AN: Sorry about the delays, I'm still sort of
onetreehill4eva - You loved it? Good.
piperleo4eva - I knew that that would make everyone want to kill me, so that's why I continued. I didn't want a bunch of flames in my review list! Also, the fluff is a-coming!
Winter Blaze - More fluff is coming!
PiperHalliwell025 - Wow, thirty pleases. And, nice use of punctuation. Well, I am sorry you almost had a heart attack, and I am glad that you didn't. I hate it when reviewers keep dying on me!
Gryffindor620 - Who said that death isn't going to come to him? Anyway, thanks!
Amy - She's my favorite character too! You would have cried? Well, glad i didn't make you!
C.C. McKenna - Okay, yet another vote for a sequel. I guess I have gathered a fan group. Oh, and thank you for saying I have good taste in music! Thanks SO much for the email! It makes me SO happy that one of my fans would care enough to do that! Thank you SO much! (author crying from pure joy)
Rachel - You like? Good! And you love all the pairings? Well, so do I, I mean, I created them that way!
Jules713 - This is not the end, but it is close to it. I mean, I don't have much to do after the bad guy is gone.
Now, chapter 34...
:::::::
Leo and Prue were sitting on either side of Piper. The doctors had just left. They had wrapped her in blankets and taken her temperature. It was a little too far below normal. Leo was holding Piper's right hand, Prue holding Piper's left. They knew that the others would come soon, and they hoped they would hurry. The doctors said that she would be perfectly fine, but the two still worried. They knew from personal experience how something so innocent could go so wrong. They both breathed sighs of relief when they saw her eyes flutter open.
"Piper!" Prue said, and hugged her sister. Piper was confused for a moment, and then what had happened came running back. "Prue." she said, hugging her sister. She then let go, and turned to her other side. "Leo." she said, then turned back to Prue. She looked at Prue for a second, and then jerked her head a little towards the door. Prue just looked at her like she was crazy. Piper did it again, and Prue picked up the hint. "Oh, I guess I'll, um... see if the others have arrived yet." she said quickly, then hurriedly stood up and exited the door.
"What was tha-" Leo started, then Piper put her finger to his mouth. She then leaned in, and kissed hip on the lips. When she pulled away, Leo was a bit disappointed, but puzzled. "Where did that come from?" he inquired. "Well, that was a thank you for rescuing me." she said simply. "How did you know that?" Leo asked. She had been, well, dead at the time. "I saw you, silly. Mom came to me while I was underwater. She talked to me, and told me never to let you go. She told me that she had let go of someone like you once, and she has always regretted it. Then you came and brought me out of the water." she said, in a tone that said 'duh!'. Piper then leaned in, and entrapped him in the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced.
"Um, guys, you done yet?" "SHHH!" Piper and Leo pulled back and looked towards the doorway. There were their friends, standing happily in the doorway. Well, most of them were happy. Glenn was bent over, wincing in pain. As soon as she noticed them, Piper blushed a deep pink, and Leo smiled, realizing why Glenn was wincing. "Piper!" Phoebe squealed, and ran over to hug her little sister. "Oh, hello!" Piper said, surprised. She didn't know why her sister was so happy to see her. "Seems your up!" Billy said sarcastically. "Apparently." Andy added, equally sarcastic. "Okay, cut it out!" Leo said. "I don't think we should." Glenn said. "I mean, we just watched," he looked at his watch, "three minutes of kissing." "It was that long?" Paige asked. "Yup." Glenn said, grinning at the happy couple. "Anyway, Piper, I'm so glad you're up!" Prue said, hugging her sister as well.
"Okay, okay, enough. What happened? I mean, I know what happened, but, grr, you know what I mean!" Piper said. "Yeah, Pipe, we know what you mean." Andy said. "Uh-huh." Prue said. She and Phoebe were still holding on to her sister. "And why will you not stop hugging me?" Piper said, taking notice of her clinging sisters. "Well," Billy began. "You, um, well..." "On with it." Piper said. "Died." "WHAT?!?" Piper exclaimed, startling everyone. "But... what? How did I end up here?" Piper asked, looking around at everyone. "Andy saved your life." Prue said, letting go of Piper and hugging Andy instead. "Leo and I helped too!" Billy said huffily. "What are you all talking about?" Piper asked.
