"GETTYSBURG" (1993) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "GETTYSBURG", Ronald Maxwell's 1993 adaptation of Michael Shaara's 1974 novel, "The Killer Angels":



"GETTYSBURG" (1993) Photo Gallery

Top Five Favorite "THE GOOD WIFE" Season One Episodes

Here is a list of my top five favorite episodes from Season One (2009-2010) of CBS's "THE GOOD WIFE", which stars Julianna Margulies:



TOP FIVE FAVORITE "THE GOOD WIFE" SEASON ONE EPISODES



1. (1.09) "Threesome" - Kevin Conway first appears as the firm's senior partner, Jonas Stern, who is defended by Alicia after he is arrested. Alicia also has to deal with Amber Madison, the prostitute who had slept with Peter, after the latter appears on a talk show.





2. (1.22) "Hybristophilia" - Dylan Baker makes his second appearance as Colin Sweeney, Alicia's wealthy client who is discovered by her, handcuffed to a dead woman.





3. (1.04) "Fixed" - Alicia suspects jury tampering has occurred in a class action suit against a drug company. In a second story line, Peter prepares for his appeal and Alicia is asked to testify on his behalf.­





4. (1.13) "Bad" - Dylan Baker made his first appearance as Colin Sweeney, a wealthy, immoral client of Alicia's; whose innocence she questions in the death of his wife.





5. (1.02) "Stripped" - Alicia and Will represent a stripper who had been raped at a bachelor party by the groom, a man from a wealthy Chicago family. Also, Alicia confronts Peter about his indiscretions and the kids find doctored photos of Peter’s indiscretions, but hide them from her.­

"The Power of One" [PG-13] - 7/20

"THE POWER OF ONE"

PART VII

While Cole busied himself with putting the finishing touches to the Lamb Kidneys Madeira that he had prepared, Andre entered the penthouse's kitchen. "Is everything ready?" the latter asked.

"Yeah," Cole replied. He picked up the platter of lamb kidneys and carried it over to the dining table. Andre placed a dish of Artichokes Bernaise on the table, next to the kidneys. "I only hope this doesn't get cold, before the ladies arrive."

Andre shook his head in disbelief. "Man, how in the hell did you find the time to prepare all of this?"

"Left the office, early." Cole's eyes closely examined the table's settings. He spotted one of the knives out of place and corrected the mistake. "Don't worry about Cecile. I had dropped her off at Macy's downtown for some shopping. Olivia should have picked her up, by now."

Andre shot back, "I didn't ask."

"Yet." Cole glanced at his friend. "So, how was your day?"

The houngan's mouth opened momentarily. Then he shut it. "Oh, what the hell!" he finally said. "I've already told Olivia and her grandmother."

Cole frowned. "Told them what?"

A brief pause followed, before Andre declared with a smile, "I plan to ask Cecile to marry me."

After Cecile's revelation of her plans to dump Andre, Cole realized that his friend's news came as a great surprise. The half-daemon stared at his friend with a stunned expression. "Say that . . . Are you serious? You really plan to marry Cecile?"

"Well, if she accepts my proposal." Andre sighed. "I know. You're a bit surprised. To be honest, I've been thinking of marrying her ever since Bruce and Barbara's wedding. But . . . okay, maybe I was a little afraid over how she would react. You know Cecile. She tends to keep her feelings to herself, sometimes."

Cole murmured, "No kidding."

Andre stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

The other man continued, "Anyway, I wasn't sure if Cecile might be interested in marriage. She always seemed so independent, sometimes. You know - 'me against the world'." Andre frowned. "God, I hope I'm wrong."

Cole replied before he could think otherwise, "Don't worry. You're not."

Once more, Andre stared at the half-daemon. Hard. "Now, what in the hell did you mean by that?"

Realizing that he had nearly broke Cecile's confidence, Cole shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just . . . Never mind."

"No, you were about to say something about Cecile. What?"

Cole muttered a silent oath. For once in his life, he had failed to keep his big mouth shut. Perhaps he was growing soft in his increasing age. He took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know how to tell you this. But . . . Cecile plans to break up with you."

