Piper wiped away a tear and looked at her sisters. Paige had turned over and was heavily crying into Phoebe's stomach and Phoebe was leaning over her with tears on her cheeks.
There was so much pain, Piper felt overwhelmed with distraught. She didn't know what to do.
Piper looked up. "Help us, please." She said. Her voice barely a whisper.
Suddenly a flash of pale blue orbs appeared. "For gods sake!" Patty Halliwell screamed, facing away from them. "Just let me see them!" She shouted. She suddenly paused and spun around. "Oh." She looked at her awe struck daughters. "- they let me." She muttered in amazement. She had tears in her eyes and her chest was heaving like she had been shouting a lot.
"Mom." Piper smiled.
"I'm sorry- I would've come sooner- but I had a little trouble persuading the Elders... As you can probably tell." She smiled. Paige looked up and watched her silently.
Suddenly another set of pale blue orbs appeared and Prue appeared, again facing away. "You son of a bitch!" She shouted before spinning around and gasping in shock. "Oh my god. They orbed me!" She said happily. She ran forward and got onto the bed, instantly hugging Piper. She then leaned across and hugged Phoebe tightly. Afterwards she leaned down to where Paige was lying, stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead.
Patty watched in shock. "Prue? How did you get here?" She asked.
"I've been screaming at my own personal Elder..." She sighed. "They're stubborn bastards." She muttered.
"Prue! Language." Patty scolded before going and sitting on the bed they were all sharing.
"Sweetheart." She stroked Paige's hair. "Come here honey." Patty said, opening her arms. Phoebe helped pull her sit up and Paige shuffled over so that she was enveloped in her mother's arms. Paige was still hysterical. She had tears coming out of her eyes that she couldn't even control anymore and she felt sick to her stomach. Hearing what Phoebe had seen brought it all back to her, she couldn't remember it all second by second and it was too much for her to handle.
"Come on Paige, I think you're going to have a panic attack. Let's get you into Phoebe's bedroom, it's just next door. Paige nodded through tears and tried to get off the bed. Patty held her wrists and supported her as she got up but as soon as Paige's legs were properly on the ground they felt weak and she wobbled.
The intensity of her emotions no longer just took over her head or heart, they controlled her whole body.
Piper, Phoebe and Prue all watched from the bed, they all considered getting up and helping Paige but they thought their mother had it covered.
"Okay honey." Patty said moving her hands from Paige's wrists to her hips to stable her. "You're so wobbly sweetheart."
Paige was suddenly convinced that she was going to fall and she sat down on the edge of the bed in defeat.
Piper got off the bed and joined her mother and Paige. "C'mon honey." She said to Paige. She put her arm around Paige's waist and pulled her up to standing. Patty rushed to her other side and wrapped her arm around her waist. Paige put her arms over their shoulders and with the joint effort they walked through the hall and all sat down on Phoebe's bed.
"I'll give you two some time alone." Piper said as she stood up and left them alone in the quiet room.
Patty got under the covers of the bed and beckoned her daughter towards her. Paige moved over to her and sat next to her a little awkwardly.
"No sweetie, you need a proper 'mom hug' come here." Patty put her legs out straight and beckoned her to sit on her lap. Paige sat down there sideways, leaning her side against Patty. Her mother wrapped her arms around her stomach and pulled her close. After a moment of hesitation, Paige relaxed into her.
"Told you." Patty smiled. "Feels good doesn't it?"
Paige nodded and gave her a weak smile.
"You've been holding these feeling in for days haven't you." Her mother asked her.
"Yes." Paige responded quietly. "I-I just wanted to feel better." She said with a high voice. "I thought if I completely ignored it then things would go back to normal. The way they used to be." She said with her head leaned back against her mother's shoulder.
"Oh baby." Patty said sadly. Paige twisted her head to look at her though she didn't get much success as she was too close. Patty responded by kissing her hair.
"What set it off?"
Paige swallowed loudly. She wasn't going to enjoy saying this. "Two reasons." She began incredibly uncomfortably. "This morning, Phoebe and I went to the store and he was there. One of the men who raped me. It wasn't just that. He saw me and I freaked out. He started taunting us, doing a stupid stepping thing. Then he lunged at me and I managed to orb myself and Phoebe back to the manor. Phoebe was really freaked out too, I collapsed from the shock but they managed to wake me up. And then- later on today, Phoebe tried to hand me a glass of water and she got a premonition mom."
"Oh my god. What of?" Patricia asked with concern.
"She got a premonition of what happened to me that night." Paige said with a nasty chill running down her spine.
"Oh my god." Patty said worriedly. "No wonder you're all in such a state, that sounds like the most horrific day."
Paige simply nodded and a couple of tears escaped from her eyes again. She soon closed her eyes and exhaustion took her into a deep sleep.
