An Altered Destiny

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"An Altered Destiny"
by J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K+ (for mild language)

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 the season 3 episodes "Honeymoon's Over" and "Magic Hour".)

* * *

Prues' battle with a warlock catapults her out of her own time and into an unfamiliar future. A future where Piper hates her and a serial killer is stalking the innocent. And where she may need the Power of Three to stop the killer.

* * *

ONE

Prue turned the corner and headed back to the manor. It had taken her more than an hour to cool off after her fight with her sister. Now, she was more calm and rational. And the argument didn't seem as important as it had an hour ago.

As she reflected on the argument, she realized it had been ridiculous. A minor problem blown way out of proportion by petty jealousy and envy. If the argument had been with Phoebe, it would have been more understandable. Phoebe was the "baby" of the family.

But the argument had been between Prue and Piper. That made it even more ridiculous. Piper was the peacekeeper in the family. She was the one who usually kept things from getting out of hand. Prue decided to put things right between them. It didn't really matter who was right or wrong. They were sisters. Nothing should come between that.

Sitting at a red light waiting for it to change, Prue noticed a young woman walking down the street. It seemed kind of late for a lone woman to be walking by herself. Probably on her way home from work, decided Prue. The woman walked along the sidewalk near the street lamps. Careful to make sure she was in darkness as little as possible. A very careful woman, thought Prue.

Then Prue noticed the man. Even after the light changed, Prue sat and watched him. He seemed to be watching the woman. And he seemed to be careful to stay within the shadows where he would be less likely to be seen.

A mugger, thought Prue. Someone looking for an easy mark. And who thought he had found one in this young woman. An innocent who was in need of help. This would be easy. Prue would just give the woman a ride home, and the mugger would loose his target. An innocent saved and Prue wouldn't even have to use her power.

That suddenly changed, literally in the blink of an eye. Just as Prue was about to pull up to the woman to offer her a ride, the man vanished. He reappeared almost instantly several yards away; closer to the woman.

Prue recognized what had happened. She had seen it before. The man had blinked. Which meant only one thing. He was a warlock. And that meant the woman could be a witch. And she could be a potential target for this warlock.

Prue picked up her cell phone to call her sisters. She was only a few blocks from the manor. It wouldn't take them more than a few minutes to get there.

Suddenly the warlock blinked again. He was only a few feet behind the woman. Prue dropped the phone in the seat next to her. There wasn't time to call for backup. She'd have to handle this herself.

Prue pulled the car into an alley near the woman. She got out of the car and walked to the end of the alley. Standing in the shadows, no one would know she was there. She waited as the woman passed the alley, and then kept walking.

Suddenly the warlock blinked into the alley next to Prue. He stood watching the woman with his back to Prue, oblivious that he wasn't alone. He raised his hand toward the woman.

Not knowing what he had planned, Prue didn't wait to find out. She reached out with her telekinetic ability and threw the warlock down the alley. He rolled to his feet, and then turned to face her.

"Witch," he hissed at her.

"Care to face someone who's ready for you?" asked Prue.

She used her power again and threw him to the ground. As he rolled, he reached out and cast an energy ball at her. She barely dodged the attack, barely being missed by the energy ball.

He was more powerful than she had first assumed. And the attack had been too close. The only reason he had missed was because he had been off balance. She needed to gain an advantage over him.

And she knew just how to do it. She'd astral project behind him. A good swift kick from behind would keep him off balance. The she'd just return to her body. A couple of times doing that, along with her telekinetic ability, and he'd think he was surrounded.

She stepped behind a dumpster next to her. Her body would be safe there as she projected. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt the projection begin to take effect. It would only take a split second to leave her body.

Just as she felt herself begin to leave her body, the warlock attacked. An energy ball struck the wall of the building next to Prue. But instead of exploding, the weapon ricocheted off the wall, striking Prue with its' full force. Prue immediately lost consciousness.

[Reality Bites]

Dun dun dunnnnnn!! Wow, you've really got me hooked! What was Piper and Prue's fight all about? Who was the woman walking alone? Was she a witch? Will she appear again in future chapters? What is this warlock really after? All these questions are rattling around in my head! lol! I'm anxious for you to post the next chapter? Great start to what I hope to be a very intriguing story!!

[noazmale]

TWO

Prue opened her eyes and looked around. Everything seemed normal. Except the warlock was nowhere to be seen. She found this odd. Why hadn't he killed her and stolen her powers while she was unconscious?

With the warlock gone, there was nothing to do but go home. She turned and walked to her car. Except that her car was also gone. Apparently stolen while she had battled the warlock. This was just great. Her cell phone was in the car. She decided to walk home and call the police to report her car stolen from there.

Ten minutes later she stood in front of the manor. The house looked ready to collapse. Most of the windows were broken out or boarded over. The roof had collapsed at one part. Most of the paint had peeled away and the yard was completely overgrown with weeds.

This was impossible. She looked at her watch. She had only been gone a little over ninety minutes. What could have happened in those ninety minutes to so completely demolish the manor like this?

The inside of the manor was in worse shape than the outside. Most of the furniture was gone. What still remained in the house appeared old and rotten. Dust covered everything. It appeared that the manor hadn't been occupied for a very long time.

Cautiously she made her way to the attic. She wasn't surprised at what she found. Or rather didn't find. The Book of Shadows was nowhere to be seen. Not even a faint impression in the dust where it had once lain could be found. This house had been abandoned for many years.

"Leo," she called into the air.

Whatever happened, Leo was still her White Lighter. He would come when she called for him. He always did. But nothing happened. She called him again, and still he didn't appear.

Prue reached out with her telekinetic power to a chair that still sat in the attic. The chair slid across the room to the other side. Well, she still had her powers. But where were Piper and Phoebe? Why didn't Leo answer her call? Where was the Book of Shadows? And why did the manor look like it was condemned? She didn't have any of these answers.

But she knew one person who might. Darryl might know what was going on. Moreover, he knew their secret that meant fewer explanations. At this point, she could think of no other options open to her.

The cab to the police station took nearly all of what little money she had on her. As she walked into the police station, something seemed odd. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but she knew something didn't look right. She looked around and found the desk sergeant. She didn't know him, but then, she didn't know most of the cops. She walked up to the desk sergeant.

"Excuse me," she said, "can you tell me if Inspector Morris is in right now? I need to speak with him right away. It's extremely important."

"Who?" asked the desk sergeant.

"Inspector Darryl Morris," repeated Prue.

"I'm sorry, miss," said the sergeant, "we don't have an Inspector Morris at this precinct. Maybe he's with another precinct."

"No," said Prue, "he works homicide out of this precinct. I visited him here just the other day."

"Wait a minute," said the sergeant. "Darryl Morris. You don't mean Captain Morris, do you?"

"Captain Morris?" questioned Prue.

"Yes," said the sergeant. "As a matter of fact, Captain Morris is here right now. He's in with some detectives right now, but he should be out in a few minutes. If you'd care to wait, I'll let him know you're here."

"Fine," said Prue. "I'll be over on the bench over there."

Prue sat in the precinct for several minutes waiting for Darryl. Police officers passed through the lobby with their prisoners. Prue waited impatiently, wishing Darryl would hurry up.

"You wanted to see me?" said an elderly man coming up to Prue.

Prue looked up at him. He appeared to be in his mid-sixties. He was almost totally bald and what hair he did have was stark white. He was wearing glasses and deep lines crossed his face. Even considering all the changes, Prue instantly recognized Darryl. She was so stunned at his appearance she couldn't speak.

"Prue Halliwell?" questioned Darryl. "My God, it is you."

"Darryl, what happened to you?" asked Prue.

"I got old," said Darryl. "Just like everyone does. Everyone except you, apparently."

"Darryl, we need to talk," said Prue, glancing around. "Privately."

"This way," said Darryl.

He led her to an empty office. He closed the door behind them.

"What's going on?" asked Prue. "I go out for a ride and when I get back, everything has changed."

"Some ride," said Darryl. "You never came back. Your car was found abandoned a few blocks from the manor. No trace of you was ever found."

"That's ridiculous," said Prue. "I was gone less than two hours. I got into a fight with a warlock and was only away from my car for a few minutes. How could it be considered abandoned in just a few minutes?"

"Your car sat in an alley for over a week before it was towed," said Darryl. "We searched everywhere for you. You just seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth."

"This isn't making any sense," said Prue. She looked at her watch. "About three hours ago, Piper and I had an argument. I decided to take a ride to cool off. When I got back, everything seems to have changed."

