A/N:

Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 37

Family therapy session

A few days have passed and Piper's doctor suggested that she have group therapy with her family. Instead of the normal setup of mostly strangers, she would talk to her family about how they are handling her illness. It also would give them a opportunity to talk to her about how they feel she is coping. Piper was not looking forward it, as she did not like talking about how she felt in front of them. She cleaned most of the day to keep her mind occupied but occasionally she had to leave the room that anyone was in, to avoid having a panic attack. Phoebe and Prue were also not sure how this was going to go as her doctor made it clear to be open and honest. Paige was also apprehensive as Piper took things personally sometimes. The door bell rang and it felt like a executioner coming to the door as Piper stood there not moving in the hallway.

"Piper its going to be ok," Prue said and rubbed her shoulder gently as she walked past, but her stomach was turning.

"Hi Elizabeth," Prue said as the woman from the group therapy was the one who was going to do the session. Piper's Dr. was also there to take notes as she was still under treatment.

"Hi Prue, how are you?" she asks

"Good come in," Prue replied as Phoebe and Paige also greeted them.

"Hello Piper how you feeling today?" Elizabeth asked.

"Fine I feel fine," Piper replied but she just wanted to run.

"We can do it here," Paige said as Piper set up snacks and drinks for everyone. Elizabeth notice the spread and was impressed.

"We should have it here more often," she said as she sat down on the couch after taking a cracker covered with a mixture of cheeses and herbs. "This is delicious," she said and Piper smiled as she sat down across from her. Prue sat down next to Piper along with Phoebe and Paige sat on the loveseat. The Dr. sat on a chair near the window and kept his distance as Piper would look at him like he was the principal at high school or her old boss at the bank. She felt like she was getting evaluated, but instead of getting a bad grade or not getting a raise, she could be put away or that is how she felt if she made one mistake.

"Piper is the best chef ever," Paige said as she too enjoyed the snacks.

"Its good that your still doing it Piper, I know how much you love it," Elizabeth said and Piper smiled as she began to tear apart the tissue in her hand. "Try to relax, you can speak freely he's just here to observe that's all," she said noticing Piper's nervousness.

"Observe what?" Piper asks as again it was to vague.

"Just how you are answering questions, communicating with your family and me," she replied and Piper nodded as she continued to tear small pieces of tissue paper. "Lets start with your daily routine, are you getting up at the same time everyday?" she asks.

"Um no it fluctuates," Piper replied.

"Ok, is that because of the medication?" Elizabeth asked as Dr. Marcus was writing things down.

"Sometimes, other times the noises are too loud for me to sleep," Piper replied.

"Like the voices?"

"Yes."

"It's important to keep your routine and I know that can be difficult at times but do your best ok," Elizabeth said as she took a drink of water with lemon in it.

"She has been doing really well though," Paige said to help Piper out and give her some confidence.

"Good," Elizabeth said and she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "This is probably the hardest part of therapy is discussing it with your family, how you feel and if they're doing anything that is obstructing your treatment. Piper it's important to be honest they may be doing things that they are not aware of and you may not be doing your part of being open. These things can cause conflict and unneeded stress. So lets start with you," she said and looked at Prue. "Is Piper doing anything that could affect her treatment?"

The question hit Prue like a brick thrown out of nowhere. Yes there were things, like her not taking her medication when she was supposed to or still in a state of denial on occasion, but saying these things in front of her was like telling a baby to stop crying because its hungry. She knew more then ever what Piper goes through especially after her ten-hour ordeal, but this was to help her and them and she needed to be honest. "Um she sometimes forgets to take her medication," Prue replied and Piper shook her head slightly as she was tired of hearing that.

"Piper I'm not going to reiterate the importance of taking your medication on time, it is something you know so why are you missing doses?" Elizabeth asked and Piper did not reply as her answers would not go well with Dr. Marcus. "Piper you need to answer this."

"I just forget and it makes me feel like crap," Piper replied as she began to get defensive.

"What happens when she forgets to take her medication?" Elizabeth asked while looking at Phoebe and now she was in the hot seat.

"She has episodes," Phoebe replied.

"Piper if you had cancer and in order to survive you have to take a pill every day, would it even be a second thought even if it made you feel like crap knowing that the results in the end could save your life?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't have cancer, what I have is not curable, I think comparing the two is not fair," Piper replied.

"Honey we know that but the only way you're going to get to some kind of normalcy is if you take your medication," Prue said but Piper just folded her arms and rolled her neck.

