WitchWRITER M.C. 
Post by Esmeralda on Nov 15, 2008 17:16:03 GMT -4
I don't believe it! Our three FINAL entries have now been posted and FINAL JUDGING has begun!
ANY member can be a Final Judge! If you want to, all you need to do is just read all of the entries and send a PM to me containing one out of two things:
Since this is the last of the Judging, if you wish to "sign" your reviews, you may, but if you wish to keep your anonymity as we have throughout the contest, you can do that also.
And to give you an idea what a fantastic bunch of writers we have here at ALTERNATE CHARMED, here's our FINALISTs' entries, the ones you get to judge![/i]
ENTRY #A
Piper rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as she stood by the sink, washing the dishes.
"I'm just saying, it seems...weird." Paige stated, flailing her hands in front of her as if to emphasize her words.
"Personally, I think it's a good thing." Piper shrugged as she placed the washed dishes on the draining board.
"But, Piper..."
She sighed again and turned to look at her sister. "Look. All I'm saying is that we should just enjoy the bit of peace we currently have.”
"Oh, are we talking about the sudden lull in demonic activity?"
Both sisters turned to look at the kitchen door at the sound of the new voice. Phoebe was standing with a shoulder leant against the door frame, having wandered downstairs in time to hear the end of Piper's comment.
"Yep." Paige replied. "Piper thinks we shouldn't worry about it."
"I didn't say that...exactly." Piper protested, her tone verging on indignant. "But call me stupid for thinking that not many demons being around is a bad thing."
Paige rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest while Phoebe bit her lip to suppress a giggle. "Seriously Paige, we did just get over the whole Billie and Christy thing a few months ago." Phoebe said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just think of this as the calm after the storm," she added before grabbing her bag and walking out the room.
As the front door closed after Phoebe; Piper left the room to go see to Wyatt, leaving Paige standing in the middle of the kitchen, not looking happy.
Paige blew out a breath and pressed her lips together. “Feels more like the calm before the storm to me.”
A flash of light illuminated the alleyway outside P3, startling a cat, before fading away again. A tall, shrouded figure stepped forward, looking up at the club’s sign before walking in through the back. Once inside, the figure riffled through the various papers and documents in the back room, before finding a copy of the day’s newspaper. Glancing at the date on the paper, the figure let out a relieved sigh.
“So far, so good.”
“But what if Paige is right?”
“Piper...”
“I mean why are there so few demons at the moment? What if they’re planning something? What if...”
“Piper!”
Piper snapped her mouth shut, stopped pacing around the main room and turned to regard her husband with a speculative eyebrow.
“Just calm down and relax. Weren’t you telling Paige earlier to enjoy the peace and quiet?” Leo asked, and at her nod offered a reassuring smile. “So, stop worrying and just see what happens.”
“Oh, all right...but I reserve the right to worry when the quiet doesn’t last...” Piper grumbled.
Phoebe walked across the empty parking lot after work. She paused and looked over her shoulder. For a moment she had thought she’d seen something out of the corner of her eye. There was nothing. She shook her head and continued towards her car, failing to see the shrouded figure that emerged from behind another car as she turned back around.
Just then, something jumped onto her back, knocking her to the ground. Twisting and turning onto her back, Phoebe was confronted with a jet-black creature with gnarled, talon-like fingers, blood-red eyes and long protruding fangs. She managed to get her foot between herself and the creature and kicked it off of her. She’d barely been able to attempt scrambling to her feet, before the creature was up and moving towards her again. It was almost upon her when it went stiff and arched its back, blood dribbling down the corner of its mouth. It took another couple of steps towards her before pitching forward, an athame sticking out of its back.
Cautiously, Phoebe moved over to the creature, nudging it with her toe to check it was dead. Movement, out of the corner of her eye, caught her attention and she spun round, fist raised and connected solidly...
"Ow!"
Phoebe blinked at the young, dark-haired man who stood behind her, now holding his hand to his nose.
“If that’s how you treat people who try to save your life, I’d hate to see what would’ve happened if I’d tried to kill you,” he muttered in a disgruntled tone, rubbing his face.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry...you killed..it?” Phoebe asked, looking at the creature again, making certain it hadn’t moved. The young man nodded and Phoebe offered a smile. “Thank you...umm...?”
“Chris.”
“You’re what!?!”
Chris rolled his eyes and sighed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against Phoebe’s car. “I said, I’m from the future.”
“Oohkkayy...I think somebody’s been watching too much sci-fi.” Phoebe blinked at him, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“Phoebe Halliwell....witch....Charmed One. You’ve traveled through time before-- not that uncommon.”
“Oh god, did you travel back to stop that thing from killing me?” She glanced at the dead creature that was now sitting wrapped in the back of her car, as they couldn’t just leave something like that lying around to be found by the general public.
Chris frowned in confusion before shaking his head. “That? No. You didn’t die or anything, you just would’ve called Paige and defeated it with her,” he said with a shrug. “I knew you’d be here for sure - perfect opportunity to run into you. I just didn’t count on getting punched in the face,” he grimaced, gingerly feeling the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.
“I did apologize about that.”
“Yeah...anyway, you might still want to call Paige for a lift. That creature slashed your tires.” He pointed at her car to prove he was right.
“Oh great... that’s just great,” Phoebe grumbled, pulling out her phone and dialing Paige’s number.
It was a good half hour before Paige arrived. She got out of the car and walked over to her sister and the young man with her. “Okay, what’s going on? It was all a bit vague on the phone.”
“Chris, Paige; Paige, Chris....he’s from the future.” Phoebe explained quickly, gesturing between the two before indicating for Paige to check out the bundle in the back of her car.
Paige wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Oh, nasty,” was all she said before turning to regard Chris with a suspicious look. “The future? And we’re supposed to just trust him?”
“He did save me,” Phoebe pointed out, offering Chris another smile of gratitude.
“And got punched for my trouble.”
“I said sorry!”
Paige chuckled slightly at the exchange, particularly the chagrined look upon her sister’s face. “Okay, fine. Let’s just get back home. We’ll bring...Chris...with us and dispose of that on the way,” she added, wrinkling her nose again as she indicated the dead creature.
“Okay, what the hell happened? And don’t tell me nothing,” Piper’s voice greeted them as Paige opened the door to the Manor.
“Hello to you, too.”
“Paige, I’m serious. You were both supposed to be home over an hour ago.” The elder Halliwell snapped back, standing with her arms folded across her chest. “Please tell me it wasn’t a demon...demonstration.” She abruptly changed the sentence upon seeing the young man that followed her sisters, slightly hesitantly, through the door. “Please tell me it wasn’t a demonstration that went on too long...who’s he?”
All eyes fell on Chris, who was currently looking around the Manor’s hallway with an almost wistful expression upon his face. He jumped slightly when Piper cleared her throat and Phoebe nudged him with her elbow to earn his attention. He blinked a few times upon realizing everyone was looking at him. “Umm...” he trailed off, words dying on his lips as he stared at Piper.
“This is Chris. He killed a demonic creature that was trying to kill me,” Phoebe supplied when the young man failed to say anything. “Chris, this is...”
“Piper Halliwell...married to your former whitelighter, Leo Wyatt. I know,” Chris finished, still staring at Piper.
“Okay. Back up a bit...demonic creature?” Piper asked her sisters, eyeing Chris suspiciously. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I knew the lack of demonic activity was too good to be true.”
Phoebe began to relay the incident to her sister. The mention of Chris using an athame to kill the creature and then him ‘knowing’ she would be there, earning a skeptical eyebrow from the elder Halliwell.
“And we’re just suppose to believe him when he says he’s from the future?” Piper asked once Phoebe was finished. “He could be a demon or a warlock. He could’ve sent that thing after you to trick you. And even if he is from the future, how do we know he hasn’t ‘come back’ to kill us.”
“Because I haven’t,” Chris said simply, rolling his eyes at the accusations. “And I’m not a demon...or a warlock. I’m a witch. And a good witch at that. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try to freeze me,” he said, waving his hands in a mock-impersonation of Piper’s powers.
Piper quirked an unimpressed eyebrow at the mock-impersonation, before flicking her own hands in an attempt to freeze him.
“See,” a very unfrozen Chris commented. “You can’t freeze good witches.”
“Yeah, yeah, fine. All that proves is that you can’t be frozen. We’ve met demons that can’t be frozen before,” Piper pointed out, still eyeing him with unconcealed suspicion.
