Shape of Things to come

Shape of Things to Come

Part 3:Seeds of Time

Chapter 23

‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts'
...William Shakespeare. As You Like It

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so
(William Shakespeare)

After the Charmed Ones rushed away to the university to help the Simpson witches in their fight with Briareos’ demons, the Halliwell children, unusually, found themselves home alone. Leo was doing his duty as angel advisor to the Guardian Durand and Cole was still at work. Therefore, Melinda, just fifteen, decided she would prove how grown-up she was by preparing supper for the other children and then organising them into eating it properly, sitting around the dining room table. However, Patsy and Wyatt, already having possession of the dining room table as they worked on their computers, called Melinda a dictator and refused to move or obey her very strident orders to set the dining room table. Melinda had better luck dragging Mandy away from watching horse videos. She ordered her cousin to set the kitchen table, then she supervised every piece laid out while two of the dogs watched them work and two remained in the dining room with Wyatt and Patsy. Both cats were asleep on the sofa in the parlour.

All the Halliwell youngsters were used to their parents disappearing on magic business but it was quite rare for all to be away so Melinda, for all her protests that she was grown up, was worried. Despite the best intentions of her parents and aunts to protect her from the dangerous reality of her family calling, her mother and aunts rushing off to help some innocent or battle Evil was a fact of her existence. A frightening fact, because all her life Melinda had lived with the fear that her mother, or her aunts, would not return from one of these magic emergencies and she was frequently angry with them for causing her dreads. Neither Phoebe nor Piper wanted Melinda or Mandy to undergo the shock they had received when their calling was revealed to them in their twenties and expecting their lives to take a very different direction. They had therefore made certain both girls knew their family history.

Unfortunately, despite her parents’ best intentions, for Melinda, this family history had devolved into a saga of ancestors killed before their time, fighting a battle that was never won, no matter how many sacrifices were made. Melinda’s fears were something she found very difficult to talk about, indeed they were something she would never really articulate. Watching her brave mother and aunts go, apparently, fearlessly off to battle Evil, left Melinda feeling not very brave, even cowardly for being frightened.

To quash down fears her mother may not return this time, Melinda was determined being ‘in-charge’, she would show Piper she was not frightened of magic or life. With great aplomb, as the daughter of a chef, she correctly heated a homemade chicken pie and dished up sautéed vegetables which Piper had already prepared. Then she determinedly won a minor victory over the boys, so all the children sat at the kitchen table sharing a well-prepared meal. This sort of annoyed the boys because they would have liked to complain that Melinda’s bossiness equated with rotten cooking but dinner was up to Piper’s standards. Before the complaints about Melinda bossing them to clean up could start however, Mark orbed into the kitchen and in his calmest voice told Melinda he needed her to orb her mother home.

Melinda froze, her face visibly paling, as the boys glanced at each other and Mandy mouthed the word “Oh.”

“Okay but not able to orb to many people” Mark assured them, keeping his tone unstressed and easy. Then very softly he again told Melinda he needed her and held out his hand and the softness of his voice made her react calmly. She ignored the shock of being needed, carefully put down the dish she was holding, then walked over to Mark. Not even arguing about being able to orb herself, she took his hand.

The other three youngsters all glanced at each other nervously, staring at the empty space where Melinda had been. They were still staring when Cole banged the front door and yelled that he was home.

As he came into the kitchen, to find the youngest children home alone, all three began a garbled version of where the witches were, and where Melinda had gone. Cole was still trying to make sense of it all when there was a crashing noise in the parlour. Despite Cole’s order to stay in the kitchen, all three youngsters followed him into the parlour then stopped in concern as they saw Melinda, her face worried but proud, still holding Piper’s hand. Piper was bent over double, clutching at her stomach as she slid to the floor while a very apprehensive Melinda caught her mother’s shoulders.

Before anyone could move, Paige also appeared in a shower of weak, barely visible orbs, only just holding onto Phoebe who was clutching several Athames, and a fearful Leslie. Paige let both go as soon as she materialised, falling to the floor, dry retching, before struggling into kneeling position, her body trembling with the effort of the orbing. Phoebe immediately ordered her to stay still.

