Back to Piper's POV. Sorry if it confuses anyone, I just find it easier to right in 1st person, but that wasn't possible with the last few chapters.

About three weeks later. I don't know exactly. How long does it take to get over being shot?

Chapter 12 – Facing yourself

"We tried to clean it." Phoebe stated as she helped me through the manor door.

I looked around. The place was ... well, not as messy as I'd expected.

"Sorry." Paige said, biting her lip.

"Guys, it's OK, don't worry about the mess. You guys have hardly been home the last few weeks, I didn't expect it to be spotless."

I didn't expect so much mess either, but that's not the point.

"We were just so exited you were coming home." Prue said brightly. "But we'll try to clean it later."

I nodded.

"So, what about demons? Magic activity been low lately?" I asked casually.

"We've had ... nothing, actually." Prue said. Then quieter - "We haven't seen Leo for a while."

This time I bite my lip.

I haven't spoken to him since the night I woke up. He's been to see me though. I woke up some nights in time to see him orb out.

"Has he ... um ..."

"We haven't seen him since Prue threw him out of your hospital room." Phoebe said.

Paige and I were silent. She had seen him outside my room, and she knew he'd seen me.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean for him to stay away like that." Prue said nervously. "I was ... and I thought Piper might ... you know."

"Yeah, and he'd have known that, right?" Phoebe said, looking at me.

"Actually ... Leo ... was the reason I woke up." I admitted. "He came into the hospital ... when you were asleep and he talked to me ... I heard him ... I heard you guys too." I added quickly. "Really faint, voices, I can barely remember .."

"What did Leo say?" Phoebe asked.

"He told me he ... loved me." I confessed.

"That's great news!" Prue said, as Phoebe cried "Told you so!"

Then they silenced.

"What did you say?"

"I told him I ... loved him too, but ... I'm not ready to be with anyone. I need to find myself."

"And that's why he stayed away?" Prue asked sympathetically.

"I don't know. He came a few times in the hospital, at night. I'd wake up as he was orbing out." I sighed.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this whole ... situation.

A part of me is scared I'll get hurt, but I know Leo wont hurt me. It's ridiculous.

"OK," Prue said eventually. "I scryed for evil earlier on and -"

"Prue!" Phoebe cried. "You're looking for trouble? Piper has to rest. Relax. How can she do that running after whatever evil is out there in the city? Plus, we don't know how strong we are. We faced one tiny little warlock."

"No, Phoebe, I wanna do it, lets do it." I said quickly. "I've rested for weeks and weeks and -"

"Piper, she's right. You have to -"

"I don't have to do anything." I snapped. "I want to forget about this and him. I'm a witch, dammit, and I wanna go fight evil."

They looked at me, and Prue nodded. "OK, I'll scry again."

"What a second, what the hell is scrying?"

As Prue and Phoebe went upstairs to scry, Paige explained. Basically it's a way for witches to find stuff, with a crystal and a map.

"Ri-i-i-ght." I said slowly when she'd explained.

"OK, we have evil, we have evil out there." Prue said excitedly, running downstairs with Phoebe right behind her. "Come on. Phoebe had a premonition."

"Wait, what about Patty -?"

"Bring her, come on." Phoebe said desperately. "That poor girl -"

"What poor girl? Phoebe!" I ran after them, clutching Patty.

Ten minutes later we pulled up outside a warehouse, and jumped out.

"Down here." Phoebe said quickly, leading us towards a scaly green demon stood in front of a terrified looking teenage girl.

When it saw us coming, the demon shot out a long pink tongue at us.

I cried out as Paige orbed me, her and Patty out of the way.

"Get out of here, now!" Prue yelled to the girl, who obediently ran.

"Do we have a plan!" I yelled as the demon blew at us – yes, blew – and a small tornado type thing spun around us, blowing a huge dust storm – not to mention our hair – into our faces.

"Spell ... spell, spell, spell." Phoebe murmured, fumbling in her jacket before pulling out a piece of notepaper.

"Hear these words, hear the rhyme, the charmed ones' voices cry in time, demon who caused pain galore, with this spell you'll be no more." We read quickly, and the demon seemed to swell ...

"Oh my god, he's gonna blow!" Phoebe cried. A little late really – before we could react, the demon exploded and half a ton of green gunk covered us.

"Ew!" Phoebe yelled. I had half turned to protect Patty, so most of it was in my hair and back, Paige had orbed out as it hit her, so she didn't have as much of it on her, but Phoebe and Prue were covered in it.

"You guys OK?" Paige said cautiously.

That's when we realised our sisters were shaking with laughter.

"That's was such a buzz." Phoebe laughed as we made our way through the manor door.

"A buzz? Phoebe, we're covered in demon guts." Prue giggled. It was good to see everyone laughing.

"Well, I am going for a shower." I said, putting Patty in her playpen.

Twenty minutes later I stepped into my bedroom, clean, dry and clothed.

I laid down on my bed, and my thoughts – as they had done a lot lately – turned to Leo.

"Piper?" I voice said softly. I sat bolt upright.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

"Mum? Why -? What are you doing here?" I said quickly.

"Because you're hurting, and there's no reason for it."

"You mean -?" I placed a hand on my abdomen, where a fresh bandage covered my healing wound.

"No, honey, you know what I mean."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.

"Honey, why are you stopping yourself from loving him?" She asked gently. "You're trying to shut out your feelings and it's just making you hurt more. Why?"

"I don't know." I said tearfully. "I just can't ... I need to find myself."

"All you've been doing for the last few weeks is try to find yourself." She pulled me up and over to the full length mirror in the corner. "Look." She said gently.

I looked at my reflection.

"What do you see?" Mum asked.

I shrugged.

"Shall I tell you? You see ... a witch, and a good one at that." I rolled my eyes. We've fought two demons. "A sister – a great sister ... an amazing mother, and you see a survivor. Piper, you suffered a lot. But you survived. You survived losing me, your father, your grams – who sends her love, by the way – and you survived Dan, and the horrors he put you through."

I looked away.

"Look, Piper, look." Mum said, gently turning my head back. "You were scared to leave Dan for so long, but you did it. You survive every thing life throws at you."

"What am I supposed to do?" I said, crying a little. "I'm so scared of getting hurt -"

"All you have to do is face yourself." She replied. "And you'll know what to do."

I realised suddenly she was getting slightly fainter. I spun round.

"Mum -?"

"I'm sorry, honey, I have to go. I shouldn't have come here in the first place." She smiled at me. "But it's a mother's right, wouldn't you say?"

I nodded, knowing I would risk everything for Patty.

"Be well, my darling. I love you."

She was gone. I turned back to the mirror.

I know what I have to do.

It's doing it that's the hard part.