"THE PACIFIC" (2010) - Episode One "Guadalcanal I" Commentary

"THE PACIFIC" (2010) - Episode One "Guadalcanal I" Commentary

Last Sunday saw the premiere of the 10-part miniseries, "THE PACIFIC"; which is produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman.

The miniseries focuses upon the lives and experiences of three U.S. Marines who fought in the Pacific Theater - writer Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), war hero John Basilone (Jon Seda) and professor/writer Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazello).

This first episode featured the three men's reaction to the attack upon Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Basilone is already a one-year veteran of the Marines around this time, as he says good-bye to his family. Leckie joins the Marines about a month after the Hawaii attack and forms a friendship with a local girl named Vera before saying good-bye to his father. And Sledge is forced to realize that his heart murmur will prevent him from joining the Marines with his friend and neighbor, Sid Phillips (Ashton Holmes). Not long after this opening, both Leckie and Basilone find themselves being shipped out to deal with the Japanese threat on Guadalcanal. Most of the episode focuses upon Leckie and Phillips' early experiences on Guadalcanal. By the end of the episode, Basilone and the 5th Marines regiment have arrived.

If there is one thing I can say, "THE PACIFIC" is definitely different from 2001's "BAND OF BROTHERS". But I guess I expected it to be. One thing, this episode made it clear that there will be scenes featuring the three characters' experiences on the home front and amongst other civilians. That scene between Leckie saying good-bye to his father at the bus depot was very interesting - especially with the writer dealing with his father's reluctance to say good-bye. And it was interesting to watch Sledge deal with his frustration at being unable to join up, due to his heart murmur. I found myself wondering if he had any idea what he would experience during the war's later years, would he be so frustrated.

The main difference between "THE PACIFIC" and "BAND OF BROTHERS" is that the latter was mainly a retelling of the experience of an Army company, with an officer as the series' main character. I think that "THE PACIFIC" is being presented in a way that is similar to the 2000 movie, "TRAFFIC" or the 2005 movie, "CRASH" . . . in which the same topic is presented from different perspectives. In this case, the miniseries is from the viewpoints of three men who DID NOT serve in combat together. And yet, there are connections between them. Leckie served in the same Marine company as Sledge's best friend, Phillips. Both Leckie and Basilone fought on Guadalcanal and have a brief encounter with one another at the end of Episode One. And later, we will see both Leckie and Sledge fight in another campaign together - Peleliu. I only hope that many people will understand and learn to accept the fact that "THE PACIFIC" has a different style of storytelling than "BAND OF BROTHERS".

By the way, I want to say a few last things. I must say that the action in this episode was amazing, along with the jungle setting. And the birthday tune that Leckie and the other Marines sang to Phillips was not only funny, but had an ominous aura as well. Well done. Well done.

"FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" (2010) Review

"FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" (2010) Review

On the heels of the 2009 action hit, "TAKEN", producer/writer Pierre Morel released another action packer last called "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE". This movie centered around a pair of CIA operatives portrayed by John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers hunting for Islamic terrorists in Paris.

Rhys-Meyers portrayed James Reece, an aide to the U.S. ambassador to France, who also happened to be a low-level CIA operative with duties that include changing cars license plates for field operatives. His constant requests for a promotion to field agent finally led to a senior-level assignment as an escort for a visiting CIA agent named Charlie Wax. The latter was sent by the Agency to investigate a drug ring that may have been indirectly responsible for the death of the Secretary of Defense's niece from a drug overdose. What started as a simply task of getting Charlie cleared by French Customs agents, eventually led to a series of dangerous and sometimes humorous adventures in the French underworld in search of Islamic extremists, planning to destroy the U.S. Embassy in Paris during a summit meeting.

Unlike "TAKEN", producer Luc Besson and director Pierre Morel presented a tale that relied more on comedy and less upon family angst. I must admit that Besson and co-writer Adi Hasak’s screenplay for "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" did not seem all that original. The movie seemed like your typical action flick filled with one-liners, hair-raising stunts and explosions. However, like "TAKEN", the movie did provide plenty of interesting views featuring the steamier side of Paris and some very hilarious moments between Travolta and Rhys-Meyers. I am also grateful that cinematographer Michel Abramowicz’s photography lacked the shaky camera work that has occasionally marred some action films over the past 14 years.

I do have one major problem with this film. Aside from one character, all of its villains – minor or otherwise – came from France’s immigrant population. Wax and Reece encountered criminals of Asian, African and Arabic descent. And although the movie featured one French villain, the character happened to be a recent convert to Islam. At least "TAKEN" featured a corrupt French cop and an equally corrupt American diplomat. Not even "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" can claim this brand of diversity.

Another aspect of "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" proved to be the screen teaming of John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Quite simply, they sizzled - much to my surprise. Travolta’s Charlie Wax bore a strong resemblance to some of his other over-the-top characters that he has portrayed over the years. However, for "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE", Travolta portrayed a protagonist. One of the good guys. Instead of being slightly overbearing, Travolta turned out to be funny as hell. But he was not the only one who provided humor in the movie. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers proved that he could match Travolta in the humor department, as his character James Reece reacted to Wax’s lunacy. And there were several scenes in which he also proved that he could be just as over-the-top as Travolta. Of course, this should not be a surprise, considering Rhys-Meyers' portrayal the extroverted King Henry VIII on Showtime’s "THE TUDORS" for four seasons. My only quibble with his performance was that his American accent seemed ridiculously flat at times.

Would I be inclined to rent or purchase the DVD release of "FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" sometime in the near future? Maybe. Sure. Why not? Granted, I found the movie's portrayal of Paris’ immigrant population rather one-dimensional and borderline offensive. And its plot seemed to lack any originality, whatsoever. But Besson and Hasak wrote a solid story with plenty of action, tension and humor. And Morel’s direction did justice to their screenplay. So, yes . . . reluctantly . . . I would consider renting the DVD version of the movie. After all, it is damn entertaining.

"The Helmsman's Logs - 2374" [PG-13] - 2/2

"THE HELMSMAN'S LOGS - 2374"

PART 2

STARDATE 51463.14:

The Doctor is back, thank God! This means Harry and I don't have to continue our disastrous efforts to create a new EMH. During his time in the Alpha Quadrant, the Doc managed to contact Starfleet. (Pauses) I don't know if that's something to celebrate about, but everyone else seemed to be happy. Especially the Captain and Harry. Starfleet had declared us dead about six months following our disappearance. Now, they know we're alive. Huh. I wonder how Dad took the news.

