We open at Bucklands. Prue is working intensely on the computer, frantically researching a foreign object that just arrived at the auction house. "Prue!" Claire's commanding voice rings out. Prue looks up, startled out of her work. "There is someone here to meet you." Prue turns slowly to find a dark young man probably in his late 20's. Claire chewed her lip contently debating whether to leave or stay. After a moment she chose leave and tiptoed out of the office. The stranger cleared his throat. Prue straightened up and put on her I'm a professional expression. She looked him up and down vaguely recognizing something about him though she couldn't put her finger on it. The man started to speak. "Miss Halliwell?" Prue nodded. "I am Liam Trudeau." Prue's breath caught in her throat. Trudeau did he say? "I am Andy's brother. I wasn't able to attend his funeral because I was extremely sick." Liam continued. Prue observed that he seemed to be fighting back tears. "He left you a large amount of his belongings in his will. From what he told me of you on our phone conversations you two seemed very close. He-" "Andy never told me he had a brother." Prue interrupted with pain clearly in her voice. Liam half smiled. "Two actually, our other brother Jared committed suicide recently before Andy was..." He trailed off. Prue lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry." She murmured. How could Andy not have told her? He must have been going through so much pain. Liam nodded forgivingly. "Well if you would like to pick up Andy's possessions that he left you just give me a call Prue." Liam offered handing her a business card. Prue gave Liam a quick hug in memory of Andy then sat down at her desk and tried to fend off a mild headache by rubbing her temples. About 15 minutes after he had departed a cheerful Phoebe entered Prue's office with a bright smile on her face. "Prue!" She exclaimed. "I got a job!!!" Phoebe shrieked jumping up and down with excitement. Prue pasted on a smile. "That's great Pheebs, what's your new occupation?" Prue questioned. "I'm a substitute teacher!" Phoebe responded proudly. "Hey don't you need a college degree for that one?" Prue inquired. "Not this time, the school board is sooo desperate for some subs, they're taking everyone over 21." Phoebe giggled happily. "Soon we'll be rollin in money honey!" Prue laughed with a genuine smile on her face. "As you say Pheebs." She replied heartily.
That evening at Halliwell Manor, Phoebe, Piper, and Prue sat down to yet another of Piper's delicious dinners. Prue was about to explain to her sisters about her encounter with Liam Trudeau when Phoebe started talking. "Scrumptious dear!" Phoebe asserted. "But don't worry Pipe, soon you will not have to work hard to create anymore fabulous dinners for your sisters, soon we will eat at expensive restaurants every night. We will ride in a fancy limo chauffeured by, you'll never guess. Miss Joanne Hurtz!" Phoebe cried joyfully. Prue laughed at Phoebe's fantasy, but Piper wrinkled up her forehead in a confused state, not understanding the joke.
"So.? Where will this excess money be coming from?" Prue sensibly pointed at Phoebe. Piper choked on her meat, then when she finally got her breath back started laughing. Phoebe put on a fake hurt face then joined in with her smiling sisters and explained about her new job to Piper. "I think we shall start our partying streak tonight, lets go dancing you guys!" Phoebe cried enthusiastically. Prue and Piper looked at each other and Prue raised an eyebrow. "Nahhh, we better not, I mean-" "My treat!" Phoebe begged, cutting off Piper. "And where may I ask are you going to get this moo-lah to take us all dancing?" Prue asked wickedly. "Well. I recently remembered grandma gave us each a 100$ savings bond on or birthdays, so by now I'll have a couple hundred dollars wasting away in the bank." Phoebe responded with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Smiling the other two sisters rolled their eyes playfully and agreed.
