'The Elementals' *Updated 5/11!!*

[mcharmed21]

Author: Alain

DISCLAIMER: All characters, etc. are property of E.Duke Vincent, Spelling Television Inc., and the WB and are the fictitious works of the mind of Constance M. Burge.

(Like 'Through the Rain', this story will be post by post) I wanted something rather epic to write, so there's a lot of background. This also has somewhat of a 'Buffy' element. Prue's daughter is a Slayer.

SUMMARY-IMPORTANT TO READ!: Prue is not married, but has a rather intelligent daughter-a Slayer. Phoebe developed a drinking problem after Cole left her and is now in a rehab clinic in L.A. Piper and Leo are married, but they've been experiencing some problems ever since they had children. Matthew, their oldest is some what of a rebel, while Cassie who is much younger doesn't even understand yet what it means to live in a magical family. Due to them being born of a Charmed One and a Whitelighter, it was decided by the Elders that they should be stripped of their powers at birth, lest they be crushed by the weight of them.
Now Matthew, in an attempt to regain his powers and be able to control them has decided to audition for the Obscurus Cordis (Latin for the Dark Heart), the most prestigious coven of warlocks known to the Source. But the initiation may be too great of a challenge for him to bear.

I know the baby's name probably isn't Matthew, and I know Prue is dead. Humor me. This was written a while ago. I think that about covers it. On with the story! :rollin


Every millenium, four children of the elements are born into our world, two male, two female. Together, they possess the power to save or destroy anything in their path.

Born as mortals, they are taken when they come of age to perform their destiny. They do not grow old, but live their span of control over their element. When a thousand years have passed, they are returned to walk among us with no memory of their past selves.

They show no allegiance to Good or Evil, but are focused only on keeping the magics of this world in balance. They are known as the Chosen Ones. The Elementals.


SAN FRANCISCO-2020


"Where do you think you're going?" Piper demanded. Her seventeen-year-old son ignored her, thundering past her down the sweeping staircase.

"Out," he replied vaguely, pulling on a light jacket. "Don't wait up." He pulled open one of the heavy double doors to the Halliwell Manor but before he could step outside, it slammed in his face.

"Care to specify?" Prue asked, walking over to stand next to her sister. Her hand fell to her side, making it obvious that it had been one of her telekinetic blasts that had closed the door. Matthew turned slowly, his expression making it evident how annoyed he was with his aunt.

"Not really," he smiled sarcastically.

"Alright, let me rephrase that. Specify. Now."

He gave a sigh of defeat. "Dana's. Can I go now?"

"Fine. But be home by ten," Piper instructed. "I mean it." He slid his sunglasses up on his nose, turned on his heal and continued out the door. Prue shook her head and stepped into the conservatory, Piper following.

"Well at least this one has all of her tattoos spelled correctly."(I know-"Steal Magnolias" line. ) She plopped down in a wicker arm chair. Prue lowered herself into the seat across from her.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Pipe."

[mcharmed21]

* * * * *

Matthew glanced around the alley, trying to make out any entrance to the building that he might have missed due to the shadows.

"Hey." A man in a gray hooded sweat shirt emerged from around a corner. "New guy?" Matthew jerked his head 'yes'. "This way." He turned and walked further down the alley, the young witch trailing behind him. He lead him all the way into a dark warehouse, shutting the door as quietly as he could behind them. Cheering could be heard clearly from the crowd up ahead.

As they stepped closer, it was easy to see what was happening. A circle of different lower level demons had gathered, mostly vampires and warlocks. Two warlocks were having some sort of fighting match while the others yelled their support at the opponent of their choice. The vampire that had been his giude disappeared in the sea of faces.

"Enough!" a voice boomed suddenly. The crowd, now silent, parted on one end and a large built man in a black trench coat stepped into the center of the ring, two guards following him. "You are all here because you are hoping to be accepted into the Obscurus Cordis. But I'm here to tell you...very few of you will make it." His eye roved them all, almost in disgust. "If any of you," he added. "The five that survive each fight to the death will go on to the next round of initiation. To become-" He stopped abruptly and glanced around at them suspiciously. "I sense a Whitelighter entity in this room," he revealed. He gestured to the sentries behind him. "Search them."

The two men began weaving their way through the people, and it suddenly became clear to Matthew that he could not hide in the group. They could sense him. They grabbed his by both arms and half dragged him over to their master. He smiled down at him cruely.

"Orb," he said as if it were an obvious solution to the predicament he had gotten himself in. Matthew hung his head.

"I can't," he said softly.

"A powerless Whitelighter?" the man chuckled.

"I'm not a Whitelighter," he insisted. "My father is.I'm here to try out." The man's grin widened until he burst out laughing. He turned to the crowd.

"He's here to try out!" he repeated, in a way commanding them to laugh along with him. They obliged.

