Title: Four Deaths to Die
Author: Kristin (serpico)
Disclaimer: These characters absolutely don't belong to me.
Summary: A demon forces Piper to relive the same day over again three times in a desperate attempt to stop a death: the death of one of her sisters
*~*~*~* "Sisters are connected throughout their lives by a special bond... whether they try to ignore it or not. For better or for worse, sisters remain sisters, until death do them part."
Brigid McConville *~*~*~*
Sometimes silence was comforting in a city where noise invaded every inch of your life.
And other times, like tonight, the silence did anything but comfort. If she laid there still enough, she could almost hear the stir of demons. Not the ones that hit and burned and electrocuted and stabbed; but the ones that crept at your consciousness and whispered doubts in your mind on those days when your life finally seemed to start making sense and everything was happy and good and normal.
It was only 3 a.m. but Paige knew that trying to fall asleep again at this point would be futile. Remnants of a disturbed sleep still lingered at the edges of her mind and she fought to remember the date. With a startling reality, she remembered that today was her birthday, bringing upon her another year of uncertainty, regret, and that lingering feeling of loneliness that seemed to pervade her life more frequently then she cared to dwell on at the moment.
Somedays she wondered if she'd ever reach a point where she wouldn't be "the new sister", the "replacement"; if one day she'd wake up and she'd talk to her sisters and there wouldn't be an awkwardness, there would just be...love; love and comfort and that feeling you had between people when it seemed your lives connected on a level that was beyond anything superficial.
One day she wished that she could just be hugged and loved and all the things she'd always wished for in her childhood.
Maybe what she wanted was something she already had...maybe she was just too insecure to see it right now. And maybe that doubt she had was sound; or maybe, she thought to herself with a smile, I should stop worrying so much and get happy because today is all about me!
Reaching for the robe draped haphazardly over her chair, she threw it over her shoulders and softly tiptoed down the stairs, intent on reaching the kitchen without disturbing her sisters' slumber.
Adeptly opening the cabinet doors, Paige searched for her old favorite on nights when consciousness came early: hot chocolate. It was warm and familiar and just what she needed.
So engrossed was she in her mission, she failed to notice her older sister arriving sleepy-eyed behind her.
"Paige?"
Almost spilling the contents of her mug, Paige jumped slightly at the sound breaking the silence of the kitchen.
"Piper, you scared me."
"Yes, I can see that," she indicated, gazing at Paige's hand clutched in fright over her heart.
Paige set the Swiss Miss mix on the counter and brushed her sleep-tousled hair away from her eyes.
"Well, I-I couldn't sleep....so..."
Piper seated herself at the table and cut Paige off with a knowing remark. "So you went for the old reliable: hot chocolate."
Paige raised her eyebrows and Piper continued, "Well, traditionally, I know, warm milk is considered in aiding forms of insomnia, but personally, I've always been partial to a warm mug of that chocolatey goodness."
Paige smiled and that sense of comfort she'd been hoping for started erasing some of the doubt still clinging to her mind.
"Me too. So, want some?"
Piper ran a hand through her hair and blew a sigh out of the side of her mouth. "Eh, sure, why not?"
Paige set about making two mugs of hot chocolate, wondering if her sister remembered what today was. Of course, did it really matter at three in the morning? Birthday celebrations were generally reserved for a time when normal people arose and the sun was hanging in the sky.
Stirring the hot water in, she placed a mug in front of Piper and sat across from her.
Piper glanced down at the liquid in front of her and frowned. "No marshmallows?"
Paige shrugged. "I looked, I guess we're out."
That silence hung between them and Paige couldn't tell if it was an awkward silence or one merely founded on the simple fact that their brains had yet to start functioning with a normal level of wakefullness yet.
Piper's warm, comforting hand reached out to squeeze her younger sister's.
"So, if I remember correctly-which, in all likelihood might be impossible at this time of the morning-I do believe my baby sister is turning...15, is it, today?"
"Don't get cheeky, flattery will get you everywhere," Paige replied, winking.
Piper slapped her arm playfully and sipped the last drop of hot cocoa. "You're getting more and more like me everyday...I'm not sure whether to be proud or afraid."
Paige downed her last drop and grabbed Piper's empty mug, setting both in the sink, smiling to herself.
"What are you grinning about over there?"
Paige resumed her spot by Piper and rested her head in her hand.
"Oh well, it's just...well, I'm embarassed really to say, but, let's just say I was worrying about something that I suddenly realized I didn't need to."