"Um, Piper," Leo said, "What you thought happened didn't happen." "What do you mean. Of course it happened. I saw it with my own eyes!" "Um, you did, but you didn't." Leo said. "Okay, now I'M confused." Paige said, rubbing her temples. "So am I." Phoebe said, looking from Piper to Leo and back again. "Okay, will someone please tell her what really happened?" Leo asked. He could still not bring himself to talk about the events of about an hour earlier. "Leo, I" Piper began, but Leo cut her off. "No, that's what happened in your mind." he said. Piper just gave him a puzzled look.
"Okay, this is all getting really confusing, so I'LL tell you what happened, Piper." Billy said, exasperated. "Piper, you know that you were thrown into the water, right?" he started. "Well, yeah!" Piper said, her eyes telling him to continue. "Well, we saw you go in, and Andy sent me and Leo to search for you in the water, because we couldn't really think straight." "And I figured that out." Andy added. "Shut up and let him continue!" Prue said, slapping him playfully. "Yeah, ANDY. Well, we were looking for you underwater, which was pretty hard, by the way, because it was really dark at the bottom of the lake. Well, after a few minutes" "MINUTES?" Piper asked. She didn't know that she had been in the water for that long. "Yeah, minutes, unfortunately." Billy continued. "Well, as I was saying, after a few minutes, I ran into you, literally. I tried to bring you up, but you were too heavy, with the weight and all." Billy added the last part quickly, noticing that Piper was glaring at him. "Well, I got Leo, and we brought you out of the water. By that time, the others had already defeated the two bastards." Piper nodded, needing no details on who the 'bastards' were. "Well, we pulled you up, and Paige checked your pulse. You had none." At that point, Piper couldn't help herself. "What?!?" she exclaimed. "You mean, you don't remember?" Paige asked. Piper shook her head. "But, you were conscious for a little bit after Andy revived you." Billy said. "I don't remember a thing like that." Piper said. "Well, as I said, Andy revived you. Then, Paige called the police and an ambulance on her ever-helpful cell phone." "Only then?" Piper asked. "Exactly our reaction." Glenn said, smirking at Paige. "What? You weren't thinking straight either." Paige said, defending herself. "Okay, then what happened?" Piper asked. "Oh, you went into the ambulance, and I gave both the paramedics and the police an overview of what happened. Prue and Leo went with you in the ambulance to, well, here. You only had some hypothermia, and they needed to run some tests. You know, normal doctor stuff." Billy finished.
"So, I had another near-death experience?" Piper asked sarcastically. "Yeah." Phoebe said, squeezing Piper again. "But, too bad we didn't get to see that bastard die." Glenn said disgustedly. "Well, we probably will get to see him die." Piper said. "What do you mean? The police have him, he won't die." Prue said. "Yes, but you are forgetting something, Prue. A little something called the death sentence." Piper said. "Oh, yeah." Prue said. "He'll get the death sentence?" Glenn asked. "Yeah, he will, most likely. I mean, think of all the crimes he's committed." Piper said, the 'duh' attitude returning. "Which would be..." Phoebe said, leaving the blank for Piper to fill. "Before I answer that question, were you guys hit by them?" Piper asked. "Yeah, but only me." Paige said. "Okay, now I can answer the question." Piper said. "Okay, do you want the total, or per event?" she asked. "By event, please." Prue said. 'How does she figure all this out so quickly?' she asked herself in her thoughts.
"Okay, overall, there are lots of counts of illegal firearm usage and conspiracy. On the night Paige was attacked, there is one count of breaking and entering, two counts of murder, and one count of attempted murder. On That Friday, there are eight counts of assault and battery, one count of trespassing, one count of being an accomplice in an attempted rape, three counts of attempted murder, and two murders. At the encounter a few hours ago, there was one count of trespassing, one count of illegal drug usage, one count of kidnapping, one count of assault, one count of assault and battery, and two counts of attempted murder. Total, there is one count of breaking and entering, two counts of trespassing, one count of illegal drug usage, one count of being an accomplice in an attempted rape, one count of kidnapping, one count of assault, nine counts of assault and battery, six counts of attempted murder, and four murders." When she finished, everyone was staring at her. "Wow." Billy said, expressing everyone's opinion. "Oh, I forgot one!" Piper said. "What?" Glenn asked, puzzled about what could have possibly been left out. "He will, of course, be charged with stalking." Piper said, smiling. "How did you figure all that out?" Paige asked. "Well, I had a lot of time to think when I was in that trunk." Piper said.