"I'm going to dance with that foxy fella right over there." Piper demanded pointing at an attractive young man across the room. "He's nice, but not as sexy as that hottie I'm going to dance with!" Phoebe argued playfully. Prue was sitting at the bar nearby her sisters, sipping a margarita and surveying all the guys at the place when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned. "Hello Miss, would you like to dance with me?" It was the guy Phoebe had pointed out. Prue looked over her shoulder at Phoebe to see if her younger sister would mind. Phoebe nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Prue turned back to the stranger with a flirtatious smile on her face. "Sure." She accepted softly. As fate would have it, a slow song came on right before they entered the floor. Just like the movies. Prue thought to herself. They started to whisper softly to each other as they danced. Prue soon found his name was Dane Lousheti and he was 29 years old. He lived not far from the sisters and was a defense lawyer. For the rest of the night she danced with none but Dane. At the end he slipped her his phone number and told her to call him. Prue was reluctant to give someone she hadn't known long her home phone number, so she gave him her number at Buckland's and told him she would give him her home number when she got to know him better.
"You better just leave Kirk, I never want to talk to you again, all you do is cause harm to me and everyone else around you! Leave! I don't want to have to deal with you anymore Kirk, get out of my life!" "No Dane, now, now I will have my revenge for all the years you have mistreated me, you will die at the hands of a witch!"
Prue was quiet on the way home, thinking about whether she should trust Dane or not. "I think somebody's in LUV!" Phoebe yelled, breaking Prue's train of thought. Prue blushed. "No, not at all, Dane, he was nice. But I'm definitely not ready for a relationship. Andy and I almost rekindled our romance right before he died. I'm still to hurt to make the possible chance of more pain." Piper nodded sympathetically, and Phoebe regretted bringing up a subject that obviously anguished Prue so much. "But I will still call him, he seems like a good candidate for a supporting friendship." Prue retorted. The Charmed ones arrived back at Halliwell Manor, they got in their nighties and went to bed.
Piper woke up second Saturday morning, to the mouth-watering smell of fresh pancakes. She wrapped herself in a robe and trampled downstairs to the kitchen. She was astonished to see Phoebe in the kitchen expertly flipping pancakes and mixing more batter. "Don't worry Pipe, I haven't dropped the substitute teach idea and decided to become a chef like my talented sister. Pancakes are the only food I actually can make without killing all who eats it." Phoebe explained. "Is Prue still asleep?" Piper asked, the shock of seeing Phoebe cook starting to wear off. "Yes, and I intend to keep it that way. I heard her up late last night talking on the phone. I didn't catch who the mysterious midnight caller was, but I'll bet you a pancake it was Dane." Piper smiled and turned down the bet. The phone made them both jump. Piper dived to answer it and Phoebe started mixing the pancake batter more thoroughly. "Hello is Prue Halliwell there?" A gentle and masculine voice questioned. "Oh I'm sorry she's-" "Right here!" Prue cried skipping down the stairs. "Who is it?" She questioned Piper. Piper shrugged and handed the telephone to her older sister. "Hello? Oh Liam, hi! Yes, uh huh, ok how about 12? Well then I'll see you then Liam, yea bye." Phoebe and Piper listened intently to Prue's side of the conversation. Who was Liam? As soon as Prue hung up the phone, she turned toward the curious eyes of Phoebe and Piper. "And who may I inquiry is this mysterious Liam fella?" Piper asked. Prue sits down in a chair. "The guy I was talking to was Liam Trudeau." Her sisters mouths dropped open. "A... An... Andy"s brother?" Phoebe stutters. Prue nods silently. "Turns out Andy left me a lot of his possessions in his will." Prue continued. "I'm going to meet Liam at Quake around today, for lunch where we will discuss what I got and stuff. And thanks to a certain sister of mine, we will no longer have the privilege of a discount!" Prue teased.