“Piper...”
“I’m sorry, Phoebe, but I’m not trusting him that easily.”
"What's going on?"
The sisters and Chris turned to look in the direction of the stairway as Leo's voice penetrated the uncomfortable silence that had settled after Piper's comment.
"Who's that?" He asked, looking at the younger man with a good degree of curiosity and suspicion; who in turn was looking at Leo with an unreadable expression.
"This is Chris." Phoebe said quickly, beating her sisters with the answer. "He saved my life," she added, before proceeding to inform Leo of the circumstances of their meeting - occasionally she was interrupted by her sisters; Paige mentioning that dumping a dead, nasty creature over the side of the bridge was not her idea of a night out; and Piper interrupting to point out that the fact Chris didn't freeze was not an indicator that he was telling the truth, nor was it a reason to trust him so readily.
Leo's brow furrowed in thought as he listened, remaining quiet even after they were finished. Green eyes flicked over to take in the young man, who shifted under the gaze but his expression didn't change.
"You're from the future?" The former whitelighter eventually asked. At Chris' nod he opened his mouth to speak again. "Time travel's dangerous."
"I know. I've been told." Chris replied, his lips twitching in a small smile before reverting back to the unreadable expression he'd managed to adopt. "The person who sent me back made sure I knew what not to do and to be careful."
"Are you seriously buying this, Leo? This could be a trick?" Piper interjected, the suspicious look never leaving her face.
"It's not uncommon. You've traveled through time yourselves." Leo pointed out, not missing the way Chris ducked his head to hide a small wry smile.
Piper rolled her eyes, before turning on the younger man. "Okay. If you are from the future...why are you here?"
"I..." He hesitated, swallowing and the impassive expression slipped slightly, revealing a mixed expression of unsurety and worry, before it was put back into place. "I'm not allowed to say...not yet anyway."
"Oh, of course you can't." Piper scoffed, rolling her eyes again.
Chris' shoulders sagged ever-so-slightly and he pressed his lips in a tight line, looking down at the floor.
"Piper..." Phoebe shot her sister a look and Paige nudged her, which just earned her a glare before Piper rolled her eyes again and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, fine," she muttered, grumbling under her breath.
"Leo? Maybe you could see to Chris' nose?" Phoebe asked him. "We'll go, get drinks or something to eat."
"We will?" Paige and Piper said at the same time.
"Yes. We will." Phoebe said, stressing each word as she moved herself and her sister into the kitchen; while trying to explain that she thought it would be a good idea for Leo to talk to Chris.
Chris looked up, watching the three sisters walk off before turning to regard the older man with a curious expression. "Do you actually believe me?"
"Depends. Are you telling the truth?" Leo replied, gesturing for the younger man to follow him into the living room.
"My nose doesn't actually need seeing to. I know Phoebe did that just to leave you alone with me." Chris said in an almost matter-of-fact tone. "To talk, right? And I am telling the truth."
"But you can't tell us why you came back?"
"Not the sisters." Chris ran a hand through his hair. "I was told to tell you."
Leo frowned. "Why?"
"Because it was you who sent me back."
ENTRY #B
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during the first part of The Cole Season, right near the beginning. I paraphrased one quote from the show when Phoebe is reading the letter from Cole.
As the Seer opened her eyes she found herself in a dark place; it was very hot. Not understanding what was happening she began looking around but there was nothing but darkness and heat. The Source's Spawn should be here, if I am. She kept looking, but without the boy, she had no hope. No future. All she could feel was this feeling that she was burning from the inside. Keep looking.
Meanwhile, back at the Manor, Phoebe was lying in bed that night after reading the letter from Cole. She knew it would bring dreams of him, but she read it anyway. Seeing him in her dreams was better than not at all. She knew she loved him and always would:
That night, she had the most disturbing dream of all that: She dreamed The Seer had taken her child. She woke with a start remembering it wasn't a dream. The Seer did take her son from her womb then what was this feeling inside her now, the feeling she'd had every morning since they vanquished Cole. She still had the crawling feeling, Oh God, the nausea; she had to get to the bathroom. As she sat there on the floor she was confused, she knew The Seer had taken her baby, yet she felt for all the world like she was still....
Pregnant. That was impossible, she knew, but looking at her still-large tummy, she wondered. Face reality, Pheebs. Go back to bed; you have work tomorrow. She tossed and turned the remainder of the night dozed every now and then but never really went back to sleep.
But the next morning, Phoebe knew there was definitely something wrong. She was not back to normal. She was still sick.
Piper knocked and came into the room and crawled up on the bed and put her arms around Phoebe and said, "What's wrong, sweetie?" Piper had to coerce her a little "Come on tell me you'll feel better confiding in someone you can trust, now what's the matter?"
"I think I'm still pregnant. I have since we vanquished Cole and my tummy's still big." Phoebe quietly said in little more than a whisper
"That is impossible, Phoebe. Don't you remember, the Seer took your baby and we vanquished her? There is just no way you could be pregnant," Piper confirmed.
Piper got an idea, "Just a second." She went out and was back in less than a minute. "Here is a sure fire way to set your mind at rest," she explained as she handed Phoebe a small box, "It will only take a couple of minutes and we will all feel better knowing your ordeal is over. Go on, honey, do it."
Later, as Phoebe watched, she saw the outcome of the test. All she could do was stare. Silent. Without another thought, she headed back to the bedroom. Seeing Piper's eyes staring deep into hers, she decided to go ahead and hand the results of the test to Piper.
Piper took the test out of her hand, noticing that her sister didn't look very happy. Piper looked carefully at the test, and finally spoke up after a moment, "It's negative; why aren't you happy??"
Phoebe sat up to look at her sister, "It was negative before too, remember?"
Typical Piper, she started to worry, "Uh, yeah, and I remember what that baby did to my doctor, too. Well, we have got to find out for sure, and there is only one way I know how."
Phoebe interrupted, "But, but remember?"
Piper stopped her, "I know I know, but we gotta find out for sure, and I mean now. I don't know any other way. I'll go make the calls."
Phoebe thought about telling Piper about hearing Cole's voice and called out her sister's name.
Piper stopped and turned around, "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing." Phoebe changed her mind by telling herself it was just her imagination getting the best of her. She lay there thinking.... What if Cole wasn't evil; could they have had something that could last? She knew she loved him. She got up and saw faintly in the corner in the reflection of her mirror someone. It could have been Cole. It looked like him.
She turned quickly away. Nothing! Just my imagination and wishful thinking. Grabbing her robe, she started downstairs to get some coffee. Two cups should help me think straight, Phoebe thought as she headed to the kitchen.
The Seer felt like she was on fire. She was so tired of looking when suddenly she noticed her belly; it was throbbing and moving in such a way. She knew where The Source's Spawn was now.
Or so she thought.
As long as the child is still within my body I have hope, but where am I? It is not any part of the underworld. I can find no way out of this dark cave. I don't remember how I got here I was at the coronation and I vanquished those Charmed Ones but they fought back and suddenly I was here but where is here?--where are they?--and where is everyone else? I need to find water.
She began feeling her way along the wall through the darkness which seemed to go on forever. She couldn’t know she was in the wasteland in a cave captured until he came back to kill her and the spawn within her as well.
Simultaneously back at the Manor Phoebe was getting ready after taking a shower preparing for her doctor's appointment at 10:30 that Piper had made. She was dreading this visit remembering what happened the last time.
Piper will be there to freeze the room if anything goes wrong, I haven't been having hot flashes or any other unusual symptoms. She closed her eyes and tried to put the thought of what happened before out of her mind.
When she opened her eyes she saw; NO, it had to be a dream. She blinked three times trying to get her eyes to see correctly. Still, there he stood stock-still looking at her just like a statue. She was so sure he wasn't real that she walked right into him.
Cole.
Sure enough he was solid. He began to say something about the Seer but she just couldn't hear him because as he began to speak he began to fade away and he was gone in a matter of seconds. It was like he was being pulled away against his will.
She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her now except for the paper she saw on the counter. It had one word on it ---- TWINS---- and it was in Cole's handwriting. He wrote "Twins" and was trying to tell her something about the Seer. What could it mean? She wanted him back, no, she needed him back.
She took the paper back to her room and sat on the bed and thought about Cole and their love and how much she truly wanted him. If there were only a way..but how?
