Thanks for all the reviews everyone, I appreciate them a lot. I'm glad
you're liking the story. Enjoy this next part and let me know what you
think!
Part 2: Day Two
*~*~*~* "To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident -- it is to have a soulmate for life."
Victoria Secunda *~*~*~*
She slipped outside her bedroom, carefully, quietly, hesitantly. Part of her wanted to stay in that bed forever, because she knew, without a doubt, that a piece of her had died yesterday along with her sister. Part of her had just ceased to be. It surprised her in some ways, and yet, not. This sister that she had at first been afraid to love had burrowed her way into Piper's heart. Perhaps the fear that she would lose Paige inhibited her, at first, from accepting her.
But time, it seemed, healed everything. Loving Paige was easier than holding her at arm's length, and Piper knew, that if she never saw Paige again, she'd regret only one thing: she had never said the words, "I love you."
Maybe they were superficial and maybe love wasn't something you could always, or ever, for that matter, put into words. But then again, there were times when doubts ate at your heart and the words were more of a comfort than anything.
As Piper padded slowly down the hallway in her barefeet, she listened intently to the silence surrounding her. Little noise penetrated the hallway, save for the quiet breaths of Phoebe and Leo. But there was only one breath she cared about hearing at this moment, and the fear swelled inside of her as she neared Paige's bedroom.
She feared that the familiar form of her sleeping sister, her face pressed into the pillow, her leg dangling precariously from the bed, would be gone, leaving nothing but an empty bed, a hollow room, and a lonely house.
Piper couldn't make out a distinctive shape and she wondered if the demon had even come at all. Perhaps she had imagined it; hope that there was still one chance to keep her sister with her fueling that part of her mind where there were always happy endings to every story.
As she crept closer to the bed, her hands began to shake and she held her breath as she reached out, longingly, desperately searching for some sign that her sister was indeed here.
She quietly gasped as her hand came in contact with the soft, tousled hair, and she stroked it gently, tears welling in her eyes.
Tahl had kept his word. Her sister was here: whole and alive and breathing and suddenly, nothing else mattered at the moment, nothing else in this world. Not demons or work or what was for breakfast or what she would wear today. All that mattered was Paige was here.
With this sudden knowledge, Piper slid in next to her sister carefully, wrapping her arms around her. Today, she knew, Paige would die. She would die again and again and again and if she failed, there would be no more chances, no more happy endings; there would simply be nothing.
Paige began to stir and Piper glanced at the clock, seeing the time was 3 a.m.
Yesterday, Piper had found her sister in the kitchen making hot chocolate at this hour, sleep eluding her. For the moment, Piper whispered comfort into her sister's ear, hoping to dispel whatever nightmares clung to her brain.
Only one thing mattered today: keeping Paige alive. She wasn't sure what to do, but the need to protect her baby sister ignited a spark within her and she knew, beyond a doubt, that nothing would keep her from saving this life that lay innocently wrapped in her sister's arms.
**********
She placed the plate before Paige, wrapping an arm around her shoulders much as she had done yesterday, whispering a sincere, though somewhat strained, "Happy Birthday," and took a seat next to her, needing to be near her at every moment. She wondered, for a moment, that if she took her eyes away from her for a brief second, she'd simply vanish.
Vaguely, she heard Phoebe and Paige discussing what they wanted to do today, and all she could really discern was the moment Paige mentioned shopping.
Without thinking, Piper shouted, "No!"
All eyes, naturally, turned to her, confusion at her outburst written across their faces.
"Piper, it is Paige's birthday, you know, I think it should be up to her-"
Piper forced a nervous smile and clumsily responded, wanting desperately to tell them what haunted her, wanting them to remember the pain they had all felt yesterday, wanting not to be the only one burdened with this: the fate of her sister's life.
But, all she could manage was, "I-I know, I just thought, you know...maybe it would be nicer if we just stayed at home. But- it is your decision Paige."
Paige, still confused by her sister's outburst, seemed to sense, on a deep level that something was troubling her sister, something she couldn't share, but it seemed important to her that they not go out and Paige complied, smiling, knowing that her birthday could still be special celebrated at home with the ones she loved the most.
"No, I think that's fine. We could- I don't know, watch movies, play games, whatever. Just being with you guys is fun enough for me."
Piper choked back tears again at the simple statement, grasping Paige's hand and squeezing for dear life.
**********
The day progressed very simply and casually, though unbeknowest to everyone else, Piper was on edge the entire time, waiting for something, anything to go wrong.
