She quietly opened the door to her sisters' room casting a shadow on her lone silhouette. But as she stepped further in the room the figured moved.
"You don't need to be quiet Prue. Leo is off somewhere and I'm wide awake."
"Sorry. Look can you go in with Phoebe. I don't want her to be alone right now. Let alone wake up alone."
"I thought you had her." Piper tossed the covers off and started out of her room towards Prue.
Prue walked quietly beside the middle sister. "I was but I have a bad feeling about everything that happened today." She paused as they both approached Phoebes door.
"What are you talking about Prue?"
"I don't know. I mean what guy would just mug Clay when Phoebe is right there. And they never laid a hand on her until she started to fight back."
"So what you think it was a set up? Demonic?"
"I don't know. But some things just aren't adding up for me. Ever since we found out that Billy was stalking her again. Maybe I've been more protective of her. Or maybe it's something else."
Piper looked at Prue and could see she was still thinking about something. "Prue?"
"I don't know. There are some things of Phoebes that are still missing. The nightgown that Cole gave her for her birthday last year. Her day-timer. Little things that you don't think you realize are gone till they have been gone for some time."
Piper thought to what Prue was thinking. "The picture if her graduation on the mantel."
"Exactly. Though that was something we missed and just figured Cole took it."
Piper stepped to Phoebe door and started to open it. Before pulling it closed again, "Prue are you saying that you think someone else is stalking her?" Piper asked as she felt her heart start to race at the thought of someone else watching her baby sister. "That maybe it wasn't Billy in the first place?"
"I don't know. Its just." Prue stopped looking for the right words. "I can't explain it. Look, just go back to sleep and I'll be back." She started towards the stairs.
"Hey where are you going? It's 2 o'clock in the morning."
"The hospital. If I'm right, whoever did this to Clay will be back to finish the job. And I do not intend for my baby sister to be hurt that way." She cast a glance at Piper, one that the middle sister knew to well. They had set the mother bear to defense mode and it would be there final act.
She made her way quietly down the halls. There was no sign of movement or life from anywhere. She easily slide into the room she was looking for.
"What? Who the hell are you?" Prue barely got the words out of her mouth when she felt the icy grip from behind her and the cold blade at her throat.
"Well, well. Who have we here? Oh it's the big sister."
Prue glared at the man before her as she focused her power on him sending him flying across the room. At the same time she slammed her head backwards into the man holding her.
He bent over holding his face as he looked up at her, "You bitch." He yelled out as he lunged at her with the knife though he soon felt himself landing on his back.
It was not long before more men came from the darkness and walked Prue back in the corner. The first use of her power was easy, as she had lifted her foot to push him away. But now with four more advancing on her she wasn't sure what she should do.
The door opened giving her just the distraction she needed, as they all turned and looked at the new addition to their party.
Prue grabbed the closest guy to her and slammed him into the wall, as she soon saw the stranger entering the fight along side her.
It wasn't long before all six men where on the floor in a heap of unconsciousness.
Prue leaned against the wall and looked down at the men,. Their red marking and colouring on them indicating the gang they belong to. "Thanks for the help." She spoke out to the woman standing beside Clay's bed checking to make sure he was alright.
"No problem. I was doing my rounds when I heard the noise."
"Well I'm grateful for the help. Is there a phone near by?"
"No need to worry about that. I called security when I heard the first sign of the fight." She answered making her way to Prue. "Come on let me attend to that cut." She placed her hand on the small of Prues back and led her from the hospital room, as the security guards came in followed by the police.
Prue looked over at Darryl as he started to walk towards her.
"Had to be you didn't it Prue?"
"Sorry Darryl?"
"It's ok. Come on, I'll give you a ride home."
"I'm ok."
"No you're not. The doctor said you had a mild concussion after that hit with the bottle."
Prue turned to the doctor that had come to her rescue but had still managed to help her kick some ass. She watched as the police took the last of the gang members away. She broke away from Darryl and grabbed the one by the collar.
"Why were you after my sister and her boyfriend?"
He saw the fire in her eyes as she had during their fight. "It wasn't us that are after them. Some guy paid us too. He wanted the boyfriend out of the way."
Prue felt her grip loosen as Darryl pulled her away from the man. Her world started to spin as she felt her knees weaken. It was starting again and there was no way to protect her sister from a hidden evil.
Darryl held on to her before she fell to the floor.
"Ok. Maybe she should stay her for the night. That was quite the blow she took." The doctor stepped up placing a kind arm on her patient.
Darryl eased Prue back onto the ER bed as she lifted her hand to her forehead. "I'll call Piper and Phoebe."
"No Darryl, please don't. Phoebe has been through enough tonight and Piper is seven and a half months pregnant."
Darryl looked at Prue and then the doctor. He knew what he had to do. "I'll be right back." He said quietly before exiting the room.
Prue lay on the bed and looked up at the doctor by her side. "Thanks for the help back there."
"No problem. The name is Jill by the way."
"What happen to Doctor?" Prue looked at the woman curiously.
"I'm off duty now." She said as she just smiled at her patient. "Get some rest, I'm not going anywhere."
--- ----
Piper made her way down the hallway quickly.
"Piper?"
"Darryl where is she?"
"This way." Darryl took her arm and pulled her towards the ER. We got the guys that beat up Clay."
"Yeah, at what cost?" she snapped angrily.
Darryl could see her anger but more so her worry for her sister. He let her go the minute they rounded the corner to the ER and Piper saw Prue.
Prue looked up as Piper approached her bed.
"Prue are you ok?"
"I'm fine Piper." she replied but she missed one thing, "Where's Phoebe?"
"Leo is with her. Relax." Piper answered getting her message across in more ways then one.
Prue closed her eyes and sighed though she wanted to go home and be sure her baby sister was ok. "Can we just go home?"
"Prue."
"Piper I'm fine. Home is where I need to be."
Piper looked at the doctor near by.
"If she wants to go home I can't force her to stay."
Piper turned back to Prue. There was a panic in her eyes that she didn't miss. "Ok. Lets get you home." She caved as she wrapped her arm around Prues waist as they both left the hospital.
Prue turned for one moment, "Thanx again Jill. For helping me out back there."
"No problem. My black belt needs to come in handy now and then anyway," she cast a smile at her patient and new friend before heading back to the doctors room for her own trip home to her husband.
Leo sat beside Phoebe, as she lay awake on the bed wondering what had happen to her oldest sister. Ever since the attack by Shak she felt herself getting protective of Prue. She had been so close to losing her she didn't even like to think about it,
"Leo I know you are getting paged. Go already. I'll be fine." Phoebe said, as she didn't even move from her position on her bed. "I'll probably go back to sleep."
Leo looked down at her and smiled. She was always willing to let go of the things to her for other people. "Piper will kill me." He smiled
"And the elders will kill you both and me if you don't go. I'm fine. Piper made sure that everything in the house was locked up. I'll be fine. Go." She told him as he fought his own inner battle
Phoebe felt the darkness wash over her soon after Leo had left. Sleep was all she had on her mind as she closed her eyes and let it consume her
He had seen Prue leave and not that long after Piper left. He knew what was going on. He had ordered it himself. He made his way quietly up the steps to the Manor. Picking the lock he opened the door with ease. Smiling inwardly he started up the stairs to her room.
He knew she was alone and that was all he needed. Easing her door open he watched as she slept peacefully.
He pulled out the needle from his pocket and quickly inserted it in her arm. He first saw her quickly open her eyes at the first touch of pain, but she as soon over taken by the drug. Lifting her in her arms he made his way through the Manor outside to his car. Placing her gently in the back seat he pulled away in the darkness.