She sat there holding the small piece of paper with the single word on it and suddenly she started feeling like she was spinning and the nausea and fear were overwhelming. She just wouldn't believe what she had just seen--she couldn't.
Piper came into Phoebe's room and saw her sitting on the bed and told her she better hurry, it was time to go, but when Phoebe looked at her big sister, Piper knew from the tear streaks and the look on her sister's face there was definitely something wrong, seriously wrong.
"What happened, Phoebe?" Piper asked confused because Phoebe was fine just five minutes earlier.
I saw, I saw, I had," She just broke down in tears in Piper's arms."
Piper was confused; she didn’t understand what was going on. She was sure Phoebe just had a premonition but the question was what she saw. Phoebe was so hysterical she couldn’t even talk.
Piper sat on the bed and consoled her sister. Finally it seemed she had calmed down. She turned to Piper and said “ I am not going; I need to be alone for a little while. Please.”
Piper was very reluctant to leave Phoebe but she did have to call Dr. Harrison and change the appointment. "I’ll go make you something to eat then we can talk, okay?”
Reluctantly Phoebe agreed, mainly so Piper would leave. As soon as she left, Phoebe got up and locked the door…
"Cole, who were those men in my premonition and what did they want?" she asked her lover who was standing in the corner. "How did you get here? Are you one of them? Is that how you are doing this?"
"No, I got my powers from…. I have to tell you now before it’s too late.
"Those were Avatars and they want me to help them make Utopia. A perfect world--no good; no evil. There is no possible way it can work--the cost is too great.
"You are in great danger. I must destroy the Seer--I currently have her trapped in an area of the wasteland--but once I do I will never be able to return to you. I love you, Phoebe.
"Don’t forget that you are the reason I will do what must be done and your love gives me the strength to do it.
He faded away again and was gone in seconds.
“NO, COLE, don’t go!” she shouted but he was already gone again.
Phoebe was beginning to doubt her sanity--did she really see Cole or was it simply wishful thinking?
Avatars, hmm ,who are they? It wouldn’t hurt to see if Leo has heard of them or if they're in the Book. Are they good or evil?
She left her room, walking right past Piper, and headed for the attic to check the Book. She was in such a hurry she didn’t even notice Piper coming down the hall carrying a tray of danish, croissants and a carafe of coffee. “Where are you going? Come back here--we need to talk. Phoebe! Phoebe! “
Phoebe felt her heart beating so fast in her chest she felt like she was going to explode. She wasn't sure if she would find Cole in the attic, the avatar or information in the Book or what . She rushed as fast as she could, just on the chance Cole might explain what he was talking about; she was so confused which wasn't unusual but this was different.
Meanwhile Piper was so confused about Phoebe running by her that she set down the tray, called for Leo and they followed her.
Phoebe looked for Cole. Instead of finding Cole she found two of the strange men from her premonition. They must be avatars.
"What do you want? What did you do with Cole?"
"We want Utopia. We wanted his help, but he refused so he ran. I assume he is in the wasteland where all vanquished demons go. We need power and we will get it. We will find him."
Just then Piper and Leo came into the attic. It seemed at the exact same time the men disappeared just like they did in her prem.
"Phoebe, what in the hell is going on up here?" Piper hollered at her sister as she ran into the attic followed closely by Leo who was completely in the dark to everything.
"Piper, I saw Cole and the avatars. They can change the world as we know it and create Utopia. Cole says the Seer didn't steal my baby. I am sure of it. Cole is going to kill her in the wasteland and I will be free to have my baby and raise it good."
"But Phoebe, you don't know that you are pregnant for sure. The test was negative," Piper softly told her, "because we have not been to the doctor yet, you can't say for sure that you are even pregnant"
"Wait wait wait, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SAW COLE?" Piper suddenly grabbed Phoebe by both arms and turned her to face her. "Where.....When....How?? What are you thinking? " "Leo take the boys to magic school so they will be safe. I don't want them to be touched by this Any of this."
"Cole has come to me here and in my room. He promised to kill the seer in the wasteland and he said I had twins so I am sure I am pregnant."
Phoebe and Piper remembered they had their appointment at 1:00 with Dr Harrison, and as Phoebe laid on the table she was so afraid, remembering what happened last time. The doctor came in and began the exam. He squirted the gel on her stomach, but she didn't have any reaction like the last time.
This time there was nothing in the picture. No baby. That's impossible. "I know there is a baby there. I am sure of it" Phoebe said.
Piper felt dizzy and she suddenly saw stars. The next thing she knew, she was waking up on the stretcher and the doctor was drawing blood from her arm. She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. When she opened them up again, she is in her own room with Leo sitting in the chair next to her. She must of dozed off. Phoebe and Paige came up to her room. Just then Dr Harrison came into Piper's room. He walked over to Piper and took her hands,"Congratulations! You are going to be a mother." He turned to Leo, and shook his hand " Congrats Daddy to be" Piper abruptly said," Can I go home now? I hate hospitals. Don't get me wrong. I am excited about the baby, but I want to be excited about it at home.”
Piper and Leo rode home in the jeep. She asked him how Phoebe was taking the news about the baby. He said, "She was taking it very well all things considered. Who were those men in the attic? Do you know? They disappeared as soon as we got there. "
The Seer was sure she was on her way to freedom when suddenly she saw Cole. No It can't be anyone but you!”
At that moment Cole hit the Seer with everything he had. The lightning attracted the snakelike monster which sucked her into oblivion. The Seer was gone for good. Along with the Source’s Spawn that was still within her. With that, Cole was free to move on. He no longer had to worry about Phoebe. With one last look around the wasteland, he closed his eyes and he disappeared.
*Episode 4.21: Womb Raider Written by Daniel Cerone
ENTRY #C
It was a nice day in late summer that found half sisters, Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews, drinking coffee at the breakfast table. Their older sister, Piper Halliwell, was trying to get her small son, Wyatt, to eat breakfast, something he stubbornly refused to do. “Come on, Wyatt,” Piper coaxed him, “just two more bites and then we’re done.”
“Uh uh,” the stubborn child shook his head.
Piper slipped the spoon between the surprised little boy’s lips causing Phoebe to chuckle. “Congrats, Piper. You outsmarted a one-year-old.”
“At least it’s not the other way around,” Paige commented as she got up and grabbed her purse from the floor. “I had better be going. I have . . .” The sound of a thud somewhere above them stopped Paige mid-sentence. She looked up concerned. “On second thought, I’ll meet you upstairs.” She dropped her purse back onto the ground and orbed out.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. After a second Phoebe stood and headed out of the kitchen for the stairs.
Instead of following them, Piper looked at her son. She looked worried up at the attic and then back down at him.
“Piper!” Paige’s voice penetrated through the house.
Piper looked up and heaved in a deep sigh. She pulled Wyatt out of his chair and headed out of the room toward the attic. Wyatt was safer with them than by himself, especially when there were things upstairs that went bump. Hugging her son to herself, Piper climbed up the stairs.
Once in the attic she saw Phoebe and Paige down on their knees, blocking her view of whatever caused the commotion.
Phoebe glanced back at the sound of Piper striding across the attic. She motioned her over.
Curious, Piper walked over to them and stopped short as she saw that they were huddled around the figure of a man. His face was down, so she wasn’t sure of his age. His dark brown hair was matted with a reddish-brown sticky substance, blood most likely. His clothes were torn and through the tears in his clothes she could see cuts, scrapes, and gashes. “What happened?”
Paige looked up, worry in her eyes. “I don’t know. When I got here, he was lying on the floor like this and there was a fading triquetra on the wall. Can you call Leo? He may be a mortal, but at least he has some medical training. I’m afraid to touch him beyond checking for a pulse.”
Piper nodded and handed Wyatt over to Phoebe. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
While Piper punched in Leo’s number, Phoebe and Paige continued to examine the stranger. “Are you sure you can’t heal him?” Phoebe asked as she looked at the badly wounded young man.
She saw his chest rising and falling, but nothing else to indicate he was alive. “You are half whitelighter after all.”
Paige gave Phoebe a pained look. “Phoebe, I tried. Maybe I’m just not meant to heal anyone. The only time I ever healed someone was when I helped Leo heal . . .” Paige trailed off at the near mention of Phoebe’s long dead ex-husband, Cole. “The point is, I couldn’t.”
