Author's Note: This is an alternate season seven finale; canon is preserved through "Imaginary Fiends", and the rest is dead space until this point.
Author's Warning: Tissue alert.
Fall From Grace
"Hey, Piper?" Phoebe called into the kitchen, from where she was sitting on the living room couch.
"What's up?" Piper asked, coming to the doorway.
"Do you think it's still possible that I'm going to be burned at the stake in the future?" Phoebe asked, morosely.
"What brought this on?" Piper asked, laughing in disbelief.
"This," Phoebe said, nodding at the television. She turned the volume up as Piper walked over.
"I don't just want this move for my career," a man was saying. "I agreed to play for the Angels because my wife is living in California. We've been separated for seven years, and I'm hoping to reconcile our marriage. I miss my family."
"And family is what this country is all about," the announcer said, his voice syrupy. "In other news…"
Phoebe hit the mute button and sighed.
"See what I mean?" she asked.
"Not really," Piper said. "Who was that?"
"Cal Greene," Phoebe informed her. "He's been traded from New York to Anaheim. He arrives tomorrow."
"And Cal Greene was the man you killed in the future," Piper finished, finally understanding. "Phoebe, just because he's moving to California doesn't mean he's going to be killed by you."
"Leo said I killed him because he brutalized a dear friend," Phoebe reminded her. "Remember, he got let off the hook, and I went after him, to gain revenge."
"And now you know better," Piper said. "That is why we went to the future, if you recall."
"Yeah, I remember," Phoebe said, reluctantly.
"Besides, he's coming here to reconcile with his wife," Piper told her.
"Yeah, and God only knows why she wanted to get away from him," Phoebe muttered.
"Phoebe, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill," Piper said. "Why don't you come help me with dinner, rather than worrying about something that's probably never going to happen."
"Sure," Phoebe sighed, still plagued by a sense of foreboding. "Hey, any idea when Paige is coming home?"
"She called and said not to hold dinner," Piper said. "She's busy with her charges."
"Oh?" Phoebe asked, her curiosity piqued. "Which one is it this time?"
"She said something about playing nanny to a pair of eight-year-old twin witches," Piper said, grinning. "She's trying to convince them not to use their powers on each other, or other people."
"Well, she should have experience from watching you and Leo with Wyatt," Phoebe said.
"She's going to need more than experience," Piper said. "She's going to need luck, and a lot of it."
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"Kylie, I want you to sit down, right now!"
Paige sighed as the little girl ignored her and kept jumping on the bed. She pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache she could feel coming on, then strode over and quickly hooked an arm around Kylie's waist. Tugging gently, she pulled her off the bed.
"I was having fun!" the little girl whined.
"Kylie, I asked you to stop several times," Paige said, battling for patience. "Why didn't you listen to me?"
"You're not my mommy," Kylie said, glaring defiantly at her. "I don't have to listen to you."
"Your mother placed me in charge while she went out tonight," Paige informed her. "That means you do have to listen to me.
"Kaedin doesn't seem to have any problem with it," she added, nodding at Kylie's twin brother who was sitting on his bed, reading.
"Kaedin's a goody-two-shoes," Kylie retorted, sticking her tongue out at her brother. Kaedin briefly returned the gesture before burying his nose in his book again.
"Sit right here," Paige ordered, plunking Kylie down in a chair.
"For how long?" Kylie whined.
"Until I say you can get up," Paige retorted.
'My God,' she thought, after a moment. 'I'm turning into my mother.'
Shrugging off the thought, she crossed the room and sat down beside Kaedin.
"What are you reading?" she asked, curiously. Kaedin tipped the book's cover up without pausing in his reading.
"Harry Potter, huh?" she read aloud. "Is it a good book?"
"Yeah," Kaedin muttered. "It's better when it's quiet."
Cocking an eyebrow at the remark, she added, "So, you'd like me to leave you alone, then?"
Kaedin nodded wordlessly.
"Fine," Paige said. "Kylie, how'd you like to go make some cookies?"
"Really?" Kylie exclaimed. "Cool!"
She raced eagerly to the door but stopped when Kaedin said, "I wanna make cookies, too."
"I thought you were reading," Paige replied. "You can make cookies with us, if you want," she added. "But, you'll have to put down the book."
"I can read it again, later," Kaedin said, tossing it carelessly on the bed. Paige hid a grin behind her hand as the three of them trooped downstairs to the kitchen.
"So, do you guys believe in magic?" Paige asked later, as she stirred eggs into a bowl of flour and sugar.
"Yeah," Kaedin said, after exchanging a look with his sister.
"Do you think people like Harry Potter could actually exist?" Paige asked, carefully.
"Anything's possible," Kylie said, her eyes darting nervously around the kitchen. "Hey, turn it up!" she exclaimed, brightly, referring to the television set Paige had turned on to provide background noise.
'Well, at least they've learned to hide their magic when it suits them,' Paige thought, wryly, hitting the volume button on the remote.
"This guy is so cool!" Kaedin gushed, fixated eagerly on the screen.
"What guy?" Paige asked, idly.
"Cal Greene," came the reply. Paige froze in shock and looked over at the twins.
"Cal Greene, the baseball player?" she asked, trying to keep her fear from showing in her voice.
"Uh huh," Kylie said. "He's playing for the Angels, now."
"Really," Paige murmured. Looking at the television screen, she was frozen once again at the sight of Cal's face, captured in time as he grinned happily.
