AUTHORS' NOTE: This is our first collaboration. We would really appreciate feedback. Please email us with any comments or opinions. Proofread By: Charmed Fan Always. Thank you.
DISCLAIMER: Based on the Spelling Productions television show, Charmed, created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions, except for the characters of Faustor, the Skiagra Demon, and Dr. Wells who are ours. Unauthorized reproduction or reposting of text is not allowed. Please contact Leo's Girl or Bert for permission.
Part 1
It was a calm day at the Halliwell manor. Prue was upstairs in her room, cleaning her room. Folding some laundry, and not doing much, and enjoying it. Phoebe was in the kitchen, making one of her (to her, anyway) special sandwiches, and trying to not mess up Piper's kitchen. And Piper was curled up in a chair in the living room, reading her latest romance novel.
When the doorbell rings a second time, Piper mutters "Don't everyone rush to the door," and she gets up.
About then Prue yells down "Piper, could you get the door?"
Before Piper can say anything, Phoebe yells out, "Hey Piper, the doorbell's ringing!"
"Oh, I'll get it!" Piper yells out, putting all the sarcasm she can in her voice. Opening the door, she sees their mailman, holding a package.
"Hello, Miss Halliwell. Package for you."
Thanking him, Piper takes the package into the living room, putting it on the coffee table. It is addressed to Piper Halliwell, but she wasn't expecting anything. Shrugging, she opens it up, and finds a small, but beautifully carved jewelry box. A card on top of it says: 'Especially for you, Piper.'
Thinking it must be from Dan, she smiles, then sighs. She decided between Leo and Dan, and was planning on telling Dan tonight that Leo was the one she loved. Thinking about this, she opens the box. A cold, terrifying mist roils out of the box.
Piper screams, and tries to jump up and get away. The mist quickly coalesces into a form, humanoid, horrible. A demon, with wicked looking claws for hands, forms before her.
Piper starts to freeze it, but it jumps impossibly fast, slashing at her and connecting with her left arm. The force spins her back into the wall, dazing her somewhat. The demon moves over her, prepared to slash her to death.
With a loud scream, Phoebe hits the demon in the back with both feet, knocking it down and away from Piper. Jumping up, she moves to Piper as Prue runs down the stairs, using her power to fling the demon into the wall. "Piper! Oh no, you're hurt!" Phoebe is staring at horror at the blood beginning to soak through the sleeve of her shirt.
Prue again slams the demon into the wall. She yells at Phoebe "Can Piper freeze that thing? I can't keep this up all day."
Phoebe helps Piper up, asking "Piper? Can you freeze it?" Piper just raises her right hand and freezes the thing, then staggers against her sister.
As Phoebe steers her towards the sofa, Prue comes up and takes Piper from her. "Pheebs, go get the Book of Shadows. We need to get rid of that thing quick!" Phoebe nods and runs up the stairs. The demon unfreezes and jumps at Prue, who slams it into another wall. Piper rouses herself and again freezes the demon.
Phoebe comes running down the stairs, almost tripping in her haste. "Prue, got it! I remembered reading a spell to banish! I think it will work." Running over, she puts the book on the table and starts flipping pages. "How's Piper?"
"I'm fine. As long as I don't look at my arm, which I think that thing ripped off, by the way," Piper said.
Prue strokes Piper's head and hair, telling her "It's not quite that bad. We'll get you looked at as soon as Pheebs finds that spell. Just hang on, and, uh, don't look at your arm, okay? We don't need you passed out right now."
Piper pales at that, but takes Prue's advice and keeps her attention away from her hurting left arm.
"Oh! Here it is. We all need to read it. Can you do it, Piper?" Phoebe asks.
Piper nods, saying "Yes, just hurry."
The demon unfreezes, but Piper freezes him almost immediately.
Holding the Book so her sisters can see it, Phoebe says "Ready?" and they start.
Let the power of three take away
That evil which was summoned today,
Banish this demon from our plane,
Remove from here this cause of pain.The demon begins to whirl in place, turning into a black, misty fog, which collapses into itself. "One case of demon whupass, courtesy of the Charmed Ones," Phoebe says with a satisfies grin. She turns to Piper. "How is your arm... oh no, look at the blood!"
Before Prue can yell at Phoebe to shut up, Piper pales even more and glances at her left arm. The sleeve is soaked red with blood. That's it for Piper, who gives a small scream and passes out.
Part 2
Prue is driving Piper's Cherokee, slightly faster than the limit. In the back, Phoebe is holding onto Piper, keeping towels pressed onto her arm. "Prue, she's still out cold! I'm getting worried now. There really is an awful lot of blood."
Prue concentrates on the road, passing one car and deftly running a yellow light. "You know how Piper is about seeing blood. I can't believe you said what you did to her. But she'll be okay; we're almost there."
Phoebe begins to sob, tears flowing. "I didn't mean to scare her, Prue! You know I didn't!"
"I know. Now hush and hold her." The Cherokee pulls into the Bay General lot and drives straight to the Emergency Room entrance. "Stay put! I'll get some help!" Prue jumps out and runs inside.
Thirty seconds later Prue is leading a nurse and two orderlies pushing a gurney. They quickly get Piper out and on the gurney, and wheel her in. The nurse points Prue and Phoebe to the admitting window.
Forty-five minutes later, Prue and Phoebe are let back to see Piper. The doctor has just finished putting a bandage on her cuts and smiled at the two sisters.
"Ah, hello. You must be the sisters this one speaks so well of. Your sister is fine. She has three cuts on her arm, and I put in 9 stitches. It wasn't really bad, but this way there should be no scar to speak of. She will need to change the bandage every day, and keep the cuts dry for a few days. I have given her a prescription for some mild pain killers. The arm will ache for a few days, I'm afraid. There, all done. You may leave anytime. Goodbye!" And the doctor is gone, leaving the three sisters staring.
Piper starts to laugh. "If he could bottle up that energy and sell it, he would be rich." Prue hugs her, and looks at the arm. Piper notices that Phoebe is holding back, still upset that she has upset Piper. Holding her good arm out, she beckons Phoebe in to hug her.
As the three sisters leave, Piper between her protective sisters, don't notice they are being studied closely by an older looking man dressed all in black. "So, they have defeated the demon. They are powerful to vanquish a Skiagra Demon so quickly."
After they leave, the man walks outside and away from the hospital. "Ah, Faustor, you have much work ahead of you if you shall destroy the Charmed Ones. I know what their next move will have to be, even if they do not. Time to plan, I think." Stopping, he mutters a phrase in an arcane language and disappears in blaze of light.
Back at the manor, Piper gets out of the car and is trying to walk in the house. She is hampered somewhat because her two sisters seem to think she must be helped in.
"Really, I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore." A small lie, it hurt like hell, but it does seem to calm her sisters down.
Prue tells Phoebe to go make tea while she gets Piper comfortably seated. "Okay. That's enough. You both no I am going to the club tonight. You both know why. And you don't have to worry I'll overdo it, P3 isn't open tonight. Now, I will clean up, get dressed, and go." With that Piper turns and walks up the stairs to her room.
Phoebe and Prue watch her, unsure of what to do. Finally, Prue shakes her head and gives Phoebe a small grin. "I guess she is going to the club. But, maybe we should make plans to go too. Say about an hour or so after she leaves?"
Phoebe matches Prue's grin. "Oh yes. I think that is a splendid idea, Prue. Some tea while we wait?" And still grinning, they go into the kitchen.
Piper is trying to decide what she should wear. What do you wear when you're telling someone you can't be with them anymore, she thinks. As she is looking over her closet, she starts to feel lightheaded. Sitting down, she recovers, but still feels a little out of it. Deciding it is just the after shock from the earlier fight, she ignores it and continues to dress.
Her mind is concentrating on what to say to Dan, and how to say it. She is actually glad that Leo is out of town for the next few days. One less complication, she thinks. Not that I need many more. Soon, as I get to the club, I'm going to call Dan and ask him to get there early. It won't be easy, she thinks, and I really want to get this over with.
Part 3
Piper glanced down at her watch and started to pace. She had called Dan an hour ago and asked him to meet her at the club. He agreed and was still not there. The club was empty because it was closed for the day.
"When is he going to get here?" she thought. Just then Dan walked in. He walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"Hi sweetie," He greeted her. "What happened to your arm?" he said his voice full of concern.
"I was inventorying the glasses and one broke. I was picking it up, and I cut myself," she said glancing down at her arm. It was wrapped in a cotton bandage.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine. I went to the doctor and had him check out the cut. He said I would be fine and that my arm would heal in the next few weeks," she answered.
