Demons, Demons, Everywhere

[noazmale]

CHARMED
“Demons, Demon, Everywhere”
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
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Rating: K

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 2 episodes “Astral Monkey” and “Apocalypse, Not”.)

* * *

A premonition leads the Charmed Ones to a man being chased by a demon. But this demon is very clever and only attacks when no one else is around.

* * *

ONE

Prue came over to the booth where Piper and Phoebe were sitting and sat down. As she did, Leo came back from the bar carrying drinks for the other two sisters and himself.

“I thought you were staying home tonight?” questioned Phoebe.

“I decided you guys were right,” said Prue. “There’s no sense just sitting around the manor all by myself. Besides, where else can I get free drinks?”

“Can I get you something?” Leo asked before he sat down.

“Sure,” said Prue. “Just my usual.”

“I’ll be right back,” said Leo.

“So, how are we all doing?” Prue asked.

“Okay, I guess,” said Piper, not much enthusiasm in her voice.

“What’s the matter?” Prue asked. “You sound like you’re depressed.”

“She’s still upset about Dr. Williamson,” Phoebe half whispered to her.

“Well, it was kind of our fault about what happened to him,” said Piper. “I just wish we could have done something to help him, that’s all.”

“It wasn’t our fault,” said Prue. “Dr. Williamson made his own choices. I’m sorry about what happened, too, but there was nothing we could have done about it.”

“I know,” said Piper. “That doesn’t make me feel better about it. Sometimes being a witch is no fun.”

“You have to take the bad with the good,” said Leo, coming over and putting Prue’s drink down on the table. “Is she still upset about Dr. Williamson?”

“Yeah,” said Phoebe. “I guess she just hasn’t accepted that there wasn’t anything we could have done to stop it.”

“I will,” said Piper. “It will just take some time, that’s all.”

“She always did feel stronger about things,” said Prue. “She was always dragging home lost strays. Grams used to have fits about it.”

“Dr. Williamson was no stray,” said Phoebe.

“No,” said Prue, “but it just illustrates how deeply little sister feels things sometimes.”

“Okay, enough all ready,” said Piper. “I know it wasn’t our fault what happened to Dr. Williamson. Can we just drop it, please?”

“You’re the one who’s sulking around,” said Phoebe.

“I am not sulking,” said Piper. “I’ll be okay. Just let it go.”

“Okay,” said Prue. “We’ll let it drop if you stop sulking.”

“You have a deal,” said Piper, picking up her glass. “Shall we toast on it?”

They clinked their glasses together and Piper just smiled at them. She knew they were just trying to help and she couldn’t blame them. And she knew that in a while she wouldn’t feel so bad about Dr. Williamson.

“Did you know that the tradition of clinking cups together came about because a ruler didn’t trust the other rulers around him?” Phoebe asked. “Apparently, they were having a toast and he suspected his cup was poisoned but he didn’t know who had poisoned it. So he suggested a toast and when they clinked their glasses together, he clinked his so hard that the liquid from his cup splashed into everyone else’s cup. So all he had to do was watch and see which one of the other leaders didn’t drink and he knew who had tried to poison him.”

“And you know this because?” Prue asked.

“I used to work with this guy in New York who was always coming up with trivia like that,” said Phoebe. “It was amazing the stuff he used to know.”

“I see,” said Prue. “Well, here’s to little known trivia and the people who know it.”

“Speaking of trivia,” said Phoebe, “does anyone know who the geek with the briefcase is who just came in the front door?”

“That’s no geek,” said Piper, getting up, “that’s my lawyer.”

“Lawyer?” questioned Prue.

“Yeah,” said Piper, waving the lawyer over. “He’s the one who was helping me with the licenses and legal paperwork for the club. He said he’d drop some of them by today when they were finished. Hello, Geoffery. I’m glad you could finally make it.”

“I’m sorry it’s so late, Piper,” said Geoffery. “I was going to drop these by earlier but I got tied up in court and then my secretary found a deposition that hadn’t gotten filed and I had to make sure it got filed before five o’clock. Then my biggest client came in at the last minute to amend his will and it took forever. It’s been one of those days.”

“You did get the paperwork done, didn’t you?” Piper asked apprehensively.

“Yes, I did,” said Geoffery, opening his briefcase and removing some papers which he handed to Piper. “Everything was done in a timely fashion and properly filed. It’s all in order and you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Well, he sounds like a lawyer,” giggled Phoebe.

Geoffery just smiled as he suddenly dropped his briefcase. The papers still inside spilled all over the floor.

“Like I said,” said Geoffery, “one of those days.”

They all helped him pick the papers up off the floor and stuff them back into his briefcase. As Phoebe picked up a handful of papers she suddenly stiffened slightly but it seemed to pass quickly. After collecting the papers he excused himself and left the club.

“Okay, I know that look,” said Prue to Phoebe. “You had a premonition, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” said Phoebe. “As soon as I picked up those papers. There was a guy in an alley and he was being chased by something.”

“A demon?” Piper asked.

“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “I couldn’t see who was chasing him. Just him running down the alleyway scared out of his mind.”

“You think it could be a demon?” Leo asked.

“I can’t think of another reason Phoebe would get a premonition,” said Prue. “Do you think it’s going to happen soon.”

“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “I only know it was dark out. Just like it is now.”

“Well, we’d better get there just in case,” said Piper. “I guess the bartender will have to take care of the place until we get back.”

Together the four headed for the back door so Leo could orb them to where the man was being attacked.