'He'd just hit that game-winning home run,' she couldn't help thinking. 'Then, after the game we went home and…'
Her thoughts stopped abruptly as the front door slammed.
"Mom's home!" Kylie yelled, jumping off the stool and racing into the foyer, Kaedin following close behind.
Paige slowly clicked off the television and began cleaning up the kitchen. Shortly, the twins' mother entered the room.
"So, did they give you any trouble?" Pam McBride-Parks asked.
"None at all," Paige said, airily, causing Pam to grin knowingly.
"Both, or just one of them?" she asked.
"Mostly Kylie," Paige admitted. "She's got this thing about jumping on the bed."
"I'll talk to her," Pam said. "You know, I don't know if I ever properly thanked you for telling me about Nate," she continued, quickly changing the subject.
"I was just doing what I had to," Paige said, brushing it off.
"You called me out of the blue and told me that my husband had been cheating on me- with you," Pam said. "That takes guts."
"It takes just as many to hire me to take care of your kids," Paige retorted. "Pam, I hate to run, but if I'm not home soon, my sister will kill me for waking up the babies."
"Sure, see you tomorrow," Pam said, escorting her to the door.
Paige got in her car and looked back at the house, waving at the twins who had gathered at the window to watch her leave. Starting the car, she drove home with only the radio for company. Arriving home, she trudged upstairs and collapsed in bed, her dreams broken with troubled memories of Cal Greene- and a life she thought she'd left behind.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late," Phoebe exclaimed, bursting into the kitchen.
"For a very important date," Paige finished for her, drawing blank looks from both her sisters.
"Oh, come on," she continued, disbelieving. "I can't be the only one who's read Through the Looking Glass."
"Maybe the only one who's memorized it," Piper teased. "Why are you late, Phoebes?"
"My alarm didn't go off," Phoebe explained, grabbing a piece of toast as it flew out of the toaster. "I have a staff meeting to go to, and ten minutes to get there."
"Want me to orb you?" Paige offered.
"Nah," Phoebe replied. "I'll just drive, and take my lumps as they're due."
Snagging her purse from the table, she flew out the front door, leaving two very surprised sisters in her wake.
"Well," Piper said, getting up as well. "I'd love to stay and chat, but the working world beckons. I'm due at the club by ten to interview a new act. Are you sure you don't mind being here by yourself?"
"And miss this glorious opportunity to have the house to myself?" Paige asked, smiling. "With you guys at work, and Leo and the boys at Magic School, I finally have a chance to take a shower without being interrupted or losing the hot water."
"Have fun," Piper said, grabbing her keys and walking out of the Manor.
Paige watched her go, then a slow grin spread over her face.
'Finally,' she thought. 'I can do whatever I want, and no one is going to bother me. Time to take that luxurious bubble bath I haven't had time for, lately.'
Turning away from the door, she walked upstairs, practically floating with anticipation. Forty-five minutes later, she floated back downstairs, wrapped in a thick terrycloth robe and slippers, and holding a brand new novel. She'd just settled down on the couch to start reading when the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?" she muttered irritably, throwing open the door. Then, she froze in shock.
"Hello, darling," Cal Greene cooed, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"Cal," Paige whispered, feeling her mouth go dry. She licked her lips, nervously, and backed up slowly. "What are you doing here?"
"Seven years we've been apart, and that's the best you have for me?" Cal asked, coming inside and shutting the door.
He locked it with a soft, ominous click, and Paige felt her heart jump in fear. She tried desperately to orb, but found that her powers were as frozen as the rest of her.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find you here?" Cal continued, advancing on her menacingly. "You're my wife; did you think I would let you go so easily?"
"I-I'm not your wife," Paige managed, nearly tripping over the coffee table in her haste to get away. "Not anymore."
"Until death do us part, remember?" Cal quoted, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You made a vow, Paige. It's time you upheld it."
Moving swiftly, he lashed out, slamming his outstretched hand into the side of her face. A heavy ring on his finger caught her at the corner of her eye, tearing the skin. Paige stumbled, frantically trying to keep her balance as she tried to see through the curtain of blood. Another blow sent her staggering backward, her head reeling from the force of the blows, her vision dancing with stars. She hit the ground hard and Cal kicked her in the ribs. Moaning in pain, Paige curled up in a fetal position, trying to no avail to evade the kicks.
Groping blindly around the floor, she grazed her cell phone, which had fallen from the coffee table when she fell over it. Praying, anxiously, for a miracle, she pressed a number at random before shoving the phone away from her.
Then, everything faded to gray as Cal's foot connected with the side of her head.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXDarryl was doing some praying of his own as he sped through the streets, to the Halliwell Manor. He'd been wary at first, seeing Paige's name on his cell phone, but something had urged him to answer it. And, after hearing what was going on in the house, he only hoped he wasn't too late to stop it.
Braking hard in the driveway, he drew his weapon and sprinted up the walk.
"Police, open up!" he yelled.
After a moment of silence, he slammed into the door, rocking it on the hinges. He kicked it again, sending it flying. As he burst into the room, he reflected in a distant corner of his mind that Leo was going to have a hard time replacing it, yet again.
Moving cautiously into the rest of the house, he entered the living room and gasped in horror. Paige lay in a heap on the floor, her face a bloody mess and her exposed body a mass of bruises. Her assailant was nowhere in sight. Going over to Paige, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the hospital.