Phoebe looked up at her; sadness filling her eyes in acknowledgment of the near mention of her lost loved one. She missed him a lot, but it didn’t hurt quite as much now that she was seeing Drake. Phoebe frowned and looked at her watch. She was supposed to meet Drake for brunch in just less than half an hour. It didn’t look like she was going to make it.
“Paige already felt for a pulse, so we know he is alive,” Piper’s words drifted over to them, her eyes questioning.
“The pulse is steady,” Paige offered.
Piper nodded her thanks and went back to her conversation with Leo.
"I wonder what happened to him,” Phoebe mused. “It looks like he got into a fight.”
“It looks like he lost a fight,” Paige added, “because if he won I’d hate to see the loser.”
They both looked up at the sound of footsteps. As Piper headed toward them she said, “Leo is on his way. He thinks this guy might have a concussion. When he wakes up, I want to know what he was doing in our attic.”
“Don’t forget the triquetra,” Paige reminded her. “It’s probably how he ended up here.”
“People don’t usually end up unconscious on the floor after coming through a triquetra,” Piper argued.
“Piper, may I use your phone?” Phoebe asked, interrupting the conversation, remembering her earlier train of thought.
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“Besides the fact that it’s downstairs?” Phoebe shrugged. “Nothing. I just wanted to call Drake and tell him I’ll be a while.”
Piper pulled back out her phone and handed it to her sister. She lifted Wyatt out of her sister’s arms, so that Phoebe had her hands free to dial Drake’s number. Wyatt seemed content to watch silently even as she hugged him tight. “Since it sounds like Phoebe plans to stay here, I’m going to head downstairs to wait for Leo. Paige, didn’t you have plans?”
Paige looked down at the young man. “I don’t know, Piper. It’s nothing that can’t wait. There’s something about him.”
Piper chuckled. “You aren’t looking for a date are you?”
Paige laughed at that. “Not likely. No, I may like a variety in my dinner dates, but I don’t make a date with a guy when I already have one with someone else. No, it’s something else. I’m just not sure what.” She looked down at her hands. “I wish I could heal him.”
“We don’t know who he is, or why he’s here,” Piper reminded her.
Paige sighed. “I know, but I don’t think we are going to learn anything until he wakes up.” She stared down at him for a long time. “Remember that house that gave me the shivers whenever I walked by it?”
“The one where the guy who turned us into miniatures lived?” Phoebe asked for clarification as she closed up the phone from her short conversation with her boyfriend.
Paige nodded. “That’s the one.”
“What about it?”
Paige was silent as she tried to figure out how to put her feelings into words. “I guess I get the opposite feeling from this guy. He’s good. I can’t pinpoint anything specific, but he’s good.”
Considering how things had turned out in that case, it gave Piper a measure of reassurance to have Paige say that whatever this guy was doing in their attic he was good.
“Wy?” A groan pulled the attentions of all three sisters back to the young man on the floor and he rolled over. His eyes blinked open and widened as he saw the three women staring down at him. He started to get up and winced, his right arm buckling under pressure. He gritted his teeth and started to push himself up with his left.
Piper pushed him back down. “Uh, uh, Mister. Leo said you aren’t to move until he gets here, so you aren’t to move.”
“I’ll be fine,” he argued through gritted teeth. “I’ve felt worse.”
"Worse?” Phoebe asked surprised. She eyed him, worried. “You look pretty bad off and you are saying, you’ve felt worse?”
He nodded and again tried to sit up. This time no one stopped him. He scooted across the floor the foot or so to the couch using only his unbroken left arm to move himself. He leaned back against the couch and sighed in relief.
Piper looked at him and raised an eyebrow at her sisters. “I think I’m going to get those answers now. If he’s going to ignore the pain, than he might as well answer me.”
The young man looked at her, worry and curiosity mixed in his eyes. He said nothing.
Piper walked over to him and stopped maybe half a foot from him, invading his personal space, but still he did nothing. She squatted down and looked him in the eyes. “I’ll give you a choice. Which do you want to answer first?”
When she said nothing, he shrugged. “Between?”
“Who are you and what are you doing in our attic?”
“My name is Chris and I don’t know why I am here in this attic. It wasn’t my intended destination.” He sighed. “But then, maybe it’s for the best.”
“For the best?” Phoebe’s question came from across the attic. “How could it be for the best? You’re invading our home.”
Chris ignored her question and looked at the baby in her arms. He smiled a little. “I’m sorry for that. I wasn’t exactly the one that said the spell sending me here.” His head leaned back against the couch. “I think I’d have some idea how I got here if I was. The last thing I remember was . . .” He froze and a frown replaced the smile on his face. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” He started trying to push himself up with his uninjured arm.
“Wait a moment, young man,” Piper’s voice froze him almost as surely as her powers could. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
He sighed and looked up at her. With a quick glance at his broken arm he admitted wryly, “I guess I’m not exactly in a position to argue, but tell me one thing, why would you want me to stay?”
“I’m guessing it’s because you’re being evasive and not answering our questions,” Paige proffered.
“But I’ve answered every question you’ve asked,” Chris protested.
“Oh?” Piper gave him a look. “Then, why didn’t you answer Phoebe’s question? Why is it best that you ended up here? And while we’re at it, how did you get so injured?”
“I was in a fight,” Chris informed them, answering the last question, “a fight that never should have happened, a fight that ended in more loss of life than I ever want to see again, and no, I didn’t kill anyone. I was fighting for my life. I lost a lot of friends and I lost a lot more than that. The future’s not one you want to see. I’m here to change it.” He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. He shook for several seconds and when he looked up he wiped his face leaving behind wet streaks and red in his eyes. “Only I haven’t a clue how, because I don’t know what went wrong.”
“Care to elaborate on that,” Piper suggested eyeing him suspiciously.
“Chris sighed. “I think I’ve probably said too much already.
Phoebe didn’t agree. “You did say you didn’t know what went wrong,” she reminded him, “so maybe we can help.”
“Or maybe he can prove he’s on our side first,” Piper argued not allowing him to respond. “He didn’t plan to come here, so he probably didn’t plan to get our help. How do we know that it isn’t because we are on different sides?”
“He used a triquetra,” Phoebe offered.
“He was probably unconscious at the time,” Piper surmised, “and who’s to say evil might not use that, too.”
“I do have a good feeling about him,” Paige reminded them both.
“There is that,” Piper conceded. “But a person can be good and still misguided, still end up causing more harm than healing.”
“I’m on your side,” Chris protested. “I need your help.”
“Did our future selves send you?” Piper asked, speculatively.
A shadow crossed his eyes before he admitted, “No.”
“Did they, we even know you were coming?”
“I don’t know,” he informed her softly.
“Did you know?” This time is was Phoebe who asked. Curiosity rather than thinly veiled worry filled her voice.
He nodded this time, a small smile on his face. “I knew, but I really shouldn’t say any more.”
“Why you?” Piper asked, again leading the interrogation. “Do we know you? What’s your full name?”
“I . . .” he hesitated and shook his head. “I’d best not say. I want you to form your opinions on something less flimsy than a name. I’ve learned that a name is well and good, but one person can ruin it.” His eyes slid closed and he sighed.
“What do you hope to accomplish?” Piper wanted to know.
Chris’ gaze unconscious went to the little baby in her arms, but no one seemed to realize that he was looking at Wyatt rather than Piper. He looked up into her eyes and shook his head.
The sound of the attic door closing saved Chris from answering as all eyes turned to see Leo entering the room. At the sight of Chris leaning up against the couch he smiled a little. “It looks like your patient isn’t too badly hurt.” He walked across the attic, one board squeaking in protesting as he stepped across it.
A smile fought Chris’ lips, quickly forced into submission before anyone turned their attention back to him. Anyone that is, except Wyatt whose tiny baby blues met Chris’ and held. Chris gulped and hardened both his face and his resolve.
Leo walked over to Chris and squatted down next to him. “Hello, I am Leo. Piper is my wife. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” Chris admitted.
“When Piper called me, you were unconscious, so I don’t know your name.”
“Chris,” he was informed with a warm smile.
Phoebe stared at him. Piper’s eyebrows rose at the easy manner her husband seemed to be getting information out of the young man.
“She mentioned that you appeared through a triquetra,” Leo commented, “so you know about magic?”
Chris grinned at the question and nodded. “Quite,” he agreed. “I’m a witch.”
