Thanks for the reviews 1treehillcharmed and I really do appreciate them.
And, now, the story continues ...
Chapter 19: Sentimental Values
Coop and Leo both whipped their heads back and forth and all around them, in search of the loud booming voice that had penetrated the air, and had put an abrupt end to their discussion. However, as their eyes scanned the dark and empty space spreading for miles around them, nobody could be seen nor heard.
"Hello?" Leo bravely called back out. "Who's there?" He looked to Coop, who only shrugged back in his direction. A few moments passed but there was still no response to his inquiry so Leo pressed on again. "We're looking for the Afterlife Council," he announced. "My name is Leo and this is," but he was cut off.
"Yes, we know who you are," the booming voice responded back. "The question is why are you here?"
Leo was about respond back; however, Coop cut in instead.
"We stand before you and beseech the Council to take corrective action against a grievance from the mortal realm," he announced. "An immortal violation of Universal Law 1177 has been committed. Universal Law states that immortals are prohibited to interfere with a mortal binding of marriage and any violators are to take appropriate corrective action in respect to the aggrieved parties."
Leo just stood and watched in amazement as Coop delivered his formal epigrammatic dialogue.
"No! That is not what we meant!" the impatient voice interrupted again. "We know why you want to be here," the voice clarified. "But why are you here? As in how did you get here? We have not summoned you to stand before this council. Therefore, you must leave."
"Now," a second voice followed.
"Well, if you know why we want to be here, then why don't you fix the problem!" Leo demanded just as loudly. At the same time, he anxiously took steps forward as Coop reached out, trying to restrain him but that didn't deter Leo. He was very quickly becoming agitated with the lack of progression in this meeting. "What use is the greater good if 'good' doesn't even have to follow it's own rules?" he argued.
"Enough!" the voice demanded. "This matter is not on the agenda. It will not be heard any further!"
"Wait!" a second voice penetrated throughout the open space. "Due to the seriousness behind these allegations, we will make an exception just this once. Which Elders do you wish to name as the offending parties?"
This voice was also loud; however, more importantly, it provided Leo with the opening he needed to make his argument. He spoke in a calmer but serious fashion.
"Gideon's gone," Leo answered. "But the rest who are following in his footsteps still lead the Elder Council. They should be made to step down," he demanded.
"We will decide the fate of those who dwell amongst the immortal realm," the first voice shouted back. "Not you!"
Both Coop and Leo could distinguish that the tone in this voice was clearly perturbed by their presence and was making damn sure they remained absolutely reminded of the fact that they were here uninvited.
"You wish to take corrective measures against an Elder who no longer exists?" the second voice asked incredulously. "Isn't it true that corrective actions have been made by the remaining Elders you wish to be held accountable?" it asked.
Leo shook his head because that was exactly the counter argument he had been hoping to avoid. Coop, picking up on this, looked at Leo and then quickly readdressed the Afterlife Council.
"Respectfully, I beg to differ with the Council's conclusion," Coop interjected. "If I may?" he quickly added, seeking permission to be heard before them.
"Continue," the second voice commanded.
Coop looked to Leo and sighed before continuing. "While it may appear before this Council that corrective measures have been taken, they in fact have not. The soul of," Coop looked to Leo for help on the name.
"Andrew Trudeau," Leo announced.
"The soul of Andrew Trudeau was reintroduced back into the mortal realm under the binding of a marriage. Now, while it is not a traditional form of reincarnation, it is in fact a form of it. He was allowed to re-enter the mortal realm which makes him bound back to his former mortal conditions," Coop argued. "Immortals are not allowed to take away mortal life with the exception of the Angel of Death and then only when a person's rightful time comes and he is beckoned to by the grand design. Whether permission was ever granted or not, Andrew retains the right to maintain his new mortal life and destiny until a new time. The marriage binding solidifies all of it. The Elders intervened and wrongly reclaimed him. The only corrective measure would be to reinstate Andrew's mortal life," he concluded.
Coop and Leo both remained completely still, anticipation coursing throughout their entire bodies as a period of silence ensued.
"We will take some time to consider the argument," declared the second voice. "Please await our decision," was the final directive issued to both men as they stood waiting.
X
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all sat huddled around the kitchen table.
There wasn't much conversation to be had as each sister was lost within her own thoughts. Piper was desperately searching for an answer to explain how Prue became infected by a darklighter's poisoned arrow while Phoebe's thoughts drifted back to Billie and Prue. Paige, on the other hand, still contemplated whether or not it was really her place to even break the news about Prue and the baby. Did Prue even know herself?
Phoebe fiddled with her cup of coffee before finally breaking the silence. "So," she began. "How do you think it's going up there?" she inquired, seeking the opinion of her sisters. She brought the cup up to her mouth to take a sip.