"What?!?" Prue asked. "What trunk?" Andy asked. "Oh, I guess since I know your story, you should know mine." Piper said, looking at their puzzled faces. "I figured Dr. Kush out when you were still there, but he came in just before I was going to say anything. When the last of you guys left, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at your backs warningly. When you were gone, he closed the door and in came Mr. Connel. Dr. Kush drugged me, and took me out, covered on a stretcher. They gagged and bound me, and threw me in the trunk of a car. And, I have to tell you, the car drive was really fun." Piper said sarcastically. Her sisters and friends smiled and silently giggled. It was good to hear that, despite what she had been through, Piper could always be her sarcastic, witty self. "I mean, it is SO DAMN HOT! It is NOT an experience that I care to repeat. Then, he took me out, and told me why he took me because I had accidentally said 'Why me?' aloud earlier. He said that I was too smart for my own good, yada yada yada. And, that he was doing this to try and convince Prue run away with him, and live with him in happiness and all that other crap. I mean, this guy was SICK. But, actually, I'm happy that he was stupid enough to tell me, because it came come back and bit him in the ass. You guys came up while he was telling me these things. And, well, you know the rest of the story. Except, of course, the fact that drowning is another experience that I don't care to repeat. I mean, my lungs were hurting like hell."
Piper then stopped and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her. "What?" she asked. "Piper, you are probably the strongest person I know." Paige said, looking at her older sister admirably. Piper blushed. "I doubt it." she said, looking at her two other sisters. "I don't." Phoebe said, looking at her happily. "Neither do I." Leo said, pulling her into a tight hug. "You just bounced back after almost dying." he added. "Well, I'm sure you guys are doing fine, too." Piper said. "No, Piper, we aren't. At least, I'm not. I've been freaking out this whole time." Prue said, smiling as well. "Well, I'm still not that strong." Piper said, still blushing. "I swear, Piper, sometimes you're too modest for your own good." Billy said jokingly.
:::::::
AN: What a sweet chapter! Oh, just one chapter left, you know! I am sad, but it will be okay. I am starting at least three fics after a I finish this one. But, this is after a song by Michelle Branch!
onetreehill4eva - You loved it? Good.
piperleo4eva - I knew that that would make everyone want to kill me, so that's why I continued. I didn't want a bunch of flames in my review list! Also, the fluff is a-coming!
Winter Blaze - More fluff is coming!
PiperHalliwell025 - Wow, thirty pleases. And, nice use of punctuation. Well, I am sorry you almost had a heart attack, and I am glad that you didn't. I hate it when reviewers keep dying on me!
Gryffindor620 - Who said that death isn't going to come to him? Anyway, thanks!
Amy - She's my favorite character too! You would have cried? Well, glad i didn't make you!
C.C. McKenna - Okay, yet another vote for a sequel. I guess I have gathered a fan group. Oh, and thank you for saying I have good taste in music! Thanks SO much for the email! It makes me SO happy that one of my fans would care enough to do that! Thank you SO much! (author crying from pure joy)
Rachel - You like? Good! And you love all the pairings? Well, so do I, I mean, I created them that way!
Jules713 - This is not the end, but it is close to it. I mean, I don't have much to do after the bad guy is gone.
Now, chapter 34...
:::::::
Leo and Prue were sitting on either side of Piper. The doctors had just left. They had wrapped her in blankets and taken her temperature. It was a little too far below normal. Leo was holding Piper's right hand, Prue holding Piper's left. They knew that the others would come soon, and they hoped they would hurry. The doctors said that she would be perfectly fine, but the two still worried. They knew from personal experience how something so innocent could go so wrong. They both breathed sighs of relief when they saw her eyes flutter open.
"Piper!" Prue said, and hugged her sister. Piper was confused for a moment, and then what had happened came running back. "Prue." she said, hugging her sister. She then let go, and turned to her other side. "Leo." she said, then turned back to Prue. She looked at Prue for a second, and then jerked her head a little towards the door. Prue just looked at her like she was crazy. Piper did it again, and Prue picked up the hint. "Oh, I guess I'll, um... see if the others have arrived yet." she said quickly, then hurriedly stood up and exited the door.
