Author's Note: I originally began this series after the 3rd season and it was announced Shannen Doherty was leaving the show.
1 of 22 in the 4th Sister Series, alternate season 4.
Beeping. It was all she could hear. Her eyelids felt like they were glued shut and her mouth was so dry. Her body was limp and moving seemed like an enormous effort. She knew she wanted to wake up, but she wasn't sure if she was able to wake up. Her first attempt at speaking came out in a breathy wimper. There was no response. She tried again and she managed to get her lips to move in an attempt to form words. Yet, the words were still mixed together and nonsensical. These minor attempts were exhausting in themselves, and finally she tried opening her eyes. Blurred images appeared before her. The light was so bright to her. Everything melted together, and she couldn't tell what anything was or where she was. But slowly things came into focus. The wall with the clock on it reading 9:45. A door nearby. She turned her head to the left and saw first a chair and then the machines. A heart monitor and another machine with numbers on it. It took a while for it to register that she was in a hospital. She turned her head to the right and saw the door to the room. It was open and she could see as nurses, doctors and various other people passed by. She had to get their attention. She had to know what happened.
Slowly her brain sent the signals to her hand to move. She could see the call button on the control near her right hand. She didn't have to move far. Inch by inch, her hand made its way over and finally her finger pressed against the button. She just held it down for several seconds and then let her hand fall back to the bed.
A couple minutes later a young nurse entered the room. She looked very surprised, but then recovered and offered a small smile.
"Hello, look who's awake," the nurse said cheerfully. She went over and looked at the machines.
It was time for her to attempt to speak again. Someone was here. She had to say something. She had to find out what happened.
"P…P…" she stuttered. The words wouldn't form. She exhaled and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "W…Where…?" she finally managed to say.
"You're in the ICU in San Francisco Memorial, Miss Halliwell," the nurse replied. "I'm going to go get Doctor Stevens. He'll be right in."
She wanted to protest, to stop the nurse from leaving. She had so many questions. The only problem was that she couldn't vocalize them. She knew she had to try saying more while nobody was there so she would be able to talk when Dr. Stevens came. She managed to make a few sounds, but nothing substantial. Dr. Stevens came in with the nurse.
"Good morning, Miss Halliwell," Dr. Stevens said. He looked at her chart and then took her pulse manually. "How are you feeling?"
"T…T…" she stuttered. She closed her eyes again and forced the word. "Tired."
"Well, that's understandable," Dr. Stevens replied. "Do you know where you are?"
"Hospital," she said. Her vocal abilities were getting better, but she still had to concentrate.
"That's right. Do you know what happened to you?" he asked.
"D…De…" she began, but then she stopped herself. She knew she was definitely exhausted then. She almost said demon.
"I'm sorry?" he asked.
"Don't know," she recovered.
"Well, you were apparently attacked in your home," Dr. Stevens explained. "You've been here for a little over a month. You suffered severe head trauma and some swelling around your brain. You also had some broken ribs, but those healed up completely about two weeks ago."
"P…Prue?" she asked. She remembered that they had been attacked by the wind demon named Shax. She also remembered that Prue had been hit before she had.
"I'm sorry?"
"Prue, my sister," Piper said.
"Um, I wasn't aware you had a sister. You were just recently transferred to my care, and all I know is your medical history," Dr. Stevens replied.
"No, she was there," Piper continued. "When I was attacked. She was hurt, too."
"I'll have to check on that," Dr. Stevens said. "A nurse is also calling your father right now. I'll go see about getting some information about your sister. Get some rest, and I'll be back."
Piper watched Dr. Stevens leave with the nurse, and she had a bad feeling about the news he would return with.
Fifteen minutes later, Victor rushed into the hospital. He had such a relieved look on his face when he saw Piper lying there awake.
"Oh, thank God," he said. "I thought you would never wake up."
"Dad," Piper began. Victor took her hand and kissed her on the forehead. "Dad, what's going on? They said I've been here a month."
"Yes, you have," Victor replied. "I'm just thankful that those reporters saw Dr. Griffiths fly out of the window. Otherwise I would have lost all three of you."
"What? Dad, where's Prue? And Phoebe and Leo?" Piper asked. "What is going on?"
Victor sighed. He had a feeling he would have to deliver this news, but he had hoped that by some miracle he wouldn't have to.
"Prue was killed. There was too much damage to her brain," Victor said. He watched as Piper's eyes welled with tears. She closed her eyes and turned away from her father. "I'm sorry, sweetie. The doctors said that they think she died quickly. So she didn't feel any pain."
Piper released a choked sob. "Oh God," she said, tears running down her face. She did her best to hold her tears back in order to ask her next question. "Where are Phoebe and Leo?"
"I don't know," Victor replied. "I just don't know. I even tried yelling into the air, trying to get Leo's attention like you girls always did. It's like they've disappeared."
Piper released another sob and the dam broke. She just wept uncontrollably. Victor took her in his arms and tried to comfort her as best he could. He thought that he had dealt with the pain of losing one daughter, having one in a coma and having one missing, but the pain returned as he held Piper. He closed his eyes and tried not to cry.
