AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry for the wait, but I had a ball camp then a bad case of writer's block. But God allowed me to get it done, and that is a blessing. I hope that my block didn't affect the writing too bad, if you have any negative comments please post so I know if I can change anything to make it better and positive reviews are always appreciated! remember JESUS SAVES!

Future Piper's body felt like a war zone. Her thoughts kept attacking her heart, and no matter how many troops and walls she used, they always succeeded. Everything was crumbling: her heart, her mind, her body, her strength. She had nothing left. No energy to fight, no hope to get her through the long nights. But what was left of her strength kept her on her feet and held the tears at bay. Her past self's words rung in her head.

We know what brought Prue back.

She turned to face herself, but her eyes only ended up falling on Phoebe. Seeing her sisters here, good, should have given her hope. Future Piper knew that. A lot of things had happened in the last twenty-four hours that should have at least provided her with a little motive to keep fighting, but she was just so damn tired of it all. She was tired of having to keep herself in check whenever someone else was in the room and then falling apart as soon as they left. She was tired of living with the fear that she might run into her only living sister or that she might lose one of her children. She was tired of everything. Future Piper rubbed her eyes, cursing herself inwardly. Even when her body was screaming at her to give up, she still felt that innate voice inside her somewhere whispering the words she knew were true. She couldn't.

Cori had said she wasn't able to give up on Prue. But in reality Prue had given up on them. Prue was the strong one, not her. Everyone knew that. Prue was the eldest, the leader, the one who would drop dead before she let anything happen to her family. Until now, Future Piper hadn't realized how much she depended on her sister's strength. Even with almost two decades of war, she needed Prue to be strong. Prue had failed her.

"That doesn't change a thing," Future Piper whispered.

The Charmed Ones' eyes widened at her response. "What do you mean it doesn't change a thing?" Paige asked scared of the answer. Her future sister's words still echoed in her head. It doesn't matter. I love you. Was there really no hope in the future? She glanced at the Piper at her side. She could see the built in determination in her face. Piper was the fighter in the family. Paige tried to be strong for her sister's like Prue had, but in all actuality she needed the support Piper always seemed to have. If Future Piper was giving up, what did that mean for the future?

"I mean it doesn't change a damned thing. We fixed the future before remember?" The sisters looked down in shame. "Yeah, and that worked out just splendidly, didn't it?" Future Piper let her voice raise to a yell. She needed to vent. She needed to make them understand that this was the way it was. "The future can't be changed. We just get screwed over. That's what this family is good at. Prue is evil and the future sucks, the sooner we realize that, the better!"

Future Piper glared at the three wordless witches. She pursed her lips, forgetting herself and letting a single tear trickled down her cheek. The words had shattered her heart, but they were true. It was said that the truth will set you free, but Piper had never felt so chained before. Her family was trapped between a rock and a hard place and no one had a pick axe.

No one noticed Cori and Prue shimmer in. Prue took in a sharp breath seeing the future version of Piper, something she hadn't expected. She looked back at her daughter in confusion, grimacing at the scars that matched her sister's. "What happened?" she breathed. The scars tore at her heart, but Prue also knew that time travel was a last resort in any situation. What could cause her future family to take such drastic measures? How much danger were they in? Prue swore then and there that she was going to protect them at all cost.

Cori wouldn't answer her mother. She was grateful that no one else from the past had asked the obvious question. With magic's exposure the witch trial's had come back, but they called themselves the 'Seekers'. Some witches, rather than be tortured and killed, joined them and made them pets which were attracted to magic and would tear apart any magical being they found. If it hadn't been for Piper's quick thinking, they would have all died during the first attack. With the family magic, she put a spell on the Manor that moved it to a different location every twenty-four hours. Sometimes though, the Seeker's pets would still find them.

She shook her head. "Not now." Cori hadn't thought about what she was going to tell her family and now she was panicking. How would the sisters react? How would her Piper react? Only one way to find out. She grabbed her mother's hand, ignoring the way her heart jumped at her touch, and stepped out of the shadows.

Prue smiled at seeing her sisters, all of them. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between the three of them, and her heart was hammering in her chest. She thought the onslaught of happiness was going to send her to her knees. "Hey," she grinned unable to do anything else. Her body reacted instinctively at seeing her family. She raced towards them. She was back, and they were back together. Nothing else in the world mattered. Her family was here.

