When Fate Takes A Turn "No! Don't leave!" a lovely blond man with brown eyes slammed his hands on the closed doors of the metro train. It left. "Dang!" he cursed. He began to pace, muttering, "I'm going to be late, I knew I was going to be late," when a figure appeared out of no where. "Hello, Carl," it spoke. "Morganna? Why are you- how did you-" "Find you? You forget, I can see into the depths of even the darkest mind. Do we still have a deal?" Morganna looked at Carl. "Yes... Yes, we do. But must it be her?" "Yes. I need the blood of a pure, good soul. You remember to bring me her heart," "But I love her. Why can't you just take another true soul?" "Because she is one of the Chosen Ones. Many de- people such as myself have had trouble defe- protecting ourselves against them," "Then why not take a different Chosen One. Leave my girlfriend alone!" "Either way, you'd lose her. If she saw what you did to one of her sisters she would either kill you, thinking you're like me, or leave you and start another relationship. And besides, I gave you your daughter back..." Morganna waved her hand and an image appeared in it, blurry, as if shown through a pool of water. It was of a girl, eight years old, playing with her dolls. "Emily..." "...And I can take her away again," the girl in the picture looked up and screamed when she saw a person with a black ski mask on. The man with the hidden face brought out a gun. Carl closed his eyes and heard a loud boom. When he opened his eyes again, the vision had disappeared. "Remember, Carl. Your daughter, or your girlfriend," Morganna laughed and disappeared too, to Carl's relief. A girl rushed into the subway tunnel, "Oh, I'm so glad you're late, too. It was hectic at my house and I lost my shoe! It turns out Piper accidentally threw it in the laundry basket and didn't bother to tell me because she was so busy- But you don't want to hear that now. I know you wanted to meet at the restaurant, but I'm glad I saw you here. It makes my ride on the subway a whole lot more enjoyable," she took Carl's arm. Carl smiled, wanly, "I think I know why your mother named you Phoebe. It means bright and cheerful," "I know!" Phoebe said in her baby voice. "You have a good heart, Phoebe," Carl said, sadly. Phoebe looked up into his eyes, smiled and replied, seriously, "Thank you," she hugged him. "Don't thank me yet," Carl whispered. "OH! Where is that darn NUMBER!? If I don't call them soon and tell them they can play tonight, Garry might book the band for something else! Or worse, he could break the contract! He does have the right to do that, you know, Prue. It says so right-" "PIPER! Calm down. I don't think he'd cancel the deal just because you didn't call. Now, did you check your purse?" "My purse? My purse! Of course it would be there, oh thank you Prue, you're a genius!" Piper rushed out of the room into the hallway to check her purse. "Nope, I just kept a clear and level head," Prue said to herself. Piper was now on the phone, "Garry? Hi, this is Piper Halliwell? I- oh good- yeah... I'm glad you... Oh this is such a relief! You see I thought you'd book the band for another club... Oh, you're so flattering, Garry. Love you, too! Ciao!" "What are you a movie star now? The only line you left out was 'have your people call my people!' Piper, why are you so happy about this one band? I mean, it's only another band," "It's not just another band! It's Greenday! And I have 20 people on the guest list all ready, too, all of them Greenday fans! I heard from Phoebe all her college friends want to go," "Phoebe has friends?" Prue looked shocked. Piper looked annoyed, "Prue, can you try and not insult her?" "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! Hey, I'm gonna go to Golden Gate Park to get a picture or two of some birds I saw making a nest in a tree. I think they are going to have chicks!" "Ooh, how exciting! Another day in the life of Prue Halliwell, photographer extrodinaire!" "And you told me not to make fun of Phoebe?" "I'm sorry, you go shoot some birds," Prue looked at her, "That wasn't meant to be a joke," Piper said, putting up her hands as if she were held at gunpoint. Prue left and Phoebe came through the door. "Phoebe, did someone sleep over last night?" Piper asked. Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, but not the way you think. First we went to dinner, then we saw the movie, and then we went to the park and stayed there talking all night! It was great! The only problem was that Carl was in a gloomy mood all night. I couldn't figure out what was bothering him," "Maybe it's fear of commitment..." Piper gasped, "Maybe he wants to ask you to marry him!" "Then why doesn't he get on with it? We've only been going out for two months, but I really think he's the one!" "Maybe he's afraid you'll say no. Of course if he does ask there's a little secret of your own that might come between you," "You have a point there, Piper," Phoebe thought for a moment, "Oh well, it doesn't really matter. He's the kind of man who loves you for who you are. He said he said I was a good person last night," Piper began to pack up her things, "So, you have to come to the club, tonight, Phoebe, Greenday is playing! Prue's going to be there and you can bring Carl if you want," "No thanks. Sorry, but he's taking me to a nice, secluded place away from the crowds," "Secluded, Phoebe? What if a demon comes?" "Oh Piper, don't