The Outsider - Syphon Wicca

Piper didn't she tossed and turned with worry over her sister, who had relentlessly wheezed throughout the night. She sat up early the next morning, trying to start a fire so they could at least heat up some coffee and tea she had in the glove box. Phoebe stirred to the sound of the fire crackling and opening her eyes the first thing she saw was Piper hunched over the fire. Her head was hanging down, she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Piper?" Phoebe whispered. Piper turned and looked away again. "What's wrong?" Phoebe got up slowly and made her way over towards the fire. Sitting beside Piper she pulled the blanket she had up around herself to protect her skin from the morning chill.

"Look for yourself" Piper said indicating the prone form aside from her. Phoebe looked over towards the jeep to see Prue laying in the backseat wheezing, and coughing in fits. Phoebe turned to face Piper again who was now shaking her head. "no one gets that sick so quickly"

"You think it is the chemical that was in those bombs don't you?"

"Well we don't know what it was yet," Piper replied. "and it just seems to ironic that she has gotten this sick so quickly" Phoebe couldn't help but agree deep inside. Whatever it was they had to get her to a doctor, and sometime soon. Phoebe wandered over and shook Jacob softly. Jacob muttered and sat up slowly. He spread his wings and lit a cigarette immediately. Cole opened his eye slightly aside from the two. "Why didn't she wake me up first?" he thought to himself. Closing his eyes as Phoebe looked over at him he growled to himself.

Phoebe slapped Jacob in the hand softly.

"Don't you ever stop smoking?" Phoebe asked. "it's bad for you, it can cause Lung Cancer"

"I'm dead, do I care?" Jacob snapped back roughly. Phoebe pulled back and watched as Jacob hopped down and tapped Will on the back softly. Will stirred but didn't wake up. Annoyed and impatient Jacob decided to kick him, sending him flying a few metres. Will moaned and sat up slowly.

"What was that for you moron?" Will said angrilly. Jacob didn't reply. Piper watched the whole scene from a short distance away. When Will didn't get a response, he was about to hit Jacob when Bella walked in.

"Good morning?" she said stretching again. She had gotten up before everyone so she could get some food from the forest. She could sense the tension in the air. "what's wrong?"

Before Will could respond, Piper interupted.

"Prue is sick, we have to get her to a hospital" Piper said bluntly. Bella turned and looked inside the jeep. Prue was pale, and sweating badly. Her wheezing accompanied the rising and falling of her very shallow breathing.

"You're right" Bella commented. She went to the car and prepared to transport Prue to the hospital. Whilst Bella checked up on Prue, Phoebe turned to the others remembering the problem at hand.

"Whose going to track down Joe?" Phoebe asked. Before Jacob could even answer Cole's voice was heard.

"I will," Cole offered immediately. He eyed Jacob across from him, then looked at Phoebe. "I will need help though" he said looking directly at Phoebe. Phoebe wanted to be with her sister, but knew what Cole was thinking. She looked over at Jacob slightly, who was standing aside smoking in the cold morning air. Will stood shivering aside from him. Smiling Phoebe looked back over at Cole and presented her response.

"Jacob can go with you" Phoebe said with a grin. Cole's mouth dropped a mile at least. Shocked he tried to argue back but found himself stuck with Jacob, alone in the forest. The air was tense again. Cole wanted to rip Jacob apart but restrained himself for now. They had a job to do.

---

Piper sat alone in the waiting room. It was so quiet she could only hear the ticking of the clock on the opposite wall. It annoyed her. She began to tap her finger nails against the arm rests to the ticking sound. 'Tick' 'Tick' Over and over again the sound rang in her ears. She blinked back her fustrations and looked over at the door where Phoebe had dissappeared into. She had left for the cafeteria, not too long ago. Will was whining about being hungry so the two left for food. Bella sat a couple of seats from Piper. She stared into nothing, only looking away for a few moments at a time.

'I wonder if this is what it is like to be 'alone'?' Piper thought to herself. Weird thoughts popped into her head. She never thought like this, but for the first time in ages she felt so alone. She wished Leo was with her at that moment. To wrap his arms around her slender body to give her a warm feel of comfort.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. She opened her eyes and saw a nurse standing in front of her. She had a frown on her face. Piper could read it all over the younger womans face, she had bad news.