Just before she was able to touch Phoebe, something solid hit her chest sending her flying back. She landed on the floor stunned. Her fighting nature told her to get to her feet. Happiness turned into adrenaline. "What the hell?" Prue screamed jumping up, trying to find the person who dared keep her from her family.

Future Piper lowered her leg, standing in between Prue and her sisters. Her heart was pounding and ripping out of her chest. A day ago she would have never imagined herself being able to touch Prue, but that was a day ago, before Prue had tried to kill her. She didn't let the shooting pang in her chest move to her face. She was going to be strong. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. Her protectiveness towards her sisters overruled everything else. Yes, Prue at one time had been her sister, but now she was the enemy.

"Don't touch them," she gritted.

Cori knew what was going to happen if she didn't make Piper see that this wasn't the Prue from their time. This was their family member. "Piper, stop!" Cori jumped in between her mother and aunt.

"Cori," Future Piper couldn't keep the hurt from her voice. Cori was the closest thing she had ever had for a daughter; she was her support. Cori was the only reason she was even still alive though the girl would never know it. If it hadn't been for Cori, Piper would have given up and given in a long time ago. Now, she was defending the very person who had ripped their lives apart. The one who had tried to kill both of them. She knew that Prue was her mom, but Piper always believed that if the day ever came the girl would choose to be with her instead of her mother. Looks like she was wrong. She didn't let the crashing betrayal show on her face.

Cori heard the emotion behind Piper's voice, and it broke her heart. Piper thought she was betraying her, but that wasn't true. She was going to fix this. She was going to make Piper's life right, that way her aunt could be happy for once. "Look at her," she had to make Piper see it. "It's her." Cori couldn't stop the tears in her eyes. "It's her."

Piper held her niece's desperate gaze for a second longer, her defenses fading with dangerous hope. Her eyes reluctantly landed on the person she had once loved. Prue straightened up at her future sister's look, but Piper felt her walls falling apart. This time, she let them. "Prue…" she cried.

The sisters had been stunned at seeing Prue and even more when Future Piper kicked her. Piper couldn't take her eyes off her older sister. The rush of happiness she had felt when Leo told her Prue was back surged forward again once she was over the initial shock. She heard her future self cry Prue's name and knew that the standoff was over. This was their sister. The future didn't matter right now because Prue was back, and they were going to find a way to fix this. She walked hesitantly over to her, not sure what was holding her back. Maybe it was the short glimpse of what her sister could become in the future or the fact that she now knew that one day Prue would attack her and her son that kept her from letting her joy overpower her. "Prue," she whispered and seeing the protective lights that had always shined from Prue's eyes, her heart battered in her chest, "is it really you?"

Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand for support. She didn't know why she was nervous, but she did know that this was a pivotal moment. Prue wasn't evil. Phoebe could see it in her eyes. This was their Prue, and her body wanted nothing more than to run to her sister and fall into her reassuring arms. But the vision of Future Prue kept her in place. She hadn't realized how much it had affected her until now. Prue, even dead, was her rock. Seeing her like that had shattered every truth she had ever known. She stared at her eldest sister, the longing she had felt over the last four years spiraling to a sharp, white hot point in her chest. She needed Prue to be Prue. She just wouldn't be strong enough without her. She glanced at the silent Future Piper, but had to look away. Phoebe knew that Piper was alone, but was now just beginning to understand what that meant. Piper had to live every day in a future where their sister was the leader of all evil and no one was there to help her along the way. They had to fix this, if for no other reason than that Piper would never have to be alone.

Paige was glad for Phoebe's hand. She couldn't take her eyes off Prue…her sister. The hole she left in her heart for Prue began to fill in. She studied every little detail on her eldest sister's face. She was going to memorize it all, every freckle, every wrinkle, every little strand of hair, every mannerism. She had to keep telling herself that this was real, that Prue wasn't going to go anywhere. Her sister was here, alive, and she going to get the chance to love her for real. It felt as if the whole word had stopped waiting for Prue's answer. Paige held her breath. She didn't want anything ruining the sound of Prue's voice the first time she heard it.

