DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Spelling Television and Constance M. Burge, with the exception of Sarah Peterson and Michael Hamilton, which are fictional characters of my own creation.

The following is copyrighted by Afterglow. Unauthorized reproduction of text is not allowed, contact me by clicking my name above for permission to use this text.

We open on a foggy night in New York City. A young woman, in her early to mid twenties, is meeting with a man dressed in a black trench coat. She looks desperate, has dirt on her face, and she is wearing tattered clothes. She is about 5'4", and very frail. The man she is meeting with is both dark and handsome. He stands about 6'3", and he has a very muscular build. He has dark brown hair and is sporting a goatee. The woman falls to her knees and begs to him, "Please Michael. I'll do anything. I don't have the money. I lost everything." Michael responds, "My associates don't care Sarah. You owe, and they want their money now. You know the consequences if you don't pay." Sarah continues to plead, "Mike, please. Come on, we're friends, right? Please help me, I know you can. Please, I'll do absolutely anything to get out of this mess." "Absolutely ANYTHING?" he asks. "ANYTHING," she repeats. "Well, I think I have something for you to do for me, in exchange for your debt being paid," he says as a grin creeps over his face. Sarah's face grows sad as he whispers something in her ear. Knowing she will regret it, but still desperate, she reluctantly agrees to do what he says.

Two Days Later...

Phoebe and Piper are in the kitchen, and Piper is cooking up a feast. Phoebe comments on her sister's behavior, "Geez Piper, we have to get you a job and fast. Before you know it, me and Prue are gonna be up to our ears in delicious food, not that I would mind." "Well, Pheebs I'm getting restless. Since Leo left I have just been so bored, and I haven't had any luck in finding a decent job. The only thing that keeps me busy is cooking." "Don't stop on my account," responds Phoebe taking a bite out of a freshly made croissant. Phoebe hears the phone ring and yells, "I'll get it." She runs to the phone and answers it, "Hello?" The voice at the other end asks, "Hi, is Phoebe Halliwell there?" Phoebe answers, "This is she, who's this?" "Phoebe, hi. It's Sarah Peterson, you know from New York." "Sarah? Oh wow, it's been awhile. So how are you?" asks Phoebe as she finishes her croissant. "Ummm, not so good. I'm in a bit of a bind, and I didn't have any other choice but to get you involved. You know that apartment we leased before you left. Well, I kinda fell on hard times and couldn't pay the rent for the last couple of months. Since your name was still on the lease, the landlord is threatening to sue us both," answers a nervous Sarah. "Sarah, I told the landlord that I had to leave. Didn't he transfer my name off the lease?" questions a frustrated Phoebe. "I know, Phoebe. I should have made sure he did, but I got fired, and the new roommate backed out, and I was left to fend for myself. It slipped my mind, I'm so sorry that I got you into this mess," apologizes Sarah. Phoebe calms herself down, "It's okay Sarah, don't get upset. What do you need?" "I need you to come back to New York. The landlord refuses to deal with me, besides he always like you better. Can you see if he'll drop the suit?" Phoebe responds, "I'll see what I can do." Phoebe writes down Sarah's phone number and heads to the kitchen to talk to Piper about the call.

Back in New York, Sarah hangs up the phone as Michael approaches her. "Good work," he grins. "Now all I have to do is kill those little witches and I'll be the most powerful warlock in the world. And the Master will be so pleased. Maybe he'll finally get me out of this wretched planet and allow me to return to my rightful place." Sarah just sits and stares at him, with a look of sadness on her face. He asks, "Oh what, are we regretting our decision now? Well it's too late. You know the deal, now you must do my bidding, or suffer the consequences." "I don't want to hurt Phoebe, or anyone else," she states flatly. "You know I don't understand you mortals. What's with all this compassion and, oh I hate this one, love? You know, I don't care. Just do as your told and no harm will come to you," he instructs.

