DISCLAIMER: I don't own Charmed or the characters therein. However, characters that I created for this story (like Heather) and the story itself are mine. If you wish to post them somewhere please contact me at and ask permission first. Thank you.
Heather Cloyce Macbeth shut the door of the tiny apartment above her friends garage and sighed. Exhausted from a long day at school and her volunteer work at the animal shelter she just wanted to get to sleep. Unfortunately she had been reminded as soon as she got in that she had one more thing she needed to do.
"Meow." There was that reminder again. Morgan, Heather's siamese cat needed to be walked.
Why do I get the strange ones? Heather thought. Why couldn't I get a cat that just needed to be brushed and fed? Why did I have to get the one cat in all of San Francisco that actually likes to be walked? Ironically enough, Angel, Heather's best friend, claimed that Morgan was perfectly suited to Heather. Heather reflected on that as she snapped on Morgan's harness and walked outside.
The were both orphans. Morgan had been a stray, and Heather's aunt and uncle had been dead for three years, dying just after she had moved to California from Scotland (her parents had died when she was a child). They both had quirky personalities and seemed often to be in a world that they made themselves. Neither was very social; Morgan didn't like other cats and Heather only had one best friend. Angel teased her that Heather had more of a connection to her cat then to other humans, a 'cat in human form'. Heather was lost in her thoughts and didn't see the man watching her from across the street.
* * * He crossed the street and began walking toward her from behind. He was certain that this was the girl. He'd been searching for her for since that drowning accident that killed her aunt and uncle. Accident?
Hell, he knew the warlock that killed them. He was now being severely punished because he had missed the fact that Heather hadn't been with William and Ann. Apparently they said Heather was lost in thought because he noticed that she didn't even hear him until he was right behind her. She whirled to face him just as he grabbed her arm and pulled out the knife.
* * * Heather screamed when she saw the streetlight gleam off the knife. She wrenched her arm back but the man didn't let go. Morgan was hissing and clawing at the man's legs, but he just shook her off. Terrified, Heather threw her arm up to fend off the slash of the knife. To her utter astonishment the man flew backwards, landing hard on the ground.
Heather froze. Had she hit him that hard? Wait a minute. I didn't even touch him! What the hell is going on?
The man was getting up now. Rage crossed his face and it... changed?
Oh God, Heather thought. What is happening? What did I do? And what the hell is he? He rushed at her. To terrified to move, Heather closed her eyes and prayed. Someone help me. I need help.
The knife didn't come.
Heather opened her eyes. Wait a minute... Where is he? For that matter, where am I? What's happened? Heather's thoughts whirled as she found herself standing on the street in front of an old Victorian house. There was no trace of the man - or whatever he was. The shock was beginning to wear off and tears of fright and confusion began to rain down her cheeks. Terrified she ran to the house.
* * * Piper Halliwell sat on the living room couch looking through the evening's TV guide. Nothing looked good - well, nothing that she and her sisters would agree on. After some discussion they finally settled on the evening movie that seemed to be okay. Prue went into the kitchen to pop the popcorn and Phoebe followed her while Piper remained in the living room.
Phoebe walked into the kitchen doorway and something happened that had not happened before. Before her visions had always happened as a result of her touching something. Sometimes random, sometimes on command, but always as a result of touch. This time it simply seemed to come out of the air.
A girl holding the harness of her pet cat. A man sneaking out of the darkness grabbing her arm and pulling a knife. The girl threw up her arm and - with no physical contact - the man flew back from her. The man, Phoebe realized he was a demon or warlock as his face shifted, started to get up. The point of view suddenly shifted to a close up of the young woman's terrified face. Frightened and shocked, the girl blinked her eyes in surprise - and vanished.
Phoebe jerked back to reality, startled by what she had seen. Was the girl a witch? If she was, Phoebe suspected she didn't know it. She'd looked so surprised when the demon flew back. She turned to look at Prue who was holding the popcorn bag, watching her in surprise.
"Did you have a vision?"
Phoebe nodded.
"But you didn't touch anything."
"I know. But never mind that, listen to what I saw." Phoebe quickly described her vision.
Prue raised an eyebrow. "A witch?" she asked.
Phoebe shrugged. "If she was, she probably doesn't know it. We didn't."
Prue nodded. "True." She was going to say something else when a pounding on the door interrupted her.
"I'll get it" Piper's voice called from the hallway.
"Okay" Phoebe called back.
They heard the door open and Piper say "Guys, you'd better come here."
