Darryl heard the crunch of snow underneath his car tires as he pulled up at the crime scene. He grabbed his notepad from the passenger seat and hesitated before getting out of the car. Through his dusty windshield, Darryl could see dozens of officers and paramedics milling about the alleyway. With a sigh, he got out of the car to join the fray. The scent of blood hung heavily in the frigid air, making Darryl want to gag. He pushed his way through the sea of officers, not actually sure that he wanted to see the state of the victim or the perpetrator.
"Well, fancy seeing you here, Detective?" Grayson's warm greeting juxtaposed sharply to the grisly circumstances of their situation.
"Grayson." Darryl greeted, somewhat relieved. "Can you follow me for a sec?" He asked, looking for a place to have a quiet conversation.
Grayson nodded as Darryl led him to the back of the alley, next to an overflowing dumpster. Darryl leaned against the grimy wall, pinching the bridge of his nose. He shivered underneath his thick winter suit jacket, not only because of the cold.
"What happened here?" Darryl asked finally, looking up at his fellow officer.
Grayson grimaced. "I'm not exactly sure. I arrived sort of late to the scene; I was patrolling Quinton when I got the call." He explained, running a hand through his slightly tousled hair. "I talked to some of the other officers and managed to piece a few things together. Another rich guy was jumped. Steven Wilkinson, manager of the Metastar plant downtown. It's a new petroleum processing business, rakes in a lot of dough. Anyway, the guy was knocked unconscious and the goons carved some sort of... I don't know... occult symbol into his chest. Gruesome, honestly." Grayson put a hand on the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable.
Darryl sighed heavily. These attacks just keep getting stranger. "Wilkinson... is he-" Darryl inquired.
"No, he'll be alright. At least, that's what I heard some medic say. He's lucky. If she would have found him just a few seconds later, he could have died." Grayson reassured the detective.
Darryl's heart froze in his chest. "She?"
"Yeah. Halley- Howell- something like that. The girl from last night. She runs around here and she saw the men attacking him. She scared 'em off, I guess, but not before they got a couple hits in. Brave kid. None of the perps were caught." Grayson remarked, realizing that Darryl's face had rapidly paled. "Inspector, are you alright?" He asked, worried.
Darryl took a shaky breath. "Grayson... where is she?" He demanded, his voice tight with fear.
Grayson was slightly taken aback. "I-I'm not sure." He stammered. "I think they wanted to take her to the hospital, but I don't know if the ambulance left yet."
Darryl sped towards the flashing red lights at the other end of the alley, his heart pounding. He knew that he shouldn't have been so tough on Grayson, but he needed answers from a certain good witch. Most of the officers had cleared out after the immediate threat was taken care of. Darryl knew that one of the ambulances had already left with the Wilkinson, but he hoped that officers would still be asking Prue questions... if she was even conscious. Icy claws of concern constricted his haggard breathing as he crunched through the snow. Darryl noticed that a stretcher was surrounded by a few medics a couple yards away from the ambulance. He hurried towards the stretcher.
As he got closer, Darryl realized with relief that Prue was on the stretcher. However, that relief was short-lived when he saw the bloodstains on her shirt and the gash on her forehead. He accidentally pushed one of the medics aside in his hurry to get to Prue. Prue's head jerked around and she flinched away from Darryl's touch. With a sharp inhale, Darryl saw mottled black and purple bruising around Prue's swollen eye.
The disgruntled medic that Darryl had nearly bowled over tried to push Darryl away from the stretcher. "Detective, she's had enough questions for now. We need to get her to the hospital. You'll just have to wait." He huffed, gesturing for the other medics to begin wheeling the stretcher towards the ambulance.
"Wait," Prue commanded weakly, sitting up and locking eyes with Darryl. "I'm fine. I don't need to see a doctor." Her eyes begged Darryl to get her out of this situation.
A female medic spoke up, trying to gently push Prue back down. "Miss Halliwell, you might have fractured your wrist. And you need to get cleared of any possible concussion." She reminded her patient, gesturing towards the sling Prue was wearing.
