Released

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

Chapter 12: Time to Wake the Baby

Attic of the Manor

Paris let go of Phoebe as soon as they hit the hardwood floor in the attic.

"I'll go back to see how everybody's doing," Leo said, kissing Piper. "Call me when you're done."

"Okay." Piper walked over to the far corner and pulled a stack of three boxes over to the middle of the attic floor. "Paris, do you want to help me look?"

She looked to Phoebe, who was standing by the Book of Shadows, already flipping page after page with a note pad and pen in her other hand.

"Can I, Mommy?"

She looked up after glancing at a page, "Can you what?"

"Can I help Auntie Piper look for the doll?"

She sighed. "Sure, why not? You'll probably have more fun with that anyway."

"That's not true, Mommy," Paris said, running back over to her. "I always have fun with you."

"Aww, Phoebe looks like someone cares more about being with you than you thought," Piper said as her niece hugged her mom. She dropped to her knees, lifting the first box to the floor.

Phoebe smiled. "I know. I just think that helping Auntie Piper might be more interesting for you."

Paris nodded, walking back over. Piper rummaged through the decaying box, finding blankets, baby clothes and old toys. "Nope, not this one," she said, pushing it out of her way.

"Didn't we have a box full of dolls somewhere that Grams kept?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for that," she said, setting the middle box on the floor. "I still can't believe Prue was a cheerleader. I went to the basketball games in junior high and high school, but I barely saw her."

Phoebe chuckled. "Well, Andy was the star basketball player through junior high and high school. I don't think she spent much time cheering for the team."

Piper smiled. "Even I agree on that," she said, finding a box of Prue's cheerleader uniforms. "Why couldn't they just decide on a style and color and stick with it? I swear, she had enough uniforms for the entire squad by the time she gra—oh my god!"

Phoebe looked at her. "What?"

Piper bit back an embarrassed laugh holding up her sister's Senior cheerleading outfit. The top was red with sequins, but it barely covered her chest, and feeling that it was spandex, Piper had a feeling she knew why Prue had signed up after Andy had told her he was trying out for basketball. The double spaghetti straps criss-crossed in back as well as in front which, Piper could only assume meant that when Prue stretched or did a routine, it lifted her sister's chest from her body.

"Oh my god!" Phoebe gasped, covering her mouth and failing to hold back her laughter.

"Oh th—that's only half of it," Piper said, holding up the matching shorts that didn't even come close to covering half her ass.

"What's there to cover anything up?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah really," Piper said, looking over at her niece who was, thankfully, preoccupied with the box of baby things.

"And they used to yell at me for my skimpy attire," Phoebe commented.

"Auntie Piper?" Paris asked looking at her.

Piper quickly hid the outfit behind her. "Y—Yes?"

"Can I keep this blanket?" she asked, pulling out a light pink blanket with a dark pink letter "P" in the corner.

Piper smiled, pulling the box back over and digging to the bottom and pulling two more out. "You sure can! Here, take these too," she said, pulling out a light purple and yellow blanket to go with the pink one she held in her hand.

Phoebe looked at her. "Maybe Paytin would like one of those."

"I found it!" Piper called, digging to the bottom of the last box and pulling out an old, worn doll with patches of blonde hair, one eye that was permanently closed and a dress with a rip in the back. "I remember taking this thing everywhere when I was a kid."

"The one Prue took and glued one eye shut because you wouldn't let her play with it?" Phoebe asked, copying down the spells, tearing out the paper to fold and put in her pocket.

"Mhm," Piper said. "Did you find them?"

Phoebe nodded. "In my pocket. Ready to go, Paris?"

Paris nodded.

"Piper, can you freeze her?"

"Who, Paris? No."

She sighed, annoyed that her sister couldn't grasp what she was saying. "Not Paris, Piper. Paytin! Are you able to freeze her?"

"Why?"

"Well, call me crazy, but I think it's gonna be hard to cast this spell with her thrashing around and throwing energy balls," Phoebe said as Piper walked over.

"Phoebe, don't worry about that. If need be, Wyatt and Chris can hold her down," Piper said.

"I know, but part of me wonders if, maybe, she'll listen."

Piper sighed. "I doubt it."

"That doesn't mean it's impossible though…right?"

"No," Piper said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You can try that, but if it doesn't work—"

"If it doesn't work, I'll ask the boys myself," Phoebe resolved. "Paris, time to go."

Paris nodded, running over and carrying all three blankets.

"Uh, Piper?"

"Yeah?"

"You might wanna put that back. No one else needs to see it."

