The alarm clock buzzed, Phoebe Halliwell rolled over and looked at the clock; it was flashing 6:00am "great" she groaned and hit the snooze button while burring her head under her pillow. After what seemed like 5minutes she heard her older sister Prue shouting her name in a tone that told her that she was in trouble.
"Not now Prue! It's 6:15am! What have I done this time!" phoebe was now more awake and she was in no mood to argue with Prue, she had a pounding headache from the night before. Phoebe heard footsteps approaching her door rapidly. "You know fine well what this is about phoebe! You were OFF of your head when you came in last night and as usual it was ME who had to help you get upstairs to make sure you didn't kill yourself attempting it yourself! How can you be so careless all of the time? You're 22 years old now for gods sake you should know how much drink you can handle by now!"
"Jesus Prue will you give it a REST! Your not my mother, remember? She DIED and you trying to replace her just doesn't work anymore. Now get out of my room!!
Just as Prue looked as if she was about to explode on Phoebe, Piper dragged Prue out of the room.
Down stairs – kitchen
"Why are you backing her up piper? You know that she can't keep going off whenever she pleases only to come back at all hours of the morning off her head so much she cant see or even walk straight!"
"Prue, do you think I don't know that? I know that…"
"No piper I don't think you do! You are always complaining about how you're always stuck in the middle of our arguments but half the time its because you choose to get involved and whenever you do, you are ALWAYS on her side! "
Piper hesitated for a moment, obviously choosing her next words carefully to ensure that Prue didn't get more worked up than she already was. " Look Prue, the reason I take Phoebes side so often, even when she's in the wrong is because you're always going on at her about something, big or small, she doesn't need a mum anymore, she needs her older sister.
Prue's voice softened "you know that the only reason I go on at her so much is because she's my baby sister. I'm just trying to look out for her, anything could happen to her while she's out all night with no-one knowing where she is, I worry more than ever now were witches; now, its not just the human evil she has to be careful about, it's the Demon evil as well." By now both Prue and Piper were holding back tears. "When she's out, I dread the phone ringing just in case it's bad news… I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost either one of you two. I worry about her more though, I know you're responsible and can look after yourself when needed but you no as well as I do that Phoebe is irresponsible and reckless she doesn't think before she acts. And her going out alone at night getting drunk only worries me more"
"Prue, I had no idea, you never open up to me like this so I just think that you're getting on at her" with that piper opens her arms and the two sisters embrace. "Look on the bright side though, there hasn't been any Demon activity in months."
"Piper I don't open up to anyone because I'm the oldest and I have to stay strong and in control to make sure you guys are okay. And the whole no demon thing? It's what makes me worry more, it's not in the nature of Demons to just give up and back down. They must be planning something big…
Down in the underworld
"My lord" a fierce looking Demon said as he approached the Source " with your permission I would like to carry out the task that no other so far has been able to complete.
A deep, gruff voice sounds "and what task might that be… hmm? The killing of the Charmed ones? Please, mightier Demons than you have proposed to do the same thing and look where they are now… DEAD! What makes you think you can succeed where all others have failed?"
"I have a well thought plan my lord… I will get to the youngest Halliwell and…
"HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO YOU THINK I HAVE HEARD THIS DEMON!? BALTHAZAR HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH THIS AND HE WAS THE CLOSEST ANY DEMON HAS AND WILL EVER GET NOW HE HAS BEEN FOUND OUT, THE WITCHES WILL BE MORE CAUTIOUSE THAN EVER! Balthazar made Demon of the century. What have you made other than outcast?"
"Please my lord… at least let me try, let me prove to you that I can handle this. And if I can't, then I will see other failures in the waste land."
"Very well. At least when you die, the underworld will be rid of worthless Demons like you. If you succeed however, you will be made my right hand man. NOW BE GONE FROM MY CHAMBERS! The Source bellowed in a menacing tone.
Back at the Manor the youngest Halliwell lay curled up on her bed sobbing gently.
There was a knock at the door.
"Pheebs, can I come in please?
A quiet voice then sounded "yea" then all went quiet again.
"Pheebs hunny, what's wrong? Are you still upset about that with argument with Prue this morning? Because you do know that she only gets on to you so much because she loves you right?
"I know that and yea I was upset about it but that's not why I'm upset now. But it doesn't matter anyway, you'd just think I was irresponsible… isn't that what I heard you saying earlier to Prue? I didn't hear you disagree with her so I'm guessing you agree on that one huh?"
