Disclaimer : My name’s not Aaron Spelling, so I don’t own them. But I really, really, really like to write about them.

Deliver Me
by Freaky Fan

Part 1

2:08 AM. Piper sighed as she rolled from her side to her back, desperate to get away from the digital readout on the alarm clock. Her hand instantly went to the swell of her belly, rubbing small soothing circles on the silky material covering it. She might have lucked out when it came to not having violent morning sickness like Prue, but the whole not being able to sleep thing was starting to get on her last nerve. Every night she got a few hours of shuteye before she woke up, feeling as if she hadn’t slept at all. It was supposed to be forty winks, not a wink and a half.

She looked over at Leo, wishing for the millionth time that her mean streak would rear its ugly head so she would have an excuse for waking him up. He was, after all, half responsible for her present predicament. Odd hours were probably breed into the poor kid’s Whitelighter genes. But her conscience got the better of her as she watched him sleep. He had had a rough couple of days protecting a charge. And waking him up wouldn’t make her feel better.

The gurgling rumble that suddenly erupted from her stomach reminded her just how long ago dinner had been. She threw back the covers, knowing there would be no more sleep for her. At least not as long as junior was hungry. She…. He…. Whatever had certainly inherited the Warren appetite.

She grinned as she slipped on her robe and started out of the room. At first Leo not wanting to know the sex of the baby really bothered her. Seth and Prue had been so cute running around, showing everyone and anyone their sonogram pictures of Tricia in all her girliness. But not Leo. No, when Seth asked if they wanted to know he said he would rather be surprised. Which meant she couldn’t know either because she wouldn’t be able to keep something like that to herself. She wouldn’t necessarily tell Leo, but her sisters would definitely know and whether they meant to or not, they would let it slip. So now all of them were in the dark.

Which wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it would be. Prue had become a pro at finding the most adorable unisex outfits. Phoebe went out of her way to make sure no one called the baby ‘it,’ saying it would give the kid a complex. And then there was Rion, who must have picked up every baby name book in the city so she could supply a different set of off the wall names every day. Yesterday it had been Wilhelmina for a girl and Canute for a boy. Overall, being pregnant was turning out to be a lot of fun.

Her train of thought splintered as soon as she stepped out of the room and saw the open door at the other end of the hall. She had hoped that, for once, her late night trek would find her by herself but evidently that wouldn’t be the case. She continued downstairs, expecting to see her little sister on the couch. Her brow creased into a frown when she found the living room dark.

“Rion?”
“Solarium.”

She pulled her robe tighter around her as she headed in the direction of her sister’s voice. She knew all too well what personal demon was keeping Rion up. How many nights had she come down to avoid waking Leo to find her sitting in the living room, staring into the depths of a mug of tea? Or spotted the sliver of light under her door as she came out of her own room?

“Your chamomile tea is getting cold.”
“How did you know I would….” She was trying to keep her tone light but stopped herself short when she saw her sister sitting at the small wicker table, quickly folding a newspaper. “What are you doing?”
“I’m, uh….” Rion shrugged. “Catching up on the news.” She tossed the paper aside. “And waiting for you.”
Piper narrowed her eyes but let it go. “How long?”
“Huh?”
“How long have you been waiting?”
“Oh, about twenty minutes.” Rion got up, carrying both mugs of tea to the wicker couch. “But I just made you a fresh mug of tea, so it’s hot.”
Piper took the proffered mug as she joined her. “Twenty minutes. That’s not bad.”
“Nah. Not bad at all.”

Silence enveloped them as they sat down, Piper tucking her feet under her while Rion sat sideways to face her. Piper’s eyes drifted to her sister’s face as she sipped her tea. The ever present sadness in those baby blues broke her heart. It had to be hard, trying to hide that haunted look whenever she thought someone was watching her. And up until now she hadn’t pushed her, knowing it would cause friction between them. But someone had to do something. It had been almost two months since Darryl died and Rion still hadn’t opened up to anyone.

“The swap didn’t work?”
Rion creased her brow. “Define ‘work.’”
Piper sighed. “Rion!”
“All right. All right.” Rion sat forward, placing her mug on the wicker coffee table. “No, it didn’t.”

Piper swallowed hard. Rion had made it abundantly clear as soon as the whole mess with Casper was over that she couldn’t stay in her room. She hadn’t said anything, but finding her asleep on the couch every morning was kind of a giveaway. And she, Prue and Phoebe had finally drawn the line and cornered her about it after finding her asleep in the hall one time. So she had switched rooms with Prue.