"What?" Disbelief shone in Andre's eyes.

"She plans to break up with you," Cole repeated. "Cecile's tired of being a girlfriend. She told me that she wants . . . more. Something better. She then told me that what she really wanted was . . ." The doorbell rang. Cole turned away. "Huh, looks like they're here." He walked over to the door.

Andre cried out, "Hey! What exactly does she want?"

But Cole barely heard his friend's words. Opening the door, he found Olivia and Cecile standing in the hallway - dressed for dinner. "Ladies," he politely greeted. "Dinner is ready."

Both women nodded mutely and entered the penthouse. Judging from their expressions, neither seemed to be in a positive mood. Cecile wore a sullen expression. And Olivia looked as if someone had stunned her with a cattle prod. Cole shot a quick glance at Andre and noticed that the latter did not look any happier. The half-daemon sighed. It promised to be a long and difficult night.

-----------

Daley closed the book on her kitchen table, with an air of satisfaction. Then she held up the amulet that hung around her neck. She had no idea that the object she now possessed, held so much power. The amulet had been created by a dominion spirit named Caspiel. According to the book she had just finished reading, Caspiel's amulet blocked the magical and psychic abilities of all beings - aside from fellow dominion spirits. Caspiel had also created a dagger that could kill any being - magical or otherwise with a mere stab wound. That is . . . any being aside from a dominion spirit or deity. Apparently, Caspiel had lost track of both the amulet and the dagger, a long time ago. Daley wondered if he still existed.

The amulet did present one problem. Olivia McNeill had spotted it. And seemed very curious, when Daley tried her level best to make sure that she did not have a chance to examine. The sorceress realized that she had to do something about that. Killing the witch seemed out of the question. At least for the moment. However, replacing the amulet with another that bore a strong resemblance seems like a possible solution. Not only would Daley be able to fake out the curious witch, she could hide the genuine amulet in a pocket.

A quick glance at the calendar on the kitchen wall told Daley that the half-moon would arrive on the day after tomorrow. She had everything needed to perform the ritual - except for one item. A strand or two of Wyatt Halliwell's hair from his hairbrush should do the trick.

Once she manages to acquire the infant's powers, one last task was needed to complete the ritual. Namely the baby's death. Daley winced inwardly at the idea of killing a nine month-old baby. But it had to be done. With Wyatt still alive, the danger of someone reversing the ritual would remain constant. Especially since the baby's mother happened to be acquainted with a Vodoun priest and priestess. The moment she finally possess the infant's powers, Daley would have to kill Wyatt. The only question remained was . . . how.

------------

Cole woke up the following morning with great reluctance. He would prefer to remain in bed. Especially after last night's near disastrous dinner. But he had a job to deal with. And there was the conversation that he and Andre needed to finish.

Hardly a soul had exchanged a word, last night. Except to praise Cole's cooking. Or comment about some recent incident - like Cecile's business deal with the McNeills or the latest demonic attack upon Wyatt Halliwell. Olivia had brought up the subject of Wyatt's new nanny, but one glare from Cecile had ended the topic. Yet, not once did anyone discuss the cause of the tension that had sprung up between the two couples. With emotions seemingly at the breaking point, no one dared.

Once Olivia and Cecile had left, Cole had intended to finish his conversation with Andre. Only, the houngan decided that he needed a breath of fresh air and left for a walk. By the time he had returned, Cole was fast asleep.

After the half-daemon took his morning shower and dressed for work, he went into one of the guest bedrooms to talk with Andre. Only the houngan was nowhere to be found. Either the latter had failed to return from his walk. Or Andre had left early to avoid another conversation. Cole heaved a frustrated sigh and continued to finish preparing for work. After gathering his trench coat and suitcase, he beamed to the floor below the penthouse and rang the doorbell to Olivia's apartment.

The redhead immediately opened the door. "Hi," she greeted quietly.

"Hi." Cole flashed a brief smile before exchanging a light kiss with Olivia. "Is Cecile ready?"

