A/N:

Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the long wait. I will be on vacation for a while and plan on doing a lot of writing. I have the first movie poster out on my website for my sins remembered. I plan on doing a movie poster for each story. It can be downloaded and then if you want, take it to OfficeMax or any other place that will do large prints. They will be 22" by 38" the normal standard size for a movie poster but you can have it printed and other sizes.

Chapter 11

Getting to know him

Prue awoke with a stiff neck and a aching back, she rolled her neck while trying to rob the kinks out as she used the cabin wall for support while standing. She looked around and could see that Phoebe was fast asleep as was the others. She missed her bed, her warm blankets and of course her husband. The man was also asleep in the chair while he had his legs propped up on another one. She had to step over Piper's legs to get to the teakettle and hoped there was something in the cabin with caffeine. She began to look around trying not to make a lot of noise as the light from the window gave her some assist. Unfortunately nothing was written on any of the cans so it was a guessing game.

"Top left hand," he said as he was clearly awake now.

"Thanks," she said and grabbed the one he mentioned. She unscrewed the top and immediately was hit with the aroma she was craving," Do you have a name or do we just call you country-folk, redneck we can fill in the gaps?" she said while putting some kind of homemade filter inside the teakettle.

"All of them have such a nice ring to it hard to pick," he said as he got up and stretched his back," Ted," he replied.

"Ted do you have clean cups?" Prue asks while the coffee began to brew.

"I have a stream close by and a bucket," he replied and gave a small smile.

"Does dish washing liquid come with the sarcasm or is that separate," Prue said and gave her usual cocky smile back.

"Witty I like that," he said as he looked for a clean cup.

"Married, and really not in the mood," Prue said as she poured some in the somewhat clean cup. She was too tired and too thirsty to care.

"Oh god I am not made to sleep on hard surfaces," Paige said as she awoke either from the noise or the aroma.

"Is she witty?" he asks.

"We are all married," Prue replied as Paige scratched her head trying in some weird vain attempt to fix her hair.

"My luck, four beautiful women stranded in the woods I can't have any of you," he said and grabbed his gun. Immediately Prue's body tensed as she went into protective mode. "Well you're going to need some food, I will be back, don't make yourself at home," he said and left.

Piper awoke just as the door closed. "Where did billy bob go?"

"His name is Ted and he went to get us something to eat, god only knows what that would be," Paige replied.

Piper went to remove some sleep out of her eyes and then realized after pressing a stump into her eye that her finger was still gone. "Dammit."

"You ok?" Prue asks as she helped her up.

"Phantom finger," Piper replied and Prue just nodded as she really did not want to understand that statement. Piper struggled to stand as her head was throbbing and she could feel sweat beginning to build on her skin and immediately sat down on the chair.

"Piper are you ok?" Prue asks as she could see her going pale.

"I feel a little nauseous," Piper replied and closed her eyes trying to fight the need to vomit.

"You're dehydrated I know that look," Prue said and got Piper a glass of water. It was not the cleanest but it was liquid. Piper knew she was right and began to take small sips. She was amazed just how quickly a few sips of water could make someone feel better. Paige also took sips as well as she too was feeling the effects of dehydration.

"I don't even remember last night, we just fell asleep," Paige said.

"Yeah no one feels violated or anything?" Prue asks.

"No," they both said as Phoebe began to stir.

"How is she?" Piper asks as her body was slowly beginning to function somewhat normally again.

"Ok I checked her about every two hours," Prue replied.

"She is going to be in a lot of pain," Paige said as Phoebe opened her eyes to a new day and then immediately closed them tightly.

"Ouch," she said while holding her chest.

"Yeah honey you ok?" Prue asks while taking her hand.

"It stings a little, but it's better than yesterday," Phoebe replied as they all jumped a little when they heard a gunshot in the distance.

"Oh goody breakfast," Piper said.

"Should I tell him I'm a vegetarian?" Phoebe said while Prue helped her sit up and then got her some water.

"Um I would go with no," Piper replied as she began to remove the old dressing from her no longer existing finger.

"Piper could you wait to do that, like after we eat or when I'm not about to vomit," Phoebe said while wrinkling her face.

