Author's Note: Okay. I feel the need to announce this.
Sadly, it has recently been brought to my attention, by one of my readers, that the ideas, characters, and plot from my story were in the beginning stages of being duplicated and passed off in another story here at fanfiction. I won't mention any names because the author has agreed to remove the story from this site voluntarily. However, since this is my first time writing and I'm also learning the ropes as I move along, please allow me to take some time and make my disclaimer clearer:
Disclaimer: While I don't own Charmed or any of the concepts, characters, and themes associated with the show, certain ideas coming off these borrowed concepts, characters, and themes are mine.
For instance, I am borrowing the concept of the "Ultimate Power" from the show. It doesn't belong to me but the idea that Prue/Phoebe/Piper/Paige are the Ultimate Power does come from me. The concept of a stolen "Ultimate Power" prophecy belongs to me and some other examples: I don't own the characters Prue or Billie but the idea that Billie is Prue's daughter has come from me. The alternate identities of Michael/Marie being Andy/Prue belong to me. The idea of Prue/Andy having had a kidnapped daughter in the Underworld does belong to me. Molly belongs to me. Seth will belong to me. I don't own "Christy" but the idea that she is really Lana, a "Christy" impostor working with the Triad and is part-Triad herself, does come from me. The Elder concept does not belong to me but Emeritus, Dimitri, Phalmis, Ramar, and Xenus are mine. The idea that Gideon is now a Triad belongs to me but Gideon and the Triad are not mine. The Vicarian Stones belong to me. The idea for Pandora's Box belongs to me. The idea of an Afterlife Council existing belongs to me and the In-Between Realm. The idea that Prue/Paige are really full sisters because Sam is Prue's real father comes from me and so on and so on. That's not difficult to separate, right?
Now that I've made that crystal clear PLEASE do not take any of my ideas (past/future) and pass them off in a new story as your own. Here or at any other site especially without my permission because that is a form of plagiarism. If I stumble upon it myself or if any of my readers happen to bring something like this to my attention again, I will definitely report it the next time around.
The only two places I have this work of fiction posted are here and at thesistersthree (under PowerofThree4). This disturbs me because I have been working hard on this since May of 2007 and have posted my updates, almost simultaneously, at both websites. Please, if anyone comes across my work being used/altered at another site, report it there. Anybody has my permission to. It's already been brought to my attention that this duplicated copy was being promoted at another Charmed site and I'm upset about it. Unfortunately, I'm not a member there so I couldn't fix the problem. The only recourse I had was that the other author voluntarily retracted the story from that site as well.
Also, I would like to make something else clear to everyone reading this. I do understand that similar ideas float around and authors write them. For example, there are alot of people who share the idea to resurrect Prue but people write it differently with their own ideas so it's not plagiarizing another fanfiction writer. At least, that's how I see it. What I'm talking about here are disguised carbon-copy ideas like this other story was in the process of becoming. Ones that copy your entire story-line plot/premise, point for point, reuse/re-tell your invented character themes (like Lana/Marie or Molly), and basically have no originality to them except in hiding it through thinly-veiled/altered scenes. When characters, sub-plots, and other themes are EXACT in nature, there is a problem.
Anyway, now that I've vented that and hopefully made things clearer, please allow me to address and thank my loyal readers/reviewers from the last chapter:
PrUe anD AnDy, charmedgirlalyssa-phoebe, I'll Be Watching You Drown, Jedi Alanna, and Amanda.
And now, on with the next chapter. This chapter is a bit lighter and not as heavy. More of a transitional chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 28: Unwelcome Interference
The unseen figure moved with ease through the downstairs foyer and up the winding staircase. As the figure moved, he was fairly confident nobody would take notice. After reaching the second floor corridor of the house, the figure stopped, taking time to contemplate going right or left. He chose to proceed right.
The figure suddenly came upon one of the women. She was exiting from a bedroom door. It was the eldest Halliwell sister. Prue. The figure was aware of her recent return and as she passed by, the figure took notice of how she stopped to take in her surroundings. Could she be sensing his nearby presence? He watched her brush the feeling away and then she continued in the opposite direction down the hall.
He went down the stretch of hallway until he reached the attic. It was here; he could sense it and not that far away either. Slowly, he came upon another one of the women kneeling down on the attic floor. This time it was the youngest sister, Paige, and the Book of Shadows lay on the floor beside her. The figure noted that she appeared to be in the process of securing something underneath a piece of floor board. The figure smiled because he knew he had now found what he was searching for.
The youngest sister halted all movement and turned to look around the attic. She, too, seemed to sense the presence of another close by only she could not see anyone else there. Shrugging it off, the woman went back to finishing the task at hand.
After finding what he needed to know, the figure shut his eyes as the boundaries of time and space shifted. He then found himself standing in the same spot on the floor and in the same place, approximately two months later. It was the attic of the Halliwell Manor. The figure was alone, now standing inside the present instead of in the past. In a cautious manner, he glanced around to make sure he was definitely alone and when he felt relatively confident that the attic was in fact empty, he then allowed himself to become visible.
The figure went in search of one area in the floor. He had witnessed the youngest Charmed One hiding it away and slowly he placed one foot before the other until his entire weight gave way to the creaking sound found beneath him. He stopped, bent over, and realized he had finally located the loosened piece of floor board. Kneeling down on one knee, he unsealed it, revealing that one lost page he had taken so long ago. It was rolled up inside the floor space and he reached for it.
The figure unrolled the page carefully and inspected the ancient language before slowly making his way over to the attic window. He looked outside and watched the other hustling figures down below. They had just exited the manor and were making their way for the parked vehicles in the driveway and on the street. They were in a big hurry to get somewhere.
The figure turned back around. He glanced over at the Book of Shadows sitting on the podium one final time before fading away for good. However, what he had missed was the other invisible figure who was hidden in the shadows of the attic, watching his every move carefully and with narrowed eyes.
"Not so fast, Avatar!" the other hidden figure snarled. "I don't think so."
The other figure allowed himself to become visible before his dark orbs appeared, taking the darklighter away from the attic and in search of the Avatar.