"If I had the power I was meant to, its strength would crush me!" Matthew yelled over the uproarous laughter. It began to subside and the leader returned his attention to him. "I can fight."

"Prove it," he ordered. Matthew tugged the necklace that hung around his neck off and tossed it to him. The man stared at the dangling charm. Three arcs interlocked within a circle.

"The triquetra," he whispered incredulously. He glanced back up at Matthew.

"My mother is a Charmed One," he announced, loud enough for all to hear. "But I don't plan to harness my power and use it to benefit the Elders. I'm ready to use it to its fullest and dedicate myself to this coven, and to the Source."

"You are a foolish child," he reprimanded, still fingering the necklace's cool silver. "You are born of a witch and a Whitelighter. This is the very symbol of good, of the Powers That Be. You cannot use it to benefit that which it was created to destroy!"

Matthew gave him a smug smile. "Watch me."


*********************************************

So? COMMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you that, to quote Piper "love love.", don't worry. Mush will come. Some P/L (of course) and Matthew will have a love interest (not the aforementioned tattooed Dana)

[mcharmed21]

MOOOORE!!!!!!!!!!


LOS ANGELES REHABILLITATION SERVICES FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL


Phoebe glanced around the lobby of the clinic, eyeing a circle of drunks who sat singing Kum-Ba-Ya (sp?) with joined hands. She rolled her eyes and continued on past them. Twenty-one more days in this hell hole.

It had only been a week since Prue, Piper, and Leo had shipped her off to this place, insisting that she had a problem. And regardless of the fact that the psychologists in this place kept assuring her that it was the first step in her recovery process, she was reluctant to admit that she had one. So she drank a little? Big deal. Who didn't? That was no excuse for her family to make her spend four weeks in a place that wouldn't be able to help her even if she needed it. How did they expect to cure people by singing cheesy songs and assuring them that they were their own rainbow?

"Phoebe!" a male voice broke into her thoughts. One of the men who had been seated in the crooning circle rose to his feat and jogged up to her grinning. In spite of herself, she smiled back at him.

"Hey," she greeted him. Ah, Palmer. One of the few normal people in this joint.

"Hey, you wanna come over with us?" He gestured back at the group. She shook her head.

"No, thanks. I have a date with my shrink." She pointed toward the stairs that led to one of the counseling rooms.

* * * *

“Why do you think you’re here?” Dr. Riffkin, a balding middle-aged man stared across the room to Phoebe, who sat in the chair on the opposite side.

“I’m here…because my family is nuts and thinks I need to be here,” she replied, annoyed with the pointlessness of his exercises. The questioning was right up there with him asking her about ink blots.

“And you don’t think you need to be here?” he prodded, picking up his coffee mug and taking a sip.

She shook her head, her dark hair swishing against her shoulders. “No, I don’t.” Dr. Riffkin sat back in his seat.

“We haven’t talked much about your family,” he observed thoughtfully, staring at his notes. “Why don’t you tell me about them?”<br>
“Uh, I have two sisters. I live with one. She has a husband and a son and daughter. My other sister, Prue, lives across town with her daughter.”<br>
“So no children of your own then?”<br>
“No.”<br>
“And your parents?” He laced his fingers together patiently.

“Both dead.”<br>
“And when do you think your…well, problem is such a strong word, and relative at that, but we’ll use it for lack of a better term. Where do you think it originated?” He took off his glasses and began rubbing the bridge of his nose. Phoebe sighed. She was not in the mood to tell all to a stranger.

“Um…I, I don’t know. I guess…I guess it started when my fiancé Cole left,” she told him reluctantly. He leaned in, intrigued.

“Well, now we’re getting somewhere.”

********************************************

More soon! (how soon depends on feedback!)

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 3



"Split up," Matthew commanded, gesturing generally in all areas of the park that surrounded him. The vampires that had until now flanked him scattered in different directions, eager to be out and about. It was rare for the Coven to allow its undead brethren to hunt in populated areas and they knew this. A downside to joining for them, especially when they were more affiliates than members.

Matthew's duty here was a little less pleasurable. More business. He was here to...well, prove himself, so to speak. As he had suspected, the Coven's council had not been exceptionally receptive to the idea of one of "his kind" joining them. In fact, after he had passed the first Trials and Reth, the ringleader he had spoken to (or rather argued with) had taken him before them, most had flat out protested. That is, until they had compromised and agreed to test him further.

Accompanying these vampires was test one. He had been granted a certain measure of authority over them and he was to return them safely to the warehouse much later that night. They told him the idea was to have someone handy with a clear head, unclouded with blood lust who could keep them out of trouble; keep them from being hunted. But Matthew got the distinct impression that the real test was whether or not he would allow the deaths of those innocents his companions planned to feed on.

