DISCLAIMER: Based on the Spelling Productions tv show, Charmed, created by Constance M. Burge. No unauthorized reproduction of text allowed. For permission click my name above.

I

It was late in the evening and the full August moon was shining bright. In the distance a car approached. Slowing down, it made its way onto the dirt shoulder just off the highway. It sat there for a moment, with its headlights on.

Suddenly the passenger door flung open, and a woman jumped out and ran towards the nearby brush. The headlights went dark, the driver's door opened momentarily, and then closed. A beam of light from a flashlight suddenly appeared as the driver made his way into the tall brush after the woman.

Stumbling through the bushes, the woman ran from her pursuer. The man calmly followed through the path she had cut, the flashlight beam illuminating the way, until he found her.

Her escape had been cut off by a chain link fence; she stood with her back against it, and faced her pursuer. Slowly he walked towards her until he was close enough for her to see the silk scarf he was holding in his left hand.

He paused for a moment before turning off the flashlight and tossing it on the ground. Then he wrapped one end of the scarf tightly around his right hand and the other around his left.

She stood perfectly still, her back to the fence, as he took another step towards her...

At this point, Allen woke abruptly from his dream in a cold sweat. It seemed so real that it took a few moments for him to convince himself that it had been only a dream. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and sat there for a moment, trying to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to recall the details of the dream: the scenery, the type of car, the full moon, and the two people. For some reason, he hadn't been able to see their faces, but all the other details came back vividly to him.

He got up and walked over to his desk. Without looking, he reached over and switched on the computer. This routine had become second nature to him by now; he could practically do it in his sleep. Sometimes he did.

He began to type in an entry. "Had same dream again. Still don't know for sure who the two people are. Will probably happen tomorrow night - when there will be a full moon."

He sat staring at the screen, lost in thought, until the screen saver appeared. Coming back to reality, he switched off the computer and headed back into the bedroom to try to sleep.

Dawn always seemed to arrive so quickly after one of these dreams.

II

The next morning, the alarm went off promptly at 6:30 a.m. An arm reached out from under the covers, managing to find and hit the snooze button. A few minutes later, the alarm went off once more and the scene repeated itself. Then again. And again.

Finally after half an hour, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

Piper poked her head into the room. "Phoebe, are you up?" Getting no response, she walked over to the still dozing figure. "Time to get up, sleepyhead, rise and shine," she announced as she began to gently shake her. "You're going to be late for work".

Grudgingly, Phoebe pulled the covers off her face just long enough to announce that she'd get up when Prue was done in the bathroom.

"Well, then, that means you should have been up 45 minutes ago".

This managed to rouse Phoebe out from under the covers for good. "It can't be that late," she protested sleepily as she sat up and checked the time.

"You hit the snooze button so often, it began to sound like a heart monitor in here." Actually, Piper was beginning to get used to hearing the snooze alarm go off multiple times each morning since Phoebe had started working for a temp agency. Piper was almost jealous that she herself didn't have to worry about alarm clocks since she was presently unemployed. But hopefully that would change soon.

As she picked up some clothes from the floor, Piper went on to explain that Prue had had to leave early for a meeting with potential buyers of the auction house, so the bathroom was free.

"You're rather chipper for someone who doesn't even have to be up," Phoebe remarked as she stumbled out of her bed just moments before Piper began making it. Piper's response was that she had too much to do to stay in bed.

Suddenly, Phoebe let out a moan as she realized what Prue's leaving early meant to her: mass transit. "Don't worry," Piper reassured her, "I have to run a few errands, so I can drop you off - if you're ready by the time I leave."

Phoebe sleepily made her way out into the hall and towards the bathroom. "I'll be so glad when I can afford my own car again."

"Then you'll always be late for work, for sure," Piper said teasingly as she headed back downstairs.

"Ha, ha - it is to laugh", retorted Phoebe, quoting from one of the cartoons she used to be able to watch when she was unemployed. With that, she closed the bathroom door behind her.

III

The conference room, with its windowless environment, felt like a mausoleum. 'It's colder than usual in here,' thought Prue as she sat listening to Claire make her pitch to the two gentlemen sitting across the table from her. She wasn't sure if it was the a/c that was giving her chills or the constant glances in her direction from the auction house's potential buyer.