ANY member can be a Final Judge! If you want to, all you need to do is just read all of the entries and send a PM to me containing one out of two things:
- What you like and what you don't like about each entry
- Pick a favorite line or section or something of each entry, something to put a smile on the Finalist's face. Do this for each entry.
Since this is the last of the Judging, if you wish to "sign" your reviews, you may, but if you wish to keep your anonymity as we have throughout the contest, you can do that also.
And to give you an idea what a fantastic bunch of writers we have here at ALTERNATE CHARMED, here's our FINALISTs' entries, the ones you get to judge![/i]
ENTRY #A
Piper rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as she stood by the sink, washing the dishes.
"I'm just saying, it seems...weird." Paige stated, flailing her hands in front of her as if to emphasize her words.
"Personally, I think it's a good thing." Piper shrugged as she placed the washed dishes on the draining board.
"But, Piper..."
She sighed again and turned to look at her sister. "Look. All I'm saying is that we should just enjoy the bit of peace we currently have.”
"Oh, are we talking about the sudden lull in demonic activity?"
Both sisters turned to look at the kitchen door at the sound of the new voice. Phoebe was standing with a shoulder leant against the door frame, having wandered downstairs in time to hear the end of Piper's comment.
"Yep." Paige replied. "Piper thinks we shouldn't worry about it."
"I didn't say that...exactly." Piper protested, her tone verging on indignant. "But call me stupid for thinking that not many demons being around is a bad thing."
Paige rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest while Phoebe bit her lip to suppress a giggle. "Seriously Paige, we did just get over the whole Billie and Christy thing a few months ago." Phoebe said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just think of this as the calm after the storm," she added before grabbing her bag and walking out the room.
As the front door closed after Phoebe; Piper left the room to go see to Wyatt, leaving Paige standing in the middle of the kitchen, not looking happy.
Paige blew out a breath and pressed her lips together. “Feels more like the calm before the storm to me.”
*****
A flash of light illuminated the alleyway outside P3, startling a cat, before fading away again. A tall, shrouded figure stepped forward, looking up at the club’s sign before walking in through the back. Once inside, the figure riffled through the various papers and documents in the back room, before finding a copy of the day’s newspaper. Glancing at the date on the paper, the figure let out a relieved sigh.
“So far, so good.”
“But what if Paige is right?”
“Piper...”
“I mean why are there so few demons at the moment? What if they’re planning something? What if...”
“Piper!”
Piper snapped her mouth shut, stopped pacing around the main room and turned to regard her husband with a speculative eyebrow.
“Just calm down and relax. Weren’t you telling Paige earlier to enjoy the peace and quiet?” Leo asked, and at her nod offered a reassuring smile. “So, stop worrying and just see what happens.”
“Oh, all right...but I reserve the right to worry when the quiet doesn’t last...” Piper grumbled.
*****
Phoebe walked across the empty parking lot after work. She paused and looked over her shoulder. For a moment she had thought she’d seen something out of the corner of her eye. There was nothing. She shook her head and continued towards her car, failing to see the shrouded figure that emerged from behind another car as she turned back around.
Just then, something jumped onto her back, knocking her to the ground. Twisting and turning onto her back, Phoebe was confronted with a jet-black creature with gnarled, talon-like fingers, blood-red eyes and long protruding fangs. She managed to get her foot between herself and the creature and kicked it off of her. She’d barely been able to attempt scrambling to her feet, before the creature was up and moving towards her again. It was almost upon her when it went stiff and arched its back, blood dribbling down the corner of its mouth. It took another couple of steps towards her before pitching forward, an athame sticking out of its back.
Cautiously, Phoebe moved over to the creature, nudging it with her toe to check it was dead. Movement, out of the corner of her eye, caught her attention and she spun round, fist raised and connected solidly...
"Ow!"
Phoebe blinked at the young, dark-haired man who stood behind her, now holding his hand to his nose.
“If that’s how you treat people who try to save your life, I’d hate to see what would’ve happened if I’d tried to kill you,” he muttered in a disgruntled tone, rubbing his face.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry...you killed..it?” Phoebe asked, looking at the creature again, making certain it hadn’t moved. The young man nodded and Phoebe offered a smile. “Thank you...umm...?”
“Chris.”
“You’re what!?!”
Chris rolled his eyes and sighed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against Phoebe’s car. “I said, I’m from the future.”
“Oohkkayy...I think somebody’s been watching too much sci-fi.” Phoebe blinked at him, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“Phoebe Halliwell....witch....Charmed One. You’ve traveled through time before-- not that uncommon.”
“Oh god, did you travel back to stop that thing from killing me?” She glanced at the dead creature that was now sitting wrapped in the back of her car, as they couldn’t just leave something like that lying around to be found by the general public.
Chris frowned in confusion before shaking his head. “That? No. You didn’t die or anything, you just would’ve called Paige and defeated it with her,” he said with a shrug. “I knew you’d be here for sure - perfect opportunity to run into you. I just didn’t count on getting punched in the face,” he grimaced, gingerly feeling the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.
“I did apologize about that.”
“Yeah...anyway, you might still want to call Paige for a lift. That creature slashed your tires.” He pointed at her car to prove he was right.
“Oh great... that’s just great,” Phoebe grumbled, pulling out her phone and dialing Paige’s number.
*****
It was a good half hour before Paige arrived. She got out of the car and walked over to her sister and the young man with her. “Okay, what’s going on? It was all a bit vague on the phone.”
“Chris, Paige; Paige, Chris....he’s from the future.” Phoebe explained quickly, gesturing between the two before indicating for Paige to check out the bundle in the back of her car.
Paige wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Oh, nasty,” was all she said before turning to regard Chris with a suspicious look. “The future? And we’re supposed to just trust him?”
“He did save me,” Phoebe pointed out, offering Chris another smile of gratitude.
“And got punched for my trouble.”
“I said sorry!”
Paige chuckled slightly at the exchange, particularly the chagrined look upon her sister’s face. “Okay, fine. Let’s just get back home. We’ll bring...Chris...with us and dispose of that on the way,” she added, wrinkling her nose again as she indicated the dead creature.
“Okay, what the hell happened? And don’t tell me nothing,” Piper’s voice greeted them as Paige opened the door to the Manor.
“Hello to you, too.”
“Paige, I’m serious. You were both supposed to be home over an hour ago.” The elder Halliwell snapped back, standing with her arms folded across her chest. “Please tell me it wasn’t a demon...demonstration.” She abruptly changed the sentence upon seeing the young man that followed her sisters, slightly hesitantly, through the door. “Please tell me it wasn’t a demonstration that went on too long...who’s he?”
All eyes fell on Chris, who was currently looking around the Manor’s hallway with an almost wistful expression upon his face. He jumped slightly when Piper cleared her throat and Phoebe nudged him with her elbow to earn his attention. He blinked a few times upon realizing everyone was looking at him. “Umm...” he trailed off, words dying on his lips as he stared at Piper.
“This is Chris. He killed a demonic creature that was trying to kill me,” Phoebe supplied when the young man failed to say anything. “Chris, this is...”
“Piper Halliwell...married to your former whitelighter, Leo Wyatt. I know,” Chris finished, still staring at Piper.
“Okay. Back up a bit...demonic creature?” Piper asked her sisters, eyeing Chris suspiciously. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I knew the lack of demonic activity was too good to be true.”
Phoebe began to relay the incident to her sister. The mention of Chris using an athame to kill the creature and then him ‘knowing’ she would be there, earning a skeptical eyebrow from the elder Halliwell.
“And we’re just suppose to believe him when he says he’s from the future?” Piper asked once Phoebe was finished. “He could be a demon or a warlock. He could’ve sent that thing after you to trick you. And even if he is from the future, how do we know he hasn’t ‘come back’ to kill us.”
“Because I haven’t,” Chris said simply, rolling his eyes at the accusations. “And I’m not a demon...or a warlock. I’m a witch. And a good witch at that. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try to freeze me,” he said, waving his hands in a mock-impersonation of Piper’s powers.
Piper quirked an unimpressed eyebrow at the mock-impersonation, before flicking her own hands in an attempt to freeze him.
“See,” a very unfrozen Chris commented. “You can’t freeze good witches.”
“Yeah, yeah, fine. All that proves is that you can’t be frozen. We’ve met demons that can’t be frozen before,” Piper pointed out, still eyeing him with unconcealed suspicion.
“Piper...”
“I’m sorry, Phoebe, but I’m not trusting him that easily.”