"Three hours?" questioned Darryl. He picked up a newspaper from the desk and handed it to Prue. "Prue, you've been gone more than three hours. You vanished without a trace twenty-eight years ago."

Prue read the date on the paper in almost total disbelief. The date on the paper read November 29, 2028.

[Reality Bites]

Hahaha, and my questions are still left hanging in the air! Great new part, I'm feeling just as lost as Prue right now! Hopefully Darryl can provide a few answers! I'm anticipating Prue running into Piper and Phoebe after twenty-years of being "gone"... and I wonder, will Paige make an appearance too? Please hurry back with the next chapter as soon as you can!

[noazmale]

THREE

"That's one hell of a story," said Darryl, after Prue had filled him in on what had happened to her. "I'm not sure if I believe it or not. It's been a very long time since I've had to deal with anything or anyone magical."

"It's all true, believe me," said Prue. "It's as much a shock to me as it is to you. The only thing I can figure is that the energy ball the warlock used somehow pushed me forward in time."

"That would explain why you haven't aged any," said Darryl. "And why we weren't able to find even a trace of you back then."

"So, you're a captain now," said Prue, afraid to broach what was really on her mind. Her sisters.

"Retired," corrected Darryl. "I retired about five years ago. My wife died a year later. But I still keep my hand in police work. I'm a consultant on a lot of cases."

"That's good," said Prue. "Sorry to hear about your wife."

"I've accepted it," said Darryl. "It was a long time ago. And we had many good years together. You haven't asked about Piper or Phoebe?"

"I was kind of afraid to," said Prue. "After all these years, I'm not sure they're even still alive."

"Well, I know Phoebe is," said Darryl. "She works as a maid at one of the nearby hotels. I saw her a couple of weeks ago."

"What about Piper?" asked Prue.

"I don't know," said Darryl. "She took your disappearance especially hard. After they moved out of the manor I lost touch with her. I haven't seen her in about fifteen years."

"Do you remember Leo Wyatt?" asked Prue.

"Yeah, I think so," said Darryl. "He stopped coming around after you disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him."

"Darryl, I need to see Phoebe," said Prue. "Can you take me to her?"

"Sure," said Darryl. "I'm consulting on a serial killer case right now, but I've done all I can do for tonight. I'll give you a ride to where she works. If we hurry, we can get there before she gets off."

"What's this case you're working on?" asked Prue as they rode to the hotel where Phoebe was working.

"A serial killer," said Darryl. "He's murdered two women, then he butchered them. But it should be over now. We're pretty sure we have the guy who did it in custody now."

"That's horrible," said Prue.

"Well, we have enough circumstantial evidence on the guy to take him to trial," said Darryl. "We should be able to put him away for the rest of his life. He preyed on prostitutes. I guess he figured no one would care if someone murdered prostitutes."

"No one deserves what he did to them," said Prue. "No matter who they are."

"He won't do it again," said Darryl. "He's being held in maximum security. We aren't taking any chances with him. He's not getting out of there."

"You know," said Prue, "that sounds familiar. I know I've heard of a similar case just like it. I can't quite remember where, though."

"That's not surprising," said Darryl. "Before you disappeared we had a case . . . oh, here we are."

Darryl pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. Most of the rooms were dark, but several had lights on in them. Prue looked around. The parking lot was mostly deserted, except for a few cars scattered around the lot. Darryl pulled into one of the parking stalls in front of the office.

"Come on," he said. "She's probably in the office getting ready to clock out."

They walked into the lobby of the hotel. Darryl walked up to the counter while Prue stood nervously near the front door. A young woman smiled at Darryl and asked if she could help him.

'Yes," said Darryl. "Can you tell me if Phoebe is still here?"

"Yes," said the woman. "She's in the back right now. She should be out in a minute."

"We'll wait for her," said Darryl.

After several minutes, and older woman came out of the back office. She was wearing a maids' uniform. She seemed to be rummaging through her purse for something. The woman looked to be in her mid-fifties. Her once brown hair was now almost totally gray. She was wearing glasses and lines crossed her face. And even with the addition of about thirty pounds, Prue had no trouble recognizing her "baby" sister. Phoebe looked up and saw Darryl standing by the counter.

"Hey, Darryl, what's up?" asked Phoebe.

She glanced momentarily at Prue, and then took a second look. For a moment nothing happened. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened in recognition of her eldest sister.

"Prue?" she squealed. "Prue!"

Phoebe's purse fell to the floor as she raced to embrace her sister. Both were beginning to cry as Darryl just watched, smiling.

"Hello, baby sister," said Prue through her tears.

"Baby sister?" questioned the counter girl.

"Oh, uh, private family joke," said Darryl.

"Oh," said the girl.

After Prue and Phoebe had finally composed themselves, Darryl said he needed to be going. He knew the two had a great deal to talk about. He also knew most of it didn't involve him.

Phoebes' apartment was a small, one bedroom only a few blocks from the hotel. It seemed very cramped after the spaciousness of the manor. Phoebes' sofa rolled out into a bed and she said Prue could stay with her as long as she needed.

"It seems we've traded places," commented Prue.

"Thirty years can change a person," said Phoebe. "Look at me. I used to hate to even make my own bed in the morning. Now, I'm cleaning rooms after people. What happened, Prue? Where did you go? And how come you don't look any older now than you did the night you left?"

"I didn't exactly leave," said Prue, taking a deep breath. "I ran into a little trouble with a warlock when I was heading home that night."

[Reality Bites]

Wow so Phoebe ends up becoming a maid? I guess with Prue gone, and Piper taking her disappearance harder than most, Phoebe eventually dropped out of college. I can see how Prue being around is an influential tool in Phoebe actually getting through college.

I wonder if the murder Darryl was talking about will somehow relate back to Prue's predicament... after all, it probably was highlighted for a reason!

As much as I'm wondering where Piper is, I'm glad that Prue ran into Phoebe first! It's strange how Prue is going to have to rely on her "baby sister" for help, lol. Great story so far, looking forward to the next chapter.

[noazmale]

FOUR

"That's quite a story," said Phoebe, after Prue had finished explaining what had happened. "It's been some years since we . . . since I had any contact with the supernatural. Without you, the demons seemed to consider us less of a threat. No Power of Three."

"The Power of Three was always the greatest threat," said Prue. "Without all three of us, the demons had no need to worry about it."

"I haven't even had a premonition in years," said Phoebe. "I guess with no reason to use it, I just sort of lost it."

"You still have it," said Prue. "It's part of who you are."

"Maybe," said Phoebe. "All I know is I don't get premonitions anymore."

"I noticed you don't have a wedding ring on," said Prue.

"Oh, I did at one time," said Phoebe. "In fact, I've had three different ones. Things just never seemed to work out, though. Guess I'm following in grams' footsteps."

"No kids?" asked Prue.

"No," said Phoebe. "There just never seemed to be the right time for them. In some ways, I'm glad. I've never had to worry about them having to face demons or warlocks like we used to."

"Phoebe," said Prue hesitantly, "what about Piper? Darryl didn't know anything about her. He doesn't even know if she's alive or dead."

"Oh, she's alive," said Phoebe. "I see her from time to time. But it's probably not a good idea for you to see her."

"Why not?" asked Prue.

"Prue, she hates you," said Phoebe. "She feels that you abandoned us, just like dad did. We knew you were still alive because we couldn’t contact you on the other side. But she thinks that, after that argument, you just left. She wants nothing to do with you."

"I have to see her," said Prue. "I have to explain what happened. That I didn't walk out like she thinks I did."

"It won't do any good," said Phoebe. "Piper's had it even rougher than I have. She's been divorced four times. And she has a seventeen-year-old daughter named Heather. Heather thinks we're a bit crazy when we talk about the Charmed Ones and fighting demons and all."

"So, she has no powers?" asked Prue.

"No," said Phoebe. "And no interest in the Craft at all. But then, neither did we at that age."

"That's because grams bound our powers," said Prue. "But I still have to see Piper. Try to explain to her what happened."

"Do you remember how you reacted when dad came back into our lives the first time?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes," said Prue.

"That was kind compared to how Piper talks about you," said Phoebe. "When she talks about you at all. It's usually a forbidden subject."

"I know how she must feel," said Prue. "But I have to at least try. Phoebe, you have to take me to her."

Phoebe thought for a minute. They were both her sisters and she loved them dearly. She knew it wouldn't do any good, but if there was even the slightest chance they could work things out, she had to take that chance.