"This is Lieutenant Darryl Morris. I need an ambulance at 1329 Prescott Street," he snapped, rolling Paige gently onto her back.
As he checked the extent of Paige's injuries, he tersely answered questions from the dispatcher, until the ambulance arrived five minutes later.
"Lieutenant Morris?" one of the EMTs asked, as his coworkers were getting Paige on a stretcher and loading her into the back of the ambulance. "What happened here?"
"I don't know," Darryl said. "But I intend to find out."
"Does she have any family we can contact?" the EMT asked.
"I'll do it," Darryl told him, pulling out his cell phone, again.
Dialing a number, he tapped his foot impatiently while he waited for an answer.
"Piper?" he said, when she picked up. "Don't talk, just listen. Paige has been attacked, and she's being taken to the hospital, now. You and Phoebe need to get down there."
He listened for a moment more, but all he heard was a dial tone as Piper hung up abruptly. Then, he got in his car and followed the ambulance to the hospital, listening to the ominous wailing of the siren.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"What did Darryl say?" Phoebe demanded, as she and Piper burst through the doors of San Francisco Memorial Hospital.
"Just that Paige had been attacked, and that we need to get here as soon as possible," Piper informed her.
Storming up to the front desk, she slammed her hands down on the counter.
"Paige Matthews," she told the startled receptionist. "Where is she?"
"Are you family?" the teenager asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"We're her sisters," Phoebe snapped. "Where is she?"
"Uh," the boy said, fumbling with his computer. "Um, I'm not-"
"Piper!" Darryl called from behind them. As they turned away from the desk, Piper heard the kid sigh with relief.
"Darryl, where's Paige?" she asked, walking over to him.
"They've still got her in surgery," Darryl said, dragging a hand wearily over his face. "She doesn't look good."
"How bad is it?" Phoebe asked, her voice fearful.
"When I got there, she was unconscious and barely breathing," Darryl said. "She'd lost a lot of blood, and she's got some broken bones."
"Oh, God," Phoebe breathed, horrified.
"Who did this?" Piper asked, going cold inside at the mental picture Darryl painted.
"I don't know," Darryl said. "Whoever hurt her was long gone by the time I got there."
"How did you know Paige was in trouble, anyway?" Phoebe asked.
"She called my cell phone," Darryl said. "I think she may have pressed the speed dial in a panic, because she never said anything, but I can recognize when someone's being beaten."
Phoebe drew in a sharp breath, and Piper squeezed her hand.
"Paige is going to be fine," she assured her. "She's going to beat this; you'll see."
"Piper, Phoebe?" a voice called from behind them.
Piper turned to see Ava Nikolai standing in the entrance to the waiting room, and they hurried over to her.
"How is she?" Phoebe asked, quickly.
"She's stable, for now," Ava said.
"Can we see her?" Piper asked.
Nodding, Ava led the way to Paige's room. The room was deathly quiet, except for the soft beeping of various machines, and the curtains were drawn around the far bed. The doctor pulled back the curtains, and Piper gasped in shock when she saw her sister.
Paige's face was as white as the sheet she lay on, marred by dark, ugly bruises on her cheek and around her eyes. Her arms, which rested on top of the blanket, were both secured in casts, and there was a bandage wrapped around her shoulder. She was hooked up to the beeping machines and to several IV bags, which dripped slowly.
"She had severe internal bleeding, several broken bones, and a dislocated shoulder. She's in a coma, right now, and the next forty-eight hours are critical," Ava said softly.
"Will she ever wake up?" Phoebe asked, plaintively.
"It's hard to say right now," Ava told them. "I need to step outside for a moment, and see to other patients. Call me if you need any questions answered."
Piper nodded, and Ava silently slipped out of the room. Phoebe looked at Paige and gave a small sob.
"She looks so helpless," she said.
Reaching out, she brushed a lock of hair away from her sister's face, and then froze as she was hit with a premonition.
"Hello, darling," Cal Greene cooed, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"What is it?" Piper asked, steadying her as she swayed slightly. "What did you see?"
"He did this, Piper," Phoebe whispered. "Cal Greene tried to kill Paige."
Fifteen minutes later, Piper followed Phoebe into the Manor, shutting the door as her sister stormed up to the attic.
"You can't do this," she said, following her up to the attic.
"Why the hell not?" Phoebe snarled, slamming the Book open and rifling through the pages.
"Because Cal Greene is a human being," Piper protested. "You can't kill him, Phoebe."
"Piper, that is our sister lying in a hospital bed, not some random Innocent from the future!" Phoebe yelled.
"I know that," Piper said, quietly.
"He put her there," Phoebe continued, heatedly. "And, you heard Ava. She may never wake up."
"I know," Piper repeated. "But I also remember you telling me that our job was to protect the Innocent, not punish the guilty."
"We can call Darryl," she continued. "He'll deal with Greene the legal way."
"And then he'll get off on a technicality," Phoebe told her. "I remember that, too."
"What happened to being worried about being burned at the stake?" Piper asked, reminding her of their earlier conversation.
"I don't care," Phoebe snapped, turning her attention back to the Book.
"I do," Piper told her. She slammed her hand down on the Book and Phoebe looked up in surprise.
"I am not going to let you do this," she told her, angrily. "I am not going to let you turn into a murderer."
"Well, I'm not going to let him get away with this," Phoebe said.