Prue took both Piper's hands in hers. Goosebumps pricked up and down her body at her sister's warm touch. Love welled up inside her. Prue looked deep into her Piper's eyes, almost frowning when she nearly couldn't recognize them. There was pain, and stress, and…hardness to her little sister's look. Prue knew that Piper had had to step up and become the protector of the family with her death. Piper had to become the strong one; something Prue would have never wished on her. "I'm here, baby. It's all going to be alright."

Piper let the tears fall and fell into Prue's arms. The cracks in her heart that threatened to tear her apart every day started to heal. Prue was here. She held onto Prue with all her might, afraid that something was going to take her away again. Prue held onto her with the same strong hold that Piper had depended on for most her life. "I love you," Piper whispered.

"I love you, too." Prue cried clinging to her sister. She felt Phoebe and Paige wrapping themselves around her and pulled them into her arms. These were her sisters, all of them. The only thing Prue could remember from the afterlife were feelings, great ones, feelings only rivaled by the happiness and joy swelling in her heart right now. She stepped back holding Paige and Phoebe's hand. Her chest felt like a fireworks show looking at her youngest sister. "Paige," she whispered, relishing in how right the name felt on her lips as if she should have been saying it her whole life. She felt Phoebe let go of her hand and she knew Phoebe understood how her body was being drawn to the sister she never knew. She embraced Paige, noticing how their bodies melded instantly.

Paige laid her head on Prue's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her oldest sister's neck. She sobbed silently holding onto Prue as if she would never let go. She never thought this day would come. She had dealt with the fact that she was never going to be able to see her sister, but now she was here. Her chest was busting with happy bliss.

Prue pulled back only enough to look into Paige's eyes for the first time. She cupped her face in her hands locking every little detail about her sister safe in her heart. "You're beautiful," she whispered through tears.

Cori wasn't watching the exchange between the sisters, mostly because she knew that it was the beginning of the end, or it would have been. Her eyes were stuck on Future Piper who was staring at the four of them, with her mouth open in silent sobs. Her eyes were horrified, like she was seeing everything she feared most right in front of her. Cori knew that's exactly what was happening. Piper blamed herself for the way the future was because she thought she should have been able to stop Prue somehow. Cori slowly walked over to her aunt, placing her hand on top of hers.

Future Piper flinched and blinked like she was coming out of a trance. She met Cori's worried gaze. Closing her eyes, she sighed. "It's happening all over again." Cori could hear the pain and emotion in the words. This was Piper's hell.

"We can fix it. We are going to fix it." She remembered the beaten look in her aunt's eyes before, and looking at them now, she could see the mental war happening within Piper. "We have to keep fighting…for her. We have to be the strong ones now."

Future Piper chuckled at Cori's words, hearing in them the same desperately strong tone her older sister had always carried. She chanced a glance at the past versions of her family and rubbed her temples. The last two decades of sorrow, regret, guilt, betrayal, and loneliness beat down on her will to keep fighting, but Cori's hand squeezed her's comfortingly. The girl had hope, and she had never given up even when she had every right in the world to hate her mother and destroy her. Future Piper knew that if Cori was rested, she could end Prue, but it was never something that was brought up because everyone knew the answer to the question before it was asked. Cori would never touch Prue no matter what she did; their connection ran too deep.

"You don't deserve any of this," Future Piper whispered.

"None of us do, but, in the words of the great Piper Halliwell, we're just going to have to deal with it." Cori smiled seeing some light shine in her aunt's eyes. "Are you with me?"

Piper shot another look at her sisters, together, happy, good, with no real cares in world, and grinned. She turned back to Cori, hoping beyond all hope that this sixteen year old girl knew what she was doing. "To the end." Cori hugged her aunt, feeling thousands of pounds of weight lifting off her shoulders. For once, Piper didn't hold back against the embrace, but let herself completely give in. "What do we tell them?" she whispered in her niece's ear.

Cori moved her head where she was still in Piper's hold, but could also see the rejoicing sisters. Her stomach still churned at seeing Phoebe, Paige, and her mother so close to Piper. Her eyes kept landing on her mother, the person she knew now only in her sweetest of dreams, but this was real which meant they could fix it. She tightened her arms around Piper grateful for the support. "I don't know."