[noazmale]

TWO

“Are you sure this is the place?” Prue asked as they searched the alley for the third time. “I’m not finding anything here.”

“I’m sure this is the place,” said Phoebe. “I recognize the graffiti on that dumpster over there.”

“Phoebe, those are gang colors,” said Leo. “It’s possible they’re on a lot of dumpsters in a lot of alleys.”

“No, I’m sure this is the right alley,” said Phoebe. “That pile of trash over by that door? It’s the same pile of trash I saw the man trip over as he was running up the alley. I don’t understand it. I know this is the alley where I had my premonition.”

“There’s nothing here,” said Piper. “Maybe your premonition isn’t for tonight. Maybe it’s for tomorrow night or some other time.”

“I don’t usually have premonition very far in the future,” said Phoebe. “They’re usually pretty close to when they actually happen.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” said Leo. “Your powers are going to increase as you get older. It’s possible you’re starting to have premonitions further in the future. Since there’s nothing going on here I suggest we all go home until . . . .”

They all turned as they heard a loud clatter up the alleyway. As they looked where the noise came from they saw a man stand up from amidst several trashcans that he had just fallen over. He stood up and watched as the man ran toward them and suddenly fell over the same pile of trash Phoebe had pointed out only a moment before. He stood up again, looking behind him in stark terror, and then turned to face the group. He looked to be in his early twenties and was obviously terrified of something.

“Run,” he said, terror in his voice. “Run while you still can. Run before it catches us.”

“Oh, hold on there,” said Prue, taking the man’s arm. “Before who catches us?”

“The creature,” said the man. “A monster of some kind. It’s after me. It’s been chasing me for a while now. I don’t know what it is. But we have to get out of here. It’s right behind me. It will be here any second.”

“Leo, watch our friend here,” said Prue. “We’ll take care of the monster.”

Leo and the man watched as the girls moved down the alley in the direction the man had just come from. They waited patiently for several moments until the girls came back down the alley.

“Well, whatever it was it’s gone now,” said Prue. “Maybe it saw us here and got scared off.”

“It will be back,” said the man. “It always comes back. No matter where I go it follows me.”

“Okay, slow down,” said Prue. “Let’s start with your name.”

“Crandall,” said the man. “Jerome Crandall.”

“I’m Prue, and these are my sisters, Piper and Phoebe. And that’s Leo. Now, just what did this monster that was chasing you look like?”

“It was tall,” said Jerome. “Maybe six feet tall or better. It was all red with these weird black markings. It had this set of horns around it’s forehead. It was carrying this kind of staff thing.”

“Leo, any idea what demon he’s describing?” Piper asked.

“Not a clue,” said Leo. “I know several that could fit some of the descriptions but none that fit that particular one.”

“Let’s get back to the manor,” said Prue. “Maybe it’s in the Book of Shadows.”

“The what?” questioned Jerome. “What are you people talking about?”

“Come on, Mr. Crandall,” said Phoebe, taking his arm. “This may be a bit unsettling at first. But we have some things we need to tell you.”

* * *

“Demon?” questioned Jerome back at the manor. “That thing was a demon? It’s not a monster?”

“Well, I suppose in a way demons are monsters,” said Prue. “Just not the type most people think about when they think of monsters.”

“And you’re witches?”

“Yes,” said Piper. “We were there because Phoebe had a premonition about you being attacked. We were there to stop the demon from hurting you.”

“Girls,” said Leo, “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to tell him so much. He’s an innocent.”

“And a demon is after him,” said Prue. “Until we figure out which one we have to protect him and the more he knows the better. As soon as Piper figures out which demon it is we’ll go find it and vanquish it.”

“It’s not in the Book of Shadows,” said Piper, coming down the stairs. “Leo was right. There are several that have characters of the one Jerome described, but none that has all of them.”

“So what are we dealing with?” Prue asked. “Is this some kind of new demon?”

“Or a very old one,” said Leo. “Some demons haven’t been seen on the mortal plane for years or decades. It’s possible it’s one of those.”

“Then why isn’t it in the Book of Shadows?” Phoebe asked.

“The entries in the Book of Shadows have been made by your ancestors,” said Leo. “Witches in the past who have encountered those things. If one of your ancestors never encountered it there wouldn’t be an entry in it for it.”

“Well, that makes sense,” said Piper. “But why don’t you know about it? You’re supposed to be our White Lighter. Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to know about stuff?”

“And I do,” said Leo. “But I don’t know everything. Not even the Elders know everything. But they do know a lot of things that I don’t. So maybe I should go check with them and see if they know what type of demon is after Mr. Crandall?”

“Please, call me Jerome. You three just saved my life. Doesn’t seem like we should stand on formality now.”

“Well, you all ready know our names,” said Prue. “Maybe you should get cleaned up. Those trashcans made a mess of your clothes. I can stick them in the washing machine for you.”

“I’ll get him something to wear,” said Leo. “Before I go talk to the Elders.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I was in such a hurry to get away from that demon that I never even saw the trashcans. And that pile of trash I tripped over? Never even saw it coming. Or that I was running into it.”

“Well the shower is at the top of the stairs,” said Piper. “Just leave your clothes outside the door and Leo can bring them down when he takes your clean ones up there.”

“Okay,” said Jerome. “Will I be okay up there alone? I mean that demon won’t attack again, will it?”

