NOTE: The first in 'The Scorpion Chronicles'

DISCLAIMER: This story is not published for profit to share creative ideas with other fans of 'Charmed' on this and other 'Charmed' fan websites. The characters of Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell and Leo Wyatt are property of the Warner Brothers Studios. The character of Guinan is the property of Gene Roddenberry Productions. Although Geri Halliwell is a real person, the following account is purely fiction. Its sole purpose is to entertain.

The P3 was abuzz. Stagehands hustled back and forth, noisily preparing the stage, back stage, and dance floor. PR people and other "handlers" huddled in groups, discussing positions, movements, schedules, and other things those kind of people discuss. Piper moved from group to group trying to maintain some semblance of control.

Outside, posters announced "PERFORMING THIS FRIDAY: GERI HALLIWELL". Local papers have been headlining "HALLIWELL TO PERFORM AT HALLIWELL'S". The common question Piper had been hearing is "Are you related?" She'd just laugh it off and say "No", although she didn't know and didn't much care. All she cared was that a VIP was on the way and she wanted everything to be just right.

When the moment of arrival loomed near, Piper's activities became more frantic. When it was time, her sisters were on hand to help greet her.

"Prue, Don't start snapping pictures of her right away. And don't use flash bulbs. Especially up close. She'd hate that."

"Right."

"And Phoebe, Don't ask her for her autograph."

"I wasn't going to."

"And don't ask any stupid questions, like 'Are we related?'"

"That's not a stupid question."

"Well, just don't ask it."

"Why not?"

"Just don't!"

Phoebe gave a look of protest to Prue, who simply gave an understanding smile, encouraging her to show the same patience.

"Piper, You've had other celebrity performers here before. Why are you so nervous about this one?"

"This is not just any celebrity. This is the one who defined 'Girl Power'. This is the one who stood as an encouragement to all girls and young women. This is the one who..."

Suddenly everything went quiet, then a low rolling murmur went among the handlers. Piper looked wide-eyed in the direction of the commotion. Prue put an arm around her.

"Relax! You're going to be fine!"

"Oh, I hope so!"

"I know so! Now, relax!"

"I just feel something's going to go wrong."

"Look! She's a professional. So you be professional. If something goes wrong, she's going to handle it professionally. So will you. That will still make it all right. OK?"

"OK." She took a deep breath, put on her best smile, and braced herself.

Over the crowd was heard a husky English voice. "All right! Just give me a few minutes alone! Call me when we're ready for rehearsal!"

Then out stepped this small beautiful woman, with long, crimped blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes; totally unlike the dark-eyed, dark-haired Halliwell sisters. Her wide pink smile, set on her porcelain white face, was disarming. She shook hands and exchanged greeting with each of the sisters.

"I'm so glad to finally meet the American side of the family."

"You're joking!" said Piper, nervously laughing. "Aren't you?"

"No! Seriously! That's why I've been anxious to meet you."

"You? Anxious to meet us?"

"Oh yes! Really! Do you keep family records?"

Phoebe eagerly raised her hand. "Oh! I do! I do!"

From her coat pocket, Geri pulled out a folded piece of paper, which she unfolded on the bar into a rather large chart, showing her family tree. She pointed out a large empty space, off to one side.

"This is the missing bit; the American branch. Could you fill that in?"

"No problem," said Phoebe, eyeing the names on the chart, up and down. She stopped at one name with a gasp. "Melinda Warren? You're descended from Melinda Warren!"

"Yes. And so are you. So we share a common ancestor."

"Have you noticed a lot of extraordinary things in your life? I mean, so many different things from other people's lives."

Piper saw where she was going with this and warned her away. "Phoebe, Don't!"

"Well," said Geri, "You could say that my whole career and rise to fame has been extraordinary. It's been like magic."

"Funny you should say that," said Phoebe and laughed until Piper jabbed her with an elbow. "Ow!"

"Why?"

"It's nothing," said Piper, wanting to cork the whole situation.

"Well, It's just a legend," said Phoebe, now trying to ease out of it.

But Geri's curiosity was hooked. "What!"

"That Melinda Warren was a witch."

"Really?"

"It's just a story we were told as kids," Piper interjected.

"Rehearsal in five, Ms. Halliwell!" someone called from the stage.

"Be right there!" she called back over her shoulder. Then to Phoebe she said, "That's very interesting! I'd like to hear about that sometime! Meanwhile, you will complete this chart?"

"I can start right now."

"Oh, You're such a dear!" Then she hurried off to the stage.

Phoebe turned, excited, to her sisters. "Did you hear that? She could be a witch and not even know it.!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Piper reproved.

"Well, we didn't know we were witches until three years ago."