She felt lost. Almost everyone she had ever loved was either dead or missing. All she had left was her father, and she had to be thankful that they had reconciled not too long ago. Piper didn't know what to do. The Power of Three was destroyed forever. As far as Piper was concerned, she might as well have died when Shax attacked.
Searing pain. All throughout his body, but it was constant at his wrists. The magical bonds burnt into his skin and kept him from orbing out. He just hung limp by his wrists. Blood trailed down his chest and back, soaking into the few remaining shreds of his shirt. His only remaining hope was that Piper and Prue were all right, that the time reversal had taken place and they had managed to defeat Shax without exposing themselves. He heard a sound and looked up. A demon had entered the room. Nothing special about him. Just a typical demon that enjoyed inflicting pain.
"My turn whitelighter," he said. "The Source wants to know the location of all of your charges."
Leo said nothing. He didn't care what The Source's minions did to him. He would never talk.
"If that's how you want to play it," the demon said. He held up his hand and it glowed red. "This won't kill you. But it will sure as hell hurt."
After multiple tests and lots of begging, Dr. Stevens signed Piper's release papers and Victor drove her home. They walked into the Manor, and Piper looked at it like she had never been there before.
"I had the repairs done on the house," Victor said. "It was my way of keeping the hope alive that Phoebe would come back and you would wake up. And I kept an eye on your club, financially. One of your assistants did a pretty good job of running the place for the past month or so."
Piper just listened and walked through the house with Victor following her. It wasn't really sinking in. She walked around and she could still feel her sisters there. They couldn't really be gone.
"Um, if you want to go change or shower or something, I can leave," Victor said. "Whatever you want, just tell me."
"I want my sisters back," Piper said quietly. Victor didn't quite hear what she said.
"What?"
"I want my sisters back," she repeated. Then she turned and headed for the stairs, her destination being the attic. Victor followed her.
"Piper, you can't get them back," he said. "They're gone."
They entered the attic and Piper opened the Book of Shadows. "They're not gone. I can get them back. I'll get them back, and I'll get Leo back."
"Piper, stop," Victor said. He took her hands and she lowered her head. "Honey, I think this is one thing that magic can't fix. They're dead."
Piper took a deep breath and tried hard to keep from crying. "Okay, Prue is dead. That you have proof of. But Phoebe and Leo are not dead. I know in my heart that they are still alive somewhere. And I'm going to find them, even if it's the last thing I do."
"What if it is?" Victor asked sharply. "I can't lose all three of you."
"I can't do this alone, dad," Piper argued. "I can't continue this fight alone."
"You're not alone," he said.
"I know that you're here, and you'll support me as best you can," Piper replied. "But I'm talking about the supernatural end. I need to find Phoebe and Leo. I can't keep this up without them."
Victor saw the pain and the fear in Piper's face and knew he couldn't argue with her about this. He walked around and opened his arms to her. They just stood there for a while in each other's arms.
"I'm so scared," Piper said with a shaky voice.
"I know, sweetheart," Victor said in his most comforting tone. "But if I know my girls, I know how stubborn and determined they are. You'll find them, Piper. I have faith in you."
Piper released a tearful laugh. "Thanks, dad."
He smiled. "Like you said, I'm here and I'm going to support you as best I can."
Another demon came in, and Leo assumed he was there to torture him some more.
"Haven't you gotten the idea?" Leo asked weakly. "I'm not going to talk. You might as well kill me."
"The Source has other plans for you," the demon said with an evil smile. He stepped to the side and someone else walked in. The person or demon was wearing a long black cloak with a hood, and was flanked on either side by two others wearing brown, hooded cloaks. The one in the black cloak stopped a few feet in front of Leo. He tried to see who the person was, but Leo couldn't see beyond the shadows of the hood.
"What's going on?" Leo asked.
The first demon replied, "Initiation." Then the one in the black cloak pushed the hood back, and Leo gasped. It was Phoebe, but she looked nothing like the witch he knew. The Source had turned her.
"Ugh!" Piper grunted in frustration. She had been scrying for Phoebe for the past half hour, but had received no results. "All right, that means she's not on this plane of existence."
"What?" Victor asked. He had patiently watched Piper scry, not quite understanding it.
"Well, like I told you before, if Phoebe were at any location shown on this map, the crystal would focus on that location," Piper explained. She started to fold up the map of the world she had pulled out ten minutes ago. "So, unless you've got a map of the solar system…"
"Okay, I get the idea," Victor interrupted. "So, what now?"
"Plan B," Piper replied. She headed up the stairs and Victor followed her.
"And that would be what?" he asked.
"I'm going to call Cole," Piper replied.
"Cole? Phoebe's boyfriend?" Victor asked. "Phoebe said he's a demon. Is that right?"
"Yeah, but he's part human and he does love her," Piper said. "Right now, he's my best shot. He can also travel between different planes of existence."
"And how are you going to contact him?" Victor asked.
"There's a spell I can say to call him. I've done it before so it should work," Piper said. She went to the Book of Shadows and quickly found the spell. "You might wanna stand back. I doubt he'll be happy that I brought him here."
Victor stood behind Piper and watched nervously. She cleared her throat and began the spell.
"Magic forces, black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here." Nothing happened. Piper was confused. "Okay, that should have worked. Where is he?"
"Try it again," Victor encouraged her.