He himself turned and headed toward the woods. Just because he would allow their deaths didn't mean he needed to watch them.

Golden Gate Park was different at night he decided. Some would have said frightening. His word would have been calm. Almost tranquil.

So needless to say, when he was disturbed, it startled him. He stopped short when something white darted between the trees to his right, then moved through those in front of him. After this, it took a few minutes before he saw it again.

He felt the energy ball growing in his palm before he even realized that his danger sense was flaring. He had actually lifted his arm to hurl it when the intruder stepped out from behind the tree it had chosen as a shield. And Matthew lowered his hand.

It was a girl. Around his age, give or take a few years. Her dress had been the shimmer of white he had seen. She gazed steadily at him for a moment before stepping closer to him, out into the moonlight where he could make out more of her features. Clear blue eyes, dark, almost raven black hair. And she looked somewhat flushed.

Suddenly the light glimmered against an iridescent sliver pendant that hung suspended from her neck; much like his own triquetra, but with a different symbol wrought of it. A round circle with a short cross protruding from it (A.N. I know, sounds like the symbol for female, but they're the same, the cross just points a different direction). Somewhere in the back of his mind, one of his eldest aunt's old lessons registered and he recognized the charm. Earth. It was the mark of the earth element.

He looked back up at her face to find her still staring at him and waited for her to speak. She didn't. At this point, the energy ball in his hand had completely dissipated.

"Who are you?" the words left his mouth without him really telling them to.

She did not respond, simply taking another step forward, studying him appraisingly, as though his presence confounded her. In response, he involuntarily took a step back. Something about her was telling him that this was a magickal being, most likely Good, and therefore, worthy of his caution and suspicion.

"Who are you?" he demanded again, this time more forcefully. Still, she said nothing. Though she exuded some form of power, possibly great, she also struck him as something innocent, pure; something not to be damaged. Something he was reluctant to threaten for answers.

She moved closer yet again until she stood directly before him.

He inhaled sharply when she reached up, but relaxed when all she did was finger the charm around his own neck. She studied it as she had him. Then finally, she raised her ice blue eyes back to his and spoke:

"Who are you?"

He blinked in surprise and was half tempted to to insist that he had asked her first. He was about to reply in a much less childish way when a sound from somewhere behind him, back the way he had come interrupted him.

Even had he not been raised by witches, he would have recognized the noise. Fighting. Grunts. A fist, or possibly a foot connecting with someone's face, most likely one of his vampires.

Without thinking much more about questioning the girl, he took off back to the clearing, unaware of whether or not she was following him. He would have guessed she wasn't, but that wasn't his concern right now.

When he arrived, the problem was indeed with one of his partners. Several of them in fact. Perhaps there had been some truth to the council's insistance that he keep them out of trouble. But what intrigued and worried him most was their foe.

His cousin, Trinity.

Of course. There was a reason vampires did not venture often into the park any more. She was usually patrolling.

One of the vampires, respected, Matthew knew among the others, who had wisely stayed out of the fray approached him as he observed the ones who had been a little more ignorant.

"You said nothing of a Slayer being here!" she admonished him angrilly.

"Relax, I didn't know," he told her, still calmly watching the fight. "Get the others," he instructed. "I don't want to lose any more vamps tonight."

Though she grumbled excessively, she did as she was told. Matthew retreated back into the trees, careful not to allow his cousin to spot him. The last thing he needed right now was her, or especially his mother and aunts finding out what he was up to. Not when his situation with the Coven was so precarious.

They would have to leave behind the vampires she had already attacked. They were a lost cause. He couldn't risk them being traced back to the others.

Damn Trinity. She had ruined his first trial.

Sighing, he turned and glanced behind him back into the foliage, suddenly remembering the mysterious girl. But all he saw were the trees.

She was gone.

* * * * *

Though you guys can't possibly guess who this girl is, you should be able to guess what she is by now. For those wondering, no, I did not choose the name Trinity from "The Matrix", I simply thought it fit with her being the daughter of a Charmed one.

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 4


They had not been pleased when he had returned to headquarters short three vampires. Most of those who still accompanied him however helped him explain what happened. Matthew conveniently didn’t mention that the current Slayer happened to be his cousin. They had let him off with a warning and leave to go for the time-being, assuring him that he would be summoned when his next trial was chosen.

Which gave him time to focus on some of his other current problems; those that were much more personal. He had not even pulled open the front door of the manor yet when he heard it. Shouting. Then the sound of a vase breaking against a wall, or possibly one of the many trinkets that graced the surface of the coffee table inside.

He stood there, motionless on the steps of the porch, focusing on the gold characters that indicated the house’s street number, careful not to listen to what he could make out of what was being said. Or yelled.