The three sisters were flipping through an old photo album and Phoebe excused herself for a moment to get a glass of water. Out of nowhere, a demon attacked, flinging Piper against the wall and knocking her out before she had time to react.
Phoebe was silenced equally as quickly and the demon whipped around, stabbing Paige through the middle of her stomach with a long sword before she could even react. She immediately collasped, consciousness fleeing her before she could call for Leo, who was down the street buying food for dinner.
Upon entering the house, he dropped his bags and ran to Piper, the first person to catch his eye. She sat up immediately and the first words to leave her mouth were, "Paige! Where's Paige?!"
No major injuries, save for a small bump on the head, Piper stood easily and quickly, frantic to find her sister, who, she noticed with growing alarm, had not yet answered.
Leo was assisting Phoebe and Piper moved into the living room, a crumpled form catching her eye.
She shut her eyes against the pain and sank to her knees beside her, throwing her arms up in defeat. The sobs came then and she didn't fight them. She had failed; her job was to protect this precious person, this sister who meant so much to her. It was futile to call for Leo; breath ceased to escape from Paige's lips and her chest no longer rose and fell.
Piper heard footsteps behind her. Phoebe's gasps and sobs broke her heart and she watched in pain as her younger sister collapsed as well, pulling Paige close and rocking her lifeless body.
Piper wished she could think of something to say, but, no words escaped her. Perhaps it was selfish on her part, but she thought then, of how lucky Phoebe and Leo were. Though their grief at this moment would be great, and they would feel, for the rest of the day, an almost unimaginable amount of pain, it would last simply until midnight. Then, she knew, tomorrow would come, and Paige, thankfully, would be alive again, and also, thankfully, Phoebe and Leo would have no knowledge of Paige's death.
But Piper would be forever haunted. If she succeeded in saving Paige, she knew a part of her would always be stuck in this moment, this horrifying moment where time stopped and death was lingering, taunting her, taking from her, once again, a person whose life meant more than her own.
Leo, too, kneeled down beside the lifeless body, his eyes haunted, shattered. It was a sight, Piper knew, she would never forget. His shaky hands reached out to Paige's wound, desperate to heal her. For a few brief seconds he held it there, hovering, and finally released, his hand covered in blood. A tear escaped from his eye, slid down his cheek and splashed onto his hand, taking with it a tiny bit of the wet blood.
He looked up at Piper, whose eyes mirrored his own. Besides the pain, she could see the worry he had for her; worry that she wouldn't survive this death. And, truth be told, that under normal circumstances, she just might not have survived. But these were different times, different circumstances, and there was a chance for redemption, a chance to save the life who held, in her heart, the very fabric of her sisters' being.
Leo stood then, numbly, reaching to help Phoebe up, who refused the assistance, reluctant to leave the spot she vacated. Still clutching Paige's cold, lifeless hand, Phoebe looked to Piper and uttered a shattered, broken, "Why?"
Piper leaned down and stroked Paige's hair, tears still escaping her eyes. "I'm going to fix this, Phoebe. We're not going to lose her." Placing a gentle kiss on Paige's forehead, Piper stood up, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes and, with a conviction that surprised even her, she said, "We can't lose her."
Phoebe looked worried, afraid for her sister. "Piper, what-"
Raising her hand, she halted further discussion. "I can't talk about it right now, Phoebe. Just trust me. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
Though she wanted to believe it with all of her heart, part of Piper also didn't truly think everything would be okay. But she had to be strong, had to have faith.
If she stopped hoping for one second that this story would have a happy ending, then she truly doubted making it through until tomorrow. Hope was what she clung to, because without it, she was truly lost.
**********
She stroked her finger over the glass, leaving small, almost miniscule streaks. She imagined a time, perhaps...40 years from now, when she could sit in this very room, on this same couch, but not alone, of course; instead, surrounded by the most important people in her life: Leo, Phoebe...and Paige. Paige, of course, because, when all of this was over, there would be no more days when waking up in the middle of the night would be a scary prospect because she'd no longer have the presence of her youngest sister.
No...see, the prince always got the princess, Cinderella got her glass slipper, and Paige would simply live, and go on living until her hair was gray and her bones ached and her voice had that high pitch rasp that seemed to accompany old age. Because they were all going to grow old together, looking at old pictures, remembering, telling stories, spoiling their grandchildren.
But for now, it was just a dream; just an illusion that she clung to with enough ferocity to be dangerous. Piper stroked the glass again, determined as hell to preserve that family smiling back at her through the frame. Those smiles would be seen again...there would be many more family pictures, many more laughs, and tears, and everything that meant being alive.
The air grew cold and the night grew dark and she knew tomorrow was near. She feared the unknown, but she was ready to face it, she had to be.
