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, all around them, in search of the loud booming voice that had penetrated the air, putting 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.
"Hello?" Leo bravely called back out. "Who's there?" He looked to Coop, who only shrugged back. A few moments passed but there was still no response to his inquiry, so Leo pressed 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 loud voice returned. "The question is why are you here? Elder."
"You know who I am?" Leo asked.
Coop cut in. "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 turned to face him, a bit in awe with his speech.
"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!" another voice backed up the first one.
"Well, if you know why we want to be here, then why don't you fix the problem!" Leo demanded back. At the same time, he took anxious steps forward as Coop reached out, trying to restrain him. It 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 its own rules?" he argued.
"Enough!" the voice commanded. "This matter is not on the agenda. It will not be heard any further!"
"I move that we hear out the charges," a third voice echoed throughout the entire space. "Due to the seriousness behind these allegations, we can make an exception. Which Elders do you wish to name as the offending parties?"
Leo filled with relief. He was given an opening and spoke calmer. "Gideon's gone," he answered. "But the rest who are following in his footsteps still lead the Elder Council. They should be made to step down."
"We will decide the fate of those who dwell amongst the immortal realm," the very first voice barked. "Not you!" This particular voice sounded quite perturbed by their presence and made it a point to remind them they were uninvited.
"We understand," Coop attempted to placate it.
"You wish to take corrective measures against an Elder who no longer exists?" one of the other voices 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.
"Continue," a voice commanded.
Coop glanced at Leo. "While it may appear before this Council that corrective measures have been taken, they in fact have not. The soul of," he looked to Leo for help with the name.
"Andrew Trudeau," Leo provided.
"The soul of Andrew Trudeau was reintroduced back into the mortal realm under the binding of a marriage. Now, while it may not be a traditional form of reincarnation, it is in fact a form of it. He was allowed to re-enter the mortal realm which bound him back to mortal conditions," Coop argued. "Immortals are not allowed to take a mortal life with the exception of the Angel of Death and then only when a person's rightful time comes 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 it. The Elders intervened and wrongly reclaimed him. The only corrective measure would be to reinstate Andrew's mortal life."
Coop and Leo waited in anticipation.
"We will take some time to consider the argument," declared one of the voices. "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. Phoebe was thinking about Prue and Billie. Paige, on the other hand, began tapping her fingers against the table. Glancing between the other two sisters, she considered whether or not to break the news.
"So," Phoebe broke the silence, fiddling with her coffee cup. "How do you think it's going up there?" she voiced what was on her mind, moving to take a sip.
"No idea," Piper sighed. "No magical fireworks, though, so that must be a good sign."
Phoebe nodded, deciding to agree.
"I'll tell you what I'm more concerned about," Piper voiced what was still bothering her. "This new development regarding witches and a darklighter's poisoned arrows. Prue shouldn't have had a reaction like that. Something's wrong."
"Maybe there's a simpler explanation?" Paige shrugged, throwing in a suggestion.
"Yeah. Like what?" Piper challenged.
Paige didn't answer. She really had no idea but one could hope, right?
"Right," Piper took her silence as confirmation. "Since when are we that lucky."
"Do you think it has anything to do with the Triad?" Phoebe proposed.
Piper thought about it. "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 time. So, we really need to start working with Prue," she stressed. "Not to mention, figuring out who this remaining Triad member is."
Paige decided to offer her input. "Yeah, but how is a darklighter exhibiting powers he shouldn't even have and what would it have to do with the Triad? I'm almost positive this is the same darklighter that JD ran into trouble with. The thing is, neither Billie nor JD have been able to identify what type of darklighter he is."
"Maybe he stole powers from another witch?" Phoebe offered up.
"Wait, they can do that?" Paige was genuinely surprised.
"Well, Prue, Piper, and I ran into a warlock who was able to do it," Phoebe shared. "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," Piper said her name.
"Natalie?" Paige questioned.
