The Choices We Make
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me. "
Piper sat in shock as her older sister explained the last year and how she came to be demonic and the Source. Her dark brown eyes were lifeless as she watched a person she considered her mentor tell of how wonderful the Hunt is and how she felt during the first time she spilled innocent blood. Piper couldn't even think straight, her mind trying to tune out the awful words.
"Do you realize the I am your worst enemy?'' Prue asked suddenly out of nowhere. Startling her younger sister.
Of course she knew. She knew the moment Prue unmasked herself. She couldn't truly accept it, but she knew. It was tearing her up inside. Piper nodded mutely.
"Then you also realize my goal is to overthrow the Good in the world?" She asked another question. "And that to do that is to murder you and your family?" Her tone was icy cold.
Piper paled visibly. Her own voice was nearly inaudible. "I know, Prue. I understand." Even though her sister was the Source, she still loved her as awful as that seems. And it was there in her voice. She allowed it to show. Her mind was racing now, learning, thinking, planning. "Prue...Please... Think about this. Phoebe, Paige, Leo, we all love you."
Prue smirked. "Evil can't love, honey. You know that."
"An evil being isn't supposed to have a soul, remember?" Piper replied quickly.
"It's true. I have a soul." She took a step closer to Piper. "It no longer matters though. It's been 'taken care of.'" Prue smirked again.
Piper bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming, To much, this was to much for her. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted onto the floor.
Piper woke up back on that damned bed. Even though there was no visible way to tell what time it was, her body told her it was very late at night. Her head hurt from where she hit the hard floor. She didn't move, not wanting to attract unwanted attention from her older sister.
However Prue didn't get to be the new Source with being stupid. Oh no, she knew her sister was awake. The way she breathed faster, tossed less, and her pounded louder gave it away. Prue rose from the throne she was sitting in. "You know, Piper dear, it hurts that you don't trust me."
Piper held her breath for a second. She'd been caught. She then exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. "How could I? You hold me captive and I'm supposed to trust you?" The middle Halliwell sat up slowly because of her approaching headache. Piper glared at Prue, in no mood to play victim anymore.
"Well, yes. I maybe the Master of all Evil. But I am your sister. I trust you. And because of that you must understand that I will never hurt you." She replied slowly, hoping to convince Piper of the truth.
"What about my destiny? What about Phoebe and Paige? What about Leo? Are you just going to let them die?"
Prue shrug carelessly and walked over to a lighted torch, she boredly held her hand in the flames without getting burned. "It depends."
Piper's dark eyes bored into Prue. "It depends on what?" She asked somewhat coldly.
The eldest Halliwell turned to face her younger sister. "Your destiny is to vanquish the Source. That would be me. Now, I don't want to die. I don't like it very much. When I died the first time it was awful, and I was on the Good side then. What about now?" Prue crossed her arms and gazed back at Piper. "I have to protect myself. Like you have to protect yourself, your sisters, your husband..... And your daughter."
That last part chilled Piper. Without thinking she slowly placed her hand on her own abdomen where her unborn child was located. "Are you offering a deal?"
Prue nodded. "Yes." She walked forward and sat softly on the foot Piper's bed, then crossed her legs. "Piper." She sighed and looked down and the sheets for a second before going on and returning her cool gaze at the middle Halliwell. "You were always my sister. My best friend. I don't want to hurt you---"
Piper cut her off. "You don't have to. You can go back, to the good side, Prue." She said quickly. "Back with us, back with your family."
She shook her head. "It's to late for that now." She hesitated before moving on with her offer. "When you go back to your sisters, you'll eventually come back to vanquish me, or bind my powers, or whatever. You know I can't allow that. I'll defend myself and one of you or all of you will die in the process." Prue stopped again to study Piper's face before going on. "I don't want you or Melinda getting hurt, let alone killed. And I'm sure you want no one killed... We can keep that from happening."
Piper's eyes widened as she remembered something. "You mentioned this before, haven't you? You want me to stay with you?" Prue nodded. "You don't have to kill, or become truly evil. You could go neutral. Phoebe, Paige, and Leo would never be hurt or killed. You and Melinda could live your lives with no harm, no pain. You and your daughter would be safe. She would not be turned demonic, in case you are worried about that. But she would not be trained in the Wicca ways."
Piper now had her eyes closed. This all confused her. It was a mixture of all things she wanted and all things she wanted the least. "How long?"
"Your life. Her life." She said simply. "You would live down here in the Underworld with me, in complete luxury. She'd have the best teachers I could flame down here. She could have all the toys and pets and books she could ever dream of."
"Yeah, kidnap and robbery is nothing to you." Piper scoffed momentarily.
Prue smiled. "Of course." She then hopped off the bed and looked down at Piper. "It's your choice."
"What about Leo? What if he senses me and Melinda?" She asked opening her eyes.
"He won't. Ever. In his radar you'll be nonexistent. Even if he orbs down here. You'll show up as dead. He'll tell your sisters and then they will tell Darryl. Then you don't have to worry about them coming to look for you and putting themselves in unnecessary danger."
Piper kept her fists clenched to keep the from trembling. "They'll believe I'm dead? What if they try to summon my ghost? Or talk to Grams and Mom?"
"Details, details, details." Prue rolled her eyes. "Your ghost won't come because of supernatural ramifications and laws. 'They' will assume your soul is trapped in some magical talisman or amulet, like they assume mine is." Piper's eyes widened. "They didn't tell you about my soul because they didn't want you to do something stupid before you vanquished the old Source." She shrugged.
Piper bit her lip trying to weigh the consequences of this. Prue then grabbed her hand and they both flamed out of the Source's chambers and into a large hallway that forked off into two pathways. The pathways glowed brightly from some unseen source father down each of them. "Whoa. What is this place?" Piper asked a little woozy.
"This 'place' has no name. It's like a limbo of sorts. The left one leads you to an Underworld mansion you would live in if you chose to live here in safety with me. The right one leads you to the Manor to were your sisters and husband are. I cannot choose for you, Piper. You need to, for both of you." Prue glanced at Piper's belly then at her sisters worried eyes.
Piper swallowed and looked at the two choices that would affect her life forever. "The left for the Underworld..." She said taking a step forward. "The right for home..." Piper closed her eyes considering the decision. She opened her eyes and walked toward the tunnel and into her future.
The End.......…
………………
……….For now
Author's comments:
I would like to say that I added this right before I'm about to upload it on FF.N, so don't be confused if this is PastKarene or PresentKarene. Trust me, it's PresentKarene. ;)
But I wrote this two years ago when Charmed was still a show based on morals and family. I have always meant to write a sequel to this story, but no matter how many times I have tried to start it, I couldn't. I, sadly, am uninspired. I think it has to do with the newer seasons of the show. Since the show has no more of that wonderful sparkle it used to, so now my Charmed FanFiction writing doesn't have it either. This is that last OFFICIAL Charmed fiction I've written.
Thank you for reading my story.
Please respond with a review, since those are ALWAYS welcome. No matter how nitpicky they are. :D
Catch you all later!
~Karene
*paw*