Piper frowned and grabbed Paige's hand, squeezing it. "Worried? About what, Paige?"
Paige smiled nervously. "Nothing, Piper, really."
Piper wasn't convinced. She stood up, still holding Paige's hand, and walked the both of them to the couch.
As they sat down, Paige yawned and looked pleadingly at Piper in an effort to halt any further discussion.
"I think that cocoa did the trick. I wanna catch a few more hours of sleep if I can."
Piper reluctantly agreed but remarked, "Fine. But we'll continue this discussion later."
Piper made a move to leave, but Paige stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. "I just want to watch tv for a little while before I fall asleep. Would you mind staying?"
It was funny how sometimes, even adults still had remnants of childhood tucked away in the recesses of their mind. Piper figured that Paige must've sounded like that many years ago on nights when dreams were restless and monsters lived under the bed. And it made her wish, not for the first time, that she could've experienced that childhood with Paige.
"Sure, honey. Scoot over."
Paige complied and felt comfortable enough to lean her head on Piper's shoulder, idly watching as reruns of The Simpsons served to elicit a faint chuckle from her. She soon drifted off, and Piper flicked off the tv, standing up to get a blanket, and then paused a moment to look at her sister who today, was one year older. It was amazing really.
She placed the blanket over Paige and then laid beside her, soon following her sister into a dreamless sleep.
**********
The sun hit her face and eased her into a pleasant consciousness. This time, however, it wasn't 3 a.m. It was 9:00 and the fuzzy cobwebs had eased from her mind, replaced by energy and joy and excitement.
She heard Piper and Leo talking faintly in the kitchen as Piper prepared breakfast.
Standing up, Paige moved towards them, not getting very far as she was suddenly attacked from the side by Phoebe, who enveloped her in a tight hug.
"Oh, my baby sister's growing up. Happy Birthday! Another year older, Paige. How does it feel?"
Paige smiled and chided her sister gently, "It would feel better if I could breathe."
Phoebe pulled back quickly, then slapped her sister's arm playfully at the gleam in her eyes. Paige quickly hugged her again.
"Thanks, Pheebs. I feel great today."
Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand and walked into the kitchen, plopping the two of them next to Leo, who quickly moved to hug Paige.
"Happy Birthday, Paige."
"Thanks, Leo."
Piper placed a plate in front of everyone and, with an arm around Paige, said, "Well, it's getting redundant, but Happy Birthday."
Paige smiled through her mouthful of eggs. "Thanks, you guys."
"Well, it's your birthday, so what do you want to do today?"
Paige set her fork down. "I have no clue. Um..."
Phoebe interrupted, "Well, we planned on having your party tonight. Piper baked the cake and the presents are properly hid. We figured we'd have it around six tonight that way you could eat your favorite dinner. So, until then, the day is yours."
Paige stood up quickly. "Well, I want to go shopping. Come on, we're all going."
Leo looked skeptical. "Uh, what kind of shopping did you have in mind?"
"Books, movies, music...you know, stuff we ALL enjoy."
Paige slipped on her sunglasses and laced an arm through Phoebe's as they packed into the car, heading anywhere that seemed right.
After what seemed like forever in the traffic, Piper pulled in front of a music store that caught Paige's eye and the four exited the vehicle.
Paige flipped through CD after CD, idly searching for nothing in particular. Phoebe, however, was intent on finding the latest CD released by...well, that weird band she'd just started listening to. Piper had headphones on and appeared to be listening to some jazz. Paige tapped Leo on the shoulder.
"I'm gonna go buy us some ice cream from across the street. Be right back."
Leo smiled and nodded. "No chocolate for me."
Paige gave him a thumbs up and nudged open the door. Everything seemed too perfect and part of her was just waiting for something bad to happen. She wouldn't have to wait long as she soon realized.
Paige had just stepped off the curb when a little boy raced into the street after a ball he'd lost. Too young to realize his error, he innocently picked up his ball as a car careened towards him. Paige darted towards the boy and pushed him out of the way just in time, however, no one was there to save her.
People started screaming and Leo glanced out the door in disbelief.
"Paige!" He shouted as loud as he could and raced out the door, followed by Phoebe and Piper.
Leo knelt beside Paige, his hands shaking as he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. A huge gash was bleeding profusely and he could tell, just by looking at her, that death was imminent. But he could do nothing...tons of people were gathered around. He glanced at Piper who tried freezing everyone, and found, to her alarm, that her powers weren't working.
