Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 4:
"Lucius! Draco isn't in his room!" Narcissa's voice blared all over the house.
"What do you mean not in his room; he went to bed over an hour ago Cissa," said Lucius bewilderly.
"Yes well, the bed hasn't been slept in and his window was left wide open," snapped Narcissa.
"Oh honestly you two, it's quite obvious where the boy went," drawled Severus from his place on the terrace, a glass of mead in his hand.
"Where?" growled Lucius and Narcissa in unison; let it be known that the Malfoy's protect their son fiercely.
Raising an eyebrow, not in the least bit frightened – well, perhaps maybe of Narcissa, Severus said in an obvious tone, "There is a party happening right next door, your teenage son is missing … I wonder where he might be?" he said in mock-thought.
Lucius looked aghast, "But it's a muggle party!"
"Yes, and he's still a teenage boy, muggle party or not," Narcissa sighed in comprehension. "Lucius go get him, now!"
"What, why me," spluttered Lucius.
"Oh, you want me to go to a muggle party full of alcohol and rowdy men?" Narcissa gave him a daring look.
"I'll be back," said Lucius hurriedly, and he left the manor in a rush that he didn't watch where he was going; as he neared the door where the party was raging, he bumped into someone else who had arrived at the exact same time.
"I'm so sorry," a melodious and cheerful feminine voice said.
"Neve-"Lucius gaped, for he had just bumped into Pandora Halliwell, dressed in extremely tight jeans and a white top that showed her stomach and too much cleavage. Clenching his fists to stop himself from berating her for wearing such revealing clothing, he managed to say, "Never mind."
Laughing nervously, she said, "We gotta stop meeting like this," Lucius could tell she wanted nothing more than to keep her distance from him, but she was too polite not to. "How come your wife isn't with you?"
Looking at the girl he knew to be his daughter, he was surprised at the actual curiosity he sensed in her voice.
"She's at the manor; apparently our son escaped from the window and we suspect he's at the party," was all Lucius said, sounding as impassive as possible.
"And you're the searching party," Pandora laughed – it was a genuine laugh and not forced, and Lucius reveled slightly at the sound of it. "Let me guess, that was before he announced that he was going to bed."
"How did you know that?" said Lucius, impressed; staring around in distaste at the muggles dancing and drinking around, he kept his eyes out for Draco.
"Let's just say I used to be a wild child and leave it at that," Pandora smirked.
Lucius was looking everywhere for his son, while Pandora searched for her sisters – they found them at the same time.
***P4***
"Hey, um, is that your son?" asked Pandora hiding her nerves as she pointed at a young boy who resembled the man besides her. The boy held a drink in his hand while he spoke to a girl.
"Yes," Lucius sighed, "Thank you."
Pandora smiled, but at that moment, a male voice resounded drawing their attention, "The sisters Halliwell. Now the party can begin."
Pandora looked up to see Prue, Piper and Phoebe with the owners of the house they were in – Marshall, Fritz and Cynda.
"It's about time you chicks showed," said Cynda with a slight sneer on her hard face.
"Draco, we're leaving – your mother is ah, let's just say you're in trouble young man," snapped the man she was ninety percent sure to be her father, his son gulped in fear.
Pandora watched them leave, and was snapped back when Fritz said, "That dude looked like you."
"No he didn't!" snapped Pandora, "Probably a coincidence," she laughed nervously, "You know what they say, everyone has a twin out there."
"Marshall, this place looks great," said Piper causing a distraction which Pandora was thankful for; she knew that her sisters were going to question her about it soon; Pandora knew it was time to come clean.
"Thank you, we're mostly just restoring it. I didn't want to change it too much," said Marshall, "You guys knew the old owners didn't you?"
"Oh, we basically grew up with their kids. We probably know the house better than you guys," Phoebe laughed.
Marshall then turned to Fritz and asked about the bar; next thing Pandora knew, Cynda ran over to take care of the bar after crushing a beer can with her bare hands – she was so weird.
"Try to behave, Cynda. We have guests," Marshall yelled after her retreating back.
Fritz looked at Prue and said, "You know … sisters."
"Tell me about it," muttered Prue in agreement, causing Piper, Phoebe and Pandora to give her different variations of looks.
Fritz and Marshall then left, and once they were out of earshot, Prue snapped, "Okay, I came, I saw, I was perky. Now I just want my head on a pillow because I have to wake up early."
"No! Uh, not yet Prue I just got here," said Pandora cheerfully.
"Yeah, Prue, and so did we. It, it wouldn't look good," said Piper nervously. Pandora groaned; Piper was horrible at acting.
"Alright, what's going on?" deadpanned Prue.
"I'll tell you what's wrong! What's wrong is that Piper is horrible at acting," snapped Pandora.
Piper glared at Pandora, "Well excuse me! Not everyone was born with –"but Piper was interrupted by a smirking Pandora as she waved her hand and said, "Oh, what a coinkidink. Look, there's Andy!"
"You guys didn't?!" Prue looked angry, especially when Piper, Phoebe and Pandora dashed away the second Andy stood next to Prue.
Piper looked at Pandora shrewdly and said, "You weren't really serious about the: me being a horrible actress fight, where you?"
"Oh no, you can't act to save a life," said Pandora, and Phoebe snorted loudly at that, "But the argument was fake. I was just luring you into a fight until Andy arrived to distract Prue."