"I really have no idea," Piper honestly replied, taking in a deep breath. "But I'll tell you what I am concerned about. This new development regarding witches and a darklighter's poisoned arrows," she declared, shaking her head in deep thought. "Prue shouldn't have had a reaction like that. Something's wrong," she concluded firmly.
"Do you think it has anything to do with the Triad?" Phoebe proposed.
"Maybe," Piper answered. "We can't rule anything out at this point. I mean, we already know they're coming after us again. It's just a matter of when so we really need to start working with Prue. Not to mention, we still don't know who the remaining Triad member is."
Paige decided to speak up and offer her thoughts on the subject. "Yeah, but how is a darklighter exhibiting powers he shouldn't even have? And I'm almost positive this has to be the same darklighter that JD ran into trouble with. But the weird thing is that neither Billie nor JD have been able to identify what type of darklighter he is."
"Well, maybe he stole some powers from another witch?" Phoebe suggested. "Prue, Piper, and I ran into a warlock that could do it," she finished. "Unfortunately, it did cost someone else her life though," she reflected last minute, as she and Piper thought back to the whitelighter the three of them had butted heads with.
Natalie.
"No, I don't think this has to do with witches," Paige announced with a shake of her head. "This particular darklighter is targeting whitelighters. Besides, even if the powers were stolen, whoever heard of a good witch with the power to fake the cries of help coming from innocents? I doubt he would have stolen that from a witch. That's a technique being used to lure someone in," she concluded.
"Wait a minute. What do you mean faking cries for help?" Phoebe asked seeking clarification. "Do you know something we don't?" she asked in all seriousness.
Paige heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I do, actually. But I wasn't keeping it from you on purpose. Everything with Prue happened but before that I was trying to find an answer to it," she explained while both sisters listened intently. "This morning I received a call for help from another young whitelighter and that's the first time I encountered the darklighter. He must have followed me back here," she shared with some guilt between her words. "The other whitelighter told me that this particular darklighter has been using fake cries coming from innocents to lure whitelighters to isolated spots in order to kill them. Some of them have already been lost."
"What?" replied Phoebe in surprise.
Piper thought about Paige's admission. "Okay. Well, if that's true, I'm even more confused now than I was before. Why did the darklighter aim for Prue instead of you?" she asked. "You're the whitelighter in the family."
"Yeah, I mean if his objective is to target whitelighters, it makes no sense to go for the witch?" Phoebe agreed.
Paige shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't know. Because we're the Charmed Ones, because we're this new Ultimate Power thingy, your guess is as good as mine," she replied. "Though, I do have an idea. It's a long shot but still worth a shot. I'm going to try Sam and see if he has any more information as to what's been going on."
Phoebe smirked and squinted her eyes at her baby sister in a playful gesture. "You mean your father? I thought you got past calling him Sam and moved on to Dad?" she teased lightly. "Do I sense lingering issues?"
Paige squinted her eyes back in return. "Yeah, well dear ole' dad," she emphasized on purpose, "is the only other avenue I can come up with right now. He is a whitelighter so this does effect him too," she offered. "Unless, the two of you have any better ideas?" she threw out at them.
"No, really I don't," Piper was quick to respond. She got up from her chair and brought her empty coffee cup to the sink. "But go for it. The more we can find out ahead of time, the better prepared we'll be," she surmised. Then she walked over to the counter top grabbing for her purse and keys. "Right now, I need to go pick up the kids," she announced. "So keep an eye on things," she suggested, while using her finger to point up towards the ceiling. It was a clear indicator to both Phoebe and Paige to watch for Prue and Billie.
As Piper retreated from the kitchen, Paige remembered the one thing she meant to ask her from the beginning but they had gotten distracted by more pressing issues. "Oh, Piper!" she exclaimed. "How did the visit with the doctor go?" she shouted out.
"It went," came Piper's response, lingering through the air.
The front door to the manor was heard closing.
X
"Nice," Leo mumbled to Coop after the Council had retreated to deliberate the issues presented before them. His eyes still darted around the voluminous space, looking for any visible signs of someone who could lay claim to the voices being heard all around them. "Didn't know you had that in you," he added.
"Yeah, I was a lawyer before I was a Cupid," Coop gritted his teeth together, trying to remain cautious in the event that the Council could still hear them.
Leo sent a questioning look back in his direction and was about to ask him how that was possible until Coop interjected first. "How ... " Leo began.
"In the mortal realm," Coop added on to his explanation, after taking notice of the bewildered stare. He quickly anticipated the question about to be thrown at him next. "Look, it's how I knew about the Afterlife Council," he finally confessed. "Upon my mortal death, my soul was presented before them. I was given the choice of serving within the immortal realm indefinitely or I could await another incarnation within the mortal realm as a whole new person. I chose immortality. They appointed me as a Cupid," he finished explaining.
Leo listened to the admission. "Wow, I never would have thought," and he let his voice trail off.