The last comment he heard loud and clear:

“If you don’t like it, then get out!”<br>
Things were silent for a prolonged amount of time after that. Matthew took it that it was safe to go inside and opened one of the double doors, stepping inside. He made his way cautiously into the parlor, not at all surprised to find his mother standing there, barely dried tears streaking her face.

“Dad left again?” he guessed knowingly.

When she spoke, it was not an answer to his question. “Where have you been?” she demanded, looking up at him. “It’s after midnight.”<br>
He shrugged in a manner he hoped appeared nonchalant. “I had stuff to do,” he replied vaguely.

For a moment, she looked as though she would argue about this, but she eventually just shook her head. He winced at the movement, though he wasn’t at all surprised he came in second to his parent’s marital problems. He always had. So had Cassie for that matter.

He turned and headed for the stairs, calling a goodnight over his shoulder, not really caring whether or not he received an answer and certainly not expecting one.

* * * * *

“Matty?”<br>
He turned to the sound of the small-sounding voice, stopping outside his sister’s bedroom door and leaning inside.

“Hey kiddo,” he greeted her when he saw her peeking out from underneath the blankets. “What are you doing up?” He approached the bed and lowered him self onto the side she had rolled onto. “It’s late.”<br>
She nodded and he could tell she was wondering where he had been all night, though she was wise enough not to ask. Fairly perceptive for her tender age of seven.

“Mom and Dad keeping you up?” he asked.

She nodded again and his jaw clenched in annoyance. Which of them had decided it was best to wait until everyone was asleep to argue? Granted he and Phoebe were usually in the house as well, but Cassie still certainly did not need to hear it. It was a defense they had employed since they had begun fighting when he was young and it had always irked him to listen. Honestly, sometimes he just wished they would split up and get it over with.

He glanced back into the hallway, toward the direction that led to the stairs to the attic. There were things he needed to do that would require the help of the Book of Shadows. But it could wait. He should probably hold off until his mother was asleep anyway. He turned back to Cassie.

“You want me to stay till you fall asleep?” he asked her.

She smiled and shifted to allow him room to lie down. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and settled back into the pillows with her, glancing at the “Hello Kitty” clock on the nightstand. He would give the kid an hour.

* * * * *

Sneaking up to the top floor had turned out to be some amount of trouble. His mother, her senses honed from years of demon attacks was prone to wake at the slightest noise. He was sure he was caught when the old floorboards creaked outside her room and again when he accidentally allowed the attic door to slam behind him. But she did not come.

When he was sure he heard nothing from downstairs after the door had shut, he crossed the large, carpet-covered floor to the stand that held the family’s most precious heirloom.

He was almost reluctant to touch it. He was well aware that he no longer had any right to. And chances were the Book could pick up on this as well. But when he reached for it, nothing happened. It did not glow or fly out of his grasp. It did not even move. Relieved, he opened the ancient tome and began to sift through the pages that were yellowed by age.

He skipped the section on demons (which incidentally happened to take up the majority of the volume). He was certain she was not demonic. Certainly not Evil.

No, she was…different.

It was then that he remembered the pendant around her neck, like a light in the fog that was the enormous and utterly daunting process of searching the Book in its entirety.

Earth. He would look up Earth.

It was certainly more to go on than her appearance. No telling outfit. No distinguishing marks of any kind that might hint at her polarity on the spectrum of Good versus Evil. The necklace was the only clue, and a miniscule one at that.

He almost flipped right past it without noticing it. Only the large heading brought him back to it before he could continue much further. He pulled it back open to a page about three-fourths of the way through. The script was medieval in appearance and looked to be the work of his ancestor Cassandra, Cassie’s namesake; or at least from what he could remember of her signature in the family tree near the end of the Book.

[mcharmed21]

The Elementals

The Elementals are the beings that form the balance between Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; one assigned to each element, each bearing the symbol of their specific responsibility. They possess no allegiance to Good or Evil, and therefore are not a direct threat, but nor are they to be necessarily trusted.

They only appear when the balance between the elements is disrupted by either the joint use of Good and Evil power, or the disruption of a certain path when an entity happens to turn to a side it was not meant to serve - for the assurance of balanced destinies is in their hands as well.

They allow themselves to be seen only by those who can reset what has been undone. It is a rarity indeed to spot one and consequently, little is known about them or their origins.

Matthew ceased his reading, glancing over the heading again. The Elementals. Could she possibly be one of them? It seemed the most logical possibility at this point.

Of course, there was only one way to find out. He would have to ask.

His eyes returned to the Book and the smaller headline beneath the brief summary:

To Summon an Elemental

* * * * *

Obviously, the girl will be showing up again in the next post. Replies!!!!

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 5


The spell left no instruction on any supplies needed, but neither did it leave any on how to specify the Elemental one wished to summon. So, not really knowing what else to do, Matthew walked over to the old chest full of all the family’s witchly materials. Inside he knew was kept objects that represented each element.