Prue opened her mouth to protest, but Darryl stepped forward, flashing his badge. "I'm going to need to bring Miss Halliwell into the station for questioning. We have an on-site medic that will assess her injuries and determine whether she needs hospital care." Darryl explained, pointedly eyeing the medics.
"You can't do that!" The first medic retorted, appalled. "She needs medical attention."
"And she will receive proper medical attention. I assure you that, Mr.-" Darryl squinted to read the man's nametag, "-Grant. She may be in danger because of her role in defending the victim of this attack. She needs to be under police protection until the perpetrators are apprehended." He explained, not completely lying.
The first medic began to speak indignantly once again, but was quieted by the female medic, who placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Reluctantly, the medics backed away from the stretcher, allowing Darryl to help an unsteady Prue to her feet. The detective didn't ignore the way Prue leaned against his chest for support, even after he had set her on the ground. With a curt nod, the medics were dismissed and they made their way back into their ambulance.
After the ambulance sped away, Prue looked up at Darryl gratefully. "Thanks, I owe you one." She said softly.
Darryl scoffed. "You sure as hell owe me something. Why don't we take a drive and you can answer some questions?" He gestured to his parked car.
Prue blanched and stepped back. "Darryl- I don't-" She began.
"No, Prue. I know that you're just trying to protect me, but it's gone too far now. You almost went to the hospital this time. You need help." He stated clearly, gaze boring into Prue's.
Prue sighed and nodded reluctantly, allowing Darryl to lead her to the cruiser.
Darryl glanced at Prue as they approached the car, noting the way she had wrapped one arm around herself, shivering slightly from either the cold or distress, Darryl couldn't be sure. Marginally worried, he stepped forward to open the door for the witch, who didn't even look up at him as he gently ushered her into the passenger seat. Darryl closed the door behind her with a sigh, rubbing his temples with cold hands. He took one last look at the empty alleyway before stepping to the opposite side of the car and sliding into the driver's seat. The door shut with a slam, leaving the detective and the witch in a frigid silence. Darryl fumbled with the keys, quickly starting the car and turning on the heat full blast. It was only when he directed the fans towards Prue that she finally looked up at him and flashed a small, grateful smile.
"Thanks..." she murmured, letting her arm relax around her midsection.
The silence was back and Darryl was almost afraid to break it. There were so many questions running through his mind, but he'd never seen Prue so anxious and exhausted. For years he'd seen Prue as the strong one, never once doubting her abilities, her leadership, and her compassion for others. Darryl knew that she faced monsters every single day that only existed in his nightmares, and for that, he was forever grateful. However, seeing Prue now, curled up in the passenger seat of his car and shivering, sporting a sling and a black eye in the middle of the night, he couldn't help but be concerned. She was only human... maybe a human with otherworldly powers, but still only human. She couldn't handle all of this by herself... she shouldn't have to.
Darryl swallowed harshly before turning to the witch. "Prue, we need to talk." His deep voice sounded unsure even to himself.
Prue didn't seem to notice his hesitance, instead glancing down at her lap. She sighed heavily before replying, "Okay, Darryl. What do you want to know?"
Darryl was slightly taken aback. He had never seen the woman in front of him so... broken. Worried, he chose his next words carefully. "Prue, look at me."
It was more of a request than an order, but Prue reluctantly looked up at him. Darryl inhaled sharply. In the dim light of his car, her black eye looked even worse, coupled with the heavy shadows beneath her eyes. Her face was pale and her hair was frizzy, but her eyes were the worst. Prue looked more defeated than he'd ever thought possible, guilt and anxiety dancing in her exhausted green gaze. A swell of pity made his heart clench and he immediately changed his approach.
"Prue..." he began, meeting her eyes with earnest concern. "You can't do this alone anymore. I know that you're just trying to protect me - and I appreciate that - but this has gone far enough. If you can't tell me everything, I understand, but you need help. Something is going on... with this city, with your family, with you, and I can't let you go through this alone anymore. If you don't want to talk to me, I can call your sisters or-"
"No!" Prue exclaimed suddenly, interrupting his concerned tirade. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes to gather herself. "Please don't call them." She whispered, calmer now. "They don't-they don't know anything. I can't get them involved."