It seemed as if the meeting would never end. When it finally did an hour later, Prue tried to stifle a sigh of relief. It had gone well enough; most aspects of the prospective deal had been discussed amicably. But there was something about Mr. Jenott that had made her uneasy, something besides his frequent gazes. She couldn't quite place what it was, though.

There was nothing in his appearance that seemed unusual. He was well dressed, and well spoken - on those few occasions that he had spoke. And his goatee added to his suave demeanor. But for some reason Prue found herself disliking the man.

Stranger still, there had been something odd about Claire's behavior. Normally she was very hard nosed in these types of discussions. Yet she had conceded to Mr. Jenott on several points that were definitely not in the best interest of the bank or the auction house. When Prue had tried to voice her concerns, Claire had simply dismissed them. It was as if she were under the spell of the strange little man sitting opposite them.

Felix Jenott's attention, however, seemed to be fixated on Prue. As he got up from the table to leave with his lawyer, Mr Jenott turned his attention to her one last time.

"Once again, let me say what a pleasure it has been to finally meet you, Ms. Halliwell," he said as he extended his hand out to her. "I hope we can count on your staying on after this deal goes through."

"Of course, she will," cooed Claire. "Isn't that right Prue?"

"Of course," said Prue, trying hard to smile as she reclaimed her hand from Felix Jenott's firm grasp. The thought was almost as unpleasant as his cold and clammy handshake.

As Claire led the two men out toward the elevator, Prue bid them goodbye and headed to the ladies room to wash her hands.

IV

It was business as usual at Lewis Lufkin Lansing & Associates. Phoebe had only been working there as a receptionist for a week, but already felt right at home. The hardest part of the job was keeping track of the firm's several associates, while simultaneously manning the switchboard. And, of course, reciting the company's name correctly each time the phone rang.

One of these associates, a dark haired young man with exceptional good looks, sat in the reception area, waiting for a co-worker who would be going with him to a business meeting. He fought hard to keep his eyes open.

After about five minutes, a tall and lanky young man with blond hair came hurrying through the wooden door to Phoebe's left. "Ready to go?" he asked his friend.

Allen looked up, startled. "Sure, Lance," he said, reaching for his briefcase on the adjacent chair.

"Oh, you look good," commented his co-worker sarcastically. "Don't tell me you had another one of those dreams again." Lance was one of the few people who knew that Allen had them on a regular basis. "What future event did you see this time?"

"Keep it down!" said Allen in an emphatic whisper. "Someone might hear you." He glanced toward Phoebe, who pretended not to have heard.

Choosing not to pursue the subject, Lance motioned towards the glass doors. The two of them headed for the entrance. Suddenly, Allen remembered he had to tell the receptionist where they would be. He walked back to Phoebe's desk.

"Lance Russell and I will be at Cho Associates until about 1:00", he announced matter of factly.

"And you are..." asked Phoebe as she started to write the information down.

"Oh, I completely forgot..." Allen realized that he hadn't as yet introduced himself, so Phoebe couldn't possibly know his name. Lance just shook his head as he stood waiting at the open door.

"Allen Meade," he said, stretching out his hand.

As Phoebe responded in turn, she took his hand. Suddenly she began to receive a premonition, with the accompanying jolt causing her to knock over her tea. Startled, Allen pulled his hand back, interrupting the vision and bringing her quickly back to reality.

Thinking that he'd been the cause of the mishap, Allen began apologizing profusely. Phoebe tried to downplay the whole incident. "It's okay. Must've been static electricity, that's all," she said with a weak smile as she finished wiping up the mess.

Allen began to apologize again but was interrupted by someone clearing his throat. Lance was getting impatient to leave.

After they were gone, Phoebe took a deep breath, recalling the details of a brief vision of a woman about to be attacked.

V

It was noon before Felix Jenott's effect on Claire wore off, and her usual demeanor returned with a vengeance. She was dictating a "have-this-done-by-yesterday" itinerary to Prue when Piper dropped by unexpectedly.