"You know, you're kind of a genius …" said Piper, looking impressed.
"Everyone always underestimates my value," said Pandora innocently, earning two elbows to both her sides from Piper and Phoebe.
***P4***
Lucius and Severus sat by the terrace trying to block the sounds of Narcissa screaming herself hoarse at Draco.
"So you bumped into your daughter on the way over," Severus continued the conversation as they kept on getting interrupted by Narcissa's yelling.
"Pandora, and yes," corrected Lucius sternly.
"You do know that she is your daughter, so whether I call her Pandora or your daughter, it won't change a thing," said Severus.
Before Lucius could retort, Narcissa, her face still red from anger said, "What did I miss?" as she poured herself some hot chocolate.
Not wanting to argue with his wife when she was in a bad mood, Lucius drawled, "Apparently the eldest sister found a dog in their house, and their man friend came over to check it out."
Narcissa looked at Severus. Severus rolled his eyes and said in an abrupt tone, "Prue found a big black dog in the house – honestly thought it was that mutt Black for a moment; anyways, she called Andy her detective ex-boyfriend to check it out and it turned out nothing was stolen."
Just then, they heard the voices of Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Pandora as they made their way over to the kitchen.
"How big was this dog again?" asked Phoebe, she sounded unsure.
"Huge! Did you see the scratches on the attic door?" Prue sounded deeply disturbed.
"What was it doing in the house?" asked Piper indignantly.
"I don't know, maybe someone left the front door open again," said Prue, her voice held a knowing quality to it.
Phoebe sounded angry and indignant as she said, "Why do you always assume it was me?!" and it sounded like they always blamed her for forgetting to lock the door behind, "What about Piper?"
"Not it!" said Piper immediately.
"Knock it off!" shouted Pandora, "I was the last to leave the house and I locked it behind me."
"Well it's not a big deal. We checked the house and nothing is missing except my Pat Boone Christmas CD," said Phoebe, her voice going into a pout at the end.
"Now this is really creepy. If there were a dog in the house, then it had to have an owner," said Piper sounding confused, "No dog I know can open the front door, let alone reach the top shelf."
"Except the mutt," mumbled Severus.
"You really hate my cousin, don't you," said an amused Narcissa.
"What do you think," grunted Severus.
"Cissa they are merely discussing how to protect their house better with different sorts of muggle systems, I say we go sleep," said Lucius tiredly.
"Oh, very well!" grumbled Narcissa.
***P4***
Pandora was making her way over to Prue. She had just finished coffee with her friend and actress Lisa Harkins, in a café near Bucklands and decided to check up on her since she was shaken up up by last night's events.
As she made her way towards the elevator however, she bumped into someone – seriously, what was up with her bumping into people recently.
Looking up at the person she bumped into, she saw a handsome man that looked to be in his mid-to-late forties or early fifties with salt and pepper hair and glittering brown eyes.
"I'm so sorry! I seem to be making it a habit of bumping into people lately," said Pandora, smiling at the man apologetically.
The man stared at her for a while, making her quite nervous, feeling slightly exposed. Pandora decided that she would rush over to the elevator in case he was another of those crazy fans, when he finally spoke.
"It's been a long time. How are you Pandora?"
Pandora twirled around swiftly, her silvery-blonde hair swishing slightly in her face, her mouth agape as she stared at the man in shock, "Excuse me? You're not a crazy fan or something are you? Cuz I'm really not in the mood to make a run for it or call security," she said backing away slightly.
The man laughed genuinely at that, his eyes crinkled in a smile as he looked at her fondly, "I would have never expected you to become a singer, actress and model when you were a baby. You always had a gift for shocking me."
"I'm sorry do I know you?" asked Pandora, titling her head to the side in confusion.
"I'd like to say I'm your dad, but – I don't know how you would take that. Victor Bennett, Pandora," said the man – Victor – dad?
"Oh, uh, um –"stuttered Pandora, looking around her nervously. She never expected to be face-to-face with her stepfather and have him smile at her fondly, "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" asked Victor in confusion, a frown appearing on his face as he studied Pandora intently.
"You left the woman you love and your three daughters because of me. I practically destroyed your life," said Pandora matter-of-factly.
Comprehension lit up on Victor's features, he took a few steps closer and said, "When you were born I instantly knew you weren't mine; your hair and eyes were too much of a giveaway – but I forgave Patty later on and I helped raise you with Prudence, Piper and Phoebe."
"You did?" asked a bewildered Pandora.
"Yes," Victor smiled, "You were too young to remember me, and your grandmother either destroyed or hid all pictures of me; Pandora I promise you weren't the reason I left … I loved you like my own."
Pandora gave a shaky smile and nodded her head. Victor opened his arms and she leaned in for a hug; she closed her eyes to savor this moment … he might not be her real father, but he was her father.
"Now, I want to hear all about you and the girls. I already asked Prudence but somehow I don't think she will come," Victor chuckled, "I'm staying at the Ballmark and I want you and your sisters to join me for dinner tomorrow. What do you say?"
Pandora nodded eagerly, "Yeah, of course! We'll see you there." She watched as Victor walked away with a smile on her face. Just then, her phone rang, Prue wanted to meet in the café she was just in with Lisa instead of Quake.
***P4***
Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Pandora were having lunch, while Prue regaled all about her 'bump in' with Victor in her office at Bucklands.