worry. Carl will protect me. Do you think he'll propose tonight?" Phoebe sounded excited. Piper made her way over to the door. "Oh I don't know, Phoebe, but I have to go. I told Garry I'd meet him at the club," "All right. Where did Prue go?" "She went to her new career. Speaking of, I should really leave too. Bye!" "Bye!" Piper shut the door and Phoebe sank down in a chair when the phone rang. "Phoebe, this is urgent. She knows what I'm doing and she knows what I want to tell you so we can't talk," "Carl, are you OK?" "I am, but you won't be. If I tell you not to come tonight, she'll kill Emily, but if I don't tell you not to come tonight, she'll... OH I can't tell you. She's here, you know, she can her what I'm thinking," "Maybe you should see a doctor..." "No, he won't help. This phone call has been a disaster. I'm sorry. I'll hang up now," there was a dead tone on the end of the line. Phoebe looked at the phone and assumed the call to have been a prank. "Carl, I'm so glad to see you," Phoebe said when they met in a private park. "I wish I could say the same for you, Phoebe," Carl said, somberly. "What? What do you mean, Carl?" Phoebe backed away, becoming scared now. Carl drew out a strange knife with a heart on the handle. It looked ritualistic, "Phoebe, you must understand that I really don't want to do this but if I don't, she'll kill my daughter. Phoebe, I'd tell you to run, but she'd know," tears began to stream down his face, "Phoebe, I love you. Please forgive me..." he plunged the knife swiftly into a tree because Phoebe rolled out of the way, "Carl, I can help you. If you tell me who 'she' is, my sisters and I will... take her from your life forever," "No, she won't let me. She has the power to read minds. She has the power to take my daughter away again like she took my wife," "Your... You mean Andrea?" "Yes. She killed her and my daughter. I made a deal with her that if she gave me my family back; I would bring her two good hearts. You're the second. If I fail, she kills Emily. If I succeed, she'll leave me alone. She won't bring back Andrea," the words 'you're the second' rang in Phoebe's ears. She was reminded of a news article she had read in the San Francisco Times a few days ago. A man had been murdered with his heart ripped out of his chest. The police assumed it was random because the man had no one who hated him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Every man and woman interviewed had said that since the day they had met him, they had liked him completely. The only thing was that strange things seemed to happen when he was around. Phoebe now assumed he was a witch. "You... You killed that man I read about in the papers?" "...Yes," Carl looked ashamed of himself, "Kill me, Phoebe, just kill me now. That way, I can be put out of my misery," "Um, later," Phoebe didn't know what to say. Carl looked down at his feet. While he was distracted, Phoebe ran. "WAIT!" called Carl, but Phoebe kept running until she reached Carl's house. She locked the door, knowing what little good it would do, and ran upstairs to Emily's room. "Mommy?" she said. "No, honey, it's me, Phoebe. Come, you have to come with me, sweetie," "But... What about Daddy?" "Yes, Phoebe, what about me?" Phoebe turned and saw Carl in the doorway. She grabbed Emily and held her in front of her, "Carl, we can help you. Look, I'll take Emily to my place and you come, too. Together, we can destroy this woman and you don't even have to kill me," Carl looked resistant at first, then nodded. A woman with long dark hair and emerald eyes appeared instantly. "You're not going anywhere, Carl Patterson!" "Morganna!" "Yes. You know very well I can't go into the house of a witch uninvited. Why do you think I killed your wife before your daughter?" "Emily's a witch and you can come in here," "Yes, but you see she invited me in thinking I was a friend of yours. And besides, her power hasn't been developed yet! It's much too powerful someone her age. But a true witch's house is difficult to penetrate, even for the devil himself! Carl, if you leave, I will make certain that someday, your daughter will die. You can't keep an eight-year-old cooped up in an old house forever," and she disappeared with a laugh. "I take it that was her?" Phoebe looked at Carl. "Piper, Piper, Piper! There you are! I need your help, where's Prue?" Piper was frantically flipping through papers "Phoebe, not now. I'm busy! Garry wants me-" "Oh, be quiet! 'Garry wants this,' or 'Garry wants that,' what, does Garry run your life now? Piper, it's just a stupid band! And besides, they're playing now! So you don't have to sign any contracts or do any papers. If you ask me, you're promoting his band by letting them do a concert here and he's using you like a God damned slave! He should do some of his own work!" Piper looked at her with a mixture of shock, anger, and admiration, "Phoebe, what I was going to say is Garry wants me to take a picture with him and talk in his limo," "Oh... Sorry for the Kevin Costner speech," "But you know something? You're right! He has been taking advantage of me. I'll tell him that when we talk in his new stretch limo!" Piper's voice changed from angry and determined to excited on the word 'talk.' "I hate to ruin your fun, but we have demon troubles," "Awe, now?" Piper looked disappointed. "Yup. I'm afraid you can't have that limo ride. Now, where's Prue?" "Wow. So, your