"Are you Ms Piper Halliwell?"

"Yes" Piper replied not showing emotion.

"Well the doctor has some news for you, if you would like to come this way" the nurse led Piper towards a door. Just as Piper stood up Phoebe re-entered the waiting room, and immediately was at Piper's side. Will and Bella stood aside and listened in.

"Is she okay?" Phoebe asked Piper, wanting answers. Piper didn't answered, she stayed in her own world.

"Come this way, Ms Halliwell" the nurse indicated. Piper and Phoebe were led to Prue's room. She was hooked up to an IC unit. She wasn't well, as she had to breath with the aid of a machine. Phoebe began to feel the tears roll down her cheeks, but refused to cry at the point in time. She wasn't dead yet, she was just having problems breathing, Phoebe reminded herself. Piper stood motionless, a blank expressionless face.

A doctor approached the sisters, and shook Phoebe's hand immediately, Piper stood on the side, unable to speak.

"I'm Dr Thompson, Prue Halliwell's doctor, I have some news regarding her condition"

"Which is doctor?" Phoebe asked anxiously. The doctor sat Piper and Phoebe down at a table in Prue's room. Piper looked down at the table grimly, Phoebe awaited the doctors verdict.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but, it seems your sister has been poisoned in the bloodstream" he began to explain. Phoebe covered her mouth immediately, Piper kept looking at the table.

"Will she recover?" Phoebe immediately asked.

"We don't know" the doctor replied grimly.

"How can you not know!!?"

"We have never treated anything like this, we are trying though, our hardest to keep the poison at bay" the Doctor said with a fake determined voice. Piper could sense that Prue was in real danger, it was gut wreching, and she felt herself begin to panic. Phoebe looked over at Piper who was still staring into the table as she thought her thoughts.

"Thank you Doctor" Phoebe responded for both her and Piper. The Doctor slowly got up and left. The room was now silent. Bella turned to Will feeling the awkwardness and whispered in his ear;

"We better give them space" Will nodded and Bella left. Will lingered for a moment and slowly walked up to Piper. Standing behind her he placed his cold hand onto her back. Piper felt the chilling touch, but didn't flinch or move. Will sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry Piper" Will said with a frown. It was the first time in years that he had felt a human emotion, or connection to another person like this. Piper closed her eyes tightly releasing a single teardrop. It slid from her eye down her slender cheek to rest upon the table. Will turned around and left without a sound.

Phoebe remained motionless, and she knew she had to talk to Piper. She hadn't realised how seriously ill Prue was going to get. She thought it was just a cold, but it wasn't. He starred at Piper for a moment, until she found the right words to say.

"Piper?" Phoebe said gently. "please speak to me"

Piper didn't look up but remained motionless.

"Piper, I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner, you had every right to be worried"

Piper shook her head and placed a fist heavilly on the table. Phoebe looked down to see it was clearly shaking. Phoebe placed her hand over Piper's.

"I can't lose her Phoebe," Piper whispered in a quivering voice. "we need her"

"Of course we need her Piper," Phoebe said wrapping an arm around Piper. She flinched away, she wouldn't accept this was happening. She looked over at Prue who was breathing heavilly with the help of the machine. Walking up to her helpless sister she grasped her hand and sunk towards it, thinking to herself; "Please don't leave me... I can't take your place"

---

Deep in the forest Jacob and Cole had been walking ages, following the trail of blood left in the forest. They remained silent, Jacob's thoughts focused purely on the task at hand and Cole's on Jacob. His jealousy and anger were rising and his blood was boiling. He could just kill him there and then, but Phoebe would hate him. If it was accidental though...

Cole chuckled at his own thought, which caused the angel to turn and eye him suspiciously.

"What's so funny?"

Cole looked at him wide eyed and composed himself, back towards the task.