The Doc had other news, as well. Apparently, a war had broken out in the Alpha Quadrant. The Federation, along with the Klingon Empire have been at war with a Gamma Quadrant race called the Dominion and their allies, the Cardassians, since the end of last year. Also, upon his arrival in the Alpha Quadrant, he had came upon a Starfleet vessel that had been taken over by the Romulans. It seemed the Doc and a new EMH program managed to keep the ship from ending up in Romulan space. I don't want to go into details - especially since the Doc never hesitates to talk about it. Over and over again.

As for the array, it seemed to belong to a race called the Hirogen. Seven, B'Elanna and the Captain had brief contact with one of them, before Seven zapped him into oblivion with a feedback from the array's transmitter. Hmmm, that's the first time B'Elanna has ever expressed any approval toward Seven's actions. End personal log.

STARDATE 51468.06:

It's a miracle that B'Elanna didn't kill me, a few minutes ago. We were supposed to meet for breakfast, around 0700, this morning. Unfortunately, I overslept - thanks to one hell of a nightmare - and she had to wake me up. Since our breakfast turned out to be a bust, we had arranged a new one for Friday night - the Fiji Islands in Holodeck One. The water skiing should be great. End personal log.

STARDATE 51472.83:

Damn aliens! Hell, I don't the name of their species, so I don't what else to call them. Why are we always encountering these aliens who use subtle means to take over the ship? The Bothans, the Nyrians, those aliens who had used us for their . . . medical experiments. And now, this! This waking species or whatever the hell they're called. Thank God for Chakotay! It seems they were the ones responsible for the series of nightmares that the entire crew were experiencing. Fortunately, Chakotay and the Doctor had discovered their homeworld and threatened to blow it up if they didn't shut off the neurogenic field that kept the rest of the crew in a state of lucid dreaming.

Now, I can't sleep. The whole damn episode has left me suffering from insomnia. I wonder if Harry or B'Elanna are awake. End personal log.

STARDATE 51480.04:

I never thought I would see myself giving lessons in Earth slang to a Vulcan. And to Vorik, of all people! I was talking to Liz Jenkins about her recent shuttle lessons, and Vorik had overheard me use the word - cool. The next thing I knew, I found myself explaining the different variations on the word. Oh well, at least Vorik was a willing student. I think he learned his lessons, well. End personal log.

STARDATE 51483.74:

Ah Fiji! B'Elanna was right to choose this program for our date. Granted, I had looked forward to skiing in the Chilean Andes, but water skiing in the South Pacific made a pretty good substitute. Along with B'Elanna in a red bikini. Wow! Let's just say it was a date I will never forget. End personal log.

STARDATE 51498.93:

Voyager had picked up a signal from another one of those Hirogen relay stations. This signal definitely had a Starfleet signature. Harry quickly assumed that Starfleet had found a quick way to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. Even Tuvok seemed to think so. (Sighs) God, I hope they're all wrong. End personal log.

STARDATE 51506.33:

Today has been one of the worst days of my life. In fact, I believe that it has been a bitch for a good number of the crew. And all because of that damn relay station!

We finally came across the station that Harry had detected, two days ago. Apparently, this station was situated near the mouth of a quantum singularity that provided energy to all of the relay stations. The Starfleet signal was actually a series of letters from home. From families and friends of the crew. I heard rumors that Tuvok learned that he had become a grandfather. And Liz Jenkins, one of the pilots under my command, is now an aunt. Harry received a letter from his folks, thank God! He was getting on my nerves with his constant carping about not receiving a letter, during Neelix's rounds. (Sighs) That's not fair. Poor Harry really misses his family a lot. And this trip through the Delta Quadrant has been particularly difficult for him.

But not all of the news was good. Someone told me . . . Neelix, I think . . . that the Captain had received a "Dear John" letter from her fiancé. He had given her up for dead, met someone else and married her. Talk about life being a bitch! No wonder the Captain looked miserable when I saw her reading her letter. And poor Greg Hamilton! He just received word that a cousin of his had become an early casualty in this war against some Gamma Quadrant species called the Dominion. Greg was supposed to be at the helm during the Beta shift, tonight. I decided to replace him with Baytart, instead.

Speaking of the Dominion, it seems they are now the Cardassians' new allies. And the latter used new ships and weapons from the Dominion . . . God, I can't believe this! The Cardies had managed to wipe out the Maquis resistance in the Alpha Quadrant. Talk about bad news. I'm still in shock. Most of them are dead. However, a few of them - like Chakotay's friend, Sveda, are now serving time in a Federation prison. And they are the lucky ones. (Pauses) I discovered this piece of bad news from B'Elanna. (Pauses) While she was downloading a letter from my dad. Talk about bad news arriving in pairs! (Pauses) Yeah, I know it's supposed to come in threes, but who cares?

(Sighs) Maybe this party will help everyone get over the recent bad news. We've also heard about Tuvok and Seven's encounter with a race called the Hirogen. They're the ones who had built the relay stations nearly a millennium ago. From our recent encounter with them, they might prove to be a problem. Many of the crew are also disappointed that the quantum singularity had also destroyed the entire relay system, ending our contact with Starfleet. I hope the party will help B'Elanna recover from the bad news. She had taken the news of the Maquis' destruction pretty hard. As for that letter from the Admiral - it never came through. B'Elanna was able to download Harry's letter before the relay stations' destruction, but not mine. (Sighs) Just as well. A small part of me felt a little disappointed not to hear from Dad. But another part . . . maybe I'm just not ready to hear from him. At least not yet. I don't know. End personal log.

STARDATE 51506.33:

I wish I could say that Neelix's party was a success, but I can't. A lot of us were still in a funk over the news from the Alpha Quadrant. There were a few happy souls like Harry, who had received good news from home. But even their happiness were muted by the destruction of the Hirogen's relay stations. And the fact that the Federation and the Klingon Empire were now at war against the Cardassians and their new allies.

Many of the former Maquis crewmen seemed to be walking around in a daze or in a state of rage. Ken Dalby got pretty drunk and had to be sent back to his quarters. The Captain seemed disoriented. Distracted, is the better word. I guess the rumors about her "Dear John" letter were true. Oh yeah. It has been confirmed that Tuvok is a grandfather, thanks to his oldest son. He didn't seem particularly happy or sad about the occasion. Just being his usual Vulcan self. Or maybe he was concerned about the Hirogen. I don't know.

B'Elanna and I had decided to leave the party early and return to her quarters. Frankly, the whole thing was just too damn depressing. (Pauses) We made love that night, but it . . . I don't know. It just seemed too rough for me. Yeah, we had rough sex before, but I think we were simply using each other to escape our bad moods. And now . . . (Sighs) I feel like some kind of sexual pervert. End personal log.

STARDATE 51569.13:

Ninety minutes! It took me ninety minutes to hunt down a mouse inside Jeffries Tube 32. Which happens to be near B'Elanna's quarters. I think we may have picked up the mouse from the Aldorni Homeworld, where we had stopped for supplies. (Sighs) Who would have thought that a brave and fearless half-Klingon be afraid of a mouse? End personal log.