wife was a witch?" Prue asked when they arrived back at the manor. Carl nodded, "Yes. That is why Morganna won't give her back to me," "Let's look up this Morganna in the Book of Shadows," The sisters went upstairs and the book did that thing with the pages again. "The Devil?" Piper read aloud, quite surprised "HUH?" Phoebe said. Piper read on, "Each year, the devil sends his most trusted to the mortal realm to bring three good souls to the Underworld. The assassin is allowed to kill only two mortals though, to prove their resourcefulness and strategy. There is one way and one way alone to defeat this servant of darkness. Faith and Hope," "That's it? No spells, no hocus pocus, just 'faith and hope?' What does it mean by that?" Phoebe asked. "Exactly what it says. We have to plan to kill this demon and we have to plan good. That alone takes hope," Prue said. "Wait, the book says three good souls, but Carl was only instructed to kill two," there was a long silence when they all realized who the third good soul was. "I'm sorry, Carl," "Don't worry. You can save her, right? Save her from the devil's evil wrath?" "I don't know, Carl..." "She can't go there, she just can't!" Carl began to cry for the second time that night. "We have to help him. Carl, keep your daughter here and- oh, I'll get that!" the doorbell had rung and Piper sprinted downstairs to see who it was. An elderly woman was at the door. "Hello, child. My name is Morgan Fritz. I am 72 years old. I am looking for my cat. Could I please come in?" "Yes, of course, it's cold out there," Meanwhile, in the attic, Phoebe, Prue, and Carl were discussing a strategy. "Is that what we'll do then? Are you sure it will work?" Phoebe asked, unsure. "I'm positive," Prue nodded, confidently. Suddenly, they heard a scream from down stairs. "Piper!" Prue and Phoebe whispered together. They ran at full speed downstairs. They saw Piper, lying in a puddle of blood on the floor and Morganna, licking her lips. "OH MY GOSH, PIPER! Is she dead?" "No," sighed Morganna, regretfully, "Just seriously injured. I'm not allowed to kill any more. Now, Carl, give me a heart from one of these witches or your daughter dies!" "I thought you said you couldn't kill anyone else," Phoebe pointed out. "That's where you're wrong, child! I have all ready killed Emily. She's only alive because I brought her back. I can take her away again," "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Emily appeared in the stairway. "Hello, Emily, dear," Morganna smiled. "Emmy, honey, go upstairs," Carl commanded. "No, I won't let her hurt you!" Emily went into a trance and began muttering words in Latin. "She doesn't know Latin," Carl said, puzzled. "Daddy, I want you to know that I have the power to kill, but it will kill me too," Emily said, sounding far too old for her age. "No, honey, don't," "I have to," "You sound so much like your mother," Emily smiled, "That's because I am," came a deep feminine voice of a woman in her late twenties. Carl stood, aghast. "The words Emily spoke brought me to her. I can help her with her power," There were two voices screaming at once. They sounded like war cries. One came from Emily, the other must have been her mother. "NO!" Morganna screamed, clutching her head in agony, "It's too much! I can't bare it!" Morganna burst into flames and did a final disappearing act to the Underworld. Emily collapsed, as did Carl. Their spirits rose out, glowing as bright as the moon. A lovely woman came through a portal in the living room wall. "It's time for you two to come home," she said, in a voice like an angel, "But... She sent you to... to..." Carl couldn't finish. "She did, but now that she's gone, all evil she has done is undone. I am still dead and the physical wounds stay, but we go upstairs instead of down," "But, the book said it took Hope and Faith to beat the demon," Prue seemed puzzled. "It did. My full name is Andrea Hope Patterson and Emily's is Emily Faith Patterson. The book was exactly right," Phoebe had tears streaming down her face, "But... Carl, why did you die?" "I connected my power with Emily's and Andrea's. There were millions of reasons for me to be with my daughter and only one for me to stay here. You were that one reason, Phoebe. Emily, sweet heart, let's go," Carl smiled and held out his hand. Emily took it and Carl put his arm around Andrea. They walked into the portal of light and it disappeared. It was weeks before Piper was out of the hospital. And even when she did get out, she had to use a wheel chair because something happened to her back. She had a broken wrist as well and kept cursing about Morganna and how it was so stupid of her to have let her in. Though Piper was physically scarred, her sister was emotionally scarred, and her scars were much deeper then Piper's. Phoebe was in tears and still grieved over Carl's death. He was perfect and he even understood witches. Phoebe thought a catch like that came once in a lifetime. Prue gave her photos of the birds in the tree to Phoebe. The first picture showed them building a nest together and they seemed really happy. The next showed a picture of a baby bird. The next showed a picture of a cat, grabbing the mother. The next showed the baby bird falling out of the nest. After that it showed the father come back to the nest and finding nothing. But the sisters remembered that sometimes life can be like that when fate takes a turn.