Before Billie could even comprehend what had happened she was having a hard time finding air. She shut her eyes and then opened them. Nope. Still dying. She started pushing on the big, ugly demon's arms but only shuddered as a smile appeared on what you could call a face.
A smile with sharp, blood stained teeth. Then as she felt her eyes shutting and air becoming a thing of the past, sense rushed into her brain. She moved her hand weakly; using all her power to think of the sword lying on her bed and in her mind she called out as strongly as she could to Paige.
Comprehension finally came to her.
The demon screamed and as she flew through the air, 'so this is what it's like to fly,' was her last thought before darkness erupted around her.
--
Phoebe and Paige arrived at the motel just as the demon bent his head and charged at the abandoned building across the small parking lot.
Phoebe gasped, as small as the parking lot was, that's still a long distance to crash into a wall. Paige called out, "sword," and waved with her hand. The sword disappeared then appeared in the demon's head.
They both shuddered when he screamed. Then shuddered again when he blew up into a million little pieces.
"Thank God he was easy to vanquish." Phoebe said in one breath before grabbing Paige's hand and running over to the abandoned building. They sifted through the debris, throwing planks of wood behind them, searching for Billie.
They found her near the back of the small room. She flew through the first wall, crashing into the opposite wall. A huge indent in the wall where she crashed into it before falling into a heap could be found above her.
"Billie!" Phoebe screamed, running to her the same time Paige did. Phoebe silently looked her over as Paige put her hands over Billie's head, where a deep gash was running along her forehead, along with many other small numerous ones, accompanied by bruises in each spot of bare skin Phoebe could see.
Phoebe and Paige started panicking at the same time.
Billie wasn't healing.
"Why isn't she healing!" Phoebe screamed at Paige. Paige just shook her head, before moving her hand and looking worriedly at the unhealed body in front of her. She grabbed Phoebe's hand, then put the other on Billie's arm before orbing to the manner.
She orbed into the living room, startling Piper. Piper guessed what was wrong the moment she looked at both Paige and Phoebe's faces.
"Leo!" She called out hurriedly.
"I'll go check the book." Phoebe said standing up and sprinting upstairs. She walked with a haze all the way up the stairs, flipping through the pages, she blinked back tears, using the stand the book was on to hold herself up.
Leo picked up Billie tenderly, softly laying her on the couch. Shifting her head so none of the cuts were pushed against the pillow. He held out his hand, slowly fixing the huge gash on her forehead. Cleaning it, then putting a bandage over it. Hoping the bleeding finally stopped. Leo silently nodded to Piper and Piper smiled at him before she and Paige walked upstairs.
This is the second time Phoebe flipped through the book. She still could find nothing. She heard footsteps.
"I can't find anything!" She shouted at the book. She felt Paige put her arms around her. She wrapped her arms around Paige back.
"We'll keep looking, sweetie. You just go down to Billie." Phoebe nodded and Paige gave her a squeeze before Phoebe headed downstairs.
When she got downstairs, Leo was bandaging another huge gash on Billie's stomach. Checking the head wound, Leo was glad to find it finally stopped bleeding.
Phoebe sat down on the end of the couch, holding Billie's hand for two hours and Billie didn't wake up once.
Leo checked her pulse and was despaired to find it worsened. The cuts weren't bad. There were many of them, but they weren't bad. He just didn't understand.
Piper and Paige orbed in with no news of the demon, Phoebe just stared at the unconscious and unmoving form of Billie. Leo walked over to them, tilting his head in the universal, 'follow me,' gesture. They all moved around the table. Leo sighed.
"I think we just need to give Phoebe a little peace now. What we're dealing with is something new. A new demon…" His sentence just trailed off. Paige put her face in her hands. Piper moved into the warmth of Leo's arms.
He didn't need to finish. They new what he was saying. Billie is dying. As rapidly as this came, it's going to take Billie rapidly with it. He's saying that they need to let Phoebe say her goodbyes.
--
I've watched her for 2 straight hours and not a sign of movement. I feel Leo pat me on the shoulder as he leaves the room with Paige and Piper.
No! This cannot be happening. This is a nightmare. I'm going to wake up and find that I'm in my bed, face tear streaked. I just fell asleep and the constantly ringing phone will be what woke me up.
My throat tightens. I blink away tears. I didn't even get to tell her. I use both of my hands to cup one of hers. I lay my head on her chest, right above her heart. I listen to it and a tear escapes my eye.
"I didn't even get to tell you, Billie." I take a deep breath as I feel a sob approach. "I can't believe life is this cruel." I lace my fingers through hers, using my free hand to trace lines on her other arm. "I love you, Billie. I don't know how or why, I started. I just know I need you. I'm completely and irrevocably in love with you." A sob escapes me. "You're leaving me. I can't believe your leaving me." I pick my head up quickly. Her heartbeat sped up. I look at her face, each cut is reversing itself. I can see the dried blood just going back into the cut. I stand up, my mouth hanging open. I slowly peel the bandage of her forehead. The cut there is gone. I take a step back. The bandage falls from my hand. Her eyes open. She sits up with a gasp. I just stare at her as she takes big gasps of air. I hear Paige, Leo and Piper come running out.