"What a nice surprise," said Prue, grateful for the interruption despite the look of displeasure on Claire's face.

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," explained Piper as she walked into the room.

"For the third time this week," commented Claire dryly. She made her way to the door. "Don't forget, Prue - by tomorrow, no excuses." Then, giving Piper a quick and unconvincing smile, she left the room.

Piper winced and turned to Prue. "Is this a bad time?" she asked.

"I don't think there's ever a good time with Claire," sighed Prue. "But I'm glad you're here." She told Piper about her morning meeting with Felix Jenott and her feeling that something just wasn't quite right about him.

"So do you think he might be a warlock?" Piper asked, remembering their encounter with the auction house's previous 'owners', Rex and Hannah.

"I'm not sure; he had such a strange effect on Claire, almost hypnotic; and the way he kept staring at me was creepy." She shuddered at the thought. "Still, I guess that doesn't automatically make him a warlock. But maybe we should try to find out more about him."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Piper with a nod of her head.

"And speaking of plans," said Prue, focusing her attention on her sister, "Have you decided yet what you're going to do? It's been several weeks now."

"I know, " replied Piper. " I have a few ideas I'm working on, but I don't want to jinx it by saying anything just yet. In the meantime, I can take care of all those little things around the house that I've wanted to do for sometime."

A puzzled look came over Prue's face. "I thought Leo already took care of all those little things."

"No, I don't mean repairs, just little... changes." She picked up a small statuette from Prue's desk, and pretended to be interested in it.

"Changes?" asked Prue hesitantly. "Piper, I'm not going to come home to find the kitchen a new shade of fuchsia or anything like that, am I?"

Piper couldn't help grinning at her sister's concern. "I'm not that ambitious", she reassured her as she put the statuette down. "I'm going to start out small." Then, sensing an interrogation about to happen, she quickly checked her watch and announced, "Well, got to go. Got a million things to do." With that, she hurried out the door to avoid further questions, at least for the moment.

VI

Phoebe was relieved when lunchtime finally came around. Things had become so hectic in the office that she hadn't had a chance to call her sisters earlier about her premonition. Heading out to find somewhere a little more private to make the call on her cell phone, she ran into Allen downstairs in the lobby. He was just returning from his meeting.

Recognizing her from that morning's misadventure, he motioned for Lance to go on without him. "It's Phoebe, right?" he asked, flashing her a smile.

She smiled back, taking note of how blue his eyes were. "Right, and you're... Allen, right?"

He nodded. "Listen, I'm sorry about spilling your tea this morning. Perhaps I can make it up to you by taking you to lunch sometime."

"Sure, that would be nice," replied Phoebe, thinking that it would give her a chance to find out more about him. But instead of arranging a time, Allen then excused himself and went to join Lance at the elevators.

As Phoebe walked out of the lobby, Julie, one of her co-workers, spotted her and waved for her to wait. Just wanting to make her phone call already, Phoebe was beginning to feel like human Velcro. Still, she waited for Julie to catch up. After all, she was one of the first people at this job who had made her feel welcome.

"Someone just told me Allen Meade asked you out," Julie said as she caught up with Phoebe. "You should feel honored - he hasn't so much as looked at another woman since he and his girlfriend broke up last month."

Phoebe couldn't believe how fast word had got around. Obviously someone had been eavesdropping. Curious to find out more, she asked why he and his girlfriend had split up.

Julie looked around as if checking to see who might be listening. Then she leaned in and whispered to Phoebe, "Sex."

"Sex?" Phoebe just looked at her for a moment, wondering if she had heard wrong.

Julie nodded. "The official story is that his girlfriend, Elaine, dumped him for some other guy. But rumor has it that she was, well, a bit too wild for him. She not only liked it rough, but also liked it in bizarre places, like the cemetery."

Phoebe tried not to laugh. 'To each his own,' she thought. Even though she was open to new ideas, that was one locale she never would've dreamed of putting on her 'places to do it' list.

"So, are you going to go out with him?" asked Julie as they paused at the crosswalk and waited for the light to change.