"That I was a mortal once?" Coop finished for him. "Yeah, I was," he concluded matter-of-factly. "It's not something I go around admitting to, though," he confessed further. There was a small hint of sadness visible within his eyes as he appeared to be reflecting on his mortal past.
"Why?" Leo asked, not understanding the desire to remain secretive about it. After all, he had been a mortal once too and openly admitted to it without shame after the sisters found out about his whitelighter origins. "You mean, Phoebe doesn't even know?"
"No, she doesn't and I would very much appreciate it if it would stay that way, please?" Coop strongly affirmed. "My past is exactly where I want it to stay," he expressed. "In the past. There's no need to be dredging up things that have already happened or things that can't be changed." As Coop grew silent, it was made clear to Leo that it was his final word on the matter.
Leo instantly drew the conclusion that there was more to Coop's story. If Coop's defensive stance and clear cut objections didn't give it away, then his body language most certainly had. The look on his face alone spoke volumes. However, despite his curiosity, Leo made the decision not to pry for the time being. After all, they were here to help Andy and at the very least, he owed Coop for his part in helping with it. He would respect his wishes.
"We have reached a decision!" the loud booming voice returned, as it grabbed the attention of both Leo and Coop for the second time.
"And?" came the very anxious inquiry of Leo, as he awaited the answer that could either solve a problem or just create more.
X
Phoebe gently knocked against the bedroom door that she, herself, used to occupy.
Things had definitely remained unusually quiet during the time they had left Prue and Billie in the attic to play catch up on the past. However, they hadn't heard anything out of either one of them since that time so Phoebe decided to check it out and make sure everything was alright. After all, she was the only person left in the manor to do it. Coop and Leo still hadn't returned, Piper was still gone, and Paige went off in search of her father. Her first stop had been to Prue's old room but nobody had been in there.
"Billie? Prue?" she prodded gently. "Are either of you in there? It's Phoebe," she announced. "I just want to make sure everything's okay?"
"It's open," a voice answered back.
It was Billie.
Phoebe proceeded to open the door and made her way inside the room. She caught sight of Billie sitting on the bed, a clutter of clothing and some other personal items, sprawled out all over in front of her. There were a few brown boxes placed on the floor next to the bed. When Billie finally looked up, she offered Phoebe a weak smile.
"Hey," Billie muttered, folding some clothes and then placing them inside the box on the floor.
"Sweetie, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked with concern, while using one hand to push some stuff aside in order to make room to sit on the bed. "It didn't go that bad, did it?"
Billie stopped folding, contemplating her answer carefully. "No, not bad," she remarked, while she resumed folding. "Just awkward. It's going to take some time, that's all," she settled on, not making any eye contact with Phoebe.
"So then help me out here. You think that running away is going to make things less awkward in time?" Phoebe gave the gentle dig at the same time she surveyed the area and quickly concluded that Billie was planning to leave. "Because, honey, that's not the answer believe me," she stressed.
Billie released a frustrated sigh. "No, Phoebe, I'm not running away. I'm just leaving for awhile so everybody has some breathing room, okay? Myself included," she added with slight agitation. "Besides, she and Molly are both here now so the extra space is needed anyway," she tried rationalizing.
Only Phoebe wasn't buying it. "Oh, I see. So Prue's just a she?" Phoebe gently chided, a small hint of amusement hidden inside her words. "She doesn't even earn the use of her first name with you?"
"Well, it definitely won't be Mom anytime soon," she mumbled underneath her breath but Phoebe heard it regardless. She reached out and patted her hand against Billie's leg.
"Billie, look. I'm just here to listen. Not to judge," she offered in all seriousness.
Billie stared at her for a few moments before responding.
"The truth is that I'm just really confused right now. I don't know what I want out of it and I don't really know what to expect. All these emotions just came rushing to the surface out of nowhere and I'm trying to figure out how to deal, that's all," she answered, shrugging her shoulders and then looking away again.
"Okay," Phoebe provided her with more room to continue.
Billie's eyes scanned the bed until landing on the single framed photograph taken of her and Christy when they were only five and seven years of age. It was just before Christy had been taken away from her forever. She picked it up, running her fingers across the face of her lost sister.
I'm so sorry for what happened to you. Mom and Dad never should have lost you just because of me. Please forgive me?
"Phoebe? Do you think ..." but Billie didn't complete her thought.
"What?" Phoebe tried to push.
"Nothing, never mind," Billie declared with a firm shake of her head. "It was stupid anyway," she remarked, immediately giving up on what she wanted to ask about. She placed the photograph back on the bed while Phoebe glanced back down at it.
Phoebe decided not to push the issue anymore. "Billie, listen, if you need time and space, there's the extra room at my place," Phoebe offered sincerely. "Molly will be with Prue now, so that makes the room available if you need it."