“Probably not right away,” said Prue. “If it ran off because it saw us the it will probably take a while before it attacks again. Try to get its bearings. Besides, I don’t think it’s likely to attack in the manor with all of us here.”

“Okay,” said Jerome. “Again, thanks for everything.”

“Well, he seems like a nice guy,” said Phoebe after Jerome had gone upstairs.

“A nice guy who knows who you are,” said Leo. “You’re not supposed to tell anyone you’re witches. You have to protect magic from the mortal world.”

“I don’t think he’s likely to tell anyone, Leo,” said Piper. “We just saved his life. I think he’ll be thankful enough for that to . . . .”

Her sentence went unfinished as they all heard a blood-curdling scream shatter the air.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Jerome,” said Prue.

Immediately the three girls headed for the stairs, Leo close behind. As they reached the second floor they saw the door to the bathroom ripped from its hinges, lying on the floor. Cowering in the corner was Jerome, his arms over his head. But the demon was nowhere to be seen.

“Check the rest of the house,” said Prue. “It might still be here somewhere. Leo, watch Jerome and orb him out of here if you have to.”

The girls searched the house from top to bottom. Leo took Jerome into the kitchen and got him a glass of water to calm him down. After searching the house the girls came into the kitchen.

“Well, it’s gone now,” said Phoebe. “I guess it didn’t want to hang around to mess with us.”

“Jerome, what happened up there?” Piper asked.

“I really don’t know,” said Jerome. “I was getting ready to take a shower when that thing just suddenly appeared in the bathroom. I couldn’t do anything so I just screamed for you three and ran out of the bathroom. I tried to keep it trapped in there but it just tore the door off its hinges. I’m sorry about the door.”

“Don’t worry about,” said Leo. “From what I saw it wasn’t too badly damaged. I think I can fix it pretty easily.”

“It attacked in the manor,” said Prue. “I can’t believe it actually attacked in the manor. With all three of us right there in the living room. Leo, go check with the Elders and find out what kind of demon this thing is. And see if they have a potion or spell to vanquish it with. When it comes back again I want to be ready for it.”

“You think it’s coming back?” Phoebe asked.

“It attacked here once, didn’t it?” asked Prue. “It obviously wants Jerome pretty badly and it’s willing to attack with us right here. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that it will be back. When it does I want to be ready to vanquish it the second it shimmers into the manor.”

“Shimmers?” questioned Jerome.

“That’s how demons travel,” said Piper. “It’s called shimmering.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I learn anything,” said Leo, who then orbed out of the kitchen.

“And that’s not shimmering?” Jerome asked.

“No, Leo calls it orbing,” said Piper. “It’s a standard White Lighter power.”

“So these White Lighters,” said Jerome. “You said they’re like angels or something?”

“Something like that,” said Phoebe. “Leo said they’re kind of guides for witches. We get a lot of information from him and the Book of Shadows.”

“Book of Shadows?” Jerome asked.

“Yeah,” said Piper. “It’s kind of a magical book that gives us information on demons and spells and things. Without it we’d be kind of lost.”

“And this book will tell you how to kill this demon?” Jerome questioned.

“Afraid not,” said Piper. “I couldn’t find it in the Book of Shadows which mean no one in our family has ever encountered it before. But I’m sure the Elders will be able to tell Leo what it is. Then I can prepare a potion that will vanquish it permanently.”

“Vanquish?” questioned Jerome. “That’s like killing a demon?”

“That’s exactly what it is,” said Prue. “Well, you still need that shower. Piper, why don’t you go with him upstairs and wait outside the bathroom until he’s finished. At least that way he’ll be safe until Leo gets back.”

“What about the clothes?” Phoebe asked. “Leo didn’t have time to get any before he left.”

“I think there are still some of dad’s clothes in an old trunk in the attic,” said Prue. “They should fit okay and I don’t think dad’s going to be by for them any time soon.”

“I’ll get the clothes,” said Phoebe. “I think I know which trunk they’re in.”

“What are you going to do?” Piper asked.

“I’m going to check the house again,” said Prue. “That demon is still around here somewhere and I mean to find it.”

“Just be careful,” said Piper. “It’s dangerous going up against a demon alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Prue. “You just watch out for Jerome. He’s the one who needs protection.”

* * *

“The Elders had no idea which demon it is,” said Leo after he’d returned to the manor. “Jerome, are you sure you described it correctly?”

“Very sure,” said Jerome. “It was very close.”

“What about this staff thing you mentioned it had?” Prue asked. “What did it look like?”

“I didn’t get a real good look at it,” said Jerome. “It was three or four feet long and it had this flame or something coming out both ends of it. I think it was trying to kill me with it.”

“That doesn’t sound familiar either,” said Leo.

“What about a shape shifter?” Piper asked. “Could this be a demon in a different form? We’ve encountered shape shifters before.”

“I guess it’s possible,” said Leo. “Only I don’t know why a demon would shape shift into a different form. That just doesn’t sound like any demons I know of.”

“Maybe to throw us off,” suggested Phoebe. “Remember when those shape shifters tried to steal the Book of Shadows? They took on human form to throw us off.”

“Yeah, but they never took the form of demons,” said Prue. “I think those were their normal forms. Still, it does make sense. Whatever demon is after Jerome may be taking a different form so we can’t figure out what type it really is. That way if we did have a potion or spell it wouldn’t affect it.”

“What about the staff it’s using?” Piper asked. “Even Leo said he hadn’t heard of anything like that.”

