Prue grunted, slamming her bloody hand ferociously onto the light switch and spun to face the dimmed room. Suddenly, before her eyes appeared a shower of blue and white lights, coalescing as Leo orbed into the hospital room that Prue had seconds ago blocked from intruders. His eyes widened, taking in Prue’s pale, blood-streaked face as she said, eyes still and watchful, "They killed her, Leo. They think we’re the demons now."
Leo’s face crumbled as he turned to stare at the still body of his wife. In nightmare detail, his eyes took in her bloodied chest and stomach. His knees almost gave out from under him as he knelt by her side. "Oh, God - how can this be happening? I don’t understand," he said, bewildered, lost. He waited for her to breathe, but her chest did not rise. "I’m so sorry…." And he kissed Piper’s forehead, shaking.
Prue’s fierce voice rasped at him. "Can you make this right or not?" But Leo was unable to tear himself away from Piper. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. Prue grabbed his arm and pulled him upright, demanding, "Go!" and Leo orbed out of the hospital room. Leaning over Piper, Prue held her hand for an instant before stroking her forehead gently. "Don’t worry," she whispered in a ragged voice, "he’s going to fix it. I promise. You’re going to be fine," she added, willing Piper to hear, to open her eyes, for it to be true.
_________________________________
Leo appeared in a shimmer of light before Cole and Phoebe, still in the Underworld. Phoebe took one look at his broken face and whispered "Piper," stunned. She hugged him, and Leo buried his face in her shoulder. Swallowing, Cole looked downward.
"You don’t have to do this," whispered Leo uncertainly to Phoebe. Phoebe looked into his eyes and touched his face with both hands. "Yes, I do."
She turned to face Cole. "So…" she said, eyes dull, trying to gain her focus. "Will resetting time affect us down here?"
"No," he replied, voice low.
"Good. I only have one condition," she said, voice stronger now, eyes intent. "You must warn Prue and Piper before the demonic hit man attacks. Otherwise, they’re dead anyway," and she searched Cole’s eyes desperately, wanting, needing to believe that they could make it right. Cole nodded, trying to reassure her of something he could not feel.
Leaving Phoebe, Cole set out to confirm the details of the pact with the Source. He entered the maw of the devil’s lair where the malice directed towards him was palpable. Cole felt relieved as the Source agreed to the terms that Cole set forth before him, sealing the unholy bargain that Phoebe desperately needed….a relief soon chased away by despair in the Source’s continued presence. Despair that Phoebe was giving her soul in exchange for her sister’s life.
Cole was soon summarily dismissed, and a guard was summoned before the Source. "Once I have reset time, detain him. And then kill his witch. That way I won’t have to worry about Belthazor anymore… or the Charmed Ones," the Source said, his voice heavy with irony. The guard listened intently, then inclined his head and left to gather others to help him restrain Belthazor.
"It shall be done…" the Source intoned, as the sound of a immense thunder rumbled through the underground. As time began its move back, the bullet sent forward though the wall of the hospital room by a zealous SWAT team member began its backwards journey, away from Prue’s grieving heart.
______________________________
Six twenty-five a.m. Prue and Piper had just brought Dr. Griffiths to the manor in an effort to save his life.
"Look, I know that this all sounds incredible, but it doesn’t make it any less true. All right, you’re a healer, you do good - now, either you have saved too many lives or you’re about to save a life that they don’t want you to save," said Prue swiftly, thinking out loud. Piper placed her hands on her hips.
"They?" said Dr. Griffiths, voice raised, incredulous.
"Yeah, demons. Uh, more specifically, Shax. He’s the Source’s assassin," Prue said, matter-of-factly. Piper eyed her sister, willing her to keep silent.
"Hold it, I got it. This is a practical joke, right?" said Dr. Griffiths, chuckling. Prue shook her head no as he continued, "Do you have a hidden camera here? Did my second wife put you up to this? Ah," he laughed, "It’s just like her."
"Okay, Dr. Griffiths, listen to me, this is anything but…" and she stopped and listened.
"What?" said Piper, raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t know…I just felt a chill. Phoebe?" called Prue. Piper looked up, expecting an answer momentarily. The house was unnaturally silent. "Phoebe, are you there?"
From outside the front door of the manor, a tunnel of wind appeared, crashing through the front doors. "Phoebe, where are you?" screamed Prue desperately, as the tornado knocked both her and Piper, sprawling, on the floor. From out of the tornado appeared a massive long-haired figure with gray clothes, hair and skin. The apparition smiled menacingly.
