CHARMED
"A Witch to Remember"
by shel
© may 2006
disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…
rating: pg-13
summary: the ultimate battle results in unexpected consequences…
timeline: five days after the events of s8's 'gone with the witches' (written before 'kill billie: vol. 2' and doesn't take those events into account)…
archive: please don't without expressed permission…
notes: minor references to s7's 'seven year witch'…please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…
Part One
Her hand tucked securely in her husband's, Paige wandered through the crowded rooms of the manor in search of her older sister. She finally found Piper stretched out on the window seat of Phoebe's old bedroom. She exchanged a look of concern with Henry. Piper was staring forlornly into space with Wyatt snuggled quietly into her side and Chris sleeping against her chest. "Honey, the house is packed with people wanting to pay their respects."
"I don't want it."
"Come down, just for a few minutes," Paige patiently suggested, "and then they'll leave."
"They should leave now."
Paige glanced at Henry again before approaching her sister. She sat by Piper's bent knees and rubbed them lightly, "Even if they did, Phoebe will still be gone." Piper glared sharply at her and Paige tried not to cringe as she turned towards Henry.
"Why don't you let me take the boys downstairs?" Henry offered. "Leo and I can keep them entertained with some of the…guests."
"Chris is sleeping."
"They came for Phoebe. We have to see them," Paige appealed as she leaned forward, still rubbing her sister's knees, "I won't leave your side. I promise."
"Leave me alone."
"I have," Paige acknowledged as she stiffly sat up, "for three days but enough's enough."
"I can't begin to imagine what your father's going through, burying a second daughter, but," Henry interjected, "today was hard on everyone."
"Why are you both still here?"
"Shutting us out won't make the pain disappear," Paige replied in a hurt tone, "and it doesn't make it any easier on the rest of us." She pointed to Piper's sons, "It's affecting the boys and you --"
"You don't understand…"
"I understand you're in pain," Paige sympathized, "but, honey, you're not the only one who lost a sister." Piper glanced up at her with stunned wide eyes and Paige reached over to sweep some loose strands of hair behind her sister's ear, "We're all in pain, Piper, you, me, Leo, Victor, the boys, Henry…We need to mourn together. Please, Piper, I don't want to lose another sister…"
"You don't understand…"
"Piper?"
Everyone but Piper turned to watch Leo enter the room.
"Daddy?"
Leo knelt and reached out to Wyatt, "Come here, son." When Wyatt slid off the window seat and ran into his arms, Leo hugged the little boy tightly. Then he stood and, carrying Wyatt, he neared Piper who still refused to meet his gaze. "Elise has to get back to the paper," he said, trying not to sound too hurt, "and she really wants to see you."
Piper focused on Chris and shifted him slightly, "Leave me alone."
Paige promptly removed Chris from Piper's arms and placed the baby in her husband's arms. "Why don't you put him in his crib? Leo, tell Elise we'll be right down."
But Piper turned as soon as Henry walked away and called out, "Keep him with you! I don't want him left alone!"
Leo was about to remind Piper that they were safe but he nodded instead and left the room with Henry and his sons.
"I don't get it," Paige exclaimed as soon as the men left, "Leo's back and you're treating him like he's evil!"
"You don't understand," Piper sharply repeated as she abruptly stood and stalked across the room. She found a knickknack on top of Phoebe's dresser that Phoebe had left behind and she fingered it gently.
"I do understand," Paige insisted. "I understand that you wanted Leo back more than anything. I understand that he was only coming back if we defeated the big evil coming our way. And I understand that when we did, he --"
"At what price?" Piper murmured.
But Paige continued, "Leo's home now, for good, and he's a Whitelighter again. But Leo didn't kill Phoebe and neither did you and it's time to stop blaming yourselves."
Piper spun back to her, "That's not what I've --"
"That's exactly what you've been doing," Paige interrupted. "You don't talk to him, don't look at him, I don't think you've even touched him since he showed up with the Angel of Destiny when it was all over. You've shut him out of your bedroom and you barely acknowledge his existence. But he's here, Piper, and he's not going anywhere."
