Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Charmed. I'm almost positive it's illegal to do what I'm going to do with these characters...ah well, don't sue. It's only fun and fiction!
AN: Thanks to fury harper, pippergurl, line100, piperperson, versatilecutie, Chub, lulusa (twice), prues clues, and Starring Piper (TWIN!!) for your fantastic reviews!!! I love feedback, and y'all all have been wonderful! I love you!!!! *grins*
Starring Piper: Hey sweetie, I guess I finally managed to work on this story after all... This chapter is for you because "you've been my inspiration". Love ya hon'!
Chapter 10
"What do you mean there is no way to find her," Phoebe demanded sharply, throwing an accusatory look in Darryl's general direction. Darryl made a helpless gesture, unable to say any more.
Phoebe began pacing the living room, occasionally glancing back at Darryl and Paige, who were sitting side by side on a nearby couch. Darryl watched her frantic movements wearily, hating the news he had had to bring as much as the sisters did. Paige got to her feet, standing directly in Phoebe's path. When Phoebe reached her sister, Paige placed her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently to get Phoebe's full attention.
"Honey, you are going to have to calm down," Paige told her, "All we can do right now is hold it together and try to find some way to get her back."
"We have already tried everything, Paige," Phoebe returned, her tone nearing hysterical, "So, I am going to do what I have left to do, the one thing I haven't done yet. Freak out." Paige squared her shoulders, refusing to move when Phoebe tried to push past her.
"Look, this isn't going to help anyone, not you, not Piper. The police are doing all they can and-"
"And getting nowhere," Phoebe interrupted angrily, "How am I supposed to react to this, Paige? Sit and wait, nice and quiet, until someone stumbles across her dead body in some alleyway? I can't do that. She's my sister." Paige ignored the implications of that statement, choosing not to defend herself. Right now, she had to concentrate on calming her sister.
"That isn't what I am asking you to do," Paige insisted, "All I am saying is that by breaking down, we lose a member of our search team, a vital member. Phoebe, you have been practicing the craft longer than I have, you may have some spell somewhere in your mind jsut waiting to spring up and shout, "Hey! I know the way to get Piper back!". If you lose it now, you are hindering that. Is that what you want to do, Phoebe?"
Phoebe looked down, fighting back the tears that had been threatening to surface since Darryl's arrival. Paige stood quietly, waiting for Phoebe's reaction. After several moments, Phoebe walked to a nearby chair, sinking into it and wrapping her arms around herself. Paige followed and stood behind her. Gently stroking her sister's hair, Paige brought her gaze to meet Darryl's guilt-ridden eyes.
"What can we do now?," she asked softly. Darryl shook his head sadly.
"There is nothing you can do, aside from what you are already doing. This doesn't look good...I hate to say it, but you may not be getting Piper back, at least not alive," Darryl responded quietly, forcing himself to be brutally honest. Paige choked back a sob rising in her throat and composed herself.
"We will," she returned evenly, "I know she is coming back."
Piper cringed as Matt snapped the bare metal handcuff around her wrist, this time so tightly that the cold steel dug into her skin, making deep impressions. Piper glared at the man through the eye that wasn't swollen shut, but Matt took no notice of her hateful stare.
"This will teach you," he told her, more for his own assurance than for any benefit to her, "I tried to be nice about it, but you wouldn't let me be what my nature calls for me to be, so now I will treat you like a prisoner instead of a guest. When you decide you would like to stay willingly, then we can work on our trust issues." Matt smirked at his little joke, watching her face pale, aside from the various bruises he had given her.
"I was already a prisoner, and I will never agree to stay here voluntarily. You disgust me," Piper spat, clinging to her anger to keep from whimpering. Piper tasted blood and knew her lip had cracked open again. Matt chuckled, wagging his finger closely in front of her face. Piper had the strong urge to bite him, but she didn't need to be beaten again. She had barely endured the first round.
"I will leave you alone to lick your wounds in peace," he said graciously, "If you'd like, you can try to escape again, but I doubt you will find it so easy this time." Piper bit her tongue, forcing back any comments that would keep him in the room. She needed a reprieve from his awful presence. Matt turned at the doorway to wink at her, and Piper lunged towards him before she could think the action through. The chain ripped her backwards, jerking her arm painfully. Matt laughed loudly all the way down the hall. Piper cried out and sank to the floor, hot tears slipping down her battered cheeks. Through her good eye, she carefully surveyed the damage he had done. The worst of it, as far as she could tell, were the injuries to her ribs, which he had enjoyed kicking repeatedly only minutes earlier. It hurt to take deep breaths, or even shallow ones, and her stomach was one giant bruise. The rest of her body was covered in scrapes and bruises, varying in color and degree of pain.
Piper lay down gently, longing desperately for the peaceful oblivion sleep brought to her. She was completely exhausted, but her aching limbs protested as she shifted around, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position. In the end, she gave up the search, choosing to curl into a ball. It hurt badly, sending sharp pains up and down her abdomen, but Piper still found comfort in the familiar position.
Sleep would not come, and Piper instead busied herself with her next plan of action. Judging from the agony she felt at the moment, she knew that it would be at least a week or two before she would be strong enough to try anything more. So, she began to plot her behavior for the time she would be forced to stay trapped, deciding to gradually tone down her resentment towards him. It would take a lot of effort, and some fine acting skills, but Piper could think of no other way to escape. She would have to use him to get out, and to do that, she would need to convince him that she was "enjoying her stay" with him. It was a revolting thought, to act kindly towards him, even fondly. Still, she had to if she was ever going to get away from him. Sighing, Piper resigned herself to what she had to do, and finally slipped into uneasy slumber.