"Whitelighter," Phoebe told her.
"Too rigid for her own good," Piper was recalling the unpleasant time they experienced Natalie's bootcamp.
Paige turned to Piper.
"She and Leo worked together," Piper added on, rolling her eyes.
Paige could sense the disdain.
"Yeah, you wouldn't have liked her," Piper cut back in to tell her sister. "A bit heavy handed on the rules."
"Still," Phoebe sighed, "she did know her stuff and we were ultimately able to stop Eames."
"That was a warlock though," Paige shook her head. "No, I don't think this has to do with witches. This particular darklighter is targeting whitelighters. Besides, even if the powers were stolen, whoever heard of a good witch with the power to fake cries of help coming from innocents. I seriously doubt that would have been stolen from a witch."
"Well, not a good witch," Piper corrected.
"My point is, it's being used to lure someone in," Paige concluded.
"And what do you mean faking cries for help?" Phoebe sought further clarification. "Do you know something we don't?"
Paige heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I do, actually, but I swear 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 as both sisters listened intently.
"An answer to what?" Piper wanted to know.
"This morning, I received a call for help from another young whitelighter and that's the first time I encountered this darklighter. He must have followed me back here," she shared with some guilt. "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. Quite a few have already been lost."
"What?" Phoebe replied in surprise.
Piper thought about Paige's admission. "Okay, then 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, if his objective is to target whitelighters, it makes no sense to go for the witch," Phoebe was in agreement.
"I think he was aiming for me," Paige countered. "Prue was just the distraction."
"Well, that's one hell of a distraction," Piper countered back.
"So, the darklighter wouldn't have known either," Phoebe concluded, sharing a look with Piper. "That the poison would affect Prue."
"Nope," Paige confirmed. "But I do have another idea."
"Go ahead, shoot," Piper sighed, ready to hear it out.
"I'm going to try Sam and see if he has any more information on what's been going on. He is a whitelighter after all and maybe he has an idea as to why a darklighter would bother with a witch," Paige proposed. "I mean, besides the obvious, because we're the Charmed Ones or this new Ultimate Power thingy," she waved her hand in the air.
Phoebe smirked. "Do I sense lingering issues?" she squinted her eyes in playful manner.
"Say what now?" Paige narrowed her eyes back.
"You called your father Sam," Phoebe smiled. "I thought you moved past that."
"Yeah, well dear ole' dad," she emphasized, squinting her eyes at her sister, "is the only other avenue I can come up with right now. Like I said, he's a whitelighter so this does affect him too. And maybe he'll have an answer on why darklighter arrows are infecting witches. Unless the two of you have any better ideas?" she threw at them.
"No, not really, but good luck," Piper was quick to respond. She got up from her chair and brought her empty coffee cup to the sink. "The more we can find out ahead of time, the better prepared we'll be." Then she walked over to the countertop grabbing for her purse and keys. "Right now, I need to go pick up the kids," she let them know. "Maybe 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 in the air. She was out of eyesight.
The front door to the manor was heard closing.
X
"Nice," Leo mumbled to Coop after the Council had retreated to deliberate. His eyes still darted around the voluminous space, looking for any visible signs of someone who could claim the voices they heard. "Didn't know you had that in you," he added.
"Yeah, I was a lawyer before I was a Cupid," Coop admitted, trying to remain guarded 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 told him. 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 cycling in the mortal realm as a whole new person. I chose immortality. They appointed me as a Cupid."
Leo listened. "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 openly sharing," he confessed further. Leo picked up on a small hint of sadness. He was reflecting on his mortal past.
"Why?" Leo asked, not understanding the desire to remain secretive about it.
"Because it doesn't matter anymore. That's why."
"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 was firm about it.
"Sure, man, not a problem." Still, it was a bit strange to Leo. He had been mortal once too but ultimately held no objections to Piper finding out.