"Nothing"

Jacob knew it was him, and stopped to light a cigarette. Cole screwed up his nose stopping, and was about to say something when a putrid smell of blood invaded his nostrals. He gagged. Even in all his years working for the bad guys, he had never smelt anything as horrific as that smell.

Jacob didn't even flinch, but noticed Cole's uneasiness.

"Is it hard to be half mortal?" he said to Cole, with a slight smirk. Cole felt like ripping this angel apart, after all, his relationship with Phoebe was at stake, he couldn't be beaten by an 'angel'

"Something's nearby," Cole began to sniff the air. "a body perhaps?" Jacob, left his cigarette in his mouth and walking slowly through the dense forest, following the flood towards a tree. They gasped at the sight of a guttered man, his intestines and stomach hung from his bloodied body, and his face wasn't even recognisable.

Cole casually walked up to the body and looked at the branch embedded through the victims chest.

"Cause of death," Cole announced. "branch through the gut," he paused and grimaced. "that's gotta hurt" Jacob was getting annoyed at Cole, and without speaking he immediately looked over the body. Scratch marks were evident all over his body, and they were still bleeding. The body had been there for at least a day though, Jacob concluded.

He leant over, putting out the cigarette in his mouth and opened the victims eyes, his eyes were yellow, and pained. Jacob sighed and turned to Cole.

"The work of a Basilisk"

"You mean the demonic roosters right?"

"Yeah, you should know demon boy" Jacob said with a hint of sarcasm. Cole clenched his fists, he was energising himself ready to attack Jacob when there was a sound behind them.

Snap!!!

Cole and Jacob slowly turned around, and looked into the dense bush and grass. Cole listened carefully, his adrenaline pumping through his veins he awaited that next movement so he could attack. Cunning, and quit witted, Cole stepped back, charging up his hand for his assult. His eyes darted frantically about, searching the dense green bush, for a target. A moment, would suddenly flicker, and some long field grass would shift as something moved freely by.

Jacob stood, listening, but to Cole's utter surprise, he pulled out another cigarette and lit it casually. Placing it in his mouth he took a few puffs and pulled it away, letting the smoke fill the morning air. Cole grew angry with Jacob, and was about to open his mouth when something bolted straight for him.

Yelling in shock, Cole shimmered out of its path, and watched as it raced just inches for Jacob's head. The creatures deadly skin and oils narrowly burning the small wiskers on his chin. Jacob's eyes followed its trail, and Cole watched as the creature moved back into the bushes.

"Why don't you kill that thing if you such a good hunter?" Cole snapped at Jacob. Jacob didn't reply, instead he kept smoking casually.

Cole turned to find the demon moving towards him again, this time he threw an evergy ball, but it landed with a bang on the tree behind the hairy lizard.

"Damn it!!!" Cole yelled in fustration. He watched as the creature moved yet again towards Jacob, he didn't even flinch as he moved by him again. Cole was at breaking point as he defended himself once again from its relentless attacks. As the Basilisk moved away again, Cole took the moment to aim an energy ball at Jacob, and with a mighty swing he moved towards the motionless angel when.

A sword.

Cole stopped inches from the metal plade which had been pulled out in seconds. Jacob still with the smoke from his lips, puffed again, then dropped it onto the ground, putting it out with his foot. Cole watched the sword not taking his eyes away.

The angel held the sword towards Cole, then as the Baslisk came back by again, in a spilt instant, Jacob turned and sliced it to the ground. Cole was barely able to follow his actions.

Calmly, Jacob placed the sword back in its holding on his back and closed his wings over it. Cole watched in shock, and looked into the dark angels cold eyes. He was a killer, and would perhaps remain this way.

"You think these wings way this way for decoration?" Jacob commented to Cole as he walked by. "next time I won't miss"

Cole's mouth dropped, as he watched Jacob dissappear into the forest. He heard the voice add something else.

"You're thoughts betray you Cole" Jacob added.

---

Piper sat staring at the wall again. Phoebe was watching her fearfully, unable to get through to her scared sister. She knew she was scared, the nervous twitching of her lips, the tapping on her hands on her lap. She remained passive, frozen, and isolated from the world, but her body knew otherwise.