"Pheebs sweetie, you weren't even meant to hear that conversation but you yourself have to agree that you go into something without thinking. You no shoot first ask questions later. And you can't deny you do that. Prue just worries about you is all, and so do I, Prue more so because she was practically your mum while you were growing up; you're the baby of this family and me and Prue just want to keep you safe."
"I know…" Phoebe then broke the silence. "Hey piper?"
"Yea Pheebs?"
"Do you think that we could do something this weekend? You know just the three of us? I just think we all need to get away for a while and stuff you know?"
"I think that would be a great idea Pheebs, what did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking maybe a hike up in the mountains, I've always liked it up there and I'd love to show you both where I like to go sometimes. Sometimes, it feels like you and Prue hardly know me at all. I just think it would be nice you know?"
Just then prue came into the room, (she had been listening at the door for some time now)
"Hey you… I think that's the best idea you've had in a while" she smiled at her baby sister and gave her a hug. "I love you baby, you know that right? I hate arguing with you but I only…
"I know Prue and I don't blame you, lets just start over starting from tomorrow okay? And I promise, no going out for me tonight. I'm too tired anyway"
Piper smiled to herself and walked out the room leaving her two sisters to talk. They are so much alike they don't even realise it she thought to herself.
A few hours later when Piper was coming upstairs to get ready for bed, she noticed Prue standing out side Phoebes door with a slight smile on her face.
"Hey" whispered Piper, what ya doing?"
"Whoa Piper you scared me, you know better than to sneak up on people in this house"
Piper chuckled "Sorry, but what are you doing?"
"I'm just watching her sleep… she's so innocent looking while she's asleep, if only she was always like it" both Prue and Piper laughed lightly.
"C'mon sis, we'd better go get some sleep, early morning tomorrow. Have you packed all of the stuff you need for over the weekend? Piper asked
"Yea I have, I'm actually looking forward to it now."
"Okay then, I'll cya tomorrow I love you, and remember NO cell phones… Phoebe's orders!"
"Yea yea yea I got ya, cya in the morning, I love you."
"Come on!" squealed an excited Phoebe, "I want us to get there early so that we can get settled in and go for a small trek before it starts to get dark!" Phoebe was bouncing around like a child at Christmas. It was clear that she hadn't been out like this in a while.
"Okay, okay Pheebs were coming," said a laughing Piper, it made her happy to see her younger sister so happy. A few days ago she was really worried about her, she hardly saw her because she was either up in her room or out all night. Maybe she'll open up to us during this trip" Piper thought telepathically to Prue.
"I hope so Piper, I don't know what's been wrong with her; it's made me more worried from what I overheard her saying to you yesterday. Its something else she was crying about? I mean what could that be?" "I don't know either Prue, but hopefully she'll tell us in time, if we all just have fun this weekend and lay off her for a while, she might tell us. If not we'll have to get it out of her another way…" A voice interrupted the two older sisters "what are you two doing? You look very serious for people about to be going for a weekend of fun." "It's nothing Pheebs, piper and I were just wondering if we should bring some fuel in the back of the car… we don't want to break down to make us late for our trek" Prue smiled at her baby sister and exchanged glances with Piper. " Oh okay then, I didn't think of that, we'd better bring some. Good thinking you guys" on saying this Phoebe skipped out to the car.
The underworld
"My plan has already been set in motion. The Charmed ones are on their way for a weekend trip to hike in the mountains. I've been watching them closely. There I will pose as one of the Rangers that will be near them and strike out when they are most vulnerable." The Demon laughed to himself while the other outcast Demons looked up at him, unsure of how to take the plan.
"Sir, with all due respect, how exactly is this going to work? I mean the Charmed Ones are never off guard; they're not like likely to put their trust in a stranger, especially after what happened with Turner." A smaller looking Demon spoke nervously to his leader from the crowd.
"Ah why that's simple my friend, but I'm not about to tell you the whole plan right here and now" he Demon chuckled then his face went very serious; he raised his hand and threw a fire ball at the smaller Demon who asked him the question. "And that's what will happen to the rest of you if you dare doubt my plan and question me again!" Some of the Demons at the front of the crowd backed away in fear of their leader, others muttered amongst themselves but no other Demon dared to speak up to the leader.
