Piper looked up as she watched the dust settled around her. She looked around for her sisters. At first all she saw was the scaring marks left form Rhona and the demon that had gone after Prue. But as she continued to scan the debris, she saw Prue lying face down under some rocks. She brushed off what was covering her and made her way over to her sister. Pushing off the rocks, she could see the large cut to her arm and a gash on her head, but otherwise looked to be alright. "Prue?"
"Piper?"
"Yeah, come on. Can you stand?" Piper stood up wincing at her own injuries as she helped Prue stand back up.
"What the hell happened?" Prue looked around as she brushed the dirt and dust off herself. Flinching when she felt the pain in her arm.
Piper cast her eyes towards where Paige had been standing near Phoebe. She knew her oldest sister and Phoebe would have taken the worst of the explosion. "Paige happened." She moved slowly with Prue towards what was left of the cage holding Phoebe.
"What do you mean Paige happened?" Prue asked, curious as to how they got there in the first place.
"We made some potions. And the one she had was to vanquish what ever the thing was that was holding Phoebe. But after Rhona said he had gotten to powerful I was afraid of what would happen."
"And this is the result." Prue closed her eyes wanting the aching in her body to cease, but also the worry in her heart. "Piper we got to …"
"Not now Prue." Piper squeezed Prue's hand as they approached where their sisters should have been.
Prue knew what Piper was trying to quietly say. It wasn't Paige's faul,t she was trying to help and save Phoebe. "Piper. Where are they?"
Piper hadn't taken her eyes off the place where Paige and Phoebe where before the explosion since her and Prue started towards them. But now she felt her fears rising. Scrambling into the pile of rocks and mud she started digging. Her fear pushing her on as the rocks bit into her fingers. The sight of her own blood wouldn't stop her.
"Piper."
"They are here Prue."
"I know sweetie I just thought I might have a faster way." She felt stronger then when she first arrived in the cavern. But knew she was weak from the explosion.
Piper stepped back slightly, but stayed to Prue's side, seeing her still pale and weak.
Several minutes later she felt her legs weaken and Pipers arm around her waist, holding her up.
"Prue rest I can dig from there."
"No." her determination to save both her baby sister and her oldest kept pushing her.
"Prue stop. Look." Piper led Prue gently to the ground as she made her way into the rock pile. Tossing aside a few small rocks, she was relieved to see into Phoebes brown eyes. Reaching down, her hand shock as she gently touched her neck for a pulse.
Prue watched Piper, praying that they were both there and ok. But the look on Pipers face gave away some hope. And as Piper hung her head down she could senses something was wrong.
"She's alive, but it's weak. We have to find Paige and get out of here, and back to Leo. The same goes for you. The potion I gave you will only hold back the powers that Rhona had you go through. As long as you remain here you are still in danger."
Prue looked over to what was left of Rhona, "Piper she's gone."
"But her power might still be here. Same as when Grams stripped her of it."
"Ok you know what, lets get Phoebe out of there, find Paige then you can explain to me what the hell you are talking about." She moved in next to Piper as they both gently lifted Phoebe way from the debris. "Piper her pulse is really weak."
Piper knew how weak it was, she just didn't want to tell Prue before. "Prue stay with her, I'm going to see if I can find Paige." Piper stood up and started a search pattern that she hoped would lead her to her oldest sister. She had just found her way into their lives, Piper wasn't about to let her out of it now.
--- -----
The first thing she felt was the throbbing in her head. Followed by the throbbing in the whole body. "Oh man. What the hell was that?"
"That my dear big sister, is what happens when you don't listen to me. Or us. I told you not to throw that potion." Piper explained a she slide in next to Paige.
"Yeah. After it was already in the air."
"Well I thought we had a plan." Piper moved the loose debris from around Paige and helped her up.
"We did. I changed it. She wasn't going to give us Phoebe so I called her bluff."
"Well next time you feel like playing poker with our sisters lives. Can you check with at least one of us first?" Piper brushed the dirt from Paige's hair and guided her over to Prue and Phoebe.
Prue looked up at her oldest sister. To her it still seemed strange to have another sister, let alone one older then her by three years. Yet she still seemed naive in lot of things around them. Mostly their witchcraft, but then that was new to them as well. She returned her focus back to Phoebe brushing her hand along the top of her head.
"How is she?" Paige's voice broke any silence as she spoke in concern for her new found baby sister. The sister who had accepted her almost from the moment they had met.
"We need to get her back to Leo." Prue looked past Paige, "Piper, you got a spell to get us out of here?"
"No. But Paige does." Piper added with a slight smile.
Prue cast her eyes with suspicion at Paige, but trusted Pipers instincts. If she had let Paige write the spell then she had faith in that it would return them. "Ok then." She stood up and went to lift up Phoebe, but her powers were weak, along with the rest of her.
"Let me help you Prue." Paige's words were kind and caring. Wanting to help both her sisters.
Prue didn't say a word as she felt Pipers arm around her waist. "Let's go home."
To save the essence of one so dear.
We traveled far we traveled near.
Finding our sisters, young and old.
We now seek to find our way home.
The swirl of lights surrounded them all, leaving behind the carnage of a battle once again between good and evil.
Paige set Phoebe down on the couch and felt Prue immediately beside her. "Prue you need to rest too."
"Not until Leo heals Phoebe."
Leo had seen the girls arrive back and was instantly beside them asking all the questions he feared the answers too.
"It's complicated Leo. Just heal them." Piper sat on the couch at Phoebes waist and had one hand on Prue's shoulder. She knew she was fighting to maintain her own strength and also knew she was losing it.
The glow from Leo's hands stopped as Phoebe lay there.
"Um Leo. I know I'm new to this but isn't she suppose to wake up?" Paige questioned him as she moved closer to her sisters.
"I've done what I can. The rest is up to her." He turned towards Prue and held his hands over her as well., but nothing happened.
"Leo?" Piper looked with concern, as his hands stayed neutral.
"I don't know." He held them a bit longer till finally they started to glow slightly. "Get some rest. It's what you both need."
Piper helped Prue get settled on the couch, holding Phoebe beside her, and waited till her sister too fell asleep.
--- ----
It was several hours later that Prue looked down and was met by the baby browns she would always get lost in when they were younger.
"Hi sleepy head."
"You came."
"Always. But I didn't quite conquer."
"I don't care. I knew it would be you that came."
Piper and Paige emerged from the kitchen to the sounds of hushed voices.
"I thought you two were supposed to be resting?" Paige asked as she sat in the chair across from the couch. She wasn't yet ready for the sisterly contact they were all so keen on, she still needed her own space. She had been independent to long and she knew it would take time. Piper however, she noticed moved straight to the couch, needing to be near her sisters.
Over the next hour Paige and Piper filled in Prue and Phoebe on what had happened and why.
"So some demon was pissed at Grams and took it out on us?" Phoebe summed up.
Prue gave Phoebe a gentle squeeze and was about to say something.
"Phoebe. Language."
Phoebe and Prue looked up at Paige as Prue laughed and Phoebe just shocked,.
"Ok that isn't fair. Now I have two older sisters telling me what to do." Phoebe pouted
"Three." Piper added as she placed a hand on Phoebes leg.
"This sucks." She said a she snuggled into Prue. "But I wouldn't trade any of you in." she looked at each one, holding her look with Paige just that few seconds longer, letting her know she had a special place in her heart as well.