31 TFB: Bell, Book, & Candle

"Every time I see your face/When I have to pray/I need a bell, book and candle/To keep your ghost away"

-Eddie Reader, song "Bell, Book, & Candle"

3 pm, Next Day, Simulation #2, Living Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

The four fiery servants and the familiar leering face of the Portender appeared before them in a torrential, emblazoned hurricane. Understanding immobilization to be impossible, Mel and Piper stood still next to each other as Matilda froze the roaring flames. Her path became impeded by two flame spawn; Wyatt attempted to reach her by orbing but was instantly knocked back with 2nd degree burns, screaming in pain. Jordan's fire extinguisher nozzle failed to act in time—

"And that's—" Harry checked his phone. "Five minutes to the dot, consumed by flames, one and all—"

The Vera-Chase-Valensi-Halliwell group groaned aloud, Wyatt massaging his neck from the earlier strain. The flames felt so real…

3:30 pm, Living Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige sipped their berry-flavored sparkling water as Mel took her third cup of coffee for the day. "What have we learned from the second simulation?" began Harry in what Macy recognized as his 'professor voice.'

"Fire bad, immobilization good?" Matilda sarcastically retorted as others bit back laughs.

"This is not funny in the least—" Harry breathed. "I need each and every—" he glared at Maggie, who slowly put her phone down, "—one of you to treat this as a real scenario—"

"Since you asked," Piper called out, "Matilda's powers work, but we need more time—"

"And fire protection," added Jordan, as everyone nodded in agreement.

Harry glanced pointedly at Macy. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? And suddenly it dawned on her. "I'll be back—" and with that, she grabbed her purse and strode out the patio door to her she-shed.

"Where's she going?" Piper asked to no one in particular.

"An obstetrician friend of ours," Harry replied as he waved his hand around the simulation crystal once more.

"Isn't she a little old to get pregnant?" replied Piper, who yelped as Phoebe kicked her under the coffee table.

"Don't mind my sister," Phoebe sweetly smiled at the rest. "You were saying?"

5:30 pm, Simulation #5, Living Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

The four fiery servants and the familiar leering face of the Portender appeared before them in a torrential, emblazoned hurricane. Understanding immobilization to be impossible, Mel and Piper aligned themselves next to each other as Matilda froze the roaring flames and Jordan extinguished them in her wake as she made a beeline for the Portender himself. Macy distracted the remaining two flame spawn by dropping heavy metal candlesticks, conducting electricity, momentarily distracting them. Noticing Matilda slowing down due to a rapid energy drain, Wyatt orbed next to her, but it was too late—

6 pm, Living Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"What did we learn?" Harry asked once more, feeling as though he'd run barefoot through a forest fire.

"We need more fire extinguishers," muttered Wyatt from where he was sprawled across the floor, his eyes closed.

"And we," Phoebe pointed at herself and Maggie, "need stuff to do—" but instead of agreeing, Maggie abruptly left, racing upstairs and slamming the door to her bedroom. Jordan made as if to follow, but Piper stopped him.

"Jordan," Piper spoke softly. "When you find out your ex-boyfriend is a full-fledged monster and then you have to vanquish him, a little alone time is in order." He sat back down, still looking concerned.

"I'll go talk to her," Phoebe piped up. "If there's anyone that could understand, it's me."

6:15 pm, Maggie's Bedroom, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Maggie heard a knock at the door. "I'm ok—you don't have to come in—"

The door swung open anyways. Jordan? No. Phoebe. But why?

"Are you sure?" Phoebe sat on Maggie's bed as Maggie scooted over to make room for her, wiping her tears.

"I feel so stupid," whispered Maggie. "How could I have not known Parker would become a monster? I feel so guilty about Portender—who Parker's become—"

"Don't be," Phoebe answered. "If there's anything I've learned, there's such thing as free will. You can choose to be good just as much as one can choose to be evil. Parker chose, and he chose wrong."

Maggie gave a curt nod as she attempted deep breathing exercises to calm herself down. Noticing this, Phoebe reached in her pocket for her phone and turned on a slow, haunting, unfamiliar tune.

"Who's singing? I've never heard that song before," said Maggie.

Phoebe gave a slight smile. "Eddie Reader, "Bell, Book, & Candle"—listened to it every night when I was getting over Cole. Helped with my anxiety."

Together, the pair listened to the lilting melody permeate their surroundings, with the lyrics "I need a bell, book and candle/To keep your ghost away…" drifting through the air.

6:30 pm, Maggie's Bedroom, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"You seem smart," Maggie spoke after the song had ended. "You don't sound like someone who's made a ton of mistakes—I see your advice column every week in the Seattle Times—"

Phoebe laughed so hard she nearly cried. Between gasps, she replied. "If you only knew…I mean, I've been through the wringer enough to fill ten Book of Shadows."

