Checking Out

[Jad]

This is an alternate story late fifth season somewhere between the demise of Cole and Oh My Goddess, I can believe they made those episodes. I like to write with a little audience participation, so I will ask a question after each scene. Answers will set the direction on the next scene.

On dark residential street, cool breeze blowing in from the west, there stood a man calling to a cat up in a tree. The tree was bare and the wind had a chill as it should in early March in San Francisco. A lime green VW bug pulled into a driveway not to far from this scene and a young lady with read hair stepped out in to the fading light of dusk.

The redhead noticed the plight of the man who is even younger than her, not much more than a boy. The redhaed walked over to the young man and lightheartly queries, "Having trouble with your cat?"

The young man was startled at first but quickly recovered, "I've been paid to pet sit this cat but it ran away from me. It was like it was just waiting for a chance to escape. It's my fault, the lady told me not to let it out of its cage."

"Liar," exclaimed the cat, "You are working with her."

Both Paige and the young man looked up at the talking cat amazed. The redhead with the lime green VW is Paige Mathews, a witch with real magical powers. Paige is the first one to recover and speak.

What should Paige do now?

[Esmeralda]

Paige should return to the Manor and check with her sisters - maybe check with the Book or have Leo check with the Elders. This could be a setup to expose magic.

[Jad]

Paige took a quick look up and down the street to make sure no one else was around to hear a talking cat, "Ok, I'm going to go onto my house and talk to my sisters and figure out what to do."

As Paige turned to walk to her house, the cat pleaded, "Please don't leave me here with him. I don't trust him."

Paige turned back, "What? do you want to expose magic?"

During all this the young man finally got his composure back and started to laugh and clap, "Bravo, well done," he turned to face Paige, "Either you're the worlds best ventriloquist or some one has some mad techno skills because I swear that the cat sounds just like a cat meowing only the sounds are formed into words. How do you get that high shrill voice anyway?"

Paige sighed as she thought to herself that at least this guy was clueless, one less thing to worry about...

But the cat would not play along as it spoke again, "Expose magic? Expose magic to what?"

Paige threw her hands up in the air as she stormed away to her front door. As she opened the front door Paige heard the man exclaim, "You stupid cat!"

Paige turned towards him and asked, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," came the reply, "the cat just jumped on me and ran off."

Paige walked back to the stairs down to he street as the cat came bounding up the stairs past her into the house through the half open door.

Piper and Leo were in the front room watching the evening news as this strange cat went scampering through the front room right in front of them. Before Paige could even round the corner, she heard Leo exclaim, "What the!"

Followed directly by Piper bellowing, "Who let the stray cat in the house?"

Paige did not have the time to stop before rounding the corner into the front room right into Piper's line of sight, "Paige!"

"What?" Paige replied sheepishly.

Piper just points to the conservatory where the cat ran with that pissed look on her face.

Before Paige had a chance to answer the young man standing at the open front door knocked on it and pleaded, "I'm sorry about the cat ma'am. If I could come in and retrieve it, I'll be on my way?"

Piper moved past Paige into the hallway to size up the source of the voice. Upon seeing him,. Piper sighed and relaxed, not a stray cat a run away cat. Piper waved him in, turned and walked into the conservatory followed by Paige and the young man.

Leo was already in the conservatory watching the cat as it rolled around on the cushions of the wicker couch only to stop once everyone entered the room. The righted itself and perched on the couch in a regal fashion and spoke as if it had every right to be speaking, "Now that you are all here which one of you is the resident magic using type?"

Now it was Leo's and Piper's turn to stare and gawk at the talking cat. Paige smiling from ear to ear almost laughing said, "Did I forget to mention that the cat can talk."

Now that Paige had time and light to really look at the cat, and the cat's coloring was quite distinctive. The head, front, back and tail were a dark chocolate brown that melted into this leathery tan on the stomach and upper legs to this stark white legs and feet. This wasn't just any calico, this one was beautiful. The order and coloring of this cat was nothing like Paige had ever seen.

Ok, it's time for Leo's and Piper's reaction. The scene is not complete as is and they haven't even asked the young man's name yet. How would Leo and Piper react to the cat's last question?

[Jad]

Piper gave Paige a stern look for her snarky remark, but soon enough Piper regained her composure and asked the young man, "Is this your cat and did you know that it could talk?"

The young man just looked at her with a dazed glare, "Ok," Piper continued, "What's your name?", thinking that a simple question might just get his mind back to reality.

"Bob," the young man said sheepishly, "and uh no, I'm just pet sitting this cat."

"Yeah, yeah," Paige chimed in, "He told me all this out on the street."