**********
TBC...
Part 2: Day Two
*~*~*~* "To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident -- it is to have a soulmate for life."
Victoria Secunda *~*~*~*
She slipped outside her bedroom, carefully, quietly, hesitantly. Part of her wanted to stay in that bed forever, because she knew, without a doubt, that a piece of her had died yesterday along with her sister. Part of her had just ceased to be. It surprised her in some ways, and yet, not. This sister that she had at first been afraid to love had burrowed her way into Piper's heart. Perhaps the fear that she would lose Paige inhibited her, at first, from accepting her.
But time, it seemed, healed everything. Loving Paige was easier than holding her at arm's length, and Piper knew, that if she never saw Paige again, she'd regret only one thing: she had never said the words, "I love you."
Maybe they were superficial and maybe love wasn't something you could always, or ever, for that matter, put into words. But then again, there were times when doubts ate at your heart and the words were more of a comfort than anything.
As Piper padded slowly down the hallway in her barefeet, she listened intently to the silence surrounding her. Little noise penetrated the hallway, save for the quiet breaths of Phoebe and Leo. But there was only one breath she cared about hearing at this moment, and the fear swelled inside of her as she neared Paige's bedroom.
She feared that the familiar form of her sleeping sister, her face pressed into the pillow, her leg dangling precariously from the bed, would be gone, leaving nothing but an empty bed, a hollow room, and a lonely house.
Piper couldn't make out a distinctive shape and she wondered if the demon had even come at all. Perhaps she had imagined it; hope that there was still one chance to keep her sister with her fueling that part of her mind where there were always happy endings to every story.
As she crept closer to the bed, her hands began to shake and she held her breath as she reached out, longingly, desperately searching for some sign that her sister was indeed here.
She quietly gasped as her hand came in contact with the soft, tousled hair, and she stroked it gently, tears welling in her eyes.
Tahl had kept his word. Her sister was here: whole and alive and breathing and suddenly, nothing else mattered at the moment, nothing else in this world. Not demons or work or what was for breakfast or what she would wear today. All that mattered was Paige was here.
With this sudden knowledge, Piper slid in next to her sister carefully, wrapping her arms around her. Today, she knew, Paige would die. She would die again and again and again and if she failed, there would be no more chances, no more happy endings; there would simply be nothing.
Paige began to stir and Piper glanced at the clock, seeing the time was 3 a.m.
Yesterday, Piper had found her sister in the kitchen making hot chocolate at this hour, sleep eluding her. For the moment, Piper whispered comfort into her sister's ear, hoping to dispel whatever nightmares clung to her brain.
Only one thing mattered today: keeping Paige alive. She wasn't sure what to do, but the need to protect her baby sister ignited a spark within her and she knew, beyond a doubt, that nothing would keep her from saving this life that lay innocently wrapped in her sister's arms.
**********
She placed the plate before Paige, wrapping an arm around her shoulders much as she had done yesterday, whispering a sincere, though somewhat strained, "Happy Birthday," and took a seat next to her, needing to be near her at every moment. She wondered, for a moment, that if she took her eyes away from her for a brief second, she'd simply vanish.
Vaguely, she heard Phoebe and Paige discussing what they wanted to do today, and all she could really discern was the moment Paige mentioned shopping.
Without thinking, Piper shouted, "No!"
All eyes, naturally, turned to her, confusion at her outburst written across their faces.
"Piper, it is Paige's birthday, you know, I think it should be up to her-"
Piper forced a nervous smile and clumsily responded, wanting desperately to tell them what haunted her, wanting them to remember the pain they had all felt yesterday, wanting not to be the only one burdened with this: the fate of her sister's life.
But, all she could manage was, "I-I know, I just thought, you know...maybe it would be nicer if we just stayed at home. But- it is your decision Paige."
Paige, still confused by her sister's outburst, seemed to sense, on a deep level that something was troubling her sister, something she couldn't share, but it seemed important to her that they not go out and Paige complied, smiling, knowing that her birthday could still be special celebrated at home with the ones she loved the most.
"No, I think that's fine. We could- I don't know, watch movies, play games, whatever. Just being with you guys is fun enough for me."
Piper choked back tears again at the simple statement, grasping Paige's hand and squeezing for dear life.
**********
The day progressed very simply and casually, though unbeknowest to everyone else, Piper was on edge the entire time, waiting for something, anything to go wrong.
The three sisters were flipping through an old photo album and Phoebe excused herself for a moment to get a glass of water. Out of nowhere, a demon attacked, flinging Piper against the wall and knocking her out before she had time to react.