Olivia's expression became strained. "She will be in a few minutes." Then she stepped aside, and allowed Cole to enter the apartment. Once she closed the door, she added, "Uh . . . I realize that it seemed a bit tense at dinner, yesterday. And the reason is that Cecile had told me some weird ass news. It seems she plans to break . . ."

". . . break up with Andre," Cole grimly finished. Olivia's green eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, she told me the day before yesterday."

"What? You mean to say that she told you first?"

Cole sighed. "Olivia, I had noticed that she had been acting weird, so I dragged it out of her." He paused. "And I just told Andre, yesterday."

Shaking her head, Olivia commented, "No wonder he seemed subdued, last night. So much for his plans for a wedding."

"Oh, so he also told you about that?" Cole heaved another sigh. "Hmmm. Well, I guess it won't happen, after all. Just as well, I guess."

Olivia stared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Oh God! "What I mean is . . ." Cole broke off, as Cecile entered the living room.

The New Orleans woman eyed the couple suspiciously. "What's going on with you two?" she demanded.

"Nothing." Cole returned her gaze with an innocent expression. He wondered if the Vodoun priestess knew that he and Olivia had been discussing about her and Andre. "Are you ready?"

Cecile murmured in a morose voice, "Yeah. Let's go." Before she reached the door, she stopped abruptly and glanced around. "By the way," she said with a frown, "where's Andre?"

"He wasn't in his room, when I woke up," Cole answered. "I guess he decided to head for Olivia's shop a little early."

Olivia added, "It's possible. He has a key."

Cecile sniffed. "Hmmm. Well, let's go." She started toward the door. Cole followed. "See you, Livy."

As he followed Cecile into the hallway, Cole overheard Olivia's voice. "I'll call around lunch." But Cecile was already halfway down the corridor.

----------

A quick glance at the radio clock on her night table told Phoebe that it was thirty-seven minutes past eight, this morning. And that she was running late. She bit back a frustrated sigh and continued to dress. Since it seemed obvious that she would not make it to the office on time, she might as well not bother to rush.

Once she finished dressing, the middle Charmed One picked up her purse and briefcase, and left her bedroom. She marched along the hallway, when she heard humming from one of the bedrooms. From Wyatt's nursery. Phoebe decided that a quick good-bye kiss to her nephew would not hurt. She peeked inside the room and found Wyatt fully awake and playing with a red ball inside his crib. The new nanny sat in a nearby chair, fiddling with Wyatt's hairbrush.

"Good morning!" Phoebe cheerfully greeted.

Ms. Thompson - or Donna, as she preferred to be called - glanced up with a gasp on her lips. "Oh! Uh . . . good morning. Um . . . don't you usually leave a little earlier?"

"I'm running a bit late, this morning." Phoebe strode into the nursery. "That's a nice tune you were humming. I've never heard it, before."

Donna's shoulders sagged with relief. Curious. "Oh that," she replied. "It's just an old tune that my mama used to sing to me. I think it goes back to the time of slavery."

"Oh . . . uh, how . . ." Nearly at a loss for words, Phoebe finished lamely, "how historic. Huh. Oh well. I . . . I just wanted to say good-bye to Wyatt." She approached the crib and lifted her nephew from the crib and into her arms. Then she rocked him for a few seconds, before planting a light kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you later, young man," she said in a baby voice. Phoebe returned Wyatt to inside his crib and turned to Donna. "I guess I'll be seeing you later."

The nanny responded with a polite nod. Phoebe headed for the door. For some unexplainable reason, she paused and glanced behind her. And saw Donna remove a strand of hair from Wyatt's brush and place it on . . . something. A handkerchief? A piece of paper? Suspicion welled within the Charmed One. What did Donna want with . . .?

"Phoebe!" Piper's voice cried from downstairs. "Let's go! You're already ten minutes late!"

Donna glanced up. Phoebe shot the nanny a quick smile and disappeared into the hallway. The Charmed One found her older sister in the foyer, donning a suede jacket. "Well, it's about time!" Piper grumbled. "Next time, learn to set your clock before you go to bed. What the hell happened to you, this morning?"