"I wonder why he went to you first. Why not Phoebe or Pan or me?" asked Piper slightly hurt.
"It's cuz she's the eldest for starters, plus she'd remember him the most," said Pandora with a 'duh' implied.
"Well it's not like I won the lottery," deadpanned Prue.
"What was he like? Did he ask about us?" asked Phoebe eagerly, and Pandora smiled.
"Actually no!" snapped Prue, glaring at Phoebe who looked upset, "Phoebe, think about it. He abandoned us! He was a no show for twenty years and then what, suddenly here he is? Why now?"
Before Pandora could say anything, Piper spoke up, "Maybe he wants to be a part of our lives."
"After all this time? Don't get your hopes up," scoffed Prue.
"You know what?!" snapped Pandora raising her voice, all three of her sisters snapped their heads to look at her, "I went to see you at Bucklands after I had coffee with Lisa, and I ran into him."
"What?" all three of them gasped.
"Yes! And I finally got to ask if it was my fault he left," said Pandora softly.
"Pan," Piper sighed sadly.
"He told me that it wasn't, that he left mom for other reasons and that he actually raised me for a while before he left," Pandora smiled, before frowning at Prue, "Yes, he left. But at least you've always known who your father was! I didn't! Most of my childhood I made it a game to see if I could find my real dad or someone resembling me at least … you don't know how lucky you are Prue! Your father finally comes to see you and you throw him out, without listening to what he has to say! Don't you think how it makes me feel that my real fath-"
Pandora stopped talking as the waitress came over to their table and took their dirty plates; Pandora looked away ignoring the sad and pitying looks her sisters were sending her way.
"Just when we find out we're witches he shows up. But when mom dies he's nowhere to be found," said Prue, knowing that Pandora wouldn't want pity.
"He sent us birthday cards," Phoebe stated.
"Selective memory," Prue waved a hand. "Grams always told us he was a threat to us. There's no reason to think that's changed."
"Are you listening to yourself right now," snapped Pandora in disbelief. "He's our-your father! Not some warlock! To Grams all men are a threat!" she scoffed.
"Prue, Pan, you both make excellent points; but Prue you knew him, we didn't. Why can't we have a chance to know now?" demanded Piper.
"Because we really don't know why he's here, and until we do, we can't trust him," stated Prue ominously.
"I already don't know my real dad, are you really not going to let me know the only one that was a father to me for a short while and that wants to know me," Pandora stared at Prue with hurt and disbelief.
Without waiting for an answer, she threw a few dollars on the table and walked to her car, ignoring her sister's calls.
***P4***
"Draco!" Narcissa called into the house, "Oh, Severus, and how was Draco?"
Draco grumbled from his seat in the living room, Severus ignored him, "He kept whining over the extra work I had him do, but he's nearly done."
"Good, next time you'll learn not to lie to us and attend a muggle party without informing us," said Lucius, narrowing his eyes at his son in disappointment.
"Yes father," mumbled Draco, looking down.
"And how was your day?" Severus asked Lucius and Narcissa.
"Oh it was wonderful. Lucius and I had lunch at a nice place called Ivy; Lucius is getting better at paying with muggle money," said Narcissa brightly, walking over to the terrace.
"Really," Severus smirked, looking at Lucius who rolled his eyes and went to sit by his wife.
"Mother, can I listen in on the Halliwells too?" asked a pouting Draco.
"No! You're still grounded," snapped Narcissa.
Severus joined the two Malfoys for tea at the terrace while Draco grumbled as he continued to do extra credit homework. They could hear Piper and Phoebe sitting in the kitchen talking, while Prue and Pandora began rifling through some drawers by the sounds of it.
"You don't know for sure," said Piper hesitantly.
"I know plenty," said Prue sounding sure of herself, "First someone rips off the attic door, then the Book of Shadows is found downstairs. Isn't that enough?" she snapped.
"Ah, found it!" said Pandora victoriously, and they heard her hand something over to one of her sisters.
"Why would somebody want the book?" asked Piper in confusion.
"Someone broke into Halliwell manor?" gasped Narcissa, looking at Severus.
"I don't know," he frowned, "I was with Draco the whole day; I didn't look out the window or sit in the terrace at all."
"Well, for one reason, they know what it can do," listed off Prue. "They want its power. Our power."
"That would mean it's someone who knows us," said Pandora suspiciously, "Someone who knows we're witches."
"Yeah, someone like Victor!" growled Prue.
"What? Dad?" gasped Phoebe scandalized.
"What?' asked Lucius, surprise flickered across his face.
"You know him?" asked Severus.
"Of him, while I was with- with her, I know how he looks like," stated Lucius uncomfortably.
"It seems like he contacted the girls recently," Narcissa stated keeping a close eye on her husband. Lucius hummed and continued sipping on his tea with an impassive look on his face.
"Look," Prue's voice boomed over the silence that befell the three listeners, "The moment he shows up someone makes two attempts to grab the book. Coincidence? I think not?" she said sarcastically.
"The craft is a chick thing, Prue," said Piper disbelievingly, "It's passed down through the female line. There's a good chance he doesn't even know we're charmed."
"Not necessarily," rebutted Pandora, "About the chick thing; there could be male wiccans out there, we're still new to this we don't know everything."
"Okay, but seriously, what would dad want with the book?" demanded Piper. "And why would he take it from us? Phoebe, Pandora, help me out here!"