A few hours after Phoebe talked to Sarah, Prue arrives home a finds her sisters discussing the conversation. "What's going on?" Prue asks. Phoebe then starts to explain, "I got a phone call today from a friend of mine. We used to lease an apartment together in New York before I moved back home. Sarah, my friend, said she was fired and her new roommate backed out, so she couldn't pay the rent for a few months. The landlord never took my name off the lease when I left, and he wants to sue us both. I have to go back to New York to straighten out this mess." Piper jumps in and asks, "But Phoebe, can't you just hire a lawyer here and let them do that?" "Piper I can't afford a lawyer. I'll be lucky if I can afford the plane ticket. After the last time I bought one, I hardly have any money at all," answers Phoebe. Prue then gets an idea, "Well, I have some vacation time coming to me at the auction house, why don't we all go? Don't worry Pheebs, I can take care of your ticket, sort of an apology for being the reason why you bought the last one." Phoebe is touched, "Prue, I know that it wasn't your fault you said those things. But I will take you up on that offer." Piper says with a laugh, "Well, at least I know won't be bored in New York, and I can stop cooking for a while. I was starting to ponder a new line of work." They all laugh, then Prue and Piper go up to pack while Phoebe calls Sarah to tell her of their plan.

"Excellent, they're all coming at once," smiles Michael as Sarah informs him of the Halliwells anticipated arrival, "Now my job shall be much easier." Sarah just looks away with shame. She thinks to herself, "Oh God, what have I done? Not only am I lying to the best friend that I have ever had, but I'm sending her and her sisters to their deaths. I wish I never agreed to this. I should've gotten help for my gambling when Phoebe had asked me to."

The next morning Sarah and Michael go to Kennedy Airport to pick up the sisters. As they get off the plane, Phoebe spots Sarah at the gate and waves to her, "Sarah! Hey!" She rushes over to Sarah and gives her a hug, "God, long time no see huh?" Sarah is very uncomfortable about the whole situation and is tempted to tell Phoebe everything. She stops herself when Michael steps in to welcome the Halliwells, "Hello, Phoebe. Welcome back." Phoebe gives him an astonished look and asks, "Michael. What are you doing here?" Sarah jumps in at that point, "He gave me a ride. Since this trouble with the lawsuit started I have been staying with him. He's been a great friend." Phoebe, still shocked to see Michael, just nods her head. Prue then joins the conversation, "Okay. Well we better get our stuff and check into the hotel." With that, they all head for the baggage claim.

Later, in their hotel room, Piper asks Phoebe about the guy at the airport. "His name is Michael Hamilton. He was this guy I used to date for a while. He managed a club that I used to frequent a lot. When the cops shut the club down for criminal activity, he started working in this gambling ring, as a loan shark. When I found out about this, I broke up with him. The last I heard was that he was under investigation by the police for connections to the mob. I guess that he was cleared of those suspicions." Prue asks, "Phoebe, why didn't you tell us about this guy?" Phoebe replies, "Because I wasn't speaking to you at the time, and I knew if I told Piper she would worry too much. I had the situation under control. It's not like he threatened me or anything. I was just really surprised to see him with Sarah. Sarah has a gambling problem, and I thought she got help for that, but now I'm not too sure. I think that Michael has a debt against her, because they can hardly stand each other anymore." "What do you mean by 'anymore'?" asks Piper. "After I broke up with Michael, Sarah started to date him. She was very heavy into gambling then, and they had been making many deals together. But when she tried to kick gambling, he always sucked her back in, and she resented him for it. They had a really ugly breakup, and though they were always connected by the betting, they started to hate each other personally. When I left, Sarah had sought counseling and cut herself off from Michael. He really started to hate her after that." "Then why would he be so generous to her by letting her stay with him?" wonders Prue, "I think that there is something more to this. Phoebe, let's contact that landlord and see about that lawsuit."

While Phoebe is calling the landlord, Sarah and Michael are in Michael's apartment across town. Sarah sits alone in a corner of the room, while Michael places an eerie phone call. "Yes Master, they are here... Yes, sir... They think they're here to settle a lawsuit against Phoebe... Yes, sir. Right away." He hangs up the phone and grabs Sarah by the wrist. She winces in pain, "Ouch. What are you doing?" "I can't have you warning the Halliwells of anything can I? I'm gonna kill them now, and I don't need you getting in the way. Don't move, I mean it. I'll be back soon," he says as he ties her to the radiator and leaves the apartment. She starts to cry knowing that all of this started with her, and she tries desperately to free herself, but to no avail.