"Thank you," Coop nodded. "There's just no point in dredging up things that already happened or can't be changed. My past is exactly where I want it to stay. In the past." He grew silent.
Leo knew that was his final word on the matter. He could tell there was more to the story. Not only did Coop's objections give it away, so did his body language. 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!" one of the voices returned, grabbing the attention of both men.
"And?" came the very anxious inquiry of Leo, as he awaited the answer that could either solve a problem or 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 her sister wasn't there.
"Billie?" she prodded gently. "Are 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 opened the door and made her way inside the room. She caught sight of Billie sitting on the bed, a clutter of clothing and other personal items, sprawled out 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," she muttered.
Phoebe watched her fold some clothes and then place them inside one of the boxes. "Sweetie, what are you doing?" she asked with concern. Using one hand to push some stuff aside, she sat on the bed next to her. "It didn't go that bad, did it?"
Billie stopped folding, contemplating her answer carefully. "No, not bad," she remarked. "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're leaving?"
"Yup." That's all Billie would say as she kept herself distracted with her packing.
"Really?" Phoebe pushed. "You think running away is going to make things less awkward? Honey, that's not the answer, believe me."
Billie let out a sigh of frustration. "No, Phoebe, I'm not running away. I'm just leaving for a while, so everybody has some breathing room, okay? Me included," she added, her agitation showing. "Besides, the extra space is needed anyway," she tried rationalizing. "She's here, Molly's here. I have my dorm room."
Only Phoebe wasn't buying it. "Oh, I see. So, Prue's just she?" she 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 under her breath, but Phoebe heard it regardless.
"Billie, look. I'm just here to listen. Not to judge," she offered in all seriousness, reaching out to pat her leg.
Billie stared at her for a few moments. "I'm just really confused right now," she admitted. "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 the opportunity to continue.
Billie's eyes landed 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 am so sorry for what happened to you, she thought. 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 shook her head. "It was stupid anyway," she immediately gave up what she wanted to ask about. She placed the photograph back on the bed.
Phoebe glanced back down at it, deciding not to push the issue any further. "Billie, listen, if you need time or the space, there's the extra room at my place," she offered. "Molly's gone now and the room is available if you need it."
Billie gave a small smile. "Phoebe, thanks, I appreciate it. But no thanks," she declined. "I think some time alone is what I need," 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 going back to my dorm room, not moving across the country. I won't be that far away."
"Okay," Phoebe sighed. "If this is what you really 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.
"No, like I said, it's what I need," Billie corrected, looking her straight in the face.
"Just please be careful," Phoebe stressed with a lot of emphasis.
"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 and get your butt back here, missy," she teased.
Billie laughed.
"Need some help getting this stuff over there?" Phoebe offered.
"Yeah, thanks. And I'm trying. I swear," Billie crossed her fingers.
"Well, you still have a phone, so use it," Phoebe playfully instructed. Getting off the bed, she picked up one of the boxes. "Because, believe me, there's space and then there's sucking voids of loneliness."
"I'll have JD around for support," Billie volunteered readily. She followed Phoebe's lead and lifted up the other two boxes from the floor and placed them on top of the bed as well. 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 like that one day. Time would tell, she settled on.
"Hm," 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, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please! It's not even like that," she denied.
"Uh huh," Phoebe gave her the look.
"We're just friends."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Phoebe continued on in a joking manner, nodding her head. "I know the line. I used the line. We've all used the line," she needled playfully, then laughing.
"It's really 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 didn't know what she was feeling but she knew she needed to be alone.
While standing under the bright sun, the wind picked up and shuffled some of her hair. Using one hand, she moved it away from her face while staring at the marble structure erected in front of her. Her eyes read over the inscription:
Andrew Christopher Trudeau: 1970 - 1999, Son, Police Inspector, and Friend. Died While Serving in the Line of Duty.