“Just something else to throw us off,” said Prue. “If we knew why it was after you, Jerome, we might be able to figure out what kind of demon it is. Do you have any enemies? Anyone who wants to hurt you or kill you?”

“Not that I can think of,” said Jerome. “I’m a teacher for gifted children. I get along real well with all of my students and their parents like me, too. I can’t think of any reason a demon would be out to hurt me.”

“Well, just to be safe, I think you’d better sleep on the sofa tonight,” said Prue. “One of us will be with you all the time. Maybe just having one of us around will keep the demon from attacking. In the mean time, Leo I want you to see if you can find out what kind of demon this could be. Maybe with this additional information the Elders might be able to narrow down what demon it is.”

“I’ll see what I can do but I can promise anything,” said Leo. “We don’t have a lot to go on.”

“Just try,” said Prue. “Now, we’ll take turns watching over Jerome. I’ll take the first watch. Piper, I’ll wake you in about four hours. You can wake Phoebe four hours after that. And if this demon attacks again be sure to get all of us up. It may take all of us to vanquish it.”

As Leo went to see the Elders again Phoebe headed upstairs to get some bedding for Jerome.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Jerome,” said Prue.

Immediately the three girls headed for the stairs, Leo close behind. As they reached the second floor they saw the door to the bathroom ripped from its hinges, lying on the floor. Cowering in the corner was Jerome, his arms over his head. But the demon was nowhere to be seen.

“Check the rest of the house,” said Prue. “It might still be here somewhere. Leo, watch Jerome and orb him out of here if you have to.”

The girls searched the house from top to bottom. Leo took Jerome into the kitchen and got him a glass of water to calm him down. After searching the house the girls came into the kitchen.

“Well, it’s gone now,” said Phoebe. “I guess it didn’t want to hang around to mess with us.”

“Jerome, what happened up there?” Piper asked.

“I really don’t know,” said Jerome. “I was getting ready to take a shower when that thing just suddenly appeared in the bathroom. I couldn’t do anything so I just screamed for you three and ran out of the bathroom. I tried to keep it trapped in there but it just tore the door off its hinges. I’m sorry about the door.”

“Don’t worry about,” said Leo. “From what I saw it wasn’t too badly damaged. I think I can fix it pretty easily.”

“It attacked in the manor,” said Prue. “I can’t believe it actually attacked in the manor. With all three of us right there in the living room. Leo, go check with the Elders and find out what kind of demon this thing is. And see if they have a potion or spell to vanquish it with. When it comes back again I want to be ready for it.”

“You think it’s coming back?” Phoebe asked.

“It attacked here once, didn’t it?” asked Prue. “It obviously wants Jerome pretty badly and it’s willing to attack with us right here. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that it will be back. When it does I want to be ready to vanquish it the second it shimmers into the manor.”

“Shimmers?” questioned Jerome.

“That’s how demons travel,” said Piper. “It’s called shimmering.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I learn anything,” said Leo, who then orbed out of the kitchen.

“And that’s not shimmering?” Jerome asked.

“No, Leo calls it orbing,” said Piper. “It’s a standard White Lighter power.”

“So these White Lighters,” said Jerome. “You said they’re like angels or something?”

“Something like that,” said Phoebe. “Leo said they’re kind of guides for witches. We get a lot of information from him and the Book of Shadows.”

“Book of Shadows?” Jerome asked.

“Yeah,” said Piper. “It’s kind of a magical book that gives us information on demons and spells and things. Without it we’d be kind of lost.”

“And this book will tell you how to kill this demon?” Jerome questioned.

“Afraid not,” said Piper. “I couldn’t find it in the Book of Shadows which mean no one in our family has ever encountered it before. But I’m sure the Elders will be able to tell Leo what it is. Then I can prepare a potion that will vanquish it permanently.”

“Vanquish?” questioned Jerome. “That’s like killing a demon?”

“That’s exactly what it is,” said Prue. “Well, you still need that shower. Piper, why don’t you go with him upstairs and wait outside the bathroom until he’s finished. At least that way he’ll be safe until Leo gets back.”

“What about the clothes?” Phoebe asked. “Leo didn’t have time to get any before he left.”

“I think there are still some of dad’s clothes in an old trunk in the attic,” said Prue. “They should fit okay and I don’t think dad’s going to be by for them any time soon.”

“I’ll get the clothes,” said Phoebe. “I think I know which trunk they’re in.”

“What are you going to do?” Piper asked.

“I’m going to check the house again,” said Prue. “That demon is still around here somewhere and I mean to find it.”

“Just be careful,” said Piper. “It’s dangerous going up against a demon alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Prue. “You just watch out for Jerome. He’s the one who needs protection.”

* * *

“The Elders had no idea which demon it is,” said Leo after he’d returned to the manor. “Jerome, are you sure you described it correctly?”

“Very sure,” said Jerome. “It was very close.”

“What about this staff thing you mentioned it had?” Prue asked. “What did it look like?”

“I didn’t get a real good look at it,” said Jerome. “It was three or four feet long and it had this flame or something coming out both ends of it. I think it was trying to kill me with it.”

“That doesn’t sound familiar either,” said Leo.

“What about a shape shifter?” Piper asked. “Could this be a demon in a different form? We’ve encountered shape shifters before.”

“I guess it’s possible,” said Leo. “Only I don’t know why a demon would shape shift into a different form. That just doesn’t sound like any demons I know of.”

“Maybe to throw us off,” suggested Phoebe. “Remember when those shape shifters tried to steal the Book of Shadows? They took on human form to throw us off.”