"Fine," Piper said. "I'll make you a deal. You read one spell with me, just one, and if I haven't convinced you to give this up by the time it plays out, then I won't stand in your way."
"What's the spell?" Phoebe asked, suspiciously.
"The same one we used to go to the future the first time we knew about Greene," Piper said. "Do we have a deal?"
"Fine," Phoebe sighed. "Where's the spell?"
"Here," Piper said, pointing, as she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote frantically.
"I'm using the same date we did last time," she said, folding it up and grabbing a lighter. "February 26, 2009. You ready?"
Phoebe looked over her shoulder and the two began to chant, as Piper lit the paper on fire.
"Hear these words, hear the rhyme,
We send to you this burning sign.
Then, our future selves we'll find.
In another place and time."
As the last of the paper disintegrated into ash, there was a brilliant flash of light, blinding the sisters. When the light cleared, the attic was empty.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXPiper opened her eyes and found herself lying on the couch.
'Talk about déjà vu,' she thought, wryly, as she sat up and looked around.
The Manor still looked the same, although there were more pictures adorning the walls. Looking at one more closely, she saw herself, grinning up at the camera, her arms wrapped around a little boy with messy blond hair.
'Wyatt,' she thought, smiling. Suddenly, she heard a pounding on the stairs behind her, and Wyatt burst into the room.
"Hi, Mom!" he cried.
"Hey, kiddo," she greeted, turning to face him.
"Mom, are we going to see Dad and Chris, today?" Wyatt asked.
"Sure," Piper said, wondering where her husband and youngest son could possibly be.
"Do you want me to orb us there?" Wyatt asked.
"Sure," Piper said again, grateful she wasn't going to have to drive to a place she didn't even know about.
Taking her son's hands in her own, she felt herself growing lighter as Wyatt began orbing. Then they rematerialized, and Piper found herself standing in a well-kept grove completely surrounded by trees. In the center of the ground were two granite headstones.
'Oh, please God, no,' Piper thought frantically, as she moved slowly toward the markers. 'Please don't let it be…'
She couldn't help the small moan that escaped her lips when she read the inscriptions. 'Leo Wyatt: Sep. 15, 1924-Aug. 2, 2006' and 'Christopher Halliwell: Nov. 25, 2004-Aug. 2, 2006'.
Her world came crashing down around her, with the knowledge that they were dead. She felt oddly disconnected, as she stared numbly at the headstones. Then, her son's voice brought her back.
"I miss you, Dad, and I love you," Wyatt was saying, oblivious to his mother's pain. "I miss you, too, Chris."
He placed a small bouquet of flowers in front of the headstones, and looked expectantly at Piper.
"I love you," she whispered, brokenly, brushing a hand gently over the headstones. "I miss you so much."
Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, obscuring her vision, and she groped blindly for Wyatt's hand. Finding it, she held on as he orbed them back to the Manor. As they landed, she heard a horn honking outside.
"That's my ride," Wyatt said, dashing off.
He returned a few seconds later, clutching his backpack. Skidding to a halt, he threw his arms around Piper and hugged her, hard.
"Love you, Mom," he said, before darting out the front door. He squeezed past Sheila, who entered the foyer, laughing.
"The energy of youth, huh?" she said, knowingly.
"Right," Piper said, wiping hastily at her eyes. "So, you're giving Wyatt a ride to school?"
"Just like I do every other morning," Sheila said. "Piper, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Sheila," Piper began, hesitantly, "I need you to tell me today's date."
"March 2, 2009," Sheila replied. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Piper said, quickly. "Anyway, thanks for giving Wyatt a ride."
"Of course," Sheila said. "So, I'll have Wyatt back after Little League, tonight."
"Right," Piper said. Sheila nodded and turned toward the door.
"Piper," Sheila said, pausing at the doorway. "Darryl and I have always considered Wyatt family. You know he's always got a place with us."
"I know," Piper said, wondering exactly what Sheila knew, or at least suspected, about what might happen.
Sheila smiled and walked out of the house.
Piper watched her walk down the walkway and get in the car, driving down the street. Then, she turned back to the empty house. Looking up at the ceiling, she narrowed her eyes.
"Someone better get down here, right now!" she yelled.
A heartbeat later, a swirl of orbs formed in the center of the room.
"That was quick," she remarked, then her voice trailed off as the orbs formed into Sam Wilder.
"Hi, Piper," Sam said, tiredly. "I've just been to visit Paige."
"She's okay?" Piper asked, relief showing in her voice. Sam eyed her suspiciously.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"When I woke up this morning, it was still 2005, the morning of the day Paige was attacked," Piper told him.
"You and Phoebe cast a time travel spell?" Sam guessed.
"I wanted to show Phoebe the consequences of killing Cal Greene," Piper said. "I take it she's in jail?"
"She's awaiting her execution," Sam told her. Anticipating her next question, he added, "It's at six pm, tonight."
"Less than three hours, then," Piper said, glancing at a clock on the wall. She looked back at Sam and asked, "You've been to see Paige?"
"At the Bay View Convalescent Home," Sam said, quietly. "She was moved there after six months in the hospital."
"Is she okay?" Piper asked. "I mean, except for the coma?"
"There was a close call a few years ago," Sam said, "but you and Wyatt got to the hospital in time and he healed her. Other than that, she's fine."
"Sam," Piper said, walking over to the picture of her and Wyatt and taking it gently from the wall. "How did Leo and Chris die?"