"Ok lets look at this through their perspective, when you have an episode their lives stop because they have to deal with the problem in order to protect you. Piper I am not trying to make you feel bad about having one, but if it occurs because you're not taking your meds then it is on you," Elizabeth said and the hard truth was even harder to swallow. Piper lowered her head as a wave of guilt rushed her. She already felt like a burden and that statement did not help that feeling go away.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to be a bother to anyone," Piper said while her head was still lowered and she began to tear at the tissue paper more vigorously.

"Honey your not a bother to us, we love you it just scares us when you have one," Phoebe said and rubbed her back.

"You don't think it scares me," Piper's voice cracked.

"Then why don't you take your medication?" Paige asks as it seemed they were going in circles.

"I told you, it makes me tired and numb I don't feel anything," Piper replied becoming more agitated by the second.

"Let's change gears a little, Piper is there anything they do that hinders your treatment?" Elizabeth asked because she could see that Piper was becoming withdrawn.

"They constantly nag me about it and treat me like a child," Piper replied and they were all a little taken back by the comment.

"When do we treat you like a child?" Prue asks.

"Prue let her finish," Elizabeth said and Piper looked at her oldest sister.

"Did you eat today, did you take your pill today, even the way you talk to me sometimes, its like I am seven or something, you don't treat me the same way anymore," Piper replied.

"Piper I ask you those things, because you don't eat everyday and you don't take your medication and you get defensive if I do ask," Prue said.

"Is there anything else that is causing stress?" Elizabeth asked.

"Demons they cause a lot of stress," Piper replied and Phoebe froze the room immediately. "What, what is it?" she asks nervously.

"Piper Elizabeth doesn't know that we are magical," Phoebe replied and Piper bit her lower lip in frustration.

"How the hell am I supposed to be honest and talk freely if I can't," Piper said while raising her voice.

"Its ok she will just think its the hallucinations, so don't worry about it," Paige said in hopes to calm her down.

"Oh sure considering my doctors sitting right over their and he can put me away," Piper said while looking a Paige hard.

"He knows, so don't worry about him ok," Prue said.

"Guys they are going to unfreeze soon and Piper we need to do this, it's just to get things out in the open and this is for you ok," Phoebe said as Piper reluctantly leaned back but she wanted this to be over with.

"Fine," she said and the room unfroze.

"Demons you mean the hallucinations?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes the hallucinations," Piper replied harshly.

"Ok, do you feel threatened by any of your family members?" Elizabeth asked and the question shocked everyone.

"No why?" Piper asks.

"I was just asking, Paige is there anything you want to add?"

"I still think she's in denial and that's why she doesn't follow the Regiment," Paige replied and felt awful for saying it but it was how she felt.

"So how can we help her get back on track?" Elizabeth asked the group.

"We can promise not to nag her about taking her medication if she promises to take it," Prue suggested.

"We could work harder on treating her like we used too," Phoebe added as they have been treating her differently or walking on egg shells.

"I can help her come up with a daily routine," Paige suggested while Piper has torn the tissue paper to smithereens and had nothing left to tear. She has been holding back so much and she decided to let it out.

"Would you let me babysit?" Piper asks out of the blue and at first they thought she was changing subjects as sometimes she does on a whim.

"What Piper?" Phoebe asks as she was looking at her when she asked the question.

"You will get married one day and have a baby, would you let me babysit?" she asks again and Phoebe knew this was not the illness but her sister asking her very intricate question.

"Honey I think were a long way from that," Phoebe replied as she was not even ready to answer.

"It's a simple question would you or not?" Piper asks again as she became more adamant about it. Elizabeth stepped back as this question had a lot reveals in it.

"Piper I think that's not important right now," Phoebe replied continuing to avoid the question.

"So you're saying your never going to have a baby, that your never going to get married," Piper said with her stern look.

"I'm not saying that I'm just saying it's not important right now," Phoebe said as her heart rate began to quicken. She did not want to answer it because she knew it would hurt.

"Paige what about you?" Piper asks.

"I just got a boyfriend," Paige replied with a awkward smile as she too did not want to answer.

"Prue?" Piper asks and her older sister lowered her head." So none of you want to answer the question, which means no," she said while her eyes began to water.

"Piper that's not fair, none of us have children right now and that is a long time away," Prue said and was hoping Elizabeth would intervene by changing the subject, but when she didn't it began to escalate.

"For gods sake just answer the dam question," Piper raised her voice.

"No," Phoebe finally replied and almost broke down on the spot.

"So you're afraid of me," Piper said as she could no longer hold back tears.

"I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of what the illness can do to you and Piper if the situation was reversed you would feel the same way," Phoebe said as she was defending her position and trying to reason with herself on why she answered it. Paige began to recall her experience when she took the potion and how quickly she orbed her sisters to the underworld and Piper with Leo to the Arctic. If it was a baby it would have died. Of course in their world there are extreme circumstances, most people don't deal with demons on a weekly basis and don't have powers to just orb someone away. So it's not fair to compare her situation with anyone else. But the fear was there all the same.