Phoebe explained that he hadn't really asked her out on a date, just out to lunch to make up for that morning. Then, realizing that precious time was slipping away, she pretended to have forgotten something in the office.

Excusing herself, she began walking back in the direction of the lobby. Making her way to the ground floor newsstand, she finally found someplace private where she could make her call.

'There's more room in these things than I remember,' thought Phoebe as she closed the phone booth door and began dialing Prue's number.

VII

That evening, it was a very tired Prue who came through the door. She had managed to finish everything on Claire's to-do list and was grateful to finally be home. Picking up her mail from the hall table, she began going through it as she walked into the living room. Without looking, she dropped her bag onto an armchair.

THUD!

Prue stopped what she was doing and looked down. Her bag was now on the floor: the chair was gone. Looking around, she realized everything in the room had been rearranged. 'Piper!,' she thought to herself. It had to be.

As if on cue, Piper emerged from the kitchen. "I thought I heard you come in," she said, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Then looking down, she asked, "Why's your bag on the floor?"

Prue paused for a moment, took a deep breath, then reached down and picked up her bag. "You've been busy today, I see," she finally remarked, trying to smile.

"Isn't it great?" interrupted Phoebe who had just come bounding down the stairs. "Nothing like a change of scenery once in awhile."

"So what do you think?" Piper asked, obviously happy with her efforts.

Prue chose her words carefully. "It's… different." She walked over to where the sofa used to be and sat down in the armchair. Putting her head back, she closed her eyes for a moment.

"O-K," said Piper, catching on to Prue's lack of enthusiasm. "Guess that means I'm back to playing musical sofas tomorrow."

"No, it's nice, Piper, really." She opened her eyes again. "It's just one of those days, again." She looked over at Phoebe, now sitting on the sofa. "By the way, did anything else happen since this afternoon?"

Phoebe shook her head. She'd spoken to her sisters earlier about that morning's partial premonition, as well as what she'd been able to learn about Allen so far. Her subsequent attempts to trigger it again so she could make out the faces more clearly had failed, and she wasn't sure why. But one thing she was sure of was that it had something to do with Allen and the dream he'd apparently had.

"Maybe you're right; maybe you just connected somehow to Allen on a psychic level, and saw what he dreamt," suggested Piper as she sat down next to Phoebe. "Perhaps his dreams aren't as detailed as your premonitions."

"Well, it's not much to go on. I'll have to try and learn more by taking him up on his offer to go to lunch." Phoebe smiled at the thought.

"No fair," Prue pretended to pout, "You get to do research by going on a date; I get to do research alone with my laptop, checking to see if Mr. Creepy is who he says he is." She'd already begun researching Felix Jenott, and so far it seemed he was who he claimed to be.

Phoebe grinned at her big sister. "Well, maybe if you're nice to him, Mr. Creepy will take you out to lunch too," she teased.

Before she knew it, one of the throw pillows was heading in her direction.

VIII

Around ten thirty that evening, Allen awoke from his recurring dream and hurriedly began throwing on some clothes. This time he had seen the woman's face clearly. There was no doubt in his mind: it was Elaine.

He pulled on his jacket as he headed for the front door. Checking the pocket first to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he then stepped out into the moonlight.

It only took him fifteen minutes to reach Elaine's house. He parked right in front and quickly got out. Seeing the light on in the front room, Allen hopes began to rise. Perhaps she was still there.

He rushed up the front steps, and began ringing the bell repeatedly. A few moments later, the porch light went on, and a petite brunette answered the door. She was dressed as if she were going out.

"Allen, what are you doing here?" asked Elaine. Her voice showed surprise as well as a touch of annoyance. She stood in the doorway but did not invite him in.

He tried to remain calm. "I need to speak to you please. It's very important."

Hearing the alarm in his voice, Elaine relented. "Okay, but just for a moment, and that's all." She stepped aside to let him in. Before closing the door, she quickly glanced up and down the street.

It wasn't long before shouting could be heard from inside. Then the door flew open, and Allen found himself back out on the porch.

"Get out of here, Allen, before I call the cops!" Elaine ordered him. "And don't come back!"

"Elaine, you're making a big mistake!" he argued.

