I do not own Twilight or Charmed. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)
A Trip Down Memory Lane
"Third drowning this year." The medic said to the police officer as he looked down at the body sadly.
"Anyone see it happen?" A police officer said as the body was put in the body bag.
"Is that her little girl?" Someone said suddenly looking towards the dark haired, eight year old who was standing at the docks with tears running down her face. "Get her away from here. We don't want her to see her mom like this."
"Mommy!" Prue cried as the body bag was closed and Patty disappeared from her view.
Before she could do anything a guy ran upto her, kneeling down so he was her level. "Are you Prue?" He asked. "Your Grams said we'd find you. Why don't you come back inside with me."
Prue wasn't paying attention, she didn't look at him when he picked her up and started to carry her back to the cabins. "MOMMY! MOMMY!"
Prue jumped as her phone rang. She wiped the tears from her face and turned away from the lake to answer her phone.
She cleared her throat before answering. "Hello?"
"Prue, are you still on the road?" Piper asked cheerily.
"Oh, year, traffic's insane." She said, trying to sound convincing.
Piper brought it. "Some guy called from Bucklands. I thought you'd be back from the estatesale already. I was just calling to see if you and my car were okay."
"Yeah, we're fine." Prue told her as the phone beeped.
"Oh, um, that's probably Dan." Piper said, trying to sound embarrassed but Prue could hear the smile in her voice.
"You know, he does live twenty feet away. You guys could get walkie talkies, two cans, a string."
Piper laughed. "Point taken, mom."
Prue cringed at the last word but forced a smile on her face. "Um, alright, go talk to your boy, I'll see you later."
Prue was silent after she hung up the phone and hesitated before walking towards the dock. She stopped at the end of it and stared at the spot she had seen her mother's body sixteen years before. She was about to walk back to the car when she heard yells. Her eyes widened as she saw a man in a canoe which was in the middle of the lake. The water around it was bubbling and Prue's heart clenched when she saw the man fall in.
She ran across the edge of the lake, trying to think of a way to help without actually getting in the water. She started to panic when the man went under the water and didn't come back up again but before she could do anything she ran into another man.
The man's clothes were worn out and he loked very scruffy but Prue couldn't help but think she had seen this man before.
He was gripping the top of the arms tightly, his eyes wide. "No, it's too late. It's already taken him."
Prue stared at him for a second, before looking back at the lake. The man was gone, the canoe was empty and the water was steady. Prue let out a small sob before she realised that the man who stopped her had disappeared.
...
Phoebe and Bella were watching their sister in amusement as she walked around the kitchen, talking to her boyfriend.
"Pouring." Piper said as she poured her drink.
"Uh, chewing." Dan said, his mouth full.
Piper scrunched up her nose. "I can't believe you eat that stuff."
"You guys are killing us with cuteness over here." Phoebe finally said and Bella nodded in agreement. Piper rolled her eyes.
"Don't you two have somewhere to be, somewhere very far away." She asked them and they shared a glance before taking a step closer to her.
"What do you say tomorrow, we have breakfast for real?" Dan asked, smiling hopefully.
"I'll take what I can get." Piper said with a small smile.
Bella gagged. "Nausia."
Phoebe frowned when Prue walked into the room.
"Prue, what are you doing home? You told Piper that you were heading into the office."
Prue shrugged. "Yeah, things change."
"Uh, Dan, I have to call you back, okay." Piper said down the phone.
"Okay." Dan said before Piper hung up.
Prue took a deep breath. "Okay, I saw something or someone drown and it was anything but natural.
Phoebe frowned. "On the freeway?"
"No, up at the lake."
Her sisters stared at her for a moment, trying to process everything.
"The lake as in the lake, where mom was killed?" Bella asked blankly.
"You said you were stuck in traffic." Piper whispered.
"Yeah, I was after the lake. I just go there sometimes to think."
"You never told us that." Phoebe said as the four of them walked through the dining room and up the stairs.
"Because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Anyway, this isn't about mom, alright. I saw someone get pulled under, I tried to help him but this man stopped me and said 'It's already taken him'. It's strange though, I think I know him from someone." Prue explained.
"Do you think he knows what happened?" Bella asked her as they walked into Prue's room.
Prue shrugged. "Could. Which means I need to get to Bucklands to drop stuff off and get back to the lake."