Prue was the first to turn to their future family and see them both staring at them. "Um, Phoebe, Piper, Paige, this is my…daughter, Corinthian."

The statement brought the sisters out of the reunion hysteria and back into reality. Piper cleared her throat, "We know. She…she came here first."

"Oh," Prue eyed her family wondering why they looked ashamed all of a sudden, "why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Not here," Cori warned.

"What?" Prue demanded holding tighter on Phoebe and Paige's hands. "What's wrong?"

"Prue, we need to talk," Phoebe tried to lead her over to couch, but Prue wouldn't budge. Phoebe groaned inwardly. This wasn't at all how she had expected their reunion to be. They had just got her back; now they were supposed to explain that in the future she was evil? Phoebe hadn't even coped with it herself. How was Prue going to handle it?

"No, tell me what's wrong now," Prue ordered. They were scaring her, and why wouldn't they just tell her? She locked eyes with Future Piper noticing how she flinched away, but not before she saw the look of pure sorrow and guilt. Something horrible was wrong in the future; she knew it.

"Um," Future Piper hesitated wondering if this was right thing to do. Prue needed to know in order for them to stop the future from happening, but was this the right way? "Why don't you all go downstairs and leave me and Prue…alone."

Cori tensed at her side, and Future Piper could instantly see the defensive stances of all her past family. This wasn't going to be easy. "We're not leaving," Paige scooted closer to Prue.

"Please don't make this harder," Future Piper had to make them understand that this was the only way. She needed to be the one to tell Prue; it would be the only way she would believe any of it.

Prue tried to meet eyes with her future sister again but failed. "It's okay," she said. "Go downstairs. We will be down in a minute."

"Prue," Phoebe breathed. "Please."

"No," the eldest Halliwell sighed looking at Phoebe. "I will be okay. It's Piper, honey." She smiled. "She would never hurt me, so nothing bad is going to happen, alright?" Prue tried to keep the fear out of her voice, but she didn't know how well she was succeeding.

Phoebe nodded feebly, reluctantly letting go of her sister's hand. "I guess…we'll be downstairs."

"No," Piper said glaring at the future version of herself. "What needs to be said will be said now. No more secrets or lies or tiptoeing around the truth." Future Piper half smiled at herself, seeing the desperation and hope seeping in around the sides of her eyes. "She deserves to know everything. We deserve to know."

Future Piper held her past self's gaze a moment longer before finally releasing Cori and walking over to stand right in front of her. She felt Cori at her side. All of her sisters surrounded Piper unsure of what was about to happen, but Future Piper's focus was on Prue. "There are things that have happened to us that…" she couldn't find the right words to describe the horrific, painful memories floating around in her head because, really, there were none that could. Their lives were hell because of one mistake, and the whole world was suffering for it. "that are more painful than you could even imagine. Are you sure you're ready to live with it?" Years of being alone with no one to turn to except her pillow took her breath away. A hopeless existence reminded her of just what was at stake. If they didn't fix this then there would be nothing to live for. Phoebe and Paige's future, dead, faces blazed across her mind. "Are they?"

Prue felt captured in her future sister's eyes that weren't her sister's at all. They were…pained. That was the only way to say it that even came close. There was nothing there that reminded her of the innocent girl and beautiful woman she had grown up with. Desperation seemed permanently etched into her face like every second Future Piper was alive she expected hopelessness. Prue couldn't control the lump in her throat. This was her little sister, past, present, or future. How could she have let things get so out of control in the future? How had Prue let this happen?

"You came back to change the future didn't you?" Prue asked.

Future Piper sighed. No, that wasn't the reason they were here at all, but she didn't want to think about that right now. There were more important things happening than her inability to cope with what Prue was in the future. "No, we didn't that is a different story, one that doesn't matter." She glanced at her past self seeing the way her eyes widened then turned away ashamed. "What does matter though is that we are here. And we do have the opportunity to change it."

