Part Seven
Darryl sat in his car outside P3. When Leo had orbed his wife and infant son 'up there' he had promised Piper that he would keep an eye on things at the club. He had felt hopeless at the manor, where he hadn't been able to make a difference. And although this was not much better in sitting outside of P3, at least here he felt that he was close to the news. Giving him almost a small sense of power over one thing, in the fact that he could call Piper's cell phone the minute something happened that directly affected the younger Halliwells.
Darryl tore his eyes off the club as he opened his wallet, flicking through the pictures of his wife and children. He would not be able to bear anything that could happen to any of them. Yet, Piper and her sisters faced the risk of something happening to them everyday. Looking at a picture of two boys, he marvelled how the Halliwells did this. Putting their lives at risk, when it would be so easy to pull away from that life to protect each other.
Closing the wallet, he allowed himself a brief smile. These men did not know what they were up against. Phoebe and Paige were two of the most spirited and resolute women that he had ever had the privilege to meet and he was truly honoured to them his friends. Darryl's smile grew a little more as he thought about how these men had truly bitten off more than they could chew.
Yet as he looked at the club through his car window, he realised Piper had been right earlier. As great as the charmed ones were, Phoebe and Paige would be as vulnerable to attack in the under siege club as any other person would me. His body shuddered as he thought of his two friends as purely mortal, normal like everyone else, who could be hurt in the same way.
He shook his head, trying to think of them as superhero-type figures that could get out of any situation that was thrown at them. This was so much easier than seeing them as vulnerable women who were being held at gunpoint and little could be done to help them.
Darryl flung open the door and walked towards the club and the police that surrounded it. He was going to make sure they stayed superheros and did not become victims of some power hunger attempt at grabbing money.
He touched the shoulder of the nearest police officer, "Any news?"
"We are still trying to get in there."
"And the ransom amount?"
"It's in that car to be used as a last resort."
"You mean we have it here now and we aren't sending it in there?" Darryl exclaimed in disbelief. "There are innocent lives at risk for ever minute longer we wait."
"Lieutenant, you know as well as us that it's too risky to send the money in without any sign of good faith that he will release the hostages," the officer started to explain before he was interrupted.
"The Lieutenant has a personal involvement here," a voice said, as the two members of the police turned to see their captain. "You should go home Darryl, be with your family, with Piper Halliwell and we'll let you know the second anything happens."
"If you don't mind sir, I'd like to stay here."
"Okay, I understand," the captain replied, "I'd feel the same if it was my friends in there. But I'm going to have to ask you to stay in the background and leave to the decisions to the rest of us that are not attached to the individuals involved in this."
* * *
Phoebe kept her hand on Paige's back as she glanced towards the door and into the main part of the club. Scanning the dance floor and the bar area with quick glances through the open door and then at her watch. How long would it be before the guns were lifted again and how much longer could her baby sister just sit here without any form of help?
As she kissed Paige on her forehead, she realised that someone had to do something and soon.
"Paige?" Came a whispered voice.
Paige jolted her head to look at her older sister. "Yeah?"
"Will you be okay for ten minutes?" Phoebe asked as she moved her head from her younger sister back.
"Why?" Paige completely turned around to look at the elder Halliwell, with a slight look of disbelief that her eyes failed to hide. "What are you thinking about doing?"
"I'm going to put a stop to this!"
Paige violently shook her head at this statement. "No, no, you can't. They'll hurt you."
"I'll be okay I promise," Phoebe soothed, as she tipped Paige head to look directly in her younger sisters tear-stained eyes. "But someone has to do something."
"What about the police?"
"Well, they've not done much so far," Phoebe reasoned as she started to scan P3 again. "We can't just stay in her to their mercy, or lack of it. Do you understand?"
Paige weakly nodded, "Be careful."
"I will be." Phoebe smiled, "I'll see you in ten minutes."
Darryl sat in his car outside P3. When Leo had orbed his wife and infant son 'up there' he had promised Piper that he would keep an eye on things at the club. He had felt hopeless at the manor, where he hadn't been able to make a difference. And although this was not much better in sitting outside of P3, at least here he felt that he was close to the news. Giving him almost a small sense of power over one thing, in the fact that he could call Piper's cell phone the minute something happened that directly affected the younger Halliwells.
Darryl tore his eyes off the club as he opened his wallet, flicking through the pictures of his wife and children. He would not be able to bear anything that could happen to any of them. Yet, Piper and her sisters faced the risk of something happening to them everyday. Looking at a picture of two boys, he marvelled how the Halliwells did this. Putting their lives at risk, when it would be so easy to pull away from that life to protect each other.
Closing the wallet, he allowed himself a brief smile. These men did not know what they were up against. Phoebe and Paige were two of the most spirited and resolute women that he had ever had the privilege to meet and he was truly honoured to them his friends. Darryl's smile grew a little more as he thought about how these men had truly bitten off more than they could chew.
Yet as he looked at the club through his car window, he realised Piper had been right earlier. As great as the charmed ones were, Phoebe and Paige would be as vulnerable to attack in the under siege club as any other person would me. His body shuddered as he thought of his two friends as purely mortal, normal like everyone else, who could be hurt in the same way.
He shook his head, trying to think of them as superhero-type figures that could get out of any situation that was thrown at them. This was so much easier than seeing them as vulnerable women who were being held at gunpoint and little could be done to help them.
Darryl flung open the door and walked towards the club and the police that surrounded it. He was going to make sure they stayed superheros and did not become victims of some power hunger attempt at grabbing money.
He touched the shoulder of the nearest police officer, "Any news?"
"We are still trying to get in there."
"And the ransom amount?"
"It's in that car to be used as a last resort."
"You mean we have it here now and we aren't sending it in there?" Darryl exclaimed in disbelief. "There are innocent lives at risk for ever minute longer we wait."
"Lieutenant, you know as well as us that it's too risky to send the money in without any sign of good faith that he will release the hostages," the officer started to explain before he was interrupted.
"The Lieutenant has a personal involvement here," a voice said, as the two members of the police turned to see their captain. "You should go home Darryl, be with your family, with Piper Halliwell and we'll let you know the second anything happens."
"If you don't mind sir, I'd like to stay here."
"Okay, I understand," the captain replied, "I'd feel the same if it was my friends in there. But I'm going to have to ask you to stay in the background and leave to the decisions to the rest of us that are not attached to the individuals involved in this."
* * *
Phoebe kept her hand on Paige's back as she glanced towards the door and into the main part of the club. Scanning the dance floor and the bar area with quick glances through the open door and then at her watch. How long would it be before the guns were lifted again and how much longer could her baby sister just sit here without any form of help?
As she kissed Paige on her forehead, she realised that someone had to do something and soon.
"Paige?" Came a whispered voice.
Paige jolted her head to look at her older sister. "Yeah?"
"Will you be okay for ten minutes?" Phoebe asked as she moved her head from her younger sister back.
"Why?" Paige completely turned around to look at the elder Halliwell, with a slight look of disbelief that her eyes failed to hide. "What are you thinking about doing?"
"I'm going to put a stop to this!"
Paige violently shook her head at this statement. "No, no, you can't. They'll hurt you."
"I'll be okay I promise," Phoebe soothed, as she tipped Paige head to look directly in her younger sisters tear-stained eyes. "But someone has to do something."
"What about the police?"
"Well, they've not done much so far," Phoebe reasoned as she started to scan P3 again. "We can't just stay in her to their mercy, or lack of it. Do you understand?"
Paige weakly nodded, "Be careful."
"I will be." Phoebe smiled, "I'll see you in ten minutes."