After the confrontation with Billie earlier, she had really needed to get away. She didn't want to talk, she didn't want to be asked any questions, and she certainly didn't want to hear anyone trying to reassure her that everything would be okay. It wasn't. To avoid any encounters, Prue had waited until she thought her sisters had left the manor and then quietly left it herself. Her walk had taken her to the gates of this cemetery.
What was she even doing here? It's not like it would change anything.
One thing was for sure, though. As more and more of the memories fell into place, there wasn't going to be any more room for 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.
Turning her head, she observed an elderly gentleman holding a bouquet of flowers. Prue watched as he bent down to place them at the front of the headstone. After he was done, he turned his face in her direction and their eyes met. He gave her a sad smile and then she returned it with a small wave. He broke eye contact and then moved to leave, taking slow steps towards his parked car.
Stepping closer to Andy's headstone, Prue ran her hand over the inscription. A clear memory flashed through her mind.
(Memory)
She kept her eyes on the dark casket that sat just above the ground. Placing that one single rose with its bright red petals atop the rectangular structure, she knew 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 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 also kept secrets from. In a way, she had broken his heart too because he had wanted her trust, and she just couldn't bring herself to let him in completely.
He had been her best friend, her lover, her confidante. The bond between them went deep but even that hadn't been enough to keep them together. It couldn't keep him alive. In the end, he had discovered the truth anyway, but still rejected her life, her destiny, who she was, and it was knowing this that left her feeling very sad and confused on this day. Although he had made a conscious choice not to pursue any kind of future with her, he had loved her enough to die for her.
Why?
She brought her gloved hand up to wipe away at the tears.
(Memory Ends)
Prue's eyes watered over at the memory. She could feel and remember it like it was yesterday. 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, as if she were experiencing it all over again.
"Andy," she muttered, her voice broken. She covered her face and began to cry.
"My life got you killed and then I went and abandoned my sisters," she shook her head, trying to compose herself. "What kind of person does that really make me?" rolling her eyes, she lifted her head up towards the sky.
"I don't think I can do this alone," she brought her hands up to wipe away the straggling tears that had fallen. All the pain, the reservations, and fear of the unknown came out with them.
"You're not alone," another voice cut in from behind her.
Spinning around, Prue came face to face with the person who matched the voice.
X
Paige anxiously paced the length of the abandoned structure, 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. The demon had almost succeeded in permanently capturing her father's essence, but Paige had confronted some of her issues regarding Sam and it had saved his life. Unfortunately, in the process, JD had been the one to lose his life.
Suddenly, blue and white orbs appeared from behind. Paige's back was turned, and 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," Sam announced. "I'd be more than willing to make a house call every now and then," he offered, a smirk set firmly in place.
"Dad!" Paige spun around.
"Wow. I've officially reached 'Dad' status," he smiled. "Honored," he teased, taking a small bow.
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," she waved her arms around, "is the best that I could 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 shared, a dramatic nod of her head given to her father.
"Who?" Sam asked, still confused.
"That would be us."
"Us?" Sam repeated. "You mean, you and your sisters?" he asked. He took a moment to process. "Is this what you called me to talk about?"
"Eh," she shook her hand. "Not completely."
"Okay, good," her father hesitated, "because I'm probably the wrong guy to ask about that," he admitted honestly. "What do Piper and Phoebe have to say? I mean, do you three think it's legit?" Sam crossed his arms over his chest awaiting further explanation behind his daughter's newfound revelation.
"No, no, no!" Paige closed her eyes, shaking her head dramatically. "Not we three. We four. As in Piper, Phoebe, me, and Prue," came the reveal.
"What?" Sam quickly dropped his arms back down at his sides.
His reaction momentarily caught Paige off guard. Did he know more something about the Ultimate Power that he wasn't saying? "Um, yeah," she observed her father's reaction to the unfolding news closely.
"But she's dead," Sam shook his head confused. "Isn't that why you became part of the Power of Three in the first place?"
