Thank you to all my reviewers for your praise and encouragement. You truly
motivate me. Glad you enjoyed the story so far, and hope you enjoy this
last and final part!
**********
Part Four: Day Four
*~*~*~*~*~* "You can't think how I depend on you, and when you're not there the color goes out of my life."
Victoria Woolf -- to her sister *~*~*~*~*~*
Piper shuffled down the stairs, pausing briefly as she heard Paige clutter around the kitchen much the same as she had done the last three days. It was a noise she wanted to cling to and remember, and she closed her eyes against the emotions that swelled within her at this most desperate moment in her life.
She hung to the rails of the staircase, gripping tightly, never wanting to let go. It was easy to wish she could journey away from this place, away to a dream where everyone was happy and Paige and Prue were alive and would be forever.
But the enchantment was fleeting, the spell of idyll whimsy broken by a reality she wished would just go away.
This was her last chance, she knew. There would be no tomorrow, there would simply be nothing.
Gathering what little strength she still had in her, Piper staggered down the last few steps and walked up behind Paige who had yet to notice her sister. Piper wanted nothing, needed nothing more at this instant, than to just hold her warm, breathing, very much alive baby sister.
To Paige's momentary surprise, Piper came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Paige's shoulders, not intending to let go, or for that matter, loosen her grip for quite some time.
"I've missed you so much, sweetie."
Paige patted her sister's arms and smiled, gently twisting out of Piper's embrace to meet her eyes. She was confused, to say the least, by this statement, but knew, whatever the reason for it, Piper had good cause to say it.
With a shaky hand, Piper reached up to briefly stroke Paige's cheek and closed her eyes for a split second against her tears.
She opened her eyes again and spoke with a broken, quiet voice; one haunted with age and trials and a grief unimaginable.
"You're the most beautiful thing in the world to me right now, you know that? Just- you're just here. Please don't ever go."
It was a feeble request, Piper knew, but one she felt the need to say anyway. Paige's response was all the more heartbreaking.
"I'm not going anywhere, Piper. Not for a long, long, long time. Until I'm an old granny and you hit me with your cane cause my teeth fell into your tuna noodle casserole again."
They both laughed and Piper spoke again, "I don't know where you come up with these things."
Piper grabbed her sister's hand and led her into the living room, sitting her on the couch and wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders, fully intending to finish the talk they'd started three days ago.
"Oh, and for the record, I'd never make tuna noodle casserole." Piper winked at her sister and then spoke, more seriously this time, "So, what's got you up at three in the morning, missy Paige?"
Paige looked down now, suddenly reminded of her insecurities, her doubts; wringing her hands nervously, she thought of where to start, what to say. Paige leaned her head against the couch and sighed. "It was just this completely irrational fear I had of being...well, forgotten, I guess you could say. Not needed, just a replacement."
For a moment, Piper sat stunned, then began processing what her sister had just said. It hurt her that Paige, this wonderful person that had entered their lives, had been filled with doubt for...God knows how long. As the oldest, she felt guilt wash over her. She should've reassured her, hugged her, told her she loved her sooner, much sooner than this. She had intended to yesterday, but...a shudder went through her at the memory.
Facing her sister now, Piper knew berating herself for what she couldn't change wouldn't make it better. But fixing it now would.
She layed a hand on her sister's cheek once more, stroking it gently, filled with an enormous amount of love and pride and need to protect this being that had become so precious to her.
"Paige, listen to me. It wasn't easy when we first met you. The circumstances...well, I think at the time I was wrapped up in so much: losing Prue, meeting you, dealing with Phoebe and Cole, I forgot that you weren't just always our sister, that this was new for you and you needed to know you were wanted. I didn't do that and I'm sorry. But you need to know that I love you. I love you so much and I'm grateful you came into our lives. I'm grateful every single minute of my life." She leaned forward and softly kissed Paige's forehead.
It was something Piper realized she'd been wanting to say since this entire ordeal had begun. She had felt, in her heart, the need to reassure and ease the doubts she knew Paige had been feeling, if only for the simple fact that the end of this journey might not be the happy one she wanted.