"Good. Now what did you want to tell me," he said looking at her.
"Dan this is not east for me to say," Piper started. "But I can't see you anymore."
"Why?" Dan asked sounding surprised.
"Because I love Leo. We broke up because he was out of town continually. But, now that he moved back I realized that I still love him," Piper said. "It really isn't about you. You have been great to me. And I thank you for that. But being with Leo is something I have to do."
"It really hurts to lose you. But, I don't hold it against you. If you really love him. Then you should be with him," Dan said.
Piper was a bit surprised. She had thought Dan would be mad. And here he was saying that there were no hard feelings and that she should go to Leo. She realized that she shouldn't be that surprised Dan was a sweet man.
"Goodbye Piper. I wish you luck with Leo," he said.
"Goodbye Dan. Thank you for being so understanding. The woman who gets you will be quite lucky," she said. He then started to walk to the door. Piper suddenly felt a little dizzy. She had felt odd since her and her sisters had vanquished the demon that morning. But this was more intense.
Her vision started to become fuzzy, and she had to hold on the counter to keep from falling over. The last thing she saw was Dan rushing over to her and the sensation of falling. Then there was just black.
Dan rushed over to Piper and caught her as she fell. He laid her head in his arms and tried to wake her. "Come on Piper wake up," he said, gently stroking her hair. When she didn't wake up after a few minutes, he checked her pulse. It was faint and erratic.
He took off his coat and laid it under her head. Then he stood up, went over to the counter, picked up the phone and dialed 911.
"Please state the emergency," a calm voice answered.
"Hello, I'm at the P3 and the owner Piper Halliwell has just collapsed. She was standing there, and she just fell over. I tried to wake her, but unsuccessfully. Her pulse is faint and erratic. You need to send the paramedics over," Dan said trying to remain calm.
"Don't worry sir the paramedics are on their way. Just remain calm," the voice said. He looked over at Piper and saw that her breathing was a little ragged. He stayed on the phone until he heard the ambulance drive up.
"Down here," he shouted when he heard a knock on the door. The door opened, and two paramedics rushed down the stairs. They were carrying a stretcher with a medical bag set on top of it. They quickly walked over to Piper and started to examine her.
"She just collapsed," Dan said in disbelief.
"Please step back sir," the first paramedic said. Dan stepped back, and the paramedics loaded Piper onto the stretcher. They started to push her towards the door.
Dan followed them out. "Where are you taking her?" he asked.
"San Francisco General," he replied before loading Piper into the ambulance and shutting the door. After they had driven away Dan climbed in his truck and drove to the hospital. When he got there he went to the desk to see how Piper was doing.
"I'm here to see how Piper Halliwell is. She was just admitted," he said to the woman behind the desk.
"I don't know, sir. The doctor is examining her right now. Check back in about ten minutes," The woman said.
Dan sighed and moved back. He walked over to the pay phone and dialed the Halliwell house. He had to tell her sisters what happened.
"Hello Halliwell residence. Phoebe speaking," a voice answered.
"Hello Phoebe this is Dan. I'm at San Francisco General, and I think you and Prue need to get down here," he said.
"Dan, what happened?" Phoebe asked sounding concerned.
"I was at the P3 and Piper just collapsed. I couldn't wake her up and so I called the paramedics. The doctor is examining her right now. I thought that you and Prue would want to be here to talk to the doctor," Dan answered.
"Thank you for calling. I'll get Prue and we'll be right down," Phoebe said. Dan said goodbye and then hung up the phone.
He glanced at his watch; it had still not been ten minutes. He started to pace. He had waited at hospitals before, in his line of work. Accidents were expected. He was always the one calming people down, and telling people not to be impatient.
But, never before had he been waiting for the diagnoses on someone he cared so much about. So for the first time in his life he wondered what was taking the doctor so long.
Part 4
As soon as Phoebe hung up the phone she raced upstairs to Prue's room. Prue was taking a nap and had told Phoebe not to bother her. Phoebe swung open the door and shouted "Prue get up we need to get to the hospital."
Prue sat up and looked across. "I told you not to bother me." Just then the full effect of what Phoebe had said hit her. "The hospital. Why?" she asked sounding confused.
"Dan just called. He said that Piper had collapsed and been in the hospital, and that we should get down there," Phoebe said.
"Piper's in the hospital. Let's go," Prue said jumping up and grabbing her keys. They both raced down the stairs and climbed in Prue's car. Then they drove to the hospital as fast as the law would allow. When they got there Prue parked the car and then they jumped out and raced inside.
When they got to the waiting room, they saw Dan sitting in a chair with a worried look on his face. "How is she?" Phoebe asked.
"I just went up to the desk and asked. They wouldn't tell me anything. The woman said that the doctor would be out as soon as he finished," Dan said.
"I hope she's okay," Phoebe said sighing and sitting down. Prue sat down next to her and gave her baby sister a hug.
"I'm sure she's fine. The doctor is probably just busy with more serious cases," she said. She was reassuring herself as well as Phoebe. They all sat there and tried to reassure each other while they were waiting for the doctor.
About ten minutes later a doctor stepped into the room. He went up to the desk and asked the woman a question. She pointed to them, and the doctor came over to them. "Hello are you the family of Piper Halliwell?" he asked.
"Yes were her sisters," Prue said standing up.
"I'm Doctor Wells. I'm the specialist assigned to your sisters case," he said.
"Oh no, a specialist. Is she all right?" Phoebe asked frantically.
"I hate to have to tell you this. But, your sister has gone into a coma, and is listed in critical," Dr. Wells said.
"Why? What's wrong with her? Will she wake up?" Phoebe asked shouting off the line questions as fast as was humanly possible.
"Quiet Phoebe let the doctor finish," Prue said calmly.
"We are still not sure what's wrong with your sister. I'm running some tests to determine her illness," Dr. Wells said.
"Can we see her?" Phoebe asked.
"You and your sister can go in and see her. But, just for a minute," he said. "I'll show you to her room," he said starting to walk down the hall. They all started to follow, including Dan. "I'm sorry sir only family can see Miss Halliwell right now."
"I'm sorry Dan. We'll tell Piper hi for you," Phoebe said.
"It's all right. I'll go get a soda," Dan said walking off. Though his voice was strong Phoebe could tell he was disappointed. They followed Dr. Wells down the hall and to a door.
"Now I can only give you a few minutes and please keep it low key. I'll come and get you when you have to leave. Then I have some questions to ask you," Dr. Wells said opening the door.
"Thank you Dr.," Prue said. She and Phoebe stepped in, and Wells closed the door.
"Oh no!" Phoebe gasped when she saw Piper. She was lying on the hospital bed with a tube down her throat and an IV in her arm. Her skin was pale, and she had beads of sweat on her face.
"Calm down Phoebe. We have to be strong for Piper's sake," Prue whispered putting her arm around Phoebe's shoulder. Phoebe put her hand on Prue's hand. They both walked over to Piper's bedside and sat down. "Hi Piper."
"Hi sweetie. We're here for you," Phoebe said placing her hand over Piper's. "The doctor is trying to find out what's wrong with you. Be strong," They sat with her for a few minutes talking to Piper hoping that she would wake up.
After a few minutes the door opened, and Dr. Wells poked his head in the room. Prue glanced over at the door and saw him. "Goodbye little sister. We'll be back later," she said.
"Bye big sister I love you," Phoebe said. Both of them kissed Piper and the forehead and then walked out. They walked a little way down the hallway before Dr. Wells turned to them.
"Please follow me to my office," he said kindly. "I need to ask you some questions about your sisters medical history." They followed him to his office and sat down. "I know this is a hard time for you both. But, there are a few things I need to know," he said.
"It's all right what do you need to know?" Prue asked.
"Well the first question I have is about your sister's medical history. Has anything happened like this before?" he asked.
Phoebe and Prue looked at each other before Prue answered. "Once. A few months ago she came down with Aurora fever. She was in a coma for a few days. She was treated at this hospital and so her records should be on file here."
"Well thank you for that bit of information. I will make sure to look into that. Now my second question is has anything out of the ordinary happened to your sister in the last week?" Dr. Wells asked.
"Nothing really. Earlier today she cut her arm on a piece of glass. We had that treated. She had nine stitches, and the doctor said she would be fine," Prue said calmly.
"We saw her just an hour before she collapsed and she looked fine. She really looked fine. There was no hint that anything was wrong," Phoebe said on the verge of tears.
"It's all right. Why don't you go back to the waiting room and calm down. I'll come get you as soon as I know anything. Right now, all we can do is wait," he said kindly. He stood up and opened the door for them.
