The X-Philes - Charmed: Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble 2

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San Francisco Police Department, 18th May 2003, 1.00pm

Inspector Darryl Morris is sitting at his desk with his head in his hands thinking that if Cortez ever found out what he'd just done he could kiss his badge goodbye. He'd just warned the Halliwell sisters that the FBI were becoming involved in the Witch Finder case because he'd taken on the role of their Earthly protecter after the death of his partner who'd been the boyfriend of their eldest sister Prue. He thought back to the moment when Cortez had informed him of the FBI's involvement.

Cortez had come over to his desk.

'I just want to let you know that the FBI are sending two agents from Washington to help with the Witch Finder case.' he'd said.

'Why?' Darryl had asked.

'They've got the resources to deal with serial killers and weird cults and a lot of weird things surround the Halliwell sisters. I know you think you owe Andy something by keeping an eye on them, but is it worth protecting them if it's going to cost you your job and, to tell you the truth, I never trusted Prue. She always seemed to be hiding something and I'm damn sure her sisters are involved in a lot of the unsolved cases in this department.' Cortez had replied. Darryl had protested his innocence; the Halliwell's were good friends and he didn't want to see them come to any harm.

'Andy's dead and so is Prue. Her murder is still unsolved and whatever killed her is still out there. If she was involved in some cult might they not come back for the others? Why don't you tell me what they are into.' Cortez had asked. Darryl had told him he had no clue what the sisters were into but he trusted them completely. Cortez had grunted and stalked off shaking his head.

Now Darryl was watching him talking to the two FBI agents in his office - a man and a woman. He had a nasty feeling about this.

Lieutenant Cortez's Office

Cortez is going through the Witch Finder case with Doggett and Scully.

'... so this woman hears screams outside the P3 nightclub and calls 911 thinking it could be another Witch Killing. We get there and find a group from the club already there trying to help.' he explains.

'And these are their statements, Piper Halliwell, Pheobe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt and Cole Turner?' asks Doggett. Cortez nods.

'Piper Halliwell owns P3. Pheobe is her sister, Paige her half sister, Leo is Piper's husband and Cole is Pheobe's boyfriend.' he replies.

'A family affair.' remarks Scully. Cortez lets out a deep sigh.

'You don't know the half of it! There is something I don't trust about the Halliwell women and their men. Anything weird happens in this city and you can just bet that one of them is not far away.' Scully's head goes up.

'Weird how?' she asks.

'No, you'll think I'm crazy.' he replies.

'Go on.' says Doggett. 'The X Files deals with crazy.' Cortez sighs.

'I was dealing with some unexplained deaths including their eldest sister Prue. Morris's former partner was Prue's boyfriend; he's a little too close to them for my liking. Anyway, I knew evil was behind it. Not just evil men but real evil. Inspector Morris and myself went to their home to question them and... well this is where it gets a little hazy. I think I saw Piper and Pheobe talking to two ghosts. I get hit from behind then I find myself in the desert. A little later Cole Turner shows up and I find myself in Hell and then... I don't know but there is something not right with those women.' While the Lieutenant has been speaking Doggett notices Morris keeps looking into the window studying them. He looks back at Cortez as he finishes.

'So are you saying the Halliwell sisters maybe involved in these killings and may have been involved in their sisters murder? How so?' Doggett asks.

'Well it's been rumoured that Prue Halliwell was a practicing Wicca.' Cortez replies.

'That's not a crime.' says Scully 'Wicca's a recognised religion.'

'I know, but where there's good there's bad, too.' he replies. 'Anyway, you're here to help us catch a serial killer not to hear my paranoia. Come with me and I'll introduce you to Inspector Morris.'

'Does he remind you of anyone?' whispers Doggett as they leave the office.

In the main office Darryl Morris is trying to look busy.

'Inspector Morris, I'd like you to meet Agent Doggett and Agent Scully.' says Cortez. Morris shakes hands with the two agents. 'I'd like you to bring them up to speed on the latest developements on the Witch Finder case.' Doggett and Scully sit down with Morris.

'Look, I'm not really the best person to ask about this.' says Morris.

'But you're leading this investigation.' replies Doggett.

'Is it because you're involvement with the the lieutenant's main suspects?' asks Scully with a smile. Morris lets out a sigh.

'So he's told you about his paranoia then?' he says. 'Look, just because Piper and her sisters were first on the scene doesn't make them the killers. Cortez has had it in for them ever since he investigated Prue's death. He's convinced that they had something to do with it - virtually accused them of black magic at Prue's wake.'

'So how did you get to know them?' Doggett asks.

'Prue was my late partner's girlfriend. I kinda took it upon myself to keep an eye on her and her sisters. I know Andy would have done the same for me. I mean, you two know what it's like, your partner is like a member of your family.' Morris says. Doggett and Scully look guiltily at each other realising they know nothing about each other. Each one is too wrapped up in their own problems to bother about the other.