Paige smiled and hugged Piper tightly, grateful for the love she'd been given.
"I love you, Piper."
Those words again. The last words Paige had spoken to her yesterday. It was a reminder that time was slowly waning and the hour of death was near.
**********
After an hour of old reruns and silly cartoons, Paige had slipped off into a peaceful sleep, comfortable with the blanket and pillow her big sister had provided. Piper, knowing full well that sleep was not an option anymore today, seated herself in a chair opposite the couch, getting comfortable for the next few hours she intended to sit there.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to touch her baby sister while she was there. No more games, no more defeats. Losing was not an option.
She opened the photo album she had brought with her when retrieving a blanket and pillow, flipping through the pages with a mixture of happiness, longing, and sadness. There were old pictures, but mostly, this particular album was filled with pictures they'd taken within the last year.
Phoebe and Paige spraying each other with the water hose; Phoebe and Paige pillow-fighting; Phoebe and Paige hugging each other; Piper and Phoebe hugging; the three of them hugging. She came to the last photo then, one she'd forgotten had been taken. It was a picture of Piper sitting on their couch with an arm around Paige who sat next to her, huge grin on her face, resting her head on Piper's shoulder with both arms wrapped around her sister's.
Piper smiled and stroked a finger over the photo. Funny how pictures could mean so much. They held, in their depths, a person's memories, a person's past, a person's whole life.
Piper looked up at her slumbering sister and whispered to the darkness, "I won't let them have you."
**********
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Paige, Happy Birthday to you!"
The family clapped as they finished singing to Paige who merely rolled her eyes in amusement. Piper felt mixed emotions: extreme joy that this had finally come; they were able to celebrate Paige's birthday. But she also felt worry at the danger she knew was imminent, waiting to take Paige again, this time for good.
Pushing aside her worry for a few moments, Piper retrieved a party hat and placed it on Paige's head, doing the same for herself, and indicating to Leo and Phoebe to follow suit.
Paige closed her eyes for a second, making a wish, and then blew out her candles in surprisingly one breath.
Phoebe, too excited to wait, quickly grabbed the present she had bought Paige and rushed over to her, kneeling beside her as her sister taunted her, taking her time to unwrap each corner of the paper.
"Oh, just rip it open already, brat!"
Paige swatted her softly and then ripped off the remaining pieces quickly, smiling at the gift laying there: a framed collage of each Halliwell sister from birth, through childhood, to adulthood. Paige smoothed a hand over the glass, emotions swelling within her, preventing her from speaking just yet. She set the large frame on the table and reached out to envelope Phoebe in a tight hug.
It was simple, but a gift she treasured already.
Piper moved to give Paige her gift, when all hell suddenly broke loose. Two demons burst through the door, attacking Phoebe and Leo first, then moving towards Paige.
Piper darted towards her sister, intending to protect her from whatever lay ahead. Instead, the two demons grabbed the sisters and orbed them out of the manor directly into what appeared to be a cell, landing hard on the floor.
"Why did you bring us here?" Piper demanded, standing protectively in front of Paige.
One of the demons smirked, replying, "For your baby of course. We intend to find out everything we need to know. We have our ways." He left, a threat of danger hanging in his wake. Piper knelt down beside Paige, who was afraid, but determind as well.
"I won't let them hurt your baby, Piper."
Piper gathered her sister towards her and replied, "It's not the baby I'm worried about right now."
******
Piper curled into a tight ball in the darkness, imagining all the possible scenarios, trying to block out the screams coming from her sister in the next room. There had to be a way out and she intended to find it.
After what seemed like hours, a beam of light drifted into the room and one of the demons walked in, half-supporting Paige whose torture had drained her of any energy. She was barely conscious, though in a great deal of pain. Piper stood up quickly, grabbing her sister as she was released. Gently sliding the both of them to the floor, Piper held Paige tightly to her, stroking her sister's hair as her head rested in her lap.
"P-Piper..."
"Shh, I'm here, sweetie. Nobody's going to hurt you any more. I'll protect you, I promise I will. I promise."
