant, and she shouldn't be put in harm's way if it could be avoided.
"Something wrong?" Phoebe inquired.
The whitewitch quickly shook her head, allowing her dark curls to fall around her pale face. "Nope. Just be careful."
"We will," Phoebe promised. She wrapped her arms around her husband, helping the half demon to his feet. "Are you sure you'll be okay to shimmer us there?"
"I'm fine," he promised. Cole grabbed the new dress shirt Phoebe had brought for him and slid it over his muscular, tanned upper body, concealing his bandages. He gave a small groan as he proceeded to slid on his suit jacket. "Okay."
Phoebe wrapped her arms around him protectively and held out an awaiting hand for her older sister to take. "C'mon Piper, time's a wasting."
Piper slid her slender hand into Phoebe's, giving Paige a nod before she dissolved into shimmers and disappeared.
Paige flicked her gaze to Prissy, who was playing with a pair of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the corner of the attic. "Guess it's just you and me now, kid."
----
Stray brown hairs ruffled ticklishly around Phoebe's face, as a cool breeze swept past them just moments after they'd materialized. The psionic twirled the stray strands around her index finger and pushed them back behind her ear, before walking into the courthouse with her husband. She walked in silence, as Cole led them to the first set of wooden double doors.
"Shit!"
"What?" Piper's hands flexed instinctively.
"I forgot my briefcase. I need it for the case."
"If there's going to be a case," Piper added quietly. She looked around, seeing a few stray people sauntering down the halls. Freezing the hall, she nodded to Cole. "Hurry back."
"Will do. Thanks, Piper." He shimmered out, leaving Piper and Phoebe alone.
Piper flexed her fingers again, unfreezing the hall. "So, what now? Should we go in without him?"
"I guess." She waved to her sister. "Why don't you open the door? That way, in case we encounter anything demonic, I can blast?"
"Good idea." Phoebe placed her hands firmly on the doors and swung them open.
Piper's hands jerked out to freeze, but nothing appeared to be amiss. In fact, she noted, the room appeared to be empty. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" She hissed, sneaking it and closing the doors behind them. "Start touching stuff."
"Where do I start?"
"Uhm..." Piper walked down the center isle and passed through the swinging gate, motioning for Phoebe to follow. "Start with the defense table?"
"Oh-okay." Phoebe skittered down the isle and through the gate, landing her hands directly on the table. She looked sadly at Piper, shaking her head. "Nothing." She moved them around, touching the chairs and proceeded to shake her head.
"Maybe he really is working alone?"
Phoebe frowned. "It's possible, I guess. But it just seems to coincidental, you know? And nothing in our lives is ever 'just coincidence.'" She moved across the room and into the jury booth, sliding her hands across the seats as she went. "Nada." She crossed to the witness seat and touched it. "Nothin'."
"Cole's table?"
"Why would I pick up a premonition from his table? He hasn't done anything."
"You never know. Someone could've planted something."
"Right." Phoebe slid her hands across the smooth wood and then touched the chair. "Nope."
Piper ran a hand through her hair, absently. She she shrieked, raising her hands.
"Piper, no!" Phoebe hissed, tackling her sister before she had a chance to blast. "It's just Cole," she added as her husband shimmered in.
"Sorry," Piper blushed guiltily.
Cole stared, not sure if he should be amused or relieved. "Did you find anything?" He asked finally.
The twoCharmed Ones shook their heads sadly.
"Have you tried the judge's bench?"
"The judge? Would he really be working for demons?"
"The Underworld has a long history of employing demons in places of power in the mortal world," Cole explained. "Judge Windsor wouldn't be the first demonic judge. Not by a long shot."
"Oh, well, okay then." Phoebe staggered to her feet, pulling her sister up with her. She moved around the witness stand, passing by the defense table, and made a sharp right, and then left. She walked up to the stand and plopped down in the chair, feeling no psychic jolt.
"Anything?" The demon asked hopefully.
"Unless having a really padded seat is demonically incriminating, I'd say this guy is clean."
"What are you doing in here?"
Phoebe's head whirled around to see a cloaked Judge Windsor, his face burning crimson, staring at her from the slightly cracked door of the Judge's quarters. "Uh-uh, Piper!"
"I'll have you arr-" The judge stopped mid sentence, frozen in place by Piper's ability to stop time.
"Shit!" Piper cursed, waving Phoebe down from the seat. "Hurry, we've got to get out of here!"
"Wait!" Cole pointed to the open door. "We should check his quarters, just in case."
"But-"
"We can't take any chances, Piper."
"He's right."
Piper heaved a sigh, before running up the ramp and motioning for Phoebe and Cole to follow. "Hurry!" She tapped slightly on the door, pushing it open so that she could sneak past Judge Windsor, without knocking him from the freeze. "Don't touch him."
Obediently, Cole and Phoebe snuck past the frozen judge.
"Okay, Pheebs. Work your magic."
Phoebe moved stealthly around the room, touching various objects including the judge's desk, filing cabinets, chair, computer, and papers. "Zip," she said, turning to the other parties regretfully.
Piper crossed her arms. "Great! We snuck into a courtroom and got caught by its judge for nothing!"
Suddenly Phoebe gasped, catching the attention of Cole and Piper.
Moving to her, Cole whispered, "What is it?"
"Cole, do you know what this is?"
Cole laid his hand on a paper that Phoebe was holding up. "It's a sworn testimony by one of the witnesses for the defense."
Phoebe waved the paper at her husband angrily. "Well this so called witness isn't even alive anymore!"
"What?"
"I just saw a shadow kill this witness and then another demon morphed into her."
"Looks like the defense isn't so clean after all," Piper sneered.
"But what are we going to do about him?" Cole asked, indicating the judge.
"This." Piper looked to the ceiling. "Leo!"
Moments later the small room was bathed in a blue glow and Leo walked from a hazy cloud of blue orbs. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I need your memory dust."
"What? Why?"
"Just trust me."
Leo reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small, tan satchel. "Here."
"Thanks."
Piper reached into the satchel, pulling out a small pinch of white dust and walked over to the judge. She sprinkled it lightly over the top of the man's head, before handing it back to Leo.
"Is that a judge?" His pastel eyes were large. "Do you know how dangerous dusting a judge is?"
"It's more dangerous if we get caught and exposed, Leo." Piper attempted to sooth the situation with a small peck on the lips. "Anyway, we've got work to do. Thanks for stopping by." She waved her hand. "You can get back to whatever you were doing."
"Piper-"
"By, honey!"
Leo frowned, orbing out with a small scowl.
"Okay, let's get going before this guy unfreezes." She grabbed Phoebe's hand.
"You ready?"
"Yeah," Cole said, wrapping his arms around his wife and shimmering the three of them out.
Moments later the judge resumed motion, staring confusedly at the empty courtroom. He turned around to see his door more than ajar and wondered silently why he was staring aimlessly at an empty courtroom. "Maybe my wife's right?" He mused, turning to back to his quarters. "Maybe I should consider retirement?" With that, he shut the door behind him.
Across the room, a black shadow loomed in the corner. Silently, he'd witnessed all that had happened, and now he dissolved into the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED...