"What's going on?"
The sisters and Chris turned to look in the direction of the stairway as Leo's voice penetrated the uncomfortable silence that had settled after Piper's comment.
"Who's that?" He asked, looking at the younger man with a good degree of curiosity and suspicion; who in turn was looking at Leo with an unreadable expression.
"This is Chris." Phoebe said quickly, beating her sisters with the answer. "He saved my life," she added, before proceeding to inform Leo of the circumstances of their meeting - occasionally she was interrupted by her sisters; Paige mentioning that dumping a dead, nasty creature over the side of the bridge was not her idea of a night out; and Piper interrupting to point out that the fact Chris didn't freeze was not an indicator that he was telling the truth, nor was it a reason to trust him so readily.
Leo's brow furrowed in thought as he listened, remaining quiet even after they were finished. Green eyes flicked over to take in the young man, who shifted under the gaze but his expression didn't change.
"You're from the future?" The former whitelighter eventually asked. At Chris' nod he opened his mouth to speak again. "Time travel's dangerous."
"I know. I've been told." Chris replied, his lips twitching in a small smile before reverting back to the unreadable expression he'd managed to adopt. "The person who sent me back made sure I knew what not to do and to be careful."
"Are you seriously buying this, Leo? This could be a trick?" Piper interjected, the suspicious look never leaving her face.
"It's not uncommon. You've traveled through time yourselves." Leo pointed out, not missing the way Chris ducked his head to hide a small wry smile.
Piper rolled her eyes, before turning on the younger man. "Okay. If you are from the future...why are you here?"
"I..." He hesitated, swallowing and the impassive expression slipped slightly, revealing a mixed expression of unsurety and worry, before it was put back into place. "I'm not allowed to say...not yet anyway."
"Oh, of course you can't." Piper scoffed, rolling her eyes again.
Chris' shoulders sagged ever-so-slightly and he pressed his lips in a tight line, looking down at the floor.
"Piper..." Phoebe shot her sister a look and Paige nudged her, which just earned her a glare before Piper rolled her eyes again and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, fine," she muttered, grumbling under her breath.
"Leo? Maybe you could see to Chris' nose?" Phoebe asked him. "We'll go, get drinks or something to eat."
"We will?" Paige and Piper said at the same time.
"Yes. We will." Phoebe said, stressing each word as she moved herself and her sister into the kitchen; while trying to explain that she thought it would be a good idea for Leo to talk to Chris.
Chris looked up, watching the three sisters walk off before turning to regard the older man with a curious expression. "Do you actually believe me?"
"Depends. Are you telling the truth?" Leo replied, gesturing for the younger man to follow him into the living room.
"My nose doesn't actually need seeing to. I know Phoebe did that just to leave you alone with me." Chris said in an almost matter-of-fact tone. "To talk, right? And I am telling the truth."
"But you can't tell us why you came back?"
"Not the sisters." Chris ran a hand through his hair. "I was told to tell you."
Leo frowned. "Why?"
"Because it was you who sent me back."
ENTRY #B
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during the first part of The Cole Season, right near the beginning. I paraphrased one quote from the show when Phoebe is reading the letter from Cole.
As the Seer opened her eyes she found herself in a dark place; it was very hot. Not understanding what was happening she began looking around but there was nothing but darkness and heat. The Source's Spawn should be here, if I am. She kept looking, but without the boy, she had no hope. No future. All she could feel was this feeling that she was burning from the inside. Keep looking.
Meanwhile, back at the Manor, Phoebe was lying in bed that night after reading the letter from Cole. She knew it would bring dreams of him, but she read it anyway. Seeing him in her dreams was better than not at all. She knew she loved him and always would:
If I'm dead right now, I know it was at your hand. No one else in heaven or hell had power over me. Please don't cry, I was dead before I met you, I was born the day you loved me, and my love for you will keep me alive, forever.*
That night, she had the most disturbing dream of all that: She dreamed The Seer had taken her child. She woke with a start remembering it wasn't a dream. The Seer did take her son from her womb then what was this feeling inside her now, the feeling she'd had every morning since they vanquished Cole. She still had the crawling feeling, Oh God, the nausea; she had to get to the bathroom. As she sat there on the floor she was confused, she knew The Seer had taken her baby, yet she felt for all the world like she was still....
Pregnant. That was impossible, she knew, but looking at her still-large tummy, she wondered. Face reality, Pheebs. Go back to bed; you have work tomorrow. She tossed and turned the remainder of the night dozed every now and then but never really went back to sleep.
But the next morning, Phoebe knew there was definitely something wrong. She was not back to normal. She was still sick.
Piper knocked and came into the room and crawled up on the bed and put her arms around Phoebe and said, "What's wrong, sweetie?" Piper had to coerce her a little "Come on tell me you'll feel better confiding in someone you can trust, now what's the matter?"
"I think I'm still pregnant. I have since we vanquished Cole and my tummy's still big." Phoebe quietly said in little more than a whisper
"That is impossible, Phoebe. Don't you remember, the Seer took your baby and we vanquished her? There is just no way you could be pregnant," Piper confirmed.
Piper got an idea, "Just a second." She went out and was back in less than a minute. "Here is a sure fire way to set your mind at rest," she explained as she handed Phoebe a small box, "It will only take a couple of minutes and we will all feel better knowing your ordeal is over. Go on, honey, do it."
Later, as Phoebe watched, she saw the outcome of the test. All she could do was stare. Silent. Without another thought, she headed back to the bedroom. Seeing Piper's eyes staring deep into hers, she decided to go ahead and hand the results of the test to Piper.
Piper took the test out of her hand, noticing that her sister didn't look very happy. Piper looked carefully at the test, and finally spoke up after a moment, "It's negative; why aren't you happy??"
Phoebe sat up to look at her sister, "It was negative before too, remember?"
Typical Piper, she started to worry, "Uh, yeah, and I remember what that baby did to my doctor, too. Well, we have got to find out for sure, and there is only one way I know how."
Phoebe interrupted, "But, but remember?"
Piper stopped her, "I know I know, but we gotta find out for sure, and I mean now. I don't know any other way. I'll go make the calls."
Phoebe thought about telling Piper about hearing Cole's voice and called out her sister's name.
Piper stopped and turned around, "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing." Phoebe changed her mind by telling herself it was just her imagination getting the best of her. She lay there thinking.... What if Cole wasn't evil; could they have had something that could last? She knew she loved him. She got up and saw faintly in the corner in the reflection of her mirror someone. It could have been Cole. It looked like him.
She turned quickly away. Nothing! Just my imagination and wishful thinking. Grabbing her robe, she started downstairs to get some coffee. Two cups should help me think straight, Phoebe thought as she headed to the kitchen.
The Seer felt like she was on fire. She was so tired of looking when suddenly she noticed her belly; it was throbbing and moving in such a way. She knew where The Source's Spawn was now.
Or so she thought.
As long as the child is still within my body I have hope, but where am I? It is not any part of the underworld. I can find no way out of this dark cave. I don't remember how I got here I was at the coronation and I vanquished those Charmed Ones but they fought back and suddenly I was here but where is here?--where are they?--and where is everyone else? I need to find water.
She began feeling her way along the wall through the darkness which seemed to go on forever. She couldn’t know she was in the wasteland in a cave captured until he came back to kill her and the spawn within her as well.
Simultaneously back at the Manor Phoebe was getting ready after taking a shower preparing for her doctor's appointment at 10:30 that Piper had made. She was dreading this visit remembering what happened the last time.
Piper will be there to freeze the room if anything goes wrong, I haven't been having hot flashes or any other unusual symptoms. She closed her eyes and tried to put the thought of what happened before out of her mind.
When she opened her eyes she saw; NO, it had to be a dream. She blinked three times trying to get her eyes to see correctly. Still, there he stood stock-still looking at her just like a statue. She was so sure he wasn't real that she walked right into him.
Cole.
Sure enough he was solid. He began to say something about the Seer but she just couldn't hear him because as he began to speak he began to fade away and he was gone in a matter of seconds. It was like he was being pulled away against his will.
She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her now except for the paper she saw on the counter. It had one word on it ---- TWINS---- and it was in Cole's handwriting. He wrote "Twins" and was trying to tell her something about the Seer. What could it mean? She wanted him back, no, she needed him back.
She took the paper back to her room and sat on the bed and thought about Cole and their love and how much she truly wanted him. If there were only a way..but how?