STARDATE 51604.07:

(Sighs) What a bizarre day this has been! Hamilton went slightly beserk during flight training inside Holodeck Two, today. It seems he got a little carried away with destroying the enemy - namely a holographic Cardassian ship. I had ordered Baytart to take his place at the Helm and Hamilton suddenly became violent. He raved about Voyager being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, while the Federation was busy fighting Cardassians, back home. I thought Henley would joined in - especially since she was an ex-Maquis. But she refrained herself. In the end, I ordered Hamilton to get a hold of himself and leave the Holodeck. He then attacked me, but I managed to knock him out, cold. I had Segasse and Lin carry him back to his quarters. Although I had informed the Captain of the incident, I asked her not to put him on report. She immediately understood that Hamilton was grieving over a relative and agreed. After all, there was no need for him to endure further suffering. End personal log.

STARDATE 51625.59:

Voyager has lost another crewman, today. Ensign Lyndsay Ballard. Apparently, she and Harry were on an Away mission, when their shuttle was attacked by a Hirogen scout ship. Harry managed to get the shuttle away, but not before the Hirogen fired a few shot, severely injuring Ballard in the process. Poor Harry. Not only was she the second crewman to die while on an Away mission with him - the victim happened to be an old Academy friend of his. . . . and a former crush. B'Elanna is also a little shaken over Ballard's death, since the latter had served under her. I had planned to console them both, tonight, but I could see that neither of them was in the mood for company. End personal log.

STARDATE 51653.35:

God, I'm tired! And to think we have more hours of repairs to deal with, thanks to the Hirogen and Species 8472.

Species 8472. Christ! I thought all of them had returned back to fluidic space, after their war with the Borg. But a hunting party of Hirogen came across one who had failed to return home in time. They wounded him . . . it, but apparently not enough. Species 8472 defended itself against the Hirogen crew and nearly killed all of them - except one. Voyager rescued the remaining Hirogen hunter, while Species 8472 made its way aboard ship. Deck Eleven. Engineering. It attacked B'Elanna . . . and three other crewmen. Yet, it didn't kill anyone and B'Elanna and the others were not seriously injured. The Captain allowed our Hirogen guest to join a hunting party for our latest intruder.

So there I was, inside an AVS suite, stalking Species 8472 on Deck Eleven with Chakotay and the Hirogen Alpha. My two companions got into a tetesterone match over who was the superior hunter. I don't think my exploits as a mouse hunter went over well with either man. When we finally found Species 8472, the Hirogen tried to kill it. Chakotay tried to stop him and was attacked. The son-of-a-bitch also shot me. Fortunately, Tuvok got him.

The Captain finally agreed to help Species 8472 to avoid the Hirogen and return home. But Seven had other ideas. So did the other Hirogen ships that suddenly reappeared. They had really inflicted damage on the ship, including both nacelles and the EPS system. Seven then beamed both our Hirogen guest and Species 8472 to one of the other Hirogen ships and we were no longer in danger. A lot of us realized that Seven had saved our lives, but she also condemned that creature to death. Right now, the majority of the crew is pissed. Including the Captain.

As for me - I guess I share the Captain's feelings. A part of me felt relieved to be alive. But our safety had came at the expense of our Species 8472 guest, who simply wanted to return home. The whole incident left a bitter taste in my mouth. In a way, the Captain has to take some of the blame for Seven's actions. She had been so determined to teach Seven about individuality that she failed to point out that Voyager was a military ship with a command structure. The Captain punished Seven by restricting the latter's privileges and access to the ship's primary systems. In my opinion, the Captain should have tossed Seven's ass into the brig. End personal log.

STARDATE 51655.84:

Feelings against Seven are still high amongst the crew. B'Elanna made some comment that the Captain should have dumped Seven on the nearest Class-M planet or send her back to the Borg, when she had the chance. And maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, but I couldn't. I said that if the Captain had done that, she would have been guilty of the same thing, as Seven. Yes, I'm still angry at Seven for her actions, but I also realized that B'Elanna's comment had more to do with her dislike and jealousy of the former Borg. And personally, I was getting sick and tired of her anti-Seven attitude. Anyway, B'Elanna did not say anything. But the look in her eyes told me not to bother visiting her quarters, tonight. To hell with it! I'm not ashamed over what I said. I meant every word of it. End personal log.

STARDATE 51660.72:

It's been two days since B'Elanna and I had stopped talking to each other. But we finally reconciled over lunch, earlier this afternoon. I apologized for my remark. And she apologized for overreacting. We agreed to celebrate our cease-fire with a quiet dinner in her quarters, tonight.

Meanwhile, B'Elanna told me about an incident between Seven and that arms dealer, Koven. Apparently, Seven lost her temper and broke the man's nose when he touched her. Seven claimed that earlier today, Koven had immobilized her and tried to steal some of her nanoprobes. Although he was charged with assault, no one could prove whether he had done it or not. Koven ended up committing suicide before he could . . . (Red Alert Klaxon interrupts) What the hell?

(Chakotay: "Red alert! All hands to battle stations!)

Oh well, I'll finish this another time. End personal log.

STARDATE 51717.23:

The Hirogen have finally left Voyager. Thank God! Actually, they've been gone for at least 12 hours, by now. (Sighs) I can't believe we've been under their control for nearly three weeks! It's a good thing Harry had found a way to disengage our neural interfaces. Or else the Captain would have never been able to start a resistance against our "visitors".

In the end, the Hirogen must have realized their attempt to maintain control of Voyager was futile - to quote the Borg. (Pauses) Perhaps I should start from the beginning. Only I'm not really in the mood to recall what happened. To be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea on what happened during the past three weeks. I guess that comes from being used as a toy for a bunch of aliens bent upon playing war in the holodecks. (Pauses) To hell with it! I need some sleep. End personal log.

STARDATE 51719.82:

God, I am so tired! The repairs on Voyager seemed to go on forever. B'Elanna, Harry and a team of engineers have been removing holo-emitters from Decks Five, Six and Seven. Several of the pilots have been helping me repair both the Helm and the Navigational systems. I also agreed to help Harry repair both holodecks - especially Holodeck One. (Pauses)

The Saint-Claire program has completely gone offline. Several of the crew wanted the damn thing deleted permanently. I'm a little undecided on the subject. It's funny. I've been obsessed with 20th century Earth history for years. I had even managed to express a little enthusiasm to Seven, after our neural interfaces were disengaged. And yet . . . I cannot seem to find the enthusiasm anymore. At least not now. Christ! I'm babbling like an idiot! Maybe dinner with B'Elanna will help. End personal log.