Bob finally starts to get some composure as he pleaded with he cat, "Come on Fudgy, we have to get you back into your cage before Rajjha comes back for you if I'm going to get paid,"

Fudgy jumps up and hisses at Bob and quickly hides under the wicker couch and said, "Now you've done it, you said her name."

To throw even more confusion into the mix, Phoebe finally gets home and walks through the still opened door and queried, "Who left the front door open?" as she closed it.

When everyone turned to the sound of Phoebe's voice and the closing of the door, a beautiful woman with yellow blond hair with dark brown streaks appeared out of a puff of smoke. The other noticeable point about her was that she was wearing a tiger skin wrapped around her body just barely covering her chest and private areas. This appeared to be a real tiger skin with tail and all.

The tiger lady quickly looked around and not finding what she was looking for; she spoke in voice that almost purred, "Here kitty, kitty, Fudgy, you know that this is no time to play. The tiger lady was almost oblivious to the other people in the room.

Now there's more room for manuver so to speak: how do the Charmed Ones react to this intrusion? Do they open fire and ask questions later or do they attempt to talk to the intruder?

I'm almost done with the hook.

[Jad]

The new arrival was more than enough for Piper as she raised her hands to explode the intruding tiger lady. She caught her dead center chest and the tiger lady started explode, but just a quickly as it started it reverted back. The only thing that happened was a little singed fur on her tiger skin wrap, "Owe,: retorted the tiger lady as she looked at Piper for the first time, "That hurts."

Piper winds up to blast her again, but this time the tiger lady moves out of the way with the grace and quickness of a cat.

Paige orbed a wicker seat underneath the tiger lady in an attempt to trip her up, but the lady just did a back roll over it and landed into the wicker couch moving it and thereby exposing Fudgy to the tiger lady's sight for the first time. Fudgy quickly moved toward the front room but was pounced on by the tiger lady even while she dodged another blast from Piper.

The tiger lady picked up the clawing, hissing and biting cat and held her close to her chest. She looked down at Fudgy and said, "I've got you now my pretty."

With that she throws some thing at the floor which explodes in giant puff of smoke. When it clears the tiger lady and the cat are gone.

This is the third time I'm writing this story which was first used a a role-playing game on another board years ago. It morphed from roleplaying game to fanfic rather easily. This is why I don't mind comments in the process. I had different people writing for Piper, Paige, Phoebe, Leo and Bob. The original game was over two hundred posts long.

[Jad]

Phoebe rushed around the corner from the hallway to the conservatory to find everyone staring at a clearing cloud of smoke. She's in a fighting stance before she realizes that the danger is gone.

Paige upon seeing Phoebe gave out a short snort, "Nice timing, you just missed them."

Phoebe relaxed her stance, "Who did I miss? What happened? Who is this?" looking at Bob who was sitting in the middle of the floor staring off into space.

"It seems that the demon got away with an innocent," Leo chimed in, first time he spoke since the cat ran into the house.

"Yeah, the tiger lady stole the pretty cat," Paige retorted tongue in cheek.

"Paige, without the snide remarks," Piper said as she glared at Paige.

"Oh, alright," Paige relented with a little touch of sarcasm, but she did recount the story of the encounter to Phoebe to catch her up on what happened.

This all took them around to Bob who was still sitting in the floor mumbling to himself, "Hey Bob, are you still with us," Piper called out.

Bob took a few seconds to compose himself and said, "Yeah, what just happened?"

Phoebe smiles at him and extended her hand to him to get him up off the floor. Bob gladly took the hand and let it lead him to the nearest seat where he sat down. Phoebe reassured him, "Hi, I'm Phoebe. I think you've already met Paige, Piper and Leo. We were wondering the same thing. Are you going to be alright? I need to talk to my sisters in private for a few minutes."

Phoebe looked over at Piper who turned to Leo and said, "Could you stay with Bob a few minutes?"

Leo responded, "Sure Honey," as the Charmed One retreated into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, all three of the Charmed Ones just stared at each other not knowing what to say. Paige finally broke the ice, "Well, it's not everyday that you run into a talking cat."

Piper just looked at Paige, ignored her and said, "We need more information. We need Leo to check with the Elders and have a look into the Book of Shadows, but first, what are we going to do about Bob?"

"He seemed to respond to Phoebe," Paige blurted out.

The three of them just started looking at each other without saying a word until Phoebe said, "Ok, I'll deal with him. He is kind of cute even if a little young."

"Well, if it's any consolation, he's in college, so he's probably not jail bait," Paige said grinning ear from ear.

Phoebe kicks Paige in the shin, turns and walks out of the kitchen. Paige jumps back, grabs her leg and lets out a little, "Ow," looking all as if she didn't deserve the kick.

Piper giggles a little while holding her hand on her mouth trying to stifle herself from laughing out loud.