"Okay," said Phoebe, sounding nervous, "Let's say for the sake of argument that he is after it. Wouldn't he have taken it with him? He wouldn't have left it behind."
"Look, I don't think it was him, but what I do think is that we need to call the cops and report the break in!" stated Pandora.
"And tell them what?" yelled Prue exasperatedly. "That someone broke into our house to try and steal our broomsticks? I mean, please. Besides, Andy's already been here," she stated at the end in an innocent tone.
"Broomsticks?" said Narcissa in amusement, "Of course to them flying on brooms must be a myth," she giggled.
"Ironic, don't you think?" Severus smirked. Lucius stayed quiet, wanting to hear more about Victor.
"Oh, so Andy was here, again. Talk about convenient," snapped Phoebe, "Did you ever think about pointing the finger on him?!" she demanded angrily.
"Woah! Pheebs! Look Andy is innocent here! We're all stressed and pointing fingers at random people from our lives; we have to think rationally here. Stop letting anger cloud your judgment!" said Pandora sounding distressed.
"Smart girl," said Severus, half-shocked, half-impressed.
"Anyways! He's probably the one who sent Victor away," said Prue sounding very sure of herself, "Until we find out what's going on and whether Victor's involved or not, we've got to hide the book. Either that or we can't leave the house."
"Um, yeah no! I have work, a career, I can't just stay at home to protect the Book of Shadows!" said Pandora in disbelief, "I told you a hundred times, and I'll tell you again, we should get a security system!"
"Fine, then we hide the book," said Piper simply. "Because I'm going to dinner tonight, I want to see dad."
"So do I," agreed Phoebe.
"Ditto!" Pandora cheered.
"I've already seen him," said Prue dryly before they heard her clicking heels signaling that she was walking away.
"Pan, what about the guy from last night?" asked Phoebe.
"Yeah the one you totally flipped out at Fritz because he said you look alike," added Piper.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Pandora dismissively. "He's our neighbor and he went looking for his son that escaped down the window to attend the party and we bumped into each other."
"Yeah, we're not going to believe that," stated Piper sounding amused.
The Malfoys and Severus leaned closer, completely interested in what was going to happen next.
"But," said Phoebe suddenly, "We know that you won't talk if we force you to, so when you're ready just know that we're here for you."
"I love you guys," said Pandora, fondness and love seeping into her tone, "Now let's go get dressed for dinner with …dad."
They heard them leave to go up to their respective rooms and Narcissa looked at Lucius in a scrutinizing manner before she finally said, "Dad?"
"Hmm, yes, so?" asked Lucius nonchalantly.
"That doesn't affect you? You're daughter calling another man dad?" drawled Severus, not inclined to believe his old friend.
"And, why not? Excuse me, I'm going to sit by that contraption and watch some news," said Lucius calmly.
Narcissa and Severus watched Lucius leave with identical worried looks on their face.
***P4***
Piper, Phoebe, Pandora and Victor sat by the restaurant in Ballmark hotel; Phoebe was nibbling on a carrot and Pandora was munching on a salad.
"You know, the last time we ate dinner together, you would only eat food that was white. I'm glad to see you've out grown it," Victor told Piper with a fond smile.
"That's right, I was four," smiled Piper.
"Phoebe that would have made you what? One?" Phoebe nodded. "You know, you couldn't walk yet, but you could swim. You were a fish," Victor and Phoebe laughed, "And you Pandora, you were just a month old, but you fit in my hands easily, and you would never let go of my thumb," he smiled at Pandora fondly, who beamed back. "This feels right, doesn't it? This feels natural, almost like normal."
"Almost, it's just, um, well, why? I mean, after all this time, why here, why now?" stuttered Piper unsurely.
"Well, I heard the food is pretty good here and it is dinner time," joked Victor.
Phoebe and Pandora laughed; the waiter placed a plate in front of Phoebe, his star-struck eyes glued onto Pandora.
Victor looked amusedly at Pandora who merely rolled her eyes.
"Bon appetite," said Victor happily.
An hour later, they were on their dessert, and Pandora spoke up, "Victor,-"
"Dad," said Victor abruptly.
"What?" a frown puckered on Pandora's face.
"Dad, call me dad," said Victor, not straying his eyes from Pandora's silver-grey ones that widened in shock, "I know I may not be the one that fathered you, but I always looked at you as my daughter. I hope that you always call me dad, and look at me as a father."
Pandora smiled, gratitude featuring on her face, and Piper and Phoebe beamed brightly at the moment; they knew that having no father and not knowing who he was had always been a sore point for Pandora. At that moment however, Prue made her way over to them, looking like a woman on a mission, her eyes glued to Victor's form.
Victor stood up as he spotted her, "Prudence."
"Did I miss much," she snapped. Piper and Pandora groaned.
"Uh, just catch up, Dad was filling us in. memory lane," Phoebe smiled nervously, her eyes imploring Prue not to ruin the moment.
"Has he mentioned where he's been all our lives?" asked Prue sarcastically.
"Prue…"began Piper. Pandora threw her napkin on the table, knowing that the night was done.
"I don't understand. If you can afford a spot like this, why didn't you help out when Grams died? We actually could've used it then," said Prue shaking her head, eyes narrowed at Victor's brown ones.
"Give him a chance, Prue. Dad's explained. The money all this, it's new," said Pandora in exasperation.
"Please sit down, have something to eat," said Victor gently.