Panicking, she crouched down beside Paige and grabbed her sister's hand.
In the distance, she could hear Phoebe sobbing as she yelled, "Somebody call an ambulance!"
"Paige? Paige, honey, please, look at me." Piper's voice cracked a bit and she covered her mouth against the tears.
Paige's eyes suddenly fluttered open, filled with pain.
"Piper? Phoebe? Leo?"
Phoebe took a spot near Paige now, her eyes filled with tears. "We're here, sweetie. Just hang on, okay?"
"I c-can't. I'm sorry. I-I tried to move. I was stuck- I couldn't-couldn't- "
Piper stroked her hair. "Shh, it doesn't matter. It's okay."
She looked at Leo whose eyes held unshed tears. He shook his head at her. It wouldn't be okay.
"Where's the damn ambulance?!" Phoebe's angered voice bellowed over the crowd. Just then, two EMTs rushed over, making the three of them move away.
"She's not breathing," an EMT said. He reached for his kit, gathering the necessary equipment to resuscitate her.
Phoebe buried her head in Piper's shoulder, unable to watch what she knew would be a futile attempt to save her sister.
After 15 minutes, one of the EMTs stood up, a grave look in his eyes. The look that every family dreaded when they knew their loved one would know longer breathe, would no longer laugh, or smile, or simply live.
Not one for pleasantries, he simply laid a hand on Piper's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. We'll go ahead and transport her body to the morgue. Ah, there will be some paperwork to fill out-"
Leo nodded, the only one of them functioning in a semi-normal manner.
"Meanwhile, go home, rest, we'll notify you."
Leo handled the details while Piper and Phoebe climbed numbly into their car. Their eyes were focused on their sister whose chest was no longer rising and falling, whose hands were no longer warm, whose life was no longer there.
They couldn't think, couldn't function above anything but the barest human processes. They breathed because they needed to, their hearts still pumped, but inside, there was no feeling, there was emptiness.
Leo climbed into the driver's seat and ran both his hands over his face, gripping the steering wheel.
"She was going to get ice cream."
Piper stared in front of her and numbly said, "Her birthday, Leo. Today was her birthday."
The drive home was alternatingly filled with silence and muffled sobs.
**********
When six o'clock came, the silence ate at them more than ever. There would be no birthday cake with candles, no party hats, no ice cream, no presents, no laughs, no smiles, no hugs, no kisses...but worst of all, no Paige. No Paige ever again.
Piper licked some icing off the cake. She had set it on the table, for what reason, she had no idea. Paige's favorite meal of a cheeseburger and french fries lay getting cold before her. She had made it, she had even set the gifts upon the table. Maybe she was hoping that there was still a chance all of this was some cruel joke and Paige, flaming-red hair, twinkling eyes and all would come walking into the kitchen, make a wish, blow out the candles, open the presents, and everything would be normal.
But nothing would ever be normal again.
Piper blew out the candles for a sister she'd never again see, a sister she suddenly ached for. She was tempted to open the gifts, but decided against it. They would remain as they were: unopened, untouched, waiting.
"Happy Birthday, Paige."
The silence greeted her.
Phoebe's sobs could be heard from upstairs and she had no doubt Leo was where he had been an hour ago: sitting on the couch, staring, thinking, remembering.
Something happened then, everything froze, except her.
A figure, robed in a hooded cloak appeared before her. Piper stood up, ready to freeze it, whatever it was, and scream for help.
The demon pulled the hood away to reveal a face that was surprisingly human.
"You can't freeze me, Piper. And they can't hear you scream. It's just you and me."
The demon sat across from her, reaching out to grab one of Paige's presents. Piper's eyes filled with rage.
"Don't you touch that! It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to-"
"Paige, yes, I know. I know full well who she is. I should, shouldn't I? Because I killed her."
Piper's eyes flared again. "What?!"
"Yes, now calm down. I have things to tell you that you'll want to hear."
"I'm a demon, of course, but not just any demon. I pick people, at random, and basically destroy their lives. But, the twist, I have a unique way of destroying their lives. See, if I want to destroy you, Piper, I don't kill you, I take away something very precious to you, and that, Miss Halliwell, destroys you and countless others far more than any death could."
"Why?"
The demon smiled. "Why? Why do you ask such a stupid question. There never needs to be a why. There's just a how and a when and a what, you get the picture. Now, the real game begins."