She sat there holding the small piece of paper with the single word on it and suddenly she started feeling like she was spinning and the nausea and fear were overwhelming. She just wouldn't believe what she had just seen--she couldn't.
Piper came into Phoebe's room and saw her sitting on the bed and told her she better hurry, it was time to go, but when Phoebe looked at her big sister, Piper knew from the tear streaks and the look on her sister's face there was definitely something wrong, seriously wrong.
"What happened, Phoebe?" Piper asked confused because Phoebe was fine just five minutes earlier.
I saw, I saw, I had," She just broke down in tears in Piper's arms."
Piper was confused; she didn’t understand what was going on. She was sure Phoebe just had a premonition but the question was what she saw. Phoebe was so hysterical she couldn’t even talk.
Piper sat on the bed and consoled her sister. Finally it seemed she had calmed down. She turned to Piper and said “ I am not going; I need to be alone for a little while. Please.”
Piper was very reluctant to leave Phoebe but she did have to call Dr. Harrison and change the appointment. "I’ll go make you something to eat then we can talk, okay?”
Reluctantly Phoebe agreed, mainly so Piper would leave. As soon as she left, Phoebe got up and locked the door…
"Cole, who were those men in my premonition and what did they want?" she asked her lover who was standing in the corner. "How did you get here? Are you one of them? Is that how you are doing this?"
"No, I got my powers from…. I have to tell you now before it’s too late.
"Those were Avatars and they want me to help them make Utopia. A perfect world--no good; no evil. There is no possible way it can work--the cost is too great.
"You are in great danger. I must destroy the Seer--I currently have her trapped in an area of the wasteland--but once I do I will never be able to return to you. I love you, Phoebe.
"Don’t forget that you are the reason I will do what must be done and your love gives me the strength to do it.
He faded away again and was gone in seconds.
“NO, COLE, don’t go!” she shouted but he was already gone again.
Phoebe was beginning to doubt her sanity--did she really see Cole or was it simply wishful thinking?
Avatars, hmm ,who are they? It wouldn’t hurt to see if Leo has heard of them or if they're in the Book. Are they good or evil?
She left her room, walking right past Piper, and headed for the attic to check the Book. She was in such a hurry she didn’t even notice Piper coming down the hall carrying a tray of danish, croissants and a carafe of coffee. “Where are you going? Come back here--we need to talk. Phoebe! Phoebe! “
Phoebe felt her heart beating so fast in her chest she felt like she was going to explode. She wasn't sure if she would find Cole in the attic, the avatar or information in the Book or what . She rushed as fast as she could, just on the chance Cole might explain what he was talking about; she was so confused which wasn't unusual but this was different.
Meanwhile Piper was so confused about Phoebe running by her that she set down the tray, called for Leo and they followed her.
Phoebe looked for Cole. Instead of finding Cole she found two of the strange men from her premonition. They must be avatars.
"What do you want? What did you do with Cole?"
"We want Utopia. We wanted his help, but he refused so he ran. I assume he is in the wasteland where all vanquished demons go. We need power and we will get it. We will find him."
Just then Piper and Leo came into the attic. It seemed at the exact same time the men disappeared just like they did in her prem.
"Phoebe, what in the hell is going on up here?" Piper hollered at her sister as she ran into the attic followed closely by Leo who was completely in the dark to everything.
"Piper, I saw Cole and the avatars. They can change the world as we know it and create Utopia. Cole says the Seer didn't steal my baby. I am sure of it. Cole is going to kill her in the wasteland and I will be free to have my baby and raise it good."
"But Phoebe, you don't know that you are pregnant for sure. The test was negative," Piper softly told her, "because we have not been to the doctor yet, you can't say for sure that you are even pregnant"
"Wait wait wait, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SAW COLE?" Piper suddenly grabbed Phoebe by both arms and turned her to face her. "Where.....When....How?? What are you thinking? " "Leo take the boys to magic school so they will be safe. I don't want them to be touched by this Any of this."
"Cole has come to me here and in my room. He promised to kill the seer in the wasteland and he said I had twins so I am sure I am pregnant."
Phoebe and Piper remembered they had their appointment at 1:00 with Dr Harrison, and as Phoebe laid on the table she was so afraid, remembering what happened last time. The doctor came in and began the exam. He squirted the gel on her stomach, but she didn't have any reaction like the last time.
This time there was nothing in the picture. No baby. That's impossible. "I know there is a baby there. I am sure of it" Phoebe said.
Piper felt dizzy and she suddenly saw stars. The next thing she knew, she was waking up on the stretcher and the doctor was drawing blood from her arm. She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. When she opened them up again, she is in her own room with Leo sitting in the chair next to her. She must of dozed off. Phoebe and Paige came up to her room. Just then Dr Harrison came into Piper's room. He walked over to Piper and took her hands,"Congratulations! You are going to be a mother." He turned to Leo, and shook his hand " Congrats Daddy to be" Piper abruptly said," Can I go home now? I hate hospitals. Don't get me wrong. I am excited about the baby, but I want to be excited about it at home.”
Piper and Leo rode home in the jeep. She asked him how Phoebe was taking the news about the baby. He said, "She was taking it very well all things considered. Who were those men in the attic? Do you know? They disappeared as soon as we got there. "
The Seer was sure she was on her way to freedom when suddenly she saw Cole. No It can't be anyone but you!”
At that moment Cole hit the Seer with everything he had. The lightning attracted the snakelike monster which sucked her into oblivion. The Seer was gone for good. Along with the Source’s Spawn that was still within her. With that, Cole was free to move on. He no longer had to worry about Phoebe. With one last look around the wasteland, he closed his eyes and he disappeared.
*Episode 4.21: Womb Raider Written by Daniel Cerone
ENTRY #C
It was a nice day in late summer that found half sisters, Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews, drinking coffee at the breakfast table. Their older sister, Piper Halliwell, was trying to get her small son, Wyatt, to eat breakfast, something he stubbornly refused to do. “Come on, Wyatt,” Piper coaxed him, “just two more bites and then we’re done.”
“Uh uh,” the stubborn child shook his head.
Piper slipped the spoon between the surprised little boy’s lips causing Phoebe to chuckle. “Congrats, Piper. You outsmarted a one-year-old.”
“At least it’s not the other way around,” Paige commented as she got up and grabbed her purse from the floor. “I had better be going. I have . . .” The sound of a thud somewhere above them stopped Paige mid-sentence. She looked up concerned. “On second thought, I’ll meet you upstairs.” She dropped her purse back onto the ground and orbed out.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. After a second Phoebe stood and headed out of the kitchen for the stairs.
Instead of following them, Piper looked at her son. She looked worried up at the attic and then back down at him.
“Piper!” Paige’s voice penetrated through the house.
Piper looked up and heaved in a deep sigh. She pulled Wyatt out of his chair and headed out of the room toward the attic. Wyatt was safer with them than by himself, especially when there were things upstairs that went bump. Hugging her son to herself, Piper climbed up the stairs.
Once in the attic she saw Phoebe and Paige down on their knees, blocking her view of whatever caused the commotion.
Phoebe glanced back at the sound of Piper striding across the attic. She motioned her over.
Curious, Piper walked over to them and stopped short as she saw that they were huddled around the figure of a man. His face was down, so she wasn’t sure of his age. His dark brown hair was matted with a reddish-brown sticky substance, blood most likely. His clothes were torn and through the tears in his clothes she could see cuts, scrapes, and gashes. “What happened?”
Paige looked up, worry in her eyes. “I don’t know. When I got here, he was lying on the floor like this and there was a fading triquetra on the wall. Can you call Leo? He may be a mortal, but at least he has some medical training. I’m afraid to touch him beyond checking for a pulse.”
Piper nodded and handed Wyatt over to Phoebe. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
While Piper punched in Leo’s number, Phoebe and Paige continued to examine the stranger. “Are you sure you can’t heal him?” Phoebe asked as she looked at the badly wounded young man.
She saw his chest rising and falling, but nothing else to indicate he was alive. “You are half whitelighter after all.”
Paige gave Phoebe a pained look. “Phoebe, I tried. Maybe I’m just not meant to heal anyone. The only time I ever healed someone was when I helped Leo heal . . .” Paige trailed off at the near mention of Phoebe’s long dead ex-husband, Cole. “The point is, I couldn’t.”