"I'm not hungry," Prue ground out through gritted teeth.
"Always in a hurry, Prue. You skipped out crawling and went straight to walking," Victor chuckled.
"Ah, we're sharing memories," smiled Prue bitterly, "Well, I got one of my own, you're back walking out the door."
Just then, a waiter walked past them holding a flambeau and tripped. Startled, Piper accidentally froze him and the whole restaurant.
"Piper!" snapped Pandora, looking worriedly at their surroundings, "Someone could come out of the bathroom or kitchen at any minute."
Piper rushed out of her seat and took the flambeau out of his hand just as everyone unfroze and the waiter fell down flat on his face.
"Who wants flambeau?" asked Piper nervously. Phoebe and Pandora chuckled dryly, as the waiter got up and took the flambeau gratefully from Piper's hand.
As the waiter walked away, Victor nonchalantly wiped his mouth with a napkin, before looking up at Piper with a smile on his face, his eyes glittering with amusement, "Nice reflexes Piper. Now let me get this straight," he frowned in mock-thought looking at each of the girls, "Piper, you freeze time. Prue, don't you move objects? Phoebe, you have premonitions. And what's your specialty Pandora? From what I remember when you were two months old, you have an energy shield."
The four girls stared dumbstruck at Victor, unable to do anything but nod along, their mouths agape.
Standing up, Victor said, "Maybe we should talk about this elsewhere."
***P4***
"Lucius, are you still on that contraption?" asked Narcissa in shock. Lucius had been sitting since the girls left to see Victor, his eyes glued to the screen and he hadn't moved an inch.
Shaking his head, Lucius said, "Cissa? Hmm?"
Severus, deciding to take pity on him said, "How about we sit on the terrace and have a drink of Firewhiskey, hmm?"
The three Malfoys sat on the terrace, Narcissa with a cup of tea and Severus and Lucius with tumblers of Firewhiskey; at that moment however, the girls arrived, and there was a man with salt and pepper hair with them.
"Who's that?" asked Narcissa in confusion. As the words left Narcissa's lips, the man turned around as he was getting out of the car, and his eyes connected with Lucius. They narrowed, before lighting up in recognition; he walked after the girls sparing him the tiniest of glances before the door shut closed behind them and Lucius gasped out, "Victor."
"You mean Victor, Patricia's husband and Prue, Piper and Phoebe's father, Victor?" asked Narcissa in shock.
"Yes," said Lucius simply, his mouth drawn in a tight line.
Suddenly, they heard yells from the four girls and three black crows flew out of their open window downstairs.
"Someone left the window open, which is probably how the birds got in," snapped Prue's voice. "What is so funny?" she grumbled.
"Weird things happen in their house, what is with all the open windows and doors and animals getting in," Narcissa looked half-amused, half-exasperated.
"Do you remember the day this was taken?" Piper's voice reverberated; she seemed to be looking at something.
"Yeah, family picnic. It rained," said Prue dully, uninterested.
"And your mother packed us all up and she brought us home and we had the picnic right here in the living room. Do you remember that Prue?" Victor laughed fondly.
"Barely," snapped Prue,
"Prue…" Phoebe sounded sad.
"Looks like the eldest has father problems," Severus smirked, taking a sip from his drink.
"This one was at one of your piano recitals. Not a very good shot. My fault," said Victor sounding contrite, "I had to take the pictures that day. Your mother was too busy holding her breath," his voice sounded fond and Narcissa couldn't help but smile, "If you look closely, you see there, that's her," he sounded victorious.
"I never noticed that before," finally some emotion could be heard in Prue's voice.
There was a sound of clattering, and Victor's voice came up again, "And this one- this one used to be a five by seven … when I was still in it," he sounded bitter.
"I think Grams cut you out," said Phoebe sounding guilty.
"Oh, I'm not the only one she cut out," said Victor sounding sad.
"What do you mean?" snapped Prue confused.
"Well, in this picture, I was holding little Pandora; but your Grams couldn't find a way to keep her in the picture since I was holding her," explained Victor.
"Really?" Pandora sounded hopeful. "I knew I was born there and I wasn't in the picture so I though-"
"You thought I hated you. We spoke about this Pandora, I don't want you thinking that anymore," said Victor fondly.
Lucius drowned his whole tumbler in one gulp, and hastened to refill it.
"Lucius-"Narcissa began.
"I'm alright Cissa," snapped Lucius, looking away from Narcissa and Severus.
Thankfully Piper spoke up, diverting the attention away from Lucius, "There's a bunch of other stuff in the attic. Grams left us some things."
"Not all she left us," sang Phoebe ominously.
"Phoebe, let's not go there!" snapped Prue warningly.
"What, it's not like he doesn't already know, and I'm sorry but it's kind of a relief to talk to someone about it," yelled Phoebe.
"So, I assume he knows that they're witches," stated Severus.
"Um, does anybody want coffee?" asked Piper unsurely, changing the topic and Pandora's snort sounded through.
"I mean," said Phoebe ignoring them and talking over their voices, "One day I am a member of the Y generation with average hair and a thing for caffeinated beverages, and the next I am a witch."
"Dad, do you take cream, or um, sugar with that?" continued Piper speaking as though Phoebe never said anything.
"I just read from the book and 'wham'! I am Tabitha. The only thing is, I got stuck with the power to see the future. How uncool is that?" whined Phoebe slightly.