Piper looked disgusted. "Go away. You've taken away one of the most important people in my life. You couldn't possibly say anything I want to hear."
"That's where you're wrong, my dear. How about this: I'll give you three chances to save your sister."
Piper's head shot up and she wiped the tears that had started falling down her cheek.
All she could manage was a faint, "What?"
The demon folded its arms across its chest, smiling with a cocky, knowing grin. "Yes, that's right. I, Tahl, the demon who can inflict so much pain, so much suffering, can also grant you the chance to right a wrong."
"Why-why would you do that?"
"My dear, I've been at this a long, long time. No one has succeeded, and it's been my experience that watching your loved one die a terrible death not once, but three additional times serves to torture you much more."
Piper glanced at the demon, Tahl, for a moment, waiting...for what, she didn't know. "Paige said she-she couldn't move. That she felt glued to the spot. You did that, didn't you?"
He smiled again, proud of his feat. "Of course. My plan had to succeed, didn't it?"
He stood up then, pulling his hood back over his head. "Now then, you will sleep tonight. When you wake in the morning, your sister will be alive. But, she will die again unless you figure out a way to stop it. Remember, you have three days, but only three days. Save her if you can. But, if you fail, then when the sun sets on the third day, whatever has happened will be as it is, and the way it stands for all eternity. What has transpired between us can be kept only between us. If you tell another, or if you tell Paige, then all will be forfeit. Three more tries, Piper Haliwell..."
With that, he was gone, his shrill, raspy voice haunting her mind.
Piper shakily stood, walking towards Leo whose head shot up with concern at her face.
"Are you okay?"
He stood and rubbed his hands down her arms. She wanted to tell him, so badly, but not now, maybe not ever.
"I'm going to bed, Leo." She kissed him and held to him tightly for a moment before walking upstairs, past Phoebe who had finally cried herself to sleep.
Piper paused at the doorway to Paige's room and stood there for a moment, hesitant, afraid. Paige was everywhere here, in the walls, the windows, the bed; everything she touched and breathed and felt.
Piper crawled into the bed where the sheets were still messy and Paige's scent lingered on the pillows. Piper pulled one close and cried there until she fell into a restless sleep.
**********
TBC...
Author: Kristin (serpico)
Disclaimer: These characters absolutely don't belong to me.
Summary: A demon forces Piper to relive the same day over again three times in a desperate attempt to stop a death: the death of one of her sisters
*~*~*~* "Sisters are connected throughout their lives by a special bond... whether they try to ignore it or not. For better or for worse, sisters remain sisters, until death do them part."
Brigid McConville *~*~*~*
Sometimes silence was comforting in a city where noise invaded every inch of your life.
And other times, like tonight, the silence did anything but comfort. If she laid there still enough, she could almost hear the stir of demons. Not the ones that hit and burned and electrocuted and stabbed; but the ones that crept at your consciousness and whispered doubts in your mind on those days when your life finally seemed to start making sense and everything was happy and good and normal.
It was only 3 a.m. but Paige knew that trying to fall asleep again at this point would be futile. Remnants of a disturbed sleep still lingered at the edges of her mind and she fought to remember the date. With a startling reality, she remembered that today was her birthday, bringing upon her another year of uncertainty, regret, and that lingering feeling of loneliness that seemed to pervade her life more frequently then she cared to dwell on at the moment.
Somedays she wondered if she'd ever reach a point where she wouldn't be "the new sister", the "replacement"; if one day she'd wake up and she'd talk to her sisters and there wouldn't be an awkwardness, there would just be...love; love and comfort and that feeling you had between people when it seemed your lives connected on a level that was beyond anything superficial.
One day she wished that she could just be hugged and loved and all the things she'd always wished for in her childhood.
Maybe what she wanted was something she already had...maybe she was just too insecure to see it right now. And maybe that doubt she had was sound; or maybe, she thought to herself with a smile, I should stop worrying so much and get happy because today is all about me!
Reaching for the robe draped haphazardly over her chair, she threw it over her shoulders and softly tiptoed down the stairs, intent on reaching the kitchen without disturbing her sisters' slumber.
Adeptly opening the cabinet doors, Paige searched for her old favorite on nights when consciousness came early: hot chocolate. It was warm and familiar and just what she needed.
So engrossed was she in her mission, she failed to notice her older sister arriving sleepy-eyed behind her.
"Paige?"