Prue and Phoebe walked into the foyer. Piper stood there trying to comfort a crying girl with brown hair who stood holding a Siamese cat. The girl from Phoebe's vision.
"That's her" she whispered to Prue.
"What happened?" she asked Piper.
"I was attacked. He pulled a knife and then he.. I.. and I.." the girl stuttered, gesturing with her hands. Without warning a vase flew off the hall table and she shrieked and jumped back.
Without thinking Piper raised her hands and froze time.
"Woah!"
Piper, Prue, and Phoebe whirled around. The young woman stood there gaping at them, white faced. "How did you do that?" she asked, voice shaking.
The sisters looked at each other. In their surprise they forgot about the vase which fell to the floor. The girl jumped again. She started to back towards the door.
Prue stepped forward. "I'm Prue, that's Piper, and this is Phoebe" she said, indicating her sisters. "I think you should come into the living room and tell us what happened."
The girl silently nodded and followed Prue. She sat down on the couch. Piper sat down with her, and Phoebe and Prue sat across from her. Prue immediately took charge.
"Could you first tell us your name and then tell us what happened tonight?" she asked.
The girl nodded drawing her cat onto her lap like a security blanket. She seemed to calm down. "My name is Heather Cloyce Macbeth" she said with a distinct Scottish accent. The cat jumped off her lap. "And that cat is Morgan." Morgan, still with her harness on, made immediate friends with Kit and began to play. Heather smiled and continued.
"Oddly enough Morgan likes to be walked; that's what the harness is for. I was walking her tonight and, well, I wasn't paying much attention to things around me." Heather sighed. "Stupid really, I should have known better. Anyway, I heard someone behind me and started to turn around. That's when he grabbed my arm." Heather held her arm forward to show the bruise just above her wrist.
"Ouch" Piper said sympathetically. "What happened next?" she asked.
Heather bit her lip and when she begin to speak, her voice was shaky again. "I saw the knife coming at me and I raised my arm to try and block it and then - promise you wont laugh at me or think I'm lying?"
"Of course we'll believe you" Piper said.
"You've had a bad shock. It would be incredibly insensitive to laugh at whatever you had to say" Phoebe added. Besides, if she said what they thought she was going to say, there would be little reason to laugh.
Heather nodded. "Well, my arm went up and he flew backwards. I didn't even touch him." She shook her head. "I don't know what happened. I just froze, I was so shocked." She continued the story, tears beginning to silently slide down her cheeks again. She got to where she blinked her eyes...
"Wait" Prue interrupted. "Where were you attacked?"
Heather looked up in surprise. "About a block from my apartment on Silverstar Street."
Phoebe looked up. "But that's across town," she exclaimed, startled. Well, there was the answer to why the girl vanished. She has physically changed location. "This is Prescott Street."
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe exchanged a threeway glance. "I think it's time to tell her," Prue said. "The reason the man's face changed was that he wasn't a man. He was a either a warlock or demon."
"A what or a what?" Heather asked.
"Warlock or demon" Prue answered. "You see, we're witches and it's probable that you are as well. That's why you were able to throw him away without touching him. I have the same power." Prue demonstrated by moving the TV guide from the coffee table into Heather's hands.
Heather looked up, startled. She turned to Piper. "And you? When the vase fell off the table, you.."
"Froze time," Piper said. "And Phoebe sees visions. Apparently you move both things and yourself. Blink power, the second one's called."
Heather reflected on this, calmer now that these women didn't think she was nuts. "My last thought before I closed my eyes was that I needed help. When I opened my eyes I was in front of your house. Can you help me?"
Prue nodded. "First we need to figure out what attacked you. Phoebe.." she began.
"Already on my way" Phoebe said, on her way to the attic. She got the Book of Shadows and brought it back down to the living room, placing it on the table.
Without warning the book opened, and pages began flip as if being blown by a wind. Heather's eyes nearly jumped out of her head. "Does it always do that?"
Piper shook her head. "Not always, just sometimes."
The pages continued to flip, and then they stopped. All four women leaned forward to read the old fashioned writing on the page.
3-2-1
All connected to witches
Her bloodlines numbering three
But from only one
A true witch is sheFrom one who crossed the sea
The first descendant female is she
And power of generations before
Converges on her, making her moreShe is one from your line
Pursued by an evil from across space and time
Destined for power to fight the night
She looks to thee for help; Old Will got one scene rightRachel Warren, 1730
"Three, two, one? What's that?" Heather asked.