Piper sighed and said it again. Wind started to build up and she squinted her eyes as loose papers blew past her. She kept repeating it until finally the wind died down. He looked at Piper in confusion.
"What am I doing here?" he asked.
Piper couldn't reply. This isn't what she had expected. A demon in a dark cloak stood in the center of the attic. He had dark clawed hands and his face was hidden. Piper finally found her voice, "Who are you?" She regretted the fact that she had allowed herself to be blocked from the door. She had put herself and her father in a very dangerous position.
"How did you bring me here?" he asked, avoiding her question.
"I…I was summoning Belthazor," she replied.
"I see. His blood. That's how. Serves me well for taking the time to torture someone myself," he said to himself. "Do not summon Belthazor again!" With that he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Piper and Victor stood there in shock.
"Who was that?" Victor asked. Piper couldn't believe what she was about to say.
"I think it was the Source."
Cole continued to moan as the Source's guards tortured him. The Source had done something to suppress Belthazor so that Cole was stuck in his human form. They didn't even have him tied up anymore. The Source had been watching on and finally took to torturing Cole himself. But suddenly as he was inflicting more pain on the beaten man, the Source disappeared. The guards were confused and it gave Cole an opportunity to recuperate and think. He had to get away before the Source managed to turn Phoebe completely. She had to kill an innocent in order to be completely evil. Cole knew the typical rules. He, of course, was an exception because he had been born with the distinct split between humanity and evil. But Phoebe would be turned and she would stay that way if he didn't stop it. He knew it was a long shot, but he decided to try out Belthazor again. The guards were still trying to figure out what happened to the Source. Little did any of them know that the Source was currently in the attic of Halliwell Manor.
Much to Cole's surprise, it worked. He changed into Belthazor and he felt much stronger. He wasn't at full strength, but it was enough. He shot an energy ball, killing one of the guards. He then charged the remaining guards and knocked them into the wall and unconscious. He rushed out of the room and hurried to find Phoebe.
"All right, time for Plan C," Piper said.
"And that would be…?" Victor asked. He wondered how many plans Piper had.
"The spirit board," she replied. She set it on the kitchen table and rested her fingers gently on the pointer.
"Pardon my skepticism, but how is this going to help?"
"In the past it's seemed like the dead have access to a bit more knowledge than we do. All I have to do is ask," Piper said. "There's got to be someone on the other side that can tell me something. Just be quiet. I have to concentrate."
Victor leaned against the counter and watched, not entirely convinced that this would work. Piper sat with her eyes closed for a moment. Then she opened them.
"Okay, I know there has to be someone out there who can help me," she said aloud. "So, um, I need to know how to find Phoebe and Leo. Anyone that can help would be great."
Nothing happened at first, but after a few seconds the pointer moved quickly to H-E-L-L-O-P-I-P-E-R.
"Uh, hi," Piper said. She felt weird talking to the spirit board. She had never actually gone about it like this, but it's all she could think of. "Who are you?"
P-R-U-E
Piper gasped and removed her hands from the pointer. She hadn't expected this. Neither had Victor. He stood and approached the table. Piper was stunned speechless. So, Victor spoke for her.
"Prue, is that really you?" he asked. The pointer moved without Piper's hands on it.
YES
"Oh my God," Piper said. She could feel her emotions rising up inside of her, but she forced them back. She was on a mission. "Um…okay, Prue…oh God, I can't believe this." A few tears fell from her eyes.
I-M-O-K-D-O-N-T-C-R-Y
Piper let a tearful laugh out. She wiped at her tears. "Okay, Prue. I won't." Victor smiled at Piper.
"That's definitely Prue. Worried about you more than herself."
I-M-D-E-A-D-N-O-T-H-I-N-G-E-L-S-E-2-W-O-R-R-Y-B-O-U-T
Piper and Victor chuckled again. "All right Prue, then you've gotta be worried about Phoebe and Leo, too. Do you have any idea where they are?" Piper asked.
NO-A-S-K-E-L-D-E-R-S
"The elders? How?" Piper asked.
B-O-S
"I just looked in the Book of Shadows," Piper said. "I didn't see anything that could help me contact them."
B-O-S
"Prue, I just…"
B-O-S
"I think you should try again, Piper," Victor said with a smirk. "Because it looks like that's the only answer you're going to get out of her."
"All right, Book of Shadows it is," Piper said. She stood. "Thanks Prue." She was about to leave when she stopped. "I love you." She watched the pointer move.
L-U-V-U-2
Piper smiled, a few tears escaping. Then she headed back up to the attic.
Belthazor snuck through the passageways, managing to dodge just about everyone he passed. He did have to kill one guard. It was his only choice. Finally he came to a room and looked in. There he saw what the Source had planned for Phoebe. Leo was dangling from magical bonds. He guessed that they kept Leo from orbing out. And he saw Phoebe standing there. She was almost turned. All she had to do was kill Leo. He had to stop it.
Inside the room, Leo looked at Phoebe and pleaded with her. He was trying to reach that last shred of humanity inside of her.
"Phoebe, you can fight this. You've fought evil inside of you before," Leo said. "Remember the Woogyman? You can beat this."
"The Woogyman was nothing," Phoebe said coldly. "Just a weak little pawn compared to what I will become."