"What was tha-" Leo started, then Piper put her finger to his mouth. She then leaned in, and kissed hip on the lips. When she pulled away, Leo was a bit disappointed, but puzzled. "Where did that come from?" he inquired. "Well, that was a thank you for rescuing me." she said simply. "How did you know that?" Leo asked. She had been, well, dead at the time. "I saw you, silly. Mom came to me while I was underwater. She talked to me, and told me never to let you go. She told me that she had let go of someone like you once, and she has always regretted it. Then you came and brought me out of the water." she said, in a tone that said 'duh!'. Piper then leaned in, and entrapped him in the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced.
"Um, guys, you done yet?" "SHHH!" Piper and Leo pulled back and looked towards the doorway. There were their friends, standing happily in the doorway. Well, most of them were happy. Glenn was bent over, wincing in pain. As soon as she noticed them, Piper blushed a deep pink, and Leo smiled, realizing why Glenn was wincing. "Piper!" Phoebe squealed, and ran over to hug her little sister. "Oh, hello!" Piper said, surprised. She didn't know why her sister was so happy to see her. "Seems your up!" Billy said sarcastically. "Apparently." Andy added, equally sarcastic. "Okay, cut it out!" Leo said. "I don't think we should." Glenn said. "I mean, we just watched," he looked at his watch, "three minutes of kissing." "It was that long?" Paige asked. "Yup." Glenn said, grinning at the happy couple. "Anyway, Piper, I'm so glad you're up!" Prue said, hugging her sister as well.
"Okay, okay, enough. What happened? I mean, I know what happened, but, grr, you know what I mean!" Piper said. "Yeah, Pipe, we know what you mean." Andy said. "Uh-huh." Prue said. She and Phoebe were still holding on to her sister. "And why will you not stop hugging me?" Piper said, taking notice of her clinging sisters. "Well," Billy began. "You, um, well..." "On with it." Piper said. "Died." "WHAT?!?" Piper exclaimed, startling everyone. "But... what? How did I end up here?" Piper asked, looking around at everyone. "Andy saved your life." Prue said, letting go of Piper and hugging Andy instead. "Leo and I helped too!" Billy said huffily. "What are you all talking about?" Piper asked.
"Um, Piper," Leo said, "What you thought happened didn't happen." "What do you mean. Of course it happened. I saw it with my own eyes!" "Um, you did, but you didn't." Leo said. "Okay, now I'M confused." Paige said, rubbing her temples. "So am I." Phoebe said, looking from Piper to Leo and back again. "Okay, will someone please tell her what really happened?" Leo asked. He could still not bring himself to talk about the events of about an hour earlier. "Leo, I" Piper began, but Leo cut her off. "No, that's what happened in your mind." he said. Piper just gave him a puzzled look.
"Okay, this is all getting really confusing, so I'LL tell you what happened, Piper." Billy said, exasperated. "Piper, you know that you were thrown into the water, right?" he started. "Well, yeah!" Piper said, her eyes telling him to continue. "Well, we saw you go in, and Andy sent me and Leo to search for you in the water, because we couldn't really think straight." "And I figured that out." Andy added. "Shut up and let him continue!" Prue said, slapping him playfully. "Yeah, ANDY. Well, we were looking for you underwater, which was pretty hard, by the way, because it was really dark at the bottom of the lake. Well, after a few minutes" "MINUTES?" Piper asked. She didn't know that she had been in the water for that long. "Yeah, minutes, unfortunately." Billy continued. "Well, as I was saying, after a few minutes, I ran into you, literally. I tried to bring you up, but you were too heavy, with the weight and all." Billy added the last part quickly, noticing that Piper was glaring at him. "Well, I got Leo, and we brought you out of the water. By that time, the others had already defeated the two bastards." Piper nodded, needing no details on who the 'bastards' were. "Well, we pulled you up, and Paige checked your pulse. You had none." At that point, Piper couldn't help herself. "What?!?" she exclaimed. "You mean, you don't remember?" Paige asked. Piper shook her head. "But, you were conscious for a little bit after Andy revived you." Billy said. "I don't remember a thing like that." Piper said. "Well, as I said, Andy revived you. Then, Paige called the police and an ambulance on her ever-helpful cell phone." "Only then?" Piper asked. "Exactly our reaction." Glenn said, smirking at Paige. "What? You weren't thinking straight either." Paige said, defending herself. "Okay, then what happened?" Piper asked. "Oh, you went into the ambulance, and I gave both the paramedics and the police an overview of what happened. Prue and Leo went with you in the ambulance to, well, here. You only had some hypothermia, and they needed to run some tests. You know, normal doctor stuff." Billy finished.