It was now pouring down at the mountain camp, looking out the window, Phoebe sighed. "I can't believe that it's raining so bad here! How is it possible to just come down like this?
"Aw Pheebs it'll stop soon… I hope but at least it will give us time to rest in here until it passes. I say we start tomorrow morning." Prue sighed this weekend had started bad already; hopefully it would stop raining soon. This could be her and Pipers only chance to get Phoebe to open up.
"TOMORROW?! I'm not waiting that long" she said as she was pulling her waterproof coat over her head"
"Phoebe" Piper said, a slight panic in her voice " you cannot be serious! Going out in this its going to get dark soon"
"Look Piper I'm going whether you want me to or not. If you're that worried come with me."
It was Prue's turn to chip in now "Phoebe me and Piper are not going out in this and neither are you" Phoebe already had her hand on the door to go out into the rain. "Phoebe don't you DARE go out into that rain!"
" I am going out in this and you won't stop me, it was my idea to come here and I'm not going to sit around waiting for this to stop because if it doesn't stop, it will be a wasted weekend! Now if you don't want to go that's fine but I've wasted enough time arguing about this already… I'M GOING!" with that phoebe violently opened the door slipped out and slammed it with extra force.
"THAT'S IT! I'm going after and if she doesn't come back willingly, I'll drag her back myself kicking and screaming along the way!" Prue was exploding by now. Piper then came up to her and put her hand on Prue's arm.
"Prue," said piper softly. "It's going to do no good you going after her, she'd just push you away more, and you heard what she said. She knows this place really well, there'd be so many places she could go to avoid you. She isn't stupid when it comes to stuff like this, she knows how to look after herself here."
"Ugh you're right Pipe, but why does she have to do this to me. I'm just worried about her is all, anything could happen in this weather."
Up in the mountains
"Why do they have to be like this? Can't the just trust me enough to let me to go places on my own! God they're suffocating me with all the mothering between them!
"Excuse me, Miss? Phoebe heard a voice say. She looked behind her to see a ranger approaching her.
"Is everything okay miss? I saw you walking here alone; I thought you might be lost. It's not the best weather to be lost in."
"I'm fine thank you. I just need to clear my head you know, me and my sisters had an argument and… I'm sorry you don't want to hear this… I'll be on my way.
"No it's okay really. I don't mind, I know what siblings can be like. Please let me walk with you. Its good to have some one to talk to who actually knows a bit about what you're going through. My name is will by the way."
"Well if you're sure you want to listen to the ramblings of me, then my name is Phoebe" she smiled lightly at will, she was glad she wasn't alone anymore. "So are you new around here? I haven't seen you around here before."
"Yea I'm new around here, it's not a bad job, especially when I meet people like you. It make the job a lot more enjoyable." He gave Phoebe a warm smile.
"Well I'm glad I can help you like you're job more that usual, anyway…"
All of a sudden Phoebe grabbed onto wills are to keep her from slipping, they were halfway up the mountain on some of it's steeper ledges when she slipped. The sudden jolt in the mud caused more to slide down over making her slip more, she let go of wills arm as she slipped again. "WILL, HELP ME!" she screamed, the fear and panic in her voice was clear.
On hearing this Will started to laugh. "No witch I don't think I will help you" he sneered at her. Looking at her shocked face made him laugh even more.
"But, but you… aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
She let out a high-pitched scream as Will/Demon kicked mud into her eyes and kicked her off of the ledge. Looking after her as she fell, he laughed and shimmered out.
Back at the cabin
"Phoebe's been gone along time now, I'm starting to really worry now" Prue was starting to panic. "Damn the Elders for sending Leo on that Training program! It's times like this when we need him the most!"
"Prue, I think we should go out and look for her. It's dark now and you know that unless something happened, she'd be back by now"
"Okay Piper, but make sure we stay together, do not let us get separated. We don't know our way around here and if we get lost, we have no hope of getting back here with out Pheebs.
Mountain
As Phoebe was falling all she could think about was how stupid she was for trusting a complete stranger so much. As she was thinking this she let out a scream of pain as she hit the ground. On the ground where she fell were jagged rocks. She couldn't move and she was beginning to loose her sight. That's when she felt blood trickling down her face. Just before she lost consciousness she could have sworn she had heard her sisters calling her name.
"OH MY GOD PRUE! DID YOU HEAR THAT?" Piper was in a state of panic now.