Billie gave a small smile. "Phoebe, thanks, I appreciate it. But no thanks," she declined. "I just really need some more time to be alone," she explained solemnly, looking away. Phoebe sighed as Billie got off the bed. "Besides," she added. "You're making a bigger deal out of it then it really is. I'm just moving back to my dorm room. I won't be that far away," she reasoned.
"Alright," Phoebe sighed. "If this is what you want," she finally relented, knowing full well she couldn't make Billie stay at the manor or her place if she didn't want to stay. "Just please be careful," she stressed with alot of emphasis.
"No, it's what I need," Billie corrected her, while looking her straight in the face. "But I definitely promise to be careful," she agreed in a much softer tone of voice. Then she reached out to hug Phoebe. "Thanks for everything, though," Billie added as they hugged. "You've always been there for me when I needed you."
"It's not going to be a permanent arrangement over there so don't get too used to it," Phoebe half-joked. "We count on having you around, you know?" Then she pulled out of the embrace. "So work those issues out in your head and get your butt back here, missy," she tried teasing. "Need some help getting this stuff over there?"
"Yeah, thanks. And I'm trying. I swear," Billie laughed lightly. "But no worries because I have JD around for support," she volunteered readily. She lifted up the two boxes from the floor placing them on top of the bed.
Phoebe did have a unique way of turning the mood around and making her feel better even in the midst of a crisis. Briefly, she imagined what it would be like for her and Prue do have a relationship one day that was just as easygoing. Time would tell, she settled on.
"Hm, uh huh," Phoebe smirked, shaking her head and giving her a knowing look, as the two of them proceeded to finish packing the remaining items on the bed into the boxes sitting there. "JD, huh? You two seem to be getting pretty chummy if I do say so myself," she teased with ease.
Billie blushed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! It's not even like that," she denied. "We're just friends."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Phoebe continued on in a joking manner, nodding her head. "I know that line. That's right, I used that line. We've all used that line," she needled playfully, releasing a laugh.
"It's not like that," Billie insisted, feigning annoyance as she and Phoebe each picked up a box they had finished packing.
Phoebe headed for the door first. "Yup, okay, whatever you say," she laughed again.
"It's NOT!" Billie shrieked in response, as she followed Phoebe out the door, holding on tightly to one of the boxes making the transition to campus.
The door clicked shut behind them.
X
Prue stood underneath the warm sun while catching a cool breeze.
The breeze continuously shuffled strands of her long raven hair across the front of her face. She used one hand to push it back but the action would just repeat itself. While taking in the view of the tall trees, their arms rocking back and forth as if fighting back against the wind, she was suddenly having second thoughts about what she was even doing here. It was pointless; it's not like it would change anything.
Prue knew she needed some time to be alone.
More and more memories were beginning to fall into place which was leaving no room for any excuses. Sooner or later, she would have to face the life she had left behind in exchange for the new one she had chosen to live.
After the awkward confrontation with Billie, she had found herself leaving the manor for a brisk walk that eventually led her to the gates of the cemetary. Slowly, she walked over the plush grass crunching beneath her feet and she glanced at each passing headstone. There were a few other people scattered throughout the cemetery paying their own tributes and respects to deceased loved ones. One elderly gentleman held a bouquet of roses in hand as he slowly bent down to place them in front of a marble headstone. His wife, perhaps, pondered Prue as she momentarily stopped to observe.
Prue had no idea how she remembered where to go but she did. She continued on her journey until it took her to a winding driveway. Prue suddenly stopped for a moment and swallowed nervously as she took in the sight of the small enclosure across the way. The enclosure held a white marble headstone that captivated her. Finally finding the courage to move again, she crossed the road and came to stand still in front of the marble structure inscribed with that one name.
His name.
Andrew Christopher Trudeau: 1970 - 1999. An Honorable Son, Police Inspector, and Friend. Died While Serving in the Line of Duty.
Upon viewing the inscription carved on the stone, a memory immediately flashed through her mind:
(Memory)
She remembered the dark casket that sat just above the ground as she placed that one single rose with its bright red petals atop the rectangular structure. It was her final good-bye to the one man who had died to keep her secret. A man who had given up his life to keep she and her sisters alive.
He was also the same man she had grown up with, shared her first kiss with, and later that first intimate moment too. The man who had broken her heart but the same man she had kept her own secrets from. She had broken his heart as well because she knew he had done everything in his power to try and gain her full trust but she just couldn't bring herself to let him in completely.
He had been her best friend, her lover, her confidante all rolled up into one. The bond between them had run pretty deep but even that hadn't been enough to keep them together. It hadn't been enough to keep him alive. Because in the end, he had discovered the truth anyway, but had still rejected her life, her destiny. And it was this knowledge that left her feeling sad and confused standing here on this day of all days because although he had made a conscious choice not to pursue any kind of future life with her, he had loved her enough to die for her.
Why?
These thoughts raced through her mind and the tears suddenly resurfaced, flowing down her cheeks freely. She brought her gloved hand up to wipe them from her face.