"You're not going to bother my guest with any wild ideas! Just fill out the rest of her family chart and that's all! Okay?"

"Ooookay."

"And get that look out of your eyes!"

"What look?"

"That look!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She batted her eyelashes in a mock innocence then quickly turned and left.

Piper clenched her fists in a rage and trembled all over. "Oooo! She's going to ruin everything! I knew something would go wrong! She's just... She's... She... Oooo!"

Prue had to do her big sis thing again. "Listen. As you, I'm assigned to cover Geri's visit in San Francisco. So I'll be around her all the time. And if Phoebe gets anywhere near her, I'll head her off. So, you look after Geri; I'll look after Phoebe."

At home, up in the attic, it didn't take long for Phoebe to gather all the information for Geri's family tree and write it all down in her best hand printing. With that out of the way, she went to 'The Book of Shadows'. "All right. What do you have on tests for witches?" Soon she was in the kitchen, with pots boiling, herbs mixed in bowls, and jars and utensils scattered everywhere. "Phoebe's Pharmacy is open for business."

That afternoon, the sisters were walking through Golden Gate Park. Geri was taking a break from everything, so they were taking a break from Geri and the P3. They didn't want to miss the Spring Fair, which was going on that day in the park. Booths, musicians, and clowns were everywhere. Prue looked at this world through her camera lens, looking for interesting shots. Piper read off her itinerary.

"We have that photo shoot at 3:30 before more rehearsals. That should give us plenty of time to check out the clothes and jewelry here."

Phoebe was finishing her cotton candy when she noticed a sign by a tent announcing, "Madam Guinan sees your future".

"I wonder how real these fortunetellers at the fairs are."

"As real as these tossing games at the fair," commented Prue, not caring one way or the other.

"Do you think if I could tell her future better than she can tell mine, I could get my money back?"

"Don't go there, Pheebs," warned Piper.

Too late. She was already on her way. Piper sighed.

"Why does she do things like this?"

"Because she's Phoebe, that's why."

Inside the tent was dimly lit by a few candles. The usual cloth covered table with the crystal ball in the center, lit by two candles, could be seen.

"Come on in," said a low voice. "Sit down."

Phoebe couldn't see anyone at first, as her eyes were unaccustomed to the dimness. When she took a seat at the table, she noticed the black woman standing across the room. She wore a white vintage frock, with a lacey black shawl, and her hair in long dreadlocks. Her face and poise struck Phoebe as an African noblewoman, although her voice held no distinguishing accent. She sat herself at the table, across from Phoebe, who placed her fee before her. But Guinan didn't seem to notice. She kept her gaze on Phoebe with a slight smile.

"So. What can I tell you?"

"My future."

"The future is as wide as the universe. Is there any one aspect on which you care to focus?"

"Um... What will happen to me today?"

"As usual, you will get into some kind of trouble and make your sisters angry."

Her eyes widened with surprise. But then she thought and smiled. This could be one of those ambiguities, which can apply to many different individuals. She had to grope for something else.

"Uh... Yes.... Well, then... When will I find true love?"

"Next week." Blunt and to the point.

She had to act surprised. "That soon! My!... Uh... Well... What will he be like?"

"His love will be real, strong, and lasting. He will have your love for life, adventure and fun and unfortunately the same propensity for getting into trouble. But he will protect you, care about your feelings, help you with important decisions in your life and look after your heart's desires."

"Well,... That's... certainly different from the other men in my life. But what will he look like? What color will his eyes be?"

"Blue."

"Oh! That's nice! How will I know him when I meet him?"

"You have the gift. You will know when you touch him."

This time, Phoebe was surprised for real. "How do you know that?"

"Madam Guinan sees all." She pushed the crystal ball towards her. "Go ahead."

Phoebe put her hands on it to look within and suddenly received a vision of a scorpion. This caused her to leap out of her chair.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"It's merely a sign. You will understand when the time comes. You and your sisters have had a long war with many powerful enemies. It's past time you had more powerful allies."

Phoebe found herself sweating and breathing hard, with her heart pounding and arms quivering. Was she in the presence of another witch? A superior witch?

"Uh... I... I've got to go now. Thank you."

She quickly left, shaken and disoriented. She leaned on a post to steady herself as she readjusted to the brightness of daylight.

"What happened, Phoebe?" She looked into Piper's concerned gaze. "What did she say?"

"She said I will meet my true love next week. He'll have blue eyes and something to do with scorpions."

"Scorpions?"

"That's what I saw in a vision."

"You had a vision? In there?"

"Wait a minute!" Prue interrupted. "You believe all this?"