A breathless Phoebe reached for her coat. "It's nothing. I . . ." Memories of Donna's actions continued to tug at her thoughts. "Piper, are you sure that you did the right thing in hiring Donna?"

Piper frowned at the younger woman. "What? Did you have a premonition or something?"

"No, I . . ." Phoebe hesitated, before she proceeded to tell her sister what she had witnessed just a few minutes ago.

A mixture of disbelief and scorn filled Piper's dark eyes. "C'mon Phoebe! You've got to be kidding! You're suspicious of Donna, because she was cleaning Wyatt's hairbrush?"

"I think she was placing his hair in a handkerchief, or a napkin or something," Phoebe indignantly shot back. "Don't you find that strange?" She donned her coat.

"No. But I do thank her for being neat," Piper sarcastically replied. "Phoebe, has it ever occurred to you that she was preventing Wyatt's hair from falling on the floor?"

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but could not find an argument to Piper's suggestion. "I guess not."

"Okay honey," Piper said, patting Phoebe's shoulder. "You've had your shot at being Nancy Drew for the day. It's time for you to be 'Dear Phoebe'. Let's get to work."

A sigh left Phoebe's mouth, as she followed her older sister out of the door.

-----------

The moment that Phoebe Halliwell's figure disappeared from the doorway, Daley heaved a heartfelt sigh of relief. Talk about close call! For a moment, she feared that the amulet no longer worked on the seer.

She overheard the front door slam shut. The sorceress smiled and resumed her task. After removing the last strand of hair from Wyatt's brush, she placed it on the handkerchief in her lap. Then she folded the piece of cloth and placed it, inside her purse.

Daley's smile stretched wider. Mission accomplished.


END OF PART VII

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY", the new adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the movie stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley: 


"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

"LOST" (2004-2010): Favorite Character Centric Episodes - Part III

Below is Part III of a list of my favorite episodes featuring "LOST" characters:



"LOST" (2004-2010): FAVORITE CHARACTER CENTRIC EPISODES - Part III


Claire Littleton



1. (1.10) "Raised By Another" - Claire endures a series of bad dreams of someone attacking her, which leads to Hurley checking the plane's passenger list. Flashbacks reveals Claire's discovery of her pregnancy and a psychic urging her not to hand over the baby for adoption.




2. (2.15) "Maternity Leave" - When Aaron becomes sick, Claire, Kate and Danielle Rousseau travel to where Claire was held captive, an abandoned Dharma medical station, in the hope of finding a cure. Flashbacks reveal her memories of being a captive of the Others.





John Locke



1. (3.13) "The Man From Tallahassee" - Locke, Sayid, and Kate encounter the Others' homes for the first time and find Jack relatively happy amongst them. Flashbacks reveal how an encounter with his father left Locke paralyzed.




2. (5.07) "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" - This episode featured Locke's efforts to reunite the Oceanic Six and return them to the island.




3. (1.04) "Walkabout" - Locke leads an expedition to hunt boars, which leads to his first encounter with the Smoke Monster. Flashbacks reveal that he was in a wheelchair before Oceanic 815's crash.




4. (1.19) "Ex Deus Machina" - While searching for a means to open the hatch, Locke discovers that he is losing sensation in his legs. And both he and Boone find a Beechcraft 18 teetering on the edge of a cliff. Flashbacks reveal Locke's first meetings with his parents.





Charlie Pace



1. (3.21) "Greatest Hits" - Desmond Hume has another vision of Charlie's death, but this time his death ultimately will result in Claire's rescue. Meanwhile, the survivors discover that an attack by the others is even more imminent than originally expected.




2. (1.15) "Homecoming" - Claire is back among the survivors, but still has no memory beyond the plane flight. Ethan confronts Charlie, threatening to kill the other castaways one by one until he gets Claire back, leading the former rock star to take action. In his flashbacks, Charlie tries to get drug money by stealing from a rich girl.





Hugo "Hurley" Reyes



1. (4.01) "The Beginning of the End" - Upon learning that Penny Widmore did not send the freighter to find Desmond, the survivors of Oceanic 815 split into two groups led by Jack and Locke. Hurley deals with being one of the "Oceanic Six" survivors in the flashforwards.