Darryl nodded as if he understood. "Okay, I won't talk to them. But you have to tell me what the hell is going on. Please, Prue, why are you acting like some sort of vigilante? Is this a-" He fumbled over the word, still unused to the presence of supernatural beings in his world. "-demon? What is going on, Prue? I'm right in the middle of this fight and I don't even know what I'm up against. What you're up against..." He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, looking to the witch for some clarification.
Prue looked torn, the concern and apprehension written across her face told Darryl how serious this was. He gave her a few moments to process what she was going to say, allowing a tense silence to fill the car. After a moment, Prue finally began to speak. "It's not a gang, Darryl..." Her voice was no stronger than a whisper. "It's... I don't know." She admitted breathlessly, as if her words carried a huge weight that Darryl didn't quite understand. "I don't understand what's going on anymore and I don't understand how I fit into all of it... all I know is that I have to stop this before more people get hurt." The words spilled out of her like a cascade of confessions.
Darryl took a deep breath, wondering what on earth he could possibly say to comfort the beaten woman in front of him. "Prue... what do you mean? Who's attacking these people?"
"I don't know." She admitted, her eyes round with anxiousness. "It's like they're... possessed by something. There are these... fiery beings that surround them before they go crazy. Their eyes glow with white fire and they start attacking everything around them. I don't understand what's going on- I can't do anything to help them and I can't fight back. I've tried so many spells, but the only thing that seems to work is when I use my..." She trailed off, looking conflicted.
Darryl leaned in closer, taking Prue's uninjured hand and squeezing in a comforting way. "Prue... when you use what?"
Prue looked up at Darryl, her eyes welling up with tears. "I have a new power and it... it scares me. I can- I can heal them." She whispered, her voice shaky.
Darryl shook his head in confusion. "Prue, I don't understand. What do you mean you can heal them?"
Prue exhaled, biting her lip. "I can feel the evil inside of them and I can heal them, but then the evil escapes and moves to someone else. But it hurts me, Darryl. I can feel the magic inside of me draining and I can't use my powers. I can't sleep and I can't eat and I can't escape from this horrible feeling that I can't stop whatever this is and-" Prue broke off, swallowing harshly.
"Whoa whoa whoa... Prue, calm down. It's okay..." Darryl tried to calm her, squeezing her hand in support. "Take some deep breaths... there you go." Prue took a few successive breaths, calming herself down as much as she could. Darryl waited until she met his gaze again before speaking. "Prue... I'm glad you told me. You're not alone anymore, alright?" Prue nodded, looking both relieved and guilty. "This is what I want you to do. I'm gonna take you home tonight and I want you to get a good night's rest, alright? I'm gonna call you in sick to work tomorrow; say you're helping the department with ongoing investigations. Tomorrow night, when you're ready, come to the station and we'll take care of whatever happens together, alright? No more vigilante business..." He chuckled, hoping that Prue would understand the importance of his words.
Prue shook her head nervously. "Darryl, no, I can't ask you to do that. You could get hurt or-or worse and-"
"Prue." Darryl interrupted, leveling his gaze with hers. "I may not know what I'm getting into, but I do know this. I'm going to help you, whatever it takes. Alright?"
Prue nodded, her eyes welling up with tears again. "Thank you, Darryl."
Darryl reached across the car to wrap the witch in a hug, feeling her tremble in his arms. He pulled away in concern. "Maybe I should take you to the hospital..." He looked Prue up and down, searching for any evidence of serious injury.
Prue shook her head. "Darryl, I'm fine, promise."
Darryl sighed in exasperation. "The promise I want from you is that you'll go to the hospital if anything else happens."
Prue chuckled. "No promises, Darryl. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
Darryl shifted the car into drive while wondering quite the opposite. I don't know that I'll ever stop worrying about you...
Piper anxiously paced the living room for the umpteenth time, her gaze flashing to the clock once again. 1:53 AM. She shook her head, in concerned exasperation, sighing heavily as she pivoted.
Leo sighed with worry on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Piper... you can't stay up all night. You're working yourself into a frenzy. It's probably nothing, honey." He tried to reason with his anxious wife.