STARDATE 51724.66:

The ship repairs are nearly finished, thank God! We've actually managed to have something close to a normal day, today. Almost. Some of the crew - namely old Starfleeters like Baxter and Murphy - have been complaining about the Captain's decision to hand over holographic technology to the Hirogen, claiming that her action was a breach of Starfleet protocols. Jesus Christ! These "by-the-book" types really get on my nerves! It's not as if the Captain had any choice. It was either make a deal with the Hirogen or continue the fight against them until we all ended up dead.

The Saint-Claire program remains in the computer system. I guess that some of the crew has actually grown fond of it. I can't say that I feel the same. I prefer this new program I have created. It's mainly a garage on Earth, where I can repair a 1969 Camarro and listen to 20th century Rock music from a radio. It's a hell of a lot better than reliving Saint-Claire, circa 1944. The latter only reminds me . . . (Sighs) Hell, I might as well confess. It reminds me of a lot of unpleasant things. Like getting beaten senseless by that damn holographic Nazi, nearly getting killed twice, and (Pauses) seeing B'Elanna pregnant. With another man's child. Okay, I know that the baby wasn't real. And neither was the father. Yet, I still feel uneasy thinking about it. Along with that Nazi pig screaming all over the place about him being the child's father. Christ! My life has really been out of control for the past two-and-a-half months. Considering how I feel right now, I might as well be wearing one of those neural interfaces. End personal log.

STARDATE 51732.91:

I have a feeling that B'Elanna might be pissed at me. And the odd thing is I don't care. When Harry was describing the French Resistance in the Saint-Claire program to her during lunch in the Mess Hall, she began comparing it to the Maquis, back home. Like I needed to be reminded of that. It's bad enough that crewmen like Dalby and Chell have been making similar comparisons. When B'Elanna began comparing the Cardassians to the Nazis, I couldn't take it any longer. In other words, I left. I rather think about my new Camarro program, thank you very much. End personal log.

STARDATE 51739.75:

Oh God! I think I just had one of the worst dreams, ever. The Hirogen were still on Voyager and using us for holographic simulations. Only, instead of being a WWII soldier or a Klingon warrior, I was myself - Tom Paris. Only this Tom happened to be a Starfleet officer back in the Alpha Quadrant, with a successful career in the Command track, a perfect wife (with B'Elanna's human face), who was pregnant with the perfect child. In the dream, I found myself commanding a starship battling against the Cardassians. Two of the Cardassian officers appeared on the Bridge's view screen . . . and transformed into the Admiral himself, beaming with parental pride; and Captain Janeway looking rather smug and satisfied. And that was when I woke up in a sweat. (Pauses) Christ! Talk about a personal horror story. Oh God, it's only past midnight and I'm fully awake. Maybe a trip to Holodeck Two will help me relax. End personal log.

STARDATE 51752.24:

If one more person asks me how I'm feeling, I swear I am going to space myself out of sheer relief. Chakotay has asked me. So has Harry. Baytart complained that I've been neglecting the division. Maybe he feels he can do better. B'Elanna nearly blew her top when I broke our date. For the fifth time, according to her. And the Doctor has been hounding me about missing my shifts in Sick Bay. Hell, if he's that unsatisfied with my work, perhaps he should request someone from the Science Division to act as his Chief Medical Assistant. There are plenty of candidates.

(Sighs) God, I just feel like I'm trapped, sometimes. If the Admiral could see me now, he would be thrilled that his wayward son is finally becoming the perfect Starfleet officer he had dreamed about. Living up to the Paris name. He would probably give Janeway a medal for accomplishing what he had failed to do. Thank God for my new holodeck program! It's a hell of lot better than trying to be the perfect Starfleet officer. End personal log.

STARDATE 51754.9:

We have a new visitor aboard Voyager. His name is Steth. He's a Benthan test pilot, whose ship we had to stabilize after he had jumped out of warp. It seems that he was testing a vessel that used a coaxial warp drive. I've heard about it at the Academy, but I never thought I would see one in person.

Steth seems like a pleasant guy. And since we happened to be fellow pilots, I thought it would be great to help him repair his ship . . . and learn how his species managed to utilize the coaxial warp drive. Fortunately, Chakotay gave me permission. Unfortunately that would mean breaking another date with B'Elanna. And she did not take the news very well. End personal log.

STARDATE 51763.84:

(Sighs) Hell, I don't know how to begin this log entry. The last few days have really been bizarre. Steth turned out to be a DNA thief, who not only steals individuals' DNA to assume forms, but also deposits his or her current genetic material into the victims. Only, it wasn't really Steth who had stolen my DNA.

After I had awakened on Steth's ship and in his body - I met the real Steth. The latter happened to be trapped in the body of a female alien named Daelen. In other words, it was Daelen - in Steth's body - who had first appeared on Voyager. According to Steth, he had first met Daelen at a space station several light years aways. Daelen pretended to be an admirer of him - giving her the chance to steal his body. And Steth had been trapped in Daelen's body ever since.

Steth and I eventually caught up with Voyager and captured Daelen - who had, by then, assumed the Captain's identity. Sound confusing. I suspect that many of us were confused. It seemed a miracle that the Doc had managed to restore all of us to our rightful bodies. He added that there is a good chance that Daelen might not be the true identity of the DNA thief. Steth should be on his way back to the Benthan system, to deliver Daenen to the authorities. I hope that he makes it back without any mishaps. End personal log.

LOG SUPPLEMENTAL:

B'Elanna and I finally had a talk about recent events. And I'm not just talking about Steth and Daelen. I showed her my Grease Monkey program in Holodeck Two, and told her the reason behind my recent odd behavior.

I finally realized that it all began with the letters from home. Contacting with Starfleet had bothered me a lot more than I had realized. I had been happy with my life aboard Voyager, and viewed our communication with the Federation as a threat to that happiness. The Captain, Harry and many others might view the Alpha Quadrant as home. I don't. Not anymore. For me, the Federation is nothing but a symbol of most of the unhappiness in my life - from being Dad's little protégée during my childhood, to the problems I had endured in Starfleet and the Maquis. It was in the Alpha Quadrant where I had allowed my father, tradition, Starfleet, and my own fears rule me. Sometimes I wonder if I ever had any kind of control over my life. Thanks to our encounters with the Hirogen and communication with Starfleet that lack of control seemed to have reach Voyager.

B'Elanna understood. She even suggested that I might have been heading for a full-blown depression. Maybe. But my encounter with Daelen seemed to have snapped me out of it. Because right now, I feel as if I'm in some kind of control, again. I'm happy to have returned to Voyager. And I'm glad to be back with B'Elanna. I missed her very much.