Cori squeezed on Future Piper's arm with excitement. She was so glad to have her aunt back. It had scared Cori to think that she was going to have to face this thing on her own, but Piper was fighting again which meant they could fix it. "And we will," Cori added. They had to. Her eyes kept falling on her mother, her real mother. Her heart ached to be able to be in her arms again, but she knew that that wasn't possible. Not here. Just seeing her and hearing her voice…it would have to be enough for now.

Future Piper sighed. It was a mistake to give Cori such hope. She would have to talk to the girl later. Sometimes Piper forgot just how young her niece really was. Of course, she had been through more than most sixteen year olds could even fathom, but she was still just a girl with her own weaknesses. She could feel it in the way her body was shaking against hers. This day was taking its toll on Cori, but Piper also knew that Cori would never admit. She was too much like Prue.

Prue watched the way Future Piper's hardened resolve seemed to weaken at Corinthian's words, and knew immediately that Future Piper didn't believe that the future could be changed. There are things that have happened to us that are more painful than you can even imagine. That is what she had said and looking into her future sister and daughter's eyes she could see all the evidence she needed of what the future was like. "What happened?" she said earnestly. What had went so wrong that her family was in so much pain?

Prue felt the shift of tension in the room. No one was answering her. Her head was reeling. This wasn't what she had expected in the least when she was finally able to come back to her sisters. She knew that eventually demons would come to try and rip her family apart, but she thought she was prepared for that. She had planned everything where her and her sisters would be safe from the endless battle of good and evil, but she wasn't prepared for this of all things. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Doubts that she had suppressed since her return started to edge their way to the forefront of her mind. She had failed her family. "What happened," she said again more determined. "Answer me."

Future Piper remembered the days following Prue's return vividly; she relived them every night in her nightmares. She knew Prue had already made contact with Leo, and that she knew what her life held in the future…at least to some extent. But she had no idea how to even begin to explain to Prue what was going on inside her body right now. Even twenty years later it still hurt Future Piper to think about what her sister had become because of her. "Leo was right," she whispered weakly hating the words. It was accepting defeat all over again and admitting aloud that she had failed.

Prue stared at her future sister letting the full impact of the words sink in. Leo was right. Three words that sent torrents of understanding down upon her body. "Oh," was all she could muster. Leo was right. Leo's warnings rung louder in her head. He had said she would become evil. Prue instinctively fought the thought back down but somehow it crept its way back into her mind. She held Future Piper's look for as long as she could, trying to find any subtle hint that she was lying. She had to be. There was no way that she could be evil. She couldn't even comprehend the words. But there was no lie on her sister's face, only the tortured look that Prue was beginning to see as a constant feature there. She wasn't lying; three more words that nearly succeeded in crushing into dust. Everything around her became clearer. She noticed the way all her sister's were looking at her confused and worried, the way Cori was searching her face frantically for something Prue didn't know and clinging desperately to Future Piper's arm, the way Future Piper's eyes were melting and the single restrained tear sliding down her cheek. She saw every scar on her future family's body as if they were each a sun blinding her vision. Even when she closed her eyes she saw her daughter's despairing face behind her eyelids.

"But we're going to fix it," she heard Paige say. Perhaps it was because she felt like her senses were in overdrive or just because it was there, but Prue felt like Paige's determination in her voice began to repair her exploding heart.

"Of course," Prue caught herself saying.

Future Piper fought the urge to shake her head. Now wasn't the time though; her sisters deserved hope at least for a little while.

"Prue, honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked lowering Prue into an antique chair.

All Prue did was nod and lay her head back against the back of the chair closing her eyes. "W-why?" she stammered. She could feel her whole body shaking, and for some reason, she could feel anger starting build up in her stomach. Prue didn't know how she was alive again, but she hadn't asked questions. If it meant she was able to be with her sisters then nothing else really mattered, but now she was supposed to believe that in the future she is-she couldn't even think the word. She stared at her daughter letting the tears fall down her cheeks freely when she saw the same haunted look in her young Corinthain's eyes that were in Piper's.

Future Piper gritted her teeth together, fighting back more tears remembering the last time Prue had asked her that question. The words sank into her heart, tearing apart every truth she had ever known, and it terrified her. "Family can't come first," she whispered not even realizing she said it aloud.