Mean while out in the conservatory Leo and Bob share some nervous stares as they wait for the sister. They both heard Paige's "Ow" and turned toward the dining room just as Phoebe came back out of the kitchen.

"Is everything alright?" Leo asked.

"Yeah," said Phoebe without elaboration, "But, you're needed in the kitchen."

Leo excuses himself and went into the kitchen.

"Ok Bob, would you like a ride home? From what I understand you attend USF and only live 12 blocks from here." Phoebe said smiling her most friendly smile.

"Sure," Bob said without hesitation, "And thank you for the help and all."

Phoebe and Bob drove to his apartment making a little small talk on the drive. Bob explained that he was a senor in college and going to graduate in the spring with a degree in Anthropology and ancient religions. Phoebe shared a little about her job at the paper.

Back in the kitchen, Leo walked in on Paige leaning against a counter holding her leg looking all hurt and Piper busy trying not to laugh to loud. Leo with a surprised look on his face asked, "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing honey," Piper responded, "just girl stuff."

"Phoebe kicked me," Paige blurted out.

Piper getting control of herself asked Leo if he could check with the Elders. Leo orbed out, and Piper and Paige made their way to the attic to check in the Book of Shadows.

[Jad]

Phoebe drove up in front of Bob's building, and Bob thanked her for the ride.

But, Phoebe had a thought as Bob was getting out of the car, "Do you still have the cage that the cat was in?"

"Yes, why?" Bob replied.

"I'd like to check it out if that's ok with you?' Phoebe asked.

"Sure," Bob answered, "Find a place to park; I'm in apartment 306."

Phoebe drove off as Bob went into his building.

Later in Bob's apartment, Bob showed Phoebe a very wrought iron cage with its own built in litter box. Phoebe reached inside the cage and immediately had a premonition.

Phoebe saw the tiger lady seated at the head of a table with the cat tied up and lying on the table a few feet away. From out of scene came four athames wielded by four hands coming down directly on the cat. The tiger lady laughed out loud, but with a cold chill coming through her hand the vision ended as she drew her hand away from the source of the cold.

Phoebe gasps for air, pulls her hand out of the cage and jumps back. Bob asks, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Phoebe answered, "It's just the touch of the cage is very cold."

After Phoebe collected her thought, she asked, "Maybe I should take cage with me. That way if tiger lady comes looking for it, you can tell her that we have it."

"Sure," Bob answered quickly, "I don't to have anything around that can remind me of tonight."

Phoebe took the cage and noticed that it was much lighter than it should have been.

Phoebe carried the cage into the attic where Paige and Piper were turning pages if the Book of Shadows.

"Hi," Phoebe said as she put down the cage on the nearest table.

Piper looked up from the book and asked, "What have you got there?"

"Finally," Phoebe said as it took a few seconds for her sisters to notice her, "This is the cat's cage that the tiger lady left at Bob's."

"How's Bob doing anyway, did he seem like he was going to talk about what he saw here tonight?" Piper asked.

"No," Phoebe answered, "It seemed to me that he'd much rather forget tonight than anything else."

"Well, at least that's something," Paige interjected, "All we could find in the book about talking cat's was a general entry on Familiars, and the book keeps flipping to the first page on its own."

"What?" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Just watch," Paige turned to a page in the middle of the book and just let the book sit there. Sure enough after a few seconds, the book's pages started to turn on their own back to the front page.

"You mean the spell I first read all those years ago to get our powers?" Phoebe inquired.

Piper and Paige just nodded their heads together in the affirmative.

Piper stopped first and asked, "So, what's with the cage?"

"Glad you asked," Phoebe retorted, and she was just about to relate the story when Leo orbed in.

Phoebe grimaced, "Upstaged by the whitelighter."

"What?" Leo defended himself, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, Phoebe."

"Thank you, Leo," Phoebe continued, "I had a premonition when I reached inside the cage about the cat getting stabbed in some kind of ritual sacrifice. The tiger lady was overseeing the ritual and enjoying it, but I think that the cage shortened the vision as it got very cold to my touch."

Leo doesn't wait to be asked, "Yes, the Elders did have some information."

All the girls looked at him in surprise, but Leo continued anyway, "This looks like an ancient story about a demon called Katla who is always after this cat. Then again to call Katla a demon is not right as she predates demons so to speak. There is conjecture up there that Katla might come from the Elder Gods. We're talking myth and fable here, so there is nothing definite."

Leo stopped to collect his thoughts, "Alright, it seems the cat is need by Katla for some sacrificial rite, but the story of her chasing the cat shows up many times through recorded history, but she never does catch the cat because she cannot let the cat out of the cage herself. The stories then turn into ones about not letting the cat out of the cage."

"Well, it seems some one has already let the cat out of the bag so to speak," Paige quipped with a grin.