He skipped mirrors, bells, and other things that would definitely not convey the correct cosmic message and instead, opted for green candles. As he was placing them in a circle in front of the Book’s podium, he thought better of it and pulled some random herbs from the chest as well: insurance that the candles did not misconstrue the meaning as Fire.

Sighing, he rose to his feet again and stepped back in front of the Book. Then he began reciting the words written before him. They were Latin as far as he could tell and he sincerely hoped he was pronouncing them right.

He must have been, for as soon as he had chanted the incantation twice and was in the middle of his third round, golden orbs began to gather within the circle of flickering candles. It took a bit for them to materialize, longer than the average Whitelighter or ghost, but when they did, he unmistakably recognized the person standing before him.

He approached the edge of the circle warily, and she did not flinch at his advance. “Do you remember me?” he inquired. “From earlier? The woods?”<br>
It did not take as long to coax a response out of her this time. “I do,” she said simply.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he continued, letting his eyes drift back to the entry in the Book, then to the charm dangling from her neck. “You’re an Elemental. You’re Earth.”<br>
“I am.”<br>
She stepped out of the circle then and the ethereal glow it had emitted disappeared. She now appeared more human. More mortal.

“To conjure is the power of a witch,” she observed obviously. “You summoned me?”<br>
He nodded. “Yes.” He gazed at her, a little uncomfortable with how easily she seemed to accept long periods of silence: almost to the point where it seemed she preferred them. “What’s your name?” he eventually asked. “Do you have a name?”<br>
Again, she was brief. “I do.”<br>
He waited, but she offered nothing. “So, what is it?” he prompted.

She hesitated and it was the first time he had ever seen her look nervous, as if she were questioning whether or not she should divulge such information. Just when he was wondering what possible harm could come to her from giving him her name, she cut him off before he could ask. “Maron.”<br>
“Maron,” he echoed thoughtfully, attempting to see if the name fit her, though he’d never heard it before. It seemed to.

“If you are a witch,” she started, coming around the podium to stand beside him. “Why have you joined the Obscurus Cordis?”<br>
He squinted at her curiously. “Is that why you came? Why you’re here now?”<br>
“It is.”<br>
He then remembered her first words to him and he found himself wondering if he had thought them or if she had planted them there. It had taken him till now to grasp their double meaning.

“Who are you?"

He fingered the triquetra around his neck, abruptly realizing that he himself didn’t know who he truly was, what he truly was.

He shook the thought from his head and slammed the Book shut with a resounding smack, but she did not flinch. He was not about to let this woman, this girl, who looked younger than himself, no matter what kind of power she wielded, ruin his chances with the Coven. He knew where he belonged and it certainly wasn’t in this house. Not with the infamous Charmed Ones. And certainly not powerless.

“You’re wasting your time,” he told her.

She arched a delicate black eyebrow. “Am I?”<br>
“Do the Elders know about me?” he commanded of her, angry now. “Did they send you?”<br>
“No one sent me,” she corrected him. “You sent for me.” He didn’t open his mouth, afraid he didn’t have a reply prepared for that one. “I have no affiliation with your Elders, nor with the Source himself. I do not answer to your superiors, young one.”<br>
He resisted the urge to laugh aloud at the title. She looked so young, so slight that it was hard to imagine the fact that she was probably at least a few hundred years older than himself-possibly more.

She titled her head thoughtfully. “You’re not much more than a lost child.”<br>
He stiffened, but was careful not let his emotions show in his face. “And if I am?” he said, indulging her for the time-being. “Isn’t that my business?”<br>
“Not when it affects others,” she informed him. “And it will. Sooner than you think and to a more severe degree.”<br>
“So, you’re here to help then?” He looked her over unceremoniously, as if her appearance gave some hint to her ability. “If you’re so powerful, why not just make things right here and now?” He grinned at her in a way he hoped was unnerving. “Make me Good again.”<br>
She shook her head. “It does not work that way; you know that as well as anyone.”<br>
He nodded. “Free will.”<br>
“There is nothing I can do if you will not allow it,” she revealed. “What will be, will be.”<br>
“Then what’s your purpose?”<br>
She smiled and he got the impression it had a mocking nature, condescending even. “Destiny always gets its own way. I’m here to remind you of that. You will end up where it wants you to. But perhaps I can save you from doing some things you will regret in getting there.”<br>
He was beginning to think she could read minds to a certain extent. After all, hadn’t Grams made such comments about destiny a thousand times?

“And perhaps,” she began again, “if you don’t understand this concept, then it is possible that it is not the best time in your life to be making such serious decisions as becoming something you are not?”<br>
It was a rhetorical question, he knew, and therefore, he didn’t answer it. He chuckled softly and almost imperceptibly.