"Thank you doctor," Prue said as they stood up and walked out.
"What is up with you?" Phoebe asked when they had walked a little way down the hall.
"What do you mean?" Prue asked.
"Not showing any emotion. This has to be affecting you to," Phoebe said.
"I guess I'm in shock. Piper seemed fine earlier. I can't help thinking that there was something I could have done," Prue said.
"Prue it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. I feel the same way, like how could this have happened. She was fine and now this. But, what I don't understand is why you haven't said how you feel?" Phoebe said.
"I just feel like now that Piper is sick I have to remain strong for your sake. That if I let you see how much this is affecting me then you'll break down," Prue said.
"I'll take that a good thing. But, Prue knowing that my big sister is also scared makes me feel like it's okay to be afraid. Don't hurt yourself by hiding your feeling for my sake," Phoebe said.
"Your right Phoebe. I'm so afraid that Piper might be taken from us. I don't know what I would do if I lost either of you," Prue said starting to cry.
"It's okay, Piper is a fighter. I'm sure she'll be fine," Phoebe said giving her sister a hug. They stood together for a few minutes hugging each other and cried.
When they walked back to the waiting room and saw Dan sitting there nervously reading. He stood up as soon as he saw them. "How is she?" he asked.
"They don't know what's wrong with her. She looks pretty pale, I hope she will be okay," Phoebe said as she began crying. Prue put her arm around her little sister's shoulders. Dan gave them a hug and guided them to a chair to sit down. After a few minutes Phoebe calmed down.
"The doctor said that the results of the tests will be in soon and that he would come tell us," Prue said. "I hope she's okay." They sat there for about half an hour talking and trying to reassure each other. Just as Prue was about to go up to the desk and ask what was taking so long Dr. Wells stepped into the room. He wore a grim expression on his face, and he came over to them.
"What's the matter?" Prue asked.
"Yes what happened?" Phoebe demanded.
"We just got the results of the tests back. It doesn't look good. An unknown disease is causing your sister's blood to break down the tissue of her heart," he said pausing. "If we can't figure out what has caused this and stop it soon? Then your sister's heart will collapse. And even if we can cure her, there is no guarantee that she will ever come out of the coma."
"Oh no!" Phoebe shouted as she broke down in tears.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Prue asked putting her arm around her sister's shoulders.
"I don't know. There is no apparent cause. What ever it is its onset is faster than anything I have ever seen. If this had been going on long then it would have shown up in the tests run on your sister a two months ago," he said. "All I can tell you for now is to be patient and not get your hopes up to high. As I said earlier if we can't stop this soon your sister has only a few days to live."
The last sentence sounded so final that Prue and Dan could not hold back tears any longer. They both started to cry. Prue hugged Phoebe and Dan held them both.
"I'm so sorry I'll do everything I can to help your sister," Dr. Wells said. "You can go in and see your sister in a few minutes I'll come and get you when it's time." With that he walked away. After he left they all sat down and continued to cry. When he came back ten minutes later Phoebe and Prue stood up and followed him to Piper's room.
They walked in and sat next to her. She looked even paler than she had just an hour ago. "Hi sweetie. We're here for you. And the doctors are doing everything that they can," Prue said.
"Yes Piper you'll be up in no time I promise. Don't worry you wont have to stay here long. I know how much you hate hospitals," Phoebe said holding back tears. They sat with her for a few more minutes before Dr. Wells came and got them.
"Bye Piper I love you," Prue said kissing her forehead.
"Bye sweetie. We'll be back soon. I love you," Phoebe said also kissing her on the forehead. They walked out and on the way back to the waiting room Phoebe turned to Prue. "We have to call Leo. Piper would want him here."
"I know, but he's out of town visiting friends and he didn't leave a number where he could be reached," she answered.
"What if she..." Phoebe started. "What if she dies Prue."
"Phoebe don't think like that. The doctors will find out what's wrong with Piper. And they will heal her," Prue said forcefully. She was reassuring her self as much as Phoebe.
Just as they were about to go to the waiting room, Phoebe turned to Prue. "What if Piper is sick not because of a disease but because of the demon we vanquished this morning," Phoebe said lowering her voice.
"You could be right Phoebe. He did cut her arm, he could have infected her with a magical illness," Prue said.
"Which would mean that the Book of Shadows might have a cure," Phoebe said becoming excited.
"Right. Let's get home and look. We may yet be able to cure Piper," Prue said. They raced the few steps to the waiting room and went over to Dan.
"How is she?" he asked.
"No change. Listen Dan we have to get home and get some things in order. Would you be willing to wait here?" Prue asked.
"Of course. I'll do what ever I can," he said sincerely.
"Great here is my cellphone number, and you know the number of our house. Call us if there is any change," Prue said writing down her cell phone on a piece of paper and handing it to Dan.
"We'll call as soon as we know when we'll be back," Phoebe said. Then they walked to the door. Phoebe was smiling. They had an idea now all they had to do was find a cure.
Part 5
Prue and Phoebe rush into the manor, determined to find out what has happened to Piper, and how to fix it. "Pheebs, you know the Book better than anyone. Start looking there. I'll get on the net and see what I can find."
Phoebe runs up the stairs as Prue pulls out her laptop and hooks it up. As she is signing on the net, Phoebe runs down the stairs with the book, placing it on the coffee table. She begins to flip through it, muttering to herself as she does.
About an hour later, Prue gives a sigh of frustration and stands up. "I got to move around a bit. Any luck yet, Phoebe?"
Phoebe is still flipping pages, and has written notes on a pad of paper next to her. "Yes and no. One of these days, I have to make an index for this thing." Smiling, she sits up straight and picks up her notes. "Okay. I found out what the demon was. It is called a Skiagra Demon. It is fast, mean, has poison claws, and can only be summoned by a Warlock."
Prue slumps a bit, saying "Great. So we are fighting a Warlock. Any idea which one?"
Phoebe just shakes her head. "No. It just says it takes a Warlock to summon one. Now the bad news."
Prue interrupts. "I thought finding out we're up against a Warlock was the bad news."
"You wish!" Phoebe gets serious. "The Book tells about the demon, but I can't find anything on the cure. It might be in here; I just can't find it!" Phoebe slams her fist on the Book, venting her frustration.
Prue immediately goes over to Phoebe and hugs her. "Hey, Pheebs, calm down. We will find something to help Piper. We just have to keep looking."
Several hours later, Prue is now looking through the Book, and Phoebe is surfing the net. "Hey Prue! Got something!" Prue comes over and together they read what's on the computer's screen. "Oh wow. Prue, this says no one has ever cured a Skiagra's poison."
"No, Phoebe, not exactly. It just says this man never found one. But there are links here. I'll try them. Why don't you go make us some tea?" When Phoebe comes back, Prue has left the computer and is flipping through the Book of Shadows.
"What's up, Prue? Find something?"
"I think so. That last site made a reference to healing the heart and waking the mind. I thought I saw something like that in the Book."
Phoebe sits beside her, excited. "I know! Here, let me!" Flipping pages, she stops on a page marked "To Wake the Mind, Stop the Pain, and Heal the Heart." Reading it quickly, she tells Prue "This is it! It tells how to make a potion, and there's a spell you use with the potion! Prue, this is it! It says here, can counter the poison of demons!" The two sisters hug each other in joy.
In the kitchen, about an hour later, Phoebe is putting the bottles of items needed for the potion on the counter. Prue walks in, having gone up and showered and changed clothes. "Do we have everything?"
Phoebe shakes her head no. "No. We have Adder's Tongue..." She holds up a jar filled with large, pendulous, lily-like flowers, an inch across, bright yellow in color, tinged with purple. "And we have Hydrangeas ..." She holds up a second jar containing roots that are pale gray in color. "But what the heck is Shallot?"
Prue shrugs, and points to towards the laptop. "I'll check. Is that it?"
Phoebe sighs, frustration showing. "No. The hard one is Orchid blossoms. Specifically blossoms from the Early Purple Orchid." Phoebe looks at Prue. "Fresh blossoms."
Prue just smiles. "Hey, we're doing better than we were a few hours ago. Let's go see what these things are."
Half an hour later, the two sisters lean back from the laptop. "Okay. So, Shallot is just a fancy name for an onion. Those we got. But Prue, that stupid flower grows only in Europe! South Europe, you know, France and Italy! So, what, we have to fly to Europe?"
Prue swats Phoebe on the shoulder. "Yes, right, you could wish. So happens, according to this website on rare flowers ..."
Phoebe leans forward and finishes. "All right! So these orchids are grown there. I guess a greenhouse. Let's go get some!"