2. (1.18) "Numbers" - Hurley finds that some of Rousseau's documents contain the repeated numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42; the same numbers that he had used to win a lottery jackpot. Hurley sets off on his own to find Rousseau.





Jack Shephard



1. (3.22-3.23) "Through the Looking Glass" - Jack's plans to kill a group of Others bent on kidnapping some of the castaway women backfire. The episode also featured scenes of Jack spiraling in drugs and alcohol during his off-island life.




2. (6.14) "The Candidate" - Sawyer and Jack hatch a plan to divert the Man in Black's attention and leave the island without him on Widmore's submarine, but disastrous consequences await them. In the flash sideways, Jack investigates the cause of Locke's paralysis and offers treatment.




3. (1.11) "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" - Jack, Kate, Locke and Boone engaged in a search for Claire and Charlie, who had been kidnapped by Other spy Ethan Rom.




4. (2.11) "The Hunting Party" - Jack leads an expedition to search for Michael, who has left to find the kidnapped Walt. Flashbacks revealed the last days of Jack's marriage.

"The Power of One" [PG-13] - 6/20

"THE POWER OF ONE"

PART VI

The moment Chris orbed into the Halliwells' living room, the doorbell rang. Several seconds passed, but no member of the family appeared to answer the door. Again, it rang. This time, Chris decided to open the door himself.

The whitelighter found a tall, brown-skinned woman standing in the doorway. She smiled politely. "Hi. I'm Donna Thompson. Piper Halliwell had hired me as a nanny, yesterday."

"Oh! Uh . . ." Chris hesitated, wondering how to introduce himself. "I'm, uh . . . I'm Chris. Chris Perry. A friend of the family."

Ms. Thompson's smile widened. "Really? May I come in?"

"Uh . . ."

Piper suddenly appeared and shook Ms. Thompson's hand. "Hi! Donna! Glad you could make it." She pushed Chris aside. "Come on in." The newly hired nanny entered the manor. "You're early," the Charmed One continued. "It's only twenty minutes to eight."

"I guess I'm a bit too eager, this morning," the other woman replied sheepishly. "Nerves."

The oldest Charmed One frowned at Chris. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't know that he was here?" Ms. Thompson asked, looking slightly confused.

Sighing, Piper replied, "Uh, not really. You see . . ."

"I had let myself in," Chris added, hoping to save Piper an explanation of his status.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Chris is my whitelighter. He's also my sisters' whitelighter."

"Oh! Like your guardian angel, or something," Ms. Thompson said, staring at Chris. "Never met one, before."

Stunned by Piper's revelation, Chris stared at her. "Wait! You told her about me?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Chris!" Piper protested. "She knows I'm a witch. I know that she's a Voudon priestess. And she knows about Wyatt. I don't see any reason to keep you a secret."

Annoyed by Piper's lack of discretion, Chris fumed in silence. Meanwhile, the other two Charmed Ones appeared on the staircase. "Was that the doorbell?" Paige asked. Both she and Phoebe were dressed for work.

Chris watched as Piper introduced them to the newcomer. "Guys, this is Wyatt's new nanny - Donna Thompson. Donna, these are my sisters, Phoebe and Paige."

Ms. Thompson shook Paige's hand. "Nice to meet you." Then she hesitated, before shaking Phoebe's hand. "I'm a big fan of yours," she added. "I've read your column in the BAY-MIRROR. In fact, one of my friends had written a letter to you, over a year ago."

Phoebe smiled happily. "Thanks. It's nice to meet a fan. I'd talk a little more, but I have to get to work."

Nodding, Ms. Thompson said, "Of course." She continued to smile, as Phoebe and Paige headed for the front door. Chris noticed that the Voodoo woman's shoulders sagged with relief. Only, what would she be relieved about?

After the two younger sisters left, Piper turned to the new nanny. "Well, let's get acquainted with your new charge, shall we?" She led Ms. Thompson toward the staircase. Chris followed. As they turned the corner, Piper paused, and frowned at the whitelighter. "Where are you going? Shouldn't you be leaving now?"