Everyone turned towards her, except Cori who kept her eyes on her mother. She knew her family still lived by the motto "family comes first" but she also knew that was the furthest thing from the truth. That maxim sent the world to hell. It had blinded her family to reality of what was happening inside her mother. It was the reason she was even alive. Cori clenched her fists and jaws to not let the guilt and rage overpower her. If she had her family hadn't been so selfish, thousands of innocents' blood wouldn't be on her hands; their screams wouldn't echo in her head every time she tried to sleep.

"We have to send you back," Cori spoke softly, letting the words slide off her tongue with as much subtle importance as she could manage.

"No, you said we could fix it. If we can find a way for her to stay and not-," Phoebe couldn't finish the sentence. This was Prue they were talking about. They had just got her back and now they were talking about sending her away again, killing her. Phoebe subconsciously grabbed Piper's hand, the pain and grief of losing Prue the first time starting to take control. If they had to say good-bye again…

"We just got her," Paige defended. "There has to be another way."

Future Piper met Phoebe and Paige's hopeful looks, refusing to look at the past version of herself and Prue. "There isn't," she said finally. "Haven't you seen enough? Did you not see her? Or can you not see scars all over our bodies?" She felt herself losing control and she didn't care. Her nightmares were becoming reality and she would be damned if she let it happen over again. "Did you not see my son? I won't go back to no one. I'm going to do it right this time!" She cupped her face in her hands, for some kind of support. "I'm going to save you…" she whispered. "I'm going to save you all…"

Cori wrapped her aunt in her arms, smiling through hidden tears when she finally felt her relax and accept the gesture.

"She's right." Paige, Phoebe, and Piper spun to face their sister.

"Prue, you can't be serious. Tell me you're joking." Piper faltered taking both her sister's hands in hers making Prue focus on her.

"Piper, I won't be responsible for whatever has happened to them. I-I can't," she lowered her sister's hands. Her heart was exploding in her chest. Millions of voices screamed in her head that this was wrong. She needed to stay with her sisters. This is what she had fought so hard for. Her family needed her. She needed her family. Her head pounded with the pressure of the voices. Her body revolted against the thought of ever leaving her sisters again. It hurt her to even think it, but it had to be done. It was her obligation, just like raising Piper and Phoebe had been her obligation, like taking care of Grams had been her obligation, like saving the innocent had been her obligation, and now preventing her family going through whatever hell the future held was her obligation.

But the words telling Future Piper there was no way in any hell that she was ever going to leave her sisters were still traipsing on her lips. Flashbacks of the last month in the Underworld shot through her mind. There had been more than one occasion where she thought she was going to die, alone, and it had terrified her that she might never get to see her sister's again. Her heart had hurt for them more than she thought a human heart could hurt.

"Stop it, Prue! Okay, just stop it right there!" Piper stomped her foot and grabbing Prue's hands again. "You don't know how much we missed you, Prue, how much I missed you. I need you no matter how much time passes or…or what the future holds…I need you…" she had to make Prue see it. Piper didn't have the strength to let go of her yet another time. "We will figure out a way."

Future Piper bowed her head, because in her shattered heart, she knew the words her past self had said were true. She needed Prue and that scared her. It scared her that no matter what Prue was able to do in the future to the world, to her family, to her, that she wasn't able to let go of her older sister. She could convince her body, and even her heart, that she had given up on Prue, but she would never be able to convince her soul because she was weak and selfish.

"Piper…" Prue started.

"No, stop," Piper whimpered. "Stop trying to be the hero. We need you, so we will find a way to fix it."

"I can't do this," Future Piper slid away from her niece and headed to the attic door. Her heart felt like it was going to implode if anyone said another word. She wasn't going to watch the world go to hell all over again. She was done fighting her family; if they wanted Prue they could have her for all she cared.

"Piper, wait!" Cori reached for her arm. Piper stopped but retracted from Cori's touch.

"I'm done. They know, and there's nothing else we can do. If they want to screw it up again…" too many emotions were pounding her chest for her to comprehend any of them, "then I say to hell with it." She met Cori's desperate eyes and sighed. "They will make their choices, but our Prue is out there. I have to find her before she…before she kills someone."

"Piper!"

But it was too late. Piper reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the potions she had hidden there. She threw it on the ground and disappeared in smoke into the Underworld.