Paige weakly lifted a hand, which Piper grasped tightly and squeezed in gentle reassurance.
"Piper, please don't be sad...I-I'm not gonna make it, " Paige weakly croaked out, her injured lungs making it hard to breathe.
"Don't talk like that, Paige. You're going to be fine."
Silence filled the room then, save for Paige's whispered wheezing as her lungs fought for precious hair. She knew she was getting worse, she could feel her broken ribs pierce her lungs, felt the blood rise through her air passages as she began to bleed internally. She feared for Piper, who, she knew, would not survive the loss of another sister.
Piper continued stroking Paige's hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Paige spoke again, after an eternity, and whispered a sad last request, "Will you sing me my song, Piper, please?"
Piper glanced down at her sister, horrified at this statement, because she knew, beyond a doubt, it meant goodbye. Paige had once told her what her favorite song as a child had been; the song she loved to hear most as night drew near and sleep beckoned the weary.
"It's n-not goodbye, it's s-see you later, " Paige wheezed once more.
Piper nodded and began to cry as she sang the song of twilight, "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
Her voice broke with emotion and she looked down at Paige who had stopped breathing. Piper screamed and shook Paige, willing her sister back to life.
"Wake up Paige! Dammit, wake up! Don't you do this. You saved me, Paige. You saved me the moment you came into my life. You can't leave me now. I'll die, I can't do this, Paige."
She rocked her baby sister, alternating between screams and sobs until she whispered brokenly once more, "I can't lose you."
A swirl of wind blew around her then and Tahl appeared, dressed in his robes, arms crossed in front of him.
"You failed, Piper Halliwell. Your sister is dead. This is the future you will know, the future as it will stand forever. Pity, really."
Piper seemed to barely hear him. It didn't matter anymore, as far as she was concerned.
A thought suddenly occurred to her and she spoke, desperation in her voice, "If I offer myself in exchange for Paige, will you take me instead?"
The demon looked taken aback for a moment and dropped his arms in thought.
"A trade, then? Hmm...you're certainly not the first to offer this, nor the last. And it never ceases to amaze me about you humans how willing you are, at the end of this journey, to die for your loved one. Is it true, then, the saying: you never know what you have until it's gone?"
Piper looked up, slightly confused, but answered, "Yes. I-I guess that's what it took to realize how much I really needed Paige. I love her. So please, take me instead."
The demon knelt in front of Piper then and pulled his hood away from his face, revealing a surprisingly kind face.
"You've won, Piper Halliwell. You realized, at just the right moment, that giving your life for another is the most noble thing you can do. You realized what you needed to realize: that your sister must be cherished because she won't be around forever. You will live, your sister will live. Today will continue, tomorrow will be a new day. A new day...with Paige. Be thankful for this gift, Piper Halliwell, it won't come again."
He stood then, pulling his hood over his head again.
"What about the demons that took us?"
"They were my creation. They're gone now, you needn't worry."
Piper looked away for a moment, then said, "I-I don't understand. And what kind of demon are you?"
"Life's not meant to be understood, Piper, only lived. As for what kind of demon I am...I will say only this- sometimes there's two sides to a person. Now go, live, love." With that, he was gone.
Paige began to stir in Piper's arms and Piper sat her up, stroking her cheek as she checked for wounds. Her sister was still not all right, but the life-threatening injuries were gone. Piper still wondered how they would get out as their magic would not work within the cell.
Suddenly, a light came over them and they orbed out, back in the manor.
Phoebe ran towards them, engulfing her sisters in hugs, then stepping back in horror as she saw Paige's injuries. Leo rushed forward as they laid Paige on the couch, healing her multiple wounds and soothing her as he did so, eliciting a few tired smiles from the confused, but thankful, birthday girl.
Phoebe took Piper's arm and led her away.
"Piper, what the hell happened?"
Piper, her eyes never leaving Paige, replied, "I learned a lesson today, Phoebe. I learned to never take someone for granted."
Piper walked away and sat next to Paige, kissing her forehead and stroking her sister's hair.
"Piper, what happened?" Paige asked, drowsily.