"Get out of here! Now!" The door slammed shut.

Not knowing what else to do, Allen walked back reluctantly to his car. He tried to think what he should do next, but his thoughts were all jumbled together. Finally, not wanting to find out if Elaine had already called the police, he got in and drove away.

Halfway down the block an idea occurred to him. He pulled into an empty space towards the end of the street. Slouching down in his seat, he waited, keeping an eye on the rear view mirror.

Ten minutes later, a car pulled up in front of Elaine's house, and she climbed in. It was the same car Allen had seen in his dream.

He waited until they were on the next block before pulling away from the curb and following them.

IX

The next day's news was filled with the kind of stories usually found after a full moon: some mischief, a little mayhem, and a murder. It was the latter that caught Prue's attention because of its location: the murder victim had been found at the side of a highway.

She was helping Piper straighten up the kitchen after a late breakfast, when the news report came on the radio. They both stopped what they were doing to listen.

"A jogger found the woman's body at 6 a.m. this morning; her hands were bound and she had been shot once in the chest. Police have identified her as Elaine Candler, and are holding the victim's ex-boyfriend as a suspect."

Phoebe walked in from the other room. "What 's going on?" she asked, curious to know what it was on the radio that held her sisters' attention. She listened in disbelief as Prue related how a woman named Elaine had been found dead by the side of a road and that the police had an ex-boyfriend in custody.

Sensing what Phoebe was thinking, Prue went on. "That doesn't necessarily mean that this murder is connected to your premonition; you even said yourself that you didn't actually see anyone get killed. So we shouldn't jump to any conclusions until we know for sure who the police have in custody." This reasoning did little to assuage the growing feeling Phoebe had that they may have just lost an innocent.

"That's right, Phoebe" added Piper, trying to reassure her. "Just because you received a premonition about something similar, after shaking Allen's hand, and he just happens to have an ex-girlfriend named Elaine…" She winced in pain as Prue gave her a quick pinch and a sharp look to shut her up.

"…and it happened during a full moon…" Phoebe finished the list of points. "It's a little too coincidental, and if we've learned anything by now, it's that there are no coincidences where we're concerned." She shook her head. "I don't understand, though, why would I be shown something, even if it's just a dream someone else had, if there was no chance of us changing the outcome."

"Maybe your power is having growing pains," suggested Piper. "After all, our powers are supposed to grow over time."

"Well, one thing's for sure, we need to find out if it's Allen the police have arrested." Phoebe walked over to the counter and turned off the radio.

As she did, she was hit with the same vision she'd been trying so hard to recall. This time Phoebe was better prepared and concentrated on trying to see everything more clearly. Even though it ended at the same point as before, she managed to learn something more.

When she turned around, there was a strange look on Phoebe's face. "We may not have been able to keep someone from being killed," she told her sisters, "But at least we can make sure they haven't arrested the wrong man." With that, she told them what she'd just seen, and that she'd recognized who the man with the scarf was.

It wasn't Allen. It was Lance Russell.

X

Finding out who the police had in custody wasn't that simple, as Phoebe soon discovered. Unable to get Darryl Morris on the phone, she tried to get the information from the person at the other end of the line, but to no avail. The suspect hadn't been formally charged yet, so his name was being withheld.

Then there was the issue of who should go down to the precinct station. Even though Piper was willing to cancel the mystery appointment she had for that morning, both her sisters knew it was more important than she was letting on. They finally managed to convince her that it wasn't necessary for her to go with them, but only after promising to call if they needed her. She still felt bad about not going, but her guilt was eased by letting Prue use her truck to drop some things off at a shelter along the way.

As they pulled up to the station house, Phoebe could tell Prue was very uncomfortable about being there. After all, she hadn't been back since Andy died. So it came as no surprise when Prue decided to wait outside.

In a way Phoebe knew how she felt. It was weird walking in, knowing that Andy wouldn't be there. As she waited for Darryl, who was expected back momentarily, she found herself staring at Andy's still empty desk, and lost in thought. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"I haven't gotten used to it yet either."

She turned to find Darryl Morris standing there, a muted smile on his face. She couldn't imagine just how tough the loss had been for him, but the look in his eyes gave her a pretty good idea.