"Wait a minute, Prue." Phoebe said firmly. "Aren't you kind of missing the point? How can you think that whatever you saw didn't have something to do with Mom?"
Prue sighed in frustration. "Look, we need to stop worrying about the past and start dealing with the present. They're re-opening the camp."
The three sisters pretty much had the same reaction as Prue did when she first heard.
"I thought they closed it the summer mom..." Phoebe trailed off in shock.
"Exactly and no one had been allowed in the lake since and if there's something in it, killing, then the last thing we need is a lake full of kids." Prue said grimly.
"Well, how do we find the guy that stopped you?" Bella asked.
"What about the woman who used to run the camp?" Piper suggested. "Mrs. Johnson. If she's still up there, she'll probably know who he is."
"She still there, same cabin."
Bella studied Prue closely. "I guess you go up there to think a lot."
Prue looked away from her quickly. "I'll meet you guys at the lake. I should be there in an hour." She said before leaving.
Piper, Phoebe and Bella shared a look.
"Do you two really think the things she saw has nothing to do with how mom died?" Phoebe asked.
Bella shook her head as Piper answered. "Nope. You?"
"Not a chance."
...
"What are you doing here?" Prue asked as she walked into her office to see her annoying co-worker, Jack, sitting at her desk.
"Pondering possibilities." He said and she looked at him oddly.
"Of?"
"Redecoration. Where's your flair in this place? Panache? The Prue?"
Prue frowned. "What? Well, I don't think that's any of your business, Jack. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do, so perhaps you could go annoy someone down the hall."
"Actually, already did. Signed the dotten line, they sent me to my office." Jack said smugly and Prue's eyebrows raised.
"You're office?"
"Well, it's only temporarily of course, untill mine is ready."
"Wait, you think that you're working here?"
"Well, you said we couldn't date and work together so since you won't date me, one out of the two will have to do." He said, placing his feet on the desk and Prue smirked when she saw what he was wearing.
"And you consider that proper work attire?" she asked and Jack looked down at his tight, red shorts.
"Hey, if you can get away with wearing that, I can certainly get away with wearing this. And no wonder no one gets any work done around here, you look wooow!"
Prue hid her smile. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Well, got me this job."
"Okay, look, I have to go take care of some personal things, so untill I get back let's just employ a hands off policy, meaning don't touch anything." Prue said as she walked towards the door.
"Tell you what, take your time. I'll sit back here and make myself comfy." He said, leaning back in the chair and falling backwards onto the floor.
"Really nice form, but the dismount could us a little work." Prue said happily, as she closed the door behind her.
"Meant to do that." Jack muttered to himself.
...
"I'm finding it hard enough to believe enough times gone by for you to of grown up so much." Mrs. Johnson said as she handed Piper a plate of cookies while Phoebe and Bella smiled at a picture.
"Awww, look at little Piper." Phoebe said, smiling widely before laughing. "Nice pigtails Piper!"
"Not fair." Piper pouted.
"No, what's not fair is that me and Phoebe never got to go to camp with you guys." Bella said and Piper just rolled her eyes at her before turning back to Mrs. Johnson.
"Uh, we heard you were thinking of opening up the camp again."
Mrs. Johnson sighed. "Oh, was. I thought it over and then today, another drowning. I can't ask the campers to go swimming in the lake when..."
"Uh, we were wondering if you might help us with something. Prue was up here the other day and she mentioned a man, uh, older, a bit off." Piper said.
"I think the word she used was crazy." Bella pipped up.
Piper ignored her. "We were wondering if you might know who he is."
"Oh, Sam. Only one it could be. The man's not wired together properly. He showed up six years ago and has been here ever since. You know, with someone like that, you wonder what he's capable of." Mrs. Johnson said absentmindedly and the sisters shared a glance.
...
Prue smiled as she walked towards Piper, Phoebe, Bella and Mrs. Johnson.
"Mrs. J, you remember my sister, Prue." Piper said and she smiled.
"Oh, Prue, of course I do. It's good to see you." Mrs. Johnson said as she pulled Prue into a hug. "Wow! You're looking more and more like your mother everyday."
Prue's smile faded. "Uh, actually it's Bella who resembles her the most."
There was an awkward silence after that, nobody knowing what to say.
"People see a little of her in each of us, I think." Phoebe said after a while.
Mrs. Johnson smiled kindly. "Of course. Will you come to see me again? The old broad gets lonely up here. I love to see my campers."