AN: Thanks to fury harper, pippergurl, line100, piperperson, versatilecutie, Chub, lulusa (twice), prues clues, and Starring Piper (TWIN!!) for your fantastic reviews!!! I love feedback, and y'all all have been wonderful! I love you!!!! *grins*
Starring Piper: Hey sweetie, I guess I finally managed to work on this story after all... This chapter is for you because "you've been my inspiration". Love ya hon'!
Chapter 10
"What do you mean there is no way to find her," Phoebe demanded sharply, throwing an accusatory look in Darryl's general direction. Darryl made a helpless gesture, unable to say any more.
Phoebe began pacing the living room, occasionally glancing back at Darryl and Paige, who were sitting side by side on a nearby couch. Darryl watched her frantic movements wearily, hating the news he had had to bring as much as the sisters did. Paige got to her feet, standing directly in Phoebe's path. When Phoebe reached her sister, Paige placed her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently to get Phoebe's full attention.
"Honey, you are going to have to calm down," Paige told her, "All we can do right now is hold it together and try to find some way to get her back."
"We have already tried everything, Paige," Phoebe returned, her tone nearing hysterical, "So, I am going to do what I have left to do, the one thing I haven't done yet. Freak out." Paige squared her shoulders, refusing to move when Phoebe tried to push past her.
"Look, this isn't going to help anyone, not you, not Piper. The police are doing all they can and-"
"And getting nowhere," Phoebe interrupted angrily, "How am I supposed to react to this, Paige? Sit and wait, nice and quiet, until someone stumbles across her dead body in some alleyway? I can't do that. She's my sister." Paige ignored the implications of that statement, choosing not to defend herself. Right now, she had to concentrate on calming her sister.
"That isn't what I am asking you to do," Paige insisted, "All I am saying is that by breaking down, we lose a member of our search team, a vital member. Phoebe, you have been practicing the craft longer than I have, you may have some spell somewhere in your mind jsut waiting to spring up and shout, "Hey! I know the way to get Piper back!". If you lose it now, you are hindering that. Is that what you want to do, Phoebe?"
Phoebe looked down, fighting back the tears that had been threatening to surface since Darryl's arrival. Paige stood quietly, waiting for Phoebe's reaction. After several moments, Phoebe walked to a nearby chair, sinking into it and wrapping her arms around herself. Paige followed and stood behind her. Gently stroking her sister's hair, Paige brought her gaze to meet Darryl's guilt-ridden eyes.
"What can we do now?," she asked softly. Darryl shook his head sadly.
"There is nothing you can do, aside from what you are already doing. This doesn't look good...I hate to say it, but you may not be getting Piper back, at least not alive," Darryl responded quietly, forcing himself to be brutally honest. Paige choked back a sob rising in her throat and composed herself.
"We will," she returned evenly, "I know she is coming back."
Piper cringed as Matt snapped the bare metal handcuff around her wrist, this time so tightly that the cold steel dug into her skin, making deep impressions. Piper glared at the man through the eye that wasn't swollen shut, but Matt took no notice of her hateful stare.
"This will teach you," he told her, more for his own assurance than for any benefit to her, "I tried to be nice about it, but you wouldn't let me be what my nature calls for me to be, so now I will treat you like a prisoner instead of a guest. When you decide you would like to stay willingly, then we can work on our trust issues." Matt smirked at his little joke, watching her face pale, aside from the various bruises he had given her.
"I was already a prisoner, and I will never agree to stay here voluntarily. You disgust me," Piper spat, clinging to her anger to keep from whimpering. Piper tasted blood and knew her lip had cracked open again. Matt chuckled, wagging his finger closely in front of her face. Piper had the strong urge to bite him, but she didn't need to be beaten again. She had barely endured the first round.
"I will leave you alone to lick your wounds in peace," he said graciously, "If you'd like, you can try to escape again, but I doubt you will find it so easy this time." Piper bit her tongue, forcing back any comments that would keep him in the room. She needed a reprieve from his awful presence. Matt turned at the doorway to wink at her, and Piper lunged towards him before she could think the action through. The chain ripped her backwards, jerking her arm painfully. Matt laughed loudly all the way down the hall. Piper cried out and sank to the floor, hot tears slipping down her battered cheeks. Through her good eye, she carefully surveyed the damage he had done. The worst of it, as far as she could tell, were the injuries to her ribs, which he had enjoyed kicking repeatedly only minutes earlier. It hurt to take deep breaths, or even shallow ones, and her stomach was one giant bruise. The rest of her body was covered in scrapes and bruises, varying in color and degree of pain.
Piper lay down gently, longing desperately for the peaceful oblivion sleep brought to her. She was completely exhausted, but her aching limbs protested as she shifted around, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position. In the end, she gave up the search, choosing to curl into a ball. It hurt badly, sending sharp pains up and down her abdomen, but Piper still found comfort in the familiar position.
Sleep would not come, and Piper instead busied herself with her next plan of action. Judging from the agony she felt at the moment, she knew that it would be at least a week or two before she would be strong enough to try anything more. So, she began to plot her behavior for the time she would be forced to stay trapped, deciding to gradually tone down her resentment towards him. It would take a lot of effort, and some fine acting skills, but Piper could think of no other way to escape. She would have to use him to get out, and to do that, she would need to convince him that she was "enjoying her stay" with him. It was a revolting thought, to act kindly towards him, even fondly. Still, she had to if she was ever going to get away from him. Sighing, Piper resigned herself to what she had to do, and finally slipped into uneasy slumber.