Almost spilling the contents of her mug, Paige jumped slightly at the sound breaking the silence of the kitchen.
"Piper, you scared me."
"Yes, I can see that," she indicated, gazing at Paige's hand clutched in fright over her heart.
Paige set the Swiss Miss mix on the counter and brushed her sleep-tousled hair away from her eyes.
"Well, I-I couldn't sleep....so..."
Piper seated herself at the table and cut Paige off with a knowing remark. "So you went for the old reliable: hot chocolate."
Paige raised her eyebrows and Piper continued, "Well, traditionally, I know, warm milk is considered in aiding forms of insomnia, but personally, I've always been partial to a warm mug of that chocolatey goodness."
Paige smiled and that sense of comfort she'd been hoping for started erasing some of the doubt still clinging to her mind.
"Me too. So, want some?"
Piper ran a hand through her hair and blew a sigh out of the side of her mouth. "Eh, sure, why not?"
Paige set about making two mugs of hot chocolate, wondering if her sister remembered what today was. Of course, did it really matter at three in the morning? Birthday celebrations were generally reserved for a time when normal people arose and the sun was hanging in the sky.
Stirring the hot water in, she placed a mug in front of Piper and sat across from her.
Piper glanced down at the liquid in front of her and frowned. "No marshmallows?"
Paige shrugged. "I looked, I guess we're out."
That silence hung between them and Paige couldn't tell if it was an awkward silence or one merely founded on the simple fact that their brains had yet to start functioning with a normal level of wakefullness yet.
Piper's warm, comforting hand reached out to squeeze her younger sister's.
"So, if I remember correctly-which, in all likelihood might be impossible at this time of the morning-I do believe my baby sister is turning...15, is it, today?"
"Don't get cheeky, flattery will get you everywhere," Paige replied, winking.
Piper slapped her arm playfully and sipped the last drop of hot cocoa. "You're getting more and more like me everyday...I'm not sure whether to be proud or afraid."
Paige downed her last drop and grabbed Piper's empty mug, setting both in the sink, smiling to herself.
"What are you grinning about over there?"
Paige resumed her spot by Piper and rested her head in her hand.
"Oh well, it's just...well, I'm embarassed really to say, but, let's just say I was worrying about something that I suddenly realized I didn't need to."
Piper frowned and grabbed Paige's hand, squeezing it. "Worried? About what, Paige?"
Paige smiled nervously. "Nothing, Piper, really."
Piper wasn't convinced. She stood up, still holding Paige's hand, and walked the both of them to the couch.
As they sat down, Paige yawned and looked pleadingly at Piper in an effort to halt any further discussion.
"I think that cocoa did the trick. I wanna catch a few more hours of sleep if I can."
Piper reluctantly agreed but remarked, "Fine. But we'll continue this discussion later."
Piper made a move to leave, but Paige stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. "I just want to watch tv for a little while before I fall asleep. Would you mind staying?"
It was funny how sometimes, even adults still had remnants of childhood tucked away in the recesses of their mind. Piper figured that Paige must've sounded like that many years ago on nights when dreams were restless and monsters lived under the bed. And it made her wish, not for the first time, that she could've experienced that childhood with Paige.
"Sure, honey. Scoot over."
Paige complied and felt comfortable enough to lean her head on Piper's shoulder, idly watching as reruns of The Simpsons served to elicit a faint chuckle from her. She soon drifted off, and Piper flicked off the tv, standing up to get a blanket, and then paused a moment to look at her sister who today, was one year older. It was amazing really.
She placed the blanket over Paige and then laid beside her, soon following her sister into a dreamless sleep.
**********
The sun hit her face and eased her into a pleasant consciousness. This time, however, it wasn't 3 a.m. It was 9:00 and the fuzzy cobwebs had eased from her mind, replaced by energy and joy and excitement.
She heard Piper and Leo talking faintly in the kitchen as Piper prepared breakfast.
Standing up, Paige moved towards them, not getting very far as she was suddenly attacked from the side by Phoebe, who enveloped her in a tight hug.
"Oh, my baby sister's growing up. Happy Birthday! Another year older, Paige. How does it feel?"
Paige smiled and chided her sister gently, "It would feel better if I could breathe."
Phoebe pulled back quickly, then slapped her sister's arm playfully at the gleam in her eyes. Paige quickly hugged her again.
"Thanks, Pheebs. I feel great today."
Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand and walked into the kitchen, plopping the two of them next to Leo, who quickly moved to hug Paige.