Paige's comment got everybody out of their own thoughts, but it wasn't till Piper spoke, "So, do they have any conclusions," that Leo continued, "Katla is trapped in some kind of time loop with the cat that only intersects with the world every 500 years or so. Katla is a minion the God that the Oldest Gods had to chain on the threshold everything and oblivion to stop him from causing any more trouble. You could say that she is the first disciple of the Devil if you like, so she must be stopped," Leo looks at his wife, "Is that clear enough for you honey?"

"Yeah," Piper said with a solemn tone as the magnitude of events were finally dawning on her and her sisters.

[Jad]

"Sorry about the rambling there, but this subject is far from explainable. But, there is something to this. the Oldest Gods are real and powerful, and they created magic. The angels are supposed to be their messengers," Leo looks around at the girls, "Yes the Angel of Destiny is one of them."

"Maybe that's why the book kept flipping back to the first page on its own," Phoebe interrupted, "The spell to invoke our powers called upon the Oldest of Gods. So, where are they; why aren't they active in the world today?"

"Good question," Leo continued, "They were active in pre-human history, but just kind of faded out before human civilizations began."

"So, what does all this have to do with us here?" Piper said getting impatient with the whole history lesson and all, "What can we do know if anything?"

"Sorry honey," Leo said apologetically, "But it's hard to know what's helpful of not. Katla is part of some kind of dual goddess head. Katla, not her real name by the way. If someone with magical abilities says her real name, she can appear to them for a while."

Paige, who had been quiet for a while pondering Leo's words, exclaimed, "Bob was holding out on us. He said her real name and blam she was here. This means that Bob has magical powers."

"Oh great, and I was just beginning to like him," Phoebe sighed.

Both Paige and Piper look at looked at the Phoebe with looks that screamed 'What!' without saying a word.

"Not the time," Leo interjected hoping to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand, "We can summon the other half of the goddess head if we want. I know her name, and she is supposed to be as good and Katla is evil."

"Why didn't you say this in the first place, Leo," Piper complained.

"Did you just read over ancient manuscripts, copper engravings and clay tablets in eight or nine dead languages," Leo defended himself, "The real question is, do we summon this other goddess to try and get more information?"

Yes, this was first written after the "Oh My Goddess" episodes as an alternate storyline to that debacle.

Well obviously, the girls have a big decision to make here, does any one here want to weigh in here with an opinion on what the Charmed Ones should do?

[Jad]

The Charmed Ones all looked at Leo with surprise in their eyes.

"What!" Leo exclaimed.

The Charmed Ones looked around at each other till Piper spoke, "Well honey, we kind of surprised that the Elders actually have any information at all, let alone all this."

"Yeah well," Leo responded, "They are the guardians of information that is thousands of years old. In a way they care more about the older stories than what's happening right now, and they seem to think that this evil is older than the Elders themselves."

"That explains a lot," Phoebe chimed in, "But I say why not summon Katla's other half. We're flying blind here so any information will be more than we have now."

Paige quickly nodded her head in the affirmative. Piper just stood there till she noticed both her sisters looking at her, "Ok fine, do it Leo," Piper finally relented.

"Ok," Leo responded, "Here goes, Sylva, Sylva, Lady Sylva can you here us?"

Just a few seconds after Leo stopped calling a swirl of rainbow colored lights appeared in the middle of the attic. The lights dissipated leaving a short petite woman with platinum hair and a Ruddy tan. She had pointed ears like Spock and high cheek bones with piercing green eyes.

All present were taken aback by her beauty and radiance. She didn't speak right away but seemed to be lost in thought until she tentatively spoke, "Hello, do I have the right language?"

Well spoke is not entirely right, it was more sung than spoke in a sweet melodic soprano. Leo was the first to get his tongue back.

"Yes," Leo answered, "You have the right language, Lady Sylva,"

Leo bowed before her until she said or sung, "Do not bow before me."

Leo quickly straightened up and said," I'm Leo and this is Piper, Paige and Phoebe."

Sylva looked around the room until she spotted the cat's cage.

"By the empty cage, I take it that you've met Fudgy, do you know where the cat is?" Sylva continued to sing.

"No," Paige blurted out, "Katla came and catnapped the cat."

"I am sorry to hear that," Sylva sung, "But you must listen to me now. I do not have much time. You are all involved in Rajjha's escape attempt. We trapped ourselves in a facsimile universe for reasons I do not have time to explain. She, Rajjha or Katla if you like has been trying to escape without me ever since. Some one on the outside had to summon her and convinced her that he or she had a spell that could get her out. It is a complicated spell, and it takes powerful magical types from outside the facsimile to effect it. I take it that you all are powerful magical types."