The sun rose through San Francisco and all four sisters and their mother were asleep in the manor.
Paige opened her eyes slowly and looked around. She was in Phoebe's room and her mother was fast asleep in the bed next to her. She rubbed her eyes and winced slightly as they were still sore from crying to much the night before.
She stretched and got up from the bed, walked around the room and out of the door. She stepped down the hall and opened the door to her own room.
All three were fast asleep. Prue was sat up in the double bed with her head leaning back against the wall, Phoebe was sat on on her lap, leaning against her chest and Piper was sat on a chair beside the bed, no blanket on her, nothing.
The three of them had obviously been talking for hours into the night and then just fallen asleep in their positions.
Paige leaned back and rested her back on the doorway. At that moment, Prue suddenly fluttered her eyelids open. She looked around the room and then rested her eyes on Paige.
"Hey sweetie." Prue said quietly.
"Hey." Paige replied, equally quiet.
"How are you holding up? You had a pretty shaky day yesterday." Prue asked with care.
"I'm-I'm okay."
"That's good." Prue responded. "Why don't I get this one off me and then we can go and make some breakfast?" She gestured at Phoebe.
"Sure." Paige responded. Prue carefully manoeuvred Phoebe off from her lap and onto the bed. Phoebe groaned but soon fell back asleep on the bed.
Prue stood up and stretched. She was still wearing her clothes from the day before. She looked over at Piper asleep on the chair. "Ooh she's gonna have a bad back when she wakes up."
Prue walked across the room and picked up a blanket before placing it onto Piper. She carefully ran her fingers through Piper's hair before walked over to Paige.
Paige smiled at the gesture. Prue was so careful and kind with Piper and Paige, it was really beautiful to Paige.
They walked into the hall. "You really miss them don't you?" Paige said sadly.
"More than anything." Prue looked at the ground as they walked. "And in a different way I miss you too."
"What do you mean?" Paige asked as they walked down the staircase.
"I miss that I never got to grow up with you or have girly chats with you. I miss that we never got to spend time together. You know, go shopping, go out for lunch, that kind of thing."
Paige looked at her with love. "I miss that too. I guess we have a small chance to make up for some of that right now. You're with us, even if it's for a short amount of time, that's okay with me." She gave her a small smile. Prue smiled back.
They walked into the kitchen. Prue stopped still and touched Paige's arm for a second. It was a simple gesture. It was a start.
"Now are you thinking eggs? Because I was." Prue asked.
"Yeah, sure." Paige nodded, getting some out and collecting other things they'd need to make breakfast for everyone.
Piper woke up and squinted at the bright sunlight shining through the window.
"Phoebe, wake up." She said, picking up a cushion and throwing it in Phoebe's direction.
Phoebe groaned and rolled over. "Is Prue still here?" She muttered into the pillow.
"I don't know honey." Piper responded, why don't we go and see?" She suggested.
"Okay." Phoebe stood up, she was still half asleep.
Piper stood up and groaned. "Ugh my legs are so stiff."
"Serves you right for sleeping on a chair." Phoebe winked.
"It wasn't my fault, we just all fell asleep. We were talking for hours and hours."
"I know. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on top of Prue. That can't have been too comfortable for her."
They both walked into the hall and knocked on Paige's bedroom door.
"Yes?" Patty greeted them from inside the room. They walked in and their mother was fully dressed in clean clothes and tidying the room.
"Where did you get the clothes?" Phone asked with confusion.
"I found them in a box in the attic. Today I'm actually grateful that you never clear that old room out."
"Is Prue still here?" Piper asked.
"Yes. I believe she is downstairs making breakfast with Paige." She replied.
"Did Paige sleep okay?" Phoebe asked.
"I think so." Patty replied. "She was gone when I woke up. I could hear them chatting downstairs."
Phoebe nodded and turned to go downstairs.
Half an hour later, everyone was sat down at the table eating breakfast.
Piper picked up the newspaper and began to read it. "Oh my god." Piper exclaimed.
"What's up?" Prue asked, the other looked up at her. Piper turned the front page of the newspaper around so that everyone could see what she read.
Man arrested for multiple rapes and one murder.
Paige gasped at the picture on the front page. It was a slimy grin she knew all too well...
"Paige is that the other man?" Phoebe asked worriedly.
Paige nodded in shock. On the front page of the newspaper was a photograph of the man no one else had so far seen.
"You've got to tell them what happened. It would add to his charge." Prue said urgently.
"I will be satisfied enough if he gets a long sentence from the other crimes he's committed." Paige responded quietly.
"No!" Piper shouted. "You're going to make them fully aware of what he did to you!" She said angrily. "We've all said since the beginning that we wanted to throw those sick bastards in jail more than anything. Now you actually have the chance."