"You're good Phoebe," Leo pleaded. "You know that."
"I don't think so," Phoebe said. "And I think it's kind of fitting what the Source has in store for me. Darklighters are very powerful." A crossbow materialized in her hand and she started to aim.
"Phoebe, stop!" Leo cried. She was about to fire when the door crashed open and Belthazor emerged.
"Look who's come to play!" Phoebe said with a smirk. She aimed and fired at Belthazor, but he managed to dodge it. Belthazor shot an energy ball, hitting the two guards that had come into the room with Phoebe. The one that had entered moments before her charged Belthazor and got a taste of an energy ball as well. Phoebe dropped her crossbow and charged Belthazor for hand to hand combat. He towered over her, but with her new powers she was quite a bit stronger than she had been before. They traded blows and threw each other around for a while. Finally, Belthazor knew he had to stop this and he took her by the throat with his right hand. He quickly threw her against the wall, knocking her unconscious. He turned to Leo and released the magical bonds. Leo collapsed to the floor.
"Get out of here," he said in his demonic voice. "I'll take care of Phoebe."
"What are you going to do?" Leo asked weakly.
"I'll think of something," Belthazor replied. "She was able to turn me good. I can do the same for her."
"I hope you're right," Leo said before he orbed out. Belthazor turned and picked Phoebe up in his arms. Then he shimmered to the mausoleum.
Victor had gone out to check on things at the club for Piper and when he returned late that night he found Piper asleep in her bedroom, the Book of Shadows on the bed next to her. He smiled and grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed. He covered her up and sat in a chair across the room. All that the two of them had now was each other. He watched her sleep and wondered how he could have ever abandoned them and stayed away so long. He cherished every day since he had reconciled with his daughters, and now he cherished every moment he had left with Piper. He knew that at any moment he could lose her for good. He didn't know if he could continue on if he lost her, too.
He started to doze off, but hadn't gotten into too deep of sleep before he heard a crash downstairs. He jolted awake and saw that the noise had woke Piper as well. She stood quickly and was immediately on the defensive. It was as if she had never been asleep.
"Dad, stay here," she said. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Victor reluctantly obliged. But once she left the room he decided it couldn't hurt to listen from the top of the stairs.
Piper made her way downstairs and tried to figure out where the crash came from. She gasped when she entered the solarium. He was lying on his side on the floor, obviously in pain. Tears streamed down her face.
"Please don't let this be a dream," she said.
He looked up at her. "If this were a dream, would I look like this?" he asked.
"Oh God, Leo," she exclaimed. She hurried over to him and hugged him tight. Then she kissed him quickly over and over. Finally he stopped her. "I wasn't sure if I would get you back. I kept looking for ways to find you…"
"I'm here now," he said. "How long has it been?"
"A month," Victor said from the doorway. "Welcome back, Leo."
"Thank you Victor," he replied with a smile. Piper wiped away her tears and helped Leo up onto the couch. He grunted in pain with every movement.
"Leo, what happened? Where have you been?" Piper asked.
"You don't know?" Leo asked.
"No, I…I just got out of the hospital. I'd been there for the past month or so," Piper replied.
"Wait a minute," Leo said. "What about Shax and Dr. Griffiths?"
"Shax killed Dr. Griffiths and got away," she explained. "Wait, how did you know about Shax? We never had a chance to tell you about him."
"Cole didn't get here to warn you," Leo said to himself. Then realization hit. "Oh God, Prue…"
Piper exhaled. Every time she thought about Prue her emotions started to rise and she had to hold them back. "Shax killed her. Almost got me, too."
"Oh no," Leo said. A pained expression appeared on his face. "I should have orbed up before the Source caught me. I could have healed her. I knew what was going to happen."
"Leo, what are you talking about? What happened to you? Where have you been?" Piper asked.
Leo took a deep breath and prepared to explain.
"Phoebe has no idea that Prue's dead," Leo finished the story. He explained everything—Prue and Piper being exposed, Piper getting shot, the deal with the Source. Piper and Victor were in shock. "If she had known that the Source was going to double-cross her she never would have done this."
"So, Phoebe's evil?" Victor asked. He was trying to process everything.
"Not completely," Leo replied. "She came close. The Source wants to make her a darklighter. Her final task was to kill me."
"Okay, how'd you escape?" Piper asked. The thought of Phoebe evil was all too familiar to her. She had seen it with the Woogyman and the past-life curse. She just hoped that they could turn Phoebe back.
"Cole helped me, or I guess I should say Belthazor," Leo said.
"Belthazor helped you? Did Phoebe reverse the spell that Raynor put on him?" Piper asked.
"Yes," Leo replied. "It looked like the Source had done some damage to him, too. He had to stay in his demon form or else neither of us would have gotten out of there alive. He said that he would work with Phoebe."
"There's gotta be something we can do," Piper said, suppressing a yawn as she spoke.
"Not tonight," Victor said in his most fatherly tone. "It's late. Piper you just got back from the hospital and Leo looks like he needs to go to one."
"Dad…"
"No, you need to rest," Victor interrupted. "It sounds like you might need to be at more than full strength to get Phoebe back."
