A/N:

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Chapter 29

They know

Phoebe was cleaning the living room when the door bell rang. She turned off the vacuum cleaner and answered the door," Hello."

"Hi Phoebe I have not seen you for awhile," Wendy said while holding a gift basket.

"Hi Wendy, how is the baby?" Phoebe asks as she let her in.

"Fuzzy as usual," she replied as they walked into the living room.

"What is this for?" Phoebe asks as she put the gift basket on the couch.

"For Piper, I know she has been ill," she replied and Phoebe was a little shocked as Piper has been adamant about people not knowing.

"You know?" Phoebe asks and somewhat felt relieved.

"Yeah, how is she?" Wendy asks while using the sides of the loveseat to sit down for support.

Phoebe went to help her," You know its day to day but the medication is working, well most of the time."

"That's good I think she was having some issues at the store," Wendy said as she finally got comfortable.

"If she gets too stressed she can have a episode."

"I hope she can come to the party," Wendy said.

"It's touch and go right now with schizophrenia too many people can trigger it, and she is still getting used to her new medication," Phoebe said and Wendy's eyes grew slightly.

"Schizophrenia?"

"Yes that's what your were talking about right?" Phoebe asks as she could feel her heart beat increase.

"No I was talking about the migraines, Phoebe she has schizophrenia?"

"Oh god Wendy I am so sorry, she didn't want anyone to know," Phoebe replied and put her hands on her face as she apparently has spilled the beans.

Wendy leaned back in her chair as she took in the new information," How long has she had this?"

"A few months," Phoebe replied.

"I had no idea, how are you guys coping?"

"Okay it's just hard, she has not been herself sense it happened," Phoebe choked a little.

"If there is anything I can do just asks," Wendy said as Piper came home from her support group. Phoebe stood up immediately and was not sure what to say as Piper entered the living room.

"Wendy hi," Piper said as Wendy pushed herself up and out of the chair.

"Hi Piper I got you a gift basket because I know you don't feel well," Wendy said and Piper was becoming uncomfortable again. "For your migraines," she said as Phoebe told her that Piper did not want anyone to know.

"Oh thanks you didn't have too," Piper said and forced a smile.

"Well I should go, I need to pick up some things for the party. Piper I would really like if you were there but I understand if you don't feel well," she said and hugged her as Phoebe walked her to the front door.

"Wendy could you not tell anyone at least for right now?" Phoebe asks.

"Sure," Wendy said and gave Phoebe a hug as Paige walked in after parking the car. Wendy said goodbye to Paige and left. Piper was taken the gift basket to the kitchen to unwrap it. Phoebe took a deep breath as Cole shimmered in front of her.

"Cole where have you been?" she asks a little startled.

"We need to talk," he replied quietly.

"Can it wait?"

"No its about Piper," he replied and she followed him upstairs as Paige was in the kitchen with Piper.

He closed the door and began to pace the room," Cole what is it?"

"Do you remember the darklighter that went after Prue?" he asks.

"Yes why?"

"They're sending one after Piper," he replied and faced her. Phoebe closed her eyes tight to hold in a scream of frustration and anger. "Phoebe they know," he said.

She sat on the bed and began to break down," I don't understand, why she doesn't even have her powers, Cole she is no threat to them, why can't they just leave her alone," she whimpered. She put her hand to her stomach and tried to keep her emotions in check.

"I know but we have to tell her," he said and sat next to her.

Piper was looking at the card as Paige was putting the fruit into a bowl," This was nice of her," Paige said as Piper was reading the card and it said get well soon and she gave a small snort.

"Yeah like that is possible," Piper said and put it on the table.

"Are you going to the party?"

"I don't know Paige, I just don't want to have a episode in front of everyone," Piper replied.

"What if I go with you?"

"We'll see," Piper replied as Phoebe walked into the kitchen with Cole next to her.

"Piper we need to talk honey," she said and Piper could see that it was not going to be good as her eyes were red and the concern on her face was very telling.

"Is Leo ok?" Piper asks mostly because she has not seen him in a few days.

"He is fine," Phoebe replied and Piper was very relieved.

"Cole was in the underworld and overheard a conversation. Piper they know about your illness and are going to send the same kind of darklighter that went after Prue a few years back," she said and walked over to the kitchen table chair and sat down. "Listen, we know what they are going to do, so we just vanquish him when we see him," she said and sat across from her.

"We are not going to let him hurt you," Paige said.