“Yeah, but they never took the form of demons,” said Prue. “I think those were their normal forms. Still, it does make sense. Whatever demon is after Jerome may be taking a different form so we can’t figure out what type it really is. That way if we did have a potion or spell it wouldn’t affect it.”

“What about the staff it’s using?” Piper asked. “Even Leo said he hadn’t heard of anything like that.”

“Just something else to throw us off,” said Prue. “If we knew why it was after you, Jerome, we might be able to figure out what kind of demon it is. Do you have any enemies? Anyone who wants to hurt you or kill you?”

“Not that I can think of,” said Jerome. “I’m a teacher for gifted children. I get along real well with all of my students and their parents like me, too. I can’t think of any reason a demon would be out to hurt me.”

“Well, just to be safe, I think you’d better sleep on the sofa tonight,” said Prue. “One of us will be with you all the time. Maybe just having one of us around will keep the demon from attacking. In the mean time, Leo I want you to see if you can find out what kind of demon this could be. Maybe with this additional information the Elders might be able to narrow down what demon it is.”

“I’ll see what I can do but I can promise anything,” said Leo. “We don’t have a lot to go on.”

“Just try,” said Prue. “Now, we’ll take turns watching over Jerome. I’ll take the first watch. Piper, I’ll wake you in about four hours. You can wake Phoebe four hours after that. And if this demon attacks again be sure to get all of us up. It may take all of us to vanquish it.”

As Leo went to see the Elders again Phoebe headed upstairs to get some bedding for Jerome.

[noazmale]

FOUR

Phoebe came awake from the blood-curdling scream that pierced the air. She had been sitting in a chair in the living room reading a book and apparently had dozed off. She looked around but didn’t see Jerome anywhere in the living room. Just then there was another scream. This time she could tell it came from the attic.

She rushed upstairs to find Prue and Piper just coming out of their rooms. As she reached them another scream pierced the air. Without hesitation all three headed for the attic. The door was closed and as they approached it Prue threw it open with her telekinetic power.

They rushed into the attic to find Jerome hiding behind a table. His left arm was covered in blood and there was an athame lying in the middle of the attic floor. And there was blood on the blade of the athame. The girls rushed into the attic expecting to find a demon but it was nowhere to be seen.

“Thank God,” exclaimed Jerome, coming out from behind the table. “I got up to get a glass of water and that demon attacked again. It chased me up here and tried to kill me with that knife. I thought I was going to die when I heard you running up the stairs. Then it just dropped the knife and disappeared.”

“Well, it just looks like any ordinary athame,” said Piper, walking over with the athame I her hand. “Nothing significant about it.”

“What happened?” Prue demanded of Phoebe. “You were supposed to be watching him.”

“I don’t know,” said Phoebe apologetically. “I guess I dozed off for a minute. The next thing I know I hear him screaming.”

“Phoebe, you were supposed to be watching,” Prue chided her sister.

“I know, I’m sorry,” said Phoebe. “I was reading and I must have dozed off. It was an accident.”

“Those kinds of accidents could get Jerome killed,” snapped Prue.

“I’m sorry, okay?” questioned Phoebe. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know,” said Prue, her anger subsiding. “I’m sorry I snapped like that. It’s just that this is the second time this thing has attacked in the manor and we still aren’t any closer to identifying which demon it is or what it wants. It’s just getting frustrating.”

“Come on,” said Piper, wrapping and old shirt around Jerome’s arm, “let’s get down to the kitchen and take care of this. It doesn’t look too bad. But we need to get it taken care of.”

The girls and Jerome headed downstairs. As they reached the entryway Leo suddenly orbed in.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. “I suddenly sensed the three of you in a near panic.”

“It was hardly a panic,” said Prue. “The demon attacked again. And it nearly got Jerome this time. We were just going to fix his arm.”

“Here, let me,” said Leo.

He held his hand over Jerome’s arm and a soft yellow glow covered the cut. Within moments the cut and the blood were completely gone.

“That’s such a neat trick I never get tired of watching it,” said Phoebe. “I wish I could do that.”

“I wish I didn’t have to use it as much as I do,” said Leo. “Besides, it’s a lot more effective than what you could have done for him.”

“You sure that’s okay?” Piper asked. “You have told us that you White Lighters have rules to follow.”

“Yes, it’s allowed,” said Leo. “That’s what my healing power is for. To heal damage done by demons. So in this case it’s not bending the rules.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jerome. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone. I just wanted something to drink, that’s all.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Prue. She glanced over at Phoebe who was looking guilty. “I guess it’s not really your fault either. It is nearly five thirty in the morning. And it has been a long night. Leo, have you been able to find out anything about this demon?”

“No,” said Leo, “and even the Elders don’t understand it. You haven’t mentioned the demon looking any differently and no one can seem to find out anything about this one. It’s like it just popped up out of thin air.”

“Well, that’s kind of what it does,” said Jerome. “One minutes there’s nothing there and the next minute it is.”

“I think he meant that it just suddenly appeared,” said Prue. “Most demons are known to the Elders. Even if we haven’t heard of them before they have. It doesn’t make sense that this would be something the Elders haven’t heard of which is why we think it’s a demon that’s shape shifted.”

“Oh, okay,” said Jerome.

“I couldn’t find out anything about that staff, either,” said Leo. “There’s nothing like it anywhere.”

“What about Jerome?” asked Phoebe “Did the Elders tell you anything about him?”