Piper exhaled heavily, slowly sinking into the loveseat across from her husband. "I know, Leo, but I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong. I've been so happy lately... there's no demons or warlocks or monsters we've had to fight, I've gotten to live a normal life with you for weeks. I'm so grateful, but it might have blinded me. I just have a really bad feeling about this." She admitted, rubbing her tired eyes in an attempt to wake herself up.
Leo nodded. "You're right, Piper. But I'm sure she'll walk in here any time with a perfectly good explanation." He tried to soothe the witch across from him.
"If she even comes home," Piper drawled, sitting up straighter. "I mean, what could she possibly be doing all night? I don't even remember the last time she came home..."
"Do you think she's seeing someone?" Leo wondered aloud, raising an eyebrow.
Piper shook her head. "No, that's not like Prue. She would have at least told us. I just wish I knew-" Piper broke off suddenly, glancing at the front window.
"Knew what-"
"Shhhh... do you hear that?" Piper asked, standing up and creeping over to draw the curtains back. Leo shook his head, standing up to move closer. "It sounds like a car just pulled up."
Piper cracked the curtains open, only to see a police car idling in the driveway. The lights on the car were off, making it impossible to see who was inside. "Leo, do you see that?"
"Who is it? Why are there cops in the driveway?" Leo asked, peering over Piper's shoulder.
"I have no idea." Piper said, her chest growing tight with apprehension.
Suddenly, the passenger door of the car opened. Piper hurried to close the curtain, stepping back in confusion. She anxiously met Leo's eyes as the car door slammed shut outside. A few tense moments passed as Piper waited for a knock at the door, but nothing happened. Confused, Piper leaned forward to look out the window again. The car was gone. She rocked back on her heels, pointing to the empty driveway. "Leo, it's gone. Do you think-"
The front door creaked open, making Piper's heart freeze. "Leo..." She hissed, glancing towards the entryway.
Leo nodded, stepping protectively in front of her as they crept towards the front door. The hallway was dark, hiding both the witch and the whitelighter. The front door shut with a click, darkening the entryway. The only light came from the faint lamps on the far side of the living room. Piper flexed her hands quickly, effectively freezing whoever was in the doorway. She nodded to Leo, who reached over to flip on the entryway lights. Light flooded the small room, illuminating the now locked door, the witch and the whitelighter, and...
"Prue?" Piper exclaimed upon seeing the silhouette of her sister. "What the hell? You scared us half to death and-" Piper broke off, inhaling sharply, all semblance of annoyance crumbling as she saw her sister's face. "What happened to you?" She breathed, stepping closer to her sister.
Prue reached up self-consciously and touched her aching eye, realizing that there was no way to hide it from her younger sister. "I-It's nothing." She stumbled over her words, unable to think of an excuse in her current state of exhaustion.
Pipe withdrew her hand, nodding as if she understood. She saw a familiar, desperate look in her sister's eyes, and she knew that Prue was in an extremely fragile state of mind. "Okay. But it looks like it hurts. Do you want me to make some tea and you can ice it?" She offered, gesturing towards the kitchen with pleading eyes.
For a brief moment, Prue looked conflicted, but she shook her head emphatically, wincing as if the movement had hurt. "No, it's okay, Piper. I think- I think I'm just going to get some rest." Her voice was a bit firmer now as she glanced upwards towards her bedroom.
"Prue..." Piper tried, knowing the effort was futile.
Prue smiled at her sister. "I'm sorry… but I'm okay. Thanks for waiting up for me." With that, she stumbled to the stairwell and hurried up to her bedroom.
Piper turned and looked back at her husband in absolute shock. Leo gazed back at her with a similar expression, worry written across his features. There was a moment of silence that followed as both the witch and the whitelighter processed the implications of Prue's return.
Finally, Piper broke the silence. "I knew it was too good to be true..." Her voice held a tinge of bitterness.
"What do you mean?" Leo looked down at her quizzically.
"This. All of this. You and me. Phoebe and Cole. Prue-" Piper broke off, feeling her chest tighten with emotion. "I can't believe I didn't notice..."