Mark then materialised, holding onto Charlie and Fern but instantly let them go. Charlie moved to huddle behind the sofa rather awkwardly, all the time wringing her hands. Fern still standing where Mark had materialised her, was half-bent over and sobbing “I’m sorry. I’m sorry” until Piper in between nauseous gasps snapped at her to shut up.

Melinda bit her lip hard and started to say “Mom.” But Piper hushed her too.

Cole did not speak. He simply stepped forward and lifted Paige onto the sofa, after Melinda picked up the sleepy cats occupying it. Three of the dogs stood up and wagged their tails, then went back to lying under the table, sensing they were not needed. Unable to move and very pale as she lay on the sofa, Paige in a harsh whisper complained of being nauseated. Leslie turned her on her side and Paige grasped her hand to her mouth.

Leslie stood up self-consciously and finally told Cole “It was a trap. After the Power of Three I think.” She hesitated then asked gingerly. “Did it work?”

“It was a trap” Phoebe agreed aware that Cole was both concerned and uncomfortable.

“Figured” was all he answered. “How are your powers?” he asked carefully as Mark watched with a curious expression on his face.

“Wonky” Phoebe answered tersely. Fern began to say something. Then Piper heaved and Paige started to shake. “Bloody wonky” Phoebe swore. Fern, arms crossed tightly in front of her, again opened her mouth to speak. “Not now Fern” Phoebe snapped.

The three children at the hallway entrance all made uneasy, bothered noises, not knowing what to do or say, at seeing their parents so vulnerable.

Charlie left the safety of clutching the back of the sofa and put her arms around Fern. Melinda her arms full of cats watched her mother and aunts and foster sisters, fear written all over her face, while Patsy and Wyatt shuffled anxiously, then Mandy burst into tears and ran to her mother and would not let go. Cole suggested the youngsters go and finish supper which reluctantly Wyatt and Patsy did, but Mandy hung onto Phoebe and Melinda refused to budge, intently watching her mother and Aunt Paige.

Mark stepped toward Paige but she found some strength to wave him away. “I’m alright” she whispered barely audibly.

“If you say so” Mark murmured drily, glancing at the distraught Simpson witches, and the Charmed Ones hunched over in pain. Without saying anything else he went to Fern and quietly fixed her badly bleeding arm, then did the same for a huge cut Leslie had down her face, and also fixed her sprained ankle, before finally asking. “Anyone else need help? I ought to …report… Caleb” he explained. “Darklighters got him” he told Cole who nodded.

“Before you do” Cole asked. “Did you fix everything? At the scene. Anything to trace?”

“Bloody lawyer” Mark sighed. “Yes, there’s stuff to trace. Only just got out as security came. So there’s blood and demon goo everywhere. Whitelighter …remains.” he winced. “Doubt there were cameras but could have been phones. A few people came in and saw enough to call security. Could’ve been people looking out windows onto the square. So there’s lots to trace. Potion bottles?” he asked looking at the Simpson girls.

Leslie glanced at her sisters. “Yes but we were careful about prints and traceable stuff though” she told Cole who nodded.

“Demon weapons” Mark added “I … Paige and I got rid of four bodies. Lost souls the demons killed for the fun of it, that was all we could do.”

“Body fluid” Phoebe winced “I threw up and Fern was bleeding badly. Place was being swamped by security when we left. Probably police now. To late to fix now.”

“Bet the FBI gets called” Piper inserted between heaves. “There’ll be Evil potion bottles from whatever they threw at us to get the Power of Three. I presume.”

Melinda gasped awkwardly. “Mom” she started to run to Piper, but was still clutching cats so Piper waved her away. Melinda stood close, a little resentful and very concerned.

“Demons’ problem” Cole shrugged then asked calmly. “Where are the bodies?”

“Ngigo Canyon” Mark answered. “Not the most respectful way to treat them.”

Cole shrugged, “They made the deal. Have to assume they got what they wanted.”

“And I just bet, they’ve already found out it wasn’t worth having,” Phoebe interrupted bitterly. “Its Evil.”

“We did the best we could for them. That does not involve getting the girls charged with murder” Mark explained. “You’d think being murdered to set up witches would invalidate any Faustian deal” he added.

