Chapter 29: Broken
Disclaimer: Oh my Jesus. I accidentally turned on the T.V. and, ironically enough, a commercial for Charmed had just come on TNT. The ad used a string of Alyssa-centric clips from the seventh season to boast about the fact that they have five hours of Charmed in a row every Monday. Well seeing as I would never, 1: Torture anyone with a string of clips from anything involving that walking STD or, 2: Torture anyone with a five straight hours of seventh season Charmed; I clearly have nothing to do with the ownership of our favorite television show.
A/N: The reviews indicate that people felt last chapter was good. Hmm…either you all are shooting up with Kern's crack monkey writing staff, or I am. I really thought that last chapter was fairly odd and awkward. The emotions were just choppy and slightly misplaced, don't you think? Sure, it didn't reach a 'Hesitate' level of awkward badness, but it surely wasn't anywhere near the smoothness of 'Lost' or 'Alone.' Well, crack monkeys it is—I've heard primates have the best blow.
Prue was somewhat jostled when she saw two pairs of feet stop in front of her and looked up to meet the gazes of Leo and Andy. She saw Leo begin to open his mouth and jumped to answer his unasked question.
"She's not out yet," Prue said without looking at him. Leo stepped back, a bit surprised, as Prue cleared her throat and continued to talk.
"They—they said that it wouldn't take more than an hour—it's been almost an hour and a half Andy. What's taking them so long? Why are they keeping her from me? I just—I want to see her. I need to…"
Prue trailed off and broke into sobs as Andy took a seat next to her and tried to stop her tears.
"Don't worry," Andy started, "Stop worrying, please? These things take time—we don't want them to miss anything, do we?"
"Maybe they know," Prue began through her tears, "Maybe they won't let her see me because they know it's all my fault—they know this wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for my damn Pride. Now Piper's suffering for my ego—all she does is suffer Andy."
"No," Andy shushed Prue's guilt, "Nothing's your fault. They told me—Romack told me that they interrogated Missy and—and you're not the one to blame—I am."
"What do you mean?" Prue inquired, unburying her face from Andy's arm and staring at him straight.
"Romack told me that there was no plan. Missy got Brett and Dennis to stage the conversation I heard a month ago in that locker room so that she could make me be with her for Piper's fake safety. She was never going to go through with it until she thought I'd break it off, and even then she never though Brett would—" Andy cut himself off as he assumed rightly that Prue was nowhere near ready to hear the word yet, "She just thought they'd scare her—show the two of you a lesson."
"Are you—" Prue began as she tried hard to get a sentence out, "I don't believe you; that's too much. It doesn't make any sense. How could a human being treat something this serious like a prank? It doesn't—she's crazy."
"I know," Andy said, pulling Prue back into his embrace. However, Prue quickly pulled out of it.
"What'd you say to her?" Prue said with an accusatory look at Andy.
"Say to who? What are you talking about?"
"In the classroom this morning, what'd you say to Missy to break things off with her?" Prue clarified.
"I—" Andy began, sporting a highly baffled look, "I just told her that is was over—I told her that the only reason I was with her was to keep Piper safe and that I only love you. I said I'd never touch her again, an—"
"It is your fault," Prue said softly, "Why'd you have to say those things Andy? If you weren't so harsh maybe she wouldn't have done all this—it could've all been stopped."
"Prue," Andy began, "Missy already had Brett and Dennis ready—what I said had no impact on whether she was going through with it or not. She had already guessed I was going to get rid of her before I even opened my mouth, Prue—you have to believe me."
"You're just looking for someone to blame," Leo spoke knowingly from above them, "And that's natural, and normal. But there are plenty of people to blame for this Prue; none of them are in this room."
The only reason Prue didn't make a retort to Leo's words is that she saw the same Pain, guilt, and thirst for vengeance in his eyes that she'd been feeling for the past several hours. She took in his words before her tears began to fall harder.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Prue repeated her earlier words, "She didn't do anything—she doesn't deserve any of it—it's not right…"
For a third time, Andy pulled Prue in close—this time knowing she wouldn't try to break out of it. Though, after a moment, the both of them looked up as they saw Leo rush away from them. They turned their heads to see Piper coming out of the room, accompanied by two doctors and looking quite distant and lost.
Prue and Andy rose and came to meet Leo where he had stopped in his tracks, unsure of whether Piper could withstand them all coming at her at once.