X
Prue didn't want to let go. She feared the moment she did, it would all turn into a dream born out of her own wishful thinking.
Andy was the first to pull back gently. In mortal time, he hadn't been gone more than a few months but it still felt like a lifetime to him.
Paige felt a bit awkward witnessing such an intimate moment so openly exposed which wasn't hers. She shifted her gaze down towards the floor to cover up her uneasiness.
"Where's Molly?" Andy suddenly looked around until his eyes came to rest on Prue's mid-section. His expression shifted as he noticed something was a bit different.
"Right, that," Prue rested her hands against her abdomen after she understood what just caught his attention. "I found out after you left."
"Oh," came Andy's surprised reaction.
"Well, Paige actually found out first," Prue smirked at her sister. "The test just verified it."
Paige playfully rolled her eyes. "Hey, that was only by accident," she folded her arms.
Andy glanced between both Prue and Paige and smiled. He didn't have a clue what they were talking about or how it was possible but he didn't care. He was just relieved to be back home and happy to be in the company of living people again.
Prue reached for Andy's hand. "I'm happy I won't have to do it alone."
Andy reached back out to hug Prue.
"But don't go and ask if it's going to be a boy or a girl because that's going to ruin the surprise," Paige piped in.
Prue sighed and pulled away from Andy. She shook her head. "Paige?" she smiled. "We agreed no reveal party?"
"A what?" Andy asked.
"A reveal party," Phoebe repeated for Andy. She went in for a better explanation after she saw the questioning look still plastered on his face. "Basically, it's a new and upcoming trend where the family and friends of the parents-to-be get to know the sex of the baby before the parents actually do," she grinned.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Phoebe nodded one time to confirm it.
"Hey, I still have some time to change your mind," Paige teased Prue.
"Good luck with that," Phoebe laughed.
"I think I'm just going to wait until the birth," Prue nodded at Paige. "Besides, we waited with Molly too," Prue shared a look with Andy.
"Okay, fine," Paige pouted and folded her arms again. "Phoebe, hurry up and get pregnant so Prue can see what she missed out on."
Phoebe and Coop shot Paige a look before Phoebe began to laugh. "Way ahead of yourself there, Paige, but hey. There's certainly nothing stopping you," she clapped her hands together and smiled. "Right?"
Prue cleared her throat and looked away.
Paige narrowed her eyes playfully at her sister. "Anyway. Changing the subject."
"Mhm," Phoebe hummed.
"Well, I'm up for anything," Andy interjected. "Just as long as everything's okay?"
Prue sighed. "Everything's fine," she assured him. "It's still early but the doctor says everything looks great so far."
Phoebe then made it a point to send her sister a serious look. "Beginning of second trimester but Prue's still gonna' take it easy and be extra careful," she scolded gently, making reference to their very recent trip into the Underworld.
"I promise to be careful," Prue stressed.
Phoebe then snuggled closer to Coop while Andy embraced Prue from behind. The atmosphere suddenly shifted for Paige as the awkwardness took over again. She watched, smiled, but felt uncomfortable and out of place. Paige was happy for her sisters. She truly was. However, her elation for them didn't remove the sting hitting her like an avalanche while witnessing both Prue and Phoebe standing with the most important men in their lives. She was only left standing alone while Henry was still in the dangerous clutches of the Underworld.
Prue was observing Paige carefully. "Paige, are you okay?"
"What?" Paige broke from the emotional spell. "Yeah, I'm fine," she brushed it off.
Prue knew better though. "Henry's going to come back home, honey."
Paige nodded. "I know," she sighed and smiled back at her sister. "It just feels so weird without him."
Prue pouted a little and stepped forward to embrace her sister. Paige hadn't been expecting it but accepted and suprisinlgy it helped her to feel a little better. She appreciated the reassurace and support.
Prue pulled back but held onto her sister's hand. "Thank god we do have Paige. We can really count on her if anything goes wrong."
"We sure can," Phoebe agreed. She smiled. Coop stood behind her gently rubbing her shoulders.
"Andy, you remember meeting Paige?" Prue asked him.
Andy smiled at her and waved. "Briefly."
"Paige is another sister," Prue explained. "She was adopted and met back up with Piper and Phoebe when I, after I left," she struggled for the right word.
Paige nodded and issued a quick wave back. "Hey."
"Thank you," Andy offered. "For whatever it is I'm sure you've done. Whatever you probably did to help keep them safe," he was referring to both Prue and the baby. He accepted that Phoebe's warning had to have some merit to it.
"Nah, it's nothing," Paige dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Besides, the way I hear it, I should probably be thanking you. Without you, I might not even have sisters today."
"Well, then, let me jump in and say thank you," Coop smiled and squeezed Phoebe closer. She looked up at him and smiled.
Paige glanced over at Billie leaning against the wall. She had been completely quiet during the entire exchange.
"Hey, Billie's a big help around here too," Paige jumped in.
Billie widened her eyes and threw Paige a look. She moved away from the wall and subtly shook her head at Paige. She had been comfortable remaining in the shadows.
Paige shot her a look right back and nodded at her to say something. "I have a pretty good hunch the two of you will be seeing alot of each other in the near future," she turned her attention back to Andy.
Billie huffed and closed her eyes.
Paige noticed Prue felt put on the spot. She wasn't sure when her sister would come clean with the news about Billie to Andy but she figured it didn't hurt to at least get the initial introduction out of the way.
"Uh," Prue stuttered. "Billie's actually ..."
Billie gained the courage to take over and suddenly stepped forward. "Billie Jenkins," she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Andy gently extended his hand. "Hi."
Billie could almost hear the relief pass through Prue. She didn't know whether to be relieved herself or annoyed by the reaction. It wasn't like they could keep the truth from him forever, she thought.
Andy arched his brow. "So let me guess. You're a witch too?"
"Good guess," Billie smiled. She slipped both hands into the slits of both pockets found in her jeans, trying to squash the butterflies in her own stomach.
