Loneliness

He stood alone in a dark cavern, shrouded by the darkness. His dark eyes stared intently on a stream of water that leaked steadily out of the cave walls. The chill in the air surrounded him and he pulled his long cloak closer around his shoulders. His army grew in numbers, and his powers strengthened with each victory over the Haliwell sisters, but these were merely minor triumphs compared to what he had in store for the witches.

For years he had watched and studied them. He calculated every failure and success that they had over their many years as the Charmed Ones. He knew of the demons that had tried to destroy them, he knew of their mistakes and of the mighty Power of Three. He knew their strengths, but more importantly he knew their weaknesses. He had the upper hand, they had no idea who he was or that he was coming for them.

This plan of his was a bold one; going after the ancestors and descendants of the mighty sisters. Nobody had ever done it before, but that is how he knew it would work. He knew that each step had to be executed perfectly or he would surely meet his doom and be banished to the wastelands; a fate worse than death.

"You failed in recovering the eldest sister," he stated to one of his minions that entered the cave with him.

"Yes, my Lord." He replied.

"She had time to warn them?"

"Yes, but she didn't know what was happening or who was behind it." The minion replied.

"Well, that's good," he replied. "However, I don't deal well with incompetence."

"I know, My Lord." The minion answered. "I know what must be done."

"Sad, really." He said. "I saw so much of myself in you."

"Thank you, Lord."

"Away with you then," he said calmly. In a bright flash the minion erupted into flames and burned to a pile of ash on the ground.

He sighed and pulled the cloak closer to him. The vanquish offered a moment of warmth in the cold underground cavern, but once it was gone the chill went through him once more. He turned on his heel, kicking the pile of ashes on his way out, and walked down a long corridor lit by wood burning torches. The smell nauseated him, but he comforted himself in knowing that it would all soon be over, and he could once again return to walking among the living.

He navigated his way through the labyrinth of underground tunnels. The maze was nothing to him, and he walked with the self assured stride of a leader. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, hiding all but his mouth, as he descended deeper underground to the dungeon. He wanted to peek in on his living trophies, the ones that would eventually lead him to his ultimate conquest over the sisters.

"Leave me," he told a group of guards.

They shuffled out of the way without saying a word. They knew never to question him, and that he was supreme in his orders.

"Why are you doing this?" a woman shrieked from behind the bars. "What could possibly possess you to keep small children and a pregnant woman here? What do you want from us?"

"I don't want anything from you," he replied calmly. "It's your aunts and mother that I want young Patty."

"Only a true coward would use defenseless children and a pregnant woman as bait," she spat at him.

"I'm not using you as bait," he answered smiling down at her pregnant belly. "You and the little ones will serve their purpose."

Patty instinctively put her hands protectively over her large stomach. "I'll die before I let you touch my baby."

"Careful what you wish for," he told her coolly. "Speaking of the baby, how are you feeling today? The time is coming soon isn't it?"

"Go to Hell," she seethed.

"I've been there," he answered laughing. "They kicked me out. Enough with the pleasantries though. I brought you something."

"I don't want anything from you!" she told him.

"Either way, you're getting it."

He reached inside of his cloak and pulled out a crystal jar topped with a thick wax like substance. An orb circled around inside of it, slamming against the glass as if it were trying to escape. The brightness that came from inside the container was so bright that Patty had to shield her eyes from the light.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why use that tone with me?" he asked. "Have I ever done anything to make you mistrust me? I mean, besides the kidnapping and all?"

"I asked you what it was!" she replied.

"It's a spirit," he answered.

"A spirit?" she asked, somewhat confused.

"Yes, it's a spirit of one of your ancestors. I'm not quite sure which one, but that's what it is none the less."

"And what, exactly, am I supposed to do with the spirit of an unknown ancestor?"

"For one, she'll make a lovely bedside lamp." He replied sarcastically. "And for two, she will help you with the birth of your child."

"Okay… and who's to say that she won't fly back to Heaven or appear to my mom to let her know where I am?"

"I suppose she could if you release her before the time comes for the baby to come," he replied. "The only problem is, if you do her spirit will be lost here in the Underworld and would probably die off before she could find her way back to your living relatives. Oh, and there's the tiny little issue of you trying to give birth by yourself…. Oh, and I would just have her recaptured and put back into the jar before she could get that far."

"You are an evil man," Patty told him as she realized he was right. "You're pure evil!"

"I've been told that more than once," he laughed. He put the jar on the ground by his feet and turned to walk away.

"Wait," Patty cried out. "Please, don't leave me. I… I'm so lonely. I know that I'm hateful and mean, but please, just… I'm scared. I can sense good in you, I can tell that a part of you cares. If you didn't care you wouldn't leave me this spirit to help me. Just… don't go."

Tears were filling her eyes and she couldn't figure out why. She hated this man, this abductor of innocent children, but she didn't want him to leave. She needed him to stay close to her for as long as she could manage.

He paused, his back turned to her and he listened to her plea. For a moment he considered staying with her for a few more minutes, but he knew that it would be wrong. There was no way he would be led off course by a beautiful human, nor fall for the tricks of a witch.

"Please!" she cried as he walked into the darkness, leaving her alone to weep.