Prue grabs her eager sister's arm as she jumps up. "Pheebs, it is 1:00 AM. We have been up all day and night. We need to get a few hours sleep, check on Piper, then we can go. The place is just a few hours away. We will make the potion tomorrow and use it on Piper tomorrow night."
Phoebe starts to argue, but realizes Prue is right. Shutting down the computer, and turning out the lights, the two tired but now hopeful sisters go off to sleep.
Part 6
Dan is sitting at the hospital waiting. "Where can they be? They said they would call. It's one thing to go home to check on something. It's quite another to leave when your sister is dying and not even call," Dan thought. He stood up and paced for a moment, before going up to the desk to check on Piper.
"Hello ma'am. What is the condition of Piper Halliwell?" he asked. The woman smiled at him. He had been asking about every fifteen minutes for the last few hours.
"There has been no change sir. I'll come get you if anything happens," she said.
He sighed and thanked her before walking away. He decided to call the house to see whether Phoebe and Prue were there. He walked over to the pay phone and dialed the number. It rang four times, and he was about to hang up when a sleepy voice answered, "Halliwell residence. It better be important cause its three in the morning. If you're a telemarketer..." it was Phoebe.
"Phoebe it's me Dan," he said before she could continue.
"Dan why are you calling? Is Piper all right?" Phoebe asked sounding more awake.
"She's fine. I wanted to know when you and Prue were coming back. You said you would call, and when you didn't I was wondering what happened," he said.
"Oh no, I'm sorry Dan. We got back, and we just fell asleep. Today has been so stressful, we should have called but we forgot. I'll wake Prue and we'll be right down. There is no reason you should have to stay all night," Phoebe said apologetically.
"It's all right Phoebe you don't have to come down right now. I'll be fine for a few more hours. This has been a stressful day for us. It's been hard on me, and I've only known Piper for a few months. I can't even imagine how you and Prue must feel. Get some sleep, I'll call you if anything changes," he said.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"I'm sure, I'll be fine. Now get some sleep," he said.
"Thank you Dan. Take care," she said.
He said goodbye and walked off to go get a cup of coffee. As he was walking, he sighed. It would be a long night.
Part 7
Phoebe pulls out her glasses and puts them on. Taking up the map, she looks carefully, then says "I think we need to go left here, Prue." They had gotten up early that morning and were now driving to the greenhouse to get the final ingredient for the potion.
Prue grins a bit, and can't resist saying "Well, I guess I can trust you to navigate now that you wear those glasses."
Phoebe looks up, puts her head back, pushes her glasses to the end of nose, and replies in her most haughty voice "Why, what ever are you talking about?"
They both begin to laugh. Prue recovers first, asking "You have those spells, Pheebs?"
Phoebe pulls out some sheets of paper from her pocket. "Yes. A protection spell, the banish spell, and a GP kill the Warlock spell."
"GP? What's that?"
Phoebe gives a silly grin. "General purpose" As the car goes around the bend, they see a house, with a large greenhouse beside it. Pulling the car up next to the fence, they sit and study the place.
"I don't know, Prue, looks kind of quiet."
Prue just sighs. "Well, we have to go ask. We need that flower."
Phoebe agrees, and they both get out of the car and start for the fence.
As soon as Phoebe touches the fence, she has a premonition. Coming out of it, she looks at Prue, swallowing. "Don't walk in the front yard, Prue. I saw you killed by that cactus-like plant over there."
Prue looks at the plant, then uses her power to pick up a large rock and throw it in the yard. As soon as the rock hits the ground, several dozen large needles fire off the plant, chipping and splitting the rock. Shaken, Prue squeezes Phoebe's shoulder. "Thanks, Pheebs. That would have ruined this jacket." Smiling, and laughing nervously, they move around the fence, to the greenhouse in the back.
Suddenly, Phoebe again is stopped by a vision. Coming out of it, she motions Prue back to her. "We need to put the protection spell on the car. I saw us going back, and the car went out of control. And it held us in it as it hit a tree at 100 m.p.h. Magic on it."
Nodding, Prue helped Phoebe back to the car. "You okay, Pheebs?"
"Yes. Just never had two so close before, and one takes a bit out of you." Pulling the spell out of her pocket, she hands it to Prue along with a small bottle of talcum powder. Prue raises her eyebrows at that, but after glancing over the spell, smiles. "You are a real scout, girl. Always prepared." Prue takes the bottle, and pours a circle of powder around the car. She reads the spell.
Weave a circle round it twice,
With fiery thread surround our car.
Proof from magic I do entice.
Flames to guard from all bizarre.Prue looks back at Phoebe. "You wrote this, didn't you." Phoebe gives Prue her best 'Who? Me?' look. Prue just shakes her head, mutters "Never mind. As long as it works." Then they both head back to the greenhouse.
As they reach the greenhouse, Phoebe reaches for the door, and again is frozen with a vision. Coming out of it, she snatches her hand back, yelling at Prue "Don't touch that door! It is electrified!"
Calming down, she tells Prue she saw the Warlock wiring the doorknob up to live power wires. Prue nods, pulls Phoebe back about ten feet, then uses her power to pull the door down and flings it away amid a shower of sparks. As they move up to the now open doorway, Phoebe stumbles. "Sorry, just a little lightheaded."
Prue takes her hand and the move in the greenhouse. They carefully move around the various plants, and finally spot the orchids in a separate area in the back.
Phoebe now begins to try for a vision. It makes her head hurt, but she is afraid there are more traps. As soon as the cross into the orchid area, they can see the orchid they want.
There are a dozen plants, all with rich, purple flowers, mottled with darker and lighter shades. They are quite beautiful flowers. "Early Purple Orchid. That's what we need, Phoebe."
As she steps forward, she feels Phoebe stiffen up with another vision. As Phoebe comes out of it, she collapses, Prue catching her before she falls to the ground. Breathing hard, Phoebe tells Prue "Fire bomb, under the plants. Don't move the plants! Just take the petals. Hurry! There's a timer, too!"
Prue looks around, and uses her power to make a pair of pruning shears move to the orchids. It cuts the first four flowers off, which float back to Prue.
"Handy little power" Phoebe says it weakly, as if all her energy is gone. Prue smiles, and helps her sister out of the greenhouse, back to the car.
They are almost to the car when Phoebe has another premonition. This time she cries out with pain, and collapses against Prue. Trying to recover, she gasps out, "Another... Ski... Skiagra... De... Demon... Watch out."
Prue sets Phoebe down and looks around. As she does, a flash of light appears by the gate, and the demon appears. Prue immediately throws it into the yard, next to the needle throwing plant. Dozens of needles hit the demon, enraging it. The demon attacks, and shreds the plant to nothing. But in the time it took, Prue has the spell to banish out of Phoebe's pocket, and is reading it.
Hear my words and take away
That evil which was summoned today,
Banish this demon from our plane,
Remove from here this cause of pain.The demon begins to whirl in place, turning into a black, misty fog, which collapses into itself. Prue quickly turns back to Phoebe, who is starting to wake up. She is pale, and somewhat shaky, and her nose is bleeding. "Oh no, Phoebe! Are you all right? Let's get in the car and get home."
Helping Phoebe into the car, the sisters drive away. Behind them, Faustor blinks in. "Damn them to the depths of Hell! That youngest one has ruined it all!" He watches the car go around the bend, then blinks back out.
Part 8
When they reach the manor, Phoebe is better. She slept on most of the trip back. Pulling into the driveway, she wakes up, yawns, and grins at Prue. Prue grins back, saying "Welcome back! Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, I am. I didn't know I could have that many premonitions in a row! I think I have one of Piper's migraine headaches."
Prue reaches over and gives Phoebe a quick hug. "I'm glad you did. For not having an active power, you saved our butts, Pheebs. And Piper's too." They quickly get out of the car and into the manor.
Phoebe heads for the kitchen, while Prue heads for the phone. Calling the hospital, she asks for the nurses station where Piper's room is. "Hello, this is Prue Halliwell. Can you tell me how Piper Halliwell is, please?"
She listens, then says "Thank you. No, I don't need to speak with him. Yes, my sister and I will be up later. Thanks again." Hanging up, she moves slowly to the kitchen.
"How is she?" Phoebe is pulling out the other ingredients and a chopping board. She already has a pot of water on the stove.
"Not good, Pheebs. The nurse said we needed to be there, as quick as we could. She didn't say it, but she and the others don't think Piper will make it through the night." Phoebe stops what she's doing, and moves to hug Prue. "Hey, she will be fine. We shall cook up a Book of Shadows special and make her well."