"Yes, he left you his entire foreign coin collection, most of his furniture, get this, he left you his journal! I didn't know Andy kept a journal. He left you all his books on the bookcase in his bedroom, a few thousand dollars and some other miscellaneous items." Liam explained. "Whoa! I'm sorry, I just still can't believe we are talking about Andy, my Andy, and yours of course, in past tense." Liam sighed and a frown replaced his cheerful smile. Prue remembered Andy's words. "I'll always be with you Prue." She quickly wiped the hot tears burning the corners of her eyes away and sat up straighter, forcing a smile. "Anyway Liam, I'm sorry about that. I just..." Prue trailed off. "I know." Liam said reassuringly. "Ya know, I'm starting to see what Andy saw in you Prue." Prue blushed and Liam leaned forward to kiss her, but Prue backed away. Prue took a deep breath. "Liam, you are a very sweet guy, and I like you a lot, but you are Andy's brother. It would not work. I'm sorry." Liam sat back in his chair looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable Prue, I didn't mean to." Prue nodded, accepting his apology. They finished their discussion then stopped at Andy's apartment. When Prue saw the bed that he slept in every night, the black work shoes he wore every day, the brush he used every day, she burst into tears. Liam gave her a friendly hug, though he didn't look to stable either. She collected the stuff she could carry, and then left, giving Liam a friendly goodbye.
Sunday, Prue decided to go to Buckland's for a little while to catch up, on some things because she had been lazy and had gotten behind in her work. When she got there, there were 5 messages on her machine. The first one was from a customer, the second from Dane just calling to talk, the third from another customer and the fourth and fifth were from Dane. They both begged her to call him back. He mentioned that Prue and her sisters were in unimaginable danger. Prue immediately called Halliwell Manor and told her sisters to watch their backs, Dane somehow knew something bad was going to happen. She then realized she left Dane' number in the pocket of the dress she was wearing when she was with him. She packed up her things and headed home.
"Haaaaahaaaa!" Phoebe howled with laughter. "What are you laughing about?" Prue questioned sharply as she arrived home. "What the hell is there to laugh about?" She repeated. "This!" Phoebe giggled thrusting Andy's journal into Prue's face.
Today, one side of Prue's hair was flipped inwards and the other outwards. I wonder if she meant to do it that way. It looked gorgeous on her anyway. And she had her makeup different today also. She had this black stuff on her eyelids that wasn't eye shadow. It looked really pretty.
Prue even had to giggle at that entry. That was the day she only had enough time to curl one side of her hair under, and her mascara had been running. "Phoebe! You aren't supposed to be reading this, its personal." Prue said trying to seem stern but broke into giggles at the thought of his last entry.
"So what's this about us being in trouble?" Phoebe asked breaking the laughing fit. I'm not sure." Prue responded. Dane just said that on two of his messages at work." They both were thinking about that when Dane burst into their house. "You both will die you stupid witches!" he cried. "Dane what are you doing?!" Prue screamed. A confused look crossed his face for a moment, but then he seemed to process what she had said. Then he muttered. "I'm here to kill you witch, and you." He threatened motioning toward Phoebe. Prue threw him across the room. There seemed to be no normal men in her life anymore. Phoebe sprinted over to him and karate kicked his head. He slumped to the floor unconscious. The two sisters stood over him. "There is something different about him now." Prue murmured. "You've known him less than a week, how can you tell the difference?" Phoebe inquired. Prue shrugged. They dragged him into the bathroom and put a chair in front of the door. "That'll keep him in there for a while." Phoebe stated confidently. Now I gotta get to my job Prue, I'm subbing afternoons this week."
"Miss Halliwell may I go to the bathroom?" A third grader by the name of Charlie asked. "Not right now sweetie pie, you may go right after story time." Phoebe answered. The child nodded. Phoebe started reading again when another kid raised their hand. "Mrs. Halliwell-" "Miss." Phoebe corrected. "I mean Miss Halliwell, would you please let me go to the restroom?" Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I already told Charlie he couldn't, so I'm not making any exceptions for you Elizabeth." Elizabeth sighed. Phoebe started reading again when two more third graders raised their hands.
