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: HUGE thanks to sci fi fan, line100, versatilecutie, luluSa, Chub, Starring Piper, piperperson, tessalynne, prues-clues, Piper15, daria, pippergurl, and Timeless Deception (UPDATE PLEASE!) for all of your wonderful reviews!! You guyz and galz are the bestest!
Starring Piper: You're supposed to be on tonight, so here's hoping that you are! I finally managed to get this chapter out! Aren't you proud? I miss you... Love you!
Thanks to everyone for being patient! Please review, 'cause I'd like to know what you think. Oh, and this is getting near the end. But if there is enough people who want the sequel... Well, you get the point. Anywayz, read on!
Chapter 13
Matt's chest heaved as he sucked in gasping breaths. The tension that had been building in his muscles fled him, melting away smoothly until all he could feel was fatigue. Matt closed his eyes, struggling to remember where he was, what he had been doing. When he opened them again, blinking to dispell the foggy haze blurring his vision, he noticed the crumpled figure at his feet. Who...?
Piper.
"My God," he prayed, tone dripping with accusations, dropping to his knees at her side, "What have You made me do?"
Matt swiped his hand across his face, meaning to wipe away the sweat, but he as he drew his hand away, he felt the sticky lliquid clinging to his forehead and cheeks. With mounting dread, Matt slowly peered at his hands. Blood. The thick red substance was everywhere. It covered the floor, his hands, his clothes. And...Piper. Groaning, Matt lifted her gingerly in his arms, beginning to weep softly. What had he done? Faint, slow, shallow breathing reached his ears as he covered her swollen, bruised face with light kisses.
In brief, brutal flashes, Matt began to see jsut what he had done to her. Fury, this time at himself, had him trembling. How was she even alive? Matt set Piper down gently, staring dazedly past her, past the room he was in. Into something from his childhood.
Flashback
"Daddy," Matt screamed hysterically, tugging on his father's arm with all of his ten-year-old might ,"Stop it, Daddy!"
Matt shook as his father turned to him, anger sparking in his eyes. Slowly, Matt was lifted from his feet. Matt's eyes grew wide in realization. He was going to hit him. For the first time, his dad was going to hit him. Not his mother. Not a wall, or a drunken friend. But him. Matt closed his eyes in anticipation, fighting to stay calm.
"I won't have my own son siding with his mother against me," Luke whispered menacingly. Then, without thought, he tossed his child away from him, not even bothering to watch his landing.
Matt thudded against the floor, his head slamming into the corner of their coffee table. As his field of vision faded, he watched as his mother flailed wildly, begging Daddy to stop, to please stop. And then there was darkness. Protection from the awful sight and the screaming.
End
Moaning from the pain the memory brought back, Matt toppled onto the floor, laying prostrate, face-down. What had he done? Become his father. For his Lord. Matt cried. For himself. For his mother. For Piper. When he had finished, he gathered Piper into his arms, praying he wasn't causing more harm, and did what he knew he should. Took her away from the safety of his cabin, away from the protection of his mother's charms, and drove her to San Francisco Memorial.
Automatically, he retrieved his cell phone and dialed the police station, waiting impatiently for a response. "Morris here," he spat, "What's the emergency?" After several long moments of silence, Darryl shut the phone off. His high profile kidnapping case had been solved. Piper had been found. At San Francisco Memorial. Turning on his heel, he rushed back into the service.
"Phoebe, grab Paige and Leo and meet me outside," he whispered urgently as soon as he reached her side. Phoebe glared at him.
"Not now," she hissed, "Don't even think about ruining the only chance we have to say goodbye."
"You don't have to say goodbye," Darryl said quickly, rejoicing silently, "Jsut get Paige and Leo. Please."
Phoebe eyed him, hope springing inside of her. Darryl gave her a pointed look and dashed back outside. Phoebe mulled over what he had said. "You don't have to say goodbye..." Could it be? Impatiently, Phoebe tugged on Paige's hand, dragging her outside, without explanation. Leo followed hesitantly. Once they reached Darryl, Paige jerked away from Phoebe, anger sparking inside of her.
"What is this?," she growled, "You tell me I have to say goodbye to my sister... That I have to let her go and move on, and now, when I am trying to do jsut that, you pull me away?"
"Paige," Darryl interrupted, breaking into a grin, " Leo, Phoebe, they've found her. She's alive. In the hospital, but she's alive."
Paige gaped at him. No. There was no way this was happening. It was two good to be real. She was dreaming. In a few moments, she would wake up and find that her hope had been in something fabricated by her own subconscious. Paige gripped her arms fiercely, clawing them in an effort to wake herself up. She couldn't keep doing this to herself. The pain would kill her. Phoebe moved toward her, saying something. But Paige couldn't hear her, she could only hear blood rushing in her ears.Two much. It was all two much.
"Paige," Phoebe urged, "Paige, honey, please, listen to me. She's alive. Everything is going to be OK now. She's alive."
"Leo," Darryl said, tearing his eyes away from Paige, "Jsut...Do whatever it is that you do to get them to Memorial. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." Leo nodded, his eyes filling with tears.
"Leo," Phoebe said frantically, "I don't know what to do. Paige..she's... gone somewhere. She won't answer me." Leo blinked, suddenly aware of Paige's pale form, and the far-off look in her eyes.
"We'll take her to Piper," Leo told her, his voice shaking with relief, then he gripped them both, "She'll be fine when she sees Piper." Without another word, Leo orbed them to the hospital.