"I can answer that" said a voice. A blue mist floated in the corner of the room. The mist gradually formed itself into a human shape and before long the spirit of Melinda Warren shimmered before them.
"A 3-2-1 is a very rare witch" Melinda explained. "When two bloodlines connected strongly with witches wether through legend, literature, or actual contact with a witch mix with the line of a natural witch a unique witch is created. Three bloodlines, two powers, all in one person. Hence the name 3-2-1." Melinda looked at Heather and smiled. "Heather, you are a one of those witches."
"So, what are her three lines?" Phoebe asked.
Melinda grinned. "I should think two of them would be obvious."
"Cloyce and Macbeth?" Heather asked. "I know one of my ancestors was Sarah Cloyce. She lost two sisters and almost her own life to the Salem trials, so I guess that would be one line linked to witchcraft. But Macbeth? I didn't think he had any children."
"He had one illegitimate son. Years after Macbeth's death the son took his father's name."
"But what is the line of the natural witch?" Prue asked.
Melinda gazed at Heather and smiled the smile of a mother looking at a child. "My daughter Prudence had two children, both girls. The younger girl fell in love with a Scotsman. She moved to Scotland and married this man, a Macbeth. They had one son, he had a son and so on until Heather's father. He married Rebekah Cloyce and they had a daughter. You, Heather. Since Warren witches are female and you are the first female descendant of one the power that could have been in previous generations has been focused in you. Hence lines five through eight" Melinda said, gesturing to the Book of Shadows. "And it wasn't a coincidence that you wound up here tonight. It was meant to be that the two branches of my descendants would meet."
"I thought I had no family left and suddenly I have three cousins!" Heather exclaimed brushing hair out blue eyes that were an unspoken remnant of her Scottish heritage. "It's overwhelming, but I love it!"
"Hold it" said Prue. "Family reunion can wait. Let's not forget what brought her here in the first place."
"Melinda, do you know anything about what attacked Heather?" Phoebe asked.
Melinda lifted a finger, and the pages in the Book of Shadows began to turn again until they once more settled on a page. "I can't tell you anymore than what's on that page. I must go." With that Melinda began to fade until in a last burst of blue light she was gone.
"Wow" Heather breathed, watching her go. "This is unbelievable."
"We know how you feel" Piper said. "When we first found out we could hardly believe it either."
"I'll have time to think about it later" Heather said. "Now, what's on that page and what is after me?"
"Auris" Phoebe read outloud. "He was a demon that was accidentally let loose not long after the turn of the first millennium. He possesses people and turns their natural ambition against them until he leads them on a path of self destruction, often taking others along for the ride. The first victim of Auris was - get this Heather - the Scotsman Macbeth. Had Auris been able to continue possessing MacBeth until his death Auris would have been granted a physical body and been free to wreak all kinds of evil on earth. However, Macbeth's inner strength of character was great enough that he eventually overcame Auris and was able to free himself. Since then Auris has been a demon wanderer, possessing various people until they die or until people other than the one possessed simply ignore the rantings of the victim. Notable in the latter case was Samuel Parris of Salem Village." Phoebe raised and eyebrow. "Hmm."
"Anything else?" Heather asked.
Prue leaned over and read the rest. "Apparently a few years before the turn of the next millennium Auris will be granted a temporary physical body. If he can find and kill a witch descendant of his original victim the body will become permanent and he will be free to work his evil on earth. If not, he will be banished back to hell."
"So what do we do now?" Piper asked.
"First off," Prue said, picking up her purse and taking out her cellphone, "you" - this to Heather - "are staying here tonight where we can make sure your safe from Auris." She held out the phone. "Call your parents and tell them your staying at a friends house."
Heather looked down at her feet.
"What's wrong?" Piper asked.
"My parents died when I was a child. I lived with my aunt and uncle in Scotland. They drowned in a boating accident three years ago just after we moved here so I could go to college. I live alone in an apartment above my friends garage. There isn't anyone to call."
No one said anything for a minute.
"We're sorry" Phoebe whispered.
Heather nodded.
Prue spoke, breaking the silence. "Okay. Heather, you can sleep in Piper's room tonight and she can bunk with me."
"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?"
"Absolutely" Prue said. "Don't you dare think any different."
"I think I'd better go to bed now. Doubt if I'll get much sleep though" Heather said.
Prue nodded, understanding totally where Heather was coming from. "Let's all go to bed."
The four women headed upstairs. They were unaware of the figure that watched through the window.
