Author's Note: Thanks again to Miss BluCrayons for the beta.

Chapter 63: Separated

Over the next several hours, Mike waited patiently with Piper by Micky's side. He was still passed out both from the pain and the drugs that Leo had given him, but sleeping was good for him. Peter was also passed out, but Davy was sitting with him in the living room. The only thought going through Mike's mind was the hope of keeping Micky alive, but it wasn't the only thing going through Piper's.

"We can't stay here this whole time," Piper said suddenly.

"Why?" Mike asked. "I'm pretty sure our next trip through time will take us home. Why can't we just wait it out?"

"Because the Devil ran away as soon as he realized where we were," Piper said. "As much as I want to stay here with Micky, I have a really bad feeling about all this."

"What can he really do in the middle of a warzone?" Mike asked.

"Depends on where we are," Piper said. "And if he can get to Germany or not."

"Why?" Mike asked suddenly getting worried.

"I don't know how much you were taught about the things Hitler did and was into during and even before the war," Piper said.

"Just the camps," Mike answered.

"Hitler was into the occult," Piper answered. "Most people don't know that. He had prophets and seers by his side, both fake and real. He was searching for the Holy Grail."

"That sounds bad," Mike said.

"It is," Piper said. "Not that it did much for him. Most of the people who surrounded him were frauds, but if the Devil gets to him, he can find the few legitimate witches. And I'm afraid of what he might do. Especially with how pissed he is at us right now."

"But we can't leave Micky here and we can't take him with us," Mike said.

"I know…" Piper answered. "But we may have to leave him. At least with Peter and Davy. We may already be too far behind the Devil to stop him."

"I just…" Mike said. "What if he…"

"He's not going to die, Mike," Piper said. "But we don't know what will happen if we let the Devil run around out here. It's too dangerous. Too many powerful people gathered in one place."

"She's right," Micky said softly startling them both.

"Micky!" Piper exclaimed wrapping her arms around him carefully.

"I'm fine," Micky said. "Or at least I will be. Mike, she's right. You have to go. Don't let him mess this up. Our next trip could very well bring us home."

"You sure you're going to be ok here?" Mike asked.

"Go," Micky answered with a smile. "I'll have Peter and Davy to watch over me. I'll be fine."

"What if we get separated?" Mike asked. "If the time vortex thing opens again and we aren't together? We'll get separated."

"We should be home," Piper said. "So we'll meet back at the pad."

"And if we're not home?" Mike asked. Neither answered for a moment.

"We'll deal with that if it happens," Piper finally said. "Right now we need to find the Devil and stop him."

"Alright," Mike finally relented. He really knew it was what they had to do, but leaving Micky so hurt and vulnerable was just so hard. He got up and walked toward the door to leave Micky and Piper alone for a bit to say good-bye. He just hoped it was a short time they'd be apart. "I'll go tell Davy and Peter."

"How is he?" Davy asked as Mike walked out into the living room.

"He just woke up," Mike answered. "He's a little groggy still, but he'll be fine, I think. Listen, Piper and I are gonna go again."

"Go?" Davy echoed. "Go where? You said Micky was ok."

"He is," Mike answered and sighed before explaining everything to Davy.

"Oh," Davy said sullenly. "But what happens if we aren't together when we get sucked into that time thingy again?"

"If we go home, we meet at the pad," Mike said.

"And if we aren't home?" Davy asked.

"We play it by ear," Mike said. "I don't know. I'm just hoping that doesn't happen. And if it does, then we can easily figure it out."

"I don't think this is such a good idea," Davy said worriedly. "Splitting up is bad. Micky's hurt and Peter's hurt and what if I can't defend them and what if I can't give them what they need to help them heal or what if I make them worse and what if we never find each other and-"

"Davy!" Mike exclaimed grabbing him by the shoulders. "You'll be fine. Keep the doors locked and blocked and no one can get in here. And I have every ounce of faith you won't do anything to make them worse. They're in good hands with you, Tiny. And if we get separated, we will find each other. You stay put. Piper and I will find you. Piper's good at that, being a witch and all. And with how much she loves Micky...she wouldn't be leaving right now if we had any other choice. Just breathe. You can do this. I believe in you."

"Ok," Davy said. "Be careful?"