"I heard a gasp, what!" But they all stopped dead when they saw Billie staring at them, still taking big gasps of air. She slowly swung her legs over the couch, her breathing returning to normal.
She stands up and stretches. I smile from ear to ear at how Billie-like that is.
"Maybe now's a good time to mention I was attacked by the same demon a week ago."
She smiles wide, staring into my eyes. Then she walks over to me, grabs my arm and pulls me, stopping in front of them.
"I'll explain what happened in a minute." Then she pulls me into the kitchen, letting go of my arm when we're near the counter. She goes to the cupboards, going through them.
"Uhm, Billie?" Her eyes light up when she pulls out a bag of chips. I lean against the counter, my legs starting to shake. The Billie I remember seeing earlier today is not present. The Billie I'm used to is present.
"So, Phoebe, as it turns out, I was in a depressed state." She pulls out a chip and munches on it. "I looked up the demon, it's a Demery. A demon that's just plain insane. How do I know this? I have a laptop." She pulls out another chip and chomps on it. "They work like this, they make their victims so depressed, they'll go insane." Another chip. I run my hands through my hair, slowly turning around after I realize Leo, Piper and Paige followed us into the kitchen. "If you didn't find me in time, I would've probably killed myself." Another chip. "These chips are heavenly! Mm. You know it takes willpower to heal your body right? I was letting myself die. I didn't want to live." Another chip. We were all just watching her, too shocked to even attempt to say something. "The reason I wasn't healing is because I didn't want to." Another chip. "When a demon makes you depressed, he makes sure your body's healing methods can't work properly." Another chip. She walks over to the refrigerator and puts her hand on the door handle. "But Phoebe here, just saved me. She also reversed the effects. She made me realize I had something to live for and if you have something to live for, your usually not depressed or going insane." She winked at me. She just winked at me! My mouth dropped open again. I replayed her words in my head. Holy – holy shit! She opened the refrigerator, and pulled out the milk. She went to the cupboards and pulled out a glass, poured herself a glass of milk and returned it to the fridge.
"Okay…" Piper held out okay for at least 3 seconds. Did she just say she heard me? No, not Piper, Billie. Did Billie just say she heard me… then winked?
"Whoa." Paige said with a giggle. I agree Paige. Billie drank the milk in two gulps.
"Phoebe, are you trying to catch flies?" I shut my mouth. "I am so hungry. I've hardly eaten for a whole week. I believe you promised me dinner?" She was staring at me the whole time… and when did she get closer. She was moving past me, putting the chips on the counter, wiping her hands on her pants. "I'll be in the living room, when you guys get over the shock." Then she was out of the room. I blinked, opened my mouth, then shut it again.
"Phoebe, I believe she just said she likes you back, then asked you to dinner." Paige informed me and I replayed what Billie said in my head.
"She made me realize I have something to live for."
"Oh my God!" I jumped up and down, looked at them then ran out into the living room. There she was, remote in hand, feet on coffee table, lounging on the couch she almost died on. I ran over to her, pulling her into a hug.
"Whoa! I like breathing, you know!" I let go, then just looked at her. She smiled and I smiled back.
"You heard what I said?" She nodded, staring into my eyes.
"I heard everything. I meant what I said, too." She put her hand on my cheek. "But I'm really, really hungry." I laughed. I turned around and looked into Paige's eyes. She nodded, walking over to us. Laying a hand on both of our arms.
She left as soon as our feet hit my apartment floor. Billie waltzed over to the refrigerator. I just watched her as she heated up leftovers, eating in under 5 minutes. She walked back over to me. We stared into each other's eyes before I found her lips on mine. I could feel her arms around my neck. I wrapped mine around her waist.
We pulled apart, leaning our foreheads together, eyes shut.
"That tasted way better than those leftovers."
--
Maybe you could call this a coma. I know i'm hurt. I know that if I really tried, I could open my eyes.
But I don't want to. Instead I focus on the pounding pain all over my body. I internally smile. This is the easy way out. Just let the demon work it's evil.
I don't want to heal. I just want to die. Don't heal. Just die.
The negative... there is none, right? Phoebe would probably get over my death in a week. She's the only one who remotely cared about me. I'd be out of their hair. I could possibly even join my parents.
I'd like to see them again. That would be nice.
I found a negative. In all my brooding, self-hating, I forgot what Phoebe meant to me. That smile. Mm... at least I won't have the heartbreak of knowing i'll never have her.
Why does dying take so long? I can feel my breath slowing. I can feel my heart-beat slowing. Just a little while longer. I can feel my release.
"I didn't even get to tell you, Billie." Is that Phoebe? Why can I hear her voice? "I can't believe life is this cruel." I know. "I love you, Billie. I don't know how or why, I started. I just know I need you. I'm completely and irrevocably in love with you." Her words don't sink in, until I hear her sob. "You're leaving me. I can't believe your leaving me." I can suddenly feel everything around me, except pain. It's like she flicked a switch. Pain to happiness. I feel my heart-beat speed up. I open mye eyes, then gasp for air. Breathing hasn't caught up with me yet.
I stare at the person I just woke up to. Phoebe, I can't believe you just said that. I stand up and stretch, then look at her with a huge smile on my face.
She's staring back into my own eyes. Right then, by the look of utter happiness, mixed with confusion, I know.
She loves me too.