Andy seemed a lot calmer and easy-going to Billie, at least in comparison to her other father she had been raised by. This probaby made him an easier person to talk with but irrespective to the difference in their individual demeanors, Billie still loved her adoptive father very much. He was the only father she had ever known. She was even his namesake. Bill Jenkins had been a very private person with a reserved nature and he hadn't put his trust in people easily. It was just that his hardened nature had sometimes made it difficult for Billie to talk with him or to express how she felt around him.
Prue cleared her throat loudly. "So. Um, I guess you can take some time to get settled in first but then we can update you on everything else going on around here."
"Sure," Andy stammered. "How much of that should I be looking forward to?"
Prue gritted down on her teeth before turning to face Phoebe and Coop. "Well, we can congratulate them on their engagement?"
Coop held onto Phoebe. "Thanks," he accepted and smiled.
"I've been hearing alot about you," Prue told him. "I'm really glad my sister found someone who can make her happy."
Phoebe exchanged a warm smile with Prue.
"And thank you for helping Andy," Prue added.
Coop nodded graciously and smiled. "Hey, I'm a Cupid. It's what I do. We never turn our backs on love."
Everyone in the room was suddenly distracted by the sudden appearance of blue and white orbs. The interruption alerted everyone to the presence of a child. The orbs had transformed into Molly. There was a clear view of pouting lips set firmly in place. She stood still with a red building block in her hand.
"Hey, she's getting pretty good at that," Prue commented under her breath. However, immediately taking note of her daughter's apparent state of minor distress, she suspected that both she and Wyatt were probably engaging each other in another battle of wills involving toys. "Baby, what's the matter?"
"Mommy, Wyatt's mean," Molly crossed her arms. "I don't want to play with him anymore! I want the red ones. The blue ones are stupid."
Prue walked over, unintentionally blocking any direct sight of Andy from Molly. Quickly, she acknowledged that Molly had to be referring to a set of toy building blocks after seeing the red, building block now grasped securely in her hand. She knelt down in front of her daughter, holding her full attention.
"Oh joy," Paige sighed. "What is this, round two?" she asked Phoebe.
"Three," Phoebe held up her three fingers to demonstrate.
"Molly, you liked the blue ones yesterday," Prue sighed and gently scolded her. Molly and Wyatt had been having these minor spats lately over most of his toys. Prue assumed some of it was due to Wyatt's acting out over the prolonged absence of both his parents.
"Nah ah," Molly shook her head stubbornly. "I don't like them. I just played with those because Wyatt made me. I want the red ones."
Prue shut her eyes. "Okay but Molly, honey, they're Wyatt's blocks. So you're going to have to share them and get along. Otherwise you can't play with them."
Suddenly, the small group was greeted by the second appearance of blue and white orbs materializing into Wyatt. In his hand, he brought a small bucket of red building blocks with him. It was clear to everyone in the room he had arrived on the scene to retrieve the last one now in Molly's possession. Molly instinctively stepped backwards. Using both hands, she attempted to hide the remaining block behind her back.
"Auntie Prue, she has my block," he tattled. He pointed to her at the same time. "Give me!" he called out, intending to orb it back to him as he turned to his cousin at the same time. He stretched his arm out to get it back.
"No!" Molly stomped her feet.
At this point, Phoebe stepped forward and swiftly retrieved the bucket of blocks from Wyatt's hand and the block hidden behind Molly's back. "Actually, guess what you two?" she announced in a sing-song voice. "The red ones are mine. You both can play with the blue ones. Now go," she directed playfully.
Wyatt and Molly stood with their mouths agape.
"See. Problem solved. No more whining," Phoebe rolled her eyes at her sisters and deposited the last red block into the bucket along with the others. It put an end to the childish feud so she walked back towards Coop. He shared a slight grin of amusement with her as she returned to his side.
Up until this point, Andy had stood in the background, silently observing his daughter's willful display. He just wanted a moment to watch her once again before finally drawing her attention towards him. He smiled and then called out to her. "Hey there, peanut?" He waited until he had her full attention. "Can I get a hug?" he asked.
After Molly registered the sound of her father's voice, she turned to look in his direction. Then with a big smile plastered on her face, she ran towards him. "Daddy!" she squealed excitedly as she ran into his arms. "You came back!"
Andy lifted her off the floor. "Of course I came back. I missed you." He hugged her close and kissed the side of her head.
"I missed you too, daddy," she told him. "But guess what?"
"What?" he smiled.
"Mommy said I'll get to be a sister soon," she announced proudly. "Then I get to be the biggest one," she demonstrated happily, by spreading her hands wide apart. "Just like Wyatt."
"Wow!" he played along with her. "That's great."
"But don't tell anyone. It's a really big secret," she added, lowering her voice to a whisper and cupping her hand against one side of her mouth as she spoke.
"Okay," Andy whispered back. "You've been good for mommy, I hope?" She remained quiet and shared a look between her mother and father. "Uh-huh," he gave his daughter a knowing look. "Behave. No more fighting over toys," he scolded her lightly.
Andy placed Molly back onto the floor. Quickly, she ran off back in the direction of Wyatt who stood watching the whole scene with interest.
Prue smirked. "So much for having a daughter who knows how to keep my secrets?" she joked. Then she turned her playful banter towards Phoebe. "But then again, I've dealt with having a sister who's been a virtual open book throughout most of my life."
Phoebe laughed. "Excuse me? Whoa, hold up. I'm getting better with that. Paige, tell her," she instructed her baby sister.
Paige nodded her head in amusement. "Eh. She's getting better," she shook her hand side to side to display some agreement.
"Thank you," Phoebe asserted, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, I mean, she kept her engagement to Coop a secret for what? A whole week?" Paige cracked. "That's seven full days," she continued, "so I guess that's gotta' count for something."
Prue carried on with all the playful exchange of banter. Mockingly, she gasped and opened her mouth wide, feigning surprise. Then, she couldn't help but break out and laugh.
"Alright, you guys. Ha ha," Phoebe nodded. "But I'll just have the both of you know that I think I still have a secret or two left in the closet when it comes to the two of you. So be nice or there might be a small surprise waiting in my advice column tomorrow morning."
"Ooh," Billie drawled out. "Blackmail." She smiled and then laughed.