“They don’t really know that much about him,” said Leo. “No offense, Jerome, but you just aren’t significant enough for the Elders to have noticed you. That’s what’s so confusing. If there was something about him that would make a demon want to kill him it should have raised a flag with the Elders. But there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual or significant about him. Nothing that should draw the attention of a demon.”

“Could he be a future White Lighter?” Prue asked. “Like Maggie Murphy? You remember her. A Dark Lighter was trying to get her to commit suicide so she couldn’t become a White Lighter. Could this be something like that?”

“I don’t think so,” said Leo. “In the first place there’s no indication that Jerome is going to become a White Lighter. In the second, killing him wouldn’t prevent that. He would only be disqualified if he committed suicide. I think it’s pretty clear this demon is trying to kill him.”

“It’s just frustrating,” said Prue. “We can’t find out anything about this demon and we can’t even find out why it wants Jerome dead. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so helpless.”

“Well, we aren’t exactly helpless now,” said Piper, holding up the athame she had taken off the floor of the attic. “We have this now. Which means I should be able to scry for the demon using it and find out where it’s at. Then we can attack it for a change.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” said Phoebe. “I doubt it would be expecting that.”

“Get started right away,” said Prue. “I want to get rid of this demon right away. Jerome needs to go back to his life and he can’t do that as long as this demon is after him.”

“On my way,” said Piper, heading for the attic to get the map of San Francisco and the scrying crystal.

* * *

“I just don’t get it,” said Piper. “We’ve been scrying for over an hour and the only thing we keep getting is the manor. But we’ve searched the manor completely three times and there’s no demon here. I just don’t understand why the scrying keeps pointing to the manor.”

“You said this demon was a shape shifter,” said Jerome. “Is it possible it’s shape shifted into something we aren’t recognizing? Like a lamp or a book or something like that?”

“We thought of that,” said Prue. “But so far everything in the manor appears to be exactly what it’s supposed to be.”

“Well, we’ve all tried scrying for the demon and we’ve all gotten the same results,” said Phoebe. “The crystal keeps showing that the demon is here in the manor. Leo, do you know why it would do that?”

“Not off hand,” said Leo. “The only thing that I can think of is that something must be misdirecting it or something. It’s possible this demon has figured out a way to direct the scrying back here instead of where it actually is.”

“Well, we aren’t doing any good this way,” said Piper. “I might as well get breakfast started.”

“I’ll keep scrying for the demon,” said Phoebe. “Maybe I’ll get lucky.”

“Come on, Jerome,” said Prue. “We’ll wait in the living room. It doesn’t look like this demon attacks while one of us is around and Piper doesn’t like anyone in the kitchen when she’s cooking. So we’ll just have to entertain ourselves until breakfast is ready.”

[noazmale]

FIVE

“Well, I still didn’t have any better luck with the scrying than we had earlier,” said Phoebe as they ate breakfast. “All it would keep doing is indicating that the demon is still in the house.”

“Well, I think we can safely rule out that,” said Prue. “We’ve searched this house so many times that there’s no way a demon could be hiding here without us knowing about it.”

“Which still leaves us with the questions who is the demon and why does he want to kill Jerome?” questioned Piper. “Jerome, are you sure you can’t think of any reason a demon might want to kill you?”

“Not that I know of,” said Jerome. “But then again, I don’t really know that much about demons except what I’ve seen in the movies. I’m not even sure what demons do.”

“They try to kill the innocent,” said Prue. “And it’s our job to stop them. Only we don’t seem to be doing a very good job of it this time.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Leo. “This demon even has the Elders stumped and that’s hard to do. All they can figure is that it’s a shape shifter like you theorized. And that it’s shifted to a different shape so that no one can identify what it really is. It’s also using that flaming staff to further throw everyone off. It’s hard to identify a specific demon when it doesn’t act like any known demon.”

“Well at least the Elders are stumped, too,” said Piper. “At least I don’t feel so stupid now.”

“You shouldn’t,” said Leo. “It’s just nearly impossible to identify this demon from what we know about it so far.”

“So, what do we do if you can’t find it and stop it?” Jerome asked. “I can’t live on your sofa the rest of my life.”

“Don’t worry,” said Prue. “The demon will make a mistake sooner or later. And when it does we’ll be ready for it. Especially since it’s tried to kill you three times and failed. It’s going to be getting antsy. And that will make it careless. We just have to wait for it to make another appearance and we’ll finish it once and for all.”

“What do we do in the mean time?” Jerome asked.

“We wait,” said Phoebe. “Not much else we can do. But don’t worry. Like Prue said, this demon doesn’t seem to want to attack when one of us is around. So as long as one of us is with you then you should be safe.”

“And no wandering off for a glass of water or anything else,” said Prue. “If you want to go get something to drink you make sure one of us is with you. That way you don’t have to worry about the demon attacking again.”

“Well, what about,” said Jerome hesitantly. “I mean, what if I have to . . . What about going to the restroom? You can’t go with me there.”

“One of us will be right outside the door,” said Prue. “If the demon should shimmer in all you have to do it say something. But with one of us standing right outside the door I’m betting the demon won’t want to take that chance.”

It was nearly ten o’clock when there was a knock at the front door. Phoebe was in the living room reading a book and Prue, Piper, and Jerome were in the kitchen. Leo had been called off to one of his other charges. When Phoebe opened the front door she found Geoffery standing on the front porch.