"Dear God!" exclaimed a shocked Dr. Griffiths. Prue flung her hair away from her face and jumped up from the floor, screaming "No!" She pushed the Doctor aside, and was hit by an energy ball thrown by Shax. Crashing through the wall of the house with sickening force, Prue landed unconscious, face up on the ground outside. Piper, facing the demon, was flung through the wall with another energy ball and landed next to her sister.
"What are you?" asked the Doctor, voice high-pitched and quivering.
"The end," intoned the demon, and sent the doctor crashing through a stained-glass window. His still body lay across the sill as blood ran out of his ear to drip on the ground below.
Shax smiled and looked at the two women lying on the ground before him. Blood streamed from Piper’s nose and smeared her opened palm. Prue lay motionless beside her as blood trickled from her ear and pooled at the back of her head. Satisfied, Shax disappeared once again into the whirlwind. It swept out of the house, shattering the glass in the double doors. Leaves swirled about the porch in its wake.
________________________
Cole walked swiftly away from the entryway of the Source’s lair. He was thinking furiously about what his next step should be. He could not leave Phoebe at the mercy of the Source, and yet he knew she’d made a choice that was by every right hers to make. It didn’t matter. He could not let her give up her soul to the Source. He approached her as she stood motionless, back turned to him, arms around Leo.
"Is everything set?" Leo asked.
Cole nodded grimly. "You know there’s no way for us to know what the Source plans for Phoebe. But whatever it is, he will ruin her. And I don’t intend to let that happen," said Cole.
Phoebe’s eyes widened. "I’m warning you…don’t mess this up! It’s my only chance…"
Cole’s blue eyes hardened as he returned her gaze. "I’m not going to let him hurt you, Phoebe!"
"You’re the reason Piper’s dead!" Phoebe flared. "I abandoned my sisters for you, and now I have to make it right again!" Cole’s eyes faltered for an instant. He stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
"You’ve got to warn…" Leo started, but didn’t finish his sentence as the area was suddenly flooded with guards sent by the Source. Five of them rushed Cole immediately, dragging him away from Leo and Phoebe. He lunged towards the knot of guards surrounding them. His captors surged forward as he dragged himself closer to Phoebe. He punched one of them quickly, viciously, breaking the guard’s nose with an audible snap, and held out his hand as an energy ball sprung to life on his palm. He swiped the surrouding guards with it in a circular motion, burning them, and they ducked and screamed, letting him go.
Leo stood in front of Phoebe, blocking the path of the guards, but there were too many of them and he was swiftly knocked aside. One of them, a demon with long black hair and a lean, saturnine face, pulled a thin, heavily ornamented knife from his belt. In a nightmare instant he swiped it quickly across Phoebe’s throat. Immediately, blood gushed from the wound. He laughed as Phoebe attempted silently, weakly to cover her throat.
"No!" Cole screamed, and morphed instantly into Belthazor. He grabbed guard after guard and flung them as if they were gnats. Leo lunged forward, grabbing and holding Phoebe as blows rained down upon him, healing her. The demon who’d attacked Phoebe drew the knife back again, grabbing her face, and said, "Time to die."
Phoebe struck out, knocking the knife away and wrested herself free for an instant, freeing her to levitate and get her head above the crowd. She kicked out in vicious, hard chops at the guards closest to her. Leo slammed his elbow into the face of the guard next to him, and began to swing at another one who grabbed his arm. Belthazor plowed into the circle surrounding Phoebe, easily dispatching the remaining guards until none separated him from her. She came to rest on the ground again as the huge red and black demon loomed over her, chest heaving. "Cole…" she said evenly, and the demon’s black eyes seemed stricken.
"You’re o.k.?" asked Leo quickly.
I’m o.k…. even though the Source would have it otherwise," she said, eyes still on Belthazor. "You’ve got to go, Leo…you’re the only hope they have left. He won’t hurt me…."
Leo nodded, orbing out quickly. Belthazor towered above Phoebe. He reached down to her and touched her arm gently. She kept her eyes on his. "Cole…I need you to come back to me. I’m…I’m sorry - I know I’ve hurt you," and the beloved form of Cole once again materialized in front of her. His blue eyes stared into her brown ones for an instant, emotionless, before bending and crushing her to him.
"Phoebe, thank God you’re not hurt…" he whispered softly.
"No, but I’ve hurt you. I know it," she said, pulling herself from his grasp to look into his gaze. He broke the stare, turning away from her.
"You were upset. It’s all right," he said, careful to keep his voice normal. He couldn’t meet her eyes.