"Here's the thing. Prue never actually died. She's been alive this whole time. The Elders were behind it. They faked her death so the Ultimate Power couldn't exist." And judging by her father's reaction, clearly everyone 'up there' was not in the know.
"Oh, my god, Patty," he mumbled, bringing his hand up over his mouth.
"Dad, what's going on?" Paige blurted. "You're acting very weird about this," she accused.
"Weird? I'm not acting weird," he denied.
"Yes, you are. Like, you know something you're not saying. Did you know about Prue this entire time?"
"No!" Sam firmly denied.
"Well, we know mom and Grams knew," Paige revealed to him.
Sam thought about the secret they still shared but more importantly, it now made perfect sense on why Patty had been making it a point to avoid him in the afterlife. It became blatantly obvious the distance she had been keeping during the time following Prue's death was intentional; 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. Now it appeared Prue was still alive and, apparently, always had been. Patty must have known all along, like Paige said. Why keep it a secret?
"Dad?" Paige called out, trying to pull him from his daze. She waved her hand in front of his face. "What's the matter?" Nope, she wasn't just reading into this, she concluded. 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, breaking free from his stupor. "I, uh ... nothing," he began stuttering and shaking his head at the same time until he got a hold of his bearings. "I'm just a little surprised to hear that the Elders would stoop that far," he covered, but he hated lying to his daughter about what was really on his mind.
Paige furrowed her brows. "Why?" she interrogated.
"Why what?" he questioned.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Why so surprised. Look at what you and mom had to go through to have me. You practically threw me at the church doorstep so they wouldn't find out I existed. 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 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 playfully interjected. "I'm not mad about that anymore, I was making a point," she stressed.
"Which is?" he challenged.
"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 back. "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 what's important. Is Prue alright?" he asked.
Paige picked up on the subtle concern. Well, he loved Patty, their mother, and Prue was Patty's daughter. Why wouldn't he show concern. "Well, define alright," she scoffed. "I mean physically, she's fine. Mentally or emotionally, probably not so much. But she had a close call a few hours ago and that's what I needed to ask you about."
This grabbed Sam's attention. "What do you mean?"
Paige sighed. "A darklighter attacked at the manor earlier 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, but we can't track it's source."
"So, he hasn't acquired these powers from other witches then, huh?" she asked seeking confirmation.
"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.
"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. She noticed her father visibly tense. "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 countered with firm determination.
"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 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.
Molly.
She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it until now. How could she not have questioned it sooner? The first time she had encountered the child 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, this was also at a time when she didn't know Molly was in fact Prue's daughter. She hadn't paid it much more thought.
"Prue couldn't possibly have whitelighter in her?" Paige speculated out loud.
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, after receiving no immediate answer.
Billie was Prue's daughter too; yet, she has never exhibited any whitelighter traits. Why? Yet, the unborn baby was affected. Was it somehow connected to Andy? He had actually died. That could offer up one freaky explanation as to why Molly and the unborn baby carried potential whitelighter traits and vulnerabilities while Billie did not. However, she shot that theory back down as soon as she remembered that Prue was directly affected by the poison, not just the baby. It was the very reason she had trouble healing in the first place. Prue exhibited no whitelighter traits. It didn't make sense.
Back to square one.
"Dad? Answer the question," she pushed again.
Sam felt uncomfortable being in the position he now found himself in. He didn't want to continue lying to his daughter but what choice did he have. This wasn't the time nor place to get into the past. Instead, he chickened out.
Turning around, he prepared to orb back out.
"Dad, wait!" she replied urgently.
"I have to go!" he declared.
Paige stepped forward to stop him. "Why won't you answer my question? If you know something, you have to tell me. Please, Prue's life could be in danger. Is it possible?" As crazy as it sounded, all the evidence was leaning in that direction; however, she needed confirmation.
Sam slowly turned back around to face his daughter.
Paige wore a mask of desperation.