Phoebe hangs up the phone with a look of shock on her face. Piper asks, "Pheebs, what's up? What did the landlord say?" "He took my name off the lease months ago. He also said that Sarah moved out two days after I left. She paid the rent for the last month and then he leased the apartment out to someone else." Prue walks over to Phoebe who looks puzzled, "Okay, Pheebs, something is going on here. Sarah brought you here for something else, but what?" Phoebe, still in shock, ponders what's going on, "No this wasn't Sarah's idea. I don't think she wants anything to do with this. She wasn't herself today. The Sarah I know is a very lively and friendly person. But today she was cold, and distant. Like she didn't want us there. Someone else has put her up to this..." Noticing that Phoebe has let her sentence trail off Piper questions, "Pheebs? What? What is it?" Phoebe begins, "It's Michael. He is holding something against her. She would never do something like this, unless someone else threatened her to do it. Come on, let's go to his apartment and ask her. I think I still remember where he lives." The sisters grab their things and go outside to hail a cab.

Michael pulls up to the hotel and parks his car in front. He greets the doorman and asks the clerk for the Halliwells' room number. The clerk responds, "Room #1017. It's on the tenth floor." Michael thanks the clerk and heads to the elevator. During the ride up, Michael dreams of how glorious it would be for him to be the one to have killed the Charmed Ones. The praise and admiration he would get. His dream stops abruptly as the elevator reaches the tenth floor. He steps off and searches for room #1017. When he finds it he quietly picks the lock and enters the room. A sense of tremendous rage overcomes him when he realizes that the Halliwells are not there. He stops himself from trashing the room, he does not want to arouse suspicion in anyone.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Sarah is startled to hear a knock at the door. Phoebe yells, "Sarah? Sarah, are you in there? Sarah open the door." Sarah yells back, "Phoebe? Phoebe I can't, Michael has me tied to the radiator. I can't get free." Piper and Phoebe look at Prue, and in a second, Prue uses her power to bust open the door. Phoebe runs over to Sarah and unties her immediately. She asks, "Sarah, what's going on? Why were tied up? And why did you lie to me?" Sarah breaks down and starts to explain, "I'm sorry Phoebe. I didn't want to, he made me do it. Michael said that if I didn't he'd kill me. He knows that you and your sisters are witches. He wants to kill you all." Phoebe looks at her sisters and then at Sarah, "How does he know about us? And how did you get involved?" Sarah begins to explain further, "About a month after you left, I got back into gambling again. Without you here to help me, the temptation just became too much. I started with small bets, but before I knew it I was dealing with Michael, and his business partners. I lost everything, and I owed a lot of money. I was desperate for money, and begged Michael for help. He told me that there was one thing that I could give him, in exchange for him paying my debt. So I did it." Prue asks, "What did you do?" Again Sarah breaks down hysterically, "I practically sold him my soul! I promised to do anything he wanted. I was just so desperate for help, I would've taken it from anyone. He owns me now, and he forced me set you up! He said he is something called a warlock, and he needed to get you back here to kill you. I swear Phoebe, I never wanted to hurt you or your sisters. You were my best friend, and you were the one that convinced me to get help the first time. I'm so sorry I got you all into this. I never wanted any of this to happen." Phoebe gives Sarah a hug and tells her that she isn't to blame for any of this, that it's Michael's fault. All of a sudden their attention is turned to the doorway, where Michael is standing.

"Well isn't this a touching moment? Sarah, I'm disappointed in you. You knew the consequence for warning them, now you must pay," says Michael, who raises his hands and is about to kill Sarah. Phoebe jumps in front of her, and Prue uses her power to send Michael barreling into the hall. The four of them then jump on to the fire escape and run to the street. Michael gets up and staggers to the window. He grabs his head in pain and says, "I'll get them. Soon, very soon."