"Shh, it's not important right now, sweetie. Just rest. Everything's fine now, I promise."
Paige nodded and allowed her eyes to drift close.
Piper stood up, whispering, "I love you," once more before she left her sister to sleep peacefully.
**********
The sun warmed her face and eased her into a welcoming consciousness. It was a new day. A new day. Her thoughts immediately drifted to Paige and she bolted out of bed, hurrying down the hall into Paige's room.
Paige stood, hanging the framed collage Phoebe had given her for her birthday.
Piper smiled and sighed with relief. It wasn't just a dream; Paige was still here...all was as it should be. Paige turned around and smiled at her sister, beckoning her into her room. Piper did so, suddenly spying the unopened present on Paige's bed. It was from Piper.
"You didn't open it yet, " Piper said, indicating the present.
"Oh yeah, well I wanted to wait until you were awake. Well, you're here now, so I'll open it."
The two sisters sat on Paige's bed as she unwrapped the tiny gift, revealing a small gift box. Paige lifted the lid and gasped at the tiny locket. It was simple, delicate, and beautiful.
"Put it on me, please."
Piper smiled and obliged, clasping the necklace around her sister's neck. The chain glittered in the sunlight as it rested against her skin. Paige reached for the heart-shaped locket and opened it to reveal the contents. Nestled inside was a picture of Leo, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all seated on their couch, happy, smiling; on the other side was a simple picture of Prue. Paige's eyes watered up. She turned the locket over and the tears fell freely as she read the inscription.
"To my baby sister: chance made us sisters, hearts made us friends. Thanks for teaching me how to live. Your sister forever, Piper."
Paige wiped her tears and hugged Piper tightly, who returned the hug.
"And you put all my favorite people in it. I'll wear it all the time, right next to my heart. Thank you, Piper."
Piper hugged Paige once more and whispered back, "Thank you, Paige." The sun rose higher as morning fully bloomed. The world began to awaken and truly, a new day had dawned.
**********
THE END
Thanks for all the truly wonderful feedback and encouragement. It helped me tremendously to keep writing. So, should I write another story soon?
**********
Part Four: Day Four
*~*~*~*~*~* "You can't think how I depend on you, and when you're not there the color goes out of my life."
Victoria Woolf -- to her sister *~*~*~*~*~*
Piper shuffled down the stairs, pausing briefly as she heard Paige clutter around the kitchen much the same as she had done the last three days. It was a noise she wanted to cling to and remember, and she closed her eyes against the emotions that swelled within her at this most desperate moment in her life.
She hung to the rails of the staircase, gripping tightly, never wanting to let go. It was easy to wish she could journey away from this place, away to a dream where everyone was happy and Paige and Prue were alive and would be forever.
But the enchantment was fleeting, the spell of idyll whimsy broken by a reality she wished would just go away.
This was her last chance, she knew. There would be no tomorrow, there would simply be nothing.
Gathering what little strength she still had in her, Piper staggered down the last few steps and walked up behind Paige who had yet to notice her sister. Piper wanted nothing, needed nothing more at this instant, than to just hold her warm, breathing, very much alive baby sister.
To Paige's momentary surprise, Piper came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Paige's shoulders, not intending to let go, or for that matter, loosen her grip for quite some time.
"I've missed you so much, sweetie."
Paige patted her sister's arms and smiled, gently twisting out of Piper's embrace to meet her eyes. She was confused, to say the least, by this statement, but knew, whatever the reason for it, Piper had good cause to say it.
With a shaky hand, Piper reached up to briefly stroke Paige's cheek and closed her eyes for a split second against her tears.
She opened her eyes again and spoke with a broken, quiet voice; one haunted with age and trials and a grief unimaginable.
"You're the most beautiful thing in the world to me right now, you know that? Just- you're just here. Please don't ever go."
It was a feeble request, Piper knew, but one she felt the need to say anyway. Paige's response was all the more heartbreaking.
"I'm not going anywhere, Piper. Not for a long, long, long time. Until I'm an old granny and you hit me with your cane cause my teeth fell into your tuna noodle casserole again."