"Come on," said Phoebe finally. "I know where she works. She usually works the night shift and it won't be very crowded this time of night."

As they drove in silence to where Piper worked, Prue couldn't help but wonder at the turn of events. Evidently, Phoebe had never finished college. While her life seemed content and peaceful, it was far from what Prue had imagined for Phoebe.

Pipers' work place turned out to be one of those chain restaurants. The kind that had places in most major cities and served assembly line type meals. The kind that Piper had always detested as a professional chef. Now, she was working as a cook in this place. A place she wouldn't have set foot in when she was younger. And a cook, not a chef. It must be totally embarrassing for her.

Prue waited outside while Phoebe went in to get Piper. If there was going to be a scene, neither of them wanted to get Piper in trouble over Prue being there. After a few minutes, Phoebe came outside with Piper in tow.

"What's so important that you have to drag me away from . . .?" Piper was protesting as they came out the door.

Piper saw Prue and just stopped. She stared at Prue long and hard.

Older, grayer, and a little heavier, Prue had no trouble recognizing Piper. The years had not been kind to Piper. She reminded Prue of the matrons she had seen in old prison movies. As hard and as unforgiving as the stone the prisons were constructed from.

"You've got some nerve," Piper spat out vehemently.

"Piper, please," pleaded Prue, "just give me a chance to explain."

"Explain what?" Piper shot back. "How you abandoned us just like dad did? How you just walked out on us without a word, without even an explanation?"

"It wasn't like that," protested Prue.

"I'm sure you believe that," returned Piper. "After nearly thirty years I'm sure you've convinced yourself it was necessary."

"Piper, I think you should listen to her," said Phoebe.

"Like hell I will," said Piper. "If you want to listen to her, that's your choice. To me, she's just a backstabbing bitch who runs out on her family when things get rough."

"Piper, please, you're my sister," pleaded Prue. "Just give me five minutes to tell you what really happened."

"I only have one sister," said Piper. "My older sister died twenty-eight years ago. I have nothing to say to you and whatever you have to say is of no interest to me."

Piper turned to go back inside the building.

"Piper, please," pleaded Prue, on the verge of tears.

"You're dead to me,' said Piper without turning. "Don't ever come back here. You're not welcome in my life anymore."

Piper went back into the building without saying another word or without waiting for a response. Prue could do nothing but watch as Piper walked away. She couldn't think of anything to say to her sister.

She knew that Piper had always had a temper. But this was unlike even her. The hatred and bitterness was undisguised in her voice. The Piper that Prue had known and loved was gone. This Piper was a complete stranger to her.

[Reality Bites]

A complete stranger indeed! Piper is miles different than her early season three persona from where this story picked up from!! I wonder if Piper still uses her powers... probably not, considering without Prue there to keep them focused on their craft Piper finally got her normal life, even if it appears to be a bitter one!

Also... does Phoebe still have her levitation power? I’m guessing she does, since she received it in THO. Then again, she said she doesn’t practice the craft.

I wonder how Piper ended up as a cook? Even if she couldn’t be a chef, she has a four-year degree to fall back on. Maybe she had some sort of drinking problem that kept her from holding down a “corporate job”... kinda like how losing Phoebe to evil drove her to drinking in season four.

Prue’s got her work cut out for her, and I wonder how she’s going to solve this mystery and possibly get back to her own time... if she even can!

Looking forward to the next part! You’re churning them out like clockwork!!

[noazmale]

FIVE

The drive back to Phoebe's apartment was a quiet one. Neither of the sisters spoke. Prue, because of what Piper had said. And Phoebe, because she had no idea how to comfort her sister.

Prue understood why Piper felt as she did. Prue still felt very much the same way about their father. But that didn't make it hurt any less. She spent a restless night on the sofa bed. It was comfortable enough. But her encounter with Piper had left her unsettled. The next morning, Phoebe found some clothes that were a little big on Prue, but at least she had some clean clothes to wear.

"You've become a good cook," said Prue as she and Phoebe ate breakfast.

"Well, since I didn't have," began Phoebe, "I mean, after I got married, I sort of had to learn."

"Whatever happened to Leo?" asked Prue. "When I first got here, I called for him but he didn't answer."

"He was reassigned," said Phoebe. "After you disappeared, he said he couldn't stay. He was the White Lighter for the Charmed Ones and since there weren't any Charmed Ones any more, he was given new charges."

"I guess that make sense," said Prue. "And what about the Book of Shadows? It wasn't at the manor. What's left of the manor, anyway."

"I don't know," said Phoebe. "When Piper and I moved out of the manor on our own, it just vanished. I guess it's being safeguarded for someone else.

"After you disappeared, Piper spent every waking minute looking for you. P3 eventually went belly up and, of course, I didn't have a job so I couldn't help out with the expenses. It finally got to the point where we just couldn't afford to keep the manor any longer. That's when we moved out on our own. That's also about the time Leo was reassigned."

"I guess it's been hard for you," said Prue.

"At least the demons stopped coming after us," said Phoebe.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know," said Prue. "I guess I should look for work. I can't expect you to support me for the rest of my life."

"As I recall," said Phoebe, "you helped me out when I first came back from New York. I guess now I get to repay you for that."

"I still need to get a job," said Prue. "Only, my resume is twenty-eight years out of date."

"I'll help you any way I can," said Phoebe. "And I'm sure Darryl will help, too. For now, why don't you watch some television? Things have changed quite a bit in the last three decades. You need to get caught up to speed on the changes."

"That's not a bad idea," said Prue. "I don't even know who the President of the United States is."

"Allen Jennings," replied Phoebe. "I'm sure you'll learn about him. He's in the news almost every day."

Prue sat watching television for several hours. A great deal had changed in the past thirty years. More than she would have believed. It would take her quite a while to become familiar with all the changes.

Phoebe was getting ready for work when Prue suddenly called to her. She walked into the living room to see Prue pointing at the television. On the screen was a young man of perhaps thirty walking out of a local police station, smiling from ear to ear.

"Richard James was released today," Phoebe heard a female reporter off camera saying, "after another brutal murder occurred last night. James was the prime suspect in the series of murders of local prostitutes. He was being held for questioning. With the murder of a third prostitute while James was in custody, the police were forced to release him."

"Phoebe, that's him," said Prue excitedly.

"Who?" asked Phoebe.

"The warlock," said Prue. "The one I was fighting when I got zapped to the future. That's him."

"Prue, that impossible," said Phoebe. "He's no older than you are. If it was the same man, he would have been only a baby back then."

"Phoebe, I'm telling you it's the same guy," said Prue. "Maybe he got pulled to the future the same way I did, I don't know. But I do know that's the same guy. And he's a warlock."

"If that's true," said Phoebe, "the police may have just released a murderer. He could have blinked out of the jail, killed the woman, and blinked back in all without them knowing anything about it."

"And there's no telling how many more he'll kill," said Prue. "If he's killing innocents, he has a reason. He's killed at least three already. There's no telling how many more he's going after before he's finished. If he ever is finished."

"You're not thinking of going after him alone, are you?" questioned Phoebe.

"He's got to be stopped," said Prue. "No one else knows who or what he is. And I doubt they'd believe it if we told anyone. As far as the police are concerned, he's just been cleared of any suspicion. I'm the only one who can stop him."

"You said he almost beat you before," said Phoebe. "If he's that powerful, you'll need the Power of Three to stop him. And Piper won't even talk to you."

"Then I'll just have to get her to talk to me," said Prue. "Or find some other way to defeat him. It can't be a coincidence that I was brought to this time. When I'm the only one who knows what's going on. I'm meant to stop him, I'm sure of it."

"You're going to need help," said Phoebe.

"No offense," said Prue, "but you're a little old to be fighting demons and warlocks."

"Maybe," said Phoebe, "but I can do other things. Besides, you need me for the Power of Three. I may be old, but I'm still a Charmed One. I'll call in sick. I could use a couple of days off anyway. Now, let's go get us a warlock."

[Reality Bites]

That's our Prue! Always focused on doing the right thing, even if it means risking her life by facing someone more powerful than herself! Phoebe is so level-headed, and it seems her hard life hasn't hindered her growth as a mature individual. I like this older version of Pheebs. Here's to hoping Piper comes around, although I'm sure it won't be easy!

[noazmale]

SIX

The first step for Prue and Phoebe was simple. Learn as much as possible about this warlock. The Book of Shadows could have been invaluable to them. But neither of them had any idea where it might be. Leo probably knew but he, too, was nowhere to be found.