Leo stepped forward, wrapping his wife in a half hug. "Piper, no, you can't blame yourself. We don't even know what's going on. Maybe-"
"Maybe what, Leo?" Piper practically demanded, but her voice held no bite. "Prue just came home at 2 in the morning with a black eye. I can only think of a few explanations and all of them involve evil."
Leo pulled her closer, rubbing his hand up and down her back in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. He knew there wasn't anything he could say to bring her comfort; she just needed him to listen.
"You were right; it's been too quiet. I let myself slip into the domestic life and I was so happy that I couldn't see that Prue was suffering... I mean, how long has it been?" Piper's voice lost all traces of anger, now just heavy with sadness.
"It's not your fault, Piper." Leo pressed on, though the words sounded empty. "You know how Prue is; she just wanted to protect you from whatever's going on."
Piper shook her head. "That's not fair. What are we supposed to do?" She wondered, genuinely at a loss.
Leo sighed deeply, his hand stilling. "I don't know, but I don't think 2am is the best time to go chasing demons. I can orb up and ask the Elders what's going on, but they would have alerted me if it was something they knew about." He offered, wanting Piper to know that he was just as concerned.
Piper shook her head, letting out a breath of frustration. "No, you're right. We can't solve anything right now. Prue seems exhausted; it'd probably be best to confront her about it tomorrow. Maybe there is a perfectly good explanation... but I don't think so." She finished darkly, glancing up the stairs to where her sister was (hopefully) sleeping.
Leo gave her one last squeeze before pulling away. "Let's get some rest."
Neither the witch or the whitelighter got much sleep that night.
Piper rolled over for the umpteenth time that night, waking up from her fitful doze anxiously. She glanced at the alarm clock on the table. 7am. Soft snuffles from beside her revealed that Leo had finally drifted off into slumber; they'd both tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for hours.
The middle Halliwell couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Fear and guilt yawned a gaping hole in her stomach as her mind replayed everything that'd happened within the past few weeks. When was the last time she'd even seen Prue? During the week, Piper had just figured that Prue came home late, after she and Leo went to bed, brushing off the concern that should have accompanied her sister's absence. She hadn't come home the night before... was she really pulling an all-nighter at work or was something more sinister going on? How was Piper supposed to confront her sister about this?
Piper sat up, careful not to wake up her husband. The guilt was eating her up inside; she had to check on her sister. The middle Halliwell gingerly crept out of bed, sliding into her worn slippers and closing the door softly behind her. To her surprise, Prue's door was already open. Piper padded closer to her older sister's room, glimpsing barren walls and a freshly made bed. Prue was gone.
Piper's chest tightened in concern as she hurried down the stairs, hoping that Prue was just in the kitchen making coffee or lounging in the living room or-
She slowed her frenzied pace as she descended the second flight, letting out a breath of relief as she smelled coffee brewing mixed with something inexplicably sweet. Prue must be in the kitchen. She quickly made her way to the entryway of the kitchen, leaning on the wall as she observed the scene before her.
Prue was standing in the kitchen, rifling through one of the drawers beside the oven, too occupied to notice Piper observing her. She was dressed in dark linen pants with a white blazer and navy jacket, embellished with her favorite silver necklace. The outfit was definitely business casual, but it looked out of place on her older sister. The outfit practically hung off of Prue's thin frame - had she lost weight? - and it wasn't nearly as "daring" as her typical officewear. Besides, why was Prue dressed up so early on a Sunday?
Prue pulled out a worn oven mitt from the drawer, closing it gently with her left hand. She turned to the oven and bent down to pull out a muffin tray, setting it on the stove and closing the door. Piper looked on in pitiful concern as Prue gripped the counter for support, as if that movement alone had exhausted her.
Piper's worry finally won out. "Prue?" She ventured softly, not wanting to scare her frazzled sister.
Prue gasped, whirling around to face her. "Piper!" She exclaimed breathlessly, forcing a small smile as she placed a hand on her chest.
"Sorry..." Piper mumbled, stepping into the kitchen.
Prue seemed to have recovered, flashing a wan smile at her younger sister. "I didn't expect you to be up this early."