As they sat and talked for a few moments, Phoebe found herself wishing Prue had come in with her. There was something cathartic about talking with Darryl, even for those few minutes, something she felt would've helped Prue in coping with the loss she felt.

Prue! Phoebe had almost forgot that she was waiting in the car. She turned her attention to the business at hand, and asked Darryl about the suspect they had in custody. Her worst fears were confirmed when he finally confided that it was Allen Meade.

They had picked him up that morning after neighbors told police about the argument he'd had with Elaine. What was even more incriminating was what they found on his home computer - references to an upcoming murder, complete with a description of the crime scene that eerily resembled the actual site.

To Phoebe this only confirmed what she had overheard yesterday morning at work: Allen apparently did dream of future events. Unfortunately, this gift would now serve as a witness against him, thanks to his computer diary of them.

Falling silent, Phoebe contemplated how to tell Darryl what she knew without telling him how. She decided the minimalist route was the only way to go. Putting her hand on his shoulder, she looked him straight in the eye and blurted out, "You have the wrong man!"

It was a couple of seconds before Darryl said anything. He looked away for a moment, took a deep breath, then in a calm voice asked, "I don't suppose you're going to tell me how you know that?"

Seeing the look on Phoebe's face, he knew already that he wasn't going to get the answer he was looking for.

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't," Phoebe replied. "What I can tell you, though, is the name of the man you should be questioning." She went on to give him Lance's name and explained that both he and Allen were associates at the firm where she was temping.

No sooner had she done so than she spotted Allen being brought out from an adjacent room. He looked very composed for someone who had just been arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Almost cocky, she thought to herself as she watched him walk right past without recognizing her.

Suddenly Phoebe got an idea. Getting up to leave, she apologized to Darryl for having to run. She bid him goodbye and headed out the door to catch Allen.

XI

A few minutes later found Prue and Phoebe driving Allen home.

He had been caught off-guard when Phoebe walked up to him at the police station, but quickly regained his composure. She had explained that she'd been there to see a friend, and offered him a lift. Anxious to get back home as soon as possible, Allen quickly accepted rather than wait for his lawyer who still had business inside.

As Prue made her way through traffic, Phoebe gingerly brought up the subject of Elaine's murder. She was surprised at Allen's reaction: he had none. Considering that he was supposed to have been madly in love with Elaine, Phoebe thought this strange.

He merely explained that a mistake had been made, and he had been lucky that his lawyer was able to have him released on bail.

Phoebe's next question, however, did get a reaction from him, albeit a silent one. She asked if he knew where Lance lived.

She looked at his reflection in the rear view mirror; there was a flash of anger in his eyes, then just as quickly he regained his composure again. No, he said calmly, he didn't know where Lance lived; why did she want to know?

Playing it off as just a matter of curiosity, Phoebe made up a story about how someone had said he lived somewhere in the area they were driving through. Then she changed the subject.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Allen's apartment. He thanked the girls for the ride, told Phoebe he'd see her on Monday, and quickly hopped out. Soon he disappeared into his building.

"Was it just me, or did you get a weird vibe from him?" Phoebe asked Prue as they drove away.

Prue nodded her head. "Very weird, " she answered, looking at something in her rear view mirror. A white car had come racing out from behind the building where they'd left Allen.

Curious about what it was Prue was looking at in the mirror, Phoebe glanced at it as well. She then turned to look behind them. As she did, something on the back seat caught her eye. But before she could investigate further, her attention was drawn back to the white car that was roaring past them. Something about the driver seemed very familiar.

"Someone's in a hurry," Prue commented as the white car sailed right through a red light, causing horns to blare. "He's gonna kill someone."

Phoebe turned back again and looked at the strange object lying on the back seat. It was a man's brown leather wallet. She reached over to pick it up. When she did, another premonition hit her. This one was different; not only was it one of her own, it was a continuation of what she'd seen of Allen's dream, and much clearer in more ways than one.

"I think he already has, Prue," said Phoebe, still holding Allen's wallet. "Tell me something; how was Elaine was murdered? Wasn't she strangled?"