(Memory Ends)
Prue's eyes watered with the memory. She could feel and remember that particular past event as clear as day. She remembered the demon named Rodriguez. She even remembered waking to find Andy lying dead on the floor inside of the Manor. These feelings felt fresh, like it all had just happened yesterday, or maybe they were new feelings that had sprung to life recently when Andy had been taken away from her again?
"Andy?" she found the courage to speak out. "I think I feel lost. No, I am lost," she confessed. "I know that I am. And I don't think I can do this alone." She brought her hands up to her face to wipe away the stray tears. All the pain, reservations, and fear of the unknown was being unleashed with them.
She lifted her head up towards the sky.
"My life got you killed," she began to vent. "And I abandoned my sisters," she confessed. "What kind of a person does that really make me?"
She took a few moments to collect her thoughts and then shuffled her feet against the ground. She shoved some of her hair behind her ears as she figeted. This was unfamiliar territory for her.
"You were right about me, about my life. My life has been nothing but secrets," she sighed before continuing on. She paused to take some deep breaths of fresh air. "I'm trying to deal with them on my own but I really wish you were here to help because you would probably know the right thing to say."
Prue closed her eyes and felt a gentle breeze pass through her. It brought her a sense of comfort when contemplating the possibility that it could be Andy offering her some type of reassurance from the afterlife but she was pulled out of reflection by the feel of a hand grabbing at her shoulder.
"Prue?" the voice rang out.
Suddenly startled, Prue spun around only to come face to face with the person who matched the voice. She had been so enraptured in the moment that she hadn't even heard anyone approach from behind.
X
Paige anxiously paced the length of the abandoned structure.
She was awaiting the arrival of her father. They hadn't really spoken to each other that much since that last time, the time they had encountered trouble with a demonic photographer who captured the essences of his victims through his work. He had almost succeeded in capturing her father's essence but Paige had confronted some of her issues about Sam. It had saved his life. Unfortunately, in the process, JD had been the one to lose his life in his attempts to help keep them safe.
Suddenly, blue and white orbs appeared from behind. Paige's back was turned. She wasn't alerted to her father's presence until she heard the sound of his voice.
"You know, we don't have to meet in a place like this," he announced. "I'd be more than willing to make a house call every now and then," he offered with a smirk.
"Dad!" Paige exclaimed as she spun around bringing her hand to her chest. "You scared me."
"Wow. I've officially reached 'Dad' status?" he questioned her. "I'm humbly honored," he teased her.
Paige gave him a playful glare. "Sorry, Sam," she teased him back, "but I try to keep the Henry front as magic free as I can. And the manor is just not a good place right now," she explained. "Too much has gone down recently so this is the best that I can come up with."
"Why, what's going on at the manor?" Sam asked with evident concern.
"Alot, actually," Paige admitted. "For starters, we finally found out who the Ultimate Power really is," she remarked, a dramatic nod of her head directed at her father.
"Who?" Sam asked with a confused shake of his head.
"Us," came Paige's one-worded answer.
"Us?" Sam repeated. "You mean, as in you and your sisters?" he asked. He took a moment to think. "So what do Piper and Phoebe have to say? I mean, do you three think it's legitimate?" Sam crossed his arms over his chest awaiting the explanation behind his daughter's new found revelation.
"No, no, no!" Paige closed her eyes and shook her head dramatically. "Not we three," she stressed. "We four. As in Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and myself," came her announcement.
Sam quickly dropped his arms, bringing them back down to his sides. "What?" he exclaimed.
His reaction momentarily startled Paige. After all, what could he even know about the Ultimate Power?
"Um, yeah," Paige continued on while closely observing her father's reaction to the unfolding news. Something about the way he had initially reacted caught her off guard. "Prue never really died. She's been alive all this time. The Elders were behind it. They faked her death so the Ultimate Power wouldn't exist."
"Oh, my god, Patty," he mumbled while bringing his hand up over his mouth.
Sam thought about the secret they still shared but more importantly it made perfect sense on why she had been making it a point to avoid him in the afterlife. It was blatantly obvious the distance she had been keeping during the time following Prue's death; however, he knew Patty pretty well. Her avoidance of him had made him suspicious but he had respected her wishes for the most part and stayed away. But now? It appeared as if Prue was still alive and apparently, always had been. Did Patty really know about this all along? Why would she have kept it a secret?
"Dad?" Paige had called out in order to pull him out of his daze. She proceeded to wave her hand in front of his face. "What's the matter?" Yup, it's not just me, she concluded to herself. He was definitely reacting to this news in an odd way and she hadn't even gotten to the part she came there for.
Sam shook his head to break himself out of his stupor.
"I, uh ... nothing," he began stuttering and shaking his head at the same time until he grabbed his bearings. "I'm just a little surprised to hear that the Elders would stoop that far, that's all," he announced firmly, trying to cover up his momentary lapse. He hated lying to his daughter about what was really on his mind.