Phoebe looked up at her; sadness filling her eyes in acknowledgment of the near mention of her lost loved one. She missed him a lot, but it didn’t hurt quite as much now that she was seeing Drake. Phoebe frowned and looked at her watch. She was supposed to meet Drake for brunch in just less than half an hour. It didn’t look like she was going to make it.
“Paige already felt for a pulse, so we know he is alive,” Piper’s words drifted over to them, her eyes questioning.
“The pulse is steady,” Paige offered.
Piper nodded her thanks and went back to her conversation with Leo.
"I wonder what happened to him,” Phoebe mused. “It looks like he got into a fight.”
“It looks like he lost a fight,” Paige added, “because if he won I’d hate to see the loser.”
They both looked up at the sound of footsteps. As Piper headed toward them she said, “Leo is on his way. He thinks this guy might have a concussion. When he wakes up, I want to know what he was doing in our attic.”
“Don’t forget the triquetra,” Paige reminded her. “It’s probably how he ended up here.”
“People don’t usually end up unconscious on the floor after coming through a triquetra,” Piper argued.
“Piper, may I use your phone?” Phoebe asked, interrupting the conversation, remembering her earlier train of thought.
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“Besides the fact that it’s downstairs?” Phoebe shrugged. “Nothing. I just wanted to call Drake and tell him I’ll be a while.”
Piper pulled back out her phone and handed it to her sister. She lifted Wyatt out of her sister’s arms, so that Phoebe had her hands free to dial Drake’s number. Wyatt seemed content to watch silently even as she hugged him tight. “Since it sounds like Phoebe plans to stay here, I’m going to head downstairs to wait for Leo. Paige, didn’t you have plans?”
Paige looked down at the young man. “I don’t know, Piper. It’s nothing that can’t wait. There’s something about him.”
Piper chuckled. “You aren’t looking for a date are you?”
Paige laughed at that. “Not likely. No, I may like a variety in my dinner dates, but I don’t make a date with a guy when I already have one with someone else. No, it’s something else. I’m just not sure what.” She looked down at her hands. “I wish I could heal him.”
“We don’t know who he is, or why he’s here,” Piper reminded her.
Paige sighed. “I know, but I don’t think we are going to learn anything until he wakes up.” She stared down at him for a long time. “Remember that house that gave me the shivers whenever I walked by it?”
“The one where the guy who turned us into miniatures lived?” Phoebe asked for clarification as she closed up the phone from her short conversation with her boyfriend.
Paige nodded. “That’s the one.”
“What about it?”
Paige was silent as she tried to figure out how to put her feelings into words. “I guess I get the opposite feeling from this guy. He’s good. I can’t pinpoint anything specific, but he’s good.”
Considering how things had turned out in that case, it gave Piper a measure of reassurance to have Paige say that whatever this guy was doing in their attic he was good.
“Wy?” A groan pulled the attentions of all three sisters back to the young man on the floor and he rolled over. His eyes blinked open and widened as he saw the three women staring down at him. He started to get up and winced, his right arm buckling under pressure. He gritted his teeth and started to push himself up with his left.
Piper pushed him back down. “Uh, uh, Mister. Leo said you aren’t to move until he gets here, so you aren’t to move.”
“I’ll be fine,” he argued through gritted teeth. “I’ve felt worse.”
"Worse?” Phoebe asked surprised. She eyed him, worried. “You look pretty bad off and you are saying, you’ve felt worse?”
He nodded and again tried to sit up. This time no one stopped him. He scooted across the floor the foot or so to the couch using only his unbroken left arm to move himself. He leaned back against the couch and sighed in relief.
Piper looked at him and raised an eyebrow at her sisters. “I think I’m going to get those answers now. If he’s going to ignore the pain, than he might as well answer me.”
The young man looked at her, worry and curiosity mixed in his eyes. He said nothing.
Piper walked over to him and stopped maybe half a foot from him, invading his personal space, but still he did nothing. She squatted down and looked him in the eyes. “I’ll give you a choice. Which do you want to answer first?”
When she said nothing, he shrugged. “Between?”
“Who are you and what are you doing in our attic?”
“My name is Chris and I don’t know why I am here in this attic. It wasn’t my intended destination.” He sighed. “But then, maybe it’s for the best.”
“For the best?” Phoebe’s question came from across the attic. “How could it be for the best? You’re invading our home.”
Chris ignored her question and looked at the baby in her arms. He smiled a little. “I’m sorry for that. I wasn’t exactly the one that said the spell sending me here.” His head leaned back against the couch. “I think I’d have some idea how I got here if I was. The last thing I remember was . . .” He froze and a frown replaced the smile on his face. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” He started trying to push himself up with his uninjured arm.
“Wait a moment, young man,” Piper’s voice froze him almost as surely as her powers could. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
He sighed and looked up at her. With a quick glance at his broken arm he admitted wryly, “I guess I’m not exactly in a position to argue, but tell me one thing, why would you want me to stay?”
“I’m guessing it’s because you’re being evasive and not answering our questions,” Paige proffered.
“But I’ve answered every question you’ve asked,” Chris protested.
“Oh?” Piper gave him a look. “Then, why didn’t you answer Phoebe’s question? Why is it best that you ended up here? And while we’re at it, how did you get so injured?”
“I was in a fight,” Chris informed them, answering the last question, “a fight that never should have happened, a fight that ended in more loss of life than I ever want to see again, and no, I didn’t kill anyone. I was fighting for my life. I lost a lot of friends and I lost a lot more than that. The future’s not one you want to see. I’m here to change it.” He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. He shook for several seconds and when he looked up he wiped his face leaving behind wet streaks and red in his eyes. “Only I haven’t a clue how, because I don’t know what went wrong.”
“Care to elaborate on that,” Piper suggested eyeing him suspiciously.
“Chris sighed. “I think I’ve probably said too much already.
Phoebe didn’t agree. “You did say you didn’t know what went wrong,” she reminded him, “so maybe we can help.”
“Or maybe he can prove he’s on our side first,” Piper argued not allowing him to respond. “He didn’t plan to come here, so he probably didn’t plan to get our help. How do we know that it isn’t because we are on different sides?”
“He used a triquetra,” Phoebe offered.
“He was probably unconscious at the time,” Piper surmised, “and who’s to say evil might not use that, too.”
“I do have a good feeling about him,” Paige reminded them both.
“There is that,” Piper conceded. “But a person can be good and still misguided, still end up causing more harm than healing.”
“I’m on your side,” Chris protested. “I need your help.”
“Did our future selves send you?” Piper asked, speculatively.
A shadow crossed his eyes before he admitted, “No.”
“Did they, we even know you were coming?”
“I don’t know,” he informed her softly.
“Did you know?” This time is was Phoebe who asked. Curiosity rather than thinly veiled worry filled her voice.
He nodded this time, a small smile on his face. “I knew, but I really shouldn’t say any more.”
“Why you?” Piper asked, again leading the interrogation. “Do we know you? What’s your full name?”
“I . . .” he hesitated and shook his head. “I’d best not say. I want you to form your opinions on something less flimsy than a name. I’ve learned that a name is well and good, but one person can ruin it.” His eyes slid closed and he sighed.
“What do you hope to accomplish?” Piper wanted to know.
Chris’ gaze unconscious went to the little baby in her arms, but no one seemed to realize that he was looking at Wyatt rather than Piper. He looked up into her eyes and shook his head.
The sound of the attic door closing saved Chris from answering as all eyes turned to see Leo entering the room. At the sight of Chris leaning up against the couch he smiled a little. “It looks like your patient isn’t too badly hurt.” He walked across the attic, one board squeaking in protesting as he stepped across it.
A smile fought Chris’ lips, quickly forced into submission before anyone turned their attention back to him. Anyone that is, except Wyatt whose tiny baby blues met Chris’ and held. Chris gulped and hardened both his face and his resolve.
Leo walked over to Chris and squatted down next to him. “Hello, I am Leo. Piper is my wife. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” Chris admitted.
“When Piper called me, you were unconscious, so I don’t know your name.”
“Chris,” he was informed with a warm smile.
Phoebe stared at him. Piper’s eyebrows rose at the easy manner her husband seemed to be getting information out of the young man.
“She mentioned that you appeared through a triquetra,” Leo commented, “so you know about magic?”
Chris grinned at the question and nodded. “Quite,” he agreed. “I’m a witch.”