"We're the Charmed Ones," Phoebe burst out with pride.

Sylva shook her head in nonrecognition but continued to sing, "I do not know exactly what the spell is, but I know this, you will have to make a choice. This choice will either free you and keep Katla trapped, or trap you and free Katla."

Sylva looks at them all with a very somber look as the swirling rainbow colored light obscured view of her. The lights disappeared along with Sylva.

Well, at least the preamble is completed. Now, we can get into the meat of the story.

[Jad]

The Charmed Ones and Leo stood there pondering for a few moments when the Charmed Ones heard some faint music almost inaudible.

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair

The Charmed Ones immediately started looking at each other questioningly. Leo's look just expressed puzzlement.

"Do you hear..." Phoebe said.

"Is that the..." Paige continued.

"Yes, it is," finished Piper.

"Hear what," asked Leo.

But the song was still playing in the background as they talked.

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.

Leo did not get an answer as the three girls continued to listen. No whoosh, no blink, no nothing, Leo was just standing in the attic alone. He stilled himself for minutes trying to sense the girls but to no avail. they were some how outside his sensing range.

One moment the girls are in their attic listening to the Eagles; the next they're in an old Mustang convertible with the roof down with their hair flying in the wind. Piper was in the passenger seat, and Paige and Phoebe were in the back seat. And who was it that's driving but their new friend Bob..

The car swerved back and forth for a few seconds before bob got control of it.

"Wow!" exclaimed Bob, "One moment I'm listening to the opening lines of 'Hotel California'. The next, I'm actually driving down a dark desert highway, can you tell me how that happens?" Bob's question was not aimed at anyone in particular.

They could see cactus growing off the side of the road in the headlights. Paige reached from the back seat to touch Bob's shoulder while she asked her sisters, "Grab my arm, I say we get out of here."

When Piper and Phoebe graged Paige's arm, Paige orbed them out of there only to re-orb right back into the car. Bob had to grab the steering wheel again and straighten out the car while Piper looked back at Paige and asked, "Why did you orb us back into the car?"

"Of course, I tried to orb us home. I just can't get us there." Paige answered defensively.

The car came over a slight rise and there on the distant horizon was a group of building looking like an old Spanish mission with shimmering lights. The girls found it harder and harder for them to keep their eyes open. Their eyesight became blurried and unfocused.

Through the mists of their sleepy minds, they each heard Don Henley singing as if he were singing only for them.

Bet ya that you can't guess what comes next, but no fair looking up the lyrics to the song.

[Reality Bites]

Interesting fic, keep it up! ;D

[Jad]

Thanks for the encouragement

Somewhere between consciousness and sleep, the Charmed Ones were swept down that highway. But, somewhere, somehow, they all heard the next verse to that song.

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
'This could be heaven or this could be hell'
Then she lit up a candle and showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

The car came to screeching stop and the jolt woke the sisters up completely. The Charmed Ones quickly looked around and find that they've stopped in front of some old style Spanish mission from California's younger days. There was one small door that was closed that lead into the structure and a bell tower above it. Just when everyone's eyes where on the bell tower, it rung once catching each of the Charmed Ones by surprise. When they looked again at the door, it was open revealing a dark tunnel into the building. In the doorway stood the lady in the tiger skin identified as Rajjha or Katla. About this time the girls noticed that Bob was standing with them.

Katla looked at then and said, "Good, you're here. We've been expecting you. You are the last guests to arrive for tonights party."

Piper raised her hands and projected her power and anger at Katla over and over again, but after each explosion Katla and the building reformed as if nothing had happened. Finally, Phoebe caught Piper's arms and said, "I don't thing that is going to get us anywhere but you tired."

Piper looked into Phoebe's eyes and relented, "I know, but I had to try."

"That was not very nice. Did I come into your house and try to blow things up?" Katla remarked.

"And just why are we here?" Paige asked.

"Why, you four are the guests of honor for tonights festivities. The party can not start till you enter here," with a snap of her fingers, Katla is holding a candle holder with a lit candle in it in her left hand.

The candle shows that the dark tunnel is more of a corridor with a door on each wall about half way down which opens into a larger room or a courtyard at it's end.

With that, the Charmed Ones heard the song continue from where it left off...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Disregarding the song in the background, Paige demanded, "What if we don't want to attend your party? What if we just jumped into the car and drove off or just walked off into the desert?"

Katla snorted, "Ha, the vehicle won't operate. you can stand there till you drop or walk out into the desert till you drop. Any choice you make and you'll end up right here till you enter my humble abode. You see my dears, I've been waiting for years for this. I can stand here till you drop from thirst; then my trusty servants will pick your almost dead bodies up and bring you in. Either way is good by me."

Katla looked off into the distance as if she had all the time in the world.