"Yup, you got it, niece. Works every time," Phoebe smiled then she reflected on her accidental slip of the tongue.
Billie's eye widened.
"Sorry," Phoebe mouthed.
Phoebe glanced over at Prue next who was glaring but then quickly turned to look at Andy.
Andy didn't seem to notice.
Prue acknowledged she would need to have the conversation about Billie soon. It was only a matter of time before someone else slipped without giving much thought to it. As she thought about it some more, there was confusion on how to even broach the topic with Andy because there would be alot of questions she currently didn't have answers to. There were still lapses in her memory.
"Anyway, just remember that works both ways," Prue teased, covering up. "I still know a secret or two about you Coop may be interested in?"
Phoebe put up her hands. "Message received. Back off, okay?" she laughed.
Prue, Andy, Phoebe, Coop, and Paige were all distracted and smiling until Wyatt responded with a question of his own, cutting short the care-free moment.
"Where's my daddy?" he asked out of the blue.
All smiles dropped as everyone's focus became the little boy standing before them. Anxiously, he looked around the room at all the adult faces waiting for his answer but then the sudden ringing sound coming from the telephone in the kitchen broke the silence. It startled some in the room.
"I'll get it," Billie raised her hand, volunteering immediately.
Billie headed in the direction of the kitchen. She was feeling uneasy and just wanted to remove herself from the others. Witnessing the small family moment between Prue, Molly, and Andy made her feel like she was intruding on something private. Molly was only a little girl and her words spoken moments before were completely innocent but they still stung. Billie was in fact the big sister and she hadn't expected to feel so discounted by a few simple words uttered by a small child who meant nothing malicious by them. However, Billie then made a conscious decision to push those feelings away after concluding she was being childish, petty, and jealous for no good reason.
After Billie's departure, Prue swallowed and looked towards Phoebe and Paige. How were they even supposed to answer that question when they didn't even know the answer themselves?
Phoebe approached Wyatt and knelt down in front of him. "Sweetie, we talked about that, remember?" she gently reminded him. "Daddy's away right now working very very hard to make mommy all better. So that she can come back home and be with you and Chris again." She gently tickled his stomach.
Wyatt listened. "Molly got her daddy back?" His small mind only comprehending that if she got hers back then it made sense he should too.
"Oh, sweetie." Phoebe pulled Wyatt into a hug. "I know she did and you'll get yours back too, okay? Promise."
A part of Phoebe cringed at her own declaration of reassurance. She didn't want to fill her nephew with any sense of false hope and prove to be a liar down the road but what else could she really say to him? The truth was they didn't know what was going on with Leo right now. All they were presently aware of was that he hadn't come back with Coop and Andy and she was sure that couldn't be a good thing.
"Listen, buddy," Phoebe continued. "You have me, and Auntie Paige, and Auntie Prue." She turned to look at the two men standing behind her. "That's Uncle Coop and Uncle Andy. There's alot of people who love you very much. We'll all be here for you until your mommy and your daddy comes back."
Wyatt glanced around at all the faces. "Okay," he mumbled.
"That's a good boy," Phoebe remarked playfully. She hugged him a second time. While standing back up, she gently tousled some of his hair around.
"You can share my daddy until yours comes back," Molly offered.
In an excited state, Billie ran back into the room. Then came the big announcement.
"The hospital just called. It's Piper. She's awake!"
X
He sat looking through his rear-view mirror.
He was parked a few feet up the street and away from the house. He didn't want to be too close and alert them to his presence but he also didn't want to be so far away that he wouldn't be able to spy on their comings and goings.
That was the place. The scene of a crime that changed his life forever and he watched as figures suddenly became visible after exiting the front door. It was the eldest sister accompanied by the other two sisters and the blond from that other night. They appeared to be in a rush to get somewhere as the eldest one parted with one of the sisters in the green buggy and the blond went with the other one.
"Well, well. Looks like we finally have some action," he muttered.
After the green car pulled out of the driveway, it was followed closely by the second car. As both vehicles passed by him on the street, he turned his head in the opposite direction so he wouldn't be recognized. Then he turned back around.
"Alright, ladies. You're obviously in a big hurry. Let's see what the fuss is about."
Inspector Richardson started the ignition and pulled out into the open road. He tailed closely behind them at a safe distance.
X
Leo sat at the table with his fingers tapping against the table.
They were within the presence of the Afterlife Council and both Leo and Dimitri now sat to one side while the remaining Elders sat across from them at the other table. Dimitri kept stealing glances at Leo's fingers, a very clear indicator to him that the other Elder was quite anxious to get out of here.
"Is that really helping?" Dimitri inquired. "You know it won't get you back home any sooner." In truth, it was beginning to give him a headache.
"Huh?" Leo appeared to be broken out of his daze.
Dimitri sighed. Then smiled. "Never mind. Whatever works to get you through it, I guess. Right?"
A bewildered expression crossed Leo's face until they were alerted to the now familiar sounds of the booming voices heard overhead.
"We shall begin with the Elder who calls himself Dimitri," the loud voice began. "Since you are being accused of merely one offense, it will be easier. Stand," they instructed of him.
Dimitri stood on his two feet. He swallowed nervously, awaiting the Council's next move.
"Is it true that you participated in the violation of a Universal Code that prevents entry into this realm through the Mystic Realm without express permission to do so?"
"Yes," he replied.
"No!" came Leo's simultaneous response.
Dimitri turned to stare at him.
Leo immediately stood to his feet. "And please. Before the Council interrupts and reprimands me for interfering with this inquiry, allow me to explain."
"We highly doubt our reprimand would have much of an impact anyway," they mocked him in return. "As we've learned. We gather that's exactly how you've found yourself in the trouble you're in. But do continue. We are intrigued."
"Thank you. Dimitri is a newly appointed Elder. I ask this Council to please show some leniency. I'm the one that entered the Mystic Realm without making him aware of it and I knew what I was doing. He did not."
"Leo?" Dimitri began to object. "What are you doing?"