The subject of Daelen finally came up. I had overheard what she . . . or he had said to me about B'Elanna, while in the Captain's body. B'Elanna finally admitted that she and the phony Tom had kissed. Fortunately, she had also been too busy in Engineering for anything "further" to happen. Thank God for small miracles. End personal log.

STARDATE 51786:

I am happy to report that one Ensign Harry Kim may no longer harbors an infatuation for said former Borg drone named Seven-of-Nine. How did this miraculous event happened? Well, I guess one can thank an incident regarding a space phenomenon that threatened Voyager and some alien science station. According to Seven, the Borg regarded the phenomenon as a source of energy and a means to achieve perfection. In her "haste" to examine the manner, she became very officious toward the crew working with her on the project. Including Harry. I guess he didn't care being treated as another mindless drone being assigned a Borg designation. Hmmm. End personal log.

STARDATE 51812.88:

We seemed to have a bit of a mystery aboard Voyager. Chakotay had come across some written notes in his handwriting, claiming that an alien bounty hunter had visited Voyager seeking asylum from her race. Twice. According to the notes, Chakotay fell in love with refugee and enjoyed a brief affair. O-kay. If he insists that happened. However, there is no proof in the computer's database to support his claim. End personal log.

STARDATE 51826.67:

Voyager made contact with a group of aliens called the Vaskans to trade for deuterium and instead, ended up in the middle of a war. The Vaskans' enemies, the Kyrians, had come to the conclusion that the Captain had formed an alliance with the Vaskans. Apparently, they had never heard of the Prime Directive. Anyway, to make a long story short, a group of Kyrians boarded Voyager and made their way toward Engineering. What is it about that place that attracts intruders? Fortunately, B'Elanna was in one of the Jeffries Tubes and missed the fireworks. But four of her engineers ended up dead. Security tracked the intruders to the Mess Hall and bagged the lot. The Vaskan ambassador needlessly shot the Kyrian ringleader, and pissed off the Captain. Which means we will have to find another source of deuterium. End personal log.

STARDATE 51835.41:

B'Elanna is still upset over the Vaskan/Kyrian incident. She has been taking the deaths of her four engineers rather hard, lately. A lot harder than she has done so in the past. In fact, she's been shutting herself up in Engineering, continuing with those slipstream drive experiments. Naturally, I sympathize, but I'm beginning to wonder if her behavior is a bit . . . drastic. End personal log.

STARDATE 51837.11:

Our deuterium crisis is now affecting the ship's systems. The Captain has ordered the crew to double up in living quarters, to conserve power until we are able to acquire more deuterium. Seven finally managed to locate a source on some Demon-class planet, several light years away. Because of the planet's atmosphere and condition, we would be unable to beam to its surface. Harry had eventually come up with idea of sending an Away team via shuttle, to the surface. Tuvok naysayed the idea - as usual. But to my surprise, Ensign Eager shot down Mr. Doom-n-Gloom with a few choice words. Mind you, I don't dislike Tuvok, contrary to what one may think. In fact, I rather like him. But he does have a tendency to view everything in a pessimistic manner. And talk down to others. So I say - good for Harry. By the way, the little bastard had also suggested that I accompany him on the Away mission. Cretin. End personal log.

STARDATE 51840.93:

It felt strange seeing duplicates of the crew, standing on the surface of that Demon-class planet, while Voyager departed. Very strange. This all happened after Harry and I became the first to be duplicated, during our Away mission on the planet. Our AVS suits became damaged when the liquefied deuterium made contact with our bodies. We probably would have died if the Doctor had not figured out that Chakotay and Seven had returned to the ship with our doubles.

Harry's duplicate had asked the Captain if each crewman would leave behind a sample of DNA. Apparently, he and the "other Tom" did not want to be the only humanoid life on that planet. B'Elanna was among the first to volunteer for duplication. Very strange. I felt certain that she would be among the few to protest. She told me that after meeting the clone Tom in Sick Bay, she could not bear the idea of him being alone on that planet. God! Isn't it any wonder that I love her? End personal log.

STARDATE 51928.11:

Oh God! I don't want to do this! I don't want to spend the next four weeks inside that coffin! Okay. It's not a coffin, but a stasis unit. But the damn thing looks like a coffin. And the entire crew, except for Seven and the Doctor, will be forced to remain in one for an entire month because of some damn Mitara-class nebula. We had already made an attempt to travel through it, yesterday. But it didn't take long - three minutes to be exact - before we were all affected by the nebula's subnucleonic radiation. Nor did the Captain want to detour around the nebula. That particular journey would take at least a year. Personally, I couldn't care less how long it would take. Better that than spending a month in stasis. But the Captain . . . well, there's no need to go on about her obsession in getting home. She wants to use the shortcut through the nebula. That means, I will have to face the coffin.

Thanks to her Borg nanoprobes, Seven wasn't affected by the radiation. Which means that she will be monitoring our units and taking Voyager through the nebula. At least she'll be able to avoid the coffins. Lucky woman. Then again, her only company will be the Doc. End personal log.

STARDATE 51930.36:

Seven said a strange thing during lunch, today. Let me start from the beginning. After Voyager had finally ended its journey through the Mitara-class nebula, the Captain, Chakotay and the Doc found Seven in a state of delirium and sent her to Sick Bay. After being alone for a long period - especially after the Doc's program went offline - the lack of company had affected her. She later joined B'Elanna, Harry and me in the Mess Hall and brought up the fact that I had managed to slip out of my stasis unit at least three times.

Harry wanted to know why I was so claustrophobic. I certainly couldn't tell them - at least Harry and Seven - that it all stemmed from a childhood incident. And an embarrassing one, at that. However, Seven came up with her own answer. She said that perhaps I was afraid of being alone. I cannot help but wonder if she was talking about me? Or herself? End personal log.

STARDATE 51972.37:

Neelix, Lang and I will visit the Polarius system, tomorrow for some much needed supplies. I wouldn't mind the trip. After nearly a month in stasis, I'm beginning to feel a little stir crazy. I could use an Away mission. And a few days in Neelix's company sounds pleasant. End personal log.

STARDATE 51979.49:

Thank goodness for Arturis. He's an alien that Neelix, Lang and I had encountered on the homeworld of a Xenon-based race. If it weren't for his linguist skills, we would have never been able to do any trade. Especially after our Universal translators had began to malfunction. We brought him back to Voyager, where he proved to be valuable, once more. He was able to assist the Captain in breaking the encrypted message we had received from Starfleet, nearly six months ago. End personal log.

STARDATE 51980.35:

I take it all back. I like Arturis, but now I wish that Neelix, Lang and I had never met him. And I wish he had never been able to translate that encrypted message. It seems that Starfleet had provided coordinates to a ship they had sent to the Delta Quadrant to provide us a way home. An experimental ship with a slipstream drive, called the U.S.S. Dauntless.