Paige furrowed her brows. "Why would you be that surprised? Look at what you and mom had to go through when you had me? You practically threw me at the church doorstep so they wouldn't find out about me. You had to suspect they were capable of something like this," she argued.
Nice try, though, Dad.
Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "Paige," he groaned in response to the reference regarding her adoptive arrangement. "We've been through this, we didn't throw you on the doorstep, I thought we were past that," he pleaded in frustration before his daughter interrupted.
"Dad, give it a rest, will you?" Paige interjected with a playful roll of her eyes. "I'm not mad about that anymore, I was making a point," she stressed.
"Which is?" he challenged.
"What? My point?" she questioned, feeling somewhat confused by the turn of discussion. "That the Elders can be deceitful liars when they want to be. Which they proved when they took Prue. Actually it was that no good Gideon's bright idea but thank god he's out of the picture now and so help the others that ..."
"Paige?" her father interrupted her. He had his arms crossed again and a smile plastered on his face, somewhat amused by his daughter's ranting spree.
"What?" she declared.
"You're rambling? I get the picture," he stressed. "The Elders did something they shouldn't have. And I, of all people, should know better because of what happened with you," he summed up for her. "Just take a deep breath." He waved his hands around in the air as a demonstrative gesture. "Now," he continued, his voice turning serious once again. "Back to the important thing. Is Prue alright?" he asked.
Paige picked up again on that subtle display of being a bit overly concerned. Then she decided that she was just reading into something that wasn't there. After all, why shouldn't he show alot of concern for Prue? He loved Patty, their mother, and Prue was Patty's daughter.
"Well, define alright?" Paige scoffed. "I mean physically, yeah, she's fine. But if you want to talk mentally or emotionally, probably not so good," she responded with a shake of her head. "But, backing up a bit, she had a problem in the physical department a few short hours ago and that's what I need to ask you about."
This information had immediately grabbed his attention. "Why, what do you mean?" he inquired in a serious tone.
Paige sighed. "A darklighter attacked at the manor earlier," she began to explain. "And I have it on pretty good authority that this darklighter is the same one tracking down whitelighters and killing them. What do you know about all this, if anything?" she asked, waiting for his reply.
"Uh, not very much," Sam answered. "Just that this particular darklighter has an unusual concentration of power he shouldn't have. And that it's most likely coming from the Underworld somewhere but we can't track it's source."
"So, then, he hasn't acquired these other powers from other witches then, huh?" she asked seeking confirmation.
"No, I'm afraid not," her father confirmed. "We would have been able to trace these powers back to the greater good collective if that were the case," he explained. "Whatever this power is, it doesn't originate from our side."
Great, the mystery deepens, she thought to herself.
"But what does all this have to do with Prue?" Sam inquired, bringing the topic of discussion back to the eldest Halliwell. "She wasn't hit by one of his arrows, was she?" his face a mask of concern.
"Yeah, actually, she was," Paige admitted with a sigh that followed. She noticed how her father visibly tensed after her admission. "And that's something else I wanted to run by you. We were thinking that with these new powers and all that the darklighter figured out some way to taint the arrows with poison that could kill witches and whitelighters? But ..." she let her sentence trail when her father closed his eyes, shaking his head vehemently.
"That's not it, Paige," he announced with firm determination in place.
"Well, it has to be something like that, Dad, because Prue had a reaction ..." Paige started to argue but her father cut her off again.
"The poison only has an effect on whitelighters, Paige," Sam persisted. "What happened?"
"Well, if you'd stop cutting me off I could finish telling you what happened!" she barked back at him, clearly feeling frustrated by the fact that the theory had been shot down before she even had the opportunity to finish explaining it.
"Sorry," he offered sincerely.
The problem was that he knew he was aware of something she wasn't.
"Thank you," Paige sighed before continuing on. "I couldn't heal her. That's what happened. But an Elder friend of Leo's did. So she's fine now but we're all concerned. For obvious reasons," she pointed out. "Prue had a reaction for a reason. If the poison doesn't work on witches then there has to be another explanation. Of course, this is after we eliminate Prue as a whitelighter ... unless, wait a minute," she declared out of the blue.
The wheels in Paige's head were spinning. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it until now. How could she not have pieced it together or questioned it sooner?
Molly.
The first time she had encountered the little girl at the children's center, Molly had used telekinetic-orbing to move a building block. That was a blended trait of a whitelighter-witch, a trait in which she, Wyatt, and Chris all possessed. Paige had only witnessed Molly do it once; however, it was also at a time when she didn't know that Molly was in fact Prue's daughter. She hadn't paid much more thought to it.
"Prue couldn't possibly have whitelighter in her?" Paige speculated out loud. She watched as a myriad of expressions crossed over his face. Why did he look like that? He looked - pained, or guilty, or something close to it. "Dad?" she pressed when she received no answer back from him.