They both agreed this was no ordinary warlock. Warlocks usually went after witches. To steal their powers. This one seemed less interested in witches than he was in innocents.

"There has to be a reason for it," said Prue. "Why innocents? And why prostitutes?"

"Well," said Phoebe, "prostitutes are easy to find. And the police aren't as likely to be as concerned if one disappears or is murdered as they are with someone else. It's sad, but that's the way things are."

"That makes sense," said Prue. "But why these particular prostitutes? Were they just random or is there something special about them?"

"The news doesn't say," said Phoebe. "All the police are saying is that someone is stalking prostitutes."

'Wait a minute," said Prue. "Darryl told me he was consulting on this case. Maybe he knows something they haven't released to the public. The police do that sometimes. Hold back some key piece of information to weed out the cranks. It can't hurt to ask him."

"That's a good idea," said Phoebe. "I think I have his address around here somewhere. We'll go over and see if he can tell us anything. What about Piper? What are you going to do about her?"

"I don't know," said Prue. "I can understand how she feels. But I have to worry about her later. Right now there's an innocent in danger and that has to take precedence."

"You haven't changed a bit," said Phoebe.

"Well, for me," said Prue, "it's only been a few hours, not twenty-eight years."

Phoebe found Darryl's address and together they drove to his place. It turned out to be only a few blocks form the manor. As they drove past the manor, Prue saw just how rundown it really was. Darryl was home and invited them in.

"It's still kind of strange," said Darryl, "seeing you as young as you are. Especially when everyone else has gotten so much older."

"Not everyone," said Prue. "That warlock I told you about? He's your serial killer, Richard James."

"That's impossible," said Darryl. "Another prostitute was murdered last night. While he was in custody. It couldn't be him. We know for a fact that the serial killer works alone. So it couldn't be him."

"I know," said Prue. "But as a warlock he can blink. It's a kind of teleportation. It would be simple for him to get out of the cell, murder the girl, and get back inside without getting caught. And it would give him an airtight alibi for the murders."

"Are you sure?" asked Darryl. "Is there any doubt that he's the same guy you fought twenty-eight years ago?"

"No doubt whatsoever," said Prue. "I got a very good look at him while we were fighting. I don't know why he hasn't aged like everyone else, but I know it's the same guy."

"Okay," said Darryl, "so why is he targeting prostitutes? I remember you once told me that warlocks are more interested in stealing a witch's power. Why didn't he kill you and take your powers when you fought him before?"

"We don't know," said Phoebe. "That's why we've come to you. Besides prostitutes, is there anything else these women have in common?"

"They're all female, of course," said Darryl. "All are under the age of 35, but that describes most of the prostitutes in San Francisco. Each was savagely murdered and then their bodies were brutally mutilated. Each attack seems to be worse than the last one."

"I remember you telling me that," said Prue. “I also know I've heard of this before. I just can't remember where."

"I know," said Darryl. "You mentioned that when I took you to see Phoebe. It's probably from before."

"What do you mean?" asked Prue.

"The same thing happened the year you disappeared," said Darryl. "Five women were brutally murdered and then butchered right here in San Francisco. That's why I'm consulting on this case. I handled that one. It appears to be an exact copy cat of the first case."

"Did you ever catch the guy back then?" asked Phoebe.

"No," said Darryl. "The killings stopped as suddenly as they started. The killer just kind of vanished."

"Darryl," said Prue thoughtfully, "can you get me some information?"

"Depends on what kind of information you're looking for," said Darryl. "What are you after?"

"I'd like to know if there have been any similar serial murders in the past," said Prue. "Not just here in San Francisco, but anywhere in the United States."

"That's easy," said Darryl standing up. "My computer is still linked to the one at the station. And they're linked to a central computer that compiles statistics nationwide. I should have that information for you in a few minutes."

A check of the database revealed one-hundred-eighty-three similar serial murders. Murders where the victims were mutilated after death. They dotted the United States like the spots on a leopard.

"Let's narrow the search," said Prue. "Let's say, murders where the killer was never caught. And where the killings stopped as suddenly as they began."

Narrowing the search brought the number down to eighty-seven. They narrowed it even further by concentrating only on cases where the victims were prostitutes. This brought the number down to fifteen.

"Can we narrow the search any further?" asked Prue.

"Not without more information," said Darryl. "That's about as narrow as we can get it right now."

"No, it's not," said Phoebe. "See if any of them were committed equal number of years apart. If there is a frequency to the patterns."

Darryl entered the information and waited for the computer to correlate the data. Within seconds it displayed only four entries.

“Let's see what we have," said Darryl. "In 2005, five prostitutes were murdered and then mutilated here in San Francisco. I told you abut that one. Before that, there was an identical set of murders in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1972. Before that, in 1944, the same thing happened in St. Louis, Missouri. And before that, it was New York City in 1916. Each involved the murder and post mortem mutilation of five prostitutes and each was twenty-eight years after the previous one."

"Those locations," said Phoebe, "they're almost a straight line across the United States. Almost as if someone was making his or her way across the country killing prostitutes along the way. Every twenty-eight years, of course."

"There's more than that," said Prue. "I remember now where I've heard of these kinds of serial killings before. Darryl, you said the first one was in New York City in 1916. 1916 minus twenty-eight years is 1888."

"That date sounds familiar for some reason," said Darryl.

"It should," said Prue. "Nearly identical murders occurred that year in London. They became internationally famous. Five women, all prostitutes, were savagely murdered, and then mutilated. Just like those other cases. And while they never did catch the killer, he was given a name.

"Jack the Ripper."

[Reality Bites]

Jack the Ripper?! Very interesting twist!! Prue's quick wit and knowledge has always been an asset and I'm glad it is still comes in handy, despite the "years" everyone else has on her!

I'm also very curious to see what you plan on doing with this infamous character from history!

There's still a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm sure the answers will be revealed in time...

[noazmale]

SEVEN

"Wait a minutes, Prue," said Darryl. "Are you trying to tell us that Jack the Ripper is alive and killing women in San Francisco one hundred forty years after he did the same thing in London, England? That's just crazy."

"As crazy as my being thirty years old in 2028?" asked Prue. "Darryl, I know it's been a long time, but you must remember what magic is capable of. I'm sure Phoebe remembers."

"Yeah, I do," said Phoebe uneasily.

"Okay," said Darryl. "Let's assume I buy this. Let's assume that what you're suggesting is right. How does that help us?"

"We need as much information on those cases as we can get," said Prue. "How they were killed, when, what the mutilations were, everything. There's a reason he's doing this. We need to figure out what that reason is."

"Maybe he just likes to kill," suggested Phoebe.

"I don't think that's it," said Darryl. "Serial killers have a pattern, even if we don't immediately recognize it. Something about their victims that sets them off. They might remind the killer of an abusive mother or a girlfriend who jilted them or something. And they don't wait twenty-eight years between murders."

"Prue," said Phoebe, "we assumed this warlock was brought ahead in time, just as you were. What if he wasn't? What if he's been living in San Francisco all this time?"

"I don't follow," said Prue.

"Do you remember Javna?" asked Phoebe. "The demon that stole young women's life essence to keep himself young? Maybe that's what we have here. A warlock who needs vital organs or blood or something to keep himself young. That would explain the twenty-eight year gap in the murders."

"That makes sense," said Prue. "The mutilations could just be a cover to hide what he's really doing."

"And picking prostitutes," said Darryl, "could be his way of staying low. The police wouldn't connect the murders right away. By the time they did, he'd have his five victims and it would all be over for another twenty-eight years. And we'd believe we were looking for a copycat instead of the original killer.

"That makes as much sense as anything else we've come up with in this case. But how do I report this to the detectives investigating the case? If I tell them it's Jack the Ripper and a warlock, they'll lock me up."

"A copycat," said Phoebe, "just like you suggested. Just tell them that someone is copying the Jack the Ripper murders. That makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does," said Darryl. "And it just might work. It wouldn't be the first time we had a copycat killer. I'll see what information I can get on the killings."

"Okay," said Prue. "I wish we had the Book of Shadows. Something tells me this is no ordinary warlock. There might be something in the book that could help us."

"Prue," said Phoebe, "we're going to need Pipers' help on this. If this warlock is as strong as you said he was twenty-eight years ago, he could be even more powerful now. We're going to need Pipers' power to face him."