"Actually, I think it is a marvelous gift. I wouldn't mind having it," Narcissa disagreed.
"Well, from what your mother always said, it was actually considered one of the more desirable powers," Victor informed them.
Narcissa hummed, nodding her head in agreement, and Lucius wanted nothing more than to break something. Victor being around his daughter made him edgy and slightly jealous, and he didn't like that.
"Unless you see things you don't desire," rebutted Phoebe sadly.
"So how long have you known? About us, about our powers, how long?" asked Prue curiously.
"I knew there was a possibility. You had them when you were young, but then they were bound. That's why I came back, to find out. It must have happened when your grandmother died, right?"
"Yep, I just read an incantation, from the book and…"
"Phoebe!" yelled Prue, interrupting her.
Pandora groaned and they heard her mumble, "You talk way too much Pheebs."
"Ahhh, the Book of Shadows. Not exactly summer reading. Is it still up in the attic? You know, I haven't seen it in years. Mind if I have a look?" asked Victor innocently – too innocently.
"He's up to something," gasped Severus.
"You don't think Prue was right do you? I mean, he's their father!" said Narcissa sounding shocked and unsure.
***P4***
"Oh, no, Prue don't-"Pandora started to say, knowing exactly what her eldest sister would be implying at. But there was no use, for Prue had already interrupted her,
"I knew it was you!" growled Prue.
"What exactly are you accusing me of, Prue?" asked Victor, his eyes flashing dangerously though he stayed calm.
"Figure it out!" spat Prue.
"Come on Prue, take it easy," said Phoebe calmly.
"Are you kidding me?" Prue looked disbelievingly at all three of her sisters, "Am I the only one who sees what's going on here?"
"Couldn't we all just take a deep breath?" begged Piper.
"Think about it Piper. He wines and dines and now he's back in the house he hasn't set foot in for twenty years and the first thing he wants to know is where's the Book of Shadows?" said Prue, waving her hands in the air with an obvious tone.
"You're just looking for something to blame him for," said Phoebe weakly.
"Admit it. Tell them why you're here!" Prue spoke directly to Victor.
"Prue, stop! God, stop being so selfish," growled out Pandora, tears threatening to overflow.
Ignoring her, Prue continued, "For the first time in your life, Victor, tell them the truth!"
"Alright, fine," Victor sighed in defeat. Looking straight at Prue, he said, "You're right. I am after the book. That's exactly the reason I came back."
"Dad!" "No!" "What?" came from Phoebe, Pandora and Piper respectively.
"But not for the reasons you would like to believe," continued Victor his eyes never strayed too far from Prue, "It would make it easier for you, Prue, wouldn't it? If I were evil," chuckling humorlessly he said, "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, I'm not. I'm here to protect you."
"Yeah, right," scoffed Prue, but Piper perked up curiously and said, "Protect us from what?"
"From yourselves," said Victor simply yet passionately, "That's why I want that damn book. It's where the power of four started and it's where it must end."
"It's part of us, it's part of who we are," said Phoebe desperately trying to make her father understand.
"That's what your mother believed too. Before they killed her," argued Victor.
"What are you saying?" gasped Pandora.
"You have no idea what evil is out there," said Victor ominously.
"Oh, I think we have a pretty good idea," said Prue confidently.
"Listen to me, Prue," pleaded Victor, his voice taking a desperate tone. "That book is a magnet for evil. As long as you have it, as long as you use it, you're in danger. All of you."
"You're unbelievable," shouted Prue indignantly. "After all these years of being an absentee dad then you waltz back into our lives and tell us how to live!"
"I never wanted you to have those powers in the first place," snapped Victor, "I argued with your grandmother after your mom died. She wanted you to find out you were witches when you grew up. I didn't," he said vehemently, "I fought for you, hard! Your grandmother was too strong."
"Wait!" now Pandora was angry, "You're blaming this on Grams for why you disappeared. She loved us, she raised us!"
"What'd she do? Put a spell on you?" said Prue sarcastically.
"Believe me," said Victor emotionally, "Nothing short of that would've kept me away. You have to believe me. All I want is for what's best for you. Phoebe, Pandora, you believe me, don't you?"
Phoebe was speechless, while Pandora was staring at Victor in horror.
"We've done fine without you!" spat Prue.
"Prue, you can't fight this. I couldn't."
"I'm not you," growled Prue, her eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure? Are you sure you can protect your sisters forever?" implored Victor.
"We'll protect each other," said Piper stubbornly.
"Then you'll die together," yelled Victor.
"No one can hurt us as bad as you," cried Prue, tears beginning to form, and unintentionally she reached out for her powers and Victor flew across the room, hitting the door frame with a loud thud.
Victor stood up staring at Prue in shock and disbelief, "If you wanted me to leave, all you had to do was ask," turning his back on them and leaving the house.
"Why did you do that?" snapped Phoebe angrily.
"Did you have to hit him that hard!" growled Piper.
"Piper…"
"No Prue! We could have just talked, you know like normal people," snapped Pandora harshly, her eyes narrowed at Prue.
"We're not normal," said Prue indignantly.
"God, I can't even look at you right now!" said Pandora angrily, leaving the room, Phoebe hot on her heels.
***P4***
"Lucius?" asked Narcissa, as Victor's car sped down the driveway.
"I'm going to bed Cissa, good night," said Lucius impassively.