"But I just got here," Chris insisted.

"Chris . . ." Piper hesitated. Then she sighed. "Never mind." She continued upstairs, with Ms. Thompson and Chris in her wake. Once they reached the nursery on the second floor, the trio found Wyatt playing with his toys, inside his crib. "There he is," Piper cooed. "Hel-lo honey!" She smiled at the infant, as he gurgled at the sight of his mother.

Every time Chris saw mother and son together, he found it difficult to reconcile the happy infant with the grown man from his future. How could it even be possible that Wyatt would . . .

Piper lifted her infant son from the crib. She carried him over to Ms. Thompson. "Hey Wyatt, remember Donna? You met her yesterday. She's going to be your new nanny!"

Wyatt regarded the other woman with curious eyes. Ms. Thompson smiled at him. "Hi Wyatt," she said cheerfully. "Remember me? It's nice to see you, again." The baby responded with silence.

"Maybe he doesn't remember you," Chris added. The two women stared at him. He decided to remain silent.

Ms. Thompson said to Piper, "May I?" Chris held his breath, as the witch handed over her son to the other woman. Then the nanny bounced the baby in her arms for several seconds. Chris let out a gust of breath, as Wyatt began to laugh.

"Well, it's nice to see that he still likes you," Piper commented.

The nanny smiled. "Yeah. For a moment there, I was worried." While Wyatt began to play with the buttons on her blouse, she continued, "Uh, is there a schedule for Wyatt, while you're away? You know, his meals and naps."

"Yeah." Piper paused, as she stared at the whitelighter. "Do you mind, Chris? This is business. I'll meet you, downstairs."

Chris hesitated. Then, "Um, yeah. Okay. I'll . . . uh, I'll be downstairs." He left the nursery and reluctantly returned downstairs. Several minutes passed before Piper joined him in the living room. "Where's Ms. Thompson?" he asked.

"Doing her job," Piper curtly replied. "Now, what do you want?"

Chris informed her that the Elders were pleased that the Charmed Ones had managed to vanquish the demonic shape shifter. "It turns out that he was an assassin and they would like you to find out who had hired him."

"As it so happens, it was Donna who helped me vanquish him, not Phoebe and Paige."

Surprised by the news, Chris nearly became speechless. "Oh. Uh . . ."

Piper continued, "As for finding out who had hired him, I'm just as interested in that little tidbit as the Elders. So, you can go back and tell them. Now, if you don't mind . . . good-bye."

Chris stared long and hard at her. "Look, I realize that you guys still resent that I had replaced Leo as your whitelighter. But it's not my fault that he had decided to . . ."

"Good-bye Chris." Piper glared at him.

A sigh left the young whitelighter's mouth. He got the message. After shooting Piper a wry smile, he orbed out of the house.

---------

Inside Olivia's new store, Andre lifted a dagger from one of the glass display cases and held it up in the air. "Hmmm. Interesting. And very beautiful." The dagger's hilt had been carved from silver. It was also studded with polished gems.

"Do you recognize it?" the elderly Mrs. McNeill asked.

With a shake of his head, Andre replied, "Nope. Looks like . . ." He paused, as he spotted an insignia on the hilt's bottom. "Huh."

Mrs. McNeill frowned. "What?"

"Do you recognize the insignia on the bottom?" He displayed the bottom of the dagger's hilt to the elderly witch.

Softly, Mrs. McNeill exclaimed, "Dear God and Goddess! That's . . ." Andre placed the dagger on the counter, while she reached for a book on sorcery called 'The Lemegeton' that she had brought from home. "That's the mark of a dominion spirit named Caspiel. Very powerful. And I'm sure that you're familiar with dominion spirits.

Nodding, Andre replied, "Oh yeah. An immortal more powerful than daemons like Cole and Leo. Don't they rule over other daemons, including the Elders and the old Source? I also know that they are responsible for the cosmic order, and for maintaining a balance or something. I wonder how the shop's previous owner got his hands on this dagger. Which element is he supposed to be the great spirit of?"