"You've seen the grave sites?" Sam asked.
"Wyatt took me there this morning," Piper told him. "How did it happen?"
"It was just a few months before Chris's second birthday," Sam began. "Leo had taken him to the grocery store, and Chris orbed something over him. It was his first piece of magic.
"Anyway, the witch hunters found out and they arrested them both. They were tried, convicted, and put to death."
"They killed a baby?" Piper whispered, horrified. "My baby?"
Stumbling backward, she sank down on the couch, trembling, as fresh tears ran freely down her cheeks.
"How could they possibly justify that?" she demanded.
"They called it eradicating the root of evil," Sam said, quietly. "At least that's what they said when they found and raided Magic School."
"Why didn't I do anything?" Piper asked. "Why wouldn't I do something to save them?"
"Who says you didn't?" Sam asked, rhetorically. "Piper, you tried everything in the Book of Shadows, from memory spells to reversing time, but nothing worked."
He paused for a moment, and a pained look crossed his face.
"The Elders wouldn't let anything work," he continued, reluctantly.
"What?" Piper cried.
"They said that if they allowed you to rescue Leo and Chris, more people than just them would be in danger. That they wouldn't let your selfish desires lead to more deaths."
"My selfish desires?" Piper asked, her tone becoming dangerously quiet.
"By that time," Sam told her, "a group of Whitelighters, myself and some of the other older ones, had split away from the Elders. We tried to rescue them, but we were too late. When the Elders found out, there were severe punishments. I was the only one who escaped having my soul recycled."
"Why you?" Piper asked.
"As the sole remaining Charmed One, you are of great value to the Elders," Sam said. "You also pose a great threat. The Elders left me alone because they thought they could capitalize on the fact that I was the only Whitelighter you would talk to."
"Have they benefited from it?" Piper asked.
"Thanks to luck, and a spell you had Wyatt cast last year," Sam said, "I've been able to avoid detection by the Elders since that day. Consequently, they have no idea what you've been doing since Leo and Chris's deaths."
"You said Paige was in a convalescent home?" Piper asked, changing the subject. Sam nodded.
"Do you want me to take you there?" he asked.
"No, I'll drive," Piper said. "Can you give me the address?"
Half an hour later, Piper pulled into a parking space and looked at the dull brick building that had been her sister's home for the past four years. Then, she got out of her car and walked into the lobby.
"Piper!" one of the receptionists said, smiling. Piper looked at her, startled.
"You're here early," the woman remarked.
"I am?" Piper said, glancing involuntarily down at her watch.
"Before you go back," the receptionist continued, "I wanted to let you know that Paige has been moved to room 206."
"Right, thanks," Piper said, relieved that she wasn't going to have to ask for directions.
Reaching room 206, she slowly pushed open the door and walked in. Then, she stopped when she saw a nurse checking something on a monitor.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her heart flying into her throat.
"Nothing's wrong, don't worry," the nurse said, quickly. "Just a daily check, like always."
"Right," Piper said, feeling slightly foolish.
"I'll just get out of your way," the nurse said briskly. "Have a nice visit."
"Thanks," Piper said, walking over to the bed.
She looked down at Paige and felt a tugging at her heart. Paige looked much better than the last time Piper had seen her.
'Which is only to be expected,' she reflected, 'considering it's been four years since that day.'
Paige's hair had also grown out, and now rested on her shoulders. Piper smiled fondly as she reached out to brush away a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her face. Then she froze, listening sharply. She could have sworn she heard her sister moan.
"Paige?" she whispered.
"Ungh," Paige mumbled, her eyelids fluttering. Piper's heart gave a wild jump, and she ran to the door.
"Someone get in here!" she yelled, rushing back to Paige's side as a nurse bolted toward the room.
"What's wrong?" the nurse cried.
"She's waking up," Piper said, excitedly.
"That's impossible," the nurse began, imperiously, but she stopped when Paige opened her eyes and looked around, blinking in the light.
"Piper?" she croaked weakly, seeing her sister. "Piper, what happened?"
But Piper was too busy hugging her to answer.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX'This certainly seems familiar,' Phoebe thought, sitting up on her bunk, groaning.
"Hello?" she called, walking over to the cell door. "Is anyone out there?"
"Shut up, witch!" a voice snarled. Phoebe recoiled in surprise and shock.
"So, I guess there's no chance of getting a snack?" Phoebe called, hopefully.
In answer, a tray filled with brown paste slid through a slot in the wall. Phoebe took a cautious sniff and wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Some things never change," she said, pushing it away. Then, she looked up at the ceiling.
"Can anybody hear me?" she hissed, softly. "Elders, anyone?"
She waited, expectantly, and was not disappointed when a swirl of orbs formed in the center of the cell.
"You called?" Sam asked. Phoebe gasped, taken aback by the look of cold fury on his face.
"Sam, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked.
"I've been to see Piper," Sam told her, "so I know all about the spell you two cast. But that doesn't excuse what you did."
"You mean I did kill Cal Greene?" Phoebe asked, nervously.
"You did more than just that," Sam snapped.
"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, growing more worried by the second.
"Innocent people are dead because of your selfishness," Sam told her. "People are suffering because you exposed magic."
"I-I didn't mean-" Phoebe stammered.
"All you thought about was getting revenge," Sam continued, oblivious to her emotion. "About making yourself feel better."