Lucius sat on his end of the bed, his face buried in his hand, thinking of everything he had heard that night. That's what your mother believed, before they killed her.
Patty was dead; that was why she wasn't there to help the girls when they got their powers; it was why he didn't see her since he moved back in. Dead.
But when exactly did she die?
That book is a magnet for evil. As long as you use it, you're in danger. All of you.
The Book of Shadows was found downstairs after someone had broken into their house.
Then you will die together! Was he worried about the daughter he never knew? The daughter he held once and was the center of his world for a few short minutes?
"Lucius?" Narcissa's soft voice came out from behind him, "Are you okay?"
"I don't know Cissa, I don't know if I should care! I don't know what these-these feelings are!" said Lucius desperately, wishing Narcissa could give him the answer.
"You care, but you haven't admitted it to yourself yet," said Narcissa kindly.
"When Patty told me she a Wiccan witch; I scoffed and laughed at her face. I left her and Pandora thinking they have such an easy life being practitioners. I thought the Dark Lord was dangerous enough," said Lucius contritely.
"This is all new for us Lucius. None of us ever imagined such things were possible … if I were to be honest; I'm terrified. I'm scared for what else they are going to face. Hopefully Severus will get some good news from Dumbledore when he meets with him soon."
"Let's just not think about it for now, let's go to sleep," said Lucius, cradling Narcissa in his arms, and pecking her lips.
***P4***
Pandora woke up with a bad feeling; the house was quiet – too quiet.
"Pan! Get up now!" Phoebe hissed.
"What is it?" asked Pandora, quickly putting on her shoes and getting out of bed.
"Daddy's home!" they heard Victor's voice sing from downstairs.
"What the hell? What is going on Phoebe?" demanded Pandora, following Phoebe to the attic. Phoebe ran over to the closet, pulling clothes across and grabbing the book, flipping though it hastily.
"Come on, come on," muttered Phoebe, ignoring a bewildered Pandora, "I have no idea what I'm looking for."
Suddenly the pages began to turn by themselves and Phoebe withdrew her hand, staring at the book in shock.
"Woah, that has never happened before!" gasped Pandora.
"Listen the neighbors who moved in and made the party last night; they're shape-shifters, and we're finding a spell to banish them," said Phoebe.
"Are you kidding me?! God, even our neighbors are evil now!" huffed Pandora.
"Okay memorize with me Pan!" said Phoebe quickly.
Together, they look at the spell in the book and mumbled, "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam, rid all beings from these walls, save sister four now heed our call." They repeat it one last time and run downstairs; another Victor walked into the foyer.
"Whoa, time out!" gasped Piper.
"Don't worry about it sweetie, everything's going to be fine," said Victor #1 sweetly.
Victor #2 glared at #1 and snapped, "Don't trust him!"
"Seriously!" yelled Pandora, lifting both hands up into the air, "Last week we had no dad, and now we have two! They are so laughing at us up there!" she pointed up to the heavens.
"Phoebe, remember when you were little and you were afraid of the dark and I would leave the hall light on and the door open just a crack," said Victor #1 in a know-it-all voice.
"Oh, that's original," "Seriously!" "What kid isn't afraid of the dark?!" Victor #2 and Pandora snapped at the same time, making all the inhabitants in the house stare at them both.
"Well, Prue, she wasn't afraid of anything," said Victor #1 smugly.
"He's right Prue, you were never afraid of the dark," said Piper hesitantly, her eyes roaming over both Victors.
"Not true! Prue is scared of something," snapped Pandora, making Prue glare at her.
"Lucky guess. I said I came back to protect you. Now, there's only one way to do it. Kill us both!" said Victor #2.
"You're bluffing," scoffed Victor #1.
"Am I? Just do it because I wanna go out with a bang," said Victor #2 confidently.
"Do it, Phoebe" snapped Prue, although there was a small waver in her voice.
"What no!" yelled Pandora.
"The spell will kill everyone, including dad!" cried Phoebe.
"It's the only way … Prudence," whispered Victor #2, his eyes never leaving Prue.
"Prue, the protection ring," said Piper quickly.
Prue used her powers and moved the ring over to Victor #2. He picked it up and Prue nodded for him to put it on.
"Phoebe now!" growled Prue.
Together Phoebe and Pandora held hands and chanted, "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam," Cynda turned into a creature, "Rid all being from these walls, save sisters four now heed our call," a wind picks up in the foyer, "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam," the shape-shifters start to melt and Victor #2 fell down on his knees looking to be in great pain.
"Daddy!" Phoebe and Pandora cried out forgetting about the spell.
"It's ok, keep going," Victor #2 grunted painfully.
This time Prue and Piper joined Phoebe and Pandora in chanting the spell, "Rid all beings from these walls, save sisters four now heed our call."
The shape-shifters all melted and then disappeared. Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Pandora ran over to Victor, and Prue helped him to stand up.
"For a moment there, I wasn't sure what you would do," breathed out Victor, the pained look on his face all but gone.
"For a moment there, neither did I," admitted Prue.
"I thought you didn't want us to use our magic," stated Phoebe.
"I didn't. Not as long as I still thought of you as my little girls. All four of you," said Victor smiling sadly, "But you're not anymore."
"We're still you little girls, we're just…" Piper drifted off, looking for the correct word.
"Witches," beamed Pandora.
"Yeah witches," agreed Victor with a small smile. "Well obviously you don't need your old man to protect you from anything."