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Phoebe took a sharp intake of breath. "Here goes my life story in a nutshell, I guess. Never had a problem meeting men, lots of problems finding the wrong ones. One in particular—"

"Who?" Maggie asked curiously. "Do my sisters and I know him?"

Phoebe shook her head. "We vanquished him back in 2010. His name was Cole Turner, and for awhile, he was mine…"

6:40 pm, Maggie's Bedroom, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Cole was born Benjamin Turner in 1885—"

"Oh, an old soul like Harry?" Maggie piped up.

Phoebe made as if to speak, then paused, collecting her thoughts. "Yes…and no. Mortal father, evil mother. Alias Belthazor. He was raised to be evil, and he chose to be evil—"

"But if he's so evil, why did you fall for him?" Maggie's doe-eyes surveyed Phoebe carefully. I mean, it's a legitimate question, right?

"I always had a thing for lawyers," Phoebe sighed. "He was investigating Darryl Morris' attack, and I took one look at him—and I knew…"

"Like I did with Parker," Maggie murmured, and Phoebe nodded.

"Exactly."

6:45 pm, Maggie's Bedroom, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Lemme get this straight—he faked being immobilized, killed someone in front of you, and tried to steal the Book of Shadows? Twice? Woman, that's not a red flag, that's a fucking marquee!" exclaimed Maggie.

"I know…believe me, I know. Hindsight's always 20/20."

"Then what happened? After he tried to steal the Book of Shadows?" Maggie couldn't help but ask.

"He was injured, faked his death, turned out to be alive, close to immortal even. Things were, on the surface, perfect though. We planned a wedding—"

Maggie nearly stopped breathing upon hearing Phoebe's last sentence. "So did we." She fiddled with her striped blanket then glanced at Phoebe. "Did Cole try to use blue apples too?"

Phoebe appeared puzzled. "Blue…apples?"

Maggie shook her head. "Never mind," as Phoebe continued her tale.

"He tricked me into a dark binding ceremony, and I…" Phoebe wondered whether she ought to add the last bit on her mind. "I fell victim to a coerced evil pregnancy."

"I'm so sorry," Maggie began, her mouth agape. Phoebe had it far worse than she possibly could have imagined.

"Don't be," she replied. "It all…resolved itself in the end."

"How?" inquired Maggie, despite herself.

"Transference and ultimately, destruction," answered Phoebe, staring at a blank space between Maggie's makeup mirror and the window. "The being planted wasn't mine to begin with, so it wasn't actually a confirmed human pregnancy—"

"Wow…and I thought I had it rough begging an anti-choice pharmacy tech for the morning-after pill—"

"Yeah. The things women survive, I swear," Phoebe and Maggie regarded each other with newfound understanding.

6:50 pm, Maggie's Bedroom, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"With how much you hold inside, you should be a lethal weapon by now," Phoebe remarked, as they stood and made for the door.

"I wish—" Maggie began. "As for Cole—after all that—how did you heal?"

"Slowly and painfully, my dear," replied Phoebe. "I unleashed my inner wild child and fled to Hong Kong and Jason. I mean, everyone's got their way of coping."

"Yeah…" Maggie recalled the time she spread a green poultice up her arm, causing her feelings and powers to be temporarily removed. "Some healthier than others. Did you find love, after Cole?"

"Cooper. Or, should I say, Cupid. A gift from the Elders themselves—" a certain glow appeared on Phoebe's visage as she recalled the love of her life, waiting for her back home with their kids and grandkids.

"No way," breathed Maggie. "The Elders we knew didn't want anyone doing the dirty-nasty—"

"Yeah, it surprised me too, they were up in arms with Piper and Leo, something about a severe power imbalance—"

6:54 pm, Staircase, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Huh," muttered Maggie, as they closed her bedroom door and went down the stairs together.

"And later, our three were born," Phoebe finished. "P.J, Parker, and Peyton. You got kids?"

"No—not yet," Maggie admitted. "No luck so far. I'm forty-ish and it's probably too late—"

Phoebe held Maggie's shoulder to balance themselves on the stair and jolted—

A small dark-haired girl ran about what she recognized as Vera Manor, as two adoring parents looked on—one with a frizzy-haired goatee, the other with dark tresses. Maggie. The girl giggled and showed a hand-drawn picture of what looked to be her family. All three of them—

"You ok, Phoebs?" asked Maggie, feeling the woman tense.

Phoebe slyly grinned. "I'm fine. Jordan's sweet—you guys look so cute together." They landed on the bottommost step. "Oh, and never say never." She winked.