Bella and Will were in the room too. It was a small room, but they were barely noticable. The vampire lay slumped over a chair on the opposite side of the room, trying to block out the scent of blood in the hospital. He was so hungry, the meat Prue had provided wasn't enough, he had to have more. He looked up for a second, and blinked. Prue still lay immoble on the bed, breathing heavilly. His gaze wandered to Phoebe. She seemed relaxed seeing the circumstances.

He looked over towards Piper. She was starring into the white walls of the room. She seemed so lost, and afraid. One thing that Will had learnt over the years is how to sense fear. He could taste it.

Bella paced around the room, occaisionally glancing over at Prue's form, then towards Phoebe to make sure she was alright. Phoebe couldn't stand the tense atmosphere anymore, and looked up at Bella.

"You're both better off helping Jacob and Cole" she stated quietly. Bella stopped and nodded, pushing some of her dred locks from her face. Will sat upright and licked his lips.

"Not before I get a snack though, I'm starved" Will said without thinking. It was so quick Will never saw it coming. Piper had him by the throat against the wall. He shook him in her trembling hands, the tears falling from her eyes. Will looked into her angered eyes. The fear, and the hatred seemed to vibrate from her harsh glance.

"Now dare you think about drinking blood at a time like this" Piper said in a cold voice.

Phoebe got up and moved towards her sister, in a vain attempt to break them up.

"Piper, please" Phoebe begged.

"Don't come near me!" Piper said without looking at Phoebe. Phoebe tried to reason again, but Piper put out her hand towards Phoebe.

"Come near me and I will" Piper said getting madder. Phoebe knew her powers were controlled by emotion, so immediately her priority was to calm her sister down. Bella was getting anxious now, getting up she moved towards the action.

"Piper, please, you have to calm down or..."

"I'll do something I'll regret?" Piper asked Phoebe. Her younger sister nodded and carefully reached out for Piper's arm and pulled it down gently. Piper released her grasp on Will's throat sending him falling to the floor with a thud. She turned and rushed out of the room. She had to get out of there, the tension was just too much.

Piper ran and ran down the halls. Her whole world was blocked out. The mind numbing thuds of her footsteps as they hit the floor. Each on echoed silence, deafening, thuds. The young witch crumpled to the floor eventually, and looking downwards limply she cried. Tears spilling onto the floor. Phoebe watched from a safe distance and turned to Will and Bella.

"Go," she whispered breathlessly. "I have to stay here and keep our family together" The vampire, and witch nodded silently and left the hospital to aid in the face of combat. Phoebe could only stare, and wonder, what was eating away at Piper? Nothing had happened yet, and Phoebe was trying to keep a lid on the situation, but all she could see was her sister, crying on the hospital's tiled flooring, with nurses and staff members now gathered around her. "Why don't I help her?" Phoebe thought to herself. She couldn't force herself though, instead she turned to look at Prue laying in the hospital bed, breathing heavilly.

"Prue?" Phoebe whispered quietly, a tear swimming down her cheek.

---

"We have been looking for two damn hours!" Cole yelled angrilly. He stopped and crossed his arms. Jacob paused and pulled out yet another cigarette and lit it. After a few moments of puffs he turned to face Cole.

"We have to remain calm"

"Calm!!" Cole yelled shocked. He stood back and looked at the fallen angel with much surprise. Jacob rustled his black feathered wings and looked over at Cole waiting for more. "Phoebe was almost killed..."

"But she wasn't," Jacob began. "besides it was her own fault.." Jacob began to walk away until Cole stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What do you mean by that Jacob!!?" Cole said with anger quivering his voice. "she would never get herself involved on purpose"

"I told her not to help me," Jacob snapped back. "I work alone"

"Well that is what you should do now," Cole said stopping again. He watched as Jacob stopped in his tracks. "work alone angel" Cole said with a grin. "hope nothing kills you?" he added in an innocent voice. Jacob dropped his cigarette as Cole shimmered away. Putting it out firmly with his shoe he looked around before opening his wings.

"I was getting sick of that guy anyway" Jacob said taking off into the late morning air.

---