***P4***
Lucius, Narcissa, Severus and Draco sat in the terrace, shocked by all the events that had happened in the Halliwell manor.
"I hope this taught you a valuable lesson Draco! You snuck out of the house to attend the neighbor's party, who ended up being shape-shifters!" snapped Narcissa worriedly.
"Well how was I to know," whined Draco adamantly.
"You don't, but next time you let us know in case anything happens," said Lucius.
"Lucius," said Severus abruptly. Lucius looked up, confused at the tone his old friend used, but Severus wasn't looking at any of the Malfoys, but the driveway ahead.
Looking up, all three Malfoys saw Victor Bennett standing there looking straight at Lucius' face.
"I think he wants to talk to you Lucius," gasped Narcissa.
Studying the man for a moment, Lucius nodded and stood up.
"Father!" exclaimed Draco.
"I'll be back," was all Lucius said, and he made his way over to Victor.
They stood silently for a while, studying each other; Victor was the first to speak, "I know who you are, and I know that you know who I am."
"I do," said Lucius in clipped tones.
"Good," smiled Victor, clapping his hands together once, his face turned serious, "I love Pandora like my own. I will tell you what I told her yesterday. Just because I didn't father her and we don't share the same blood or DNA, it doesn't mean I care any less for her."
"And why are you telling me this?" asked Lucius slightly confused at the muggle man's motive.
"I came back to protect them. But I can't stay; I'll be back believe, me, but as for now I have business to attend to, not in San Francisco. I'm speaking to you because I want you to promise me that you would look out for my girls … all four of them. You left twenty years ago and you're back, now it's none of my business why. I just wanted to ask you to look out for them, however little you care for Pandora."
"My wife has, grown –fond of your girls, so I think that answers your question," said Lucius vaguely, but it was enough for Victor.
He nodded and opened his car door, but before sliding in, he turned and said as an afterthought, "One last thing, don't you dare hurt Pan! She may look tough, but she has a soft heart, if you don't want anything to do with her, then don't lead her on …"
And with that Victor drove away, not even giving Lucius time for a rebuttal.
***P4***
Piper, Phoebe and Pandora where in the living room dressed up for lunch with Victor, watching as Prue spoke on the phone with Andy.
"No Andy, I'm fine really. Dad's going to be here any minute, so can I take a rain check on dinner? Okay, thanks for the good advice." And she hung up.
"So, he's dad now?" asked an amused Phoebe.
"Yes, Phoebe," said Prue innocently, looking her up and down she said, "And by the way, my dress looks good on you."
"I didn't have any nice clothes," whined Phoebe.
"Dad said it was causal," Pandora smirked.
"I don't care! I want to look nice for him! Who knows how long it'll be before we see him again," said Phoebe sadly.
"You don't think he's going to stay around?" asked Piper in confusion.
"Well, let's just say I don't have a romanticized image of him anymore. And I'm glad about that actually. At least dad is real now," said Phoebe happily.
"Yeah, real," mumbled Pandora, her eyes drifting over to the neighbors opposite to them.
"And at least he's not a monster. Which is very reassuring considering we share his genes," said Prue perkily.
"Three out of four, right," said Pandora with a strained smile.
"Oh, Pan, I didn't mean..."began Prue.
"No, don't worry about it," smiled Pandora dismissively.
"You heard Dad Pan; he loves you as his own. DNA has nothing to do with it," said Piper gently, hugging Pandora to her chest.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Prue went to get it, admitting a tall handsome man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes into their house. Pandora watched in amusement as Phoebe and Piper stared at him with awestruck eyes.
"You must be Mr. Wyatt," said Pandora with a charming smile.
"The handyman?" said Phoebe with wide eyes.
"Call me Leo," he smiled.
"Gladly," breathed out Phoebe with a huge smile.
"This is going to be very interesting," Pandora mumbled to Prue, looping her arm into hers. Prue snorted softly.
"This was on the steps," said Leo, holding up a yellow large envelope. Prue took it from him, and Leo said, "This place, uh, you don't find many like this around anymore."
"Yeah, it's kinda falling apart," Piper spoke up.
"The problem isn't the manor, it's the manner in which it was treated," Leo chastised them slightly, drawing a small chuckle from Pandora, "I'd love to see more."
"And I would love to show it to you, the attic is right this way," flirted Phoebe, fluttering her eyelashes slightly. She pushed Piper out of the way, leading Leo towards the stairs.
"Guys," said Prue abruptly.
Phoebe turned around, "Uh, I'll be right up."
"He's not coming," said Prue impassively.
"Dad? What, are you sure?" asked Pandora sadly.
"Dad sent this, um," Prue began reading from the letter Leo handed her, "Girls, something's come up, I hate to leave town. Can't make it to dinner. Probably best if we let the dust settle anyway. I know there's a lot you would like to forget, but here's what I remember. Love dad."
In Prue's hand there was a video tape; walking over to the television, she placed it in, and the four sisters sat down to watch what their father had left for them.
Pandora smiled sadly as she watched them celebrating Christmas as a family; Prue and Piper are opening their presents, Phoebe is crawling by mom and Pandora is settled into her dad's arms. Victor then leaned over and kissed Prue on the cheek, keeping a close hold on Pandora and lifting her into the air. He then asked Phoebe what she got and she answered him by holding up her Barbie doll.