"I know," said Prue. "I'll have to try to talk to her again. In the mean time, we're going to need a spell to use against him. Maybe something to keep him from blinking or to freeze his power or something."

"I haven't written a spell in over twenty years," protested Phoebe. "Maybe you should do it."

"You were always the best at writing spells," said Prue. "You can do it. It's like riding a bicycle. You never forget."

"Well, since he's a warlock," said Phoebe, "we won't need to be a Power of Three spell at least. I'll see what I can come up with."

"I have what you're looking for," said Darryl. "It seems there were always five victims, all prostitutes. Each was murdered using some kind of edged weapon, probably a knife or similar weapon. Each then had certain organs removed, post mortem. They weren't all the same organs, but each set of murders followed the same pattern. Whoever the murderer was, he had at least some surgical skill. The organs were all removed with the skill of a surgeon. After the fifth victim, the murders just stopped as suddenly as they began. The murderers were never caught.

"And all the murders occurred over a three month period, usually between September and November. On two occasions, the first murder occurred on August 31st, just like the original Jack the Ripper murders. That means he only has two more victims to get this time around. And the three-month time frame is almost over. There's less than two weeks left."

"Then we have to hurry," said Prue. "Darryl, we need as much information on Richard James as we can get. Where he lives, where he works, that sort of thing."

"We already have that," said Darryl. "We weren't able to find out anything on the man. No social security card, no driver's license, not even school records. It's like he just suddenly appeared one day."

"Isn't that suspicious?" asked Phoebe.

"Suspicious, yes," said Darryl, "but hardly illegal. You can't arrest a man for having no drivers license. A man without a past is usually hiding something, but unless you can prove it, there's nothing the police can do about it."

"What does he do for those twenty-eight years between murders?" asked Prue. "How does he live?"

"I don't know," said Darryl. "All I do know is we only have nine days left in this three month time frame. If we don't get him, he could disappear for another twenty-eight years. Assuming you're right about all this."

"I know I'm right," said Prue. "Everything points to it. Phoebe, get started on the spell. Darryl, I assume you're going to let the police know what we've come up with here."

"Part of it," said Darryl. "I think I'll leave out the parts about our suspect being Jack the Ripper and a warlock."

"Good idea," said Prue. "Get me a list of the places where the attacks occurred. Maybe there's something at one of the sites the police might have overlooked. They're looking for a mortal killer, after all. They might not recognize a mystical clue."

"You won't be able to get near the latest one," said Darryl, handing her a piece of paper. "It's still a crime scene. The other two should be clear by now. Here are the addresses."

"Good," said Prue. "After I check them out, I'm going to see Piper. She's at least going to listen to me even if she doesn't believe me or accept what I have to say. It's the only thing I can do."

"I'll get you her home address," said Phoebe. "It would probably be best if you spoke to her there."

Prue waited as Phoebe wrote out Pipers' address. She honestly had no idea what she was going to say to Piper when she saw her again.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

Darryl had been right about the latest crime scene. It was swarming with police and forensic experts. Prue couldn't get any closer than the taped off areas. The previous two crime scenes held nothing that gave her a clue to the warlock.

And on the way over, the news reported some very disturbing news. Another ripper victim had been found. Apparently murdered the same night as victim number three, the body had only been discovered an hour ago.

Now, Prue stood in front of Pipers' modest two-story house. It was nothing like the manor. On the outskirts of the city, it was obviously very old, but still in reasonably good shape. Prue still had no idea what she was going to say. Nervously, she rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened and a young girl faced Prue. There was no mistaking who this girl was. She looked just as Piper did at the same age. There could be no doubt this was Heather, Pipers' daughter.

"Can I help you?" asked the girl.

"You must be Heather," said Prue.

"Yes," said the girl. "Do I know you? You kind of look familiar."

"You've probably seen pictures of me," said Prue. "I'm your Aunt Prue."

"That's impossible," said Heather. "Prue disappeared almost thirty years ago. You're obviously not old enough to be her."

"That's kind of a long story," said Prue. "May I come in? I'd like to speak to your mother for a minute, if I could."

"I suppose," said Heather. "She's upstairs right now. She should be down in a minute."

The house was comfortable. Pictures covered the walls. Any pictures of Prue were conspicuously missing, however. But there were pictures of other people, probably friends of Pipers'.

"Heather, who was that at the door?" asked Piper, coming down the stairs.

Her voice trailed off when she saw Prue.

"We have to talk, Piper," said Prue. "It's important."

"I told you never to come back here," spat out Piper. "You're dead to this family. Now, get out of my house."

"Mom," said Heather, "she says she Aunt Prue. But she can't be. Aunt Prue was older than you."

"It doesn't matter," said Piper. "She's leaving and that's that."

"This isn't about us anymore," said Prue. "There's an innocent in danger who needs our help."

"I don't do that anymore," said Piper, picking up the phone. "If you won't leave on your own, I'll just have the police do it."

Prue waved her arm and the phone was torn from Pipers' hand. It slid across the table out of Pipers' reach. Heather just watched in amazement.

"No," said Prue angrily. "Damn it, Piper, you're going to listen to me."

"Whoa," said Heather. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a witch," said Prue, not taking her eyes off Piper. "Just like your mother and just like your Aunt Phoebe. We're the Charmed Ones."

"Not anymore," screamed Piper, anger in her voice. "We haven't been the Charmed Ones since you abandoned us twenty-eight years ago. Just like dad did when we were kids."

"I didn't abandon you," said Prue. "Do you think I could actually do that? After what dad did to us?"

"You just disappeared," said Piper. "Phoebe and I couldn’t contact you on the other side, so we knew you were still alive. What other explanation could there possibly be?"

"A warlock," said Prue. "I got into a fight with a warlock and somehow got pushed ahead in time. To now. I only arrived here yesterday."

"I don't believe you," snapped Piper.

"Look at me, Piper," said Prue. "I haven't aged. I'm the same age I was that night we had our argument. You know we can move through time using magic. We did it when we brought Melinda with us to fight Tate. And there was that warlock who came back just after we received our powers. The first one we ever faced besides Jeremy, of course. And what about the time we all three went ten years into the future? When Phoebe was burned for being a witch. You know it's possible. You know what magic can do."

"Yes, I do," said Piper. "For all I know, you've used a spell to make yourself young again. Hell, you might even have become a warlock for all I know."

"Neither of those has happened," said Prue. "If I had turned evil and become a warlock, you'd have known it. Do you honestly think I would be capable of abandoning you? Knowing how I feel about dad doing it to us? I could never do that, Piper. Especially not to you. You were old enough to remember and understand."

"Mom, if this is true," started Heather.

"Stay out of this, Heather," said Piper. "This doesn't concern you. This is between Prue and me."

"No, I won't stay out of it," said Heather, turning to face her mother. "If this really is Aunt Prue, then she's my family, too. I have a right to know her. No one, not even you, has the right to take that away from me. If she really is Prue Halliwell, then it does most certainly involve me."

"You're very much like your mother," said Prue to Heather.

"Mom always taught me to think for myself," said Heather. "To not just take things at face value." She turned to face Piper again. "You said Prue just disappeared after the two of you had an argument. Now, she shows up with an explanation. And from as young as she looks, that explanation would seem to be a reasonable one, assuming everything you've ever told me about magic is true. Tell me, mother. Is her explanation totally unbelievable?

"I've always scoffed at the stories you and Aunt Phoebe used to tell me. Stories about demons and magic and the Charmed Ones. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. Aunt Prue, if that's who she is, shows up showing me it is all apparently true. So you tell me, mom. Is what she saying possible or not?"

Piper looked at Heather, then at Prue. She knew it was very possible. They had all seen what magic could do.

"It's possible," said Piper weakly. "It just seems a bit too convenient, that's all."

"Convenient for whom?" asked Prue. "I'm twenty-eight years out of time. I have almost no idea what's going on in the world. I've missed out on half of yours and Phoebes' lives. I have a nearly full-grown niece that I know virtually nothing about. Not to mention that all of my friends are either twice my age or they're dead. Personally, I find it damned inconvenient."

"Mom," said Heather, "I know I don't know Aunt Prue as well as you do. In fact, I don't know her at all. But if what you told me about being a Charmed One is true, it seems what she's saying could be true. You told me how much she hated granddad for abandoning you as children. Do you honestly think it was possible for her to do what he did? Knowing how she felt about it?"

"You really didn't run out on us?" asked Piper, her eyes beginning to tear.