It wasn't true. Dimitri had known exactly what Leo had been looking for and had helped him to locate it. Before becoming a newly appointed Elder, he had been mandated to familiarize himself with most universal codes of conduct. The Afterlife Council would never buy that excuse.
Leo ignored his plea. "If you wish to hold me accountable for breaking the code, so be it, but Dimitri has a promising future as an Elder. The Elder Council needs more members like him." Leo sent the other Elders a glare when he made that insinuation. "So do the right thing and send him back."
"Whether or not that is the right thing remains to be seen," another voice argued back. "However, your intentions are noble, Elder. But that still doesn't mean the established laws and codes can just be cast aside on a whim. There has to be accountability."
"Then hold me accountable!" Leo countered.
"Leo, you don't have to do this," Dimitri pleaded. "Stop. This isn't doing you any good in getting back home to your family," he attempted to remind him.
Leo accepted he was likely digging a deeper hole for himself but, then again, what's to say he wasn't in enough trouble already? He knew that Emeritus and the others were just using poor Dimitri as a scapegoat, even if he did break one universal code. It was hypocritical really, considering all the codes they were guilty of interfering with themselves over the years and Leo just didn't want them to get away with it. Period.
"This Council will agree. However, as a consequence, the Elder in question will be temporarily stripped of his Elder duties. Dimitri will have his status reinstated upon the decision made by us. He may depart from these proceedings."
Dimitri shook his head, some sorrow evident in his posture. He turned to address Leo but was immediately cut off by him.
"Don't say anything," he instructed of the other man. "Don't thank me. Don't attempt to argue with me. Just go. But I will ask one thing of you?"
"Sure," Dimitri nodded. "Anything."
"Continue to look after Piper and her sisters. Just in case," he trailed off. But both men knew what was meant. In case Leo wouldn't be coming home. Ever again.
Dimitri nodded again solemnly and then the same familiar flash that had carried all the others away reappeared, whisking the Elder away with it.
It was now down to just Leo and the others.
X
After everyone exited the cars, they all took quick strides towards the entrance to the Bay General Hospital.
Billie kept a slower pace. She was walking behind the others, taking quick glances over her shoulder. She had accidentally taken notice of the other car a few blocks back. At first, she thought that it might have been her imagination, but quickly threw that assumption out the window when the same car appeared to hastily jump a red light. The swerving sound and the sound of the gears grinding had put her on alert and after looking through the side view mirror, she thought it looked like a cop model. More precisely, an Inspector, as one would be called in San Francisco. Her immediate thoughts ran to the night of the club fire and the Inspector interrogating Prue. Was he following them?
"Psst," Billie hissed behind Paige, as she picked up her pace to catch up with her. Both Prue and Phoebe were already several steps ahead.
Paige slowed down as Billie rushed along beside her.
"Don't look now, but I think we were followed," Billie told her. "That cop model I thought I saw trailing us just pulled into the parking lot a couple seconds ago."
"What?" Paige was a bit startled. "Where?" she stopped to take a look around.
Billie grabbed for her arm. "Hey, don't make it that obvious," she warned. "We don't want him to know we know."
"Him?" Paige asked, clearly confused by who Billie was talking about.
"I think it might be that Inspector guy from the night of the fire," she explained. "At first I thought maybe Agent Murphy was keeping an eye on us but then I got a better look at that car. Definitely not Agent Murphy's.
"Of course," Paige groaned. She looked towards the entrance and noticed her sisters were already gone and out of sight. "C'mon. Prue and Phoebe are already inside. We'll deal with him later."
Paige and Billie both hustled for the entrance as the automatic doors slide open. They raced down the small corridor and towards the elevators. Piper had been assigned a new room and Prue and Phoebe waited inside, holding the elevator doors for them.
"Hurry it up slow pokes," Phoebe announced in a good-natured manner.
Once they were all inside, the women were taken to the fifth floor. After exiting, they approached the reception desk.
"Hi," Prue announced. "Piper Halliwell's room, please?"
The nurse attending the station typed in the patient name. "Right. If you'll just have a seat right over there, the doctor will be with you shortly."
Prue made a face. "Wait, we can't just go in ourselves? Is there a problem?"
The nurse shrugged. "The patient's name is flagged for visitors. That's all I know. Her doctor should be able to tell you more."
"Okay," Phoebe turned around with Billie and her sisters as they made their way for a small vending area with chairs. "What's that all about?"
"I have no idea," Prue sighed taking a seat.
They were then alerted to the sight of Victor and his voice calling out to them.
"Girls? How is she?" He was walking at a quick speed in their direction.
They stood back up.
"Dad," Phoebe smiled and hugged him. He placed a light kiss against her temple.
Victor stepped towards Prue next. He hugged her and Prue hugged back even if she did feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Paige. Billie." He nodded and waved at the other two.
"Excuse me, are you here for Piper Halliwell?" a voice suddenly interrupted. It was the doctor. The entire group turned around to face him.
"Yes, we're her family," Victor volunteered. "Can we see her?"
"How about I update you on her condition first?"
X
Piper was getting agitated but she couldn't help it.
Discovering she had been bed-ridden for weeks had been unpleasant but it was just downright discouraging to actually feel the physical effects from it. Her muscles were so weak and she could barely move her legs. None of this was what she had in mind after awaking several hours ago.
"Ms. Halliwell?" the nurse attempted to reach her. The woman's tone made it clear that she was fairly frustrated at this point by the patient's refusal to cooperate. "We've already explained to you that physical therapy will be required to regain full use of your legs."
Piper refused to listen. She was determined to lift herself off the hospital bed and make herself walk.
"Ms. Halliwell, you're going to hurt yourself," the nurse warned.
"Well then lucky for me, I'm already in a hospital," Piper gritted through her teeth while she attempted another try. It was unsuccessful. "Damn it! she cursed.
The nurse rolled the wheelchair closer to the bed.
"How can this be happening to me?" Piper groaned.
The nurse took another deep breath. "Ms. Halliwell?" she attempted in a calm manner. "I understand your frustration. The doctor is setting up therapy sessions as we speak. A daily regime of exercise will strengthen your muscles again so you'll regain your ability to walk. Please try to understand it's just going to take some time."
