To Look Again – Mood Swings
A/N: I thought that fans of Inner Demons would like to know that I'm currently planning the first chapter of the sequel. I was always planning to write one but I'm finally starting it. The first chapter should be up within the week. Don't worry though; I'm still going to write this fic.
Piper stood in the Halliwell kitchen, slowly stirring her pot of vegetable soup. She was planning on making a big dinner that night since no one had really been eating properly since Prue was admitted but since they always visited Prue at six-ish dinner had become a five 'o'clock affair. As she slowly chopped some more carrots to drop into her pot she began thinking about her meeting with Dan earlier…
The wind blew around Piper shoulders causing her hair to become wild and beyond taming. She grab it roughly with her cold hands in attempt to stop it whirling round her face, then she saw Dan approach, she got up of the cold, wooden bench that she sat on and waited for him. When he arrived they kissed, Piper loved kissing him. It made things between them feel real. Every time she even thought of him she smiled, it was the only time the Piper truly smiled these days.
"Piper, you're so strong," sighed Dan, brushing his hair from his face, he was always reassuring Piper like that,
"Please don't," said Piper, looking down at her feet,
"Don't what?" questioned Dan, he attempted to life her head up to look at her but she just pulled away,
"Don't tell me I'm strong," replied Piper, she hated being told how strong she was,
"But you are strong, you've been fighting this all the way, and you haven't once given in. You're such a strong person to be able to fight all this and not give in." he said,
"I'm not strong!" snapped Piper,
"You are, you just can't see it," replied Dan, shocked at Piper's snapping,
"Don't tell me what I am. I might appear strong like I can deal with everything but I can't! Don't you get it, I'm not strong and I can't deal with any of this. Every single day I'm getting closer and closer to failing everyone and I can't take it!" she said, pulled away from him,
"Piper?" he said as she began walking away from him,
"Just leave me," she said as she began to run home.
Piper dropped the knife she was using to cut, quickly slide the carrots from her chopping board into the boiling water she sat down at the kitchen table. She held her head in her hands and began to quietly sob. What's happening to me? I'm happy one minute, sad the next, wanting to kill myself after that… why can't I just pick a mood and stick with it. Ok, so it's not that simple but why are my moods changing so much? I can't take it! Why are things so hard? Piper lifted her head and looked around the kitchen then suddenly had a thought. Oh my god… I'm turning into her… I am. I'm becoming like Prue… no. Wait I can't this isn't what she went through… or is it? Is this exactly what she felt, am I living her life? Will I soon be just like her?
At that moment she heard the front door slam, quickly she ran back to her pot of soup and wiped away any remaining tears from her eyes and cheeks. She began methodically stirring and waiting for Grams and Phoebe to enter the kitchen, which they did a moment later.
"Piper? What's wrong?" asked Grams as soon as she clapped eyes on Piper,
"Nothing." Replied Piper, smiling at Grams,
"Are you sure?" she asked,
"Yeah, I was chopping onions, still need to learn the secret to that." Joked Piper, "I made vegetable soup for dinner, I hope that's alright."
"That's fine. You mind if we put some in a container and take it to Prue, I know she's missing you're cooking,"
"Not at all," replied Piper. After they had eaten dinner and packed up some soup for Prue they headed out. Piper sat in the passenger seat of the car, gazing out the window, watching as slowly the lampposts went past, leaving a small blur of lights in her vision. All the time thinking, How could I have let this happen? How can I have become like Prue, I was so determined, I have tried so hard to be strong. But I'm not, I feel like I'm just like her. All the times I've been tempted to cut but I haven't, all the times I've wanted to scream but I've kept it inside… its all been growing and growing. Until finally this is where I've ended up… just like her…