Piper looked down at her hands. "Y—Yeah, I'll just uh…" she buried it in the bottom of the box. "She might want to kill us for that."

"Possibly, but I would guess she forgot it still existed. Especially since Grams made that huge deal when I wore something like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Weren't you there when—?" Phoebe asked, but Piper shook her head. "Oh, you and Prue were gone that weekend. Well, she saw me in one and forced me to change. Then insisted that I bring her all of my clothes that were like that—which I didn't, I only brought the one outfit—and she burned them in the fireplace."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "I'm not too surprised, but let me guess. The next time you were out and came back they were gone?"

"Yep."

"That's Grams for you. All right, I think we're ready to go. Leo!" Piper called.

Five minutes…still nothing. "LEO!" Piper bellowed.

She sighed as blue orbs formed, but it wasn't who she thought. "C'mon! Let's go!" Paige said.

"Where's Leo?" Phoebe asked.

"He's healing Chris."

Piper's eyes bulged. "Chris? What happened?"

"She knocked the barrier out of alignment and hit Chris in the stomach," Paige explained, "then Wyatt knocked her down."

"Knocked her down?" So many questions came with that statement, but Phoebe only asked. "Is he still holding her?"

Paige nodded. "I'm not sure how long he can hold her."

"Let's go!" Paris said.

With that, they orbed out.

Hospital

They reformed in front of the I.C.U. doors. Wyatt was waiting.

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were holding her," Paige asked.

He smirked, but the look didn't last. "I was, 'till Chris managed to throw the missing crystal at me."

"Where are Coop and Prue?" Phoebe asked.

"They went down to the cafeteria," the young witch answered.

"Where's that?" Paris asked.

"Will you guys be okay?" Wyatt asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, we'll be fine. Go with Wyatt, sweetie," she said. Paris handed her the pink blanket.

"Hey, I have a white one like that," Paige said.

Piper nodded. "So did we," she said as Wyatt led her down the hall by his hand.

"That is soooo cute!" Paige said.

"Yeah, are Chris and Leo still in there?" Phoebe asked.

Paige peeked in the windows and, sure enough, they were over next to the barrier. "Yep."

"Are you ready, Pheebs?" Piper asked. "This is going to be anything but easy."

She took a deep breath. "Y—Yes," she said, grabbing Piper's hand and clutching the spells with her other.

With Paige's right arm linked with Phoebe's and Piper holding onto her right, the Power of Tree entered the room.

"I thought you said Leo and Chris were in here," Phoebe said under her breath.

"They were. Are you ready?" Paige asked Phoebe.

"As I'll ever be," she replied. Phoebe bent down and removed a crystal, holding it like it was her life line.

"Paytin, honey," Phoebe called hesitantly.

She looked up and smiled sadistically. "Hello witch, oh and look you brought the Power of Three with you how sweet – you saving me the trouble of hunting them down. They can't protect you."

Phoebe flinched at her daughter's voice, one that wasn't her own. Piper grasped her hand in encouragement.

"Honey," she started again. "We need to cast a spell to help you. Will you let us?"

Paytin's eyes flashed with humor. "Not a chance in hell."

"Please!" Phoebe begged, her face laced with tears knowing it wouldn't do any good.

The little girl laughed. She shook her head in amusement. "Never!" Paytin formed an energy ball and threw it at her mother. Luckily, Phoebe had fast reflexes and, letting go of her sisters, she dodged it, leaving a scorch mark on the door.

"I love a good game of cat and mouse," Paytin informed while throwing another energy ball.

"Phoebe we have to go now!" Paige yelled.

"No!" Phoebe protested. "Paytin!" she yelled as Paige grabbed her arm and Piper's and orbed out of the room.

Phoebe shook as she rested against the wall with them. Her breathing cam in rasps.

"Be right back," Paige said Orbing out.

The next second, they heard her scream and they raced back inside, finding Paige dripping blood on the tile.

"Phoebe," Piper said, looking at her distraught sister. "Help Paige!"

Shakily, she nodded, running to her.

"Well, the oldest goes down first. How noble," Paytin said, throwing an energy ball toward her which Piper countered with an explosion. Two, three, four more were countered the exact same way, but from different angles.

"Paige!" Phoebe said, pulling her into her lap. "Paige! C'mon, please!" she pleaded.

Paige's eyes opened slowly. She tried to draw a breath, but only gasped. "Phoe—be…you forgot the—"

"Ssshh, don't talk," she said. "Wyatt! Chris!"

