A/N:

Thanks for the reviews.

What's to come:

Prue and Van Helsing have an encounter

Phoebe and Astra come to an agreement

Prue and the new guy hit it off in more ways than one

Leo's wings are threatened

Phoebe gets new power from an unexpected source

Voodoo is on the way

Cole has feelings for someone else

Music used in the beginning Brand X = Shattered Soul. Check profile for url to listen.

Chapter 12

Shattered Soul

Piper could not stop the red tears that flowed as she punched and kicked the stone coffin, "How could I what the hell is wrong with me?" she cried out in the darkness as she pushed her hands through the dusty remains of the person who has long past. After 30 minutes of lashing out and her hands were bloody and bruised she laid on her back exhausted. But she was done she was defeated both physically and emotionally as the last 3 weeks have been a journey she never wanted nor to come to grips with. "I will never have children, I will outlive my sisters and the elders have already talked about breaking her and Leo up because she was not a witch anymore," were some of the thoughts running through her mind. But most of all her fear of killing one of them was more frightening than any of them. Piper stopped crying and found herself staring at the top of the one thing that kept her alive. A concrete slab that separated her from eternity alone and afraid of killing someone. With one flick of her wrist she blasted the top off and pieces of stone went flying up and away from her. The light from the sun was streaming through the holes of the old roof and the pain did not block out her intent. She could smell herself burn as she climbed out of the Concrete slab and made her way to the old decayed wood doors that separated her from the sun. She only paused for a moment as she put her hands on the rusted brass handles. "Forgive me," she said as she opened the door. It felt like stepping into a scolding shower as smoke came off of her while she covered her eyes and walked forward. She looked down at her arm and could see her skin melting away and could no longer walk as the pain was too much. She screamed while looking up to the bright sky, "I love you," she said to her family that was not there to hear it. She lowered her head awaiting the fiery death and could feel herself lose consciousness. She did not feel the blanket rap around her or the person saying to hang on as she was taken to a Hurst and put into a coffin that drives away.

Leo, Phoebe and Prue arrived at the cemetery in white and blue lights near the crypt they found her before.

"Piper!" Phoebe yelled as she made a run to the crypt. The doors were wide open and the smell of burnt flesh was fresh as she stood at the entrance. 'Oh god please," she whimpered as Leo ran past her and into the building.

"She's not here," he said and turned to face Prue and Phoebe.

"What, Leo what does that mean because I smell -, "Prue asks as Leo put his hand in the dusty remains of someone.

He went to his knees as the thought of his wife being nothing but ashes was unbearable.

"No No she found somewhere else," Phoebe said as she ran out of the crypt, "Piper!"

"Leo can you since her?" Prue asks as she has forgotten that he could not.

"No Prue," he replied as tears streamed down his face.

Outside Phoebe fell to her knees as she could not feel her anymore as well because of the blood wearing off. "I'm sorry I didn't mean for this to happen.

"Do you know Piper? "A man said to Phoebe's side.

"Yes," she replied in hope that he knew where she was.

"I was told to give you this," the caretaker said and handed her a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

"Thank you," she said and wiped her face while standing up and ran back to Prue." I need your phone."

"What?" Prue asks still in a daze.

"Just give me your phone," she said and Prue did what she asks. Phoebe dialed the hopeful number with shaking hands. "Piper?" she said in the receiver.

"No but she will be ok," a woman replied from the other end.

"Where is she?"

"Resting," the woman replied from the Hurst and looked into the rearview mirror at the casket.

"Call me once she wakes up please," Phoebe asks.

"Sure," the woman replied and hung up.

Both Leo and Prue were listening intensely to the conversation as Phoebe closed the phone and handed it back to Prue. "Phoebe what is going on?" Prue asks.

"She is ok and will call us when she gets up."

"Was that her?" Leo asks.

"No it was a woman in a car I think," Phoebe replied and then let her body slide down the crypt walls as the feeling of relief was like an elephant being lifted off her chest. "Thank god."

The black Hurst pulled into a garage and the woman stepped out Drake walked in from the house after the door closed. "I swear ever since I met these people I don't sleep," he said and helps the woman put the coffin on a cart to wheel it inside.

"Where should I put her?" she asks as he opened the double doors to the main part of the house.

"Here is fine, just make sure she has plenty to drink when she gets up," he replied and left the room.

"Good night Drake," she said and turned on some lights to help her see. The house was completely darkened caused by special black out shades that cover every window.

Prue and Phoebe went back to the manner to await the call from Piper as Leo needed to attend some his of charges. Prue decided to look over some of the Clubs paperwork to keep busy while Phoebe practices her martial arts in the basement. She punched and kicked the punching bag that hung from the ceiling and was interrupted from her anger management by Cole who shimmered in.

"Phoebe you're going to hurt yourself," he said as he walked over to the perspiring girlfriend.

"I almost got her killed Cole," she replied and continued to punch.

"She is fine and I can't blame you, Piper needs to learn control," he said and she let the weight of the boxing gloves take her arms to her side as she slumped. "I shouldn't have got that angry," she said and sat down on the basement steps.

"What about Astra's offer?" he asks.

"At first I wasn't going to do it but if it will end this sooner and help Piper get turned back, then I think I should."

"Phoebe you have no idea what it means to be a human companion to a vampire," he said and sat down next to her.

"I know but I will definitely ask before I do it," she replied and started taking off the gloves.

"Where is Prue?"

"Upstairs doing busy work, Cole I don't know where her head is she is completely undeceive."

"She doesn't want to mess things up Phoebe and the situation is getting out of control," he said and put his arm around her.

"I know god I know, but we really need a leader right now," she said and leaned into him.

Prue was on the top of the stairs and could hear the conversation. "Enough of this," she said to herself and headed for the attic.