"Look at me, Cole! What I said was wrong. I was frantic. I lashed out at you. I didn’t mean it," she said, softly.
He turned to her, swiftly. "Of course you meant it," he said, voice hard. "You were being honest. It’s true. If you had been there, this might have never happened. We both know that. And Phoebe…somehow, we’re going to have to find a way to live with that…or not."
"We can’t do this, now," she whispered, looking at him. "I need you to help me. To help us. To make it right, if we can. Take me to my sisters."
He held her, eyes locked onto hers as he shimmered them back up to a world they hoped still held two other Halliwell sisters, alive and well.
But it was not to be.
____________________
Leo orbed into the manor, where a devastating scene awaited him. Two of the three he had pledged with all his heart and soul to protect lay motionless and bleeding -unconscious or dead, he didn’t know yet- on the ground at his feet, flung carelessly by a mighty hand. He knelt quickly beside Piper, placing his hand on her chest, begging silently for her life. He felt her chest rise and caught the sob in his throat. He had work to do. A soft glowing light flowed from his fingers and into her. She’d barely started to stir as he turned his attentions to Prue. Looking down at her, his heart sank like a stone. He noticed the thick dark blood, pooled and thickening ominously beneath her head. Her still face was waxen, ghostly. Even as he felt for her pulse, he knew.
Leo tore himself away from Prue to tend to the Doctor, but it was too late. There was nothing Leo could do for him. Returning to Prue’s side, Leo grasped her hand and wept as Piper crawled to her sister’s body and shook her shoulder. "Prue…Prue, wake up….Prue? You have to wake up now… Why aren’t you getting up? Dammit, get up!" she yelled, voice cracking, and collapsed over her sister’s body.
_________________________
Prue awoke, dream-like. She thought she stood, but maybe she drifted… upward. Everything looked so fresh, so clean and airy. The very air glowed softly, warmly. She turned as a hand touched her shoulder. Death stood before her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, confused. She looked around her, and was shocked to see her own prone body on the ground with her sister and Leo next to her. She whirled around, staring at Death. "You’re here - for me?" she said disbelievingly. He nodded, awaiting her reaction. "This is a mistake…I’ve got so much, too much to do…" she stumbled over her words.
"Prue," Death said, calmly, "We’ve been through this before, you and I. I’m not the enemy, remember?"
Oh, no…I’m not going anywhere," she said, firmly. "What about all the innocents that need our help? My God, what about my sisters?" she continued, voice rising. "The circle has been broken - without the Power of Three, they’re sitting ducks! Why are you doing this, now?" she demanded.
"You know I’m not doing anything to you," he replied, patiently, and stretched his hand out to her.
"But…" her eyes widened, "I don’t want to go…" she sounded bewildered, like a child. "You don’t understand, I’m not ready yet." She voice trembled as she rushed on, "It’s not my time, yet…it can’t be…I haven’t finished…anything…." she trailed off as Death took a step towards her. "No!" she screamed at him. ‘Not YET!" And she took a defensive posture towards him.
He shook his head at her. "Still the same old Prue, I see…don’t fight me again. It didn’t work the first time and it won’t work now," he said evenly. He sighed. "Very well, Prudence…I suppose you need a little help," and he stared commandingly at Leo.
Leo straightened, turning towards Prue and the Angel of Death. He whispered something to Phoebe and Cole, who’d shimmered into the manor shortly after Leo. Phoebe went to Piper, and Leo walked towards Prue. "He sees me, I know it," thought Prue, hope rising giddily. Leo halted and wiped his face, standing still for a moment, listening, before turning to Prue and extending his hand to hers, meeting her eyes. She grabbed him and hugged him fiercely. "Oh, Leo, thank God! I knew you could help me," she said excitedly. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"I can help you, Prue," he said softly, "but I won’t be able to do what you want."
"I can’t come back?" she asked, childlike. Prue looked silently into Leo’s sad eyes, seeing the compassion and the gentleness that she and her sisters had come to rely on. Seeing his heartbreak at the finality of her situation. Her eyes filled.
He cupped his hands to her face. "No," he answered gently, "It’s your time. You have done so many wonderful, brave things. You have kept so many people from suffering. Prue…you’ve fulfilled your destiny. Now it’s time to go." Leo’s kind face soothed her.
"But, Leo," she said, voice trembling, "What about Piper? and Phoebe? How can I leave them alone?"
He stroked her hair. "I promise you, I will take care of them," he said, and smiled at her gently. Death approached again.
"Oh Leo, it can’t be time already…" and her eyes pleaded with his. He lost his composure for an instant, then steadied himself.