“Depends on the wording of the contract” Cole the lawyer answered while Leslie looked up sharply. “Better if they are unfindable” then realised Melinda and Mandy were still in the room listening. “Anything traceable to you?” he asked the witches quietly.

“Depends how they can trace demon goo and shattered whitelighter orbs” Mark explained “ Some demon Athames, darklighter arrows.”

Cole nodded. “Demons’ problem. Nothing from Good? Nothing of yours.” They all shook their heads. “You maybe clear” Cole suggested.

“Shit” Phoebe yelled suddenly. She had been standing near the sofa still hugging Mandy but as Cole asked his questions, she checked the Athames she was clutching when they orbed home and had let fall on the floor. “Shit” she yelled again “I dropped one. An Athame. It’ll have blood and finger prints and demon bile.”

“And it’s evidence of intent” Leslie told her as Phoebe groaned. “Can we get it back?” Leslie asked.

Both Fern and Charlie who had been standing around uncertainly made uncomfortable noises. Piper and Paige also both groaned. Leslie cursed loudly while Charlie unconsciously backed away. Fern started to mutter “I’m sorry” and Piper told her to shut up.

“Place will be covered in cops and security by now” Piper muttered in between heaves. “Is the world spinning for you guys? she asked.

“I’m okay” Phoebe replied. “Not too bad at least” she insisted half leaning on Mandy.

“I’m not” Paige cried trying to get up from the sofa and falling back down. “I can go back to the fight site. Get in there and call it” she insisted trying to stand again and fell again. She bit her lip and looked at Mark. “I think I used everything I had to get those bodies and you guys outta there” she finally admitted falling back on the sofa.

Mark turned to Cole. “I don’t suppose calling for Good Athames is part of your powers? Or freezing crime scenes?”

“You don’t suppose correctly,” Cole replied. “My powers are demonic and I can slow down time but people…remember… a little. And a little late to go over and fireball everything.”

“We really need to get that weapon.” Cole insisted. “Can you freeze Piper? Then I can find it.”

Piper still on her hands and knees as Melinda clutching cats hovered over her, raised her hands intending to freeze a vase of flowers but it promptly shattered.

“Bugger it.” Piper snapped. “Powers are really wonky.” She sighed and shook her head. “Actually, my power is okay. I think its Power of Three that’s wonky.”

Cole swallowed hard at the words ‘Power of Three’ which Phoebe noticed. “We need to get that weapon” he insisted calmly.

“I can call stuff” interrupted Melinda blithely, and even a little smugly, then bit her lip as Piper glared at her. “Its easy” she explained. “I just think about it and wham”.

“Not so long” admitted Melinda. “When I was at the zoo. Keys” she clarified and then swallowed as Piper glared at her even harder.

“No” interrupted Piper “She’s not. I won’t let her. There’ll be people, police, security everywhere.”

Mark walked over to Melinda and held his hand out to her “Needs must” he smiled. “I’ll argue with you later Piper” he added as Melinda took his hand, then smirked at her mother defiantly. “Melinda and I need to get that Athame.”

“Melinda” Paige called to her hoarsely “Its Good Athame. Make sure you call Good Athame.”

“Yes, Auntie Paige” Melinda answered perkily, excitedly as she and Mark disappeared in a swirl of orbs.

“And all your damn powers you can’t call for a Good Athame” Piper hissed at Cole.

“My powers are demonic” Cole repeated. “Demonic solution is to blow everything up. Including the people hanging around” he added. “And I’m not doing that.”

Fern burst into tears and ran out to the conservatory, banging the door angrily, as she went into the yard followed by two dogs and watched awkwardly by Charlie.

Cole, knowing he was not wanted, or perhaps Phoebe wondered, not wanting to get into any discussions about Power of Three, shuffled Mandy into the kitchen. The witches could hear him organising the three youngsters into cleaning up, as they listened for the sound of orbs.

“I feel a bit better” Paige finally said in something like a less groggy voice, then fell back on the sofa “Or not” she added.

Piper, clutching her stomach, never took her eyes off the place where Melinda had orbed with Mark.

It seemed like forever but was probably only some minutes before Melinda appeared in a flash of orbs, almost doubled over under the effort of holding onto Mark who was clutching at his arm. Melinda dropped an Athame at her feet and Paige struggled to hers to shuffle to Mark. Charlie was transfixed but Leslie reached him, taking most of his weight from Melinda and groaned under it even though Mark half-knelt on the floor, whilst orbs fell in a long stream from a huge gash in his arm.