"Piper, honey," said Prue, "I could never do that. Especially not to you. Dad left, mom died, then grams passed. You, Phoebe, and I were all we had. I couldn't take that away. I'm not dad."

"I've hated you for twenty-five years," said Piper, a tear running down her cheek. "I've hated you for running out on Phoebe and me and leaving us alone. Now, to think, I wasted all those years."

"No," said Prue, taking her sister in her arms, "don't blame yourself. There's no way you had of knowing what happened. I would probably have thought the same thing if our roles had been reversed."

The two sisters spent long moments in a very tearful reunion.

[Reality Bites]

Aww, Piper and Prue's moment was sweet.

And this Jack the Ripper being an immortal warlock is a cool twist on an old plot idea! I'm wondering if his motive is more than just staying young... is he gaining more from the murders than just staying youthful?

I'm excited to see the Charmed Ones united and squaring off against the big bad... I wonder how badass older Piper and Phoebe will be!

I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

[noazmale]

NINE

"Let me take a look at my niece," said Prue, after she and Piper had composed themselves. "You've become quite a woman, I see. And very much like your mother."

"Not to mention her Aunt Prue," said Piper. "She has your force of will. And your stubbornness."

"A Halliwell trait," said Prue. "Phoebe can be just as stubborn as either of us."

"Then it's all true?" asked Heather. "The magic, fighting demons, all those stories I heard growing up. You really are the Charmed Ones?"

"Very much so," said Prue.

"Okay," said Heather, "if you're all witches, shouldn't I be a witch, too? Aunt Phoebe once told me that the trait is passed down through the females in the line. Why don't I have any powers like you do?"

"Because I bound your powers when you were little," said Piper. "I didn't want you to have to fight demons like we did."

"Grams did the same thing to us," said Prue.

"I guess I can understand that," said Heather. "I guess if I was in your place, I would have done the same thing. Still, it might be nice to be able to do some of the things you used to do when you were younger."

"Well," said Prue to Piper, "she's old enough now. What about an unbinding potion? She has the right to make the choice for herself."

Piper walked over to a cabinet in the living room. She removed a small vial, and then returned to her seat.

"I always believed this day would come," said Piper. "This is an unbinding potion, Heather. All you have to do is drink it. Your powers should begin to manifest themselves almost immediately."

She handed the vial to Heather.

"I can tell you what one of your powers will be," said Piper. "When you were five, you started moving things with your mind. That's when I decided to bind your powers. So that you would have a normal childhood. Well, as normal as possible, anyway."

"I guess she takes a little after me," said Prue. "Just be careful what you say after you drink that, Heather. Whenever you rhyme, what you say might just happen."

"Cool," said Heather, smiling.

"Honey," said Piper, putting her arm around her daughter, "you and I are going to have to have a long talk. About Wicca responsibilities."

"I'd listen to her if I was you," said Prue. "You can learn a lot from your mother."

"I've always listened to her," said Heather.

"Prue," said Piper, "what happened? After you left the manor? You mentioned something about a warlock."

"Well," began Prue, "as you may remember, I decided to go for a ride. To cool off after our argument. On my way home, I noticed a man following this woman."

[noazmale]

TEN

"And you think that energy ball somehow pushed you into our time?" asked Piper, after Prue ha explained what had happened.

"The best I can figure," said Prue, "was a combination of that energy ball and my astral projection."

"You can astral project?" asked Heather.

"Yes," said Prue. "I haven't had that power very long but it can come in handy sometimes."

"Maybe I'll get that power, too," said Heather.

"We can worry about that later," said Piper. "Prue, I didn't know anything like that could happen.”

"Neither did I," said Prue. "Probably just a freak accident. But you know how unpredictable magic can be."

"Aunt Prue," said Heather, "you said something about an innocent being in danger."

"Yes," said Prue. "It turns out that this warlock is more than just a warlock. It also appears he's a serial killer."

* * *

Darryl answered the knock at his door. When he opened the door, Prue, Piper, and Heather were standing outside.

"Mind if we come in?" asked Prue.

“Come on in," said Darryl. "Hello, Piper. It's been a long time.

"Too long," said Piper, giving her old friend a hug. "Darryl, this is my daughter, Heather. Heather, this is Darryl Morris, a very old friend."

"Let's just say I'm a friend," said Darryl, smiling. "I find I don't care for being an 'old' friend very much these days."

Piper hugged Phoebe close. She suddenly realized how little time she had spent with her "baby" sister. She made a mental note to correct that.

"So, are the two of you okay?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes, we are," said Piper. "Prue explained everything to me. She also explained what's going on with this warlock. I've come to see if I could help."

"Well, here we are again," said Phoebe. "The three of us. Feels like old times."

"I don't know about you," said Piper, "but I'm a little old to be going around chasing after warlocks and demons and such. And I haven't even used my power in more than twenty years."

"You don't have to worry about that," said Prue. "I'm going after this warlock. We have history, you might say. But we were always stronger together. I'm going to need that strength if I'm going to defeat this warlock."

"Yeah, about that," said Phoebe. "I'm having trouble coming up with a spell. Before, I always knew something about the target. This time I know next to nothing about this warlock. That makes it a little hard to write a spell that way."

"You know," said Prue. "I never realized before just how much help Leo was to us. Now that I think about it, most of the information we had came from either him or the Book of Shadows."

"Like I said," said Phoebe, "he was reassigned. He didn't even answer when Prue called for him when she first arrived here."

"We're back together now," said Piper. "Maybe that will make a difference. Leo? Leo Wyatt? Leo, we need your help down here."

They all waited but nothing happened. Leo didn't orb in.

"I guess he can't hear us," said Phoebe.

"Can't you use a spell or something?" asked Heather. "From what you've told me, magic can do just about anything."

"I guess it's worth a try," said Prue. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't do it. But these are special circumstances."

"Can't hurt to try, I guess," said Piper. "Now, all we need is a White Lighter summoning spell."

"I call to you, your help I need," intoned Heather.

"I call my White Lighter to come to me."

Leo suddenly orbed into Darryl's living room.

"What the," began Leo, then he realized where he was.

"Heather," said Piper sternly, "you have to be careful with off the cuff spells. They can often come out totally different from what you want them to do."

"Seems to have worked okay this time," said Heather smiling.

"Just don't do it again," said Piper. "At least not until I have a chance to instruct you a little more in the use of magic."

Leo looked around at everyone, looking last at Piper. He wasn't dressed as he had been in Prue’s time. Instead, he wore white robes.

"Piper," he began.

"Hello, Leo," she said, giving him a hug. "I'd forgotten how much I missed you. It's been a very long time."

"You used to date him?" Heather whispered to her mom. "How could you let a hunk like him get away?"

"Heather, please," Piper whispered back.

Leo greeted each of his old friends. In the twenty-eight years that had passed, Leo hadn't changed a bit. But then, he was a White Lighter. They didn't age as mortals do.

"So, you three are finally back together," said Leo. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to use a spell on me to get me here."

"We didn't," said Prue, pointing at Heather. "She did."

"You finally unbound her powers," Leo said to Piper. "I always knew you would one day. Hello, Heather. I'm Leo Wyatt. There was a time that I was your mothers' White Lighter."

"I know," said Heather. "Mom's told me all about you. Though I didn't believe her at the time."

"Little wonder," said Leo.

"You don't seem surprised to see me," said Prue.

"I'm not," said Leo. "We knew you'd arrived the moment you appeared in this time."

"Why didn't you come when I called then?" asked Prue.

"You needed time to adjust to coming here," said Leo. "The easiest way to do that was to let you learn what had happened on your own. I was planning to come down in a bit, anyway. After the three of you had a chance to get reacquainted. But it seems Heather couldn't wait."

"You knew we needed your help?" asked Phoebe.

"Of course," said Leo. "I've had a White Lighter looking over each of you. We always knew Prue would return one day. We needed to be prepared for it. You are the Charmed Ones, after all."

"You sound like my boss at the video store where I work," said Heather.

"Yeah, I guess I do a little," said Leo. "There's a very good reason for that. I'm no longer just a White Lighter. I'm an Elder. I have been for about ten years now."

"Congratulations," said Darryl. "I didn't know White Lighters got promotions."

"Sometimes," said Leo. "To be honest, I'd rather still be in the field. Being an Elder can be boring sometimes. It was never boring with the three of you around."

"So," said Prue, "if you know we need your help, I guess you also know what we need."

"Indeed I do," said Leo.