Piper's eyes stung with tears and she could barely speak, "I don't want him back if it means losing Phoebe…"
Paige caught her sister as Piper's knees buckled. She sat on the floor with her arms around Piper while Piper sobbed, her own eyes welling with tears. "Oh, sweetie, it wasn't a trade-off. What happened to Phoebe could've happened to any one of us at any time during the battle. We were both hurt badly but Phoebe was...I wish we could change it but we can't."
"She shouldn't've died," Piper cried, "not for that, not to get Leo back."
Paige continued to rub Piper's back, "That's not why she died, Piper." Pulling back slightly, she brushed away some of Piper's tears, "Phoebe died fighting evil. She died protecting the innocent."
Piper gave Paige a slight shove before scrambling to her feet, "She died protecting Billie and Christy!"
Paige got to her feet too, "Because she was the only one who still believed in their innocence. I know you don't want to hear it, Piper, but --"
"Elise is waiting," Piper suddenly announced and turned away from Paige.
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Paige spotted Henry and Leo speaking with Darryl and Sheila in the corner of the living room and gave them a little shrug as she stayed close behind Piper who met Elise in the foyer.
"Thanks for coming," Piper dully spoke, "it…it would've meant a lot to Phoebe."
"She was a friend," Elise nodded.
"She considered you one too," Paige informed her. "I'm not sure you really know what that job meant to her, the fact that you took a chance with her and kept giving her chances every time she'd run off for some --"
"Family emergency?" Elise shook her head, "Any other editor would've fired her on the spot but Phoebe…she was different. There was just something about her, the way she could be so in tune with everyone around her." She gazed at them intently, "She made that column her own and deserved every ounce of recognition she received."
Paige managed a slight smile. "Thank you…Elise, what, y'know, what about her column now?"
"For the first time I can recall, Phoebe actually had a folder full of columns prepared in advance." Elise frowned, "Almost as if she knew something was about to happen." Neither sister spoke and she apologized, "If I combine some of her fresh answers with some classic ones, I think we can still run her column for another six months."
"Six months?" Piper gasped. "How much did she have prepared?"
"Enough to give me time to look for a new columnist," Elise told them. "I'd best get back."
"What about Leslie?" Paige asked as they walked Elise to the door. "Phoebe was really impressed with his work."
"I've considered it," Elise revealed, "but as a ghostwriter he may not want a permanent job." She turned to leave but added, "I'm going to miss her…Is there any chance that…"
Paige sadly shook her head, "No witness protection this time, Phoebe's really…gone…"
Elise patted each sister's arm, "I am so sorry…" When they nodded, she offered, "When you're ready, come by and…well, I'll have her things packed up for you."
"Thanks," Paige replied in a suddenly hoarse voice, "I hadn't even thought about that."
"When you're ready," Elise repeated. "Take care of yourselves, both of you."
Paige closed the door behind Elise and took a look at Piper who seemed ready to explode. "Piper?"
"What are they doing here?" she hissed before storming into the dining room. "Get the hell out of my house!"
Paige had quickly followed her sister to find some leprechauns talking with some nymphs. "Piper, please," she grabbed her sister's arm before sheepishly apologizing to the others in the room.
"Fine," Piper muttered and motioned with her hands to freeze everyone in the house but the offending arrivals. "Happy?"
She wasn't but at least Piper wasn't risking magical exposure. "They're here to pay respect, just like everyone else."
"Your sister's right," the older leprechaun said with a nod of gratitude to Paige.
"I just don't want a scene," Paige shook her head. "Piper does have a point."
"We owe you, we owe Phoebe our lives," one of the nymphs said. "You saved the magical community from a terrible evil fate."
"No thanks to you," Piper snapped.
"Piper…"
"Hey, why's everyone frozen?"
Piper gasped at the sound of the newcomer's voice and spun, blowing up a wreath of flowers displayed on the foyer's table. "Get the hell out of my house!"
Paige sadly shook her head at the young witches before her, "I appreciate that you held back at the funeral but, Billie, now is not a good time."
Piper turned on Paige, "She was at Phoebe's funeral! You knew she was there!"
"Calm down, Piper, she only wan--"
"I told you," Christy tugged on Billie's sleeve. "Let's go before she kills us."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," Piper taunted as she stalked towards the sisters.
"Because then I'll have died for nothing…"
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