“What happened?” Piper demanded also struggling a little to rise as Leslie nearly collapsed under Mark’s weight when Melinda completely let him go.

Phoebe called for Cole and he came in and lifted Mark onto the sofa, all the while a trail of orbs streamed from Mark’s arm.

Melinda explained that Mark had orbed with her to the square at the university. There were security people everywhere although the police had not arrived but she could hear sirens. She called out ‘Athame’ and then remembered ‘Good Athame’ and it came to her straight away. It was really easy to find she said, just lying in the middle of the square out in the open. Security had not noticed it.

She thought everything was okay when a darklighter appeared from behind the bushes, like it had been watching the Athame. As Melinda caught the Athame, the darklighter just stepped out and fired an arrow straight at her while all the security stood there looking surprised.

“Only” Melinda whispered, “Mark threw himself in front of me. And the arrow caught his arm and I caught him and thought the best thing was to orb him straight home. He’s goddamned heavy” she told her mother then swallowed, frightened. “I think I was followed by something. The winds … were really strong. Like something bad was there.”

“Need to get him ‘up there’.” Paige interrupted, struggling to stay on her feet. “Melinda?” she asked anxiously.

“Need to go higher than Elders, she couldn’t get high enough” Mark whispered his face going a drawn ashen shade. “Mortals can’t get that high” he croaked hoarsely. “Shouldn’t” he added.

Cole called for Francesca, only to shake his head, concerned. “She’s …blocked” he said. After a few more tries he asked “Where’s Leo?”

“With Durand” Piper whispered from the floor where she had sunk back. “He never answers when I call now. Calling is only for charges.” She sighed. It was a sore point between Piper and Leo.

Without another word Cole shimmered and less than five minutes later Leo appeared in a flurry of orbs. Leo took one look at Mark, bit his lip, “Wouldn’t be fatal if it wasn’t darklighter but darklighter wounds are only fixable by Greater Magic. And then…lucky, its only an arm wound. Need to get him to ‘up there’ of ‘up there’,” he explained. He reached out and put his arm around Mark and more orbs flowed from Mark’s wound. “I have to go” Leo insisted as Paige nodded, tears in her eyes and trying very hard to be a sensible witch and not a distraught lover.

Leo hesitated then answered quickly “Getting a lecture from Durand about the rights and wrongs of interfering with witches’ business” he replied then orbed away leaving a distressed Paige.

Leslie and Charlie looked at each other and began to move toward the door but were stopped by Paige moaning she was nauseous.

“I felt a lot better after I threw up” Phoebe told them. “Powers seem back to normal too.”

“The glory of Greater Magic” murmured Phoebe holding a bucket for Piper while Leslie did the same for Paige. Charlie backed away trying not to dry retch while Mandy ran into the kitchen and Melinda determinedly held a towel for her mother.

Both Piper and Paige recovered after throwing up, except as Piper described it, she had the feeling the deep familiar connection between her and her sisters was shorting out. Phoebe nodded and said ‘me too’, while Paige also agreed, her expression very worried.

“Damned certain, all these demonic attacks are about the Power of Three” Phoebe told her sisters.

Phoebe shook her head. “Life experience. If you haven’t noticed, my Guardian husband is being odd about the Power of Three, avoiding talking about it. I just bet he knows there’s something wrong with the Power of Three” Phoebe snorted.

“Guardian stuff?” asked Paige, finally managing to sit up without the whole world spinning.

“He’s been seeing Proctor.” Phoebe explained working herself up to anger. “Something he told him that Coles not supposed to share I just bet.”

Piper snorted in disgust. “All this time and he still can’t tell the difference between Guardian stuff and family stuff.”

“I guess Unca Cole is getting more Guardian, you know growing” Melinda suggested awkwardly but her mother and aunts just rolled their eyes.

When the Charmed witches finally recovered enough to move more easily, Leslie tried to explain how overwrought Fern was from her supervisor’s Mary’s unnecessary death. “I” she glanced at Charlie. “We could not let our sister charge in against god knows what demons all alone.”