"Piper calm down! Yes I heard it; it didn't seem to far away c'mon she must be close."
As Prue and Piper approached to near where they thought the scream had come from, they couldn't see phoebe anywhere, but they could see blood. And lots of it. When they looked up at where it was coming from Piper let out a scream when she saw Phoebe's motionless body lying on the rocks, some of the more jagged pieces piercing right through her left shoulder, blood pouring from her head and her right leg bent at a very nasty angle. When Prue looked up to see what Piper was screaming at, she too screamed. "Oh my god Phoebe!" "Oh god Prue what are we going to do!? We can't just leave her there like this!"
"Piper we're going to have to! There's no way we can move her without causing anymore damage!" the two sisters crying, Piper more hysterical than Prue. "Call 911!"
"I can't Piper I didn't bring my cell! Remember? Pheebs asked us not to bring them!" oh my god I can't believe this is happening. This is the last time I go out without a cell!!
"Piper listen to me! Did you see a ranger's station anywhere when we were walking here?"
"No but I know that Phoebe kept flares in her backpack" said piper, calming down slightly."
"Ermm okay Piper, you talk to Phoebe and I'll climb up and get the flares out of her back pack. I need to try not to move her or I could cause permanent damage."
"1 problem Prue!" Piper was starting to get hysterical again "SHE'S LAYING OH HER BACKPACK! HOW THE HELL ARE WE MENT TO GET THE FLARES NOW?!"
" Okay well it looks like I'm going to have to move her a little bit. If we don't get help soon she will die!"
"How do you no that she's not dead already?"
"Well one I can see her breathing, and two we would have felt it. You know the whole power of three/sisterly bond thing?" with that Prue started to climb up the rocks towards her baby sister. "Hey Piper! Can you lift her head and shoulders up a little bit? I need to get to the backpack. Just be a gentle as you can okay?"
Carefully Piper started climbing the rock face too. She found a good place to balance her feet and she carefully lifted Phoebe. While Phoebe was lifted, Prue grabbed the box of flares from the backpack. It wasn't hard since the backpack was ripped open from the rocks. "Okay Piper, you can put her back down I have the flares" as Piper was putting her back down, Phoebe groaned. "Phoebe? Pheebs sweetie can you hear me? Prue fire the flares! I don't think she can last much longer, she's freezing!" Prue fired a flare up into the sky and waited…
Underworld
"You have failed! You came to see me telling me that the charmed ones were no more, that the youngest was dead only for me to find out later that she is in fact alive! Weakened maybe but not dead! The Source bellowed to the outcast Demon.
"Please my lord! She still might die!"… The Source cut the Demon off
"You know as well as I do Demon that the youngest Halliwell is a fighter and now that her sisters have her she will survive!" the Source threw an energy ball at the demon. "The Demon outcast Wilverouse is no more. May he perish in the wasteland!"
Rock face
As the paramedics and rescue team got to work getting Phoebe off of the rocks, Prue and Piper were totally silent, sometimes briefly mumbling things to each other. They wouldn't know the extent of the damage Phoebe took until she got to the hospital.
20minutes later, Phoebe was being air lifted to the nearest hospital. They had discovered while she was being taken off of the rocks that her lungs had been punctured by one of her ribs. She had to go on oxygen but she needed her lung sorted out fast so she was taken by the helicopter instead of the ambulance. Pure, Piper and Joe (the ranger that had answered the sisters flare) went to the hospital in the ambulances.
At the hospital, Phoebe had been stabilized. The Doctor had come to talk to Prue and Piper to talk about the damage Phoebe had taken.
"Phoebe flat lined twice during surgery. She had a punctured lung which we fixed, she severed the joints and nerves in her shoulder where the rock went through it, she will need to go to the physiotherapist to be able to use her shoulder and arm again. She had split the back of her head open and has a serious concussion and her right leg is broken in two places. She is also suffering from hypothermia due to it being so cold on the rock face along with all of the rain and damp."
Both Prue and Piper were crying at this point. "Can we please see her?" prue asked.
"Of course but remember she is in ICU at the moment and is still unconscious so don't expect her to wake up quickly. Talking to her may help though, follow me."
"Thank you" Piper said quietly as her and Prue followed the Dr down to Phoebe's room.