"Time? I don't have time and I mean that quite literally," Piper argued. She was now looking up at the ceiling with one hand resting against her forehead. There was a moment of silence. "Where are my sisters?" she suddenly demanded.
"Your family has been notified and I'm sure they'll be here soon," the nurse informed her. Then the doctor entered the room and the nurse exchanged a look with him.
"Hey, Piper," her doctor greeted. "I think I have some good news for you."
"Oh good," Piper cracked. "A room with a better view? " she looked at him. "Preferably one I'll be able to walk in?"
What could possibly constitute good news right now, she thought. Leo wouldn't be back home for god knows how long, Gideon and the rest of the Triad would be coming after them, and she just woke up to discover she wouldn't be able to walk? Thank god blowing up demons requires the use of her hands and not her feet.
"No, sorry," the doctor laughed. "But your family is coming to see you," he sighed. "I'll explain your condition after they arrive and then the physical therapy sessions will be beginning right away."
"Oh," she looked down.
Piper's mood inexplicably shifted. She swallowed and turned her head to stare at the wheelchair. It understood it was something she could be dependent on for awhile. Now, she just felt like crying again. She did want to see her sisters.
The doctor and nurse assisted her into the wheelchair.
After they exited the room and entered the hospital corridor, Piper brought her hands closer to rest against her abdomen and that's when she noted the difference. She felt bigger. Her eyes widened a bit. How long had she been out? The doctor or nurses hadn't shared too many of the other details. Once she was in earshot of the overhead TV found in the corridor by the nurse's station, she heard a weather broadcast.
"Good afternoon, San Francisco. On this sunny January day of the new year, we do expect weather conditions and temperatures in the area to remain in ..."
"Wait, it's January?" Piper suddenly blurted out. "How long was I out for?"
"Awhile," the doctor answered. "But the most important thing now is your recovery and concentrating on efforts on that."
"That's not really an answer, doctor," Piper countered back.
The doctor sighed and stopped, bringing the nurse and Piper's wheelchair to a stop with him. He turned to address her. "You were completely comatose for about two months," he admitted. "We're in the end of January going into February."
"Of 2007?" her voice hitched.
"Yes."
They resumed pushing her down the long corridor of the hospital. Two months? How could that much time have passed? It didn't feel like two months to her. A bunch of thoughts rambled through her head all at once. How had her sisters managed without her all this time? What about the Power of Three? What about the Triad? And the boys? She brought one hand up to cover her mouth.
"Everything is fine but we did have some problems getting into contact with your husband," the doctor shared.
Piper caught her reflection passing by one of the other hospital rooms. She suddenly felt her heart leap inside her chest. She didn't look right. She didn't look like herself. Her face was pale, her hair was a mess. The very dark circles under her eyes resembled bad bruises. Without warning, she felt a panic attack seize her. She couldn't let anybody else see her like this. She couldn't.
"Take me back!" she lashed out.
Shocked by her sudden outburst, the nurse stopped pushing the wheelchair. The doctor turned to find out what exactly the source of the problem was.
Her eyes watered over. "I said to take me back," she instructed again.
"Piper, I'm sure you'll feel better once ..."
"No!" her voice hitched and cut off the doctor. "I don't want my sisters to see me like this. I don't want any of them to see me like this."
"Piper, are you sure?" the doctor inquired.
"Doctor, bring me back to my room please," she reinforced for the final time. "I don't want any visitors."
The doctor sighed giving into her request. "Very well. I'll go notify the front desk," he nodded at the nurse who then turned Piper back around. "Please remember your first physical therapy session begins tomorrow morning."
The doctor departed while the nurse returned Piper to her room.
She just wasn't ready.
X
"Doctor?" questioned Prue. "What's going on?"
"Yeah. Where's our sister?" Phoebe immediately spoke up after her oldest sister. "Why couldn't we just go see her ourselves?"
The family had listened to the doctor explain Piper's current condition and the physical therapy that would kick in to try and help her. They were grateful to hear the prognosis sounded good but were still confused as to why visitation was being blocked.
"Well, I spoke to Piper earlier," the doctor began to explain. "She seems to be experiencing a type of delayed psychological reaction that other patients have experienced as well."
Phoebe shook her head. "Meaning?"
"Meaning, she's learning to cope with her recovery in her own way and she's just not ready to see you yet," he told them.
"You mean she doesn't want to see us?" Paige sounded a bit crushed.
"What?" Phoebe followed Paige in disbelief. "Well, that's ridiculous. We're here for her."
"I know and I do understand your reaction to this news as well," the doctor sympathized. "But this all works on Piper's time table. The quicker she comes around, the faster the healing process can begin but I can't force her to accept visitors. Not if she isn't ready. I'm really sorry," he apologized.
Prue shook her head solemnly. "Poor Piper. This has got to be really hard for her."
"Yeah, but she'll make it through," Victor readily offered. "She's strong and she won't give up. She carries that same stubborn quality. Just like you," he addressed Prue. "If I've noticed anything over the course of the last five years, it's definitely that."
Prue smiled.
"Okay, so, what now?" Phoebe inquired of the doctor. " I mean, what exactly are we expected to do? Just wait around, hoping she'll eventually come around? Our sister was comatose. We were told she probably wouldn't even make it. And now what, we're expected to just leave?"
"We'll keep you updated on her progress," the doctor offered her. "Also, in the meantime, we'll have a professional working with her."
"A shrink?" Paige made a face.
"We have highly qualified staff here at Bay General," came the doctor's response. "Piper will be in the hands of some of the best care. "But please. Feel free to stop by whenever you want to. Don't feel shunned or like you can't make other attempts to see her. We'll bring her out if she's willing or we can bring you to her."
"Right," Phoebe uttered. "Thanks doctor."
After the doctor departed, Phoebe turned back to face the others. Everyone was sporting the same worn out facial expression that she wore. They had held such high expectations when walking through that front door to the hospital. Now, they would leave disappointed. Maybe it was selfish of her, but Paige had also been hoping to acquire Piper's help in their search to find and bring Henry back home alive.