Piper knew that Victor was right, and Leo looked like he needed a month to recuperate. She nodded her head.
"I'll heal faster if I go up there," Leo said. Piper looked at him, looking pained.
"Can I go with you?" she asked. "I just got you back."
He replied with a kiss. Then he turned back to Victor. "We'll be back tomorrow afternoon probably." Victor nodded his head and watched as they orbed out.
Phoebe struggled against the bonds that held her, but Belthazor had made sure he used bonds that would keep her from disappearing. A little trick her borrowed from the Source. Phoebe had all the powers of a darklighter. All she needed to do to make the change irreversible was kill a whitelighter, specifically Leo.
"I know you're in there," Belthazor said as he paced in front of her. "The woman I fell in love with is in there somewhere. I just need to crack through and make you see what's happening."
"Don't delude yourself," she said. "That part of my life is over. It's time for a new beginning."
"I'll turn you back, Phoebe," Belthazor continued. "Nothing is over until you kill Leo, and that's not going to happen."
"But don't you see Belthazor? This is our chance. No more hiding. No more running from the Source. We can be together and reign terror over all witches and whitelighters. We can destroy good," she said. Belthazor turned his back to her. He knew she could get through. He had to fight her and ignore her talk. "The great and powerful Belthazor and Phoebe the darklighter. Hmmm…maybe I should change my name. Phoebe doesn't quite strike fear into the hearts of the good."
Belthazor turned and then morphed back into Cole. "Do you really believe everything you're saying? We won't reign terror. When your sisters find out about this, which I'm sure they have by now, they won't let us live to kill one innocent. And you sure as hell aren't going to get your hands on Leo."
"Scared of the witches?" she asked coyly. "They pose no threat. What are the Charmed Ones without the Power of Three? Worthless! We'll crush them. You already said that the alchemist gave you protection against the vanquishing potion. And they can't kill a darklighter."
"But they have. Prue did. You remember that, don't you, Phoebe?" Cole asked. "You were there. I know because I did my research. Prue took the death touch from the darklighter and you watched her kill him. She could do that to you."
"She wouldn't kill her dear sister. She'll want to save me, and that will make her vulnerable," Phoebe said. She wasn't phased by Cole's attempts to get her back.
"You underestimate Prue," Cole said. "You never noticed it before because you're her sister, but I saw it. She knows when the fight is lost. She knows when to throw in her cards and leave with her winnings."
"Since when are we playing poker?" Phoebe asked. "Get to the point, Belthazor! I'm tired of this."
"No. I'm not Belthazor," he said, lunging forward and leaning on the arms of the chair he had her bound to. "I am Cole Turner, and I am a good man. You are Phoebe Halliwell, and you are a good woman. Say it!"
Phoebe didn't break eye contact with him. Their faces were practically touching. "I am Phoebe Halliwell," she began. Then she smiled. "And I am going to be the strongest, most feared darklighter around." Quickly she head-butted Cole and he staggered backwards, falling onto the floor. He growled in frustration and slammed his fists into the floor.
"You're not going to be the most feared darklighter around," he said as he stood. "You're going to be the most dead darklighter around. An attitude like yours, that'll get you killed real easy. Remember Eames? He was damn cocky. But that attitude of his caused him to underestimate you and your sisters. And he lost. You will, too. One way or another."
She sat in her hotel room wondering what she was even doing there. Her whitelighter had told her to come to San Francisco, but she didn't know why. She thought about what Rebecca had said before orbing out. "Your destiny lies in San Francisco. Don't question it. Just go." Rebecca had given her a hug and bade her farewell. "We probably won't see each other again. Good luck and be careful."
She didn't understand it. Aside from her grandmother, Alicia, Rebecca had been the only guide and family that she had known. For all twenty-six years of her life, Rebecca had been there to help her understand her powers and fight the demons that constantly came after her. Now she would never see her again. It didn't feel fair. She was upset and lonely and frightened at what her destiny really held for her. What was in San Francisco that was so important? She had no idea.
Price Halliwell laid back on the bed and covered her face with her hands, trying to think of some kind of explanation for what she was doing there.
"So, we're just supposed to sit by and wait while Cole tries to get Phoebe back?" Piper asked Leo. They were sitting in the kitchen with Victor talking over lunch. "There's gotta be something we can do."
"It's up to Cole," Leo replied. "It's too dangerous for us to be near Phoebe. If she takes an innocent life that's it. She's gone forever. We just have to wait."
"I agree with Leo," Victor said. Piper and Leo were both visibly surprised by that statement. He smiled. "Don't look so surprised. What he's saying makes sense. He was Phoebe's last test before becoming evil. If she kills him, I've lost two daughters and a son-in-law in a matter of months. I'm not ready for that to happen."
Piper saw the pain in her father's eyes. It was obvious that it still hurt him to think about Prue. Piper understood it. She wasn't really giving herself a chance to mourn Prue yet. She was too busy worrying about Phoebe. Every time she thought about Prue she would feel that same pain in her heart and in her soul. And then she would push it down, hide it somewhere deep inside her to be released later. It was a habit Prue had always practiced, and now as the oldest remaining sister, the habit passed on to Piper. It was an inheritance Piper didn't even realize she had received.