When Tuvok, Chakotay and I first boarded the Dauntless, it had somehow activated and sent us fifteen light years ahead. It took Voyager two days to track us down. The Captain then ordered the crew to examine the Dauntless for any new technology that Starfleet have provided us. Since she's reluctant to abandon Voyager, she ordered Engineering to begin modifying the ship's engines to adopt a similar slipstream drive. Or maybe modify the slipstream experiments that B'Elanna, Seven and the Engineering crew have been conducting.

Everyone seems excited over the prospect of getting home. Even B'Elanna. I sometimes wonder if she has lost her mind. I mean, what does she have to look forward in the Alpha Quadrant? The Maquis has been destroyed. She, Chakotay and the others will probably face at least one or two years in a Federation prison - along with myself. And there's a war going on, back home. Judging from the information we've received, it's not going well.

And there is one last thing - this whole matter regarding the Dauntless sounds a bit off to me. I find it hard to believe that Starfleet had managed to provide us with a means to travel home in such a short space of time. I mean, how much time had passed between the Doc's visit to the Alpha Quadrant and our letters from home? Two weeks. And unless Starfleet has been working on such a slipstream drive during the past three to four years, I find it hard to believe that it took them two weeks to create one and send it to the Delta Quadrant - unmanned. (Pauses) Now that I think about it, I'm beginning to wonder if Arturis. This all started when Neelix, Lang and I first met him. Or had it? End personal log.

STARDATE 51988.2:

Everyone is now disappointed that the Dauntless turned out to be a hoax. It wasn't an experimental Starfleet vessel. It was Arturis' own ship. He had set a trap. Apparently, he had intercepted Admiral Hayes' message to the Captain and modified it. All because he wanted to lead us to the Dauntless - and eventually into the arms of the Borg. We managed to get some of the crew off the Dauntless - including B'Elanna, thank God. Unfortunately, the Captain and Seven had remained trapped aboard with Arturis. Using the slipstream modification made on Voyager, we managed to chase the Dauntless and beam the Captain and Seven back to the ship. Poor Arturis ended up assimilated by the Borg.

Why did he do it? Why did Arturis go through so much trouble to get us assimilated by the Borg? It seems that his homeworld had spent centuries evading assimilation. About a year ago, their efforts were beginning to fail when the Borg decided to invade Species 8472's fluidic space. Arturis' people had looked forward to the Borg's defeat. Unfortunately, our alliance with the Borg destroyed all hope. And Arturis' world ended up assimilated.

I think the Captain tried to dismiss his people's fate as a bad misfortune. Maybe she's right. I understand why Arturis tried to destroy us . . . even though my sympathy can only go so far, considering that he had nearly succeeded. On the other hand, aside from Seven's rescue from the Collective, nothing really good had come from that damn alliance. And despite her "let's move on" attitude, I suspect that the Captain feels the same. End personal log.

STARDATE 51994.11:

Voyager entered an expanse of space, devoid of any stars, nebulas or other stellar sightings. A void in space. Christ! It looked so . . . empty. And to make matters worse, we'll be traveling through this void for at least a year or two. According to Seven, the void stretches at least 2,500 light years. That's about two years. God, how depressing! End personal log.

STARDATE 51999.04:

We haven't been in this void very long and already, it's affecting the crew's morale. Since the New Year is coming up, Neelix has been campaigning for our usual New Year's Eve bash. Hell, I could sure use it. Staring at nothing but black space for hours on end isn't doing much for my morale. And I've noticed that ever since the Arturis debacle, B'Elanna has been distant toward me. Perhaps a holiday celebration is what the both of us need. I'm beginning to think that the Captain also needs this party. She didn't bother to leave her quarters, today. And she's not sick. (Pauses) Anyway, nothing else has happened today. End personal log.


END OF PART FOUR

"Not Meant to Be"

”NOT MEANT TO BE”

Fans on several ”CHARMED have stated that Phoebe’s relationship with Cole would have never worked out. That it was not meant to be. Frankly, I find such comments to be a by-product of some very narrow-minded thinking. Apparently, Phoebe and Cole’s relationship was doomed, because of what they were – namely a witch and a human/demon hybrid. Again, more narrow-minded thinking. What finally broke up Phoebe and Cole’s relationship? In my opinion? I think that matters could have been different between Phoebe and Cole . . . if producer Brad Kern and his writers had allowed Phoebe and her sisters learn that Cole had been possessed by the Source in late Season 4 or early Season 5.

The fact that the Halliwells had never learned the truth about Cole being possessed is the main reason I have harbored a negative view of the Phoebe/Cole breakup in the first place. Quite frankly, it had been poorly handled. And I have acquired this feeling over the years that Kern and his writers had insulted the viewers' intelligence. If Cole and Phoebe had come to some understanding over what really happened in late Season 4 and still remained apart . . . I would have accepted it. But the writers allowed Phoebe to push Cole away without her ever learning the truth about what really happened. Even worse, her pushing Cole away came on the heels of the Charmed Ones killing him without learning the truth.

It all boiled down to the problem regarding the ending of the Source's arc and Cole's eventual departure. In the Season 4 episodes, ”Charmed and Dangerous” and “The Three Faces of Phoebe”, the writers took the trouble to establish that Cole became the Source against his will. But instead of allowing the Halliwells to find out, Kern allowed the sisters to kill him without even learning the truth what really happened. And when he returned from the Wasteland around the beginning of Season 5, the writers still failed to allow the Halliwells to learn the truth. Even worse, they tried to convince the audience that Cole had deliberately accepted evil and wanted to be the Source. All so that we can accept that it was okay for Phoebe to push him away. They capped this in the ridiculous conversation between Piper and Cole in Season 7's "The Seven Year Witch". In this episode, they had Cole admit to Piper that he had deliberately wanted to be the Source. They even had him admit that he had deliberately tried to get Phoebe pregnant. Well, this was false. All one has to do is watch the late Season 4 episode, ”The Fifth Halliwell”, or read the episode’s transcript to realize this.

I agree that if it seemed that a relationship was not going to work, then that that relationship should end. But . . . Kern and his writers tried to change canon around so that he could break up Phoebe and Cole in a way that would leave the audience sympathetic toward her. Unfortunately for Kern, he handled the situation with poor writing and a great deal of inconsistency.

