"How is it gonna be OK Leo? Prue is dead."
Piper opened her eyes slowly. She was having trouble focusing and she felt
like the inside of her head was made from marshmallow.
"I know that Phoebe, but losing it isn't going to make anything better. You
need to be strong, for Piper"
Piper felt dread building up inside her. With each second of consciousness
it was getting harder to convince herself that what she was hearing was
just a dream. She tried to sit up and was forced to retreat back to the
floor as her head span violently.
"Prue?" She croaked, her throat sounding dryer than the Sahara.
She prayed that her older sister would reply and tell her she'd just been
dreaming.
"Honey, it's OK I'm here."
It was a voice she recognised but not the one she wanted to hear.
"Leo, where's Prue?" She looked him square in the eye as she said this,
begging for him to give her a perfectly good explanation as to why Prue had
not answered her.
Leo looked to Phoebe, unsure of what to say.
"She...um..." he trailed off, lost for words.
Piper knew from the hesitation and sadness in his voice what was coming.
She looked into her younger sister's eyes and could see the tears flowing
down her cheeks.
She looked further left and saw Cole. She met his eyes but he turned away
and avoided her glance.
Suddenly she looked down and gasped, horrified. For lying next to her was
Prue, still and cold, blood seeping from her ear.
"Prue," she choked, shaking her sister's limp body. "Prue honey, wake up"
By this time hot tears were streaming down her face but she failed to
notice them.
She looked to Leo, "Leo.you .you need to heal her." She barely managed to
get the words out.
Leo looked at Piper, filled with grief to see his wife suffer. "Piper I
can't heal the dead.I'm sorry" He replied, tears beginning to sting his
eyes.
"No Leo, she can't be. Prue's the strongest you just need to heal her then
everything will be OK." She pleaded, refusing to come to terms with the
fact that Prue could be gone from their lives.
She leaned over and held Prue's lifeless body in her arms, shaking her
gently.
"Prue? Prue honey please wake up.we need you." She whispered quietly, with
tears in her voice.
Phoebe walked over to Piper and took her hands, "Piper." She didn't know
what she could say to ease Piper's pain, "She's gone. We have to let go."
Piper tried to reply but could not get the words out. She placed Prue's
body on the ground and fell into Phoebe's arms, sobbing like a child and
rocking back and forth. The realisation that Prue was gone forever was cold
and hard-hitting. She looked up at Phoebe, wishing she would wake up to
discover this was all a terrible nightmare.
"Phoebe, what are we gonna do with Prue gone, how can we carry on without
our big sister?" She asked desperately of her only remaining sister.
Phoebe looked to Leo and Cole and finally back to Piper, not having an
answer to her question. Tears flowed freely down her face and she saw that
grief reflected in Piper's face. "I.I don't know. It'll be hard I know, but
at least we still have each other. I just thank god I didn't lose you too."
She replied, holding Piper close.
Piper nodded, thankful to have Phoebe by her side. She didn't know what
she'd do if she didn't have her baby sister with her.
As the girls wept, Leo and Cole looked on not knowing what to do. Slowly
Piper broke free of Phoebe's hold and took hold of Prue once more.
"I love you Prue, and I'll miss you everyday. Goodbye." She said, breaking
down at the last word, which made it all seem so final. Leo came behind her
and held her close to him. Appreciating the comfort his touch brought her
she wept softly into the arms of her husband.
Phoebe stood up and felt Cole's hand on her shoulder. She sought for his
strong arms and the security of his embrace, and rested her head against
his chest. He kissed her forehead lightly as she cried silently.
At that moment Prue looked down on her family for the first time. It
saddened her to see her sisters' desperate grief and sadness. And to know
she wouldn't be able to comfort them for a long time. But as she looked
down, she saw through the grief and knew her sisters were strong and would
find a way through her death get over it in time. After all, everything
happens for a reason, as Prue had recently found out. And she would look in
on them often in the years to come, even if they didn't realise it. She
took one last look and smiled, before turning away to begin her new
destiny.