"Okay, so now what?" Paige shrugged her shoulders. "And how long do you think physical therapy will last?"
"As long as it takes, I guess," answered Phoebe. "But definitely the sooner it's over the better for Piper and us. Somehow I doubt the Triad is going to care."
Billie decided to break in. She had waited long enough. "Uh, maybe, this isn't the best time to bring this up, but what about that other situation we encountered earlier?" she hinted to Paige with a dramatic nod of her head.
"What other situation?" Prue looked between Paige and her daughter.
"Billie thinks she might have seen that cop following us here to the hospital earlier," Paige volunteered.
"What?" Phoebe tried to keep her voice low. "How sure are you?"
"Pretty sure," Billie nodded. "I'm pretty familiar with the make of their cars."
They all gave her odd looks and stares.
"Okay, no, it's not like that or anything," Billie quickly defended herself. "I was never arrested but my dad's best friend was an Inspector. I got to ride around with him a few times when I was kid especially after Christy disappeared."
Victor remained silent. It seemed like his daughters were constantly dealing with one crisis or another.
Prue sighed wearily. "Right. Well, if it is Richardson, I wouldn't be surprised, especially considering how our last chat ended," she rolled her eyes. "But, uh, let's get out of here. We can talk about it more back at the manor."
"Right," Phoebe readily agreed.
Everyone took those words as a cue to depart and they all silently approached the elevators prepared to leave the hospital.
X
He had watched them from afar.
However, after pulling into the hospital parking lot, he had taken notice of the blond looking around while the others entered the building. Had she spotted him? Perhaps, but he shrugged it off and didn't really care. Chances were they'd eventually figure it out anyway. They were smart. Besides, there really wasn't much to find here. He quickly drew the conclusion they were only here about the other sister.
He waited around and some time later, the four women were leaving the hospital with a man. He was an older gentleman and his best guess was the father. Immediately, he reached for his cell phone.
After locating his contact list, he pushed the send button. His one-sided conversation could only be heard by himself while he sat alone in his vehicle.
"Hey, it's me. Yeah, I followed them here to the hospital. Uh-huh. Actually, they're leaving right now," his voice was explaining to whoever was on the other end. "Right. No, I understand. We'll be in touch."
Then he hung up the phone and restarted the ignition so that he could leave. Tomorrow would definitely be another day.
X
Phoebe was the first to open the front door to the manor.
After she walked through the foyer, she walked through the dining room area and came upon a touching scene in the conservatory. There, down on all fours, was Coop while Wyatt was hoisted over his back. He appeared to be imitating a horse, as Wyatt was all dressed up in his cowboy hat and had his toy water pistol grasped tightly in his hand.
"Bang bang!" the little boy hollered in Phoebe's direction. Chris, sitting on the floor, giggled in response to his big brother's role-playing.
Phoebe glanced over at Andy and tried to suppress a laugh. Andy had become "victim" to one of Molly's pretend dress-up and make-up sessions. Both Paige and Phoebe had gone shopping and had taken the liberty of buying some things for Molly not that long ago. Phoebe cleared her throat to catch their attention, and when she had, the embarrassed looks on the faces of both men had been priceless. If only she had a camera.
The men began to stutter and cover up the awkward scene.
"Yeah, we were just messing around," Andy yanked the long furry pink decor, resembling a scarf, from around his neck. It found it's way to the floor and then the pink colored hat on top of his head was the next to go. "We didn't want to make them feel bad."
"Right. Right!" Coop exclaimed louder the second time as both men fought to regain their macho exterior. "Kids."
Phoebe grinned. "Save it boys," she teased. "You're busted!"
"Bang bang!" Wyatt yelled again. This time he directed it at both Coop and Andy. "I win," he jumped up and down excitedly.
The others walked around the corner and a smile of amusement broke across Prue's face after catching sight of Andy. "Ooh. I'm jealous," she teased. "You actually look better than I do right now but, honey, I don't really think pink is your color," she crossed her arms and nodded at the child's pink lip gloss still found on his lips.
In a swift gesture, Andy used his shirt sleeve to quickly remove it and Prue couldn't help but feel amused by it so with a smile and another laugh, she stepped forward and planted a kiss against his left cheek. .
"So, how did it go?" Coop broke in, partly out of curiosity and partly to change the subject.
"Not as well as we would have liked," answered Phoebe. Being careful not to make any direct insinuations that could alert Wyatt to the situation, she continued. "There's going to be a big adjustment period," she opted to share.
Andy listened with the others and Coop nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"And not to sound like a broken record or anything, but we really need to get back to Henry and what we're going to do," Paige reminded them. "We can't wait."
"I know," Prue conceded. "We will. But let's just finish out the day with some unwinding. It's already been a long tiring day with alot of surprises," she smiled over at Andy. "We'll definitely get back to it first thing tomorrow and we still need to figure out what we're going to do anyway. Especially without any working potions."
Everyone agreed it was the best decision for the time being.
X
Inspector Richardson pulled the file from his desk and shoved it into his briefcase.
He was at the police precinct. He had been stashing it there so it would be hands on when needed. He had returned to the precinct after his smaller excursion was completed earlier, which was keeping a close watch on the Halliwells and their movements. Now he was just preparing to go home.
Most case files had been transfered into computer systems but this Inspector actually preferred to have his hard copy. That way, whatever he did, read, or responded to couldn't be electronically traced the same way the rest of the files could be.
Inspector Richardson was old school. Plain and simple. He was an older middle-aged gentleman with graying hair, falling somewhere in his mid to late fifties. He had been serving as an officer for many years and had successfully made his way up the professional ladder. For a short time, he had even served as a Captain but had dropped his rank back down to Inspector for personal reasons.
Some of those personal reasons were connected to the case file he held in his possession. He had lead the investigation and put the perpetrator away. Later on, he began to have his doubts and he never expected one case from so long ago to serve as a connection to his own personal life in the present.
"Night, Inspector!" someone called as Richardson made his way out the door.
"Yup, sure," he grunted in response.