" I didn't do it for myself," Phoebe told him, angrily. " I did it because that bastard hurt Paige!"
"It didn't help her, did it?" Sam asked, rhetorically. "Killing him didn't wake her up."
"I couldn't risk letting him hurt anyone else," Phoebe said, weakly.
"Chris and Leo are dead because of you!" Sam exploded.
Phoebe went gray and sank weakly down on her bunk. She literally felt her heart skip a beat at the news.
"What?" she whispered.
"You exposed magic by murdering Cal Greene," Sam told her, "and now Piper's son and husband are dead."
"Does she know?" Phoebe asked.
"Of course she knows," Sam snapped. "She found out when Wyatt orbed her to their grave sites, and I had to tell her the truth when she asked for it. Do you have any idea how hearing that nearly killed her?"
"I'm the reason they're dead?" Phoebe whispered, still trying to come to terms with the shock of the news.
"I hope you can live with that," Sam said coldly, before orbing away.
Phoebe stared at the spot where he'd been for a long while, then dissolved in tears, Chris and Leo's faces fresh in her mind.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"Phoebe did what?" Paige yelped in disbelief.
She struggled to sit up and the nurse stepped forward quickly.
"You shouldn't be moving," she interjected. "You just woke up, after all."
"Thanks for the news flash," Paige said sarcastically. "Here's another. I feel fine."
She glared at the nurse until the woman stalked out of the room, scowling.
"What did Phoebe do?" Paige repeated, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.
She swayed slightly as she stood up, and Piper started toward her, worriedly.
"Don't start," Paige warned, grabbing a pair of jeans from the closet and pulling them on.
"Phoebe's in jail for the murder of Cal Greene," Piper said, instead. "After he nearly killed you."
"Phoebe killed Cal?" Paige asked, a shadow crossing her face.
"You're on a first name basis with your assailant?" Piper asked.
"I should be," Paige said. "He's my ex." Then, she winced as she looked at Piper.
"Ex-boyfriend?" Piper asked hopefully.
"Ex-husband," Paige muttered. "We got divorced seven years ago. Sorry, eleven years ago. God this is confusing."
"You were married?" Piper demanded.
"Can we get back to Phoebe's being arrested for murder, please?" Paige asked. "How did she even know it was Cal who did it?"
"Premonition," Piper said.
"Why not tell Darryl, let the cops handle it?" Paige asked, sitting back down on the bed. Piper followed her example and sank into a chair.
"That's a bit more complicated," Piper said. "Do you remember when I told you why I thought I was going to have a girl when I was pregnant with Wyatt?"
"You said that you'd gone to the future and seen it there," Paige said.
"Right," Piper said. "What I didn't tell you is why we went to the future. We went because Phoebe had a premonition of herself being burned at the stake. As it turns out, she was being executed for the murder of Cal Greene."
"Oh, my God," Paige whispered, horrified.
"Leo told us that Phoebe had gone after Greene because he brutalized a dear friend of hers, and after being arrested, he got off on a technicality. After you were attacked," she continued, over Paige's horrified gasp, "Phoebe wanted to go after Greene before he could get away."
"I guess she did, then," Paige said quietly.
"Actually, we can still change things," Piper admitted guiltily. "See, I made Phoebe cast a spell with me, so that she could see the consequences of killing Greene. We wound up traveling to our future bodies."
"So, this is 2005 Piper I'm talking to?" Paige asked.
"Yeah," Piper said, quietly.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Paige asked, catching her sister's hand.
"It's Leo and Chris," Piper said, tears welling in her eyes. "They died three years ago. They were executed by witch hunters."
She held herself together for a few more seconds, then collapsed, sobbing. Paige held her as she cried, grieving for her lost family. She rocked in Paige's arms as her sister murmured nonsense words, stroking her hair gently. Finally, this latest burst of tears subsided, and she sat up, sniffling.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes.
"What are you apologizing for?" Paige asked.
"I don't know," Piper said, laughing weakly. "I guess it's in my nature. I don't know why I'm laughing, either," she said, after a moment.
"Stress," Paige said, knowingly. "So, where's Phoebe at?"
"San Francisco Penitentiary," Piper said.
"Let's go," Paige said, standing quickly and walking to the door.
"Go where?" Piper asked, trailing her.
"We're going to go see Phoebe, we're going to save her from being executed, and then we're going to kick her butt," Paige told her.
"Sounds like a plan," Piper agreed, grabbing her coat and leading the way out to the car.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"I'd ask how you were feeling," a voice said, startling Phoebe out of her reverie, "but, really, I couldn't care less."
"You," Phoebe said slowly, looking up into the face of Nathaniel Pratt.
"What's this? Tears?" Pratt said, feigning surprise. "And here I thought you were going to be remorseless to the end."
"At least I'm paying for my crimes," Phoebe told him. "One day, you'll pay for yours, too."
"And yet, you won't live to see it," Pratt said smugly. He tapped his watch and Phoebe blanched as she looked at the hands.
"It's almost time," Pratt informed her.
He gestured and a pair of guards brandishing guns flanked him.
"Enjoy the next twenty minutes," he said cruelly, unlocking her cell. "They're the last you'll ever see."
He flung open the door, and the guards seized Phoebe, dragging her roughly out and leading her down the long hallway. At the end of the hallway, a metal pyre was being systematically ignited and extinguished. Phoebe's heart sank as every echoing step led her closer to the burning chamber, and to her doom.