Why should I accept that Phoebe was right to break up with Cole, when Kern tried to reverse what really happened to Cole in late Season 4? Why should I accept that Cole was basically no good, because he would always revert to evil . . . when the Halliwells ended up committing some of their worst acts following Cole's departure - the theft of Darryl's soul, Rick Gittridge's murder and the deal with the Avatars to rob humanity of its free will in order to form Utopia? What made it worse was that the writers either dismissed their acts or tried to pretend that what they had done was not wrong. In my eyes, it was hypocrisy of the worst kind. If there is one thing I dislike more than anything, it is hypocrisy. I also dislike someone insulting my intelligence. And Kern's handling of the Phoebe/Cole breakup not only seemed hypocritical, it insulted my intelligence.

"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003) Photo Gallery

Here is a gallery of photos from the second movie in the "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" trilogy - "Curse of the Black Pearl":


"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003) Photo Gallery

"THE HOLLOW" (2004) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "THE HOLLOW", the 2004 adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1946 novel. The movie starred David Suchet as Hercule Poirot: 


"THE HOLLOW" (2004) Photo Gallery

"Obssessions" [PG-13] - Chapter 12

"OBSSESSIONS"

Part 12

The two older Charmed Ones approached the revolving doors of the BAY-MIRROR building, chatting. They had just spent a pleasant lunch together at one of San Francisco' popular restaurants in the downtown area.

"Thanks for the lunch, Phoebe," Piper said to her younger sister. "It was nice. You know, I just realized that this is the first time you've ever treated me for lunch. Or am I exaggerating?"

Phoebe allowed herself a genuine smile. "Not quite. I mean, I know I've been working for the paper for about a year. But this is probably the first time that both of us have been available to have lunch together for a long time."

"And Jason wasn't available for lunch, today," Piper teased. "Or was he?"

A pink flush crept up Phoebe's face. "Piper! This has nothing to do with Jason. Even if he had been available for lun . . . I mean . . ."

"Ah-ha!"

Phoebe glared half-heartedly at her sister. "Ah-ha, nothing! Yes, Jason was busy, today. But I had already invited you to lunch, before I found out about his overseas phone conference."

Piper assumed an innocent expression. Sometimes, teasing Phoebe could be such fun. "Sure you did, Pheebs." Ignoring the other woman's dark look, she continued, "So, Jason was on some overseas phone call, today?"

"Yeah. To Hong Kong," Phoebe replied. "At least that's what his secretary told me."

A dark blue Jaguar pulled up to the curb, in front of the building. From the corner of her eye, Piper spotted the owner of the car - Bruce McNeill. Beside him sat a beautiful woman who definitely was not his fiancée. "Talk about surprise," Piper muttered.

Phoebe frowned. "Huh?"

"To your left. Check out the dark-blue Jag." Piper briefly nodded toward the curb. "Look who's inside. Bruce McNeill. And another woman."

The middle Halliwell stared at the car in question. "I know her," she said. "That's our new food columnist - Portia Something Italian. She had an interview with Bruce, today."

"Oh." Disappointment sagged Piper's shoulders. And she had so been looking forward to a juicy bit of scandal.

Phoebe continued, "Strange, I've never really met her, yet. Maybe I should introduce myself." She strode toward the car. Piper heaved a sigh and mentally cursed the younger woman's extroverted nature.

* * * *

"Here we are," Bruce announced after guiding his Jaguar, next to the curb. "The BAY-MIRROR building."

Portia glanced out of the window. With great reluctance, it seemed. "Yes," she murmured. "Here." She sighed. Then her gaze fell upon Bruce. To his surprise, every nerve in his body tingled with anticipation. And his body grew warm. And hard.

"Is there something wrong?" Bruce asked his companion. He regarded her with a mixture of concern and desire. Desire? Why would he feel . . .?

Cutting in, the journalist said, "I am fine. It is just . . ." Again, she sighed. Bruce almost found it erotic. She glanced at her watch. "Oh no! It is one-twenty. And my doctor's appointment was for one-thirty. It is too late. I will have to cancel."

"Oh no," Bruce began. "I mean . . . well, if you must. Perhaps I should have dropped you off, first."

Portia shook her head. Long dark hair bounced alluringly from side to side. For a moment, Bruce blinked. What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he seemed to have a hard-on for a strange woman's hair? "No, no, no, no," Portia argued. "Your fiancée's shop was closer. It was better that we took her to her shop, first. As for my doctor's appointment, I can re-schedule." The pink tip of her tongue flickered briefly between her full lips.

Bruce continued to stare at her, mesmerized. "Re-schedule? Oh. Yeah. Re-schedule." He paused momentarily. It was difficult to think, with the scent of gardenias filling his nostrils. "Speaking of re-schedule . . . what about our interview?"

"We can complete the interview, tomorrow." Portia leaned forward, her lips tantalizingly close to Bruce's. "At my apart . . ."

Knuckles rapped against the window on Portia's side. Bruce shook his head, as if he had awaken from a dream. Then he glanced at the window and saw Paige's two older sisters. A slightly irritated Portia rolled down the window. "May I help you?" she asked sharply.

"Sorry to interrupt," a smiling Phoebe Halliwell said. Her eyes focused on the driver. "Bruce? Hey, it's good to see you!"

Bruce gave the Charmed One a weak smile. "Hi . . . uh, Phoebe. Out to lunch?" Then he spotted her older siser approach Phoebe from behind, and a groan nearly left his mouth. Piper. Great!

"Actually, Piper and I had just came back from lunch." Phoebe stuck her hand through the window. "Hi," she said to Portia. "We've haven't met, but I know who you are. I'm Phoebe Halliwell."

Portia coolly glanced at the offered hand, but did not take it. "Oh? How do you know . . .?"

"The BAY-MIRROR. I'm a columnist there. You know, the 'Ask Phoebe' column?" Phoebe removed her hand.

"I'm sorry, but I am not familiar with your writing," the Italian woman replied. "I have not been with the newspaper very long. Or in San Francisco." She fished inside her purse, removed a card and handed it to Bruce. "Please Signor, give me a call, so that we can complete the interview. That is the number to my office. As for my private number," Portia's shoulders lifted charmingly, "I'm afraid that I have not installed a telephone in my apartment, yet." A sigh left her mouth. "Well, I guess I should . . ." She climbed out of the car - very reluctantly.

At the moment, the strangest sensation struck Bruce. Just as Portia Della Scalla climbed out of the car, the fog that seemed to have filled his mind, disappeared. He was so amazed by the phenomenon that he barely noticed Phoebe approaching the other columnist.

"There's a coffee shop inside the building that makes a nice cappuccino," the middle Halliwell was saying. "Why don't we go there and get acquainted?" She indicated the building's entrance to a hapless-looking Portia, while Piper followed. Smirking. Realizing that hanging around seemed useless, Bruce left the curb and went on his merry way.

* * * *

"I'm really beginning to think that Cole was right about her," Phoebe said to her family, later that afternoon. "About that Portia Della Scalla."