"I shouldn't have let her do it," Leo said, breaking the short silence. Piper saw the pain and regret in his eyes. She took his hand in hers.
"You both did what had to be done, and not just because I had been killed," Piper said. "Time had to be reversed."
"I didn't even try to stop her though. I feel like I had my own selfish reasons in mind because I knew it would bring you back," Leo said.
"I know it seems like that, honey, but it's not like that really," Piper replied. "Remember I told you about when Prue, Phoebe and I went to the future? Well, in that future, witches were exposed. Nobody could do their jobs, witches and whitelighters alike, for fear of being burned at the stake. They were all in hiding. If time had not been reversed, Phoebe and Prue and all other witches and whitelighters would not be able to fight evil with society breathing down their necks. Their lives would have been over." Leo just looked at Piper's hand holding his. "All three of us would have been more than willing to give our lives in order to protect our secret and each other, especially Prue. Don't feel guilty, Leo." Leo offered a small smile and nodded his head.
"What do you do now?" Victor asked.
"Wait for Cole, I guess," Piper replied. "What else can we do?"
"I can do this forever, Phoebe," Cole said. He was leaning against a piller as the two of them stared at each other. "However long it takes to get you to realize who you really are." Phoebe said nothing. "I used to be like that. So defiant and arrogant. But I changed. You changed me for the good."
"Good is weak," Phoebe spat. "Why would I want to go back to that? Guilt, emotions, pain, injury. I don't need that."
"Yes, you do. It's part of what makes you special, what makes you human."
"I'm not human anymore," she replied.
"Oh, yes you are," Cole said with a smirk. "You're human until you kill Leo." Cole pulled a dagger out of his back pocket and approached her. He dragged it down her forearm, leaving a trail of blood. He saw her cringe, but she bit her lip to keep from screaming. "You still feel pain, and you can still die."
"Are you saying you'll kill me?" Phoebe asked. "Because that's what you will have to do. I'll never go back to good."
"You will, Phoebe," Cole said as he replaced the dagger in its sheath. "You will."
Price didn't quite know what she should do with herself while in San Francisco. She figured if her destiny was there, she would have to get a job and a place to stay. She worked on that during the day. At night, she just wanted to find someplace where she could relax and get out of the hotel because she knew that if she stayed in the hotel she would end up constantly thinking about this destiny that she couldn't force to reveal itself.
As she was looking through the classifieds she saw an advertisement for a nightclub, P3. It sounded like a fun place, so she grabbed her jacket and headed out.
When she arrived at the club the first thing she noticed was the line to get in. 'Must be a really cool place,' she thought. She contemplated whether she wanted to wait or not and decided she had nothing better to do. She finally got up to the front of the line and the doorman carded her.
"You're kidding," she said with a laugh as she pulled out her driver's license.
"Hey, you look young enough," he said with a smile as he took the card. "Better safe than sorry." He saw that she was over 21 and started to hand the ID back when he noticed her name. "Hey, wait. Halliwell? You a relative?" he asked.
Price was confused, but replied quickly, "Yeah." Afterall, it wasn't a lie. She was somebody's relative. She wasn't sure why he had asked her that anyway. He smiled.
"I figured as much," he said. "You look alike. No cover charge for family."
Price wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she just smiled and went in, heading for the bar to order herself a drink. The club was packed and Price decided that she hadn't wasted her time waiting in line. Somehow managing to pay no cover charge to get into a kick ass club was pretty much her idea of a great night. Now she just needed to meet a guy—or maybe a couple guys—and have some fun.
She sat at the bar and motioned a young woman over. When the woman came closer, Price had this odd feeling of familiarity. She pushed it aside and placed her order.
"Bud Light please," she said.
"Coming right up," the woman said. She grabbed a glass and headed for the tap. She quickly returned. "One dollar."
"You're kidding!" Price said in surprise. She'd never been to a nightclub that only charged a dollar for a beer. This place was getting better and better.
"College night, dollar drafts," the woman responded, smiling at Price's shock. Price quickly pulled out a dollar from her wallet.
"Well, I wish I could meet the owner and tell them what a great club this is," she said as she handed over the dollar.
"You just did," the woman replied. She extended her hand. "I'm the owner. Piper Halliwell."
Price shook Piper's hand. "That's wild. My name's…" Then it hit her. The doorman thinking she was family. The familiarity when she saw her. The same name. Her destiny.
"Your name's what?" Piper asked.
"Uh, Piper," Price lied. "My name's Piper, too."
"Really? I've never met another Piper before," Piper said as she put the money in the cash drawer.
"Yeah, me neither," Price replied with a nervous laugh.
"Well, it was nice to meet you. I'm glad you like my club," Piper said with a smile. "I've gotta serve some customers."
"Of course," Price said. She watched Piper serve customers. She was in disbelief. She had found more family. She knew in her heart that Piper was family. But she had to be sure. She had to have some kind of proof. Price wasn't sure what that proof was, but she would find it. Then she would find the right time to approach Piper.
Cole was pacing at the opposite end of the mausoleum wondering what he would do about Phoebe. He wasn't paying close enough attention and he didn't notice Phoebe's bonds loosening. He continued pacing, and didn't notice in time as Phoebe sent him flying into the mausoleum wall with a roundhouse kick. He fell unconscious and she left the mausoleum in search of her target.
