AN: Thanks for all the reviews; this is the last chapter…Except the epilogue.
Piper looked around for her clothes and realized that the skirt wouldn't do. She quickly ran to his bedroom and picked up a pair of his pants, pulling her shirt and underwear on a long the way.
"What are you talking about?" Leo asked, following after her.
"Manda's in trouble." Piper said quickly, pulling the belt in his jeans tight.
"What makes you think that?" Leo replied, though putting clothes on.
"It all fits." Piper said, "Except the date, but I can't help but think that's irrelevant, I wasted all that fucking time…" she slipped her feet into some sneakers and raced out the door, Leo following close behind.
They slid into her car and she quickly pulled out, almost giving him whiplash.
Piper quickly turned on the On-Star, getting directions to The Mirage.
"Will you please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Leo said curiously, looking behind them as they cut a minivan off.
"Don't you get it; Kelly's going to kill Manda."
"Why?"
But Piper didn't respond.
"TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!!" Leo insisted.
"SHUT UP!" Piper yelled. "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR A MINUTE!"
He'd never heard her yell like that so he was silent. Piper pulled up in front of The Mirage, whipping into a parking space. The Mirage was your classic roach motel, a two level series of rooms, running around a pool, a railing creating a balcony all the way around. She and Leo both jumped out hurriedly amongst the strong winds of the night. Piper ran into the main office, quickly flashing her badge.
"Detective Piper Halliwell, with the SFPD, tell me what room Kelly Jessim is staying in."
"There's no Kelly Jessim staying here."
"Fuck." Piper murmured, "Fake name."
Leo had know idea how strong Piper was until she was running down the halls of the motel, kicking down peoples door, invading the privacy of many lovers, businessmen, and anybody else who was staying there. Leo watched silently as she cocked her gun, and kicked down another door.
Finally, she'd struck gold. The sight was definitely one she'd expected to see. Manda and Kelly were on the bed, quickly undressing one another.
"Piper!" Manda exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing here!? And why do you have a gu—"
"Kelly, hands in the air, San Francisco Police!!"
Manda looked around in shocked confusion. "What the hell—"
"Fuck!" Kelly yelled, jumping up and running over to the window.
"STOP!" Piper roared turning in his direction, back to the closet, causing everybody in the room to freeze. When she got the desired result, she began to speak again. "Okay, Leo. Pick up the phone and call for backup."
Leo hesitated.
"NOW!"
He quickly sprung into action. Just as he was hanging up the closet door swung open. "Shit, Piper, watch out!"
Piper whirled around just into to have her gun kicked to the floor, bouncing across the burgundy colored carpet.
For a moment, she lost her strong, dominant demeanor and her face turned to shock. "Fuck, Shelly!?"
Shelly's green eyes blazed crazily as she trained a gun of her own on Piper.
"Shel, what going on—"
"YOU MESSED IT UP!!!" She cried shrilly, "YOU MESSED IT ALL UP!!!" Piper's eyes widened as Shelly's eyes glazed over. Piper succeeded in sliding around her, but Shelly quickly turned on her as the two inched their way toward the door.
Soon, Piper found herself pressed up against the cast iron railing, precariously above the ground below.
"I HAD TO DO IT!" Shelly continued to shriek, "I HAD TO DO IT SO HE WOULDN'T GET TO THEM TOO!!"
"Who?" Piper asked slowly.
"JIMMY! I COULDN'T LET HIM DO TO THEM WHAT HE DID TO ME!!" Shelly shoved at Piper, sending her over the side.
"PIPER!" Leo yelled, making a vain attempt to catch her before she fell. But it was too late. Piper didn't have a chance to cream before in a lucky twist of fate, Piper fell into the pool with a gigantic splash.
A second later she came up, gasping for air. Leo made a grab for Shelly's gun but was in that moment that Kelly set the curtains on fire and began running around the room, setting other things on fire as well.
"I'll burn this whole place down before I get caught!" He yelled frantically. At which point, the paralyzed Manda jumped up and began banging on other people's doors, Leo doing the same.
Once the spluttering Piper saw the flames licking at the building and Kelly and Shelly scampering off in different directions, she began to do the same.
Soon, the whole building was a blazing inferno, a firestorm to last the ages. Piper was lost in the frightening array of red, yellow and orange. Piper coughed in the smoke, head dizzy with shock, fatigue, and the dull seep of smoke into body. She was entirely disoriented, dripping wet from her little dip in the pool, yet getting full blast of the heat.
Leo walked around amongst the flames, calling Piper's name. He couldn't see for the blazes, but knew she'd respond if she heard him. "Piper! Piper!"
Piper turned around in time to see Leo standing in the doorway and to see support beams fall in his path. Just as she was about to go to him, another one of those beams fell and hit her on the head. "PIPER!!" Leo shouted, kicking debris out of his way.
He knelt at her side to pick her up. Damn, she looked so sad, face blackened from smoke and eyes closed, lips slightly parted. A few minutes later, he finally stumbled outside out of the light and into shocking darkness, littered with bystanders, fire victims, police, paramedics, fire engines and police cars.
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Piper took a sip of the coffee Darryl had shoved into her hands minutes before. Behind her the firefighters were extinguishing the last of the flames on the now smoldering and dilapidated Mirage. Piper pulled the blanket around her tighter as she sat in the back of an ambulance and shook her head sadly.
Poor Shelly thought that she was saving those girls from being raped by Jimmy by killing them. Piper would personally make sure that she was getting the help she needed. Kelly was taking money to seduce the girls and Shelly would kill them. It was sad really.
"Do you have room for me?" Piper looked up to see Leo looking down at her. She nodded and they sat there for a moment, neither of them speaking. "About—"
"Shut up." Piper reached over and kissed him. She pulled away. "I love you."
Leo smiled. "I love you too…Despite your criminal desires."
They kissed again.