Phoebe rested her hand on Paige's wrist in an attempt to give her comfort. "Sweetie it wouldn't be public, It would be pretty anonymous and you would just have to appear in court for one day. Just tell them what he did."
"What's the point. The other guy will still be out there to taunt me."
"Not if you tell them what he did. The police are probably aware of the other man, the two of them have probably worked together before. This would be enough to throw them both in jail." Prue told her youngest sister.
Paige looked uncomfortably at the table. "I don't want to see them. Not now. Not ever."
"What about one day and the guarantee that they will be punished for what they did to you." Phoebe spoke.
Patricia watched her four daughters at the table. She couldn't be more proud of any of them. They cared for each other in a way that was remarkable to watch.
She looked up at Paige who seemed to be having an internal argument. "Paige they're right. You can sort this. Paige I think this will give you the closure you so desperately need."
Paige stood up and strode out of the room. Then all watched the doorway that she'd walked through. Five minutes later she re-emerged fully dressed, carrying a handbag. They watched as she walked through the hallway at a fast pace.
"Paige wait!" Prue shouted after her. The slam of the front door came as a reply. Prue grabbed a jacket and ran after Paige.
"Piper, Phoebe and their mother all stared in each other in wonder.
"Should we go after them?" Phoebe asked her mother.
"No sweetheart. I think she wanted some space."
Piper looked down at the newspaper. She stared at the man on the front for a moment before turning the newspaper over in disgust.
It had been four hours since Paige and Prue had left and Phoebe and Piper had been pacing for over an hour. The longer they were gone, the more nervous they became.
"What if something happened? What if they bumped into the other man that I and Paige saw yesterday?" Phoebe said worriedly.
"That's very unlikely. I feel nervous anyway though." Piper sighed, putting her hand on her forehead.
Just then, Paige and Prue burst through the door.
"Thank god." Phoebe surged forwards, hugging Paige tightly.
Once she'd pulled away, Paige spoke. "It's done."
"What is?" Piper asked.
"I did what you told me to do. It's done. It was awful and I'd like to rest now. I'm tired." She said grumpily and walked straight past their astonished faces and up the stairs.
Piper watched her walk up the stairs before turning back to face Prue. "What happened?" She asked.
"She went and told them what he did. They made her recall it word for word. It was really hard to hear. She got pretty upset but it's done now."
"I thought they didn't believe people straight away." Piper responded. Phoebe crossed her arms and listened.
"Apparently they were already aware that he'd sexually assaulted someone else also they just hadn't had anyone come forward. All they needed was for her to tell them what happened, she just had to take a sample of her DNA afterwards and they were done."
"Oh my god is she okay?" Piper asked. "Did she manage to tell them everything?"
"I personally heard enough to be scarred so I'm sure that's enough for them. When you hear it like that you just can't imagine how she gets up and smiles at us everyday, or talks to us about normal things."
Phoebe looked at Prue. "What's amazing is that she still does. She could have gone two ways after that happened. She could have become a broken shell that shut us out and eventually killed herself or she could have coped with it properly and receive support from her family. Luckily, something inside her chose the latter.
Piper nodded. "I can't even imagine what we would have done if they'd killed her. If she hadn't made it back when she did. Two dead sisters would be enough to personally push me over the edge."
Prue winced at her comment.
Piper looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry Prue."
"It's fine. It's been years. I should have gotten over my own death by now but I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't."
"It's normal. Who can actually come to terms with fact that they died? It's crazy." Phoebe replied.
Prue shrugged. "I'm proud of Paige for what she did today. It took a lot of guts."
"Agreed." Phoebe nodded.
"I just can't believe she did that. I thought she just went out for some or something. I'll be honest; I didn't think she was going to go to them. She seemed petrified by the idea. I don't blame her." Piper responded.
"She's so brave." Phoebe muttered. "I know what she said about being alone but I'm gonna go and check on her. Just for a minute. I'm not going to bother her."
"Okay Phoebes." Piper responded.
Phoebe nodded and jogged up the stairs. She walked across the hall and stopped in front of Paige's ajar door.
She opened it slowly and looked inside. Paige was in her bed fast asleep. Phoebe walked over to the side of the bed that she was sleeping on and perched next to her on the bed.
She stroked Paige's cheek softly. "You got guts, girl. I'll give you that." Phoebe whispered with a smile. "I hope you're okay. We don't really know if you are at the moment. It's quite hard to tell. I told them I wouldn't bother you so I'm not staying for long." She whispered. "I just wanted to tell you that you did the right thing- and we love you a lot Paige. That's all." She leaned down and kissed her forehead briefly before getting and leaving the room without a sound.