They both laughed and Piper spoke again, "I don't know where you come up with these things."
Piper grabbed her sister's hand and led her into the living room, sitting her on the couch and wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders, fully intending to finish the talk they'd started three days ago.
"Oh, and for the record, I'd never make tuna noodle casserole." Piper winked at her sister and then spoke, more seriously this time, "So, what's got you up at three in the morning, missy Paige?"
Paige looked down now, suddenly reminded of her insecurities, her doubts; wringing her hands nervously, she thought of where to start, what to say. Paige leaned her head against the couch and sighed. "It was just this completely irrational fear I had of being...well, forgotten, I guess you could say. Not needed, just a replacement."
For a moment, Piper sat stunned, then began processing what her sister had just said. It hurt her that Paige, this wonderful person that had entered their lives, had been filled with doubt for...God knows how long. As the oldest, she felt guilt wash over her. She should've reassured her, hugged her, told her she loved her sooner, much sooner than this. She had intended to yesterday, but...a shudder went through her at the memory.
Facing her sister now, Piper knew berating herself for what she couldn't change wouldn't make it better. But fixing it now would.
She layed a hand on her sister's cheek once more, stroking it gently, filled with an enormous amount of love and pride and need to protect this being that had become so precious to her.
"Paige, listen to me. It wasn't easy when we first met you. The circumstances...well, I think at the time I was wrapped up in so much: losing Prue, meeting you, dealing with Phoebe and Cole, I forgot that you weren't just always our sister, that this was new for you and you needed to know you were wanted. I didn't do that and I'm sorry. But you need to know that I love you. I love you so much and I'm grateful you came into our lives. I'm grateful every single minute of my life." She leaned forward and softly kissed Paige's forehead.
It was something Piper realized she'd been wanting to say since this entire ordeal had begun. She had felt, in her heart, the need to reassure and ease the doubts she knew Paige had been feeling, if only for the simple fact that the end of this journey might not be the happy one she wanted.
Paige smiled and hugged Piper tightly, grateful for the love she'd been given.
"I love you, Piper."
Those words again. The last words Paige had spoken to her yesterday. It was a reminder that time was slowly waning and the hour of death was near.
**********
After an hour of old reruns and silly cartoons, Paige had slipped off into a peaceful sleep, comfortable with the blanket and pillow her big sister had provided. Piper, knowing full well that sleep was not an option anymore today, seated herself in a chair opposite the couch, getting comfortable for the next few hours she intended to sit there.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to touch her baby sister while she was there. No more games, no more defeats. Losing was not an option.
She opened the photo album she had brought with her when retrieving a blanket and pillow, flipping through the pages with a mixture of happiness, longing, and sadness. There were old pictures, but mostly, this particular album was filled with pictures they'd taken within the last year.
Phoebe and Paige spraying each other with the water hose; Phoebe and Paige pillow-fighting; Phoebe and Paige hugging each other; Piper and Phoebe hugging; the three of them hugging. She came to the last photo then, one she'd forgotten had been taken. It was a picture of Piper sitting on their couch with an arm around Paige who sat next to her, huge grin on her face, resting her head on Piper's shoulder with both arms wrapped around her sister's.
Piper smiled and stroked a finger over the photo. Funny how pictures could mean so much. They held, in their depths, a person's memories, a person's past, a person's whole life.
Piper looked up at her slumbering sister and whispered to the darkness, "I won't let them have you."
**********
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Paige, Happy Birthday to you!"
The family clapped as they finished singing to Paige who merely rolled her eyes in amusement. Piper felt mixed emotions: extreme joy that this had finally come; they were able to celebrate Paige's birthday. But she also felt worry at the danger she knew was imminent, waiting to take Paige again, this time for good.
Pushing aside her worry for a few moments, Piper retrieved a party hat and placed it on Paige's head, doing the same for herself, and indicating to Leo and Phoebe to follow suit.
Paige closed her eyes for a second, making a wish, and then blew out her candles in surprisingly one breath.