* * * Auris laughed as he watched, his eyes glowing with a diabolical light.
"Sleep well little Glamis. Soon you'll sleep for all eternity. Tomorrow I revenge myself by killing you. And while I'm at it, I'll kill the Charmed Ones too."
He turned and moved off into the dark.
* * * Heather woke up disoriented. Where was she? She rubbed her eyes and focused. Strange bed, strange house. Oh yeah. All the events from the night before flooded back in living color. She'd been attacked. She was a witch. A demon was after her. Damn, and she thought living nearly on her own was tough. Well, at least she had people who understood. She had family. She was not alone.
Heather smiled.
* * * Piper was getting milk out of the refrigerator when Heather walked into the kitchen. "How did you sleep?" she asked.
"About as well as could be expected, I guess. It's not every night I find out I'm a witch and a demon is after me."
Piper grinned. "Tell me about it. You're calmer than I was though. Of course, the fact that Jeremy, the first warlock we defeated had been my boyfriend didn't help my nerves."
"Wow" Heather said. "That must have been horrible." She bit her lip, as she thought of something. "Will more warlocks and demons be coming after me now that I know?"
Piper nodded gravely.
"Unfortunately, yes" said a voice from the doorway. Piper and Heather turned to see Prue in the doorway. She walked in and poured herself some cereal. "That's the way it worked for us, and that's how it will work for you. But we weren't alone and neither are you."
"That's right" said Phoebe as she came into the kitchen and got out the juice. "Getting used to your powers will take time, but it will happen. And you have us to call on when you need help. We're always going to be here for you."
"Thanks" Heather said, giving Phoebe a hug. "It's good to know that I may be different, but I'm not alone. After breakfast what do you say we find out how to kick some Auris butt?"
The sisters laughed. "Sounds good to me" Phoebe said.
* * * Four brown heads peered at the Book of Shadows. "Does it say anywhere on that page how to vanquish Auris?" Heather asked.
"Not that I can see" Prue said. "Hey, wait. Here's something that wasn't here the night before. It says 'by the language in the heart of a child shall he be banished back to hell'."
"What does that mean?" Piper asked.
"I have no idea."
A derisive chuckle came from behind them. "Well isn't this just a pleasant family scene."
The four whirled around to face a man. His hair was black, his eyes were green, and his gaze was a cold as a Highland wind.
"Auris" Heather said.
"Hail child of Glamis! Hail child of Cawdor! Hail child of the king thereafter!" he cried, sneering at her. He gave a mocking bow. "Got to hand it to Shakespeare. For a mortal, the man had a way with words."
"How did you get in here?" Prue asked. She and her sisters moved to stand in front of Heather, forming a shield.
"Ask Heather" Auris said. "The same way she found your house." He blinked and was suddenly standing in the attic doorway. Then he was back in front of them. "I do have powers, you know. Oh, and Piper" he continued, "one of them is immunity from the freezing time power so don't bother trying."
Auris raised his hands in front of him until he was holding them as if holding an invisible tray. "And now for a demonstration of another power I have acquired over the years." He concentrated and a ball of energy appeared in the air above his hands. He moved his hands back.
In a split second they realized what he meant to do. Heather reacted first. Using her new powers she moved Prue and Phoebe out of the way, shoving them to the side with her mind. Her powers were still new and she couldn't control them very well, so she was unable to move Piper out of the way of the energy ball.
Auris threw the ball which screamed through the air toward them. Panicked, Heather blinked, moving herself in front of Piper so she would catch the brunt of the blow. She succeeded.
The energy ball slammed into Heather and Piper. Both of them flew through the air, out the attic door and hit the wall. Knocked unconscious, they fell to the floor. Momentum carried them farther and they tumbled end over end down the stairs, finally coming to rest at the bottom. Neither moved.
Up in the attic the stunned Prue and Phoebe got up off the floor. Auris was laughing maniacally. "There is nothing you can do for your sister and cousin. I will finish them off and have you too." He blinked and vanished.
Phoebe and Prue ran out of the room. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Piper and Heather lying in a heap. "Oh, God" Phoebe said. She and Prue ran to them and knelt beside them. Tears begin to run down their cheeks. "Piper, Heather" Prue cried shaking her sister's shoulder.
There was no response.
* * * Heather could hardly believe her eyes. Nor could Piper who stood to her left. They were in a field greener than any Heather had seen in a long time. Flowers of all colors dotted the landscape. The sky was crystal blue. It was incredibly beautiful.