"Sure." Piper said, smiling slightly.
"Bye." Mrs. Johnson said with a small wave and they all waved back as she left.
"She's not opening the camp, Prue." Phoebe told her quietly.
"Really, so that means it's just between us and whatever's hiding in that lake. Any word on that crazy guy?" Prue asked ignoring the looks she was getting from her sisters.
"His name is Sam and he lives-" Bella started but was cut off when Prue's phone rang.
Prue sighed as she took her phone out of her pocket and put it to her ear. "Hello, this is Prue."
"Hey, how's my favourite auctionette?" Jack said and Prue rolled her eyes.
"Fine, how's my favourite auction-ass."
"Ooh, nice one. Hey, listen, I just wanted to let you know that since you're not here, I'm gonna take your twelve o'clock lunch with Mr. Fugimotto." Prue's eyes widened and she started to shake her head even though she knew he couldn't see her.
"Ah, no, no, no. Wait, Mr. Fugimotto is very particular."
"Prue, would you relax." Jack chuckled. "I will take great care of your client okay. Laters." He said before hanging up before she could say anything.
"I just can't figure out what this guy's deal is." Prue said as she turned to her sisters only to be surprised when she saw the looks she was getting from them.
"That's funny." Piper said softly. "We were just gonna ask you the same thing."
Prue frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Every time someone compares you to mom you flinch. It's a compliment, not a curse." Bella told her but Prue shook her head.
"Is it? Every day I feel like I'm becoming more and more like her and every day it terrifies me."
"Prue-"
"I mean, don't you guys see it? Look at what happened to her and then look what's happening to me. No successful relationship with guys, being responsible for a family, now because of being this charmed thing, the very real possibility of dying young, it's like history is repeating itself."
"Prue, that's all just-"
"Coincidence? I thought that we had figured out that nothing is a coincidence in our lives. Like me being here when that thing attacked, it's like I was meant to be here."
"Well, you're not exactly meant to be here when you're here every week." Phoebe reminded her.
Prue shook her head. "Alright, look, I just wanna find this Sam guy, see what he knows about the demon, vanquish it and get on with our lives."
"Sam?" Phoebe called as they walked into the cabin before she started speaking in a baby voice. "Be vewy, vewy quiet. We're hunting demons."
Bella frowned at her. "And they call me the imature one!"
"I guess he's not home." Piper said as they looked around the messy room. Bella looked down at some papers and gasped when she came across a picture.
"What? What is it?" Phoebe asked as she, Piper and Prue walked over to her. Their eyes all widened when they saw a picture of Patty holding Bella the day she was born.
"What is he doing with a picture of you and Mom?" Prue asked but Bella was too busy staring at the picture.
"Who is he?" Piper asked.
"Or what?" Phoebe asked grimly.
"Okay, he has articles on every single drowning at the lake." Prue said, looking through some old news papers.
"'New York teacher of the year, Sam Wylder.'" Piper read from a certificate before she frowned. "In 1872?"
"Okay, so this guy is either 127 years old or-" Phoebe started.
"A demon." Piper suggested.
"Named Sam?" Bella asked, finally looking up from the photo. "A demon named Sam?"
"Yeah, it could be his Grandfather's certificate. After all, he did save my life." Prue reminded them.
Piper shrugged as they started to go through all of the other things in the room. Piper opened a draw and pulled out some letters.
"What are these? I found-" Piper started before jumping when Leo orbed in. "Whoa! Leo, hi, what are you doing here?"
"Come on, we've got to get out of here. Sam could be back here any moment." Leo said and the sisters turned towards him confused.
"Wait, you know Sam?" Prue asked.
"Come on, we've got to-"
"We're not going anywhere untill you tell us what you know." Bella interupted firmly. "Who is Sam?"
Leo looked at her before sighing. "Sam was your mom's whitelighter."
...
"Sam was mom's whitelighter?" Piper asked in shock as they walked by the lake.
"Emphasis on the was." Leo told her. "Not long before your mother died, Sam clipped his wings. He's mortal now but, yeah, he used to be a whitelighter. He looked after your mother."
"Then he lost her." Phoebe said, her eyes blazing and Leo looked at her sadly.
"He wasn't her whitelighter when she died."
"So she had no one to look after her." Phoebe snapped. "And that's his fault."