Piper said nothing as Prue came into a silent kitchen. "What is going on?" she asks noticing the worried looks.

"I need to um take care of some paperwork," Piper said and got up. Phoebe went to stop her but Paige grabbed her arm.

"Give her a moment," Paige said as Piper clearly wanted some space.

"Guys?" Prue asks.

"The source is sending a darklighter after Piper, the same kind that came after you a few years ago," Cole replied and Prue's face went pale as she recalled the encounter. She sat down and closed her eyes while rubbing her fingers across her forehead.

"But this time we know, so we plant traps or make sure she is not along until we vanquish him," Paige said.

"And then what Paige, they are just going to keep sending them," Prue said angrily. "I thought we sent a message to the underworld apparently we need to do it again."

"You barely survived the last time, Prue the source is reorganizing and they are much stronger than before. If Piper lost any of you she would not survive, not right now," Cole said as he did not want the love of his life to die in the underworld.

Piper sat on her bed, she wanted to scream, she wanted her exploding power back so she could unleash it. Her attempts at trying to become herself again seem to be falling apart at every turn. It was a swim upstream through rapids with no land on either side, the only choice was to sink or swim. Eventually the ligaments would wear out and one way or another, you end up at the bottom of a raging river. At least that is how she felt most of the time. She heard a knock on the door and knew it was her sisters coming to tell her everything was going to be all right and she had to pretend that it was. She wiped the tears from her face and stood as they came in.

"You ok?" Prue asks and hugged her.

"I'm fine and your right we at least know he is coming," Piper replied and gave the best fake smile she has in years.

They talked about plans to trap him and Paige went to do the spells on the plants that required it. The others either required a potion to be mixed with the water or certain herbs to be put in the plants soil. They kept the plants outside the garage near the window as Piper did not go out there very often. Prue started working on the crystal trap that would catch any demon in the hallway near Piper's room. They also put some in her room as well. Phoebe made up some potions for Piper to use if she saw him and Cole had to be mindful of the traps, but he could shimmer around them. Leo came home that evening and they told him what has transpired. He punched the wall in the attic so hard he splintered the wood. Piper could see the fear in his eyes and the rage. They came close to losing Prue and she did not have schizophrenia on top of it.

"How am I going to distinguish between his voice and the others?" Piper asks while Leo grabbed a towel to stop some of his knuckles from bleeding.

"I don't know baby, but we will figure it out and until we catch him, I don't want you to be alone," he replied as she came over to him. She took off the towel and looked at his somewhat bloody knuckles. She then used some water from a glass to begin to clean it.

"Can't you self-heal?" she asks.

"Not self inflicted," he replied and put his good hand on her face. "Piper no matter how strong those voices are, you can't hurt yourself, I will not be able to heal you," he said while his lower lip quivered and she looked into his green eyes.

"I know," she said and put her head into his chest while he rested his chin on top of her head and held her tight to him.

Prue and Phoebe were in the living room taking a break from planting the traps." It will be okay right?" Phoebe asks while fidgeting with a crystal in her hand.

"Phoebe if it wasn't for you guys yelling at me, I would have jumped that's how strong he was. And I started off in a good mood it did not take long for him to completely turn things around. To be honest we cannot leave her alone until we kill him," Prue replied and Paige came in.

"Ok the plants have been taking care of but guys we can't miss a day or we start all over again," Paige said.

"God I hope this works," Phoebe said as she place the crystal on the floor near the window and there was a flash of white light around the house," okay the force field is activated."

"Cole thank you for keeping a eye on what is going on down there," Prue said and both Paige and Phoebe were a little taken back from the compliment.

"No problem," he said and smiled as Phoebe who patted him on the back.

Piper was taking a shower as the day was coming to an end and she just wanted to relax. Leo was sitting on the commode while cleaning up his small wounds from hitting the wall. He was even afraid to leave her alone in the house. He wanted to go talk to the elders to find out if there was a way to protect her, but he did not want to leave her side. If a charge called he would have no choice and it was putting his stomach into knots.

"Piper if I get called out at night, I want you to sleep with one of your sisters okay," he said.

"Sure," she said and went back to washing her hair.

Outside a darklighter and a demon were looking at the manor.

"They have some kind of force field going around the house and I can't get in," the demon said.

"She will have to leave at some point," the darklighter said and he blacked orbed away as the demon hid in the shadows behind trees as darkness fell.

To be continued...