"We need to speak with the legal guardian," One doctor commented, looking from Prue to Andy to Leo.
"It's me," Prue said somewhat reluctantly, not wanting to be away from Piper at the moment.
"Here," Andy said lowly, following Prue off with the doctors.
Leo stood awkwardly in before Piper and after a while it seemed to occur to her that he was there. It took her another moment to realize why he hadn't said anything.
"It's alright," she said quietly, "You can hug me."
Leo smiled a bit at Piper's correct anticipation of his words and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could. Piper became highly alarmed however, when she heard quiet sobs and realized they were coming from Leo. She worked her way out of his arms and stared at him intently.
"Leo…" Piper started, not sure of what was going on.
"I could've stopped it," he began, "If I didn't stop to talk to her—if I just took more time to sense you and didn't keep teaching when you weren't there…" Piper really couldn't take Leo blaming himself right now and even more so couldn't take hearing a recap of what had just happened.
"Leo, no—" Piper tried to very little avail.
"I'm such an awful person," Leo continued, "It's my job to protect you and I—I just—"
"Leo, stop," Piper tried once more.
"I'm just sorry—I'm so, so, sorry—"
"Leo, stop!" Piper hollered, unable to take his guilt any longer.
Leo abruptly discontinued his speech and Prue and Andy ran over to see what was happening.
"Are you alright?" Prue questioned, inwardly kicking herself for her diction, "I mean, other th—what happened?"
"Nothing," Piper said impatiently, "Nothing happened," she elaborated, keeping her eyes fixated on her shoes.
"Piper, I—" Leo started.
"Prue can we just go home now?" Piper continued, deliberately avoiding Leo's eyes.
"Y—yeah," Prue started, "Of course. We were done talking to the doctors anyway."
Prue led Piper away and Andy followed, leaving Leo standing there incredibly dumbstruck.
The ride to the Manor proved quiet and uneventful. Andy took the back way home so that they wouldn't pass the school and subsequently Baker's woods. On Prue's request, he dropped the girls off instead of coming into the house with them. Once in the Manor, Prue moved uncomfortably, at least three times opening her mouth to say something and then holding it back for one reason or another.
"Are you hungry?" Prue finally spoke, hating the fact that she couldn't think of anything better to say.
"No," Piper said in a barley audible voice, "I'm just going to go," she continued, "Go take a nap…"
"Of course," Prue jumped, "If you want anything when you wake up—food, water, a book to read—just holler."
Piper gave a weak smile and a nod before turning to make her way up the landing. Once she got to her room, Piper laid down and tried her best to get some sleep.
Unfortunately, nightmares set in almost as fast as sleep did. Piper's subconscious saw fit to make her relive every detail of what had happened that morning.
"No," Piper muttered in her sleep, "You don't even want to do this—I can tell. I see your innocence—you don't have to listen to her—don't do it…"
Piper thrashed in her bed as she wished she could wake up.
"I know this isn't what you want. Don't take that from me. The knife hurts; please stop. Everything hurts, so much."
"It's too much," Piper began to sob, "I—I can't feel…"
Leo orbed into the room—Piper's Pain having become too overwhelming for him to ignore. He saw her and came over to sit beside her on the bed.
"Piper," he spoke softly, "Wake up; please. It's just a dream." Leo knew that he was wrong—it wasn't just a dream. He knew that, but he couldn't sit back and let her hurt anymore.
Piper's eyes shot open and she looked highly confused as to why Leo was sitting on her bed.
"Leo," she began, "How'd you get here?"
"I felt you—I knew you needed me here."
"Leo," Piper started again, "I can't handle this. It all hurts too much. My body, my—my mind—it's all broken. It's broken and I can't do anything to fix it—nobody can. Everyone's been telling me how sorry they are—but what does that matter? It can't change what happened; I'm never going to be the person I was before. I'm helpless to everything and I—I just, can't…"
Leo let Piper fall into him and he felt his heart drop at her words. He hadn't ever seen anyone in this much Pain.
"You're not broken," Leo tried, "And you're not helpless. We're going to get through this, alright? I'm here for you just like I've always been. You're the most important thing to my world right now Piper—please know that."
Though no more words were spoken, Leo knew that Piper was going to rely on him for healing. He grimaced however, knowing that, for once, he had no idea how to fix her.
A/N: Hmm…thoughts, please.