Pratt and the guards secured her to the pyre and stepped back. Pratt grinned maliciously and turned to the news cameras that zoomed in on his face. As they started rolling, his entire demeanor changed.
"These are dread times," he began, his voice no longer gleeful, but somber and fraught with emotion. "There is an evil that lurks among us, an insidious force that seeks to destroy everything we, as good people, have created with our way of life. I am, of course, talking about witches."
He paused, for dramatic effect, Phoebe presumed, and then continued.
"But there is light at the end of the darkness," he said, his voice grower stronger with conviction with each word. "Only by destroying the witches can we truly be free. And today, we destroy one of the worst. Today, Phoebe Halliwell will burn!"
By the end of his speech, his voice had risen to a fever pitch and his eyes glowed with a manic light. Phoebe shivered fearfully, just looking at him. Pratt posed for a moment before the camera, and then spun on his heel and stalked over to where Phoebe was restrained.
"Ready to die, witch?" he asked.
Phoebe kept her mouth shut and stared straight ahead, refusing to give in to him. Pratt simply laughed and strode over to the control panel. He put his hand on the pyre control, posturing for the audience watching his every move. He moved the lever one notch, readying the firing mechanism. Phoebe unconsciously tensed, anticipating the flames licking at her skin. Pratt moved it to the next notch, and an involuntary whimper escaped Phoebe's lips.
Then, he went to light the fires, and everything stopped.
Phoebe looked incredulously at the frozen tableau surrounding her and sagged weakly against her bonds as tears of relief poured down her face. Piper ducked her head in and glanced around, then hurried over to Phoebe and flicked a single finger at the restraints, blowing them up.
"Considering what happened to our powers last time we went to the future," she explained, helping Phoebe off the pyre, "I didn't want to risk blowing everything to Kingdom Come."
"Sam told me about Leo and Chris," Phoebe said, confused. "Why did you come here?"
"You're still my sister," Piper told her. "No matter what."
"And mine," Paige said, from the doorway. Phoebe gasped and broke away from Piper to hug her baby sister tightly.
"You're okay!" she cried.
"I'm fine," Paige said, hugging her back.
Gesturing to the frozen crowd, she asked, "How long are they going to stay frozen?"
"Until I unfreeze them," Piper assured her.
"That's good," Paige said. Turning to Phoebe she exclaimed, "I can't believe you did this!"
"Technically, I haven't done it, yet," Phoebe hedged, nervously.
"Okay, your future self committed murder," Paige said. "It's practically the same thing; don't change the subject."
"I wasn't," Phoebe protested. "Besides, he can't be allowed to get away with what he did to you."
"He won't," Paige told her. "Go to Darryl, tell him what you know. Let this be handled the legal way."
"He's going to get off on a technicality," Phoebe argued.
"That's what Piper told me," Paige said. "So, you'll just tell Darryl to be extra careful, to make sure he does everything by the book."
"It feels like we're letting you down, somehow. Like I'm letting you down," Phoebe admitted quietly.
"The only way you could let me down is if you do this," Paige told her. "Phoebe, he will be brought to justice, but not like this. Not by your hand."
"Paige," Phoebe began, but her sister cut her off.
"Cal Greene is not worth you becoming a murderer over," she said, angrily. Calming down a bit, she added quietly, "I'm not worth it."
"'That's not true!" Piper protested.
"Yes it is," Paige said, smiling sadly. "Phoebe, if you do this, just for revenge, countless people will suffer. Leo and Chris will die. You'll die. And all because my idiot ex-husband put me in the hospital."
Phoebe gaped and Piper nudged her, hard, in the ribs.
"I'll explain later," she hissed.
"This isn't the first time Cal's put me in the hospital," Paige said. "Granted, it's the first time it's lasted four years, but obviously, I'm going to be fine. You'll just have to wait a while to talk to me again."
"She has a point," Piper told Phoebe.
"Phoebe," Paige said, speaking only to her. "If you really want to do something for me, give up this desire for revenge. Do something to help others, not to harm them."
"I promise," Phoebe whispered, tears running freely down her cheeks.
Paige and Piper were crying, too, as the sisters moved in for a three-way hug. Time seemed to stop for a moment as they clung to each other, then they reluctantly let go and stepped back.
"Do you have a way to get back to your time?" Paige asked.
"Yeah," Piper said, pulling a scrap of paper out of her pocket. "It's the spell Chris used to come back from his future. It seemed appropriate."
"It is," Phoebe said, joining Piper.
"I feel like we're abandoning you," she said, looking over at Paige.
"Hey," Paige said, laughing. "I'll be sleeping when you get back."
"Although," she added, with mock sternness, "if you don't come visit me every day, I'm going to make your lives hell when I finally wake up."
"We're going to hold you to that," Piper said, her voice choking with emotion.
Taking a deep breath, she unfolded the paper and looked at Phoebe.
"Ready?" she asked.
"No," Phoebe said, wiping at her eyes. "But I guess we don't have a choice, do we?"
"Not really," Piper said.
Phoebe nodded and looked over Piper's shoulder. Together, they began to chant.
"Hear these words, hear the rhyme,
Heed the hope within our minds.
Send us back to where we'll find,
What we wish in place and time."
Piper and Phoebe saw Paige smiling at them, sadly, as the world grew brighter around them. Then there was a bright flash of light, and Paige stood alone.