"Fire," the elderly witch replied. "Which is why I won't touch it. There's also a medallion or amulet that belonged to Caspiel. Fortunately, it hasn't been seen in ages."

Andre let out a low whistle. "Definitely something that should remain locked up." He and Mrs. McNeill continued to examine the other daggers inside the case. Then they moved on to another - one filled with jewelry. After examining a pair of earrings and a necklace, Andre picked up a ring. It was a small, silver ring with a turquoise stone in the center. Andre could not help but feel that the ring would fit perfectly around Cecile's finger.

Mrs. McNeill glanced at it. "Very lovely. Looks like it had been made in the 17th century. I can tell by the design."

"Yeah, it is nice." Andre continued to examine it. "Do you think it has any magical properties or . . .?"

"Do you see anything odd on it? A symbol or writing?

Andre used a magnifying glass to examine the ring more closely. Other than a phrase in French on the inside that translated into "Love forever", he could find anything out of the ordinary. And said so. "You know, this would make a great engagement ring for Cecile. Don't you think so?"

Mrs. McNeill nodded. "Definitely. Why don't you go ahead and buy it?"

A quick glance at the ring's price tag revealed that it cost nearly two hundred dollars. It seemed pretty cheap for a piece of jewelry over three hundred years old. "I guess I will," he said. Andre imagined the expression on Cecile's face, when he finally presented the ring to her. And smiled.

-------------

Olivia and Cecile climbed the manor's stoop, before the former rang the doorbell. "Just a minute!" a voice bellowed from inside. Over a minute passed before the front door swung open, revealing Paige. She greeted the two friends and ushered them inside the house. "So guys, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick up a certain item that you were supposed to return to me," Olivia coolly replied. "Like my dragon brooch?"

Paige dark eyes reflected a touch of guilt. "Oh! Oh yeah. I was supposed to drop it off, yesterday. Wasn't I?"

A smile touched Olivia's lips. "I believe so."

The Charmed One led the two visitors toward the kitchen. "Would you mind if I hold on to it, a little longer?"

Olivia heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Yes Paige, I would mind. You've had it for nearly a week, now. I don't know if you realize this, but you've developed a habit of borrowing a lot of my stuff. I get the feeling that I'm becoming some kind of pawn shop on legs to you."

"Oh come on, Livy! I'm not that bad." Paige turned to Cecile for support. "Right?"

A 'don't look at me' expression appeared on Cecile's face.

The three women entered the kitchen, where they found a strange woman plopping a baby's bottle into a saucepan. The woman glanced at the newcomers, while Paige made the introductions. "Guys, this is Wyatt's new nanny - Donna Thompson. Donna, these are friends of mine - Olivia McNeill and Cecile Dubois."

Both Olivia and Cecile shook hands with the nanny. The redhead noticed that Ms. Thompson had hesitated, before grasping their hands. Interesting. The nanny asked, "Are you two witches, like Paige and her sisters?"

At first, Olivia seemed astounded by the woman's question. Until she remembered Cecile and Cole's account of yesterday's events - "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "You're the one who helped Piper fight off that daemon! Right?"

Ms. Thompson nodded. "Yeah. I, uh . . . I've had similar encounters before. With daemons. I'm a . . . a mambo. A Voudon priestess."

Olivia smiled, as she patted Cecile's shoulder. "Small world! So is Cecile. And you were right about me. I am a witch."

A chuckle escaped from Ms. Thompson's mouth. "I'm beginning to feel even more at home. You can call me Donna, by the way."

"I better get that brooch," Paige said with a sigh. Cecile, who expressed a need to visit the bathroom, followed her out of the kitchen.

Once they were alone, Olivia asked Donna, "So, where exactly is home? Here in San Francisco?"

"Oakland," Donna quickly replied. Olivia noticed that her fingers automatically began to finger a leather strap hanging around her neck. "But I've been living in San Francisco for the last three or four years. Expensive."

Olivia's eyes narrowed. "Is that a necklace around your neck?"

"Huh?" Donna's hand immediately dropped to her side. "Oh. Uh . . . yeah."

"May I see it?"

