CHARMED-ANGEL4 - Lotsa exclamation points, huh? Hyper much? Oh well, I loves it. Thanks!
MAGICAL PRINCESS - Um... I don't wanna give away anything, but that is one of the options I am considering. There are quite a few, so that chapter might not come for a few more, or it may be the next one. You never know!
MYSTERIOUS MIDNIGHT - Thanks!
LILLYNILLY - Thanks!
DARKANGEL06 - I know what you mean. I'm a lazy bum, and I'm on break! Thanks!
VERSATILE CUTIE - Oh, awesome! I'm a helluva something! Teehee! Thanks lotses!
KK241289 - No, it wasn't just your computer. See AN for details. Teehee! That sounded like a commercial! Thanks for the review!
SUMMER LOVIN - See AN. Thanks!
CHARMEDMILLIE - Lotsa signs. See AN. Thanks!
OTHCHARMEDFREAK - That would be an understatement. When FREAK is an understatement, that is quite huge. Yups! Thanks!
CHARMEDALI - Thanks, I love to be in C2s! Also, thanks so much for the reviews!
GOLDBAND - Momentum is going up and up and up and up! Yups! Oh yes, quite a coincidence, huh? I just didn't want him to find her out too early, 'cause Piper is supposedly the one that looks most like Patty! Thanks for the review!
CHUB - Thanks!
Chapter 15:
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After Phoebe hung up the phone on her older sister, she immediately jetted over to the medicine cabinet. "Okay, let's see... how the hell do I treat this?" she asked herself, rifling through the many various medications and bandages in the cabinet. "Okay, disinfectant! You need that for any injury... first aid kits are always good... water and soap, good combo... need washcloths to actually clean and not make a mess... bandages! Duh! Need to keep cuts from being infected. Band-aids, for arms... ice for bruises... okay, I think that's good."
Phoebe looked around at all that she had collected. It was about half of the cabinet. "God, I hope Leo gets here soon. He's the one that knows all of the doctor stuff." Phoebe whispered to herself, and picked up all that she had collected.
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Phoebe put all of the supplies on the coffee table right next to the couch, and looked up at Piper. She was lying stomach-down on the couch, resting her head on one of the end pillows. Her arms were folded underneath both the pillow and her head, and she was facing towards Phoebe. She glanced over at all the supplies, and then back at Phoebe. "You're gonna clean it?" she asked. Phoebe knelt down right next to Piper's head. "Yeah, honey, I have to. I'm gonna make it all better." Phoebe said, smiling, and running her fingers through Piper's long hair, which was hanging off of the couch as to not touch her back.
Piper simultaneously closed her eyes, and a lone tear ran down the couch. "Is something wrong, honey?" Phoebe asked, and then mentally kicked herself. 'Of course something's wrong." she though. 'She's lying on my couch after being whipped and beaten for who knows how long.' "Thanks." Piper said softly. Phoebe was surprised. "What?" she asked, whispering. "Thanks.. for caring about me." Piper paused, and looked away. "Even though I'm not worth it."
Phoebe was completely taken back by Piper's last words. "of course you're worth it, honey. You're always worth it." she said, and moved Piper's head softly so that they were looking at each other again. "No, I'm not worth anything." she whispered, barely audible to Phoebe. But, the words hit her like Piper had shouted them. Phoebe's eyes watered up, and the full reality of Piper's situation finally sunk in. Sure, she had felt the fear, the pain, the full out terror. But, she hadn't really been there. She hadn't bee there when she wasn't asleep, she hadn't been there during the time before her first dream. She hadn't been there for the years that her friend had been going through her horrible life.
Phoebe felt a lone tear slip down her cheek, and turned away from Piper for a moment. She hastily wiped the tear away, and tried to completely force away her unshed tears. She knew that she had to be strong, that now was not the time to break down. "Pull yourself together, Phoebe," she told herself under her breath. She turned back around, and picked up some of the soap and water. She again knelt by Piper's side.
"Honey, I have to clean your back, okay?" Phoebe asked, although, in her opinion, Piper wouldn't really have a say in that part. Piper slightly nodded her head. "Okay, this is going to hurt a little bit." she said, and drenched a washcloth in water. She then placed a dollop of soap in the middle, and rubbed it all around. She lightly pressed the washcloth to Piper's back, but retracted it when she heard Piper whimper in pain. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." Phoebe said, and tucked a strand of Piper's hair behind her hear and out of her closed eyes. "But, I have to clean your back, no matter how much it may hurt." Piper nodded, and Phoebe commenced with the cleaning.
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Phoebe looked at the sleeping Piper in front of her. She had quickly fallen asleep after all the crying she had done, as the cleaning was much more painful than Phoebe had anticipated. Luckily, though, it hadn't taken too long. bUt, it had still been very difficult. There were band-aids covering Piper's arms and legs, for, after further inspection, Phoebe had found cuts all over her body. There were bandages covering the entire length of her back, ad an ice pack was situated on top of her ribs AND on her stomach, as there were horrible black and bruises there. Also, she had quite a few broken ribs, but none had punctured her lungs.
But, Phoebe couldn't think of anything to do for those. She didn't have any medical expertise, even though she and her sisters had taken a course on basic emergency procedures, such as CPR, the Heimlich Maneuver, Rescue Breathing, and treating various other medical emergencies. But, she didn't know how to treat broken bones, nor did she have any idea how to deal wt the emotional turmoil that was surging through her very soul at that moment.
Sorrow and pain made not breaking down almost impossible for the fourteen-year-old. She could barely bare to move with all that she held inside. Fear and worry also made many normal tasks, such as breathing, near impossible. Phoebe had to focus all of her strength on breathing normally, and not going into an episode of hyperventilation. And anger, that was the worst. She was angry, but not just angry. She was completely, utterly, and insanely furious at whoever had dared to hurt the gentle angel sleeping restlessly on the couch in front of her. Phoebe wanted to bring HIM as much pain as he had brought the resting teenager.
Phoebe just couldn't take it anymore. She had to get away, she had to let out her bottled-up emotions, but she couldn't awaken her friend. She quickly ran from the room and into the kitchen, shutting the rarely shut door behind her so that she would not even cause Piper to stir. As soon as she was in the shut-off kitchen, she stopped. She felt a tear falling down her cheek, and then another. She felt a torrent of tears fall, and a sob creep up her throat.
Phoebe let it out. She let it all out. She sunk to the ground, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She adapted the same position she had found Piper in about an hour earlier. She began rocking back and forth, and covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle her sobs. She cried her heart out, something she had not done since her older sister had gone away forever.
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"God, it's about time!" Prue scolded quietly, as Leo walked out of his classroom. "Jeez, I'm sorry, Prue! I was just in the middle of a test, and you know how I am at math!" Leo defended himself, his tone a little more downtrodden than usual. "Well, I though that you would finally get the concept down after being alive for almost eighty years, but I guess I was wrong." Prue responded, rolling her eyes. "Well, when you guys are finished arguing, we can go save our innocent." Paige said, giving Prue and Leo a reality check. The three started walking down the hallway.
"We have to save an innocent?" Leo asked, looking back and forth between the two sisters. "Of course we do, Leo. Why else would we have to skip about half of the school day?" Prue asked, getting very irritable again. She had been irascible ever since the events of the morning. "I don't know. I guessed that after, well, this morning..." Leo said, but didn't need to continue. All three of them knew what he was talking about.
"No, we aren't skipping, we're saving an innocent." Paige said, trying effectively to change the subject. "What innocent? And how do we know?" Leo asked. "Well, we have to save the innocent from Phoebe's dreams. She called me on my cell, and told me that she had found whoever it is, and to meet her at the Manor." Prue informed him. "Why aren't we orbing, then?" Leo asked, holding a hand out to each of the girls. "Because, I don't particularly care to leave my car at the school." Prue said, and took the other two in the direction of the parking lot.
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Prue, Paige, and Leo walked into the Manor through the back way, as Leo could sense that Phoebe was in the kitchen. As soon as they walked in, Prue said "Sorry were were late, Pheebs, Leo just had to be caught up during a... math... test." She slowed down when she spotted her little sister sitting on the ground, sobbing.
Phoebe looked p at the sound of her eldest sister's voice. "Hey, guys." she said, wiping away her tears and trying to smile. Prue and Paige were immediately by her side. "What happened, Pheebs?" Prue asked protectively, while Leo stood over the three of them. The simple question caused more teardrops to roll down Phoebe's already moist face.
"I'm not worth anything!" she almost shouted, and buried her face in her knees again. Prue and Paige exchanged worried glances over phoebe's head. "You are worth something, Pheebs. You're-" Prue's reassurances were cut off by Phoebe. "No. That's what she said. She thanked me for caring about her, although she wasn't worth it. When I told her she was, that's what she said! She said 'I'm not worth anything'. But, Prue, she is! She IS worth something!" Phoebe was close to hysterics by that time, and Prue pulled her into a comforting embrace, while Paige just held her older sister's hand, not knowing what to do. Phoebe was not normally emotional about their innocents' situations. sHe normally just did her job, and that was that. It was strange to see her breaking down about one innocent.
But, it was still heart wrenching. They could not believe that anyone would or could feel that way. They had seen innocents with various different mentalities, but they had never seen one with such a low self-esteem. Most of their innocents just needed to be saved from the demon that was after them, and that was that. But, this girl seemed to not only have demons somehow involved in her life, but inner demons as well. And, they didn't even know who she was yet.
"Phoebe, who is saying all of this? Who is the innocent?" Leo asked. He felt Phoebe's pain through his whitelighter abilities, and wanted to know the answer. "She's been through so much. She doesn't deserve this!" Phoebe protested. It became obvious to everyone that they would have trouble getting an answer from her. But, that wouldn't keep them from trying.
"Honey, please. Please tell us who she is!" Prue insisted, looking into her little sister's glistening eyes. "She's... she's... Alexa."
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AN: Mwahahahahaha! Mwahahahahaha! Mwahahahahaha! I took my cough medicine, so I didn't cough! Teehee.. aren't I evil? Of course I am, I left you with that horrible cliffie! What are their reactions? What's gonna happen? You'll just have to see next time! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! I may even give you guys an early Christmas present if I get enough reviews by the 24th!