They hold each other for a while, then Phoebe moves back to the counter. "I have to start this." Prue nods, and wanders out to the living room. She looks at the various pictures, smiling and remembering.
A few minutes later, Phoebe yells out "Okay Prue! Let's do our thing!" Phoebe has chopped up all the ingredients and has them ready to add to the boiling water. She looks up at Prue, laughing a bit. "You know, I feel as though I should be cackling or something. Are you ready?"
Prue laughs, remembering when she once felt that way. "Let's do it. Piper is waiting."
Phoebe hands her a copy of the spell. "We need to say this as we add these things, and both add and say the last line. Okay?" Prue nods yes, and Phoebe clears her throat.
As Phoebe adds the Shallot she says: "So that the mind be revealed."
Prue adds the Adder's Tongue, saying: "So that the hurt to be healed."
Phoebe adds the Hydrangeas, saying: "So that the curse is broken."
They both add the Orchid, saying: "Accept our love as the token."
The water boils even harder, and blue lights dance around and over the pot. The lights settle into the mixture, which cools instantly, becoming a pale blue, thick liquid. Prue looks at it, amazed, while Phoebe just says "Oh wow. Way cool."
Taking the pot off the stove, she pours some into a small bottle. Then with a flourish, she presents the bottle and an eyedropper to Prue.
Prue points to the eyedropper, raising her eyebrows in an obvious question. "The spell says three drops at a time, and it's the easiest way I know to do drops."
"Good idea, Phoebe. That's what I love about you. You come up with the practical things."
"Okay, I suggest we clean up, and get to the hospital. Visiting hours should be over in about an hour. We need to get there after that. I'm going to call her room, talk to Dan, and tell him we will be there in a while. I'll tell him he should leave when visiting hours are up, to come home and rest a bit that we'll call if there is a change. You go ahead and get your shower, Phoebe. Enjoy the hot water for a change." Phoebe laughs, and runs up the stairs.
Part 9
They are driving to the hospital when Prue's cellphone rings. "Hello," she answers tensely keeping her eyes on the road.
"Prue, it's me Dan. I think you guys need to get down here. Piper has gotten worse. The doctor doesn't know how much longer she'll last," Dan said with sadness in his voice.
"We're on our way. We should be there in a few minutes," Prue said.
"All right see you then," Dan said before hanging up. Prue closed the cellphone and shoved it into her purse.
"Who was it Prue?" Phoebe asked.
"It was Dan. He said we needed to get to the hospital now. They don't know how much longer Piper will last," Prue said.
"Oh no. Can't you drive any faster?" Phoebe demanded.
"I'm going as fast as I can Phoebe calm down. We have the cure we don't need a wreck," Prue said calmly.
"I know, but I would hate to think that Piper died when we had the cure with us," Phoebe said.
"It's okay Pheebs. We'll get there in time," Prue reassured her. Then she put all her attention into driving.
Part 10
When they got to the hospital Prue parked the car, and they jumped out and raced into the hospital. As they walked into the waiting room, they saw Dr. Wells standing talking to Dan. "How is she?" Phoebe asked.
Dr. Wells turned to face them with a grim look on his face. "I'm glad you're here. In the last hour she has gone down hill quite rapidly. I can't find any cure, your sister will not live through the day," he said.
"Oh no. Can we see her. You know to say goodbye," Prue said crying. Though she knew, they had a cure. Doctor Wells' words still affected her.
"Of course I'll let you sit with her for a while. Then there are a few things we need to discuss," he answered.
"Thank you," Phoebe said also crying. They followed Dr. Wells to Piper's room. He opened the door and they walked in. Phoebe gasped involuntarily. Piper looked much worse. She was deathly pale, and her arm had turned different shades of black and red.
Prue locked the door then they both walk over to Piper's bedside. Phoebe takes the small bag with the potion and the spell and sets it up on the tray.
"Okay. We have to recite each verse as I put the potion on her," Phoebe said.
"I know, you told me. Do you have that eyedropper?" Prue asked
"Yes. This has to work, doesn't it?" Phoebe asked her oldest sister.
"Of course it will. Let's start," Prue answered. Phoebe moves to Piper's right side, Prue to Piper's left. Prue takes the bandage off the cut.
She then opens the front of Piper's gown a little, exposing her heart. She then brushes Piper's hair back, exposing her forehead. Phoebe uses the eyedropper and carefully drops three drops of the blue tinted potion on Piper's forehead.
"Your mind's long sleep shall now end."
Phoebe now carefully puts three drops on the wound on Piper's arm.
"This wound shall no longer cause pain."
Phoebe now puts the last three drops on Piper's chest over her heart.
"Your heart shall not stop, but will mend."
Now Phoebe puts the dropper down, and takes Piper's right hand, Prue takes Piper's left hand, and Prue and Phoebe join hands across Piper's still form.
"Your full life's measure you shall now gain."
"With the love we give to thee."
"We call upon the Power of Three."A soft blue glow begins everywhere Phoebe had put the potion. The glow spreads out until Piper's entire body is glowing with a pale blue light. Then the light seems to go into Piper's body, and Piper's eyes suddenly snap open and draws a sudden, deep breath.
"Where am I?" she asked uncertainly. sitting up. Her sisters hugged her close and started crying. "It's okay," Piper said sounding confused. She looked around the room.
"You're okay, I'm so glad the spell worked," Phoebe said not letting go of her sister. Piper sat there for a few minutes still clueless for what had happened before Prue and Phoebe let go of her.
"Where am I?" Piper repeated.
"Your in the hospital sweetie," Prue answered.
"How did I get here?" Piper asked even more confused.
"You collapsed at the P3," Phoebe said.
"How long have I been here?" Piper asked.
"Since yesterday. You've been in a coma for the last 48 hours," Prue said.
"48 hours. Why what happened?" Piper asked.
"The demon who attacked you yesterday infected you with a magical illness. You went into a coma," Prue said. Piper gave her Prue a strange look but said nothing.
"I'm so glad you're awake now. I thought we had lost you," Phoebe said hugging her sister again.
"What do you mean?" Piper asked.
"You were in a coma as I said just now. The doctor couldn't figure our what was wrong with you. Your blood was breaking down the tissue of your heart. You weren't expected to live through the night," Prue answered slowly so as not to scare her younger sister.
"What," Piper said weakly.
"It's okay now," Prue said hugging her sister. Phoebe joined in and they stayed like this for a few minutes before they heard a knock on the door.
"Hello this is Dr. Wells can you please open the door?" a voice called.
"Just a minute," Prue standing up and walking over to the door. Phoebe sat down in the chair next to Piper's bed and held her hand. Prue unlocked the door and Dr. Wells said stepping into the room with a somber face.
"How did the door get locked?" he asked not yet seeing looking over at Piper.
"I don't know when I shut the door I must have locked it somehow," Prue answered.
"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry to have come and get you to leave. This must be a hard time for you and your sister. But, there are a few things we need to get settled. When we're done you can come back and sit with her."
"Do they have to leave now?" Piper asked.
Dr. Wells spun around at the sound of Piper's voice. "Miss Halliwell you're awake," he said sounding shocked.
"We were about to come get you to tell you she woke up," Phoebe said with a grin. He went over to her and started examining her. Phoebe and Prue just stood there and smiled.
"Well from what I can tell you appear to be fine. I'll have to run a few tests to see, but it looks as though you're cured," he said in disbelief. "Would you two please leave for a few minutes," he said looking at Phoebe and Prue.
"Okay," Phoebe answered, "We'll be back soon."
"Yes Piper we'll see you in a few minutes," Prue said.
"Okay guys see you then," Piper said.
They then walked out of the room.
"It worked," Phoebe said.
"I'm so glad it worked. I can't believe we almost lost her," Prue said.
"I know. I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't found a cure," Phoebe said hugging her sister. "We need to tell Dan."
"Your right let's go," Prue said.
They walked to the waiting room and found Dan sitting in a chair with his head in his hands crying.
"Dan," Phoebe said as she softly placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What is it? Is she..." he trailed off.
"No actually she just woke up," Phoebe said excitedly.
"What did you say?" Dan asked.
He must have misheard Phoebe. He thought she had said that Piper woke up. But that was impossible, the doctor had said she wouldn't live the night.
"Piper just woke up," Phoebe repeated.
"She did. That's great!" Dan shouted. He stood up and hugged Phoebe. He picked her up and spun her around a few times.
"I'm happy to. The doctor will let us back in to see her in a few minutes. You can see her to," she said.
They all sat down, and Dan asked Prue what had happened. "Well we were just sitting there crying, and all of a sudden she just opened her eyes and sat up," Prue explained. She was amazed how good that excuse sounded. They sat there for a few more minutes talking excitedly.