He held up his hand and the Book of Shadows simply appeared. He handed the book to Phoebe.

"What you're looking for is near the back of the book," he said. "You'll find it under the heading 'symbiotic demon'. You'll find everything you need to know."

"Thanks," said Phoebe, taking the book.

"I'm glad the two of you were able to make up," said Leo to Prue and Piper.

"I can't believe I ever thought Prue would just walk out on us," said Piper.

"All in the past," said Prue.

"How's it going, Darryl?" asked Leo.

"Okay," said Darryl. "Can't complain too much."

"And Heather," said Leo, turning to Pipers' daughter. "We've been waiting for your mother to unbind your powers. I guess I'll have to see about assigning a White Lighter to you."

"Will it be you?" asked Heather, coyly.

"No," replied Leo, smiling. "But it will be someone who will be able to give you the help and guidance you need."

"Got it," announced Phoebe. "A symbiotic demon is a demon with no actual form of its' own. It exists by inhabiting the body of a willing host. Most of the time the demon and host stay in a sort of suspended animation. But periodically they come out of that state. The host finds victims for the demon. The host then kills the victims and the demon feeds off the life essence of the slain. In return, the demon gives its' host additional powers and an extended lifespan."

"That would explain the energy balls the warlock was able to use," said Prue.

"And how the warlock is still alive but isn't any older," added Piper.

"There's also a vanquishing spell in the book," said Phoebe, holding up a piece of paper. "Apparently, if you vanquish the demon, the host absorbs all the aging the demon has taken from it. Instant aging."

"I'd say we're ready for them," said Prue. "All we have to do is find this warlock and then vanquish the demon. It should put an end to both of them."

"I'll talk to the detective in charge," said Darryl. "I'll see if I can find out where James is supposed to be staying."

"I need to bet back up there," said Leo. "There are a lot of other matters that need my attention." He looked over at Piper. "If you don't mind, I'd like to visit. Maybe catch up on old times."

"I'd like that," said Piper.

Leo smiled and then orbed out.

"We'd better get busy," said Prue. "We have a demon to vanquish and a warlock and serial killer to stop."

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

Locating Richard James proved to be harder to do than any of them had anticipated. The home address he had given to the police turned out to be fictitious. Not at all surprising to Darryl.

In addition, no one seemed to know him. Even though he had apparently been exonerated with the third murder while he was in custody, the police still kept a tail on him. He had suddenly disappeared, leaving the surveillance team in a quandary.

Even the official records on him seemed to have been misplaced. The arrest report, the officers' reports on the case, even the card used to fingerprint him had suddenly gone missing. Even his mug shot, along with the negative, had vanished as if into thin air.

"They won't find them," commented Piper. "My guess is he blinked into the station late at night and destroyed it all."

"Sounds reasonable," said Darryl. "If he is the killer, it wouldn't do to have any evidence connecting him to the killings lying around."

"Trust me, he's the killer," said Prue.

"Which means," said Darryl, "we can't even prove he exits. I talked to one of the detectives who were dealing with the press. Even the footage the news stations shot on him has vanished."

"He's thorough, I'll give him that," said Phoebe.

"At least he hasn't had a chance to go after victim number five," said Prue. "Which means we could still have a chance to get him. But that may not be easy. I'm sure San Francisco has a lot of prostitutes in it. How do we narrow down the search?"

"Can't you scry for him?" suggested Heather. "I think I remember you telling me once a story about scrying to find someone."

"We did that quite a number of times, if I remember correctly," said Phoebe. "But it won't work in this case. We'd need a personal item of his to make it work properly. Besides, there's no guarantee it would work against this symbiotic demon."

"Does the Book of Shadows have anything on it that can help us?" asked Piper.

"Nothing," said Phoebe. "Apparently the warlock holds up in some sort of hibernation in a secluded place. When he wakes up, he takes his victims. The demon gets their life essence and the warlock gets any powers, money, and personal items they have. Then, the warlock goes back into hibernation again. But there's nothing about where he hibernates."

"My guess," said Darryl, "is that's where he's hold up right now. Choosing his next victim."

"But how does he choose his victims?" asked Prue. "Don't most serial killers go after a specific type of victim?"

"Yes," said Darryl. "But that's what's got us stumped. The only thing these victims have in common is that they're prostitutes under the age of thirty-five. Nothing else seems to connect them. They don't have the same hair color, some work other jobs during the day while some don't. Only one had any children. They were all killed between dusk and dawn in the area where the prostitutes frequent."

"Wait a minute," said Prue. "Twenty-eight years ago he wasn't stalking a prostitute. And he was quite a ways from the red light district."

"Actually," said Darryl, "that woman was a call girl. She was on her way to an appointment when she was murdered."

"Yeah, but he was following her," said Prue. "Which means he was after her specifically. He could have found someone else, but he followed her all the way into the residential area. That means he's looking for something specific."

"Now all we have to do is figure out what that is," said Piper. "And I don't think we have a whole lot of time to do it, either."

They spent the next few hours pouring over the information on the case. As an official consultant on the case, Darryl had access to all the police information. They weren't sure it would do any good, but they had nothing else to go on. Dozens of detectives had already been over the same material many times before.

"This is getting us nowhere," said Darryl finally, rubbing his eyes. "I've been over these files a dozen times and I'm not finding anything new. There's just nothing here that connects the victims to each other."

"I'm going to need a new prescription for my glasses after this," joked Phoebe.

"There has to be something," said Prue. "I can't believe all of the victims are just randomly selected."

"Let's take a break," suggest Phoebe, starting to straighten up the pile of papers on the table. "Maybe things will be a bit clearer after . . .."

Suddenly Phoebe stiffened.

"What's wrong?" asked Piper.

"Whoa," said Phoebe. "I just had a premonition. After all these years, I really wasn't prepared for it. It was pretty intense. I'm okay, though."

"A premonition?" asked Prue. "About the murders?"

"Yes," replied Phoebe. "James was using an energy ball on a woman. She seemed stunned by it. Then he pulled out this wicked looking knife. That's all I got."

"Did you see where it happened?" asked Darryl. "Do you know what the location is?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Phoebe. "It was night out. We still have some time."

"Let's go," said Prue. "With a little luck, we can put an end to this tonight."

[noazmale]

TWELVE

The five people sat hidden in the alley where Phoebe's premonition had shown the attack would occur. It hadn't been difficult to locate. They had arrived just before dusk. Since Phoebe had no way of knowing what time the attack would occur, they decided to simply wait for the warlock to show up. They had been waiting just over three hours.

Their plan was simple. Since he didn't know they were there, he'd probably wait for his victim to show up. When he got there, Piper would freeze him and then Prue would cast the vanquishing spell.

It would all be over in moments. Of course, the case would remain unsolved for the police. But the innocent would be saved. And all the innocents in the future would be protected from this demon possessed warlock.

"What do you plan to do after this?” Piper asked Prue as they waited.

"I don't know," said Prue. "Darryl said he'd help me get some proper identification. I don't have any. And no one is going to believe that I'm fifty-eight years old. I'll need to get a job. He said he could get me some identification with some adjusted dates so I can start looking for a job."

"I was thinking," said Piper. "Maybe we could get the manor back. We could all move back there. It could be like old times."

"I've seen the manor," said Prue. "It's not habitable. They're going to have to tear it down."

"That's a shame," said Piper. "If I hadn't been so pig-headed . . .."

"It wasn't your fault," said Prue. "I just disappeared. Even Darryl and Phoebe thought I had run off. To be honest, I would probably have thought the same thing myself."

"You know," said Piper, "I can't even remember what it was we argued about."

"It was stupid," said Prue. "It was just after Leo proposed to you. I said it was a bad idea to try to fool the Elders."

"Oh yeah, I remember now," said Piper. "I'm sorry about that. As I recall, I accused you of trying to ruin my happiness. I think I even accused you of being jealous. Afraid that you'd end up an old maid or something. I'm so sorry about that."

"Yeah, you did," said Prue. "And you were right. I was jealous. I'm the oldest one. I felt I should be the first one to get married. It was my jealousy that caused all this. It wasn't any of my business if you and Leo got married. I should have stayed out of it. If I had, maybe you and Leo might have ended up together."

"Water under the bridge," said Piper. "But you're back now. We can start to mend some fences. Besides, there's a lot you can teach Heather. And she's going to need that now that she has her powers back."

Suddenly a figure moved into the alley from the street. The light from the streetlamp just barely illuminated Richard James as he stepped behind a dumpster, obscuring him from the street.