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"Leo?" Piper called, sprinting from the attic as soon as she and Phoebe rematerialized. "Leo!"
"He and the boys are probably still at Magic School," Phoebe told her pointing at the clock. "It's only six-thirty. Time kept moving on here, too."
"Right," Piper said, skidding to a stop. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's summon the door and go see them!"
"Hold your horses," Phoebe said, chuckling.
Taking her sister's hands, she and Piper concentrated, and the door to Magic School appeared on the first landing on the stairs. Pulling out of Phoebe's grasp, Piper sprinted up the stairs and through the door. Phoebe followed behind at a more sedate pace.
"Did you see where Piper went?" she asked a student, stopping to help her pick up her bag.
"That way," the girl said, irritated, pointing down a side hallway.
"She didn't mean to knock you over," Phoebe said apologetically. "She's just really excited to see her husband."
The girl huffed and stalked away, and Phoebe continued toward Leo's office. She found Piper and Leo inside, with Wyatt sitting on Leo's lap and Chris snuggled safely in Piper's arms.
"You look happy," Phoebe commented.
"Of course I am," Piper said, cheerfully. "My family's here and everyone's all right. Why wouldn't I be happy?"
"Piper filled me in on what happened," Leo said. "Is Paige okay?"
"She will be," Phoebe said. "And as soon as we get home, I'm going straight to Darryl to tell him everything."
"Come on," Piper said to Leo, obviously picking up their thread of conversation from before Phoebe arrived. "Play hooky. Get one of your teachers to take over for you, and we'll go home."
"Okay," Leo agreed. Leaning over, he spoke into a small crystal on his desk for a few seconds, and then straightened.
"It's all set," he said, standing. "Let's go home."
The five of them had just stepped onto the stair landing when the phone rang.
"I'll get that," Piper said, passing Chris to Leo and hurrying down the stairs as Phoebe banished the door to Magic School.
"Hello?"
"Piper, thank God," Ava said, her voice frantic with relief. "I've been trying to reach you all day."
"Why?" Piper asked, worriedly. "What's wrong?"
"Paige developed complications a few hours ago," Ava said slowly. "Her lungs began to fail her, she began having trouble breathing."
"But-but she's okay, right?" Piper asked, slowly becoming hysterical. "Ava, tell me what's going on!"
"I'm so sorry, Piper," Ava said, gently. "We tried everything we could, but there was nothing we could do. Paige died an hour ago."
Ava was still talking, but Piper heard none of it. The phone slipped from her numb fingers as she fell to the floor, her world crashing downaround her once again.
"Piper!" Phoebe cried, running to her side. "Piper, what's wrong?"
Piper looked up at her sister, the only one she had left, as tears filled her eyes.
"We failed her, Phoebes," she whispered. "Paige is dead."
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"Lieutenant Morris?"
Darryl looked up from his desk, where he'd been resting his head in his hands. He'd just gotten off the phone with Leo, who told him about Paige, and he didn't know what else he could take today. Then, he got a good look at his visitor.
"I need to talk to you," Cal Greene said, twisting his hands nervously and sweating profusely.
"Why?" Darryl asked, coldly, trying hard to keep himself from throttling Greene.
"I want to confess," Greene said. "I beat my ex-wife and now she's in the hospital."
"Now she's dead," Darryl said, furiously. Greene's eyes widened with shock as he continued, "If you turn yourself in now, it will be for murder."
Greene looked around nervously and recoiled in fear from something Darryl couldn't see.
"Y-yeah," he stammered, clearly terrified. "I want-I need to confess. And you have to do something for me."
"What?" Darryl asked, coming around and cuffing Greene.
Greene took a deep breath and leaned in closer.
"You have to make the demons go away," he whispered. "The demons are screaming at me all the time; they won't give me a moment's peace. You have to make them go away. I'm going crazy."
"Demons don't exist," Darryl said roughly, shoving him toward the door. "Cal Greene, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXTwo days later, Darryl stood in front of a coffin in the mausoleum. He allowed tears to run ashamedly down his cheeks as he paid his last respects.
"Going to miss you," he said simply, his voice cracking up with emotion.
He stood for a few more seconds before turning blindly away, Sheila taking his arm and leading him to the car.
Sam was next, and he heaved a ragged breath, trying to hold back his tears.
"It's not fair," he said, "how little time we had together. I love you, Paige."
Overcome, he stumbled away, and behind him, Piper and Leo stepped up to say good-bye.
"I'm so sorry," Piper whispered tearfully, placing a hand on Paige's coffin. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."
"Be at peace," Leo said, shifting Wyatt to his other hip. The toddler reached out and waved a hand.
"Wuv you," he said distinctly, causing Piper to tear up again and bury her face in Leo's shoulder.
Choking up, himself, Leo led Piper and the boys away, and Phoebe moved forward.
"I can't help but feel that this is my fault," she said, sadly. "If I hadn't wanted revenge so badly, Piper and I would have been here to help you."
Blinking away the tears that were rapidly pooling in her eyes, Phoebe took a piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. It was what she and Piper had agreed to engrave on Paige's plaque. Her vision was so blurry she could hardly read the words written there, but she had them memorized.
'Beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Her light and love will be greatly missed.'
Smiling sadly, she folded the paper up and replaced it in her pocket. She turned to go, but turned back after a moment fingering another scrap of paper, this one with the words to an active spell on it.
"You were wrong," she said, quietly. "You were worth it."