Inspector Richardson had one objective in mind. That was to use his new transfer position with the San Francisco PD to get to the bottom of what he knew.
X
It was late.
Prue saw it was past eleven after she turned to look at the small clock on the nightstand beside the bed. Everyone was settled in for the night. Phoebe had gone back to her apartment with Coop, Paige was staying at the manor and borrowing Piper's room until the quest to get Henry home was over and done with, and the kids fell fast sleep hours ago. Billie had reclaimed Phoebe's old bedroom so Prue was pretty certain that she was most likely sleeping by now as well.
Her thoughts remained glued to Billie.
Slowly, she rolled back over and nestled closely against Andy.
Andy bent down leaving a kiss on the top of her head. "What's wrong?" he prodded gently. He knew how to read her and clearly something was on her mind.
"Everything," she cracked with an easy smile. Then her voice turned serious. "But what about Leo? I know we've been careful with what we say around the kids but I just don't understand why he's being punished for trying to do the right thing."
Andy thought carefully before responding. He sighed. "I really don't know. I guess rules are just rules no matter how you cut it."
"Still," Prue objected. She thought about it some more. "Okay, so maybe he's been known to bend a few rules here and there but who hasn't? It was always for the greater good. I mean, in all the time I knew him, that's all he ever tried to do."
"Uh-huh," Andy muttered as he listened to her vent.
"Then there's Piper and the boys. What are they supposed to do?" she questioned.
Andy opted to try and offer some reassurance. "Hey. I'm sure it'll all work itself out. Just look at us. We thought it would be hopeless. If there was some kind of miracle out there for us then there's got to be one out there somewhere for them too."
Prue absorbed his words but with her body so close to his, Andy could still feel how physically tense she felt. He interpreted this to mean that something else was still bothering her. "Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?" he pushed.
Some more silence ensued until Prue broke. "No," she finally admitted. "But I think it should wait til' morning."
"Okay. Nothing bad, I hope?" he gently inquired.
"No. Not bad but important," she added before turning back around, reaching over for the switch to turn off the night lamp beside the small clock. She remained on that side, with her back facing towards Andy. "Good night," she threw back out at him.
Andy felt a bit of cold shoulder coming from her. He wondered what would cause her to act like that and what was so important that it needed to wait until tomorrow? He finally decided to shrug it off and drifted off into his own sleep.
X
Billie couldn't sleep.
Not with her anxious feelings and the nervous fluttering dancing around inside the pit of her stomach again. The events of the entire day left her feeling fully awake with nothing constructive to do and with no conceivable way of falling asleep to get some much needed rest.
In the attic, she sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. In a distracted manner, she flipped through the Book of Shadows thinking about what Andy's reappearance in her life would mean. She had only begun to getting comfortable around Prue and the idea of one day having some type of mother-daughter relationship with her. Now she was going to have to deal with the truth about herself being revealed all over again. It gave her that same unsettling feeling because she had no idea how this man, a virtual stranger to her, would react to the truth especially since it came to pass that he was never even aware that Prue had their baby to begin with and then gave it up. Granted, things were pushed along in that direction with some extreme coaxing by 'Grams' but that knowledge didn't make the situation any less nerve-wracking for her.
Billie was pulled from her thoughts by the sight of orbs. Instinctively, she lept from the couch as the blanket fell to the floor.
"JD?" she hissed in a whisper. "What are you doing here? It's late."
When she caught sight that JD wasn't alone and who it was It made her blood run cold. The two women were now engaging in a staring contest.
"Why is SHE here?" Billie demanded to know. She turned on the whitelighter. "JD, how could you bring her here like this? Get her out of here now!"
Sensing where Billie was going, he quickly put up his hands and interjected. "Billie, wait. Please? It's not what you think. We ran into some trouble tracking down information on Lana's background but we had another idea. One that might help everyone out. Including Lana," he proposed.
Billie anxiously looked towards the attic entrance. What if someone walked in and found them in here?
"No! JD, you have to leave. One of them could come in here at anytime."
"It's almost midnight," JD objected.
"So?" Billie argued. "That doesn't mean anything around here!" she cracked. She sighed, her frustration mounting. "Look, I already feel like the biggest hypocrite keeping Lana a secret from them to buy you some time. But I'm going to have to tell them and soon."
Lana stepped forward. "But then they would kill me!" she protested haughtily.
"Yeah, and you would deserve it!" Billie threw back at her with some attitude. "You're nothing but a demon impostor. A fake and to be quite honest, I really don't give a damn what happens to you!"
Lana glared and JD intervened. "Billie?"
"What?" she turned on him. "JD, you can't keep her here, okay? Even if my mother or one of her sisters didn't walk in, this place is still like demon central. She would be like a personal calling card for them," she pointed out.
"But that's why we're here," he interjected. "We were wondering, possibly, about a power stripping potion? One that could take Lana's powers away for good. That way the Triad wouldn't be able to track her and she wouldn't pose a threat to any of you anymore," he proposed. "And she could continue with the search for her mortal family."
Billie took a moment to think about that proposal. It was an option. But where would she find a power stripping potion for someone who was half-Triad?
"I don't know," she conceded.
"Billie, please?" JD begged. "It's the best we have to go with right now."
JD's face was pleading while Lana stared at her with a blank expression, awaiting Billie's final decision. She looked back and forth between the two. After closing her eyes, she released a very heavy sigh. Then, reopening them to stare pointedly at JD first, she then studied the two of them together once again. Her entire focus came to rest solely on JD for the final time. Her mind carried one thought only.
I'm gonna' be so dead.
"Fine."
To Be Continued: Okay, so that's the end of this chapter and I really did my best not to allow the current situation to effect my writing. So I apologize if it didn't come across as one of my best. I'm going to try and recollect myself before digging into the next one because, lol, all I was thinking about while writing this chapter was how the title for my chapter ironically applies to the issue at hand. I had already come up with it and was working on the chapter when the problem was brought to my attention.
Coming Up: Piper comes to terms with the way things are, the fate of Leo and the other Elders is determined, Billie's identity is revealed to Andy, and the sisters make a horrifying discovery. So please Stay Tuned. I will be back.