When the two older sisters walked into the room they were shocked by the state of their sister. Her head was bandaged up, her left arm and shoulder was strapped up her leg was in a cast and she was hooked up to 2 IV's, one putting blood back into her and one giving her fluids, a heart monitor and some other small machines; she also had an oxygen mask covering her face to be sure she could breath okay after the damage to her lung.
Prue was the first one to talk "She always looks so small and fragile in hospital beds. I should never have let her go outside in that weather! The paramedics said that she slipped in what looked like a mudslide! How could I have let her go out in such dangerous weather!"
"Prue don't you dare blame yourself for this! It was suspicious anyway. When that ranger… Joe came to see us again he told us that there were two sets of foot prints on that ledge which means someone left our baby sister to die!"
The two sisters heard a groan behind them. They turned around to seen Phoebe starting to wake up.
"Phoebe, honey? It's okay, me and Piper are right here."
"Yea Pheebs we're not going to leave you" Phoebe opened her eyes.
"P..p..prue?…P..iper.? Wh.. where am I?" she was finding it harder to talk with the oxygen mask on so she tried to take it off but Prue stopped her.
"No sweetie, you have to leave that on…you're in the hospital sweetie…me and Prue found you on the rock face. You were lucky you had flares I don't know what we would have done otherwise. Phoebe looked slightly confused but then she frowned.
"wi..ll. wil…l… D..e..mon"
"Who's Will Pheebs? Is that who was with you? Pheebs did a Demon get your friend?" Prue was getting curious, did this have something to do with a Demon?
"N..o. He… was… a De.emon… he pus..ed me.
"What! A Demon pushed you off of that rock face?! Piper almost screamed.
Phoebe nodded lightly then lost consciousness again.
"Prue! It was a Demon attack! How could we not have known! Maybe this is what she was upset about!"
"I don't think so Piper, if it was what she was upset about, why would she say we would think she was irresponsible?"
"I don't know… lets just wait until she's a bit better and then we can work this whole thing out. for now I think we should just leave her to rest.
A few days later
"Hey Pheebs, how are you feeling?" Piper asked concern still in her voice.
"Like I fell off the edge of a cliff… but at least I have a bigger dose of pain meds now I'm awake."
"Pheebs, we haven't been able to find that Demon but when Leo got back he said that he was killed by the Source himself. I'm not sure how the Elders found out but it seems that the Source has stopped trying to go after us for the moment, so we're just back to regular Demons again. What we still don't know though is why you were so upset after the argument you had with me. You said that it was something else that was making you upset.
"I don't care about the Demon that pushed me anymore, I just want to forget about it. I can't believe I trusted him. And that's what I was upset about before. I trusted Cole and because I did it put us all in danger."
"Oh I don't think that that was irresponsible of you. He tricked us all. I would never have guessed that he was a Demon. Piper never guessed either. So that just shows how good of a lire he was."
"Prue's right hunny, no one guessed. Not even Leo or the Elders." Just then Leo orbed in.
"She's right Phoebe, no one knew, you couldn't possibly have known. Stop beating yourself up about it." He smiled at Phoebe then had a saddened expression on his face. "Phoebe… I'm really sorry I wasn't there to help you but with me on that training, I didn't even know you were in trouble till the elders alerted me but by then the paramedics and rescue team had already seen you so I couldn't have healed you. I'm sorry."
"Hey it's okay Leo, it wasn't your fault. I'm just glad I was reached in time" she smiled to herself. "also I have really got to start learning who to trust and start listening to my sisters"
"Pheebs the day you listen to me or Piper is the day I let you Borrow my credit card.
Which will never happen of course" Prue and Piper started laughing and Leo was trying his best to hold back a laugh himself. Phoebe however just scowled.
The Dr came through the door. "Good news Phoebe. As soon as we get the rest of your papers are sorted out you're free to go home with your sisters" she smiled at the three sisters and Leo then left the room.
1 month later
"Hey Pheebs are you coming or not?" Piper shouted through to the living room.
"Hey give me a chance Piper I still haven't got used to this wheelchair!"
Prue then shouted from the kitchen "Phoebe its electric… how can you not use it? "I'm just a little frustrated with it is all!"
Piper came into the living room and took the break off of the wheelchair. "there ya go genius. It works a lot better without the break on" Prue came into the room laughing when she realised why Phoebe couldn't move the wheelchair.
"Ah shut up you guys and one of you push me! With that Piper pushed Phoebe while prue got the door. They all went out together laughing. The three of them were now closer than ever.