“Hello,” said Phoebe. “Geoffery, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And if I recall you’re Phoebe.”

“That’s right. You have a good memory for names.”

“I always did. Is Piper home? I’m afraid when I dropped my papers last night some of them got mixed up. She got some of mine and I still have some of hers. I just stopped by to drop hers off and pick up the ones I need.”

“Sure come on in. She’s in the kitchen. I’ll go get her.

Geoffery opened his briefcase and started going through the papers in it as Phoebe went into the kitchen. A few moments later Piper and Phoebe walked into the living room.

“Hello, Geoffery,” said Piper. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Just a slight mix-up,” said Geoffery. “Last night when my papers fell on the floor I’m afraid some of them got mixed up. When I got home I found out that I still had one of your documents and one of mine was missing. I just figured they got mixed up in the confusion.”

“Oh, okay,” said Piper. “I haven’t had a chance to look through them yet. I’ll go get them.”

She returned a few moments later with the papers Geoffery had given her. He handed her some papers and then went through the ones she had. He finally pulled out some papers that were stapled together and looked at them.

“Here they are,” he said. “I was kind of worried. I have to file these today.”

“Well, no harm done I guess,” said Piper. “It’s been a little hectic around here the last few hours. But you have your papers now so you can get them filed.”

“Tell me about it,” said Geoffery. “I’m handling a commitment for a young man. I’ve never done anything like that before and I want to make sure I get everything right.”

“Aren’t you supposed to not talk about your clients?” questioned Phoebe. “Something about attorney-client privilege or something like that?”

“Yes,” said Geoffrey smiling. “But as long as I don’t mention any specifics it’s okay. Besides, a commitment is a matter of public record. I’m not divulging any confidences by mentioning it.”

“Oh, okay,” said Phoebe. “I just heard that whatever a client talks about with an attorney is confidential.”

“It is,” said Geoffery. “But there are exceptions to that. Anything that’s a matter of public record isn’t confidential. And anything we discuss in front of a third party isn’t confidential. But the specifics of the case are confidential unless I have the client’s permission.”

“Well, you learn something new every day,” said Piper. “So I guess whatever I told you is also confidential.”

“Yes,” said Geoffery, “but to be honest there really isn’t that much about a business transaction like this that’s confidential. Most of the things are contracts and licenses and things like that which are a matter of public record. But anything we discuss in private is certainly confidential.”

“That’s good to know,” said Piper.

“Piper,” said Prue, coming out of the kitchen with Jerome behind her, “I think the milk has gone bad. I threw it out and we need to get some more.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “I’ll run to the store later. You remember Geoffery from last night.”

“Of course,” said Prue. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” said Geoffery.”

“Geoffery,” said Jerome suddenly running up to the lawyer, “I’m glad you’re here. Everything I told you is true. Only the monster is really a demon. And these three are witches protecting me from it. I have proof now. The demon is real.”

Prue just looked at Piper and Phoebe wondering what they were going to do now. Jerome had just blown their cover.

[noazmale]

SIX

“Jerome?” questioned Geoffery. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, uh, we found him on the street and, well, sort of brought him here so he could get cleaned up,” said Piper nervously. “He was a mess.”

“I see,” said Geoffery.

“You know each other?” Prue asked.

“He’s sort of a client of mine,” said Geoffery. “We had an appointment yesterday afternoon but he didn’t show up. I’ve been concerned, Jerome. You hadn’t even called.”

“The demon came back,” said Jerome. “I had to get away. They saved me and have been protecting me from it. And there’s an angel, too. He healed my arm when the demon attacked me.”

“A demon,” laughed Phoebe nervously. “What an imagination.”

“A demon?” questioned Geoffery. “Is that what it is? You only said it was a monster. You never mentioned it being a demon before.”

“I didn’t know that until they told me,” said Jerome. “We aren’t sure what kind it is but Leo, he’s their angel friend, he’s been checking with the Elders. They’re trying to find out just what kind of demon it is so they can vanquish it.”

“Of course, Jerome,” said Geoffery. “At least now we know what’s after you. You should be safe here. I have some friends who can probably help. I can send them over right away.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” said Prue. “We, uh, Jerome can stay here until he’s feeling better. I’m sure after a couple of days he’ll be seeing things a bit clearer.”

“Sure, no problem,” said Geoffery. “Oh, Piper, I think I left one of your documents in the car. I need to be getting back to my office. Can you come out and get it, please?”

“Sure, Geoffery,” said Piper.

“Jerome, you can’t tell anyone about the demons,” said Prue after Piper and Geoffery had gone out to his car.

“Why not?” asked Jerome. “People should know about them. How can they be prepared for them if they don’t know they exist? We have to tell them. We have to tell everyone.”

“No, Jerome, we can’t,” said Phoebe. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about Geoffery. If he tells anyone we could have a whole lot of trouble.”

“We’ll deal with that later,” said Prue. “Right now, Jerome, you have to understand that we can’t protect you if you start telling everyone. They wouldn’t understand.”

“She’s right, Jerome,” said Piper, coming in the front door. “I told Geoffery to send his friends over. They’ll be able to protect you better. They have a special place designed just to protect people who the demons are after. He said they should be here soon.”

“Are you crazy?” Prue asked. “You want to bring more . . . people here? Now?”

“Yes, Prudence,” said Piper, slowing nodding her head. “I think it’s the best thing. Geoffery said his friends could identify the demon that’s after Jerome. Once they do that they can protect him while we go after the demon.”