'Yeah... well, I guess you're right.' Doggett says quickly. 'So, now we've indulged everyone's paranoia how about we get down to the real reason we're here?' Morris is sure he can see something flash between them - not for the first time he wished he had Pheobe's gift of premonition.

'Well, he's targeting practising Wicca's. He kills between 8 and 9 o'clock at night and takes a large chunk out of the back of their necks - that's the bit we can't understand.' says Morris.

'When we were given this file we were told that his last victim was still alive but in a coma. Have the doctors been able to determine the cause?' Scully asks.

'Not as far as I know.' replies Morris 'They're baffled. As far as they can see she suffered no trauma they way the others did.'

'Is that because he was disturbed?' asks Doggett. Morris nods. 'Have you got men posted at the hospital just in case he tries to finish the job?'

'Sure have.' Morris replies. 'Cortez says you have a profile of this guy?' Doggett hands it over.

'We reckon it's some religious zealot who thinks that Wiccan practices are evil and that the witches should be eliminated. Sounds a lot like your boss.' he replies.

San Francisco Hospital, 19th May 2003, 10.00am

Pheobe is in Holly's room changing the water in her vase of flowers. She looks at the Wiccan symbols placed there by Holly's friends. With all the magic in this room surely she should be able to see something but no, nothing. She'd touched Holly and her possessions - not a flicker of a vision. The sound of the door opening makes Pheobe turn around. She sees a red-haired woman coming through the door. Not one of Holly's friends, that's for sure, she thinks noting the severe suit.

'Are you here to see Holly?' she asks.

'I'm Special Agent Dana Scully from the FBI.' Scully pulls out her ID and drops the packet of tissues on the floor. Both she and Pheobe bend down to pick it up.

'I'm Pheobe Halliwell.' As she touches the tissues Pheobe gets that familiar dizzy sensation when a vision is on its way.

Pheobe sees the alley outside P3. She sees a dark-haired woman and a handsome blond man talking. The man is smiling, the woman is backing away. Suddenly the man turns into the demon Azrael and sinks his teeth into her neck. Agent Scully comes running into the alley with a man who Pheobe assumes is her partner. The man calls out a name, Monica. Azrael drops the body to the floor. He starts to grow and pulsate. His skin glows sickly green; he has obviously regained his powers.

Pheobe groans and sinks to the floor.

'Miss Halliwell, are you ok?' asks Scully. Pheobe gives a faint smile.

'Yes, I just bent down too quickly that's all.' she replies. Scully helps her to her feet and realises that this is one of the witnesses to Holly's attack.

'Pheobe Halliwell? You were one of the witnesses, weren't you? What are you doing here?' she asks.

'I work here. I'm just doing some holiday cover and I just wanted to see how she was doing. There's no harm in that, is there?' she states. Scully shakes her head.

'No, of course not. Could you tell me what happened? We're helping the police catch her attacker.' Scully replies. Pheobe thinks carefully, trying to remember what she'd said in her statement.

'Well, we were in P3 - my sister's the owner. We heard screaming so we went out and found her on the floor.'

'You heard her scream over the crowd in the club?' remarks Scully.

'It wasn't busy, then, it was still quite early.' blusters Pheobe. 'The walls are pretty thin.'

'Lieutenant Cortez says you were there trying to help.' Scully says.

'Umm my brother-in-law, Leo, is a medic... ah paramedic. I know basic first aid. That's one of the advantages of working in a hospital, you pick these things up.' she smiles innocently. Scully is not convinced.

'The hospital report says there were no scars on her body, just a couple of scratches on her neck, yet this woman is in a coma and you swear your brother-in-law attended to her.' Scully retorts.

'She was like that when we found her. You know, Leo said that was odd - her being unconscious like that - but he kept on trying to revive her. He's an angel, our Leo.' Pheobe says. She knows she's digging herself in deeper - she'd always been a terrible liar. 'So why the interest in the coma?'

'I'm a medical doctor. Holly's condition is intriguing and I'd like to get to the bottom of it. Maybe her attacker has some kind of medical knowledge, maybe he used drugs to induce the coma.' admits Scully.

'Wouldn't the tests have shown something?' asks Pheobe. Scully gives her a questioning stare.

'A lot of natural remedies are undetectable.' she remarks.

As are a lot of spells and potions thinks Pheobe. 'Well I guess you're right. Now, if you'll excuse me, Nurse Robinson will be on my back if don't get moving with my chores. I guess I'll be seeing you around the hospital.' Pheobe says, smiling.

'You can count on it.' replies Scully noticing the pentagram necklace.

'I was afraid you were going to say that.' mutters Pheobe as she leaves the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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