Then the doctor came over to them. "How is she?" Phoebe asked.
"She appears to be fine. So far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with her. I still can't confirm that, but it's as if there was never any illness at all," he said. "You all can see her now. But please keep it quiet."
"Thank you doctor," Dan said. They all walked to Piper's room. Prue walked in first followed by Phoebe and Dan. She looked good, the color was back in her cheeks and she was sitting up smiling.
"Hi sweetie. How are you feeling?" Prue asked.
"Pretty good," Piper said.
Dan walked over to the side of her bed. "I'm glad you're okay. You don't know how terrified you had all of us," he said.
"We'll I'm fine now," she said. Dan gave her a hug but as he was standing up Piper did something that surprised everyone in the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Dan barely managed to mask his surprise.
When they broke apart a minute later Phoebe asked, "What were you doing?"
"I was kissing my boyfriend. What did it look like?" she asked. Dan was at this point standing there trying to mask his confusion
"But you were going to dump..." Phoebe started before Prue elbowed her in the side.
"Dan we need to talk to Piper alone for a minute," Prue said.
"I totally understand. I'll wait outside," he said walking to the door. He stepped out and shut the door. As soon ass he was outside he leaned against the wall and sighed, What the heck was going on? Was this the same woman who had dumped him the day before?
"What the heck is going on Piper?" Phoebe asked as soon as Dan walked out.
"What do you mean?" Piper asked confused.
"You were going to dump Dan. You decided you loved Leo," Phoebe said.
"I did not. I love Dan. Why would I dump him?" she asked sounding even more confused.
"Because you love Leo," Phoebe said sounding exasperated.
"Oh I see what's going on here," Piper said her face changing from confusion to anger. "You think that because I was sick I wont see what you're trying to do."
"What do you mean?" Phoebe said. Now it was her turn to look confused.
"You always have liked Dan. You're just trying to steal him," Piper shouted. "You're jealous because for once I got the good man and you can't get a date."
"Piper that's not true. I would never..." Phoebe started. She shoved her hands in her pocket and as she did so her hand touched the piece of paper that she had copied the spell on. She stiffened and froze. She saw a man in his late sixties break the front door of the manor and head up to the attic.
"Oh no," she said a minute later when she snapped back to reality.
"What is it?" Prue asked. "What did you see?"
"A Warlock breaking into the manor to destroy the Book," she answered. "We have to get there."
"Right. Piper we'll settle this later right now we have to get home. Bye little sister," Prue said rushing out the door.
"Bye Piper," Phoebe said. Piper just looked at her crossly. She rushed out the door after Prue. As they were walking out the door, they bumped into Dan. "We have to go home. We have a few things we have to take care of," Phoebe said.
"Yes. Can you sit with Piper?" Prue asked.
"Of course," Dan said. "Why do you have to..." But by this time they were already down the hall. This was getting to confusing he muttered as he walked into Piper's room.
Part 11
Prue pulls her car into the driveway, and turns to Phoebe. "Could you tell anything about when it was?"
Phoebe just shakes her head. "No, just that it was light out. He could be there now, Prue." Sighing, Prue gets out, and her and Phoebe move to the front door. Walking in, they carefully look around, but nothing seems out of place.
Suddenly, Phoebe gives a short laugh. "He's not upstairs yet, Prue!" And she points to Kit, lying stretched out on the landing, lazily watching them. "No way Kit would be up there if a Warlock went past him." Prue agrees and the two head upstairs, Phoebe pausing briefly to scratch Kit behind the ears.
At the Book of Shadows, Phoebe starts to look through, trying to see whether anything reminds her of the Warlock she saw. Prue is pacing back and forth in front of the book. "Phoebe, I'm worried about Piper. Why doesn't she seem to remember the last few weeks? We should be there with her."
Phoebe, concentrating on the Book, just nods. Then she steps back with a startled "Oh wow!" The Book's pages begin to flip by themselves, finally coming to a stop. Phoebe steps back up, and Prue comes around to see.
"Phoebe, that's the spell we used last year, to vanquish those Shape Shifters. But it's a Power of Three spell!" They both hear Kit suddenly begin to hiss and yowl, followed by footsteps coming up the stairs.
Phoebe quickly looks around, and finds a pad of paper and pen she had left earlier. "I just need to modify it. It should still work. I hope!" Writing quickly, she shows Prue what she has done. They quickly memorize it, and the attic door opens.
Faustor steps in, and stops in surprise. "You! But, how... of course that rotten little sister again."
Prue waves her hand at Faustor, slamming him back into the attic wall. "Don't call my sister names!" Faustor is stunned, but struggles to get up. Prue quickly slams him against the opposite wall. "And that's for hurting my other sister!"
Faustor is lying on the floor, but he manages to prop up on one arm and points at Phoebe. A bolt of electricity arcs towards her, but Prue turns it back on Faustor, knocking him out. Turning back to Phoebe, they hold the paper with Phoebe's modified spell and start:
In the circle that is home,
Evil's gone and safety roams.
Rid this Warlock from our walls,
Save the witches now heed our call.First, nothing happens. Faustor wakens, and starts to get up, laughing. But, his laugh turns to a scream as he begins to waver, growing indistinct, and finally fading away.
Prue hugs her little sister, telling her "All right, Pheebs! You are the little spell writer, aren't you." They both turn and stare at the Book of Shadows, which begun to flip its pages again. When it stops, they move to see what is showing. It appears to be a reference page, telling what various names are used for different herbs.
"I've never seen this page before, Prue." Prue just shrugs. "We have got to index this thing. But, why would this page be important? We've already vanquished the demon."
Phoebe is carefully reading the page, when she suddenly gives a small moan. "Oh no! Prue, I'm the one that caused Piper to lose her memory! This says that this notation, Shallot, refers not to onion, but to a certain type of onion. I just used a regular onion!"
Phoebe quickly flips the pages of the book back to the page with the potion and spell they used. "See! The Shallot is for purification, and it will purify and cleanse the mind in this potion! I used the wrong thing, and it clouded her mind, took away her memory!" Phoebe begins crying, and Prue can only hold her, trying to calm and comfort her.
Phoebe composes herself, though the tears are still falling down her cheeks. "Okay. If I hurt her, I can heal her. I will find something to return her memory." With a determined look, Phoebe turns back to the Book, and begins going through the pages.
Prue comes up behind her, putting her arms around Phoebe's shoulders, and whispers in her ear, "Pheebs, you're not to blame. You saved her life. Let's go back to the hospital and see Piper."
Phoebe just shakes her head. "No, I can't go back until I can fix this mess I made."
"Phoebe, please. You know Piper will want to see you. She didn't mean what she said. She was probably just a little confused. You can come back after a while. Please?" Phoebe looks stubborn, but gives in. Nodding, she lets Prue lead her out of the attic.
Part 12
When they got to the hospital Prue got out of the car when she noticed that though Phoebe had opened the door, she had made no effort to move. "Phoebe come on," she said.
"I don't know Prue. Piper seemed pretty mad. I don't think she'll want too see me. She actually believed that I was trying to steal Dan from her," she said.
"Come on Pheebs, Piper didn't mean what she said. You're her little sister; of course, she wants to see you," Prue said coming over to Phoebe. Phoebe reluctantly stepped out of the car and shut the door.
They walked into the hospital and to Piper's room. When they got there they tensed up. The room was empty. "Where did she go?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know. Lets find out," Prue said starting to walk to the desk at a brisk pace. "Excuse me. Why isn't Piper Halliwell in her room?" she asked trying to remain calm.
"Miss Halliwell has been moved out of intensive care and to her own room," the woman answered pleasantly.
"Where is her room?" Phoebe asked. The woman told them, and headed to the room. When they got there Prue knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" a voice asked.
"Piper it's me," Prue answered.
"Come in," Piper said. Prue opened the door and walked in. "Hi Prue."
"Hi Piper how are you feeling?" she asked.
"Pretty good. A little out of it, but other than that fine," Piper said.
"Good," Prue said walking over to the side of the bed and giving her a hug. Piper really did look better. The color was back in her face, and she was smiling. Other than the bandage on her arm there was no physical reminder of what had transpired. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago her sister had been on her death bed.
She sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Where's Dan?" she asked.
"He wet into work. He hadn't been in for a few days. I told him he should go in. That I felt fine. Even so it took me a while to convince him. It's so nice to have a man who cares that much about me," Piper said smiling.
"Uh speaking of Dan there's something we need to talk to you about," Prue said.