So she was her to make him think. Go figure. Sounded more like the Elders than she cared to admit.

He was about to point this out when she was enveloped in the orbs that had carried her here and he was left standing in the empty attic once more.

* * * * *

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 6


Ah, Baker High School.

The place hadn’t changed much, Piper noticed. As she passed random classes, some she herself had spent more hours than she cared to count in, she noticed the same disinterested and distant expressions on a lot of the kids faces as she had used to see in Phoebe’s when an elective had allowed them a period together. Then there were some that carried Prue’s type of determination, and others like she herself, just looking to survive until graduation.

And though she had never been the caliber Prue had been in high school, neither had she been enough of a trouble maker as Phoebe to end up where she now stood.

The front office.

Sighing, she pushed open one of the double glass doors and stepped through, glancing at her surroundings. A few padded chairs, doors leading off in to separate rooms, a desk covered with computers, papers, and what she assumed was the intercom. And a woman sitting behind said desk trying desperately to answer all the ringing phones, one of which was attached to her ear right then.

Piper approached her slowly. “Um, excuse me?”<br>
The woman raised an index finger in a gesture for her to wait, then indicated the chairs behind Piper.

“No, you see, I have an appointment with the senior councilor,” she tried to explain, though the woman gave her a rather exasperated look. “My son-”<br>
Giving an annoyed sigh, the woman cupped her hand over the receiver, muffling her voice to the person on the other end of the line. “Mr. Saunders does not have a three o’ clock that I’m aware of.”<br>
“Look, lady,” Piper began, growing frustrated herself. “It may not seem like it to you, but I actually have a rather busy schedule, and while I realize you don’t think you have time for me, I certainly don’t have time for you people to call me up, tell me there’s a problem, drag me all the way downtown, and then announce that the councilor won’t see me. So, I’ll be seeing Mr. Saunders now.” She took a step back after leaning against the desk. “Would you like to point me at his office?”<br>
The woman raised a hand and pointed a finger in the direction of a door on her left.

“Thank you,” Piper said, stepping around the desk toward the entrance to the back office. She rapped softly on the open door and an older man, seated at a much smaller desk in front of her rose to his feet.

“Mrs. Halliwell?” he guessed, extending a hand for her to shake. She accepted it.

“Yes,” she confirmed, taking a seat when he offered it and then immediately shifting uncomfortably in it.

“Right, well,” He threaded his fingers together and leaned across his desk. “Do you know where your son is right now Mrs. Halliwell?” She opened her mouth to respond. “Because he’s not here.”<br>
Piper cocked her head curiously. “I don’t understand.”<br>
“Lately, Mrs. Halliwell,” he began and she realized she was going to start to hate her own name if he said it in the condescending tone one more time. “Matthew has been skipping several classes, usually the last few periods of the day.”<br>
Piper swallowed and again settled into her seat.

“Were you aware of this?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No…Matthew’s not…very talkative lately.”<br>
“You know, Mrs. Halliwell,” There was that tone again. She had the sudden urge to freeze him. Or worse. “There are organizations on campus for parents with troubled teens, and I would most definitely recommend your son for this.”<br>
Piper gave him a tight smile that was not at all genuine. “Would it be possible to talk with him first before I resort to that, or would you like to give me more advice on how to raise my child?”<br>
He returned her smirk. “It is my job to give advice.”<br>
“Do you have children, Mr. Saunders?” she inquired in an attitude she hoped matched his.

“No, I do not.” He sat back in his chair. “But I have worked with teenagers, including yours, for the past eleven years.”<br>
A smile tugged at the edges of her lips again. “Mmm,” she acknowledged. “It’s not quite the same.” She rose to her feet, grabbing her purse. “I’ll talk with him tonight. Thank you so much for your time,” she added, rather sardonically. If he picked up on this, he did not say anything about it.

“Good day, Mrs. Halliwell.”<br>
She wrang her fingers together, desperately trying to keep her hands busy on the way out.

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 7


“So, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to…do something sometime. With me,” Palmer murmured to himself, pacing up and down the blue-carpeted corridor. He shook his head dejectedly. “That sounds lame.” For the ninth time-nine; he’d counted-he raised a fist to knock on the door before him. He immediately lowered it again, dropping it to his side and starting over. “Hey Phoebe, I was thinkin’-” he cut himself off abruptly when the door swung open to reveal Phoebe herself.

“Palmer?” She gazed at him, obviously bewildered, then glanced down the hallway as though trying to find an explanation for his presence there or where he had come from. “What are you doing out here?”<br>
“Oh, I, uh…” He slipped his hands into his pockets uneasily. “I was just…standing here. Well, I mean,” He gave a snort of laughter. “I wasn’t standing here, ya know, I was…I was taking a walk, and, uh…yeah, I sorta ended up here.”<br>
She offered a small smile, her own discomfort now showing and she raised a dark eyebrow in silent question.