Paige countered against what she was thinking. Billie was Prue's daughter too; yet, she has never exhibited any whitelighter traits. Why? The unborn baby was effected by the poison too. Was it somehow connected to Andy and the fact that he had died already? That could offer up some possible and freaky explanation as to why Molly and the unborn baby carried potential whitelighter traits and vulnerabilities while Billie didn't. However, she shot that theory back down as soon as she remembered that Prue and the baby were both affected by the poison. It wasn't just the baby. It was the very reason she had trouble healing them at the same time. Back to square one.
"Dad? Answer the question," she pushed again.
Sam felt uncomfortable in the position he now found himself in. He didn't want to continue lying to his daughter but what choice did he have right now? This wasn't the time or place to get into the past. Instead, he chickened out, turned around, and prepared to orb back out.
"I have to go!" he declared.
Paige stepped forward to stop him. "Dad, wait," she replied urgently. "Why won't you answer my question? If you know something, you have to tell me. Please, Prue's life could depend on it in the future," she urged. "Is it possible?" she repeated. As crazy as it all sounded, all the evidence was pointing in that direction; however, she needed to hear it confirmed.
Sam slowly turned back around to face his daughter. Paige wore a mask of desperation but Sam's face held a very somber expression. They stood staring at each other for a moment until Sam finally caved in.
"You should know by now that anything's possible," he answered her. "Be careful!"
It was a vague response, not what she would have liked or preferred; however, Paige knew how to read between the lines and she picked up on the subtle admission right away. But it was also at that exact moment that it clicked into place for her how it was possible. Her eyes locked with her father's until he broke the staring contest. He looked down at the ground and disappeared into a flurry of blue and white orbs.
No. It couldn't be.
X
Prue had jumped at the contact; however, after turning around she was met with a familiar face. Instantly, she relaxed, allowing her body the opportunity to calm the flow of adrenaline that had arisen out of fear. "Darryl?" she sighed with apparent relief, bringing her hand up to her chest. She closed her eyes. "You scared me."
"Sorry," he offered. "But, hey, at least you remember me. That's got to be a good sign," Darryl felt his own relief pass through him. "Thank god," he sighed.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"What I mean is that over the course of the past few days history has literally rewritten itself," he explained. "Apparently, you never died and my wife Shelia believes I'm out here paying a visit to offer my condolences? Something about your husband dying in the line of duty and you moving back here with your daughter to be closer to your sisters. What the hell happened? I've spent the last few days caged up in some hotel room trying to figure out how I'm the only one that can remember ..." but Darryl's voice trailed off as he noticed the puffy redness in and around Prue's eyes.
"Have you been crying?" he suddenly inquired, bringing his hands to rest at his sides. He proceeded to look around as it dawned on him to ask the one question he meant to. "By the way, where's Andy?" Then his eyes darted to the tombstone still displaying his ex-partner's name.
Prue looked down. "Andy's gone," she answered. "For good this time."
"Gone?" Darryl questioned. "As in dead?" he asked for clarification.
"Yes, Darryl. As in he's never coming back. I need to go," the weariness and agitation in Prue's voice could be detected quite easily. She made her way to walk by him and stepped onto the pavement preparing for the long walk back home.
Darryl turned around and jogged to catch up with her.
"Whoa, hold up a minute," he announced as he rushed up beside her. "Where did he go if he's not here anymore?" he interrogated, but he had a pretty good idea. "Are you telling me that they," he pointed up towards the sky, "took him back and didn't even have the decency to make Andy the husband you lost very recently?"
"No, I guess not," Prue sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets without looking over at him. "But does it really matter? The point is that he's dead but I'm still here," she pushed some loose hair behind her ear.
"That's cold man," Darryl murmured and shook his head in apparent disgust.
There was a shared moment of silence.
"Hey," Darryl was the first one to break the silence. "I know you don't need me to tell you this but I am sorry," he offered sincerely. "I know this has got to be rough."
They stopped walking.
Prue offered the faint hint of a smile as she and Darryl shared a quick hug. "I'll be fine," she shared. "I really have no choice but to be."
They resumed walking at a slow pace.
"What about your daughter?" Darryl prodded gently. "Any luck?"
Prue gave a sad smile. "Yes. She's with me."
"Thank god for that," Darryl sighed. "But that's still not right, what are you supposed to tell her about her father?"
"Apparently that she has to pretend he's somebody else," Prue vented.
Darryl knew there was nothing he could say to possibly make it better. "At least she's safe," he offered instead.
"At least she's safe," Prue repeated, nodding in agreement.
"You're not walking home alone are you?" he asked out of genuine concern, while attempting to change the subject at the same time.
Prue shoved her hands back inside her pant pockets. "Yes, Darryl, I am," she smiled. "I thought I could use the walk to clear my head. What were you doing here?" she was curious.