The two Charmed Ones smiled at each other. "Hello anyone here?" Piper and Phoebe cried. "Pipe, Pheebs!" Prue yelled. Piper entered the room and saw a chair in front of the bathroom. "What's that for?" Piper questioned. Phoebe and Prue quietly explained what had happened, and Piper listened attentively. Piper started cooking dinner and Phoebe and Prue were watching TV when the front door opened and Dane was standing there. "Damnit he can blink!" Phoebe yelled. "Wait!" He cried. "He came before me didn't he? It's not what you think wait!" He cried speaking to fast. Phoebe wrinkled her eyes at him and yelled to Piper to get in there pronto. Piper ran in with a cutting knife in her hand. She advanced toward him. He looked alarmed. "Wait, you're Prue's sister right? Don't hurt me, you don't understand!" He grabbed a vase, poured the flowers onto the ground and didn't say anything but was obviously challenging Piper with the vase. In an instant Piper dived forward and jabbed the kitchen knife into Dane. "Noooooo!" He howled, cringing at the excruciating pain. A few short seconds later he fell to the floor dead. They all let out a sigh of relief. They tensed up again though when they heard a frustrated pounding at the bathroom door, and then a splintering of wood. The Charmed sisters turned toward the sound of footsteps entering the family room. "Dane!" Prue gasped. The man shook his head. "No." He murmured. "My name is Kirk Lousheti. Dane and I were." He said motioning toward the corpse. "Identical brothers." He finished. "He stayed good, I delighted in evil. We had made truce towards each other, but he was always, even when we were growing up, the popular one, the smart one. People even considered him the more handsome one." Kirk said scowling. "Well he was never very nice to me. He told me he liked Prudence from the moment he saw her. He begged me to leave and never come back, he didn't want her to know what kind of brother he had. That was the last step. I threatened him, I told him he would die at the hands of a witch. I was delighted when I found you three were the Charmed Ones. I was hoping it would be Prue that would finish him. But it was probably just as bad that he knew she watched him die and did nothing. Now you have carried out my threat." Kirk finished with ice in his voice. For the second time that day Prue's eyes welled up with tears as she had realized how they had been tricked. They had just killed an innocent man. She and Dane as a couple had a lot of potential also. The other two sisters weeped quietly as well. Especially Piper, she sadly regretted how she had not listened to his pleas. Phoebe's eyes narrowed in hate. "You will die for this!" she whispered. "Will I?" Kirk replied cleverly. "Yes!" Piper chimed in. She then froze the destructive human and Prue flew him into a wall. As soon as they were assured that he was unconscious, Prue called 911. Officer Morris and his new partner were sent to the scene. "He... he just ran in here after his brother whom we met this weekend and they started fighting about something, Dane grabbed a vase to use as a weapon." Piper explained pointing toward the body still clutching the flower vase. "But his brother Kirk stabbed him before Dane could strike. We were horrified, I mean they did this right in front of us. Piper grabbed the pan she was cooking dinner in and hit him over the head." Piper explained. "And we think he's out cold." Phoebe finished. Darrel Morris nodded at them not believing a word. "Thank you girls." He had the body and the unconscious Kirk removed from the house then he asked to speak to Prue quietly. "Prue, will you tell me please what you told Andy? It was important enough that he gave up his job to protect you I think I deserve to know." Prue sighed. "Prue just tell me why you are somehow connected to so many cases?" He begged. "I can't. Its not just me Darrel, its my sisters and my history, and I can't just tell you without talking to some other people." Officer Morris sighed, then nodded. "Fine." he murmured. "I better leave then Miss Halliwell." He said stubbornly. He walked briskly out the front door. "Morris!" Prue said softly. He turned uninterestedly. With a flick of her finger Prue closed the front door. She expected to hear the doorbell ring, but after a few moments she heard nothing and left the front hall.
As it dawned on Officer Morris what he had just seen, he smiled. Prue was some kind of angel or superhero. And Andy knew. That's why she had been involved in their cases, she had probably saved many lives. At least that's what Darrel Morris hoped. "Thanks." he whispered as he got in his car and drove away from 1329 Prescott Street.