"They're probably—"

"Piper!" she looked back just as the fireball was a foot away. Knowing she had no time to counter, she shielded her face. She expected to feel a steaming pain, but felt nothing. She opened her eyes, taking her hands down and saw a blue light.

Someone put their arm around her shoulder. "Hi Mom, miss me?" Wyatt asked, giving her his best cheesy grin.

She looked at him stunned. "Y—Yeah, hey Wyatt…" she replied. "Where's Chris?" she asked looking behind her, but her sisters where no where in sight. "Okay, forget Chris. Where are Phoebe and Paige?"

"They're safe," he said walking forward toward the displaced crystal. "Now get out of here."

"But Wyatt—"

"Now Mom!" he yelled. In that second, she realized why he was going forward.

"Like Hell! I'm not letting you be killed!" she yelled. "Go for it! I'll cover you!"

He nodded, diving for the crystal as an energy ball headed for him, but she countered. As soon as he wrapped his fingers around it, he Orbed over and put in it's proper place. He looked back as her and she nodded, they then walked out together.

"Paige!" Piper called, running over. "Are you all right?"

She smiled. "Well, do you see a corpse?"

Piper rolled her eyes. Where Paige got her twisted sense of humor, she still had no idea.

"Boys," Phoebe said. "I have a favor to ask you." Her whole body was shaking.

"Yeah?" Wyatt asked.

"What is it?" Chris asked.

She took a breath. "When we go back in there, I need you to hold her down."

Wyatt shot a confused look at his mom.

"If she's not held down we'll never be able to cast the spell on her," Piper explained.

"Okay, but take away the injury and effects and your left with Balthazar," Chris reasoned. "What are we going to do then?"

Phoebe swallowed hard. "The only thing that's left."

"And that is?" Chris asked.

"Split and replace her soul," Coop said, walking over to her.

"Where are the girls?" Phoebe asked.

"With Henry."

"You actually agree to this? It sounds—"

"Excruciating," Chris said.

"Unbearable," Wyatt answered.

"All of the above," Paige chimed in. Everyone looked at her. "What? I don't have a say?"

Phoebe nodded as Coop wrapped his arm around her waist. "But it has to be done. Otherwise, he'll just use her," she turned, cupping Coop's chin, "just like he used Cole."

Coop nodded. "So boys, will you help us or not?"

"Yeah, we will," Wyatt said.

"Wait," Phoebe interrupted. "How long will it take to make that potion?"

"I read about two hours," Coop answered. "And Leo's been home for about an hour and a half."

"So it should be done when we get there," Piper said.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Mom, you really think it'll take half an hour to do this?"

"I hope not, but he's always been—"

"Temperamental?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah," Piper answered.

"So you want up to what? Orb in, knock the crystals out of alignment and hold her there?" Chris asked.

Paige smiled. "Exactly, but you might want to keep your grip on her until we get back to the house."

"Okay, let's go!" Wyatt said.

"Bu—"

Coop cut her off. "Go. We need to do it," he said, with a light kiss.

She nodded, following her sisters inside.

"Crystal!" the youngest Charmed One said and the nearest one appeared in her hand.

Wyatt and Chris ran over and pinned their cousin.

"Mommy!" Paytin said.

Phoebe's heart shook. Her little girl sounded so scared and uncertain as she walked up.

Piper placed the doll on her niece's chest and rested her hand on it as she grabbed Paige's hand, Phoebe took Paige's and grabbed the spell, placing it above the doll and laying her hand on top of Piper's:

"Troubled blood with sleep's unease
Remove the cause of this disease
Sleep eternal nevermore
And shift this source of illness borne
To this puppet whom none shall mourn"

Paytin's eyes were softer and, for a second, she stopped struggling.

"Boys, hold tight," Paige said. They nodded.

"Coop!" Phoebe called.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes," she said as they Orbed out (Chris was last as he gathered the crystals).

Phoebe's feet hit the attic and she nearly doubled over in shock, if Coop hadn't caught her.

"Boys, set the cage again," Piper said.

They nodded.

"Phoebe, what's with yo—" Paige asked. All Phoebe could do was point to the man standing in the doorway…


Author's Note 1: So what do you think? Sorry it's so long! I know I said it'd be a lot shorter, but as you've read, a lot happened. So, who's in the doorway? Grams, Patty, maybe Prue or... I can't wait to read your guesses. And, just so everyone who reviews knows, I won't confirm or deny anything. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter is up! Evil grin!

Please read and review!

Personal thanks to: That70sshowlova, charmed-darkangel, & Charmed4eva for their kind reviews for the last chapter!

Next chapter:
Chapter 12: Caused Heartache

Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell