A/N. I got six reviews for the last chapter. The most I've ever got! Thank you guys so much, you're brilliant.
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Chapter 23Piper and Phoebe rushed up to the front desk in the entrance to the hospital. All around them doctors and nurses bustled about, some checking pages of medical notes, others treating injuries. Anxious family and friends waited impatiently in the uncomfortable plastic provided for them. Patients sat in cubicles while doctors saw to them or rested in disturbed slumber. The hospital was alive with activity.
"Paige Williams," Piper panted, reaching the desk and slumping onto it.
"Please wait a moment." The receptionist's blue/grey eyes scanned the computer screen in front of her. "Room 318. The maternity ward is on your left," she announced after a moment of Piper's intense staring.
Piper was off like a shot, somehow managing to avoid all the people in her haste. Phoebe murmured a quick "thank you" before she hurried off to.
Piper sprinted through the swinging double doors of the maternity ward and instantly spotted Leo and Jason sat at the edge of their plastic seats. Phoebe had rung Jason while in the car, and as the newspaper was closer to the hospital then the Manor was, he had arrived first.
"Where's Paige?" Piper demanded, nearing the two men as Phoebe caught up with her.
"In with the doctor now." Leo stood and gave Piper's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Do they know what's wrong?" Phoebe asked. Jason slid his arm around his pregnant fiancée's waist and the witch gratefully leaned into his chest. She was terrified for her baby sister, but she couldn't show it. She had to be strong for Piper, who was completely freaking out. And if worse came too worse, she may have to be strong for Paige and Ryan.
"I left Prue with Dad," Piper said as she slumped into a chair, answering Leo's unspoken question.
"Is Ryan here yet?" Phoebe wondered.
Jason shook his head.
"What do we do know?"
"We wait."
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In the kitchen of Halliwell Manor, Victor Bennett was making himself a cup of teas, blissfully unaware of the events taking place in his granddaughter's nursery.
Flickering red and orange flames erupted from the carpeted floor of the Blessed One's nursery. They licked around a figure until it eventually emerged from them, and the magical fire died down. The figure that stepped from them was not demonic, as you would expect, but petite and curvy, with dark hair and eyes and wearing hip hugging jeans. It was Phoebe Halliwell.
Prue generated her magenta force field.
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"What's taking so long?" Phoebe muttered, glancing at her watch for the hundredth time in the half an hour she and Piper had been at the hospital. Three births had taken place, but there was no sign of Paige.
"She'll be fine." Jason took Phoebe's hand, but Phoebe snatched it away.
"How can you say that? Even Leo couldn't heal her!"
"Doctor!"
Piper's voice pulled Phoebe from her mini-rant. She looked up to see a young doctor standing in front of her looking down.
"How's Paige?" Piper, who had ceased pacing, demanded.
"Mrs Williams is stable," the doctor replied calmly.
Piper sagged with relief and the family seemed to let out a sigh.
"Then what was wrong?" Leo asked, still perplexed that he couldn't heal Paige or the baby.
"The placenta that surrounds the baby and keeps and keeps it protected had become detached, blocking the birth canal. When your sister went into slightly early labour, there was no way for the baby to, um, come out."
'So that explains it!' Leo thought. The baby wasn't wounded, so couldn't be healed.
"Can anything be done?" Jason asked. Even though he was not blood related, and hadn't been with the sisters as long as Leo, he still cared deeply, and felt part of the family.
The doctor smiled warmly, showing emotion for the first time since he had came out. "Mrs Williams is being prepared for a Caesarean Section as we speak."
"But… but Ryan isn't here. And she's… she's only eight months pregnant!" Phoebe stammered.
"Without the Caesarean both Mrs Williams and the baby could die."
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The form of Eef/Phoebe padded quietly over to Prue's crib. This was going to be harder than Eef thought.
"It's okay Prue," Eef/Phoebe soothed in a low voice. "It's only Auntie Phoebe."
Still Prue's shield remained up and unfaltering.