Prue shook her head. "Didn't I tell you? The news report said she'd been shot." She looked over at Phoebe, who was wide eyed with disbelief.

"Now it makes sense why she didn't try to fight back!" Phoebe exclaimed to herself. Then to Prue, "We've got to follow that car - that was Allen!"

Needing no further prompting, Prue hit the gas.

XII

As Prue tried to catch up to Allen in an inconspicuous manner, Phoebe explained what she had just seen. Apparently Lance and Elaine must have been seeing each other. They had stopped at the side of the highway for a rendezvous of sorts, which included Lance using a scarf to playfully tie Elaine's hands. Allen had shown up with a gun; he and Lance struggled and the gun went off, killing Elaine.

Prue finally managed to get close enough behind Allen's car to follow but not enough to be obvious. "Did you see what happened to Lance?" she asked Phoebe as she maneuvered through traffic.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, the premonition ended with Elaine being shot. But I wouldn't be surprised if Allen knows where he is."

They continued to follow his car into another part of town. Finally Allen slowed down as he came to an apartment building. He seemed to be looking for something or someone. As the girls watched from a distance, he parked his car and hurried over to the side entrance. They waited until he had gone inside before getting out to follow him.

"Maybe we should call Darryl," suggested Phoebe as they approached the building.

"Let's find out first if there's a reason to call him," answered Prue. With that, she cautiously opened the side door. They stepped inside and found themselves at the end of a corridor with three apartments on either side.

"Where'd he go?" Phoebe wondered aloud.

Prue didn't answer. Instead she was listening for possible clues as to which one Allen had gone into. It was like looking for a needle in a very noisy haystack. Behind one door, a stereo was blaring; behind another, a baby was crying.

Suddenly, the sound of a muffled crash came from one of the apartments down the hall. "That must be where!" exclaimed Phoebe. They rushed towards the other end of the hallway. From inside, a struggle could be heard.

Prue concentrated on the door until it flung open. There amidst a ransacked mess was Allen, standing over Lance with a pistol in his hand.

Seeing the girls in the doorway, Allen was startled for a moment. He quickly recovered and pointed the gun at them. "I don't know what you're doing here, Phoebe, but you made a big mistake following me!" he warned. With that, he ordered them both inside.

The girls complied, joining Lance at the other side of the room. Allen closed the door without taking his eyes, or the gun, off them. Then he turned his full attention back to Lance.

"For the last time, Lance, where is it? Where is my watch?" Allen demanded to know. "And don't tell me again that you didn't pick it up last night - I spent a half hour searching the side of that road, and it's not there. So you must have it!"

Lance tried to tell him again that he didn't have it, that he hadn't even seen it come off of Allen's wrist the night before while fighting for the gun. Allen didn't want to hear it.

"Well, don't think giving it to the police is going to prove I killed Elaine. After all, " he smirked, "Their DNA tests on her body are just going to prove you were the last man she was with. Not to mention the fingerprints on the scarf!" A vindictive look came into his eyes. "Isn't that why you ran away after I shot her? Because all the evidence points to you, not me?" he taunted.

Lance tried again to speak, but Allen began shouting him down. It was obvious he was losing patience and becoming more dangerous by the moment.

"We have to do something Prue!" whispered Phoebe. She was beginning to wish they hadn't convinced Piper not to come with them.

"I know, I know!" insisted Prue in a low voice. "But I have to wait until they're not watching or else we'll have to explain later how the gun went flying across the room by itself."

"Well, we'd better do something soon, or else the next time we see Piper we'll have to explain to her why we're dead!" responded Phoebe in a barely hushed tone.

Allen had reached his breaking point. "Enough already!" he declared angrily. He cocked the pistol. "Time to tie up all these loose ends."

His attention was suddenly diverted by the sound of sirens outside. Prue took advantage of the opportunity to act while everyone's attention was elsewhere. Using her powers, she sent the gun flying out of Allen's hand. It discharged upon hitting the floor, sending a bullet into the wall.

Phoebe jumped into action, giving Allen a swift kick to the midsection, then another to the head. "Sweet dreams!" she cooed sarcastically to the crumpled heap on the floor.