Phoebe was silenced equally as quickly and the demon whipped around, stabbing Paige through the middle of her stomach with a long sword before she could even react. She immediately collasped, consciousness fleeing her before she could call for Leo, who was down the street buying food for dinner.
Upon entering the house, he dropped his bags and ran to Piper, the first person to catch his eye. She sat up immediately and the first words to leave her mouth were, "Paige! Where's Paige?!"
No major injuries, save for a small bump on the head, Piper stood easily and quickly, frantic to find her sister, who, she noticed with growing alarm, had not yet answered.
Leo was assisting Phoebe and Piper moved into the living room, a crumpled form catching her eye.
She shut her eyes against the pain and sank to her knees beside her, throwing her arms up in defeat. The sobs came then and she didn't fight them. She had failed; her job was to protect this precious person, this sister who meant so much to her. It was futile to call for Leo; breath ceased to escape from Paige's lips and her chest no longer rose and fell.
Piper heard footsteps behind her. Phoebe's gasps and sobs broke her heart and she watched in pain as her younger sister collapsed as well, pulling Paige close and rocking her lifeless body.
Piper wished she could think of something to say, but, no words escaped her. Perhaps it was selfish on her part, but she thought then, of how lucky Phoebe and Leo were. Though their grief at this moment would be great, and they would feel, for the rest of the day, an almost unimaginable amount of pain, it would last simply until midnight. Then, she knew, tomorrow would come, and Paige, thankfully, would be alive again, and also, thankfully, Phoebe and Leo would have no knowledge of Paige's death.
But Piper would be forever haunted. If she succeeded in saving Paige, she knew a part of her would always be stuck in this moment, this horrifying moment where time stopped and death was lingering, taunting her, taking from her, once again, a person whose life meant more than her own.
Leo, too, kneeled down beside the lifeless body, his eyes haunted, shattered. It was a sight, Piper knew, she would never forget. His shaky hands reached out to Paige's wound, desperate to heal her. For a few brief seconds he held it there, hovering, and finally released, his hand covered in blood. A tear escaped from his eye, slid down his cheek and splashed onto his hand, taking with it a tiny bit of the wet blood.
He looked up at Piper, whose eyes mirrored his own. Besides the pain, she could see the worry he had for her; worry that she wouldn't survive this death. And, truth be told, that under normal circumstances, she just might not have survived. But these were different times, different circumstances, and there was a chance for redemption, a chance to save the life who held, in her heart, the very fabric of her sisters' being.
Leo stood then, numbly, reaching to help Phoebe up, who refused the assistance, reluctant to leave the spot she vacated. Still clutching Paige's cold, lifeless hand, Phoebe looked to Piper and uttered a shattered, broken, "Why?"
Piper leaned down and stroked Paige's hair, tears still escaping her eyes. "I'm going to fix this, Phoebe. We're not going to lose her." Placing a gentle kiss on Paige's forehead, Piper stood up, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes and, with a conviction that surprised even her, she said, "We can't lose her."
Phoebe looked worried, afraid for her sister. "Piper, what-"
Raising her hand, she halted further discussion. "I can't talk about it right now, Phoebe. Just trust me. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
Though she wanted to believe it with all of her heart, part of Piper also didn't truly think everything would be okay. But she had to be strong, had to have faith.
If she stopped hoping for one second that this story would have a happy ending, then she truly doubted making it through until tomorrow. Hope was what she clung to, because without it, she was truly lost.
**********
She stroked her finger over the glass, leaving small, almost miniscule streaks. She imagined a time, perhaps...40 years from now, when she could sit in this very room, on this same couch, but not alone, of course; instead, surrounded by the most important people in her life: Leo, Phoebe...and Paige. Paige, of course, because, when all of this was over, there would be no more days when waking up in the middle of the night would be a scary prospect because she'd no longer have the presence of her youngest sister.
No...see, the prince always got the princess, Cinderella got her glass slipper, and Paige would simply live, and go on living until her hair was gray and her bones ached and her voice had that high pitch rasp that seemed to accompany old age. Because they were all going to grow old together, looking at old pictures, remembering, telling stories, spoiling their grandchildren.
But for now, it was just a dream; just an illusion that she clung to with enough ferocity to be dangerous. Piper stroked the glass again, determined as hell to preserve that family smiling back at her through the frame. Those smiles would be seen again...there would be many more family pictures, many more laughs, and tears, and everything that meant being alive.
The air grew cold and the night grew dark and she knew tomorrow was near. She feared the unknown, but she was ready to face it, she had to be.
**********
TBC...