Phoebe and Piper exchanged glances “We understand. Been there, done that. Only rushing in when demons …well make it tempting. You didn’t know Prue,” Phoebe told Leslie. “But we lived with her ...and watched her die.”

“We know about using magic when you’re overwhelmed but it has consequences” Piper advised her sternly. “Fern needs to learn that getting witches to act irrationally sets them up as targets for Evil, sets them up to be used by Evil.”

“So Evil can throw dangerous potions at the Charmed Ones?” Charlie asked, turning away before the Charmed sisters could answer.

“Did Prue learn about consequences?” Leslie asked apprehensively. She turned away when both Phoebe and Piper shook their heads.

“Only after she died,” Piper answered sadly, and missed Melinda’s fearful expression.

“You need to just learn when the risk is worth the consequences” Paige explained. Leslie and Charlie nodded. “Sometimes you need to take the risk to learn that” she added as the girls headed into the conservatory and backyard. “I’ll be over in a minute” Paige called after them. “Still don’t think everything is exactly right” she told her sisters.

They both nodded as Charlie and Leslie went back to next door, not looking forward to dealing with an emotional Fern.

Piper and Phoebe finally remembered they were mothers. Phoebe went to steer children into night time activities and Piper was anxious to ‘discuss’ using magic with Melinda, even if it was to help her family. However, Phoebe quickly decided this was bad, suspecting her niece’s reaction to all the emotion and responsibility would be snarling unforgivably at her mother. Phoebe therefore sent Piper upstairs to have a shower, refusing to even listen to any arguments Piper might have about staying.

Paige then recalled that before the demon hunt, she had removed a favourite pendant. A present from Mark, it had their names entwined, and the symbol of Power of Three engraved on it. She had put it in a crystal dish in the hall before the demon fight because its magic properties could cause issues. Paige went into the hall to retrieve it and Piper on Phoebe’s orders, followed her, intending to go upstairs and shower.

Paige reached for the pendant, then discovered the dish was empty. As Paige cried out, Piper, standing on the stairs pointed it out, saying she could see it behind the crystal dish. Unconsciously standing under the hall chandelier Paige, relieved, reached for the necklace when the pendant split with an almighty crack. Piper ran back down the stairs as Paige under the strain of the night burst into tears. Phoebe followed by Melinda, Patsy and Mandy ran into the hall. Wyatt had apparently had enough magic dramas for the night. Two of the dogs had followed Piper half way up the stairs, and they bolted in fright up to the bedrooms.

“Oh God the necklace” sobbed Paige “It couldn’t mean… Mark … he gave it to me… our magic…oh god” she sobbed.

“I’m sure it’s not” Phoebe claimed more confidently than she felt and tried to wave Melinda, Mandy, and Patsy back to the living room, which all three ignored. She walked over to both her sisters to put her arms around them. Suddenly the chandelier above them started to rattle and shake, then the blue light appeared but instead of bathing the three witches in the light, as was usual for Power of Three, it flickered on and off several times before covering them with weak blue light until the chandelier stopped shaking, and then it flickered a few more times and the light faded.

The three witches moved apart whilst Melinda ran to her mother and Patsy a little awkwardly put his arm around Phoebe, and Mandy started to cry.

“Power of Three” Phoebe answered carefully. “That wasn’t Good” she told her sisters. “Not Good at all”.

Piper clicked her fingers and a small figurine that was a not particularly treasured wedding gift of Phoebe and Cole’s disappeared, shattering with a very noisy and satisfying crack. Piper smiled with relief. Both Phoebe and Piper looked at Paige.

Paige tearily called out “ Necklace” and what was left of it came to her quite easily and she smiled weakly. “Okay” she announced.

“I kind of feel connected again” Piper told her sisters then turned to reassure Patsy and Melinda all was well.

Except Melinda put her hands on her hips and snapped. “No, it’s not. Something’s really wrong. I just know it. I do” then she spun around and ran upstairs.

“I hope Melinda doesn’t have premonition powers” Piper commented concerned, indecisive very unlike her.

“Only teenage hormones. Give her some time to cry. She had a lot of things happen tonight.” Phoebe explained decisively, realising that Piper was not ready to take charge. “Kids one hour television. Shower Piper. Supper Paige.”