“I was, um…wondering if you…would you…” He removed his hands from his jacket and began fidgeting, “like to go out sometime…maybe?” he finally managed.

She withdrew slightly, retreating inside to a certain extent to place a hand on the back of the door. “Oh,” she stated. “I…well…”

“You know, you don’t…have to say yes,” he assured her, giving her a slightly more confident grin.

“Yeah,” She allowed a similar nervous expression. “I, um…you know, Palmer, I…I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”<br>
His small grin faded and he nodded in faux understanding. “Right.”<br>
She stepped out toward him a little. “At least not now,” she tried to convince him. “I’m just…I think the fact that I’m even in here suggests that I shouldn’t really be dating right now, you know?”<br>
“Yeah,” He waved it off dismissively. “It’s…no problem.” He turned on his heel and headed back down the hall silently.

“Sorry,” Phoebe said quietly, more to herself than to him.

* * * * *

She hadn’t appeared again since he had summoned her.

It was beginning to unnerve him. He half expected her to be in his closet when he pulled it open one morning, under the bed when he was searching for a stray sock, or worse-to show up at one of the Coven’s meetings.

But she never did.

He hadn’t heard from her in weeks. Not until his next trial was announced.

This test was much simpler than the last, he thought. Less room for error. His only assignment this time was to meet another warlock at a back alley drug store known for its demonic dealings and accept a talisman that was being passed from another coven to the Obscurus Cordis. It was easier, less risk, but certainly more responsibility. Reth had made it very clear that losing the trinket would be the death of him-it was far too important. The Council had yet to share its full purpose with him, not on account of forgetfulness, he was sure.

He had turned onto the back street, glancing both ways to ensure that he wasn’t being followed when it happened. He faced the mouth of the alley again and there she was. Standing before him as though she had never left.

“More tests?”<br>
He stared at her, then eventually nodded. “Is that why you’re here?”<br>
She inclined her head toward him once in affirmation.

“Then go back to wherever it is you come from,” he commanded, moving around her purposefully. “You’re not messing this one up. You won’t stop me, you won’t distract me until it’s too late, you understand?”<br>
“I don’t have to,” she returned, turning in the direction he walked, but not following. “You’ll stop yourself.” His progression ceased. “Perhaps not tonight. But ultimately.”<br>
He turned. “I won’t.”<br>
“You will, Matthew.”<br>
It was the first time he had heard her say his name. Her melodious voice gave it a soothing tone and it suddenly seemed too common. So utterly mundane that he wondered why someone so beautiful would bother to take the time to speak it. He hadn’t even been aware that she knew it.

“Something will make you see,” she went on. “Sometime soon…they will ask something of you that you cannot give. And you will know. Know that you are not one of them. That you never were.”<br>
“Then what am I?” he demanded, rounding on her once more before he had the opportunity to reach the entrance to the small store. “What? I’m no witch. And I…I’m sure as hell not mortal. And now you’re telling me I’m not a warlock either! Do you know what it’s like?” He was now aware that he had advanced on her until he stood before her again, but he didn’t care. “Do you have any idea? To walk in both worlds and belong to neither?”<br>
Her gaze was unwavering. His anger never seemed to faze her. “Yes,” she finally replied.

He stopped, breathing heavier from his outburst and observed her, standing there. “Yeah,” he agreed, a bit calmer now, or at least getting there fast. “Yeah, I guess you do.”<br>
Neither moved and neither averted their eyes, and it remained so for several seconds. On impulse he moved a step closer to her, infinitely surprised when she flinched, yet somewhat pleased at the ability to finally cause her some measure of unease. It certainly tipped that scales of power a little in his favor.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he boldly reached up to touch her cheek. She stepped back at this and he lowered his hand, all amusement fading from his face. She stared at him for another moment. “Go home, Matthew,” she instructed, the gilded orbs already gathering to carry her away.

[mcharmed21]

Chapter 8


The girl was an enigma, he’d give her that.

He hadn’t been able to get his mind off her since she had disappeared again. He had gone inside. He had picked up the talisman with no set backs; the entire transaction had gone smoothly. He had walked home.

And now, stepping inside the manor, all he wanted to do was to go upstairs, climb into bed, and sleep off his growing headache.

“You’re late.”<br>
No such luck.

He pivoted reluctantly at the base of the staircase to find his mother standing in the large opening leading to the living room.

“Your councilor called,” Piper continued, crossing her arms across her chest. “Said you’ve been skipping classes.”<br>
He sighed and nodded, shrugging. “Yeah, a few,” he confirmed.