"We?" Piper asked. Just then Phoebe poked her head in the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you Piper. I hate the fact that you think I'm trying to steal Dan. I would never do that to you. You were going to break up with him. You're my big sister, and I love you," Phoebe said with tears in her eyes.
"Yes sure Phoebe. Don't you think I would remember if I were going to break up with my boyfriend? Get out of here, I don't want to talk to you right now," Piper said coldly pointing to the door.
"Okay. See you guys later," Phoebe said weakly, surprised at Piper's anger. She then walked out the door, and started towards the exit. She decided to catch a bus home so she could start looking for a cure. She vowed that she would find one.
Phoebe couldn't stand that her sister was mad at her. Her sisters where the only family she had, she didn't want to lose them. She had almost lost her relationship with them over the Roger incident. There was no way she would let that happen again over a misunderstanding.
Part 13
Back in the hospital Prue was talking to Piper, "How could you be that cruel to Phoebe?"
"What do you mean? She was trying to steal my man," Piper answered.
"No she wasn't. Phoebe would never do that. It was Phoebe who saved you. If she hadn't thought you might be sick because of a demon, you would be dead right now. It was Phoebe who found the spell to save you and the ingredients.
And when we went to get the final ingredient Phoebe was the one who kept us safe. She tried to call up premonitions so we could avoid the traps set by Faustor," Prue said.
"Faustor? Who is he?" Piper asked sounding confused.
"Faustor was the Warlock who sent the demon to kill us. Don't you remember?" Prue asked.
"No I don't," Piper said with a hint of fear in her voice.
"It's okay, what's the last thing you remember?" Prue asked kindly.
"Going out with Dan on Monday," she answered. Prue's mouth fell a little. "What is it?"
"That was four weeks ago," she answered. Piper's eyes widened. "Don't worry. The spell we used kind of backfired. We used a different ingredient and instead of purifying your mind it clouded it. Causing you to forget the last few weeks. Phoebe is looking for a cure. I'm sure she'll find it soon," she said.
"What," Piper said slowly. "So you mean four weeks have gone by, and I have no memory of them?"
Prue nodded.
"Oh no. I was really mean to Phoebe," Piper said putting her head in her hands.
"It's okay. But, I really think you should apologize," Prue said hugging her sister.
"You're right. But, I still can't believe I would break up with Dan," she said in disbelief.
"But you were. You love Leo," Prue said.
"I believe you about the memory loss. But, I still can't believe I would break up with Dan," she said.
Part 14
Dan is sitting in his office trying to finish an estimate. He has been working on it for the past three hours but had barley written two paragraphs. It was not that it was hard, but his mind was elsewhere.
Ever since Piper woke up at the hospital he had been deep in thought. She didn't seem to remember that she had broken up with him. What had happened? Just before she had collapsed, she had made it very clear she didn't want to see him anymore. And now she was acting as though this had never happened.
He had talked to the doctor for a minute. He had said that the only thing that appeared to be wrong with her was memory loss. And that from what he had seen it was doubtful that she would ever recover those memories, and not to get his hopes to high.
So now he had another thing to decide. Since Piper didn't remember what had happened he had a choice to make. He could either tell her the truth and lose her forever. Or he could keep it to himself and get another chance.
But, there was a problem with that. If he did not tell her then his whole relationship would be based on a lie. He knew she really loved Leo. But, if he told her then he would lose her. There would be no chance of getting back together. And boy he really loved her.
He sat there for a while, he really didn't want to tell her. He decided that he would quite trying to get his work done. He knew he wouldn't get anything done. He got in his car and started to drive to the hospital.
On the way he wrestled with his conscience over the truth. Should he tell her or not? As he drove up he made his decision. He would tell her. There were a few reasons he had decided this.
The first and essential thing was that if he did not he knew he would not be able to live with himself. He loved her to much to lie. Though he wanted to be with her he could not lie.
She really loved Leo, nothing he did could change that. No matter what he did, and if he didn't tell her it might make her forget for a while but she would remember eventually and then he would have hurt her by lying. And he could not stand that thought.
If that was not reason enough he had seen how this was tearing her family apart. When Phoebe had tried to tell her what had happened, Piper had yelled at her and accused her of lying. Phoebe and Prue were the only family Piper had left. There was no way he would take that away from her.
He walked into the hospital and headed to Piper's room. He took a deep breath and knocked. "Hello," Piper answered.
"It's me Dan. Can I come in?" he asked.
"Of course," she said. He opened the door and stepped in. Piper was sitting up in the bed looking healthy. Prue and Phoebe were no where to be seen.
"Hi, how are you feeling?" he asked nervously.
"Fine. How are you?" she asked pleasantly.
"I'm good. Where are Phoebe and Prue?" he asked.
"Phoebe is at home and Prue went to get dinner. What's up? You look nervous," she said.
"Well I have something to tell you," he said walking over to sit next to her.
"What is it? Did someone die?" she asked sounding concerned.
"No why would you ask that?" he said sounding a little puzzled.
"You just look so serious," she said. "Now what do you want to talk about?"
"I know you don't remember what's happened for the last month and that's fine. But, I think you need to know what happened the day you collapsed," he said hesitating. Piper got a flash of fear. What was he about tell her?
"A few hours before you collapsed you called me and told me to meet you at P3. You said you needed to tell me something. When I got there you told me that you couldn't see me anymore. That you loved Leo and needed to be with him," Dan said. "In short we broke up."
"What?" she croaked.
"We broke up Piper. I know you don't remember, but I had to tell you. I couldn't lie to you. I love you, and though I know you can't be with me I just wanted to tell you that. And I wish you the best of luck with Leo, if it doesn't work out I'll be there for you," he said holding back tears.
Piper sat there for a few moments before replying. "Thank you," she said simply.
"Your welcome," he said before standing up and walking out. Piper just sat there for a few minutes before starting to cry.
"How could I have not believed my sisters. They would never lie to me. And I hurt Phoebe in the process. Oh no, I accused her of trying to steal Dan from me. She would never do that, through all that she has only tried to help me. It was Phoebe who saved me. If it weren't for her I'd be dead," Piper said out loud before breaking down into sobs.
Prue was almost to the door when she heard Piper crying. She opened the door to find her sister sobbing. She rushed over to Piper and hugged her close. "What is it sweetie?" she asked.
"You where right, Phoebe would never hurt me," she managed before starting to sob again. Prue held her close and stroked her hair.
"It's okay. You're all right.
Part 15
Phoebe knew she should get some sleep. But, all she could think of was Piper, and how her mistake was causing problems. Sighing, she went to the attic, and began to go through the Book of Shadows. After a few hours, she finally admitted that the Book wouldn't help. Looking at the time, she knew she should go back to the hospital in while, but just wasn't sure she could face Piper again. I'm tired, she thought, and can't think straight. Standing for a moment, she decides to take a shower and change into clean clothes.
After a hot shower Phoebe gets dressed and is ready to go back to the hospital. She calls a cab and rides to the P3. She pulls out her set of keys and climbs into the Cherokee. She drives back to the hospital.
About halfway there when she slammed on the brakes. Pulling a fast U-turn, she heads off in the opposite direction, driving until she comes to the Wiccan Shop she has used in the past. Knowing it is a long shot; she goes in.
"Blessed be. May I help you?" The woman smiled at Phoebe.
Phoebe smiled back, then asked, "I hope so. Do you know of any books on, well... herbs and, uh, potions?"
The woman nods her head and leads Phoebe towards a bookshelf. "There are several good books here on herbs and how the are used. Did you have any particular herb or potion in mind? I may be able to help." Phoebe hesitates, and the woman smiles again. "I have seen you here before. I know you buy herbs, and I've seen you buy books. I assume you are a practicing witch?"
Phoebe can't help but grin. "You have no idea. Okay, maybe you can help. I made a potion, for healing. But, I was supposed to use shallot, and I thought that was a fancy word for onion, and it wasn't, and how do I fix it?"
The woman is a bit startled at the speed and intensity of Phoebe's speech. "It is a common mistake. Shallot is a name used for a great number of varieties of onions."
Phoebe nods her head vigorously. "Oh yes, I found that out the hard way! I was supposed to use some Southern France onion, not an Albertson's special."
The woman smiles at that. "Yes, I know the variety. I have some on hand. I would suggest you make another potion, using the correct shallot, and then use it with a chant to correct what went wrong. I am assuming something went wrong."
Phoebe just nods her head again. "Sort of. So, same potion, right ingredients, new spell. Great, I'll try it. Couldn't make it any worse. I'll take some of that shallot, please," Phoebe fishes around in her purse, pulling out Prue's Visa card. "You still take Visa, right?"