Piper was finally arriving home after a long night at P3. College night was always the busiest and that's exactly what she had wanted—something to take her mind off the Phoebe issue. She had sent Leo to recuperate some more while she went to P3. She also wanted him up there while she was gone just in case Phoebe got away from Cole. She promised to call when she got home.
"Leo!" she shouted into the air. Moments later he orbed in with a smile on his face. He took her in his arms and held her tight.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to call," he said as he pulled away from her.
"And yet you haven't talked to me in over a month," a voice behind them said. They turned to see Phoebe standing there. She materialized a crossbow in her hand.
"Leo, go! Get out!" Piper shouted as she pushed on Leo to go. Phoebe fired, but her aim was off and she hit Piper instead of Leo.
"No!" Leo shouted as Piper fell to the floor. The arrow stuck out of her right shoulder. But she wasn't concerned about herself.
"Leo, go!" she shouted again. She raised her left arm, trying to freeze Phoebe, but it didn't work.
"No, Piper, I'm not leaving you!" Leo said in defiance. Phoebe was walking toward them.
"Leo, don't argue, dammit!" Piper shouted. She looked him in the eyes and he knew he should listen to her. There was more at stake than just Piper's life or his life. He quickly orbed out.
"Well, killing you might be good enough for the Source," Phoebe said as she loaded her crossbow and aimed it at Piper. "Farewell, sis."
"Phoebe, no," Piper said in protest, her voice shaky. She slowly stood, using the wall for support. "Don't do this. This isn't you."
"Oh, but it is," Phoebe commented. "I've always given in to evil. This is who I am."
"You are a good person, Phoebe," Piper said. "You have helped so many people. You've found the joy of protecting others. You love helping innocents. You love your family. And you love Cole."
"I love no one. I am no longer a slave to human emotions," Phoebe said. She took aim.
"Phoebe, please. I love you," Piper said in a desperate plea to get Phoebe back. Phoebe hesitated and she looked confused by her actions. Then she seemed to get her resolve back.
"I'll kill you," Phoebe said.
"No, you won't," Piper said in defiance. She mustered all the strength she could find and stood in front of Phoebe, seemingly no longer phased by the arrow protruding from her shoulder.
"You're insane."
"I'm right," Piper said, continuing to hold her ground. Phoebe looked confused and for one short moment, Piper saw her sister in there, wanting to get out. Then Phoebe disappeared in a black mist. Piper released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and then in a rush the pain hit her. She fell to her knees. "Leo!"
Leo orbed in and knelt next to her. He wanted to heal her, but the arrow had to come out first. "I can't touch the arrow, Piper," he explained.
"Call my dad," Piper said with a shaky voice.
"I don't know if you'll last that long," Leo said, his eyes filled with worry. "The poison works on witches, too. Faster actually than it does on whitelighters."
"Well, it's our only choice," Piper argued. But she was proven wrong when Cole shimmered in. He was holding his hand to his head. He saw Leo and was surprised.
"You're alive," he said.
"Yeah, but Piper won't be for long if you don't help," Leo said. He sat on the floor and pulled Piper toward him, wrapping his arms around her in order to keep her arms down. He had no idea how she would react to the pain of having the arrow pulled out. The head of the arrow had already exited through her back so Cole would have to pull it the rest of the way through. "Pull the arrow straight out as fast as you can." Then he looked Piper in the eyes. "Honey, this won't last long. As soon as he gets the arrow out I'll heal you." Piper nodded her head and then gritted her teeth, knowing she was about to experience a lot of pain. Cole grabbed the head of the arrow.
"All right, one…two…" Then he pulled the arrow out. Piper screamed and her legs thrashed, but Leo held her arms tight to keep her from overreacting and accidentally making something explode with her newest power. Her face was pale and she was in so much pain she couldn't even manage crying. She was in shock, shivering and whimpering. Leo quickly held his hands over the injury and the usual glow began to appear. The wounds healed and Piper relaxed some. But her face was still pale and she was still shaking a little. Leo helped her up and over to the couch.
"Are you okay?" he asked, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Cole leaned against the arm of the chair across from them.
"I will be," Piper replied.
"Where's Phoebe?" Cole asked.
"She left," Piper replied. She was trying her best to calm herself. "I got to her. I know I did, or else I would be dead right now."
"But you didn't get all the way," Cole commented.
"No, but I will."
Price went to the library the next day and got online. She had to figure out who Piper was. She went to an online directory and did a search under Halliwell. Several came up, and the only one without a listed first name was one that lived at 1329 Prescott Street. She jotted that down on a piece of paper and continued her research. She went to the San Francisco Chronicles website and did a archive search for Halliwell.
There were more matches than she had expected, dating as recent as a month ago and as far back as 1971. She clicked on the most recent. The article appeared, along with a photograph of a young woman with dark hair. Price couldn't help but notice the resemblence, not only to Piper, but also to herself. The headline read: "Local Woman Missing." She then read the article.
