When Piper dies, they break.
The finality of flat line and the high pitched noise coming from the monitor tears them to pieces, without any hope of stitching themselves back together. Even when one of the nurses silences the noise with a press of a button, sad eyes dancing over the three shattering souls, it continues to ring in their ears.
Distantly, Prue can hear one of the doctors telling them something, perhaps something about time, but it doesn't process, can't process, and they take no heed when the medical staff files out of the room, taking with them the smallest shreds of doubt.
Piper is dead.
Their sister is dead.
Pheobe makes it all of one step before she collapses, knees giving out and dragging Prue down with her, unwilling to release her clutches on her eldest sister's arm. They crash to the floor, limbs striking linoleum sharply and flesh blooming bruises they can't feel. Pheobe curls around Prue and tucks her head to her sister's chest, sobs wracking both of their entangled forms. Prue remains silent, because this can't be happening, she can't be dead, she can't lose another person she loves, not her sister, not after Andy and oh God, why is this happening?
Dan remains motionless on the other side of the room, hands clenching and unclenching slowly. There are tears in his eyes, dripping down his cheeks, splashing onto the floor, drip drip drip. All he wants to do is tear his gaze away from the body, from Piper, but he can't. He sees nothing but pale skin and matted hair and a hospital gown. Something thuds in his ears and he doesn't know if it's his heart or the denial that he can't seem to escape.
Somewhere, an Angel feels his heart shatter.
A/N: My roommate convinced me to start watching Charmed. Made it to Season 2 in about a week.
I have regrets.
Try as I might, I couldn't stop this from blossoming.
Branches from Season 2, Episode 12, Awakened. Will (potentially, depending on if there's interest and my brain doesn't get distracted by other story ideas), continue on from there. (Obviously, in this, Leo doesn't save Piper, for which I have an explanation for.)
Enjoy my lovelies.
Hearts always, A.