Piper awoke and could feel her skin was healed from the burns but she was also in a dark place. She tried to sit up and hit her head on something soft," What the hell?" she said and then put her hands on the padding above her and pushed up. It did not take long for her to realize she was in a coffin as she moved to a sitting position and looked around the darkened house that just had a few lights on. She was not sure if she was in hell, or someone's house or maybe her viewing and she was having an out of body experience. "Hello?" she said and was not sure she wanted an answer.

"Oh good your up," a red-haired woman in her 20s said and Piper a fancy bowl that had frozen slushy like blood in it," it's my specialty," she said and gave Piper a spoon.

Piper looked at the girl oddly and then down at the bowl and wrinkled her face at the thought of slushy blood. "Ok why don't we start with the obvious, where am I and who are you?" Piper asks.

"This is one of Drake's hideouts and my name is Paige, Paige Matthews," she replied and sat on an old high-back chair but used her eyes to tell Piper to eat the contents of the bowl.

"Ok what the hell is this?" Piper asks as she used the spoon to make the scoops of blood turn into mush.

"Like I said it's my specialty, here you can use a stroll if you want?" Paige said and handed her the sucking instrument.

Piper was extremely thirsty beyond measure and as Paige stood up to turn on a few more lights, Piper decided to indulge and began to drink. When Paige turned around the bowl was empty and Piper was holding her head, "Ouch, "she said and Paige giggled.

"Happens every time, brain freeze," she said and took the empty bowl from her. "Would you like some more?"

"No well maybe, but let my head stop throbbing," Piper replied and stepped out of her own coffin and looked back at it while shaking her head a bit at the site.

"Come on to the kitchen and relax your safe here," Paige said and Piper followed her.

"Are you a vampire?"

"Nope I am Drake's human companion," she replied nonchalantly as she went to the freezer and pulled out another bag of blood.

"What it the world would make you do that?" Piper asks as she sat down at the kitchen island.

"I used to have a drinking problem," she replied with quotes," and one day I drank a little too much and ended up in a ditch. I was dying from alcohol poisoning when Drake found me and gave me his blood."

"And that cured your addiction?" Piper asks.

"Yep, so he offered to make me his companion and considering I had no job and no place to live, it was really my only choice." She replied and started making her specialty.

"What about now?"

"Well I have a job as a social worker and I take care of Drake on occasion, we have a pretty open relationship he does what he does and I do what I do," Paige replied and pushed over another bowl for Piper and a spoon.

"Thanks I can't believe I'm going to say this, but this is really good," Piper said as she started to eat but a lot more slowly this time.

"You're new to this aren't you?"

"That obvious?"

"Drake said he went through the same thing after a month he was created, I guess it's normal for vampires to have a higher depression and most of them kill themselves."

"That would have been good to know," Piper said while enjoying her blood ice cream.

"Why did you get turned?"

"It wasn't on purpose I really didn't have a choice in it."

"Sorry."

"So did you come and get me?" Piper asks.

"Drake could feel something was wrong with you and when he knew where you were at, he figures something happened at your home and he could feel your physical pain. So he called me and told me to look for a person who was on fire or close to it," Paige replied and grabbed a bottle of water for her to drink.

"You know he's the worst maker ever," Piper said with a snort.

"He said you would say that, so that is why I am here. He wants me to help you get control and anything else that might have been left out when you turned," she said.

"How old are you?"

"23 and half why?"

"You just looked so young."

"How old are you like 30 or something?"

Piper rolled her eyes at the bad guess," No I am 27, thank you very much."

Paige cringed a little as she drank her water. "That's not old," Piper said as she could see her new friend's facial expression.

"If you say so," Paige said.

Piper didn't know why she felt comfortable around her like she's known her forever but they was something familiar about her.

"Oh you need to call Phoebe," Paige said and handed her a cell phone.

Piper hesitated for a moment at the thought of talking to the person who kicked her out but took the phone and left the room.

Prue was awaiting impatiently the arrival of an elder while she was in the attic.

"Come on dammit we need to talk," Prue yelled up to the ceiling.

A man orbed in wearing the long white robes she has grown to hate, "Prue."

"This stops now, do you understand I don't care what it takes for you to cure her but you do it," Prue demanded.

"That is not possible we do not have that ability, the cure lies in the Council."

"You bastards have you been paying attention at all?"

"Yes and Piper is fine Prue she just needs to learn control and gain your trust," he said.

"Even though I'm going to break it, I need to tell them the truth."

"No it will put everything at risk even saving her," he replied sternly.

"Do you know about Van Helsing?"

"Yes and you need to stay away from him, he has become corrupt over the centuries and will kill anyone who associates with vampires, regardless of how it happened," he replied.

"Perfect someone else who hates us."

"You have friends as well."

"The werewolf, Jezebel will in case you haven't been paying attention enough, Jezebel hates us and the werewolf well let's just say vampires and them don't cuddle."

"Everything happens for a reason from your enemies to your allies. Jezebel is not your enemy but if she feels she's being betrayed she can be a danger. There is something she wants out of this something you're not seeing find out what and help her obtain it."

"Is that before or after Phoebe becomes Astra's companion?" Prue asks as she folded her arms.

"This would be a good time for you to take leadership back, tell Phoebe it is a good idea to accept the offer as it will get her closer to the Council and to the cure."

"So use her too right, all for the greater good."

"I promise that what we are asking you to do will keep the world from going into chaos. Prue there is much more at play than what I am telling you, and for that I'm sorry but even we are unclear of the plan that the other side is contemplating."

"There better be because betraying the people I love could cost me everything," she said and left the attic.

Outside the manner Van Helsing was standing across the street with five other men. "Wait till one leaves and then we kill the other," he said and the men nodded.

To be continued…