Phoebe Halliwell, twenty-six, has been reported missing. Halliwell's father, Victor Bennett, reported her missing yesterday after she had been missing for three days. Halliwell's disappearance seemingly coincides with an attack that occurred in her home. Four days ago, a mysterious attack occurred in the Halliwell residence on 1329 Prescott Street. A channel eight news crew found the victims of this attack after one of them crashed through one of the home's windows. Thirty-year old Prudence Halliwell, and fifty-year old Dr. Robert Griffiths, were killed in the attack. Twenty-eight-year old Piper Halliwell, remains in a coma at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Dr. Griffiths relationship to the Halliwells and the identity of the attacker have yet to be determined. Mr. Bennett urges anyone with any information on the whereabouts of his daughter, Phoebe, or on the identity of the attacker to step forward immediately.
Price finished the article in awe. Where did these people come from? Were they really family? She wondered if it was her destiny to help find Phoebe. It saddened her to think that just before she found this family one of them died and the other was gone missing. She continued to click on the articles.
Death Announcement: Prudence Ann Halliwell
Local Woman Falsely Arrested For Murder, Real Killer Found
Man Missing For Seven Years Returns Home
Serial Killings End, Judge Missing
Band Manager Arrested For Kidnapping
Inspector Killed, IA Investigator Is Suspect
Missing Boys Found In Sewer
Serial Killings End, Police Are Baffled
Death Announcement: Penelope Eileen Halliwell
Engagement Announcement: Halliwell/Moore
Death Announcement: Patricia Louise Halliwell
Birth Announcement: Phoebe Marie Halliwell
Birth Announcement: Piper Jayne Halliwell
Birth Announcement: Prudence Ann Halliwell
The list began and ended with Prudence. There were various articles involving unrelated Halliwells, and eventually after scanning through all of them Price had been reading articles for over two hours. She rubbed her eyes and returned to the death announcement for Patricia Louise Halliwell. There was no picture, so she couldn't be certain. But her heart kept telling her that she had found family, she had found sisters. She had so many questions, and, although it was a long-shot, she had an idea who she needed to talk to in order to get answers.
"Rebecca! Rebecca!" Price said aloud once she had returned to her hotel room. "Dammit Rebecca! I need some answers. Please! Rebecca!"
Finally she orbed in. "Price stop it. I shouldn't be here."
"You have to answer some questions. You left so abruptly. I think I at least deserve some answers."
"I can't. You know the rules," Rebecca replied.
"Screw the rules," Price said.
Rebecca sighed and mumbled something that sounded like, "It must be in their blood."
"Who is Piper Halliwell?" Price asked, getting right down to business.
"I can't tell you that, Price," Rebecca said. "It's something you have to figure out on your own."
"Why?"
"Because it's your destiny."
"Dammit, I need to know."
"Why don't you ask Piper?" Rebecca suggested.
"She's got her own problems. One of her sisters is dead and the other one is missing. If my theory is wrong, I don't want to do anything to upset her more."
"Then don't approach her," Rebecca said.
"Please just answer one question for me," Price pleaded.
"It depends on the question."
Price sighed. "Is Patricia Halliwell, the one that died in 1978 at Camp Skylark, is she really my mother?"
"Yes," Rebecca replied. She saw the distraught look in Price's eyes and felt sympathy for her. She had guided and watched over her for twenty-six years. It felt harsh to have to just leave her after so long. She reached forward and embraced her. "Price, I promise that you will know what to do when the time comes, and the answers will reveal themselves. I will always be watching over you in my heart. It's like you're my own daughter. Take care."
"I'm going to miss you Becca," Price said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Rebecca responded. She stepped back and orbed out. Price sat down on the bed and rested her head in her hands, wondering what she was going to do now. How could it be possible? Piper Halliwell was her sister.
Piper and Leo stopped at Prue's headstone. They just stared at it for a while. It was the first time either of them had seen it. Piper broke the silence.
"Promise me that you will never leave me," Piper said quietly.
"I promise that I will be with you forever, Piper," Leo said sincerely. He paused and then released a frustrated sigh, mumbling "They have unbelievable timing."
Piper heard him and let a chuckle escape. "Yes, they do," she said. "I'm getting used to it. It's okay. Go do your job."
Leo smiled and kissed her. Then he orbed out. Piper stepped forward and knelt near the headstone, placing a bouquet of orchids on the lush grass. She ran her hand over the carved letters:
Prudence Ann Halliwell
October 28, 1971 – May 17, 2001
Beloved Sister, Daughter and Friend
In Our Hearts Always
"Oh, Prue," Piper said quietly. "I don't know what to do. I'm so lost. I keep saying that I'll get Phoebe back, but every day she's gone I lose my confidence. I'm the oldest now. I'm supposed to get her back. I'm supposed to take care of her. I'm not meant for this. I don't know how you did it. You're the big sister, not me. I need help. I miss you. I love you."
Piper crumbled into tears, finally truly mourning for the sister she had lost and the sister she hoped would return. But she stopped herself when she heard someone clearing their throat. She wiped away her tears and turned.
"Piper," she said sniffing back her tears. She recognized the girl that had been so surprised by the dollar drafts. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was just visiting family and I happened to hear you ask for help," she replied.
"How? What are you talking about, Piper?"
"Um, my name's not Piper. It's Price. The name we have in common is Halliwell," she replied. Piper's eyes widened in surprise. "And I think I'm your sister."
THE END