Moments later, Darryl and company burst into the room. Upon seeing Prue and Phoebe, an exasperated look came over him. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?" he asked.

XIII

As Allen was being led away in handcuffs, Phoebe commented on what excellent timing the police had. "Who says you can never find a cop when you need one?" she quipped.

Darryl explained that he had been on his way to question Lance when a request for backup came over the car radio. It came from the unit that was tailing Allen; described as a potential hostage situation, the address was the same as Lance's.

"That's how I came to be here; how about you two?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Uh, well, we…" Phoebe tried to think of something. Suddenly she remembered the wallet in her back pocket. "We were just trying to return this." She took it out and handed it to Darryl. "Perhaps you could give it to Allen. He left it in our car."

Darryl started to say something, then thought better of it. "No," he thought to himself. "I'm not even going to ask…"

XIV

It was good to be home, thought Prue as she and Phoebe walked in the door. It had taken what seemed like forever to finish answering questions from the police; then Prue almost forgot about having to drop off the bags of clothing to the shelter downtown. So she was surprised to find Piper wasn't home before them.

They had no sooner gotten comfortable in the living room, however, than Piper came rushing in looking for them. Prue could tell she had good news by the big smile on her face and how giddy she was acting. She hadn't even bothered to take off her jacket yet.

"Go ahead, ask me - ask me where I was this morning," said Piper, trying to contain her excitement.

"Okay," said Prue, sitting up straight, "where were you this morning?"

"Oh, I was just arranging to open a night club," Piper replied nonchalantly. She watched to see the reaction on her sisters' faces. She didn't have to wait long: the shock wore off in two seconds.

"A nightclub?! That's great!" exclaimed Phoebe, jumping up to hug her, and almost knocking her down. Prue had to wait until Phoebe had released her hold on Piper before doing the same.

A million questions soon followed the congratulations: why a nightclub? Why not a restaurant? Where would it be? Why hadn't she said anything?

Piper explained that although she still wanted to own her own restaurant someday, it was easier and less expensive to start out by opening a nightclub. She hadn't said anything because she wanted to wait until she was certain it could happen. And it looked like she had found the perfect spot; most of the major details had been worked out that morning with the building's owner. Now she just had to arrange the financing.

"So, what happened at the police station?" she asked, coming down from the excitement of the moment. "Was it Allen they arrested?"

Before Prue could respond, the phone rang. She went to answer it, leaving Phoebe to fill Piper in on all the details of Elaine's murder and who did it.

Phoebe told her how a jealous Allen, knowing from his dreams that Lance and Elaine were seeing each other, had followed them and caught them in a compromising position. He had pulled a gun on Lance, a struggle ensued, and Elaine was accidentally shot instead. Lance was so afraid of the circumstantial evidence pointing to him as the killer that he fled from the scene. When he learned that Allen had been arrested, he thought it safe to come back for a few things before leaving the country. He hadn't counted on Allen being released on bail and showing up at his apartment. And Allen hadn't counted on the police following him, or Prue and Phoebe.

A few moments later Prue came back into the room. She was smiling from ear to ear. Obviously she had some good news of her own.

"That was my assistant," she told them. "Seems Mr. Jenott isn't going to be buying the auction house anytime soon. In fact, he may be keeping Allen company in jail." She went on to explain that he had been indicted on charges of embezzlement and forgery. The deal with the bank to buy Bucklands had fallen through as a result. "And that means I won't have to work for him -thank heavens!" she declared, sitting down next to Piper.

"So much for him being a warlock," commented Piper.

"Just goes to show you not everything is what it seems to be at first glance," remarked Phoebe. "Sometimes you have to look closer."

As she finished saying this, Piper's jacket suddenly fell off a chair and began to make its way across the floor. Startled at first, Piper and Phoebe then both turned to look at Prue.

"Don't look at me," Prue defended herself. She got up and walked over to the jacket, which was now perfectly still. Bending down, she picked it up to reveal Kit underneath. Apparently Piper had placed her jacket on top of Kit without realizing it.

Prue turned to Phoebe. "You were saying…?"