"Well, I've been paying a visit here over the last couple days. Still trying to sort out everything that's happened with Andy, with you, with everything," he answered her. Darryl paused. "But, hey, you really shouldn't be walking alone. Do you know how far that is?" he remarked.
Prue smirked. "I'm not exactly defenseless, Darryl," she reminded him.
"At least let me drop you back off, I have the rental parked outside the gates." He sighed. "And look, hey, I am really sorry about Andy," he affirmed one last time. "I never understood the full story but I tried to make sure he was going to be okay. Not like the last time," he muttered under his breath.
Prue glanced at Darryl. His face was a mask of sorrow.
"You know, Darryl, I don't know if I ever expressed it before, but thank you for being there," she offered sincerely. "When Andy died. I don't think we could have gotten through it without you. My memories are a little scattered at the moment but I'm piecing them back together as they come."
Darryl humbly accepted her gratitude. "Ah, Prue, there was never any need to thank me. I just did what I thought was the right thing at the time," he answered. "You know, after you ... left," he settled on, "I stayed pretty close by for awhile but your sisters and I eventually drifted apart. Things just started to get too complicated and my family really needed me first. But I want you to know that if you ever need anything, I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thanks, Darryl," she graciously accepted his offer.
Darryl reached his arm out to pull her in close as they walked. It was a friendly gesture. "Yeah, well, I'm just glad that you're alright," he said to her. "Now, how about that ride?" he offered again and the two of them headed back in the direction of the car.
X
Coop and Leo looked back to one another after the loud booming voice had returned.
"Our decision on this matter is to bring forth a hearing of indictment," the first voice announced boldly.
"A what?" Leo inquired with a shake of his head. Somehow he was getting the feeling that bringing Andy back home was not going to be that easy.
"A hearing of indictment," the second voice reaffirmed. "We will call forth the accused parties and listen to all evidence relating to the matter at hand. Then, we will issue an official ruling."
"But," Leo began to argue.
"Do not attempt to argue with the Council's decision," the first voice came back. "You will be summoned when the time comes. Do not return until then!"
That was the final word on the matter.
Both men were unable to argue it any further because they felt themselves being thrust out of the realm by a force so powerful. Their next conscious thought came after they dropped out of a portal hole and back into the Mystic Realm. Coop and Leo each got up off of the ground and watched as the portal leading to the Afterlife Council sealed itself off and then disappeared.
X
Prue opened the front door to the Manor and entered with Darryl following behind. She was immediately greeted by Phoebe walking towards her and Molly running straight into her arms.
"Mommy!" she squealed as she ran to her.
Prue picked her up as Phoebe approached her. "Hey, baby," Prue sang back, as she planted a kiss on the top of her hand.
Darryl smiled at the scene.
"Who's that?" the child pointed and asked when she looked over at the strange man she had never seen before.
Prue smiled over at Darryl. "Oh, that's a very good friend of mommy's. And daddy too. Daddy and Darryl used to work together," she explained.
"Oh," Molly replied. "You still like my daddy?" she asked the unfamiliar man.
Darryl smiled and reached out his hand to gently cup the side of her face.
"Prue, where were you?" Phoebe sighed and cut in. "We were worried!" She took a quick glance over her shoulder towards the living room area. "Hey, Darryl," she acknowledged him quickly for the first time.
"Hey, Phoebe," Darryl replied.
"Phoebe, I appreciate the concern but I'm fine. I just needed the walk to try and sort things out," she explained. She said this while smiling at her daughter and engaging in some playful bantering. Molly giggled as Prue used one free hand to tickle her side. She laughed with her daughter and turned her attention back to Phoebe.
Phoebe still had a look of concern covering her face.
"Really. Don't worry," Prue insisted.
"Um, yeah, okay. Listen, uh, somebody here's to see you," Phoebe tried to express with caution.
The three of them made their way around the corner and into the living room. Prue stopped abruptly. There on the living room couch sat her sister Piper, her two boys splitting their attention between their mother and the man who sat beside her. Phoebe looked between her oldest sister standing beside her, and then back to the man. As the man's eyes locked with Prue's, he slowly got up from the couch. Piper took notice of Prue's return and just watched as the man slowly closed the distance between himself and Prue.
His eyes watered and he issued a tentative statement. "Hey," his voice cracked.
Then he did something Prue wasn't anticipating. He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace, Molly still wedged between them.
"Dad," came Prue's muttered reply.
To Be Continued: Sorry the updates are spread further but they might be that way until things settle down. Summer is ending and I have other obligations but I intend on finishing this story.
Coming Up: Paige unearths a shocking truth, a revelation starts to unfold that can cause a wedge between Phoebe/Coop. Also, Piper and Prue begin to come to terms with their relationship and other revelations while Billie tries to do the same.
Stay tuned ...