"So, I had another near-death experience?" Piper asked sarcastically. "Yeah." Phoebe said, squeezing Piper again. "But, too bad we didn't get to see that bastard die." Glenn said disgustedly. "Well, we probably will get to see him die." Piper said. "What do you mean? The police have him, he won't die." Prue said. "Yes, but you are forgetting something, Prue. A little something called the death sentence." Piper said. "Oh, yeah." Prue said. "He'll get the death sentence?" Glenn asked. "Yeah, he will, most likely. I mean, think of all the crimes he's committed." Piper said, the 'duh' attitude returning. "Which would be..." Phoebe said, leaving the blank for Piper to fill. "Before I answer that question, were you guys hit by them?" Piper asked. "Yeah, but only me." Paige said. "Okay, now I can answer the question." Piper said. "Okay, do you want the total, or per event?" she asked. "By event, please." Prue said. 'How does she figure all this out so quickly?' she asked herself in her thoughts.
"Okay, overall, there are lots of counts of illegal firearm usage and conspiracy. On the night Paige was attacked, there is one count of breaking and entering, two counts of murder, and one count of attempted murder. On That Friday, there are eight counts of assault and battery, one count of trespassing, one count of being an accomplice in an attempted rape, three counts of attempted murder, and two murders. At the encounter a few hours ago, there was one count of trespassing, one count of illegal drug usage, one count of kidnapping, one count of assault, one count of assault and battery, and two counts of attempted murder. Total, there is one count of breaking and entering, two counts of trespassing, one count of illegal drug usage, one count of being an accomplice in an attempted rape, one count of kidnapping, one count of assault, nine counts of assault and battery, six counts of attempted murder, and four murders." When she finished, everyone was staring at her. "Wow." Billy said, expressing everyone's opinion. "Oh, I forgot one!" Piper said. "What?" Glenn asked, puzzled about what could have possibly been left out. "He will, of course, be charged with stalking." Piper said, smiling. "How did you figure all that out?" Paige asked. "Well, I had a lot of time to think when I was in that trunk." Piper said.
"What?!?" Prue asked. "What trunk?" Andy asked. "Oh, I guess since I know your story, you should know mine." Piper said, looking at their puzzled faces. "I figured Dr. Kush out when you were still there, but he came in just before I was going to say anything. When the last of you guys left, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at your backs warningly. When you were gone, he closed the door and in came Mr. Connel. Dr. Kush drugged me, and took me out, covered on a stretcher. They gagged and bound me, and threw me in the trunk of a car. And, I have to tell you, the car drive was really fun." Piper said sarcastically. Her sisters and friends smiled and silently giggled. It was good to hear that, despite what she had been through, Piper could always be her sarcastic, witty self. "I mean, it is SO DAMN HOT! It is NOT an experience that I care to repeat. Then, he took me out, and told me why he took me because I had accidentally said 'Why me?' aloud earlier. He said that I was too smart for my own good, yada yada yada. And, that he was doing this to try and convince Prue run away with him, and live with him in happiness and all that other crap. I mean, this guy was SICK. But, actually, I'm happy that he was stupid enough to tell me, because it came come back and bit him in the ass. You guys came up while he was telling me these things. And, well, you know the rest of the story. Except, of course, the fact that drowning is another experience that I don't care to repeat. I mean, my lungs were hurting like hell."
Piper then stopped and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her. "What?" she asked. "Piper, you are probably the strongest person I know." Paige said, looking at her older sister admirably. Piper blushed. "I doubt it." she said, looking at her two other sisters. "I don't." Phoebe said, looking at her happily. "Neither do I." Leo said, pulling her into a tight hug. "You just bounced back after almost dying." he added. "Well, I'm sure you guys are doing fine, too." Piper said. "No, Piper, we aren't. At least, I'm not. I've been freaking out this whole time." Prue said, smiling as well. "Well, I'm still not that strong." Piper said, still blushing. "I swear, Piper, sometimes you're too modest for your own good." Billy said jokingly.
:::::::
AN: What a sweet chapter! Oh, just one chapter left, you know! I am sad, but it will be okay. I am starting at least three fics after a I finish this one. But, this is after a song by Michelle Branch!