Phoebe called to her sisters, "Huddle up."

As soon as her sisters moved close, Phoebe continued, "That elven lady said we had to make some kind of choice. That Katla needed us to make some kind of choice. I don't think this is it."

"I think it's a trap," Paige countered.

"I think we're already in the trap, and that the only way out is through it," Phoebe said.

"Yeah, but I don;t like it," Paige remarked.

Piper snorted, "I say we just go on a tare and destroy things till we're set free."

"What makes you think that will work now," Both Phoebe and Paige said in unison. they both looked at each other and sighed.

Piper folded her arms across her chest and huffed, "Fine!"

Phoebe looked over at bob and said, "What about Bob?"

Katla informed them, "Bob is just as much a part of this as you are."

"What me?" Bob asked, "Why can't I stay out here away from all the activity. I don't mind."

With an air of command, Katla said, "Bob."

Bob replied mousely, "Ok."

Bob followed the Charmed Ones slowly as they made their way down the corridor. Katla closed the door behind them and smiled.

The chorus to the song meantime kept repeating itself through the whole exchange.

What's a demon that's thousands of years old doing with a song that's only 35 years old? What is the song all about: is it just background or something more? What's up with Bob and what's his part in all this?

[Jad]

Warning: this next post is going to a little risque, more PG than I usually write. I hope that I don't offend anyone.

As the Charmed Ones and Bob got closer to the end of the corridor, they could see that the hallway opened up into an open air courtyard, and the song skipped along to the next verse.

Her name is Tiffany Twisted, she got the Mercedes Bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, she calls friends
How they danced in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat,
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget...

When they entered the courtyard, they all were taken aback and had to gawk at the scene before them. First of all, the music changed to "Time Warp", and it was a little loud. There were a bunch of young good looking guys dressed up as if they were the Village People dancing around an older couple, and by older, they were in their forties. The woman was dressed up like Olivia Newton John in the last scene of Grease, and the guy was dressed up like John Travolta for Saturday Night Fever. They also were doing the "Time Warp" with a little extra bump and grind action.

A young lady, late teens, move up to them from the side and said, "Are you enjoying the party? Aren't Raja's parties the best?"

Piper snarled and seethed anger with her eyes, "We were kidnapped, and we are being held against our will. Can you help us get out of here?"

The young lady takes a half set back and was quite surprised, "No one can leave till the spell is done. The spell won't be done till everyone plays their part."

Raja moved past her and started to dance and twirl to the music. The young girl had a tie dyed skirt and leather bodice that pushed her breast up high. She had on a black cape with a stiff high collar with bright red lipstick and too much eye make-up, drawn back jet black hair and a pale complexion.

Piper started to raise her arms but Phoebe caught them, "Yeah," she said to Piper, "We know that it doesn't help."

PIper was angry for other reasons too. This place, this music was playing with her. It was giving her feelings that she knew she'd never have in this situation and it was pissing her off to say the least. She let the seething anger take control and push down the other impulses. She came out of her own thoughts and noticed that Phoebe was holding on to her tightly, "Oww Phoebe, why are you holding me so tightly?"

Phoebe answered shakely, "If I don't hang on to you, I'm afraid that I'm going to lose control."

But, Phoebe hung on to that fear of losing control, and fought down her other urges.

During all this, Paige stood very still with a perplexed look on her face. She usually had emotional attachment before she fely like this, and it confused her. She hung around in her confusion and used it to combat her other feelings.

But Bob, Bob was not so lucky. Bob got this big grin on his face, moved up to the young lady, embraced her and kissed her.

The young lady pushed him away, winked at him, and said, "Tsk, tsk, we haven't been properly introduced. It's the Queen's protocol you know."

Bob steps back looking a little embarrassed, but the girl smiles at his and looks at Phoebe, "Could you introduce me to your friend. I'm Mistress Mercedes Bends, Lady in waiting to Queen Leirda." she waves towards the older lady still dancing in the middle of the courtyard.

With that , the older lady and man stopped dancing and looked over at the Charmed Ones. The music's volume mellowed also.

"Quickly," the young lady said, "Before her grace gets over here and takes over the conversation."

Phoebe straightened up and in her most proper voice announced to Bob, "This is Mistress Mercedes Bends." looking at Mercedes, she said, "This is Bob," she looked back at Bob questioningly.

On que, Bob responded, "Blobowski, Robert Blobowski."

"Really Bob," Phoebe looked surprised, "Your parents couldn't have named you something else."

Phoebe looked back at Mercedes, "This is Robert Blobowski."

She looked back at Mercedes, "Was that good enough for the Queen's protocol?"

Mercedes smiled at Phoebe, "Close enough," as she took Bob by the had and lead him down the corridor that they just came through, skipping all the way. Bob looked back at them and smiled as he and Mercedes moved through a door halfway down the hallway.