"Sorry," Piper said and stopped as she completely understood.

"You don't have a fever," Paige said as she put the back of her hand on Piper's forehead.

Ted came back in carrying a dead rabbit and smiling wide as he was proud of his catch. Phoebe looked away and tried not to shed a tear for the little fella.

"Ok all I need to do is -"

"Yeah we know, sorry we have upset stomachs, lack of water," Prue said hoping to stop him from going into detail.

"I have a rain catcher next to the cabin, it's clean water and full," he said and went back outside to get breakfast ready. Everyone gave Prue a slightly disappointed look.

"Like I knew to check there," Prue said and went outside to clean some of the cups and get some good water.

She grabbed a somewhat clean towel and some soap that has seen better days and went outside with four cups. Ted had the rabbit hanging from a tree and seemed to make quick work of skinning and gutting the not so lucky creature.

"How long have you been out here?" Prue asks while she cleaned the cups.

"About 15 years," he replied.

"Did you have any training or did you just go for it?" she asks.

"My dad was a, how do I put this, end the the world kind of guy so he trained me how to survive off the land," he replied as he took the rabbit off the string that held it.

"It's not a bad thing to know, right now I wish I knew more," Prue said as she filled the clean cups with fresh water.

"When I was a kid I used to hate it, being out here at night this place changes I still think there are things here that no one knows about, noise as I can't explain," he said as he pushed a long stick into the rabbit and placed it just above the fire.

"I know what you mean, it's like two different worlds and both have there challenges," she said.

"Ran into any alligators yet?" he asks.

"Yes and we were lucky, we managed to get away from it before it caused any harm," she replied not wanting to tell him about their little secret.

"Should have killed it, it's good eating," he said while sitting on a stump next to the fire.

"I was thinking we were going to be good eating for it at the time," she said and laughed a little as she went back in.

Phoebe was sitting on the edge of the bed and every move she made was like being stung by a few bees in her chest.

"He is cooking the rabbit and I have clean water," Prue said while handing the cups to each of them.

"Thanks mom," Piper said with a smile.

"I hate to say it but it actually smells good, or I'm just really hungry," Paige said as the aroma of fresh meat on a fire was making its way through the cabin.

"Did anyone see the white beacon last night?" Piper asks.

"Nope," they all said.

"Ok so we will need to find a place to camp and then wait until nightfall," Prue said.

"Maybe he will let us stay one more night?" Phoebe asks as the thought of going out into the swamp with how bad she felt was something she did not want to do.

"Then we need to pull our share, so I will asks him and then gather firewood or anything else he needs," Prue said.

"I can help," Piper said.

"No Piper I don't want your finger to get infected and definitely not you Phoebe," Prue said and looked at Paige who was picking off dirt from her clothing and noticed silence.

"Oh crap, I don't even like to go grocery shopping, I make Henry do it," Paige said and gave a slight pout as she and Prue were the only ones that could at the moment.

"I could cut off one of your fingers," Piper said.

"I could shoot you in the chest with salt pellets," Phoebe said.

"Fine but I did have a very bad experience, so I will not go near mud," Paige said and drank the rest of her water.

"Noted," Prue said as Ted came in with the cooked rabbit. It was not a lot but it was protein and enough to satisfy the grumbling stomachs.

Paige could not help but lick her fingers as there was some kind of sauce on the meat.

"Ted this was very good," Prue said as she too was doing the same.

"You're in Louisiana not having sauce on meet is considered a great sin," he said.

"Um would it be okay for us to stay one more night just to get rested, Paige and I can help get firewood or anything else you need," Prue asks.

"Would be nice to have some helping hands, sorry," he said while looking at Piper.

"It's okay I'm over it," Piper said.

"Thank you," Prue said and was glad that he agreed. He seemed like a good man of course not at first but now that she was getting to know him she was beginning to respect his knowledge of survival.

"I have some traps I need to check. Do you know how to gather wood?" he asks.

"Yes we have done that before," Prue replied.

"Ok well after your done licking your fingers you can get started. You two need to change your dressings and check for infection. Use the rub as it helps keep bacteria away," he said and both Phoebe and Piper nodded.

To be continued...