"It can be…it is," he said, and his eyes were resolute. And this time, when Death stretched his hand out to her, she took it.
_______________________________
On the day of the funeral, before daybreak, Piper sat before the Book of Shadows in the attic. A single candle chased the shadows. Before her was a silver bowl. Her hands splayed out over the Book, Piper chanted, "In this night, and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. Bring back my sister. Bring back the Power of Three." She waited, looking skyward. She was so tired… but she had to keep trying. Why couldn’t Prue hear her? She had to bring her back!
Unbeknownst to Piper, her sister did hear her call. Prue heard every faltering word, every trembling whisper. She saw Piper’s pale, tired face and it was almost too much for her to bear. But she’d been forbidden to speak with her sisters. And while Prue never hesitated to break a few rules, she knew there was no way back to them - God knows she’d tried everything she could think of to get back, and it wasn’t to be. She knew that it was absolutely imperative that her sisters accept the finality of her death. As They had made her do. But the look on Piper’s sad, care-worn face was breaking her heart.
Piper began flipping through the Book of Shadows, then stopped at the spell To Call a Lost Witch. "Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here." Her chin quivered. She put a sprig of cypress, some rosemary and yarrow root into the silver bowl. She picked up an athame and cut her finger, letting the blood drip into the bowl. "Blood to blood, I summon thee, Blood to blood, return to me," she whispered, voice beginning to shake. The candle flickered, and Piper’s face reflected an instant of hope before despair returned. She didn’t know what to do. She’d never felt so powerless. A voice called her, "Piper?" and Piper’s eyes lit.
"Prue…?" she whispered. Phoebe entered the room. Despair returned to Piper’s face.
Prue cried out, heartbroken, "Please, I didn’t want to leave you," and Patti appeared at Prue’s side. She hugged her. Prue clung to her ferociously, and her mother couldn’t help but smile at the strength in her daughter.
Patti drew back, looking directly into her daughter’s eyes and said tenderly, "You’ve got to let go, Prue. You know I wish there were another way, but your sisters still have to fulfill their destinies. They can’t do that if they live in the past."
Prue’s eyes blazed as she asked with raised voice, "How will they survive without the Power of Three?"
Patti smiled gently. "I have something to tell you, Prue. The Power of Three lives on," and she stilled her daughter’s questions with a forestalling hand. "I can’t do anymore -I can’t say anymore, until you understand what you have to do, and do it now - you’ve got to let them go."
"But I love them so much…." Prue said, sobbing in her mother’s comforting arms. Because the one thing she needed to tell them so desperately was left unsaid. Oh God, how she wanted to tell them that she’d never meant to leave them.
____________________________________
Days passed. Prue’s funeral was over, and Paige and her sisters learned of her true identity. The Power of Three was newly restored - a fragile, delicate work in progress….again. The only thing that wasn’t restored - not quite - was Cole’s faith in Phoebe’s love.
That evening, in Phoebe’s bedroom, Cole’s arms were wrapped around her as he tried to sleep. He was quite sure Phoebe was awake, as well. He’d thought to let sleeping dogs lie, but he was haunted by her words - I abandoned my sisters for you. Over and over, it ran through his mind, until he thought he’d go insane. He knew it was true. He didn’t know how to live with that fact. Oh, he knew she loved him - he’d seen proof of that when the Source had stabbed him, if nothing else - but how long would love last if she blamed him for her sister’s death? He decided, reluctantly, to take the bull by the horns.
He spoke, voice low. "Will you ever forgive me for this?"
"For what?" she questioned, startled.
"For taking you away from your sisters when they needed you most."
She turned her face up to him, smiling faintly, and said, "There’s nothing to forgive you for. It’s forgiving myself that I’m having a little trouble with."
He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair away from her face. "We’re both to blame, Phoebe. It’s both of us."
She said, "We’ll work it out - who’s guilty, who’s to blame - we’ll go through it all. And then we’ll get through it all. Together. O.K?"
He pressed himself to her, slipping his hand under the small of her back. Phoebe arched up to meet him, murmuring his name….
Later, in the deep stillness of early morning, Phoebe lay awake. She gently disengaged herself from Cole’s arms and left the warmth of their bed to creep quietly down the stairs. She went to the front doors and opened them, heedless of the cold. She stayed that way a long time, standing and staring at the distant, winking stars. Slowly the tears began to slip down her cheeks. In all this great, cold world, where was her sister now? She said a silent prayer. Be at peace, Prue. Be at peace.
She shut the doors and went back to her beloved, who awaited her.
The End