They all sighed in unison as the door closed. "Should we go after him?" Paige said with slight concern.

"Do you think we could have stopped him" Piper replied.

[Jad]

As the Charmed Ones turned around, so they could see the courtyard again, the song moved on to the next verse.

So I call up the captain
'Please bring me my wine'
He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to here them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

The village people were just milling about, but the older couple is slowly walking towards the Charmed Ones. Seeing this, Raja moves over between the Charmed Ones and the approaching couple. The Charmed Ones noticed as the couple approached that the woman had two little horns just above her temples.

Phoebe immediately got into a fighting stance, and Piper raised her hands just in case, and Paige stepped in behind her two sisters ready to do her orbing thing. Raja bowed slightly to the woman as the older woman stared off into the distance and said, "These are our honored guests for this evening," as she waved in the Charmed Ones direction. Looking at the Charmed Ones, she continued, "This is Queen Leirda and her Consort, the Lord High Wizard Spica."

Only after the proper introduction did Leirda look at the sisters, but the wizard, Spica, was smiling at them the whole time. That's why it didn't surprise the sisters when he spoke, "How wonderful of you all to join us."

Piper fumed and was about to speak when Phoebe slapped her in the shoulder, "Ow," Piper said, but Phoebe continued, "I can't say that it's nice to be here, seeing how, I don't know where here is?"

"Here is nowhere next to everywhere." Spica said smiling ear to ear, "Raja's parties are always the best distraction in town."

Spice was a average sized man but thin with curly blond hair short combed back and bright blue eyes. He had a small bear on his chin about an inch long maybe a little longer, and he was stroking it as he sized up the sisters, "You kind of amazed be back there, not many people can resist Leirda's charms if you know what I mean."

Spica steps closer to the girls and whispers, "And she doesn't like it when people resist her charms."

Leirda spoke for the first time with a sultry alto voice, "You know that I'm right here and can hear you."

Spice winked at the sisters and snickered as he moved next to Leirda.

Leirda harrumphed, "Bored now, wine please!"

Spica rolled his eyes as Raja raised her hands over her head and clapped twice. Out of a side door, a man in a waiters suit comes out with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Paige asked, "Can't you resist her charms too? You seem to be a powerful wizard in your own right."

"That's very kind of you, my dear," Spica spoke, but his eyes turned sad, "That ship sailed years ago. Things that I'd rather forget. That's why I come to these parties, just a little time to forget."

"Do you want me to forget how you saved me from a loveless marriage," Leirda said as she takes a glass of wine from the waiter, "The mighty and powerful wizard Speca took the time to teach a young queen how to do magic. How he fathered my daughter the Queen, empress of the universe. I shall never forget it. You even grew to love me over time, and our daughter too."

Leirda snuggled up to Spica who rolled his eyes, but he snuggled her back.

"But," Paige questioned, "I thought Leirda was the queen?"

"Yes, yes," Spica replied, "But the operative word is was. She was the queen and now is the queen mother."

The waiter handed a glass of wine to Spice who took a sip. Phoebe snickered and said, "Hey, it was nice meeting you and all, but we need to find our friend and get out of here."

Phoebe turned and nudged her sisters to follow her into the corridor which they did right into the door that Bob had entered earlier.

I know that this is not a normal Charmed type story. It's almost as if there is another story going on that you're only getting glimpses of, but if you bear with me, it will all be explained in the end. The limited third person perspective does lend itself to an air of mystery, and that is my intention.

[Jad]

The sisters could see maybe 30 yards down the hallway due to the lighting being provided by laterns. There were doors vey 20 feet of so on both sides. The song, "Hotel California," contunued in the background.

Mirrors on the ceiling
Pink champagne on ice
And she said, "We are all just prisoners here, of out own device"
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

The cat, that strange cat, that talking cat, the cat that started all this by getting stuck up a tree outside the manor came running down the hall out of the dark beyond the light. When the cat saw the sisters, it stopped, smiled at them and darted into doorway off to the side.

Paige rushed up to the doorway that the cat went through followed by her sisters. They saw through the Bob, the girl from the courtyard lying on the bed petting the cat. Phoebe remarked, "What are you doing Bob?"

"Just having a little fun, they really know how to party here," Bob replied.

"But Bob," Phoebe said in an even tone, "We need to find a way out of here."

The cat snickered and said, "You might not have brought yourselves here, but your own vices are keeping you here. I hear that one of you has quite the temper, always trying to blow things up when they don't go your way."

[Chrisaholic]

Providing headache but nice!!

Go ahead, please!!

[Jad]

Sorry that it's giving you a headache, but it will all be over soon. One or two more post should do it unless I fall asleep like last night and fail to get the whole scene posted.