"Looks like you're up," whispered Prue. "You freeze him and I'll read the spell. He'll be vanquished before he even knows we're here."

Piper just smiled. A quick test at Darryl's had proven she still had her powers. Now, for the first time in twenty-five years, she'd use those powers again to protect the life of an innocent. Piper raised her hands. Nothing happened. James didn't freeze. Piper tried again with the same results. Her power was not affecting him.

"Damn," swore Piper. "The innocent could come along any minute. We have to get him away from the street."

Prue rose from her hiding place and reached out with her telekinetic ability. She planned to throw the warlock back up the alley. Where she and her sisters could stop him. But her power never took hold of him. Instead, it reflected around him as if he had an invisible shield protecting him. He spun to face her.

"You," he hissed at her, surprise in his voice. "I thought I had destroyed you the last time we met. But you did show me that I had a weakness." He reached up and grabbed a necklace around his neck. "In two hundred fifty four years you were the only witch ever to try to stop me. So I decided to invest in a little insurance.

"A small talisman that protects me from your powers. I figured if I ever ran into another witch, it might come in handy. It was quite expensive, I can assure you. But I can see it was a wise investment."

"Maybe it won't work on you," said Prue, "but it will still work on other things."

Prue used her power on the dumpster he was standing next to. The dumpster slid against him, pinning him between it and the wall. But he was far from trapped. He simply blinked out and reappeared at the entrance to the alley.

"You didn't really think that would hold me, did you, witch?" asked James.

Suddenly a large rock flew across the alley, striking the warlock in the back. He was knocked to the ground, but quickly regained his feet. He looked around to see Piper, Phoebe, Heather, and Darryl moving out of their hiding places.

"She's not alone this time," said Piper.

"And she's not the only one who can move objects," added Heather.

James looked around him. Even if he was protected against their magic, he was greatly outnumbered. The police may not be able to prove anything, but the longer he remained in the public eye, the greater his chances of exposure.

"I suppose we'll have to postpone our little reunion," said James. "I'm afraid I don't care much for crowds."

"He's going to blink out," shouted Piper.

"No," screamed Heather, reaching out toward the warlock to stop him.

She was much too far away to stop him, of course. Reaching out had been a reflex action. Suddenly, a brilliant light flashed directly in front of the warlock's face. Almost everyone was too far away for the light to have any substantial affect on them. But it had flashed directly in front of James' eyes. He reached up immediately and covered his eyes, cursing at Heather.

"Whoa, did I do that?" asked Heather in total amazement.

"Quick, the talisman," shouted Phoebe.

Darryl was the closest to James. He moved in to grab the protection device. As he did, James cast an energy ball in desperation. The weapon struck Darryl full in the chest, sending him flying back across the alley. Everyone froze for an instant as Darryl struck the wall of a building and slumped to the ground. Seeing that he wasn't moving, they once more turned on the warlock.

Just then a woman walked around the corner of the building nearest James. It was the woman Phoebe had seen in her premonition. She stopped short, looking around at the battle scene. James had recovered from the flash attack and reached out and grabbed her by the arm. He held her in front of him as a human shield.

"Well, it seems I have what I came for after all," said James. "Sorry I can't stick around, ladies. But I'm afraid I have more urgent business which demands my attention at the moment."

Before any of the women could move, the warlock blinked out of the alley and was gone. Along with his hostage. They had no way of knowing where he was. And he had gotten his fifth, and final, victim.

The four women rushed over to help Darryl. But it was already too late. Darryl lay unmoving in the alley where he had fallen. He was already dead from the energy ball the warlock had used on him.

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

The mood was very somber around Pipers' house. The Charmed Ones had failed to protect an innocent. And another innocent had died in the process.

"I still don't know why you didn't just have Leo come down and heal Darryl," said Heather.

"It wouldn't have done any good," said Prue. "White Lighters can't raise the dead."

"But why did we just have to leave him in that alley?" asked Heather. "He was your friend. An anonymous call telling the police where his body was just seems so uncaring."

"We couldn't be connected with it, honey," said Piper. "There would have been too many questions we just couldn't answer for the police. I'm just thankful they took the call seriously and found him right away."

"Well," said Phoebe, coming in from the living room carry the Book of Shadows, "I've been completely through the book. There's nothing in it that will help us find James."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Piper. "It's been three days. There must be someway to locate him."

“I've tried everything I can think of," said Phoebe. "None of my spells worked. I even tried to scry for him. All without success. He's just vanished. I don't know what else to try."

"Which means he's gone back into hibernation for another twenty-eight years," said Prue. "And this vanquishing spell is useless to us."

"All we can do now," said Piper, "is make an entry in the Book of Shadows about James. Maybe a future descendent will be able to stop him twenty-eight years from now."

"I wish there was something we could do now," said Heather. "Some way to get him now so there won't be any more victims."

"I'm afraid there isn't," said Piper. "Besides, we have something else to concern ourselves with. We need to find out the extent of your powers. You seem to be expanding them much faster than we did."

"Maybe not," said Prue.

"She got that flash thingy after only a few days," said Phoebe. "We never got new powers that quickly."

"No, I mean maybe there is something we can do about James," said Prue. "Listen, I've been thinking. Magic brought me ahead in time. It should be able to send me back."

"There was only one spell in the Book of Shadows for that," said Piper. "And we used it thirty years ago. We don't have it any more."

"Maybe not," said Prue. "But we do have the Power of Three. It's supposed to be the most powerful magic for good in history. We used it to bring Melinda Warren from the past. Why can't we use it to send me back?"

"We've never tried anything like that before," said Piper. "I'm not sure it will work."

"What have we got to loose?" asked Phoebe. "Remember when we went back to the 1970s? Grams used a spell to send us back to the future. It took the Power of Three to do it, but it worked."

"Mom," said Heather, "you always said you believed the Power of Three could do just about anything. Isn't it worth a try? If it works, maybe the three of you can stop James in the past. You can prevent Darryl's death."

"And the deaths of James' victims in this year," added Prue. "Piper, Phoebe can write the spell but it won't do any good without your help. The worst that can happen is it won't work. And things won't be any worse than they are now."

"I guess it can't hurt to try," said Piper. "Darryl doesn't deserve to die that way. Especially after all the times he helped us. Phoebe, do you think you can come up with a Power of Three spell that will work?"

"Well, it's been a long time," said Phoebe, looking over at Prue. "But it's like riding a bicycle. You never forget."

"Let us know when it's ready," said Prue. "In the mean time, I'll get dressed in my own clothes."

Phoebe spent nearly three hours working on the spell. She wanted to be sure she had the wording just right. So it would return Prue to her own time. And so Prue would get back in time to stop James from taking the victim he had been tracking when Prue had first encountered him. Before he had taken all of his victims in 2000. When she finished, she showed the spell to her sisters.

"This should work," said Prue, looking at the spell. "If it works, I should return at almost the same instant I left. I'll just have to remember to duck so the energy ball doesn't hit me."

"Prue," said Piper, "set things right with me when you get back. Don't let some stupid argument come between us."

"Don't worry," said Prue, hugging her sister, "I had already decided to do that. I just got a little side tracked, that's all."

"Well, baby sister," said Prue to Phoebe, "you finally got your wish. You weren't the youngest sister any longer. Even if it was only for a while."

"I'll be glad to be the youngest again," said Phoebe. "If it means getting you back."

"Heather," said Prue, turning to her niece. "You're going to make a fine witch. Listen to your mother and your Aunt Phoebe. You'll learn a lot from them."

"I will," said Heather. "I'm just glad I got the chance to finally meet you. And that you and mom were able to work out your differences."

The four women hugged each other once more. If they succeeded, thing would change. And none of them knew what those changes would be.

"I guess there's no sense in waiting any longer," said Prue, pulling the spell out of her pocket. "Might as well get this over with."

The three sisters joined hands. It would combine their power and form the Power of Three needed for the spell. Heather stood off to one side watching as they recited the spell.

"From the future to the past, send this sister home at last.

"The Power of Three must reunite, to keep the world full of light.

"Return her now so she at last, may fight the evil of the past.

"Return her home for evils' bane, and join her with her sisters again."

They all watched as the magic formed and enveloped Prue. She felt a slight shudder as the magic began to build, completing the spell. Then, suddenly, the magic dissipated, leaving Prue standing in Piper's living room. No one spoke. They all knew what had happened. Not even the Power of Three was strong enough to return Prue to her own time.