"You can't separate me from the illness so regardless of what you say, you're afraid of me your afraid of what I can do to your baby and to be honest it terrifies me as well. I don't know if I could live here if there was a baby in the house," Piper said as she was on the verge of hyperventilating. Prue began to rub her back trying to calm her.

"You're looking at this in the now Piper, you are still in treatment and they are still working on your medication to find the right mixture, everything could be different in a few months or even a few weeks," Prue said as the tea was the possible cure.

"Right," Piper said and lowered her head as she looked at the pile of torn tissue paper that was the size of a thumbnail.

"If it was reversed would you let me?" Phoebe asks.

"No, so where does that leave us, am I going to have to move out or you?" Piper asks and her hands began to tremble at the thought of being alone or being pushed away.

"No one is going to have to move out, Piper we will deal with that when it happens, right now you need to work on getting better and except it," Prue said.

"Dammit Prue I am trying, do you think this is easy?" Piper asks.

"No I don't, this is the hardest thing you've ever gone through and Piper I admire your strength, but honey you can't fight this anymore, not by ignoring it. Elizabeth to be honest I don't know if this home treatment is working I think it's keeping her in the mindset that everything's okay," Prue said and Piper's stomach tightened like someone twisting ropes inside as she knew where this was going. Dr. Marcus set up in his chair as he too knew where this was going and was nervous about the result.

"What are you saying Prue?" Piper asks as she was on the verge of running out of the house.

"I want the best for you and I want you to get better, and if the only way to do that is for you to go back to the hospital, then that is what we must do," Prue replied as tears streamed down her face. She knew that hospitalization terrified Piper but being at home maybe was not the best idea.

"Oh my god, I will take my meds ok, I'm sorry please don't put me away," Piper pleaded and it began to tear it everyone's heart.

"It's only temporary and you know we will be there the whole time," Prue said as Piper stood up and so does everyone else including Dr. Marcus as he put his notepad down. She immediately felt surrounded as every muscle in her body wanted to move somewhere far away.

"Piper its okay, we can discuss this we may not need to have to do that," he said as Phoebe moved her way to the exit to the kitchen as Elizabeth moved toward the front door. They could tell she wanted out of the room.

"You ask if there was anything they were doing that was hurting my treatment, well here it is, you think I don't know what you're doing, you think I don't know the rules of dealing with me. I found the pamphlet, so I know you're blocking the exits, so I don't hurt myself," Piper said while giving quotes with her fingers to emphasize the point. "I am not in a dam episode, so don't do that!" she said at the top of her lungs. Her sisters did not know what to do as they continue to stand in place.

"Sorry Piper we were not sure as this has been extremely stressful for you. Lets end the session for now and we can discuss maybe doing three days in and four days out of the hospital. But we do not need to make any decision right now," Elizabeth said and sat back down as everyone else took a seat as well.

"Yeah things just got a little heated honey we can talk about it, we don't want to do anything you don't want to," Paige said and Piper continue to stand as she nodded.

"Let's first work on the daily routine and see if that improves anything and will go from there ok?" Elizabeth asked and they all agreed. The meeting was over and as Piper was cleaning up just to keep her hands busy she could see Prue talking to Dr. Marcus. She could not make out what they were saying but she could only imagine.

"Lets give it some time before we take her back to the hospital. Normally I would say yes but with your magical background it complicates everything," he said and Prue nodded.

"Thank you," she said as he left.

"Piper here is my card if you ever feel overwhelmed or just need to talk, call me ok," Elizabeth said and handed her the card.

"Ok," Piper said and took it. It was now just them and the tension in the air was thick as Piper felt slightly betrayed by Prue and Phoebe who admitted she would never let her be around her baby.

"Do you want to start a schedule?" Paige asks.

"Not right now, can we do it later, I don't feel very well and need to lay down," Piper replied and headed upstairs.

"Piper I'm sorry for what I said," Phoebe said as she caught up to her.

"Its ok, I understand, I do but it just hurts. Don't worry I'll get over it and Prue is right I'm looking at the now, I mean Brad seems to be coping, I just need to do what I need to do," Piper said and continued upstairs. She was emotionally exhausted and felt completely beaten as apparently her entire family agrees that she should be hospitalized again. She walked into her bedroom and sat on the bed. All she could think about was Leo and how much she needed him. She folded her legs into herself and blue and white orbs filled the room. He said nothing as he sat down on the bed with her and pulled her in close. She put her head into his chest and cried as he rocked her back and forth.

To be continued...