Piper quickly raised her hands and blew up the cat, but the cat did not stay blown up; it quickly reformed from scattered atoms and just frowned at them, "See what I mean."

The cat got up, moved to the edge of the bed and sat down again, "Good thing you're trapped here, imagine all the innocent dead cats there'd be if you were wandering out there in the real world."

"And you're going to be snide too," Piper fumed back at the cat, but this time Phoebe caught Piper's arm's before she vented someone else.

As the cat moved the sisters noticed that there was a mirror on the ceiling, a bottle of wine on a night stand on ice, and two glasses of off white sparkling wine half drunk.

Phoebe spoke up, "Don't you see it, every line in the song is being replayed here, and we're the observers."

"Smart girl," retorted the cat as it jumped off the bed and ran to the back wall of the room. A secret door opened up just as the cat got to the wall, and the cat scooted through the opening.

"Uh, what's going on?" Paige questioned Phoebe.

"Don't you get it," Phoebe responded, "The songs lyrics are the spell creating this whole place. The only thing I hate about that is the last line of the song."

"Lost me again," Paige stated.

"Don't you know the songs last line, something about never leaving. I'm afraid that if the song and scenes play out exactly as the song, we'll all be trapped here."

"Yeah, I get all that," Paige replies, "But what I don't get is why Raja would want to trap herself here too. That's the bump in my logic, wouldn't Raja be trapped here also?"

"Yeah," Phoebe answered, "My thoughts exactly, what do you think, Piper?"

Piper, although more relaxed was still livid, so all she could muster was, "Ok, how does that all help us."

[Chrisaholic]

Funny. Typical sister discussions. Question: Who's the smartest?

[Jad]

Who's the smartest? That would be Paige if you're just considering mental intelligence. If you are talking about understanding emotions, everyone's but her own, then you are talking about Phoebe. Anyway, there is an innocent and a demon in the story. Can you guess who is the demon and who is the innocent?

"I think we need to follow the cat," Phoebe offered.

"Are you sure," Piper questioned.

Paige shrugged her shoulders when her sisters looked at her for an opinion.

"I say we just get Bob and try and find a way out of here," Piper said.

With the mention of Bob the sisters looked over at Bob who was on the bed with the young lady entwined, kissing and groping each other.

"Bob!" exclaimed all three sisters in unison.

Bob opened his eyes and looked at the sisters. He pulled away from the young lady and smiled at them with embarrassment.

"Bob, we have to go," Piper said with a stern motherly look as Paige rolled her eyes and Phoebe just smiled.

"But which way should we go, back the way we came or through the secret door following the cat?" Paige asked.

"Well," Piper said, "Phoebe wants to follow the cat; I want to go back the way we came, so the deciding vote is yours."

Paige stood there pondering for a few seconds collecting her thoughts before she said, "No matter which way we go we're going to end up in formal dining room of some kind."

Piper sighed loudly, "That's not an answer, follow me."

Piper walked through the threshold into the hallway and disappeared. From Piper's point of view the hallway changed into this large room with high ceilings and ornate wood molding on the walls. There was a large dining room table in the center of the room with the chairs lining the walls. On the table was lying Raja. She was tied to the by her arms and feet spread eagle. At the head of the table on the other side of Raja was the cat, Fudgy. She just sitting there surveying her handiwork.

Piper surprised by the change stood there for a few seconds before she got her head around it. She quickly turned and looked back the way she came to see the secret door and in the room beyond her sister's backs as they were looking through the door that Piper just exited.

"Piper!" Phoebe called out.

"Uhm," Piper sighed, "I'm over here."

Startled, Phoebe and Paige quickly spun around and looked at Piper. "How did you?," Phoebe fumbled first pointing to the door that Piper exited by and then at Piper.

"How did you know," asked Piper.

"Well my dear," Paige answered, "It's the next line in the song, remember."

"Yeah, Ok," Piper growled, "Just get yourselves and Bob in here now."

Phoebe went over to Bob and gave him a hand getting off the bed and winked at him. Paige said to the young lady, "Sorry, Bob cannot play right now."

Phoebe, Paige and Bob entered the dining room to see Raja bound to the table with four athames flanking her. Fudgy the cat sat at Raja's head looking at the group as they entered. Fudgy spoke, "Quickly, all four of you take the athames and stab Raja. It will put an end to her spell."

"Don't do it," Raja pleaded, "Raja has switched bodies with me. Stab the cat."

Now, we come to it. Maybe, I should have named this story, The Choice, because this is the moment where the fluttering of a butterfly's wings can change the fates of all things.

[Chrisaholic]

Eh, no idea. But the body switch is a nice move!! ;D

More please!!