The girls run a few blocks away before boarding a bus, which takes them back to their hotel. They get on the elevator and go up to their room, intent on packing up and leaving town as soon as possible, bringing Sarah with them. When Phoebe steps off the elevator she has a premonition. In it she sees them all packing up their stuff when Michael bursts through the door. He lunges a fireball in her direction when Sarah jumps in front, and is killed instantly. She awakens from her trance and is noticeably shaken by her vision. When Prue asks her what she saw she explains, "I saw Michael, and he's on his way here. Come on, we've gotta move." She purposefully leaves Sarah's death out.

The sisters prepare for the warlock's arrival by planning their attack. Phoebe warns Sarah to lock herself in the bathroom, and not to leave until she says that it is safe. Sarah instantly protests, "No Phoebe. It's my fault that you're in this mess. I want to help you." Phoebe then orders her into the bathroom, "Sarah, don't argue with me. I don't want you to get hurt. This is our responsibility, not yours. You had nothing to do with this. I don't care what you think you did, it still wasn't your fault. Now just stay in there, we can talk some more about this after we get rid of this guy." After Phoebe is sure that the bathroom door is secure, she, Prue, and Piper band together and watch as Michael breaks down the door.

"I'm gonna kill you little witches! And then the Master will return me to my rightful place to rule by his side," yells Michael as he approaches them. He raises his hand and is about to lunge a fireball in Piper's direction when Prue uses her power to lift the dresser and throw it at him. Phoebe then delivers a swift drop kick to his chest with a force powerful enough to crack and break several ribs. As the attack rages on, Sarah listens at the door intently. She hears as Michael backs the sisters into a corner. "Ha, ha, ha. I've got you now," he laughs. He's about to throw a fireball at Phoebe when Sarah bursts out of the bathroom and jumps to the front. Phoebe screams, "Sarah!" as the fireball hurdles through the air towards her friend. Just before the fireball hits Sarah, Piper thrusts up her hands and freezes it in time. "Quick! Prue, move Sarah out of the way!" she yells before time unfreezes. Prue uses her powers and does just that. Michael is enraged when he realizes what had just happened and lunges at them all. They all get out of the way in the nick of time and watch as Michael goes crashing through the sliding glass doors and out to the balcony. He gets up, dazed and bleeding, and walks over to the railing. Still a little out of it, he turns and sees the four women staring at him. His rage returns and again he lunges towards the now blurry figures. Prue instantly flicks her wrist and sends him flying over the balcony, and to the sidewalk below. He lands with a loud thud, and before anyone can notice what has happened, his body is quickly absorbed into the concrete.

The Next Night...

The four women are on a plane and headed back to San Francisco. Prue and Piper, both exhausted by the night before, are sleeping quietly next to one another. Phoebe and Sarah are seated next to each other and they are talking about Sarah's plans for the future. "So what are you going to do now?" asks Phoebe. "Well, first I'm going to go back into counseling. I'm more determined than ever to kick this problem. I want to thank you and your sisters for helping me out with this. But I promise, as soon as I can find a job I'll go out on my own. I don't want to impose on you too long." Phoebe smiles warmly at her and says, "You can stay with us as long as you need to. You're a great friend Sarah. I want to help you in any way I can. You're gonna be able to build a whole new life now. Get past all the mistakes and wrong choices." Sarah gives a small laugh at Phoebe's comments. Phoebe continues, "Hey if I could do it, so can you. There's just one thing I need you to do for me." Sarah looks up and asks, "What?" "You can never tell anyone our secret. No one can know that we are witches. Can you do that?" Sarah grins and agrees right away, "I'll never tell a soul."

Michael watches the scene from the depths of Hell. "Damn them!" he rages. His attention is turned when someone walks up behind him. The figure places a large and muscular hand on his shoulder. In a deep and husky bellow the figure says, "Michael, you told me that you would not fail. You have dishonored me for the last time. Now you must suffer the consequences." The figure then grabs Michael by the neck and drags him away. You can hear Michael scream as he is hauled off for punishment, "NO MASTER! NO, PLEASE MASTER! DON'T, PLEASE! MASTER, NO!!!!!!!" And we fade out as we see Michael's silhouette being thrown into a pit of fire.