"I just want to hold you," the demon in Phoebe's form almost begged. "Please."
The shield disappeared and Eef smiled in triumph. He had finally got to the mighty Blessed One.
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At that moment the door to Paige's room was pushed open and a team of surgeon's wheeled her out.
"Piper. Phoebe," Paige whimpered.
"We're here baby." Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand while Piper did the same on the other side.
Piper's heart broke for her baby sister and tears filled her eyes. Paige looked so small and vulnerable, her eyes that were usually so full of cheer and hope were now feared with terror. She looked like a scared and lost little girl. Tiny sparks of yellow electricity shot from her fingertips, a sure sign that her baby was alive but distressed. Luckily none of the doctors seemed to noticed.
"Where's Ryan?"
"He's not here yet honey." Piper had to swallow the huge lump that had formed in her throat to be able to talk. She glanced across at Phoebe. The middle Charmed One was also struggling with tears.
"Paige!"
Piper whipped her eyes away from Paige to see Ryan sprinting down the corridor. She moved back as he reached them and the male witch took her place.
"Thank God you're here," Paige breathed as Ryan clutched her hand.
"I'm so sorry Paigey." Ryan's voice cracked and tears poured down his face.
"We have to go," a doctor reminded them gently.
Phoebe kissed Paige on her sweat-drenched forehead and then stepped away. "We'll be right here when you come out," she promised.
Leo grabbed at Piper's arm as Paige, Ryan and the doctors disappeared around the corner. "Prue's in trouble," he announced urgently.
"Go!" Phoebe exclaimed as Piper looked at her. "We'll stay here and wait for Paige."
Piper nodded silently and she and Leo dissolved in bright lights.
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Piper and Leo materialised in their daughter's nursery. The sight they saw made their hearts lurch and their stomachs heave.
Eef stood with Prue in his one arm, looking like the cat that had the cream. Piper didn't think she'd ever seen anyone look so triumphant or proud. It made her sick and even more determined to vanquish the evil bastard.
"Prue, orb to daddy," Leo instructed gently. To his immense relief Prue disappeared in a cloud of tiny orbs and reappeared in his arms. "Well done Princess," he whispered to the wailing infant. Prue calmed slightly at finding herself in the grasp of her father and not that of a demon.
"You know, this is getting boring," Piper complained. As she did, she flung out her arms and let loose her power on the demon she had came to despise and fear. The force of the blast sent Eef hurtling backwards into some shelves and to the floor. Packs of nappies, soft toys and wooden shelves tumbled on top of him. He flamed out, a huge shard of wood protruding from his from his back.
"Prue," Piper whispered, scooping up the most precious thing in the world to her and hugging her close. "Oh, you're such a brave girl. My brave, powerful girl." Piper looked up at Leo with tears in her eyes. "We nearly lost her Leo!"
"I know. But we didn't. That's the main thing." Leo pulled his family in tightly.
"We have to vanquish him. We can't keep risking it. Next time he may actually succeed in getting Prue."
"We will sweetie," Leo promised, pecking his wife's dark hair. Although he said the words confidently, he doubted them. Would the Charmed Ones ever vanquish Eef?
The door was thrown open and Victor burst in. "What happened?" he demanded.
"We don't have time to explain. We need to get back to Paige," Piper said.
"And we're taking Prue with us," Leo added before orbing off.
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Half an hour later, Paige and Kara Penelopy Williams, her new, healthy baby girl and been taken to another room, where Paige had been ordered to rest. Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Jason had only just been allowed in, and the family were gathered around Paige and the new baby. Prue had taken an instant fascination with Kara, and was sitting on the end of the bed, staring at her. Occasionally she would make a move to poke the baby, as if to check she was real, only to be gently yet firmly repositioned somewhere else.
"I can't believe we nearly lost her," Paige said. She, much like Prue, had barely taken her eyes off Kara.
Ryan smiled down at his wife. "And here she is, healthy, happy and loved."
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A/N. Wow, what a cheesy ending! Please review.