Even In Death
Author: Mrs. Ronald Weasley
Rating: PG-13 or T
Pairing/s: Slight Piper/Leo
Warnings: Character Death
Category: Angst/Tragedy
Summary: Piper mourns the loss of Phoebe and Paige after they are killed in the Ultimate Battle.
A/N: Written before "Forever Charmed" so it somewhat ignores that episode. Immediately follows "Kill Billie Vol 2".
Give me a reason to believe that you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth
It leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me
But now I'm taking you home
I will stay forever with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
Some say I'm crazy for my love
Oh, my love
But no wounds can hold me from your side
Oh, my love
They don't know you can't leave me
They don't hear you singing to me
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you anymore than I do
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you anymore than I do
People die, but real love is forever
- Evanescence, "Even in Death"
I awake in a crumpled heap under a pile of debris; I'm sore allover and I can feel a gash on the side of my head, but I'm alive. I struggle to throw the pieces of my destroyed home off of my damaged body. Finally I'm able to get up. I stagger, surveying my surroundings; there's nothing left of the manor except a huge pile of debris that lies all around me, there's also a few fires burning from the magical explosion that happened only moments before.
My mind wanders to Phoebe and Paige. Where are they? Certainly they wouldn't have left me here. They must still be buried under the debris I like I was. I look around for any sign of movement: none. I'm just about to yell their names when I catch sight of a limp hand, illuminated only by the soft moonlight from above, sticking out from under a pile of rubble. I immediately start throwing the wreckage aside, my heart pounding in my chest. I gasp when Phoebe's face, as black and bruised as my own, appears. Bending down I gently pull her limp body to my own. It took me several seconds before I realize that she's not breathing. "No, no, no," I start to cry as my heart beats even faster. "Come on sweetie, breathe." It's no use, she's already dead. My breathing quickens and a lump rises in my throat. There's nothing I can do except hold her body to mine and cry as my heart is ripped apart.
A few minutes later I look up from my tears when I see a gray robbed figure standing about ten feet away from where I sit on the ground holding my sister's body. I watch as the Angel of Destiny releases my husband from his frozen state.
Leo looks around for a second before noticing me. I can see his question in his eyes: is she alive? I shake my head as I watch his eyes fill with tears. Within seconds he is there, kneeling in front of me, his eyes say everything. I feel his arms wrap around me in silent comfort, and I finally let myself go.
A rustling sound pulls me from my sobs. Paige. In my agony over finding Phoebe's body I had completely forgotten that Paige might still be alive. "Paige?" I call out. No answer. "Hold her," I tell Leo and gently pass Phoebe to him.
Shakily I stand and make my way over to where the sound had come from and begin to pull debris off my sister. But once again I immediately stop when I catch I glimpse of blond hair. "You bitch!" I shout as my grief turns into anger.
I jump on top of Billie and start punching every place on her body that I can reach. Once I hurt her enough I grab her neck and start squeezing it as hard as I can. Suddenly someone grabs me from behind, pulling me off of that murderous bitch. I struggle against Leo, and finally he sets me back on the ground.
Meanwhile Billie had gotten up and started to run away. I turn around and raise my hands before attempting to blast her into a million pieces. I watch in anger as she doges my magic and runs off before I can even attempt it again.
Somewhere in the distance I can hear sirens. Leo looks to me, desperation written allover his tear strained face, "come on Piper, we have to get out of here."
"No," I say simply before turning around.
"There's nothing left for us here." He grabs at my arm but I yank it away.
"No! I'm not leaving until I find Paige!" I begin looking through the piles of wreckage that lies around me.
"Piper," Leo says quietly, "Paige is dead."
"No." I outright refuse to believe it. She could just be unconscious.
The sirens are getting closer. Leo comes over to me, "look, Piper I want to find Paige alive as much as you do, but if we don't get out of here soon, there's going to be a lot of explaining to do."
"I don't care!" It comes out as a shout, even though I never meant for it to be. "I already lost Phoebe, I can't lose Paige too." The words seem to consume my emotions and I have to stop moving because sobs overcome me once again.
"Come on Piper," Leo pleads as he holds me. I'm just about to nod when I notice a thick piece of what appears to be long black hair protruding from underneath a large wooden cabinet.
I back out of Leo's embrace and hurry over to the spot. It doesn't take long to remove the wood lying on top of Paige. She wasn't covered by much. She should still be alive. However my hopes vanished when I saw a sharp piece of wood jutting out from her chest. "Oh my god, Paige." I slowly back away from her, my hands over my mouth.
Leo embraces me once again and this time I let him lead me away from the ruins of my house and the broken bodies of my sisters.