She had taken every book she could get her hands on, on the study of witchcraft. But to her it was evil. No matter what she had read. She was brought up with the church. She went to church every Sunday with her parents. But even now with everything she had seen in her career, she was not willing to believe that witches were good people.

She had read the files that he had sent her. She had tested the blood as he had and then went even further. She broke it down even further and she even tried to look at it together.

She finally started to get an idea of what she needed to see but she needed more. She needed to really see what made these three women so special. She looked over Curtis' notes enough to know that the oldest Prue and the middle one Piper had powers. But he had yet to discover where Phoebe fit into it all. According to his records, the monkey that was injected with her blood had shown no sign of any powers or magic. But Julia knew that if her older sisters had them: Then she must too.

Now she stood in the last place he had breathed life. The dark alley where his final battle was held. One that she knew the witches cut down. Using their evil power to take goodness from the world. "I will get to the bottom of this Curtis I promise." She stood up and walked back through the homeless people. Watching them as she made her way back to her car. But before she did she saw what she was looking for. "Perfect." She said to no one, as she got in her car and drove away.

"Julia I'm glad you came up for a little while."

"I just couldn't concentrate on work. I guess Curtis' death hit me harder then I thought." she said as she plotted her own version of revenge

Larry poured her a cup of coffee before going back to the coffee maker, "So how long you going to stay?"

"I'm not sure. I don't want to impose." She took a sip of her coffee, "I've taken a leave of absence for now."

"Stay as long as you need. We'd love to have you." Curtis' sister leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Ok I have to go to work. I will see you two lovelies tonight." Larry kissed his wife good bye and smiled at Julia.

--- ----

She sat on the chair thinking of her plan. She had to plan it carefully. Enough so that everything looked on the up and up. She had been in town over two weeks now, and had watched them all. She knew what she needed to do, as she picked up her small suitcase she headed down the steps.

"Are you sure about this Julia?"

"I'm sure Kim. I don't want to wear out my welcome. Besides I need to get back soon. Maybe I'll take the long way around and go through Las Vegas and into Arizona first. I just need some time to myself."

"Just call us now and then so we know you are alright." Larry pulled her into a hug before leaving his wife and Julia alone.

--- ----

She got out of her car and lifted the door in front of her, before getting back in and driving inside the run down warehouse.

She got out once again and scanned around what she had set up. It had not taken her very long to find out who had the ownership in the building and even easier to get him to agree to let her purchase it.

She moved around the make shift lab with practiced ease. Everything was in its place. Everything she needed. It was her own private lab; One with no bosses to answer to, no one cutting her funding. She had seen to everything with her own money.

Over the time she had come to know some of those that lived in the area. She had given them food, clothing and some even a roof over their head as they had helped her set up her lab. A few more loyal then others, but she knew she could trust all of them.

"Where do you want this?"

She spun around to see Dave standing in the shadows.

"You scared me Dave."

"Sorry. So where do you want this?"

She looked past him to the hospital bed his friends and him had retrieved for her.

"Do I want to know where you got that?"

"No. Just tell us where you want it."

She motioned her hand to the far side of the warehouse, the one where she had a small cage set up in a corner, "In there."

"Well that's set then Doc."

"Dave I need one more thing from you. It could be dangerous and slightly on the illegal side."

He smiled at her and then let out a slight laugh as he turned to his friends before casting a subtle eye back to the bed.

"Its more illegal then stealing a bed Dave." She paused a moment. "I need you to shotl someone for me."

He held his face stone cold. She couldn't even start to think of what he was thinking. But his eyes never once gave him away. It was that look that made her trust him in the first place.

"Just tell me who?"

Piper ran up the steps to the Manor, reaching the top a few steps ahead of Phoebe but only half a step behind Prue.

"So I guess Phoebe gets the last shower." Prue shouted back as she entered the Manor making her way up the stairs to the bathroom.

"Whatever. Not like that is anything new." Phoebe sat on the steps as Piper and Prue ran in the Manor. She tried to remember a time less important then spending time with her sisters. But she couldn't. Ever since she had come back from NYC they had bonded like no one ever thought they would, especially thier Grams. She had even made a potion to bind their powers forever. Phoebe looked back now and was thankful that her Grams never had that chance.

"Penny."

"Huh? Oh hey. Nothing I was just thinking."

"Ok you shouldn't do that. You might not be able to study for that final you have tomorrow." Prue placed an arm over Phoebe.

"Haha. No, I was thinking of when we found out that Grams had made that potion to bind our powers forever."

"And that maybe if she had succeeded that we would have never connected like we have?"

"Yeah. Silly I know."

"No it's not Phoebe. Because you are right. I think about that too. But we can't play the 'what if games.' Grams also said that things happen for a reason. We were meant to be the Charmed Ones. And even Grams couldn't stop that from coming true."

Phoebe leaned in against her sister. "You're right as usual."

"I know." Prue smiled as she placed a kiss on the top of Phoebes head. "Love you. I'll see you tonight." She stood up and started down the walk to her car.

Phoebe stood up and started for the house but stopped, at what, she didn't know. But she turned back to walk Prue to her car. "We need more talks like that Sis."

"Yes we do. Now go study so you can ace that exam tomorrow."

Neither sister saw the car driving by slowly. Piper had stepped out just then and saw the sun glisten on the cold metal as it protruded from the darkened windows.

"NOOOOOO!" she yelled out as she heard the first string of bullets sound through the still morning air.

She sat in the lounge chair trying to place what had happened. The last thing she recalled was walking out of the Manor and seeing her sisters walking to Prues car.

Her mind whirled at everything they had all been through in the past two and a half years; Demons and warlocks. How now, could the two most important people in her life be cut down like this? A drive by shooting.

"Here."

She took the cup that Darryl had handed her as she just starred into the lid. A lid that she knew held a blackened substance. But she didn't move she just held it in her hands her thoughts on two people.

"Halliwell?"

Piper nearly dropped the cup as she stood up locking eyes with the doctor before her.

"How are they? How are my sisters?" she felt Darryl standing next to her giving her any support he could.

"She is in stable condition. She was lucky; two bullets only hit her. One just grazed her the other we were able to retrieve quite easily."

"Ok but what about my other sister?"

"Other sister? There must be some mistake."

"Mistake. There was no mistake I had two sisters shot in front of our house. Where is my other sister?" Piper felt her panic kick in. Had she died? And he had only said she. Who was here?

"There was only one ambulance that came in from the scene. And only one victim."

Piper felt her legs start to buckle from under her. She felt Darryl's arms wrap under around her waist. This couldn't be happening. She had seen them both shot. The blood coming from both of them. But now he was standing there telling her only one was here.

"If there were two victims and something happen on the way here they would take her down to the morgue right way. We wouldn't even see her."

"Are you saying.. that she is de…dead?" Piper looked at him not wanting to believe it.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could say as Piper held on to Darryl for support.

"No..no. She can't be. It isn't true." She turned and buried her face into Darryl. Crying for something she wasn't even sure she could ever except.