Clay hung up the phone not really sure what his mind was thinking. Everything was running through his head faster then he even thought anything was possible. He had to get Prue back from TJ before he killed her. It was the one thing he had to do for Phoebe.
He grabbed his coat and left his appartment making his way towards the ferry to where he knew Prue would be.
He watched the house from the street. It was a spot he knew well from his early days of running with TJ and Billy, as well as the rest of them. Days that he would sooner put behind him, as he recalled them. Days that caused him to, lose Phoebe in the process.
He spun around when he felt the hand on his shoulder, "Tania? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing Clay. I thought you were done with this ass."
"I was. Am. I needed to help a friend."
"Phoebe." She stated matter of factly as she saw the look on his face. "Yes I know what happened and we intend on nailing his ass this time for good."
"But what about…" he didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence.
"Her sister? Don't worry about her Clay, thats my job. Just get out of here before he sees you and you get in our way."
He watched as she moved through the shadows, one of NYC finest. He had faith in her that she would get Prue out safely. She had hung out with him and Billy when they were younger, when Phoebe was in his life, just before she left for the academy. Now she was there, helping him, him, the one that left her for Phoebe. But in the end there was no hard feeling. She knew that Clay was meant for another woman and she knew that his heart belonged to Phoebe.
All he knew was pain. His head hurt like hell, as well as his ribs. He dealt in art, not the fine arts of fighting. But he felt her near him and that was all he cared about. Knowing she was safe. "Prue?"
"I'm here Jack, just relax. You took quite a shot there." she held her hand on his shoulder helping as she could ease his pain. At some point during the fight she had heard someone say something about Phoebe and that their boss would not be happy if the goods were damaged. She didn't have to be a brain surgeon to figure out she was the goods in question. The question she had was why were they after her and what had Phoebe done to piss someone off this much.
"Jack you are gonna be ok."
"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one that got shot." Jack snapped back though regretting it the second it left his mouth. He too had heard them talking about Phoebe and he wasn't about to let Prue hurt anymore then she already might be, "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault. Just close your eyes and get some rest." She ran her hand over his face forcing his eyes closed as she sat and watched him sleep.
She looked back and still couldn't believe he had risked his life to save hers. This was Jack. The most immature person she had ever met, yet she was drawn to him in some way. Running her hand over the top of his head she placed a soft kiss on the top. "Thank you." Was all she said.
She knew what she had to do and she knew it was not something she wanted to. But she had to. She had to get to the bottom of this no matter what.
TJ paced in front the window of his home. It was something he was proud of. A home to call his own. But what was missing was the one thing he needed revenge on: the sister to Phoebe Halliwell. "Where is she Billy?"
"There was complications TJ."
"Complications? She is a girl. A woman. How can there be complications. I want her here NOW!" He screamed his orders to his underlings.
"She fought back and then the police came." He covered for his own blunder.
"I want Phoebes sister in my grasp or it will be your death Billy." He ordered not even noticing the movement of police outside his window.
Piper held Phoebe as she cried for the loss of someone dear to her, one of the most dear to her. But Piper waited as she always had for her sister to explain to her what was going on.
Phoebe held on to Piper as if she was her last lifeline. Everything in her world came crashing around her. Regrets that she ever left for NYC, regrets she ever fell in love with Clay. And mostly regrets that she had ever willingly helped him.
"Phoebe. What is it that Clay told you?" Piper asked with authority yet compassion. She wanted to be there for her sister but she couldn't when she held everything inside.
She tried to compose herself but she couldn't. Everything was going all wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was to come home and he was out of her life forever. He was in jail and wasn't able to hurt her. But here he was. Rearing his ugly head at her the one way anyone could; through her sisters. Her Achilles heals.
"Phoebe please tell me what is going on." Piper almost begged her as she held her sister in her arms.
"Tell us both."
Both Piper and Phoebe looked up as they saw Prue standing with Leo. Phoebe nearly leaped out of Pipers embrace as she ran for her sister. Thankful she was ok.
"Prue. Oh thank god you're ok." Phoebe hugged her sister fearing if she let go I would all be a dream.
Prue was surprised at her sisters' outbreak but not totally, as she held her arms around her, "Phoebs. What's going on?" Prue asked as she still held on to something to let her sister know she was there for her.
She held tight fearing it was all just a dream or a nightmare. But when she realized it wasn't, she was scared. Scared of what her sisters would say or do to her. It was just an innocent mistake. She was just helping a friend get out of a bind. She wasn't even sure how everything got turned upside down.
"Phoebe, Jack is in the hospital and four guys tried to mug us in the park. I heard one of them mention your name. Now what the hell is going on?" Prue snapped at her sister. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.
Phoebe pulled away from Prue and made her way to the window. Looking out over the midnight sky. She always found solitude in the sky of night. The moon and stars calming her as no one else could, not even her sisters.
"It started almost as soon as I got to NYC." she started. She spoke as if she was somewhere else entirely. But she still felt the presence of her sisters. And she knew she would feel their disappointment as soon as she told them what she had done.
They listened as she spoke softly reliving her life in the big apple. How she had met Clay and everyone else. Then everything turned sour for her and them.
"Clay got himself over his head, as usual. And I went in to help him out. It was just one run it wasn't like I was gonna be doing it full time. I just wanted to help out Clay. But everything went wrong."
Having moved and sat on teh couch during her tale, she felt Piper placed her hand on her back. Piper knew that at that moment her sisters was relishing in the comfort and knowledge that both her sisters where there for her.
"Phoebe what happen?" was all Prue asked as she too took her sisters hand.
She was confused as to what even to say. She had put it so far behind her she wasn't even sure what went wrong. "I ran drugs for TJ" she blurted out softly. Not really sure why it came out the way it had. "He was going to hurt Clay. I believe the word he used was dead. I had to help him or Clay was dead. I just did the one run and in the end it was the one the cops knew about and everything went wrong. TJ blamed me for everything. I was the newby the one that got him busted."
Piper looked at Phoebe in shock, "So he got busted in a drug run and he blames you?" she asked shocked at what her sister had gotten into.
"Yes." Was all Phoebe could say.
"How the hell could you be so stupid? Didn't we teach you anything when you were growing up? Drugs are bad news and running them is worse." Prue yelled at her sister.
Phoebe tried to shut everything out but she knew she couldn't. She had made her bed and now she had to sleep in it
Everything was a blur as Phoebe tried to place everything into place. She had let her sisters down and now she had to live with it. But what she couldn't live with was the fact that TJ had come after her sister. And she knew the he would not let her go so easily. That both Prue and Piper where in danger because of her.