Title: "Heart's Eternal Cry"
Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: PG
Summary: Nothing can stop a heart's cry for what it wants.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: 244. That's the number of stories that were sitting on my hard drive collecting dust because I lack the energy and time to take care of them as I once did. My betaing pattern has always been to write, then type up if written on paper, the story, read it aloud to my beloved Jack and our children, editing as I go, and then finally format and post. Sadly, this part is simply taking too much of my time and energy, and my beloved Jack and I have too little time together in person these days to be able to keep up with my stories. So what to do? Give up writing? I actually considered it for a while, tried to make excuses to myself other than the large number of stories collecting cyber dust on my computer, as to why I lacked the energy and Muse to write new tales. And then, with the turn of the new year, I decided to stop running and face the problem. The problem is, quite frankly, that once one gets so bogged down in formatting and editing that writing is no longer a pleasure but the actual posting of those writings becomes a hassle and - egad! - work, it's time to cut something out, and that will never be the writing process. So, in short, yes, there will be mistakes in this tale. Yes, it's missing about half of the header information I usually include. But I wrote it for pleasure and am posting it in hopes of sharing that pleasure with others. Do with it as you will.
Her fingers gingerly stroke the bed covers before she lays down, for the first time after her beloved sister's death, on the bed they once shared. Piper can still hear Prue's voice in her head. Childhood laughter echoes through her bedroom from when they'd bounced on another bed. She hears, too, her sister's cries and the words of love she whispered in the nights, when it was safe for her to slip into Piper's room unnoticed. The exclamations of their love and passion resound through the old walls of their home, a place where Piper had come to believe they would live until they were old and gray. She hears her sister scream her name first in passion, then in fear, and finally in agony as she rocks alone in her bed that once held so much joy for them.
She hasn't cried alone in this bed for ages. Her sisters have always had a way of knowing when she despaired and coming to her. Phoebe always tickled her sadness away while Prue kissed it goodbye. She even remembers a time when Prue telekinetically picked her lock while they were fighting; came in, exuding the pride and grace that her beautiful sister always possessed; apologized for a rare change; and then covered her in hugs and kisses.
Piper had never been able to stay mad at Prue for long. A single smile from her sister, a crinkle of her nose, or a wink from her eye always started to melt Piper's fury, no matter why she was angry with her, and she always forgave her the moment she kissed her. She'd forgive her now, too, for living her alone in this world that is a Hell without her light shining in it if only she could taste her sweet kiss once more.
But Piper knows Prue will never kiss her again. She'll never feel her arms around her again or have her fingers run through her hair while she cries. They'll never laugh or bounce together again. She'll never have another dinner spoiled because Prue wasn't home on time to eat it.
Piper would give a thousand dinners, a million memories, and every day of the rest of her life to have her sister back. She's sent Leo to argue with the Elders about Prue's fate, but she knows, in her heart, that it will do no good. Her sister is lost, gone, taken from her forever. She's no more ready for Prue to be dead than she was when they were kids, first bouncing on a bed and experimenting with kissing. But the love of her life is gone, and there's no power willing and strong enough to return her to her.
Piper wants to die, because she knows that's the only way she'll ever be reunited with her beloved Prue, but she can't. She has one last sister left to protect. Cole may have finally hushed Phoebe's heartbroken sobs from echoing through the house, but she still needs her. She still needs her as Piper still needs her big sister.
She won't let her down. She won't make her lose two sisters for Piper knows Phoebe would never survive that loss, but she knows, too, that she won't survive the loss of her cherished and wonderful Prue, who she loved as so much more than just a sister. She might live, but she'll be a shell of the woman she was before today forever more. She might eventually stop crying - she knows her eyes can't always hold tears for there's got to be an end to her tear ducts -, but her heart will never stop sobbing the name she keeps crying into her pillow, "Prue! Prue! Prue!"
Thunder roars both in her heart and outside. The skies open and weep as Piper continues crying. The rain falls with all the might of a lover's broken heart as Prue sobs, her voice and image unseen and unheard by all living, including the one who craves so desperately to get to see her again, even if just for one more time. She cries with all her might in the raging storm, just as Piper does, for the one thing they'll both always want - to be with each other - more than any other thing in all of existence.
The End