Phoebe, too excited to wait, quickly grabbed the present she had bought Paige and rushed over to her, kneeling beside her as her sister taunted her, taking her time to unwrap each corner of the paper.
"Oh, just rip it open already, brat!"
Paige swatted her softly and then ripped off the remaining pieces quickly, smiling at the gift laying there: a framed collage of each Halliwell sister from birth, through childhood, to adulthood. Paige smoothed a hand over the glass, emotions swelling within her, preventing her from speaking just yet. She set the large frame on the table and reached out to envelope Phoebe in a tight hug.
It was simple, but a gift she treasured already.
Piper moved to give Paige her gift, when all hell suddenly broke loose. Two demons burst through the door, attacking Phoebe and Leo first, then moving towards Paige.
Piper darted towards her sister, intending to protect her from whatever lay ahead. Instead, the two demons grabbed the sisters and orbed them out of the manor directly into what appeared to be a cell, landing hard on the floor.
"Why did you bring us here?" Piper demanded, standing protectively in front of Paige.
One of the demons smirked, replying, "For your baby of course. We intend to find out everything we need to know. We have our ways." He left, a threat of danger hanging in his wake. Piper knelt down beside Paige, who was afraid, but determind as well.
"I won't let them hurt your baby, Piper."
Piper gathered her sister towards her and replied, "It's not the baby I'm worried about right now."
******
Piper curled into a tight ball in the darkness, imagining all the possible scenarios, trying to block out the screams coming from her sister in the next room. There had to be a way out and she intended to find it.
After what seemed like hours, a beam of light drifted into the room and one of the demons walked in, half-supporting Paige whose torture had drained her of any energy. She was barely conscious, though in a great deal of pain. Piper stood up quickly, grabbing her sister as she was released. Gently sliding the both of them to the floor, Piper held Paige tightly to her, stroking her sister's hair as her head rested in her lap.
"P-Piper..."
"Shh, I'm here, sweetie. Nobody's going to hurt you any more. I'll protect you, I promise I will. I promise."
Paige weakly lifted a hand, which Piper grasped tightly and squeezed in gentle reassurance.
"Piper, please don't be sad...I-I'm not gonna make it, " Paige weakly croaked out, her injured lungs making it hard to breathe.
"Don't talk like that, Paige. You're going to be fine."
Silence filled the room then, save for Paige's whispered wheezing as her lungs fought for precious hair. She knew she was getting worse, she could feel her broken ribs pierce her lungs, felt the blood rise through her air passages as she began to bleed internally. She feared for Piper, who, she knew, would not survive the loss of another sister.
Piper continued stroking Paige's hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Paige spoke again, after an eternity, and whispered a sad last request, "Will you sing me my song, Piper, please?"
Piper glanced down at her sister, horrified at this statement, because she knew, beyond a doubt, it meant goodbye. Paige had once told her what her favorite song as a child had been; the song she loved to hear most as night drew near and sleep beckoned the weary.
"It's n-not goodbye, it's s-see you later, " Paige wheezed once more.
Piper nodded and began to cry as she sang the song of twilight, "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
Her voice broke with emotion and she looked down at Paige who had stopped breathing. Piper screamed and shook Paige, willing her sister back to life.
"Wake up Paige! Dammit, wake up! Don't you do this. You saved me, Paige. You saved me the moment you came into my life. You can't leave me now. I'll die, I can't do this, Paige."
She rocked her baby sister, alternating between screams and sobs until she whispered brokenly once more, "I can't lose you."
A swirl of wind blew around her then and Tahl appeared, dressed in his robes, arms crossed in front of him.
"You failed, Piper Halliwell. Your sister is dead. This is the future you will know, the future as it will stand forever. Pity, really."
Piper seemed to barely hear him. It didn't matter anymore, as far as she was concerned.
A thought suddenly occurred to her and she spoke, desperation in her voice, "If I offer myself in exchange for Paige, will you take me instead?"
The demon looked taken aback for a moment and dropped his arms in thought.
"A trade, then? Hmm...you're certainly not the first to offer this, nor the last. And it never ceases to amaze me about you humans how willing you are, at the end of this journey, to die for your loved one. Is it true, then, the saying: you never know what you have until it's gone?"