Leo sighed but knew he would be fighting a loosing battle if he tried to convince her. "The demon that killed her is the demon you're fighting now."
"And you knew?" Piper asked, frowning. "The whole time he's been living up here, while-"
"I couldn't tell you. And what would it change? It would only distract you, maybe even gotten you killed. I mean, you guys were gonna have to face this thing sooner or later. And I'm here to make sure you do it with a clear head. Emotions will get the best of you if you let them."
Bella paused. "Leo, why does he have a picture of me and mom?"
Leo frowned. "I don't know Bella, I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you but I can't."
Bella forced a smile and nodded.
"Guys, we have more important things to worry about." Prue said. "A demon is waiting for brunch to be served tomorrow."
"Mrs. J's not opening the camp." Phoebe reminded her but Prue shook her head.
"That doesn't end it, it just stalls it."
"You guys are behind and need to catch up. Book of Shadows, get a working knowledge of this demon before you face him." Leo said.
"Hmmm, said like an unfeeling professional. This is personal for us Leo." Phoebe snapped.
"Leo doesn't do personal anymore, he just does his job." Piper said blankly and Leo tried to hide his hurt as he avoided her gaze.
"Now that I've done it, there's no reason for me to hang around." He said before orbing out and it was silent.
"Okay, he's gone. Now you can explain." Phoebe said as she, Piper and Bella turned towards Prue who looked at them confused.
"Explain what?"
"Why you're acting like all of this doesn't phase you, Prue. We are talking about how our mother was killed." Phoebe said but Prue's reply was cut short when they heard screaming.
"Is that Mrs. Johnson?" Piper asked as they ran onto the dock.
"Give me your hand! Prue, what are you doing?" Bella yelled when she saw Prue standing on the edge of the dock not knowing what she was doing.
"Prue, we need you!" Phoebe yelled as they tried to get Mrs. Johnson out of the water but Prue was too busy remembering the day her mother died.
"GET OFF THE DOCK! IT'S HER! IT'S TAKEN HER OVER!" yelled Sam as the ran along the side of the lake towards them.
"Oh my god!" Piper said as Mrs. Johnson went under the water and didn't come back up.
"Get off the dock now!" Sam yelled as water squirted up six feet and the girls ran back towards Prue and Sam. "Why didn't you listen to me? I told you to stay away from the lake! It only kills in the water! Why didn't you listen to me? Nobody ever listens!"
"We know who you are." Prue told him once she was back in the present.
"You shouldn't listen to people down town, they-" Sam started but stopped when he caught sight of Bella and his eyes widened.
Bella shifted under his gaze and it was silent for a long while.
"Do I know you?" she asked, finally having enough with the quiet and Sam tore his eyes away from her.
"No, of course, not." He said.
"We know you worked with our mother." Piper said even though she was still curious.
"And lost her." Phoebe said, glaring at Sam.
"I knew you'd come, I knew it. And then I saw you." He said, nodding towards Prue. "It's in your eyes, your mother."
"You have no right talking about her. You lost that right when you lost her. Why are we dealing with him?" Phoebe asked in annoyance.
"Because we need to know what he knows. Sam, you have to tell us about the demon." Piper said more calmly than Phoebe.
"No, no, you can't fight this thing. It's under water but it has a … it-it thinks. You never know where it's gonna be, who it's gonna be. Sometimes it takes over its victim's bodies to lure you to the water. Sometimes it doesn't. Leave now, please! Forget you ever came here. Forget you ever knew."
"Well obviously you don't know us well enough because we're not leaving." Prue said firmly and Sam smiled slightly.
"Strong...willfull...just like Patty."
"I'm nothing like my mother."
"But you're here, just like she was."
"But we'll beat it! Now, you have one choice! You can either get on board or get the hell out of the way!"
"The power of Four." He muttered. "Okay, okay. If you're gonna do this then you're gonna need me to help you."
"Alright, enough of this. How do we kill it?" Phoebe asked impatiently.
"You don't." He said, pulling some sand out of a bag and blowing it over the sisters who's faces went blank. "Now, you're gonna go home and you're gonna go directly to bed. Then when you wake up tomorrow you will not remember coming to the lake, or discovering the demon, or meeting me. I can't let it happen again." He said, his eyes trailing on Bella. He walked over to her, touching the side of her face and held back tears. "Especially to you."
R&R