Piper, who sat in one of the chairs, around the kitchen table, was busy feeding Wyatt with a bottle. "I see that you finally remembered her name." Phoebe shot her a dark look. "And as for Miss Della Scalla, you might be right about her being odd. The woman looks like something out of a European fashion magazine. You know, ridiculously beautiful . . . and thin." She glanced down at her son with great affection. "Made me feel like a twelve year-old."

"Well, you're not alone," Phoebe agreed. "But there's something else. Like there's something unreal about her. And did you notice how Bruce was acting around her? Like he was in some kind of trance, or something."

A sigh left Piper's mouth. "Phoebe, has this something to do with the fact that Ms. Della Scalla had turned down your offer for a friendly cup of cappuccino?"

Phoebe glared at her older sister. "You know, if you weren't so busy gloating over the possibility that Bruce might be fooling around, you might have noticed something."

"Yeah, I noticed something all right. Bruce and Miss Italy were seconds away from kissing each other," Piper retorted.

Paige's eyes grew wide. "They were? Geez! No wonder Barbara looked as if she wanted to commit murder." Her two sisters stared at her, as she related the tension between her boss and the Italian columnist. She also included Bruce's odd behavior. "It was just as Phoebe had said . . . he seemed to be in a trance. Or like he really didn't care how Barbara was feeling."

A gurgle from Wyatt distracted the three sisters. Piper gently removed the bottle from his mouth. She then patted his back and he belched.

"Or maybe he really was under a spell," Phoebe suggested

Piper pooh-poohed the idea. "That's ridiculous, Pheebs! Unless this Della Scalla woman is a warlock, a witch or a demon. And if she's after Bruce, why kill DeWolfe Mann?"

Silence followed, before Paige finally answered, "To get close to Bruce?" Again, all eyes fell upon her. "Well, how else could she get close to him? She could have used the interview as an excuse, or get a job at the Golden Horn."

Patiently, Piper explained that Miss Della Scalla could have simply appeared at the McNeills' house and kill Bruce. "But she didn't, Paige."

"Okay Piper, then explain why Cole, Olivia and Darryl are all suspicious of her?" Phoebe demanded.

The oldest Halliwell shrugged. "I don't know, Phoebe! But weren't you the one who claimed that a man must have killed your friend, Wolfie? You said that you saw a man's hand slit his throat."

Phoebe sighed. "I know! It's just . . . I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about her."

"You and me, both," Paige added.

Piper stood up and helped a drowsy Wyatt rest his head on her shoulder. "Okay, so what do we do?"

"Check the Book of Shadows," Paige suggested. "In case she turns out to be a demon or a warlock. I don't have time, at the moment, because I have to get ready."

Phoebe frowned. "For what?"

"I have a date with Nate," Paige quipped. "To celebrate his birthday. He wants to go to this new club in Palo Alto."

Shaking her head, Phoebe added, "Have fun. Meanwhile, Piper and I will check the Book of Shadows." The oldest Halliwell groaned. Phoebe continued, "And tomorrow, I'll keep an eye on Miss Della Scalla. Maybe . . . borrow something from her office, while she's out to lunch. Hopefully, summon a premonition."

"Pheebs, honey?" a dubious Piper commented, "you're not exactly great at summoning premonitions."

Phoebe heaved a loud sigh. "Well, a girl has to start somewhere."

* * * *

Nick stared at the confident-looking Portia, as she cut into the Veal Piccatta on her plate. "Okay, can you please explain, again, why Bruce McNeill isn't dead?" he demanded. "I mean, you were alone with the guy for . . ."

Portia speared the piece of veal with her fork. ". . . twelve minutes," she said, interrupting. "We were alone for twelve minutes, Nicholas. While he was driving."

"But . . . the interview!" Nick frowned. "Weren't you two alone?"

"Unfortunately, no. You failed to mention that his mother would also be interviewed." Portia popped the veal into her mouth and chewed. "Mind you, meeting the famous Gweneth McNeill was something of a thrill. She has quite a reputation in Europe, you know. However, another visitor decided to join us during the interview." She swallowed the veal. "His fiancée. What a possessive bitch! And I think she's very suspicious."

The derogatory comment about his love angered Nick. "Barbara is not a bitch! Besides, what was she doing there, in the first place?"

Portia shrugged. "How would I know? I am not a mind reader! Bruce must have said something to arouse her suspicions before the interview. She seemed to be seeking me out, when she first arrived." The succubus paused, before scooping a forkful of Risotto alla Milanese. "I did have a chance to cast a spell over Bruce and bring him here. Unfortunately, these two sisters interrupted us. One of them works for the newspaper."

"Phoebe? Phoebe Halliwell?" Nick nearly cried out. "And since when did you start calling him, Bruce?"

The succubus snapped back, "Since he asked me to!" She resumed eating her risotto. "As for this Signorina Halliwell, do you know her and her sister?"

"Her sisters," Nick corrected. "She has two sisters . . . well, she had three, but the oldest was killed by a daemon nearly two years ago. As for Phoebe, she and one of her sisters were outside Mann's apartment that night. Remember me telling you about the Charmed Ones? Three sisters who happened to be the most powerful witches?"

Rolling her eyes, Portia demanded to know about the Charmed Ones. "I believe I had met the third sister at that shop. Her hair was dyed red."

"Oh God, that was Paige." Nick took a deep breath. "The Charmed Ones. The Power of Three. They are supposed to be three sisters descended from the Warren line, destined to be the most powerful witches ever." He paused. "Well, at least in Wiccan circles." Portia gave him a blank stare. "They're the Wiccan counterparts to the Cavalli family. More powerful than the McNeills. Well, just barely."

Portia returned her attention to her meal. "Powerful or not, they are not invincible. Do not worry about these Charmed Ones. I have come across more powerful opponents."

"You just might encounter a more powerful opponent," Nick retorted. "Belthazor."

Sherry brown eyes widened with curiosity. "Who?"

"Belthazor. Otherwise known as Cole Turner. I believe that you had met him at the BAY-MIRROR office, yesterday. He was DeWolfe Mann's attorney, according to Paige."

Portia frowned. "Are you referring to that tall, handsome man with the dark hair and blue eyes? What about him?"

"That tall and handsome man happens to be a very powerful half-daemon. His father was a mortal. He was once married to Phoebe Halliwell. All I can say is that he is extremely powerful and so far, no one knows how to vanquish him. Right now, he is a close friend of the McNeill family. And if he ever finds out . . . "

Portia dismissed Nick's warning with a wave of her hand. "He won't. And I'll also stay out of the way of this Phoebe Halliwell. If she, her sisters, the other McNeills or even this Belthazor try to interfere, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." She calmly popped another piece of veal into her mouth.


END OF PART 12