"Where are we?" Heather asked. "Are we dead?"
"No. You are not dead" said a voice with a Scottish accent heavier than Heather's own. A man in old style Highland dress appeared before them. With red hair, blue eyes, and a rugged face he looked every inch a warrior.
Heather and Piper gaped in astonishment. "Who are you?" Piper asked.
He grinned. "Let's just say that people from many different backgrounds can become whitelighters. Now, there is the small matter of a demon to banish. Heather, take my hands."
She did so, but was still confused. "But what does the 'language in the heart of a child' mean?" she asked.
"You'll understand. Now repeat the spell after me:
You've been to long on this earth
Now away I send you forth
I send you back to the heart of hell
Where you deserve, forever to dwell."Heather began to repeat the spell.
"Uh uh, Heather" the man said. "In Gaelic."
In a rush Heather understood. The language in the heart of a child. And her childhood language was Scots Gaelic! She began to say the spell again.
* * * Auris appeared before the unconscious Heather and Piper. "See," he said, "there is nothing you can do for them now."
Enraged, Prue slammed him back into the wall where he slumped unconscious.
"Hey, Prue, look" Phoebe said.
Heather's lips were moving and she was whispering something. But it was a language that Prue and Phoebe couldn't understand. Prue did recognize it, though.
"Gaelic" she said. "Heather grew up speaking it. Maybe that's what the book meant by 'language in the heart of a child'."
Phoebe and Prue watched as Heather continued what was apparently a spell. Just as she finished Auris opened his eyes. His body began to shake violently and smoke began to swirl around him. "Noooooo!!!!" he screamed as he vanished.
"Demon's dead" Phoebe said. "I'll call the ambulance for Piper and Heather."
* * * Heather finished the spell, and felt peace overcome her. She knew Auris was dead. She could feel it. Piper echoed her thoughts.
"He's dead, isn't he?"
The man nodded. "It's time for you two to return." The field began fade as they felt themselves beginning to head back. The whitelighter looked at Heather. "I'm proud of you, little princess. Remember that." He soon faded too.
* * * At the hospital...
"Prue, do you think they'll be all right?" Phoebe asked nervously.
"We've just been to see them" said two voices from the corner of the room. "They're going to be fine."
"Leo!" Prue and Phoebe exclaimed. "Who's your friend?" Phoebe asked.
The red haired man didn't answer. Instead he waved his hand and a plaid cloth appeared in it. "Would you give this to Heather for me? It is the family pattern."
"Sure" Prue said, taking the cloth as the men vanished.
A doctor entered the room. "Are you relatives of Piper Halliwell and Heather Macbeth?"
"Yes we are. How are they?"
The doctor smiled a kind smile. "They'll be fine. Two cracked ribs for each of them. Ms. Halliwell has a broken arm, and Ms. MacBeth fractured her ankle. Each also has a mild concussion. But from what you told me about what happened, they were very lucky they didn't break their necks. They'll be fine with rest. You can go see them now. They're both in room 234."
"Thank you" Prue said. She and Phoebe walked down the hall and entered the room where Piper and Heather were lying in bed tired, but awake and alert.
"Heather" Prue said. "A man asked me to give you this." She handed the cloth to Heather who gazed at it.
"Red hair, blue eyes?" Piper asked.
"That's him" Phoebe said. "The stereotypical Scottish whitelighter" she laughed. "Heather, what is that thing?"
Heather looked up. "It's my family's tartan. I've never been able to find the exact pattern over here in the U.S. yet."
"Hey, I just realized something" Phoebe said.
"What?" Piper asked.
"Did we ever figure out what 'Old Will got one scene right' meant?"
They thought about it for a second. Then Heather began to laugh. "Don't you see?" she said, giggling making it hard to speak. "I'm a Macbeth!"
Prue suddenly began to grin, but Piper and Phoebe were still confused. "So?" Piper asked.
"Don't you see the irony in a Macbeth coming to three witch sisters for help?" Heather continued to laugh and soon all four women were also laughing.
"William Shakespeare!" they cried in unison.
* * * From a distance two men watched the hospital scene.
"Heather's got a bright future ahead of her" the red haired one said. "I'm very proud of her." He chuckled. "Who would have thought, Leo? Me, having a witch in my bloodline!"
Leo grinned. "The universe must have a sense of humor. She does have a bright future. It has been foreseen as such. Be proud, Macbeth. You have a right to be."
"Oh, I am. I am."