"Well, she knows I have sisters, she knows we have powerful enemies, and she knows I have 'the gift' of knowing people's future when I touch them."

Then came Guinan's voice from within the tent. "She also knows you should be at home studying for your psychology exam, because you're not doing very well in that subject."

Both embarrassed and creeped out, Phoebe bolted away as quickly and quietly as possible. Prue followed, skeptical and amused. Piper delayed, looking back and forth between the tent and Phoebe, not sure what to believe.

By mid afternoon, they were at Sutro Heights Park. Geri sat in a fold-out chair, surrounded by her handlers, primping, preening, and reiterating her itinerary. A few feet away from her, a barrage of photographers were setting up their equipment. Prue carried her gear to her position among them and began setting up. While she had time, she stepped away from the photographers to take a picture of this group aiming their cameras at Geri. It amused her how it resembled a firing squad. She thought that's what she'll title it as she snapped the camera. As she rejoined the group, she noticed Phoebe walking towards Geri. Looking around, she realized Piper had already left for the P3 to prepare for more rehearsals. This left her alone to keep Phoebe out of trouble. So she ran to catch up with her.

"Phoebe, What are you doing?"

"Just going to talk to Geri."

"We're about to start the shoot, so it's best you don't start getting in the way."

It was then she noticed that Phoebe had been opening a small jar.

"What is that?'

"Nothing!"

"Give it to me."

This command surprised her. It made her notice how, lately, her sister were becoming more motherly and was beginning to resent it. Prue held out her hand, with her head cocked towards Phoebe, like a mother would to a naughty child. The she noticed the look in her eyes and became alarmed. 'Oh my God! She's going for it!' Prue tried to make a grab for her but Phoebe was quicker. She dashed off towards Geri's position with Prue close behind.

"Phoebe! Don't you dare! Come back here!"

The circle of people around Geri was so packed, she appeared inaccessible. Phoebe ran a circle around them looking for a break. All she needed was a handbreadth. She found it. Prue managed to seize her but too late. The jar was thrust forward and, before the astonished handlers, a fluid went splashing across Geri's blouse. Immediately they began frantically mopping it up. One even applied a hairdryer. Prue stared dumbstruck. Phoebe shyly peeked between the attendants.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" she whined. "I didn't mean that!" (Lying, of course.) "It was a joke... meant for Prue."

"It's all right," Geri assured. "It'll dry. No harm done. I wouldn't get knocked into a cocked hat over it." She sniffed a little of the liquid on her fingertips. "Smells rather nice actually. What is it?"

"Perfume... Homemade. For a course at the university."

"They have a course in perfume-making at the university?"

"Sort of... It's a fashion design course... and this month's lesson is perfume."

"Well, add a bit more lavender and you'll really have something."

"Thanks. I'll remember that."

"Excuse us," interjected Prue. "I need to have a talk with my little sister." She grabbed Phoebe by the hair. "Come along, Little Sister."

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Later that evening, at the P3, before opening time, Geri and her troupe were winding down another day of rehearsals. She sat in a chair, by an amplifier, at the back of the stage, wiped the sweat off her face with a towel and took a drink.

"I need more stage room," she called to one of her managers. "During the dance number, I had to limit some my moves. Could you move these back five more feet?"

Piper watched the whole thing while Prue kept readjusting her camera settings. She soon noticed the top of a familiar head, behind the amplifiers, moving towards Geri.

"Prue, she's at it again."

Prue stopped what she was doing and, with a sigh of frustration, headed for the stage door. Geri finished her drink and set the empty cup on an amplifier behind her. A hand reached up, covered the cup with a tissue, then snatched it away. Between the stage equipment and the back curtain, Phoebe slipped the cup into a brown paper bag and continued to sneak across to a break in the curtain. Once backstage, she felt relieved to be in the clear. She cautiously looked around, making her way to the door, and ran into Prue.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh... Collecting a souvenir."

"You don't collect souvenirs. What are you doing?"

"I just need a saliva sample."

"For another test? I thought you already tested her this afternoon!"

"Well, most of it got onto her clothes. It needed to cover a larger area of her skin."

"What was it suppose to do? Never mind! I don't care what it was suppose to do! I just care that this stop -- now!"

"But I really need to know! Just one test to prove one way or the other and then I'll stop! I promise!"

"All right. But I don't want to see you near Geri again."

The following day passed without incident. That evening was the night of the actual performance. Piper went to Geri's dressing room to look in on her. Her hairdressers and make-up personnel had stepped out and she was doing some last minute touch-ups with her hair.

"Is everything all right?" Piper inquired.

"Oh yes. Everything's tickety-boo."

"Oh good! That is good, isn't it?"

"Yes. All is fit for tonight."