"Happy Birthday, Paige."
"Thanks, Leo."
Piper placed a plate in front of everyone and, with an arm around Paige, said, "Well, it's getting redundant, but Happy Birthday."
Paige smiled through her mouthful of eggs. "Thanks, you guys."
"Well, it's your birthday, so what do you want to do today?"
Paige set her fork down. "I have no clue. Um..."
Phoebe interrupted, "Well, we planned on having your party tonight. Piper baked the cake and the presents are properly hid. We figured we'd have it around six tonight that way you could eat your favorite dinner. So, until then, the day is yours."
Paige stood up quickly. "Well, I want to go shopping. Come on, we're all going."
Leo looked skeptical. "Uh, what kind of shopping did you have in mind?"
"Books, movies, music...you know, stuff we ALL enjoy."
Paige slipped on her sunglasses and laced an arm through Phoebe's as they packed into the car, heading anywhere that seemed right.
After what seemed like forever in the traffic, Piper pulled in front of a music store that caught Paige's eye and the four exited the vehicle.
Paige flipped through CD after CD, idly searching for nothing in particular. Phoebe, however, was intent on finding the latest CD released by...well, that weird band she'd just started listening to. Piper had headphones on and appeared to be listening to some jazz. Paige tapped Leo on the shoulder.
"I'm gonna go buy us some ice cream from across the street. Be right back."
Leo smiled and nodded. "No chocolate for me."
Paige gave him a thumbs up and nudged open the door. Everything seemed too perfect and part of her was just waiting for something bad to happen. She wouldn't have to wait long as she soon realized.
Paige had just stepped off the curb when a little boy raced into the street after a ball he'd lost. Too young to realize his error, he innocently picked up his ball as a car careened towards him. Paige darted towards the boy and pushed him out of the way just in time, however, no one was there to save her.
People started screaming and Leo glanced out the door in disbelief.
"Paige!" He shouted as loud as he could and raced out the door, followed by Phoebe and Piper.
Leo knelt beside Paige, his hands shaking as he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. A huge gash was bleeding profusely and he could tell, just by looking at her, that death was imminent. But he could do nothing...tons of people were gathered around. He glanced at Piper who tried freezing everyone, and found, to her alarm, that her powers weren't working.
Panicking, she crouched down beside Paige and grabbed her sister's hand.
In the distance, she could hear Phoebe sobbing as she yelled, "Somebody call an ambulance!"
"Paige? Paige, honey, please, look at me." Piper's voice cracked a bit and she covered her mouth against the tears.
Paige's eyes suddenly fluttered open, filled with pain.
"Piper? Phoebe? Leo?"
Phoebe took a spot near Paige now, her eyes filled with tears. "We're here, sweetie. Just hang on, okay?"
"I c-can't. I'm sorry. I-I tried to move. I was stuck- I couldn't-couldn't- "
Piper stroked her hair. "Shh, it doesn't matter. It's okay."
She looked at Leo whose eyes held unshed tears. He shook his head at her. It wouldn't be okay.
"Where's the damn ambulance?!" Phoebe's angered voice bellowed over the crowd. Just then, two EMTs rushed over, making the three of them move away.
"She's not breathing," an EMT said. He reached for his kit, gathering the necessary equipment to resuscitate her.
Phoebe buried her head in Piper's shoulder, unable to watch what she knew would be a futile attempt to save her sister.
After 15 minutes, one of the EMTs stood up, a grave look in his eyes. The look that every family dreaded when they knew their loved one would know longer breathe, would no longer laugh, or smile, or simply live.
Not one for pleasantries, he simply laid a hand on Piper's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. We'll go ahead and transport her body to the morgue. Ah, there will be some paperwork to fill out-"
Leo nodded, the only one of them functioning in a semi-normal manner.
"Meanwhile, go home, rest, we'll notify you."
Leo handled the details while Piper and Phoebe climbed numbly into their car. Their eyes were focused on their sister whose chest was no longer rising and falling, whose hands were no longer warm, whose life was no longer there.
They couldn't think, couldn't function above anything but the barest human processes. They breathed because they needed to, their hearts still pumped, but inside, there was no feeling, there was emptiness.
Leo climbed into the driver's seat and ran both his hands over his face, gripping the steering wheel.
"She was going to get ice cream."
Piper stared in front of her and numbly said, "Her birthday, Leo. Today was her birthday."