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 answer, not what she would have preferred; however, Paige knew how to read between the lines, and picked up on the subtle admission right away. However, 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 contact. He looked down at the ground and disappeared into a flurry of blue and white orbs.
No. It couldn't be.
X
"Darryl," Prue said, surprised but also clearly relieved.
"Hey, Prue," the concern in his voice was clear. "You okay?"
Thrown a bit off guard, Prue gave a weak smile. "Yeah," she lied, wiping underneath her eye. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, waving towards Andy's headstone. "I've been coming out here since yesterday; let's just say it's been a weird couple of weeks and leave it at that. But I definitely wasn't expecting to run into you here. Shouldn't you and Andy be ... " he stopped, looking around, "taking your old lives back or something," he settled on. Darryl then got a good look at her face. "Have you been crying?" he inquired, bringing his hands to rest at his sides.
Obviously, she was upset.
Prue looked away.
"Hey," he reached out to her when he didn't get an immediate response. "Be honest with me. Are you really okay?" he asked for a second time.
Prue was ready to lie again but reconsidered it. "Actually, no," she closed her eyes, deciding to just be honest. "No, I'm not okay."
Then, it dawned on Darryl to ask the one question he meant to. "By the way, where is Andy?" His eyes darted between her and the headstone displaying his ex-partner's name.
Prue looked down. "Gone," she answered. "For good this time."
"Gone?" Darryl repeated. "As in dead?" he asked for clarification. "Again?"
"Yes, Darryl," the weariness and agitation in Prue's voice was easily detected. "As in he's never coming back. I need to go," she made her way past him.
"Whoa, hold up," he jogged to catch up with her.
Prue slowed her steps.
"At least you remember me. That's got to be a good sign," Darryl was showing his own relief.
"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 elaborated. "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. Which didn't make a whole lot of sense to me since I literally just came out here with Andy."
"Oh, that," Prue nodded.
"Yeah, that. What the hell happened?"
"Don't ask," she shook her head. "The whole magic schtick is supposed to be my deal and even I don't get it," she side-eyed Darryl.
"Well, I don't mind being spared the details. I've spent most of my time caged up in a motel room trying to figure out how I'm the only one who can remember but I figured that's what it had to be," Darryl admitted.
Prue honestly felt bad. "Sorry you got caught up in all this again, Darryl," she closed her eyes, reflecting on the past. "It's not fair, you deserve to have your normal life back in New York. So did Andy," her voice lowered.
Darryl stopped walking and reached back out for her arm. "Hey, I'm still your friend, Prue," he wanted her to know that. "And Andy loved you."
"Maybe, but that doesn't change anything," she became emotional. "He didn't ask for any of this, and he was right about me. My life is nothing but secrets. Those secrets get people hurt or killed," she vented. "Andy never wanted this life."
"He wanted you," Darryl told her firmly. "That's all that matters."
Prue sighed heavily, looking to her side, and trying to contain her emotions.
Darryl stepped back to give her space. "I know you don't need me to tell you this, but I am sorry," he offered sincerely. "This has to be rough."
"Yeah," Prue nodded. They resumed walking side by side. "I'll be fine, though," she shared. "I really have no choice but to be."
"What about your daughter?" Darryl prodded gently. "Any luck?"
Prue gave a sad smile. "Yes. She's back with me."
"Thank god for that," Darryl sighed.
"She was with my sisters," Prue shared. "Fortunately, they found her before we ever got the chance to. Molly and I are staying at the Manor."
Darryl nodded; he figured as much. Where else would she even go, especially now with Andy gone. "But it's still not right, what are you supposed to tell her about her father?"
"Apparently, that he's someone else," Prue delivered sarcastically. "They didn't exactly leave me a guidebook," she rolled her eyes.
Darryl found the whole arrangement cringy and thoughtless. "Right, so they left you hanging," he concluded. "Are you telling me they didn't even have the decency to at least make Andy the husband you've lost?"