"I could say the same to you." Piper responded coolly, unsure if she should call Prue on her facade or let her sisterly concern take over.
"I wanted to make muffins for you and Leo." Prue replied, unperturbed. "I- um- I sorta feel bad for making you wait up for me."
Piper sighed heavily, running a hand through her already tousled hair. "Prue, you didn't make us do anything. I'm just- WE'RE just worried about you."
Her older sister refused to take the bait. "Well, I hope you like blueberry!" She faced the oven again, turning the dial to 'off.' Prue turned back to Piper, who did her best to glare at her injured sister, not wanting to drop the topic. There was a moment of silence that followed, Piper silently willing Prue to say something, anything, to ease her worries.
Prue let out a breathless laugh, squinting her eyes in that familiar way when she knew Piper would be disappointed in what she was about to say. "Look, I know I haven't been around much recently. It's auction season at Buckland's and rather than take the extra work home, I figured you and Leo could use the alone time. I'm sorry if I worried you. My workload should lessen considerably by the end of the month." She flashed another forced smile at her sister.
Piper mulled Prue's words over in her mind; that much could be true, Monique did say that they were all drowning in work. "What about your black eye?" She pressed, raising an eyebrow.
The smile faltered. "I- uh-" Prue glanced to the left slightly, then looked back up at Piper with a self-deprecating grin. "I was tired when I went out to my car last night and- and I got jumped. Wasn't my proudest moment, but I managed to fend the guy off and just came home." She met Piper's stare with her own.
Piper wanted so desperately to believe her sister, to preserve the image of the precious present that she'd come to love. All of Prue's reasons sounded plausible; working late at the auction house, though Piper didn't approve, was something Prue had done for years. Sometimes she had to take work home for late nights and weekends just to keep up with everything when demons attacked unexpectedly. And getting jumped? It makes sense why Prue wouldn't want to admit it, seeing as she wanted to appear strong for Piper and Phoebe... but all of the logical excuses in her mind quieted as she really looked at her sister.
Prue's makeup couldn't hide the deep, dark bags ringing her earnest green gaze. The foundation couldn't cover up the bruising spreading across her right eye. She was leaning on the countertop for support, as if she didn't trust her legs to support her. Prue's raven hair cascaded in tousled waves to frame her pale, gaunt face. But the worst, though, was Prue's eyes. Her normally bright gray-green gaze was dull with exhaustion, her eyes slightly unfocused and ringed with... fear? desperation? sadness?
Piper wanted so desperately to believe her sister... but she knew she couldn't. Prue was trying so hard to convince her and everyone else that she was okay... but Piper could see she was breaking. What could she say? What could she do? What was happening to her sister?
"I'm... I'm glad you're okay." Piper finally murmured, averting her gaze so that Prue didn't see the disbelief in her expression.
Prue had the decency to look somewhat shocked, as if she hadn't expected Piper to believe her so easily. "Thanks." She managed, a tense silence following her words.
Piper looked back up at her sister, putting all of the love and concern and conviction she held into her next words. "Prue... I want you to know that I'm here for you... okay?" She didn't know what else to say, but those words still didn't feel like enough.
A brief expression of despair flashed across Prue's face, as if she were mere seconds from shattering, but it was quickly replaced by love. So quickly that Piper almost wondered if she'd missed it. "I know." Prue murmured back. Piper knew that she didn't truly believe it.
The unspoken tension remained, but it had broken enough for Piper to sit down at the breakfast bar now, their almost confrontation now over. Prue glanced at the clock above the sink, taking a sip of her coffee.
"I- um- I have to go into work." Prue sighed, a bit of the immense exhaustion she must be feeling creeping into her tone. "If I don't keep up with all of these audits, I'll have bigger things than demons to worry about." She quipped, her voice lacking its typical mirth.
Piper swallowed the lump in her throat. All she wanted to do was beg Prue to stay home, to tell Piper what was wrong so that she could help, to wrap her in a hug and let her know everything would be okay. She just wanted to cook Prue a warm, filling meal just so she'd have something in her stomach and tuck her into bed so she could finally get the rest her body was crying out for. But she couldn't find the words to get Prue to stay...
"Okay. Be safe."