Prue didn’t respond. Piper had called her Prudence. Which meant that something was going on. Piper knew how much Prue hated that name. She would never use it casually. It was also a point that had not escaped Phoebe’s attention. Apparently there was something Piper knew that she didn’t want to discuss in front of Jerome.

“Well, I don’t think the demon is going to attack for a while,” said Piper. “I think I’ll put on some coffee while we wait for Geoffery’s friends to show up.”

* * *

Geoffery returned less than an hour later with his friends. Those friends turned out to be an ambulance with paramedics and a medical doctor.

“So Jerome is delusional?” Phoebe asked after they had loaded Jerome into the ambulance.

“I’m afraid so,” said Dr. Humphrey. “He has the early onset of schizophrenia. He’s been acting somewhat erratic lately. I had decided to commit him for observation. His family became concerned when he started acting erratic.”

“That’s what those papers were that I came by to get this morning,” said Geoffery. “Jerome was scheduled to for a commitment hearing this afternoon and I needed the papers for the judge to sign so we could get Jerome into the hospital.”

“Is it normal for something like this to happen to an adult?” Prue asked.

“Actually,” said Dr. Humphrey, “schizophrenia normally manifests itself in early adulthood. Without treatment it just gets worse. Lucky for Jerome we caught it early. With proper treatment and medication I’m confident that Jerome will be okay. As long as he takes his medication.”

“What set this all off?” Piper asked.

“Jerome is a college student,” said Geoffery. “He’s been working his way through college as a projectionist at a local theater. A few months ago the theater was showing a movie and he became fixated on one of the characters. He thought it was a monster that was chasing him. Apparently his ‘monster’ has evolved into a demon.”

“It’s not unusual for schizophrenics to get progressively worse without treatment,” said Dr. Humphrey. “And of course when you helped him he just incorporated you into his delusion. Since the monster turned out to be a demon he obviously imagined you as witches trying to help him. Then there’s the angel who healed him.”

“Yeah,” said Piper. “That would probably be Leo, my boyfriend. He, uh, was a medic in the military.”

“A healer,” said Dr. Humphrey. “A perfect choice to be his ‘angel’.”

“So you really think he’s going to be okay?” Piper asked.

“I imagine so,” said Dr. Humphrey. “As I said it will just take the right medication. We’ll keep him in the hospital until we’re sure he’s back to normal. But I wouldn’t worry about him too much. He’ll be getting the best treatment available. I imagine in a few days all this nonsense about witches and demons will be behind us.”

“Thanks for helping him,” said Geoffery. “I know his family will be appreciative that you helped him.”

“Well, he’s in the hospital now,” said Prue. “Probably the best place for him to be. We’re just glad we could help.”

“Geoffery, we really should be getting to court,” said Dr. Humphrey. “With this incident I don’t think there will be any question about the commitment.”

“Thanks again, Prue,” said Geoffery.

“No problem,” said Prue.

After Geoffery and Dr. Humphrey left the manor, Leo orbed in.

* * *

“So it was all in his mind?” questioned Leo after they had explained to him what had happened.

“Apparently so,” said Prue. “It would seem that the demon after Jerome was all in his mind. There obviously was no demon. And I think I know why the scrying kept showing the demon in the manor. The athame we thought had been dropped by the demon was actually one of Gram’s. Jerome must have found it in the attic. I checked and found the one that we usually keep in the attic missing.”

“So, why did Phoebe have a premonition about a demon attack?” questioned Piper.

“Well, I did say I never actually saw a demon,” said Phoebe. “Just Jerome running from something. We all just kind of assumed it was a demon.”

“Phoebe’s premonitions are for you to help people,” said Leo. “Apparently in this case you were meant to help Jerome get the help he needed.”

“What I don’t understand,” said Prue, “is that you healed the cut on Jerome’s arm. I thought your healing power was supposed to heal any kind of physical infirmity? Why didn’t it heal his schizophrenia when it healed the cut?”

“Schizophrenia can be caused by a number of factors,” said Leo. “Both physical and mental. If Jerome’s wasn’t a physical cause then my healing wouldn’t have helped him at all.”

“Well, that makes sense,” said Phoebe. “Just like his ‘demon’ makes sense now.”

“What do you mean?” Piper asked.

“That movie that Geoffery mentioned,” said Phoebe. “The one that Jerome became fixated on the character in it. I saw it a few months ago. It’s the latest Star Wars movie and the monster he described is a perfect description of the main bad guy in it, Darth Maul. Right down to the staff-like weapon his monster had which would probably be the light saber that Darth Maul used in the movie.”

“I would never have known that,” said Prue. “I don’t really like those kinds of movies.”

“I just don’t understand why I didn’t realize it before,” said Phoebe.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” said Leo. “You were thinking about a demon, not some science fiction monster. And it’s no wonder the Elders couldn’t identify it. They don’t exactly keep track of what movies come out each year.”

“At least it’s over now,” said Prue. “And no demons to fight. But there still is that door to the bathroom to fix.”

“I’ll have it fixed before the day is over,” said Leo. “I just need to replace the hinges and rehang it. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Well, I for one could use some sleep,” said Piper. “I really didn’t get much sleep last night. And I still have to open the club later. I think I’m going to go take a nap before I have to go in.”

“Good idea,” said Phoebe. “I could use a nap myself.”

As the girls headed for their rooms Leo headed for the kitchen to get his toolbox so he could fix the bathroom door.

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.