"You know I will," Mike smiled and pulled Davy into a hug. He couldn't escape the feeling that they were getting ready to say good-bye for a while. And he desperately wanted to stay. But he meant everything he said about having the faith in Davy to take care of both of his sick friends. But he knew if he let the Devil run around with powerful witches in this time frame, he and his friends may never even make it home.

A few hours later, Davy was pacing nervously about the living room. He knew Mike trusted him, but what if something went wrong; what if he messed up? He'd checked on Micky to find he'd passed out again and had kept checking his watch to see when the bandages needed to be changed. Peter had woken up about an hour ago and Davy had told him everything Mike had told him. Peter had tried to let Davy know that he thought Davy could handle it, too, but Davy had never been in charge like this before. Every time Mike had been absent, the boys had always shared the responsibility of taking care of each other or getting stuff done. Now neither Peter nor Micky could take care of much of anything.

"Davy, will you relax?" Peter said. "You're making me dizzy."

"Sorry," Davy answered quickly. "Maybe I should check on Micky again."

"Maybe you should relax and sit down," Peter said. "You just checked on Micky five minutes ago. He's fine. Sit down."

"Ok," Davy said and sat down in the chair next to Peter.

"What has you so worked up, Davy?" Peter asked.

"What if I can't take care of you and Micky?" Davy answered. "What if I make it worse?"

"First off," Peter smiled at him, which Davy found reassuring despite himself, "you can't really make a concussion worse unless you knock me on the head again. And I doubt you're going to do that. And Micky just needs to stay in bed and have his bandages changed every four hours. How long has it been?"

"Three hours and twenty minutes," Davy said checking his watch again.

"See," Peter smiled again. "You know what you're doing. You're keeping track of the time just fine. And changing out a bandage really isn't that hard. You'd have to be some kind of idiot to screw it up. Even I can do it."

"Did you just insult yourself?" Davy laughed.

"Maybe," Peter chuckled. "But none of that is the real reason you're so nervous. And we both know it. Talk to me, Davy."

"What if something happens to Mike?" Davy said after a long hesitation. "What if something happens and I'm not there? I couldn't bear to lose Mike. I couldn't bear to lose any of you. I don't like being separated. When my grandfather tried to take me home...I thought I would never be happy again. Until I saw you dressed in that ridiculous Icarus costume and Grandpa said I could stay. And then with everything that's happened...Micky's greatest fear has kinda become mine now. We're in a warzone. Hundreds if not thousands of innocent lives were lost in the war."

"You heard what Piper said, Davy," Peter said softly. "We're gonna be fine."

"You almost drowned," Davy said. "And Micky nearly bled to death…"

"But we didn't," Peter said. "And we're almost home. We just have to wait it out." Davy nodded in response. He just really hoped that they survived the wait. And he had this sinking feeling that they really weren't almost home. If Mike and Piper failed and the Devil did something to keep them stuck here, what then?

Before Davy could even finish his thoughts, they heard the hum and roar of more bomber planes flying overhead. He wasn't sure what they were even bombing this city for anymore; no one was here. But maybe that meant that they'd only be passing by this time. There would be no reason to bomb an already abandoned city, right? As if to answer him, Davy heard a nearby explosion and the entire house shook. The few knick-knacks still standing were knocked onto the floor with loud crashes and the chair Davy was sitting in even scooted across the floor about a foot.

"You ok?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Davy answered jumping up to check on Micky. Peter followed him, even though Davy wished he'd just stayed in the living room. Micky had woken up and was holding his stomach a little.

"What the hell was that?" Micky asked. Davy could hear the pain in his voice and it sickened him.

"More bombers, I'd guess," Peter answered.

"Are you alright?" Davy asked.

"Well, nothing fell on me," Micky said, "but my stomach is killing me. You said the whole city was abandoned?"

"Looks that way," Peter answered as Davy carefully took Micky's bandage off to look at the wound. "But we only got a small glimpse. Piper and Mike are the only two that went out."

"Which begs the question," Micky started.

"Why are they still bombing?" Davy finished. "Target practice maybe?"

"No," Micky said. "There's something more to it than that."

"So why would they bomb an abandoned city?" Peter asked.

"They wouldn't," Micky answered.

"But…" Peter started.

"This city must not be abandoned," Micky answered before inhaling sharply as Davy removed the gauze over his wound. Davy held his breath as he looked at Micky's stomach. There were several stitches from where Leo had cut into him and it appeared that some of them had torn causing blood to slowly ooze out of the wound.