Piper looked up, slightly confused, but answered, "Yes. I-I guess that's what it took to realize how much I really needed Paige. I love her. So please, take me instead."
The demon knelt in front of Piper then and pulled his hood away from his face, revealing a surprisingly kind face.
"You've won, Piper Halliwell. You realized, at just the right moment, that giving your life for another is the most noble thing you can do. You realized what you needed to realize: that your sister must be cherished because she won't be around forever. You will live, your sister will live. Today will continue, tomorrow will be a new day. A new day...with Paige. Be thankful for this gift, Piper Halliwell, it won't come again."
He stood then, pulling his hood over his head again.
"What about the demons that took us?"
"They were my creation. They're gone now, you needn't worry."
Piper looked away for a moment, then said, "I-I don't understand. And what kind of demon are you?"
"Life's not meant to be understood, Piper, only lived. As for what kind of demon I am...I will say only this- sometimes there's two sides to a person. Now go, live, love." With that, he was gone.
Paige began to stir in Piper's arms and Piper sat her up, stroking her cheek as she checked for wounds. Her sister was still not all right, but the life-threatening injuries were gone. Piper still wondered how they would get out as their magic would not work within the cell.
Suddenly, a light came over them and they orbed out, back in the manor.
Phoebe ran towards them, engulfing her sisters in hugs, then stepping back in horror as she saw Paige's injuries. Leo rushed forward as they laid Paige on the couch, healing her multiple wounds and soothing her as he did so, eliciting a few tired smiles from the confused, but thankful, birthday girl.
Phoebe took Piper's arm and led her away.
"Piper, what the hell happened?"
Piper, her eyes never leaving Paige, replied, "I learned a lesson today, Phoebe. I learned to never take someone for granted."
Piper walked away and sat next to Paige, kissing her forehead and stroking her sister's hair.
"Piper, what happened?" Paige asked, drowsily.
"Shh, it's not important right now, sweetie. Just rest. Everything's fine now, I promise."
Paige nodded and allowed her eyes to drift close.
Piper stood up, whispering, "I love you," once more before she left her sister to sleep peacefully.
**********
The sun warmed her face and eased her into a welcoming consciousness. It was a new day. A new day. Her thoughts immediately drifted to Paige and she bolted out of bed, hurrying down the hall into Paige's room.
Paige stood, hanging the framed collage Phoebe had given her for her birthday.
Piper smiled and sighed with relief. It wasn't just a dream; Paige was still here...all was as it should be. Paige turned around and smiled at her sister, beckoning her into her room. Piper did so, suddenly spying the unopened present on Paige's bed. It was from Piper.
"You didn't open it yet, " Piper said, indicating the present.
"Oh yeah, well I wanted to wait until you were awake. Well, you're here now, so I'll open it."
The two sisters sat on Paige's bed as she unwrapped the tiny gift, revealing a small gift box. Paige lifted the lid and gasped at the tiny locket. It was simple, delicate, and beautiful.
"Put it on me, please."
Piper smiled and obliged, clasping the necklace around her sister's neck. The chain glittered in the sunlight as it rested against her skin. Paige reached for the heart-shaped locket and opened it to reveal the contents. Nestled inside was a picture of Leo, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all seated on their couch, happy, smiling; on the other side was a simple picture of Prue. Paige's eyes watered up. She turned the locket over and the tears fell freely as she read the inscription.
"To my baby sister: chance made us sisters, hearts made us friends. Thanks for teaching me how to live. Your sister forever, Piper."
Paige wiped her tears and hugged Piper tightly, who returned the hug.
"And you put all my favorite people in it. I'll wear it all the time, right next to my heart. Thank you, Piper."
Piper hugged Paige once more and whispered back, "Thank you, Paige." The sun rose higher as morning fully bloomed. The world began to awaken and truly, a new day had dawned.
**********
THE END
Thanks for all the truly wonderful feedback and encouragement. It helped me tremendously to keep writing. So, should I write another story soon?