"If there's anything more you need, let me know."

"Thank you, Deary. But I'm ready for off and I really..."

Suddenly sparks flashed around her hairbrush and it flew from her hand onto the bureau. She looked at it curiously.

"What made it do that?"

"Uh... Electricity."

"I never saw electricity do that."

"Well... Sometimes when things go wrong... with the wiring... the electricity does strange things. I'll talk to our electrician right now."

Piper quickly went through every section of the backstage area. Finally, in one area, she caught Phoebe trying to sneak away.

"Phoebe!" she bellowed furiously.

Phoebe stopped with a jolt. She turned to see Piper charging at her with all the fury of mad bull and froze like a deer in the headlights.

"Did you just cast a spell?"

"Um... Just a little one."

"How could you? Here! And at this time! Oooo! I could just...."

"Don't hit me!"

"Look! I want you to stay away from Geri for the rest of this evening! No more witch tests! In fact, I want you to..."

She was distracted by a familiar figure coming down the hallway.

"Leo! Please do me a favor!"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Keep Phoebe away from Geri Halliwell. She is not to go anywhere near her or cast any spells." (To Phoebe) "Not even a little one!" (Back to Leo) "I have too much to do than baby-sit." Then she stormed off.

"I know what you're trying to do," he told Phoebe.

"You do?"

"It's not going to work."

"Why?"

"Geri is descended from Melinda through the males of the family. It's highly improbable that a line of males can pass on the 'witch gene' over that many generations. You and your sisters are descended through the females."

Phoebe hung her head in disappointment. "Oh."

Geri performed two one-hour shows, that night, to a packed house. Everyone had a good time and she received a standing ovation at the end of the evening.

As her entourage packed up everything for their departure, Geri invited Piper and Prue to her dressing room.

"Just one more thing. What's with Phoebe? First, she throws homemade perfume all over me. Next, she's examining my cups, forks, and spoons. She served me this herbal tea, which tasted just horrible, while closely watching my every move. And she's been asking a lot of questions about unusual events in my life. In between, I hear her muttering things about witches and warlocks."

Piper listened with eyes closed with embarrassment. She folded her arms, hung her head, and sighed.

"Phoebe is... the unstable one in the family. She's often hunting witches, ghosts, and monsters."

Prue backed her up. "Yes. She's under our care. But recent activities kept us so occupied, she slipped out of our control."

"We're so sorry she's been such a bother."

"Oh, no bother at all," Geri consoled. "Really! In fact, I have a few aunts like that. So, you see, it runs in the family."

The women shared a laugh, which attracted Phoebe's attention.

"Hey! What's going on?"

"I was just saying how much I've enjoyed my visit here." (Geri's turn to lie.)

"Really?"

"Really. It's been a rave up."

After closing time for the P3, it was time for Geri and her people to leave. They left by the back door, to avoid the fans, filed through an alley to the other side of the block, into their buses, cars, and vans. A limousine waited for Geri. She said her good-byes to the sisters and left. Phoebe was left alone with her sisters. She hung her head with guilt.

"I really blew it, didn't I?'

"Yes," said Piper. "But we covered for you."

"I just wanted to find another witch in the family; especially one near my own age. All the witches in our family that we know of have been killed off by warlocks and demons. I was just hoping we aren't the last of the Halliwell witches."

With this understanding, her sisters' anger dissolved.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Phoebe," said Prue. "I'm sure we'll find others once we've updated the family tree."

Suddenly Phoebe realized something. "Family tree? Oh my God! I forgot something!" And she made a mad dash for the back door.

Geri's handlers were all taking off and she was stepping into her limousine.

"Wait, Geri! Wait! You forgot something!"

She turned to see Phoebe running towards her. She handed her the folded up paper.

"Your family tree! All finished!"

"This is champion! Oh mercy buckets, Phoebe! You're a bobby-dazzler! I'm dead chuffed!"

Phoebe didn't understand a word of that, but could tell by her expression that it was all good. They embraced for their last farewell, then Phoebe headed back.

But soon the screeching of tires turned her attention to the street. A car came wildly weaving down the street and bore straight for the limo. Geri held up one hand, sparks danced around her fingers, and the car came to an abrupt halt. Geri quickly slipped into the limousine and it took off. From the suddenly stopped car, a confused drunk staggered, looked around, and fell flat on his back in the middle of the street. A distant siren told that the police would soon have this situation in hand. Phoebe looked around and realized that she was the only one who saw what happened.

She looked up and hopelessly bewailed, "No one will ever believe me!"

In the backseat of the limousine, Geri unfolded the chart and looked it over. Her eyes glowed in the dark like two burning coals.