AN: Sorry about the delay, it's explained at the bottom! Oh, and savor this next chappie. I'm not gonna update this fic until I have updated at least one chapter on all my others. I realized that I have fics that I haven't updated in months, and i don't want to leave the fans of those hanging for much longer. So, savor. SAVOR!
PS: Oh my Gosh! I JUST figured out how to do that line-thingy! I'm gonna do that from now on!
PRUE AND ANDY! - Um... not entirely. Only half of that is true! Thanks!
VERSATILECUTIE - Damn, you guess quite a lot! Um... yeah, you're kinda right. But, you'll get to read on and see what's happenin'! Thanks for the review!
ASHERSMASHER - Yes, there is gonna be P , but a few things have to happen first!
This is a LONG fic! Thank you!
LILLYNILLY - Yes, a sad irony. Everyone's asking that question. You'll have to see! Thanks!
NICOLE812 - Yup, she does. Quite a rough road, but, oh well. Thanks!
MAGICAL PRINCESS - Everyone is asking/assuming that. You'll see! Thanks!
KK241289 - Oh, sorry if I didn't explain that fully. Piper was in an abandoned building, and you know those wooden wheely things that people push a bunch of stuff on? Well, that's what Victor put Piper on. He pushed her down the hallway and through the open door, and out onto a landing. The landing was about a story up in the air, and had a railing. The wooden thing hit the railing, and piper was catapulted from the landing 30 ft. Sorry if I didn't explain that! (again) Thanks for the review! Oh, and you'll see!
OTHCHARMEDFREAK - That made me laugh. Teehee! I L-O-V-E it when reviews make me laugh! Thanks for that funny review!
PIPER+LEO4EVA - Yes, evil I am. But, oh well. I did write this story, didn't
I? Thanks!
CHARMEDAHOLICS - Thanks!
DARKANGEL06 - Thanks, and I will!
WINTER BLAZE - I wonder... Thanks!
Chapter eight...
Voices.
There were voices all around. Up, down, right, left... she didn't know which direction they were coming from. As time passed by, the voices became clearer, louder. Piper began making out what the voices were saying.
"Do you think we should tell her?" "I don't know. It'll come as a shock." "But, don't you think that we'd be the best people to tell her? We know her best." "True, true, but I still don't know..."
As the conversation carried on around her, Piper began regaining her senses.
She could feel something wrapped around her wrist. 'Oh, God, I'm back with the men.' Piper thought for a frightening moment. But, the though was quickly vanquished by the feel of something soft beneath her, and the lack of constrictions. Where was she? Piper felt something warm in her hand, and she squeezed it weakly. The voices suddenly stopped above her.
"Piper?"
Piper felt her heart swell with happiness and relief. She recognized that voice. It was Marcie.
"Did she do something?" asked another voice. Piper felt ever better. Bridget had just asked that question. "I think so. I'm not sure. Piper, are you there?" Piper squeezed her hand again, harder that time. "God, she's up!" Marcie shouted. "I'll get the doctors." Bridget said, and her footsteps could be heard quickly heading away from wherever Piper was.
Wait... doctors. Where were there doctors? 'A hospital' Piper answered herself. 'I'm in a hospital.' That caused her spirits to soar down. What was she doing in a hospital? What had she just been unconscious? Suddenly, like a waterfall, all the memories rushed back to her. The kidnapping, the ransom call, the 'rescue', the blast...
Piper's eyes opened instantly, and she shot up into a sitting position. She was breathing heavily, and held her hand over her heart. "Oh, God." she whispered.
Tears welled in her eyes, and a few slipped down her cheeks. She remembered everything, all the events, and the emotions. The emotions were too much for her. It was too much of a roller coaster for one person, especially a teenager, to handle. Piper felt a hand fall on her shoulder, and she screamed and flinched away.
"It's okay, it's okay." Marcie said, holding her hands up in surrender. "It's just me." Piper looked up into her friend's eyes, and nodded. She knew that Marcie would never do anything to hurt her. Marcie immediately sat next to Piper on the pristine white hospital bed, wrapping her arms around the teenager. Marcie rocked her back and forth as she cried. "It's okay, it's okay." she whispered, trying to reassure her friend.
"Piper!"
Piper looked up at the sound of her name, and saw who was shouting it again. Bridget stood in the doorway, with assorted doctors and nurses behind her. Piper tried to force out a smile, but it didn't seem to come. All she managed to do was slow down her tears, while squeezing onto Marcie's hand as if her life depended on it. In a way, it kind of did. Well, at least her sanity did.
The very professional-looking doctors rushed over to Piper's hospital bed, and began checking what they called her 'vitals'. They checked over her heart, her pupils... basically her entire body. Piper didn't let go of Marcie's hand the entire time.
Once the doctors left, Piper turned towards her two friends. "Where's dad?" she asked, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. Piper had seen the explosion, but she didn't know if he had made it out alive, or if any of the men in there had. She hoped that they had. She hoped that they didn't give up their lives because of her.
But, at the moment Bridget and Marcie made sorrowful eye contact, Piper read the looks on their faces. They were dead. All of them... gone. Because of her. Piper felt the tears coming again. She sunk back into the hospital bed's headboard, just staring out into space. Those police men, those valiant men who risked their lives every day for the betterment and safety of mankind, had fought their final battle. Her father had risked his life to save hers. They all had. All their deaths, all four of their deaths, were her fault. All her fault.
"It's all my fault." Piper whispered, almost inaudibly. But, it was loud enough for her two older friends to hear. "No, it's not, honey." Bridget said, and pulled Piper into her. "It's those bastards that took you who are to blame." Piper shook her head. "No, it's my fault." she said. They would have been there if it weren't for me. I should have blown up in that building, not them. It should have been me." "No, it shouldn't have." Bridget aid, and squeezed Piper a bit tighter.
"She's right, hon." Marcie insister calmly, her southern accent coming out a bit. That only happened when she was feeling a strong emotion. "You know I believe that everything happens for a reason. There is a reason that you were saved from that building, and they weren't." She leaned forward, and squeezed Piper's hand. "But..." Piper started, but Marcie but her off. "No buts, young lady." she mock scolded. "You are alive now, and I don't want you dying from guilt. None of this is your fault."
Just then, two more professional-looking men walked into the room. Except, they didn't look like doctors. They were both wearing crisp, clean suits, and one of them was carrying a briefcase. The one on the left, a tall, brunette man, cleared his throat. "Pardon us, but we are here on legal business. We would like to speak to Ms. Bennett alone, if you may." Marcie and Bridget looked towards Piper to see if she was okay with that, and Piper nodded. Marcie and Bridget slowly lifted themselves off of Piper's hospital bed, and left the room. But, before they were fully through the door, Bridget turned around and said, "We'll wait just out here. Call us if you need us."
After Piper watched her friends' backs disappear, she turned towards the two men. She didn't recognize them, but they seemed very stiff and haughty. "Hello, Ms. Bennett. We're here to conduct the legal affairs of your father's death, and to make sure that you are well taken care of. You are quite a rich girl, and no one would want anything to happen to you." Piper did a double take on that last bit. "Wait, I'm not rich. My father is... was."
"No, you're wrong, Miss Bennett." the man said. "We already carried on with the will reading. You inherited everything.
AN: Okay, a lot of you guys guessed that something like that would happen, so there you go! This would have been up about a week earlier, but my computer wouldn't let me type in a label for my document, and, apparently, FF.N won't upload a document without it! Stupid computer... Oh, well. Review, please! I know a bunch of you are out there!