"Guess not," Prue shoved her hands into her pockets.
Darryl shook his head in disgust. "That's cold, man. Not right."
"Does it even really matter at this point?" Prue argued, sighing. "He's dead and we're still here."
They shared a moment of silence.
Darryl knew there was nothing else he could say to make it better. "At least she's safe. Your daughter," he offered instead, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, at least she's safe," Prue repeated it, nodding in agreement.
"You're both safe," he stressed to her, "and I know that's all Andy would have wanted."
They finally came to a stop at Darryl's car.
"Take care, Darryl, and keep in touch, okay?" They shared a brief hug before Prue moved to leave.
"Hold up, you're not walking alone, are you? Get in," he nodded towards the passenger's side.
Prue gave a smirk. "I'm not exactly defenseless, Darryl," she reminded him. "But thank you. I think I can manage."
Darryl opened the car door anyway. "Get in," he stressed. "Stop being stubborn and just accept the ride," he waved her over to the door.
Prue hesitated. "Fine," she relented.
The ride back to the Manor was already in progress before she chose to say anything else. "You know, I don't know if I ever really told you 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 the gratitude. "Ah, Prue, there was never any need to thank me. I just did what I thought was right at the time," he answered. "You know, after you ... left," he settled on, "I stayed pretty close by for a while, but your sisters and I eventually drifted apart. Things just started to get too complicated, and my family needed me first."
Prue listened.
"Andy was my partner; I trusted him. Honestly still trying to sort out everything that's happened with you, him, with the entire situation but I am sorry about everything," he felt bad that it turned out the way it had. "I never understood the full story, but I tried to make sure he was going to be okay. Not like the last time," he sighed, tapping his other fist against the driving wheel. He made a sharp turn.
Prue glanced at Darryl.
He tried to hide it, but his face was a mask of sorrow.
"But I want you to know that if you ever need anything, I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask," he offered, glancing back over at her.
"Sure," Prue accepted. "Thanks, Darryl."
They pulled up to the Manor.
X
Leo and Coop exchanged glances.
"Our decision on this matter is to bring forth a hearing of indictment," the first voice boldly interjected.
"A what?" Leo wanted a better explanation. Somehow, he was getting the feeling that bringing Andy back home wasn't going to be that easy.
"A hearing of indictment," another voice repeated. "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 say anything else because they felt themselves being thrust out of the realm by a very powerful force. Their next coherent moment 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.
"Well, that's that," Coop voiced, sharing a look with Leo.
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," she sang back, as she planted a kiss on the top of her hand. "Did you have a good time?"
Molly nodded.
"Good."
Darryl smiled at the scene.
"Who are you?" the child pointed and asked the strange man she had never seen before.
Prue smiled over at Darryl. "Oh, he's a very good friend. Daddy and Darryl used to work together," she explained.
"Oh," Molly replied. "Daddy's not here."
Darryl's smile dropped but he reached out and affectionately cupped the side of the little girl's face. "That's okay. I came to see your mom today," he winked at her.
"Prue, where have you been?" Phoebe sighed, cutting in. "We were worried!" She took a quick glance over her shoulder towards the living room area. "Hey, Darryl," she greeted him.
"Phoebe," Darryl acknowledged back, with a slight nod.
"Phoebe, I appreciate the concern but I'm fine," she said in a distracted manner, smiling at her daughter and engaging in some playful banter. "I just needed the walk to try and clear my head," she explained. Molly giggled as Prue used one free hand to tickle her side. She laughed with her daughter before turning her attention back to Phoebe.
Phoebe still had a look of concern covering her face.
"Really. Don't worry," Prue insisted.
"Um, yeah, okay," Phoebe paused. "Listen, uh, somebody here's to see you," she tried to give the heads up.
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, 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 watched as he slowly closed the distance between himself and Prue.
"Hey," his voice cracked, his eyes tearing up.
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 ...