The drive home was alternatingly filled with silence and muffled sobs.
**********
When six o'clock came, the silence ate at them more than ever. There would be no birthday cake with candles, no party hats, no ice cream, no presents, no laughs, no smiles, no hugs, no kisses...but worst of all, no Paige. No Paige ever again.
Piper licked some icing off the cake. She had set it on the table, for what reason, she had no idea. Paige's favorite meal of a cheeseburger and french fries lay getting cold before her. She had made it, she had even set the gifts upon the table. Maybe she was hoping that there was still a chance all of this was some cruel joke and Paige, flaming-red hair, twinkling eyes and all would come walking into the kitchen, make a wish, blow out the candles, open the presents, and everything would be normal.
But nothing would ever be normal again.
Piper blew out the candles for a sister she'd never again see, a sister she suddenly ached for. She was tempted to open the gifts, but decided against it. They would remain as they were: unopened, untouched, waiting.
"Happy Birthday, Paige."
The silence greeted her.
Phoebe's sobs could be heard from upstairs and she had no doubt Leo was where he had been an hour ago: sitting on the couch, staring, thinking, remembering.
Something happened then, everything froze, except her.
A figure, robed in a hooded cloak appeared before her. Piper stood up, ready to freeze it, whatever it was, and scream for help.
The demon pulled the hood away to reveal a face that was surprisingly human.
"You can't freeze me, Piper. And they can't hear you scream. It's just you and me."
The demon sat across from her, reaching out to grab one of Paige's presents. Piper's eyes filled with rage.
"Don't you touch that! It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to-"
"Paige, yes, I know. I know full well who she is. I should, shouldn't I? Because I killed her."
Piper's eyes flared again. "What?!"
"Yes, now calm down. I have things to tell you that you'll want to hear."
"I'm a demon, of course, but not just any demon. I pick people, at random, and basically destroy their lives. But, the twist, I have a unique way of destroying their lives. See, if I want to destroy you, Piper, I don't kill you, I take away something very precious to you, and that, Miss Halliwell, destroys you and countless others far more than any death could."
"Why?"
The demon smiled. "Why? Why do you ask such a stupid question. There never needs to be a why. There's just a how and a when and a what, you get the picture. Now, the real game begins."
Piper looked disgusted. "Go away. You've taken away one of the most important people in my life. You couldn't possibly say anything I want to hear."
"That's where you're wrong, my dear. How about this: I'll give you three chances to save your sister."
Piper's head shot up and she wiped the tears that had started falling down her cheek.
All she could manage was a faint, "What?"
The demon folded its arms across its chest, smiling with a cocky, knowing grin. "Yes, that's right. I, Tahl, the demon who can inflict so much pain, so much suffering, can also grant you the chance to right a wrong."
"Why-why would you do that?"
"My dear, I've been at this a long, long time. No one has succeeded, and it's been my experience that watching your loved one die a terrible death not once, but three additional times serves to torture you much more."
Piper glanced at the demon, Tahl, for a moment, waiting...for what, she didn't know. "Paige said she-she couldn't move. That she felt glued to the spot. You did that, didn't you?"
He smiled again, proud of his feat. "Of course. My plan had to succeed, didn't it?"
He stood up then, pulling his hood back over his head. "Now then, you will sleep tonight. When you wake in the morning, your sister will be alive. But, she will die again unless you figure out a way to stop it. Remember, you have three days, but only three days. Save her if you can. But, if you fail, then when the sun sets on the third day, whatever has happened will be as it is, and the way it stands for all eternity. What has transpired between us can be kept only between us. If you tell another, or if you tell Paige, then all will be forfeit. Three more tries, Piper Haliwell..."
With that, he was gone, his shrill, raspy voice haunting her mind.
Piper shakily stood, walking towards Leo whose head shot up with concern at her face.
"Are you okay?"
He stood and rubbed his hands down her arms. She wanted to tell him, so badly, but not now, maybe not ever.
"I'm going to bed, Leo." She kissed him and held to him tightly for a moment before walking upstairs, past Phoebe who had finally cried herself to sleep.
Piper paused at the doorway to Paige's room and stood there for a moment, hesitant, afraid. Paige was everywhere here, in the walls, the windows, the bed; everything she touched and breathed and felt.
Piper crawled into the bed where the sheets were still messy and Paige's scent lingered on the pillows. Piper pulled one close and cried there until she fell into a restless sleep.
**********
TBC...