For a brief moment, anxiety flashed in Donna's eyes. And Olivia wondered why. "Oh . . . uh, sure." The nanny - very slowly - began to remove the leather thong from around her neck. Olivia saw that it held an amulet.

Paige entered the kitchen, holding a small red velvet box. "Okay," she said, "here's your brooch. But . . . are you sure that you want it . . .?"

At that moment, Donna dropped her amulet. Both she and Olivia kneeled to pick it up. The nanny's hand reached the amulet first. Before she could snatch it from the floor, Olivia managed a quick peek.

"Olivia, about that brooch," Paige insisted. "Are you sure that you won't change your mind and let me use it a little longer?"

Olivia forgot about the new nanny and the amulet, as she turned her attention to the Charmed One. "No Paige, I won't. Why don't you buy your own brooch? In fact, I'm sure you have a few nice pieces of jewelry, upstairs."

Paige sighed. "Yeah, but I love your brooch."

"Well, find one that looks like it. I'll see if I can get you a nice discount."

After handing over the brooch to Olivia, Paige retorted, "I'll hold you to your promise."

Cecile returned to the kitchen. "Did you get your brooch back?" she asked Olivia.

The redhead nodded. "Yeah. I . . ." Her eyes caught Donna tucking the amulet behind her blouse. Then the nanny removed the baby bottle from the saucepan. Suspicion of the other woman reasserted itself. "Yeah," Olivia slowly replied. "I did."

"Good. Let's go. I had a small lunch, today. And I'm looking forward to Cole's dinner."

Paige's face perked with interest. "Cole's cooking dinner?"

Cecile nodded. "Yeah." She turned to Donna and held out her hand. When she noticed that the other woman's hands were full, she smiled politely. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope we get to meet again, before I leave San Francisco."

Donna smiled at Cecile. "Same here." Then she faced Olivia. "And it was nice meeting you, too."

"Yeah. Keep up the good work." Olivia gave Donna a quick nod. Then both she and Cecile said good-bye to Paige, before leaving the kitchen. Once they were earshot from the youngest Halliwell and the nanny, Olivia commented, "You know, there's something odd about her. Wyatt's new nanny."

Cecile rolled her eyes. "Really? Don't you ever stop being a cop?"

"I'm serious! There's something odd about her." The two women left the manor. As they descended the stoop, Olivia continued, "You should have seen the way she had reacted, when she dropped this amulet that was around her neck."

"It's probably some kind of good luck piece for her," Cecile muttered. "Can you blame the woman? She had just recently survived a daemonic attack."

Olivia added, "And that's another thing . . ." The two friends reached Olivia's BMW. They climbed inside the convertible.

Cecile leaned back against the passenger seat with a sigh. "What other thing?"

Olivia hesitated before she finally continued, "I don't know. Why would any woman even bother to accept the job of Wyatt's nanny, after what happened? I realize that she's also a magic practitioner. But Piper wasn't even able to hold on to some elfin nanny, after an attack on Wyatt. It just doesn't make any . . ."

"Good grief, Olivia!" Cecile cried out. "Could you please give it a rest?"

Startled by her friend's outburst, Olivia stared at the Vodoun priestess. "Excuse me?"

Cecile continued to rant. "Why do you always let your paranoia get the best of you? So what if . . . Donna had accepted the job? The woman is a mambo. A Vodoun priestess, and obviously an experienced magic practitioner. And considering that she even bothered to answer Piper's ad only tells me that she was desperate for the job. So, please! Give it a rest!"

A long pause followed, as Olivia switched on the convertible's engine. "Jeez," she finally muttered. "Who stuck a crowbar up your ass?"

"Meaning?"

Olivia guided the convertible away from the curb and proceeded to drive it down Prescott Street. "Meaning, you've been acting like Miss Broodmeister of 2003, since you got here. What the hell is the matter?"

A large sigh - her third - left Cecile's mouth. "I'm . . ." She paused. Then, "I'm thinking of breaking up with Andre. And I don't know how to tell him."

Stunned by her friend's revelation, Olivia shot a surprised look at the other woman. Seconds before she managed to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming green van.


END OF PART VI