An hour later, Phoebe is ready to make the potion. Looking at what she wrote down, she prays that this will work. As the water begins to boil, Phoebe starts.
Adding the correct Shallot she says: "So that the memories will be revealed."
Adding the Adder's Tongue, she says: "So that the mind will be healed."
Adding the Hydrangeas, she says: "My mistake's a curse, to be broken."
Finally adding the Orchid, she says: "Accept my love as the token."
Again, the water boils even harder, but this time green lights dance around and over the pot. The lights settle into the mixture, which cools instantly, becoming a pale, aqua colored liquid.
Phoebe mutters to herself "Oh darn it! Different color. I wonder if that's good."
Pulling the potion off the stove, she pours it into the small bottle, and puts it and the eyedropper in her bag. She then quickly gets in Piper's Cherokee and drives to the hospital.
Part 16
When Phoebe gets to the hospital she parked the car and jumped out. She then raced into the hospital and to Piper's room. She got there and paused, what if Piper yelled at her again and didn't let her cast the spell. If she wouldn't let her cast the spell then she would lose her relationship with her older sister.
She had always been close to Piper. When they were little, it was Piper who she talked to about her life. And when Prue had gotten mad and thrown her out, Piper had stayed in touch with her, either with letters or short phone calls. Though she loved, Prue she had always been closer to Piper.
Prue had always been more judgmental, always telling her what to do, and how to act. Piper had just accepted her for whom she was. Things had changed and got along with both of sisters. They talked and did things together. Becoming witches had brought them together. Now she was close to both of them, but her bond with Piper remained stronger. No she didn't want to lose that.
Phoebe took a depth breath and knocked. "Hello. Who is it?" Piper asked.
Phoebe paused for a minute, what if she told her to leave. "It's me Phoebe. Can I come in?" she finally answered in a small voice.
"Of course come in," Piper said. Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief, Piper sounded happy to hear her voice. She opened the door and stepped in. Piper smiled at her, she was sitting up and looking good.
"Hi," Phoebe said tentatively, not wanting to come to close.
"Hi Pheebs. Come over here I want to talk to you," Piper said.
Phoebe slowly walked over to the side of the bed and stood there nervously. "Sit down Phoebe. Don't worry I wont bite." Phoebe sat down quietly.
"Phoebe I have to apologize. You were right I would break up with Dan. I can't believe I ever doubted you. I should have known you would never lie to me. You have always been honest, and you have never gone out of your way to hurt me. I know I said some awful things to you. But will you forgive me? " Piper asked with tears in her eyes.
"I forgive you Piper. I'm so sorry it was my fault that you lost your memory. I goofed up the spell, I used an onion instead of shallot. Because of this, you forgot the last few weeks. Can you forgive me? I feel worse than you can imagine with the knowledge that I might have hurt you," Phoebe said also starting to cry.
"Yes," Piper said simply. She held out her arms and Phoebe moved over and hugged her. They cried and told each other how sorry they were. They were so busy that they didn't notice when the door opened and Prue looked in. She smiled, she knew her sisters would work things out.
A minute later Phoebe spoke up. "I found a spell to restore your memory. Prue and I just have to cast it, and you'll be back to normal. Speaking of Prue where is she?"
"Right here," Prue said walking into the room. "What do we have to do?"
Phoebe pulls out the vial, an eyedropper, and the paper which she has written the new spell. Speaking with a confidence she doesn't really feel, she says, "Okay. Here is the spell. After I use the potion on Piper, we need to hold hands. We all need to say the last line only. Right. Let's get Piper's memories back."
Phoebe uses the eyedropper and carefully drops 3 drops of the aqua tinted potion on Piper's forehead.
Phoebe starts:
"Your mind's missing time shall now end."
"My mistake will no longer cause you pain."
"Your memories shall not stop, but will mend."Now Phoebe puts the dropper down, and takes Piper's right hand, Prue takes Piper's left hand, and Prue and Phoebe join hands across Piper's bed.
Phoebe continues:
"Your life's full memories you shall now gain."
"With the love I give to thee."All three sisters:
"We call upon the Power of Three"
Where Phoebe put the drops now begins to glow a soft green. The glow spreads out quickly until Piper's entire body is glowing with a pale green light. Then the light seems to be drawn up and snap into Piper's head. Piper gasps with shock as the memories rush into place.
Hearing Piper gasp Phoebe immediately asked, "Are you okay?"
Piper shook her head to clear it before answering, "I'm okay," She leaned back in the bed. "A little light headed though."
"That's good," Phoebe said.
"Do you remember?" Prue asked. Piper paused a minute before replying.
"Yes I do. My memory is clearer than ever," Piper said. "I remember things I forgot years ago."
"Like what?" Phoebe asked.
"Like when we were little and Prue snuck in from a date with Andy, two hours after curfew," Piper said. Prue turned a little red and looked down.
"How do you know that? You were asleep that night," Prue said.
"I woke up for a minute when you came in. I forgot until this moment," Piper said. Phoebe started to laugh.
"Prue goes wild. I wish I was old enough to remember that," Phoebe said. Prue shot a look at Piper. "This has to be a side effect of the spell," Phoebe said.
"Well it worked. You did it Pheebs," Piper said.
"Thank you," Piper said hugging her sisters.
Part 17
It has been three days since Piper had gotten her memory back. Dr. Wells had gotten the test results back, according to them she was fine. He could fine no trace of illness, and after keeping her overnight for observation he had released her. She was now home.
She felt fine, but her sisters insisted that she take it easy. She was sitting on her bed thinking. Ever since Dan had told her that they had broken up, and Phoebe had found the spell and cured her, she had been thinking about Dan.
Though she loved Leo that was not going to change. She gained new respect for Dan. He had told her the truth when it would have been just as easy to lie. The doctor had told Dan and her sisters that it was doubtful she would ever recover her memory. But, he had told her that they had broken up. Then when Phoebe had cast the spell and restored her memory she realized just hoe easy it would have been for him to lie.
Piper was glad that the other effects of the spell had worn off. First, it had been fun remembering everything. But after a few hours her sisters got fed up with her remembering every embarrassing thing that they had ever done that they wanted to shoot her. Luckily the unwanted effects wore off after a day, and she was now back to normal.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she yelled in a less than enthusiastic tone thinking it was Phoebe or Prue coming to check on her for the fifth time that hour.
"You don't sound excited to see me," Leo said as he walked in.
"Leo you're back," Piper said jumping up excitedly and giving him a hug.
"That's better," he said kissing her.
"You weren't do back till tomorrow. Why are you here? Was your trip okay?" she asked a minute later.
"It was fine; I got to see many of my old friends. But, I couldn't stand being away from you any longer. So I caught an early plane back," he said. They sat down on the edge of the bed, and he asked, "So how was your was your week?"
She went on to tell him what had happened. When she finished telling him, his look turned serious. He pulled her closer and said, "I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you. Are you okay?" she nodded her head. "Good I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you."
"It's okay really I feel fine," she said.
"I probably shouldn't be bringing this up right now. But what happened with Dan?" he asked.
"I broke up with him. Then when I lost my memory, he told me we had broken up. I thought we were still dating. He was great about it. He could have just as easily not said anything and there would have been no way I would have known. He knew this, and he still told me," Piper said.
"I'm glad he really isn't such a bad man," Leo said. "Actually I want to thank him," he said standing up. "That is if you'll be okay by yourself."
"I'll be fine. You know your as bad as Phoebe and Prue. They keep insisting that I take naps. I feel fine. Go talk to Dan I'll wait here," she said.
Leo walked over to Dan's house and saw that he was loading his truck. "Hi," he said not knowing quite how to start.
Dan turned around. "Hi," he said also a little unsure of what too say.
"I came here to thank you," Leo said.
"For what?" Dan asked.
"For helping with Piper. You sat with her when she was sick. And you also told her the truth when she woke up. For this I thank you. You're really not such a bad man," Leo said.
"Your welcome. Piper is very special I could never lie to her. I wish you both luck with your relationship," Dan said.
"Thank you. Say what are you doing?" Leo asked.
"I'm moving. I moved in here because I was taking care of my niece Jenny and now that she's back with her parents there is no reason for me to live in such a big house. I'm moving into an apartment on the other side of town. It's closer to work, and the right size for a single man," Dan replied.
"I hope things work out for you," Leo said. He then walked back towards the house to see Piper. And Dan got back to loading the truck. Just as Leo was walking in the house, Dan watched him.
"He is so lucky. I hope he realized what he's got," and with that he started his truck and started driving off. This was the last load after this he was done; he thought as he drove away. Away to his new apartment and new life.