“From what Mr. Saunders told me, it sounds like more than a few,” she protested. “You wanna tell me what you’ve been doing with all that extra time?”<br>
“Nothing,” he told her. “I just…haven’t been much in the mood for Trig. lately.”<br>
She studied him, her eyebrows knitting together. “You’ve been…distant lately. More so than usual. What aren’t you telling me?”<br>
He didn’t respond, purposely avoiding her gaze.

“Is it us?” she inquired. “Me and dad? Fighting?”<br>
He gave a small ironical laugh. “Not everything’s about you, ya know,” he scoffed.

She was taken aback by that, he could tell. He took advantage of her temporary catatonia, seizing the opportunity to continue ascending the stairs.

* * * * *

Alright. If she wanted to be elusive, that was just fine with him. He would get his information some other way.

If Phoebe had been at home, she would have been the witch to ask, hands down. But she was currently out of commission.

So he would have to resort to Trinity. Someone he was not at all in the mood to talk to for fear she would connect certain vampire activity with him, but there was no other way. The girl made a habit of studying not only the Book, but many other witchcraft volumes, all on top of her straight A school work. She would know something, if not everything (everything being as much as a human could know).

“Hey,” she greeted him, not bothering to look up from the English paper she was working on, though her writing ceased as she looked it over. “Mom let you in?”<br>
“No,” he told her, walking over to stand before her bed, hands in his pockets. “She must be at the office. Door was unlocked.”<br>
“Yeah, well,” She slapped a palm on the space on the blanket in front of where she sat. “Be my guest.” He obliged, lowering himself down beside her. She finally raised her eyes. “What’s up?”<br>
“Ran into someone not long ago,” he explained, his eyes drifting to the posters and bookshelves that lined the walls. “Pretty sure I know what it is, but I don’t know much about the entity itself. Thought maybe you might.”<br>
“Demon?” she asked, her brow furrowing instantly at the idea.

He shook his head. “No,” he clarified. “But…magickal. Most definitely.”<br>
“Well, what is it?”<br>
“Far as I can tell?” he said. “An Elemental.” Trinity sat back, obviously surprised, and finally set her notebook aside. “You’ve heard of them?”<br>
“To say the least,” she told him. “They’re…revered. On both sides. I’ve heard more than a few demons talking about them in my day.”<br>
“So they really do have no alliances?”<br>
She ran a hand through her straight dark hair, a nervous habit that occurred when she was deep in thought. “I can’t believe you saw one, let alone met one.”<br>
“What do you know about them?” he pressed, a little more forceful this time. “Besides what’s in the Book. ‘Cause I’ve read that.”<br>
“Well…” she began, obviously trying to think of a piece of information he might not already have, “they’re human for one thing,” she revealed, and it was Matthew’s turn to sit back in shock. “Or…they were. They’re taken to serve their time and then returned to Earth.”<br>
He contemplated this for a moment. “Do they answer to anyone? The Book said-”<br>
“The Book is written by witches,” she reminded him, smiling slightly in a knowing fashion. “All of whom were probably as confused as you when they met one. And therefore, it must have errors, yes?”<br>
“So they would then?” he persisted. “Have someone above them?”<br>
“Oh, I’m sure,” she informed him, as though it should have been obvious. “No ultimate power is that specific. If they were at the top, they would rule all, not just the elements. You understand?” He nodded. It made sense. “No, I assume if they’re truly unbiased then they probably answer to the Tribunal.”<br>
“The Tribunal,” he echoed.

“Yeah,” she said. “If anyone. It’s possible I’m wrong, but it wouldn’t be logical if they didn’t. It’s an educated guess.” She looked him over curiously. “Which did you meet?”<br>
He looked up as well. “Earth.”<br>
“Ah,” She nodded. “A female then.”<br>
He squinted at her, confused. “Are they not all?” he asked. He had always assumed the others, though most likely different in appearance, would be three other little Marons.

“No,” Trinity elucidated. “Water is. But Air and Fire-they’re men.” She gave a small laugh. “Be glad you ran into Earth. The females tend to be more docile in their persuasions than the males.”<br>
He nodded his head as well in understanding and rose to his feet. “Thanks,” he called over his shoulder.

“Hey, Matt!”<br>
He turned back around, hoping she wouldn’t question him about not staying longer.

“What does an Elemental want with you?”<br>
He flinched. Should have known she’d make that connection. He made an effort to shrug nonchalantly. “Beats me. Probably has more to do with our family than me. Maybe she needs help from the Charmed Ones. Or the Slayer.” He gestured flippantly at his cousin.

She stared at him and he got the impression she didn’t quite believe him, but whatever expression on her face had led him to this conclusion, it disappeared as fast as it had come. “Right,” she allowed eventually.

“I’ll see ya,” he told her, moving quickly for the door before she could ask anymore questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.