“Maybe Phoebe will….”
“No.” Rion shook her head. “Another move isn’t going to help. To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t think anything is going to help.”
Her words sent a chill down Piper’s spine. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I don’t think I can live here anymore.”
“What?!”
“That’s why I had the paper. I was….” Rion sighed. “I was looking for a place.”
“And you were going to tell us this when? After your bags were packed and at the front door?!”
“Piper….”

“No!” Piper stood up and started pacing. “This is a major decision, Rion. One that can’t be made lightly. Especially considering who we are. What we do.” She gestured with her hands. “What if you move into some apartment across town and a demon attacks you and we can’t get there to help you. Or what if something happens here and we need your help. It’s not like you can shimmer or orb or blink to get to us.”

“You don’t think I know that, Piper? I’ve tried…. Really, really hard to make it work. But I can’t.” Rion shook her head. “I thought it was just my room, you know? The place I spent the most time with Darryl. Where we….” She clinched her jaw. “But it’s not. It’s the whole house. We had our first kiss on the front steps. We used to cuddle and watch the stars out on the patio. He proposed to me in the living room.” Tears filled her eyes. “I fell in love with him here, Piper. And everywhere I look I see him.”

“Oh, baby.” Piper hurried back over to the couch, putting her arms around her sister in a protective embrace. “I had no idea.”
Rion leaned against her, relishing the love she felt. “Me either. At least not at first. I mean, I said goodbye to him, Piper.”
“That doesn’t mean that it still won’t hurt.” She rubbed her sister‘s back. “Or that you won’t miss him.”
“I know that.” Rion finally let her tears go. “Now.”

Piper took her sisters by the shoulder, laying her down so that her head was on her leg. “Do you really think moving out will help?”
Rion shrugged. “I have no idea. I just know I can’t keep going like this.”
She ran her hand through Rion’s hair. “Well I’ll go to bat for you with Prue and Phoebe.”
“And Leo and Cole and Seth and Little P.”
Piper grinned. “Like I said, it’s a big decision.”
“I know, and I hate it.” Rion nestled closer against her leg. “You don’t have to, you know.”
“Don’t have to what?”
“Go to bat for me. You’re pregnant. It might get ugly.”
“You let me worry about that.”

Piper leaned down, kissing her sister on the cheek before straightening back up, her own tears falling. How could Rion have been in so much pain and none of them notice?

More importantly, how would her sisters react when Rion broke the news to them?

The next morning found everyone around the table enjoying the bacon, eggs and biscuits Seth had made for breakfast. The men on one side of the table, their better halves across from them.

“So….” Phoebe drew out the word as she reached for a biscuit. “Was there some sisterly bonding going on last night that Prue and I weren’t invited too?” She cast a glance at Piper and Rion, who were sitting on the other side of Prue. “Don’t think I didn’t see you two all cuddled up, asleep in the solarium this morning.”
“Yeah.” Prue nodded. “What was up with that?”
“Rion heard me get up and decided to keep her pregnant sister company.” Piper winked at Rion before raising her eyebrows at Prue and Phoebe. “Got a problem with that?”
Seth chuckled. “Watch out girls. I hear that mamma bear tone in her voice.”

Rion swallowed hard as everyone went back to eating. She felt Piper grip her hand under the table and knew it was now or never.

“I’m moving out. Leo, can you pass the bacon, please?”

Prue’s fork dropped loudly to her plate. Leo choked on the piece of egg he was chewing. Phoebe spit out the orange juice she had just tipped into her mouth, soaking poor Cole who was sitting across from her. Tricia’s little brow creased as she threw her sippy cup at her aunt with a gruff, “Hey!”

“OK.” Prue patted Phoebe on the back. “I think we need to try that again because you couldn’t have said what I thought I heard you say.”

Rion took a deep breath, drawing strength from the contact she still had with Piper. “No, you heard me right, Prue. I said I’m moving out.”

“What the hell do you mean you’re moving out?!” Phoebe looked at her sister in disbelief.
“Just that, Pheebs. I’m gonna get a place of my own.”
“You can’t!” Phoebe shook her head. “We’re like the four musketeers. You can’t just walk away from that! We have to stick together!!”
“Phoebe….”
“Tell her, Prue.” Phoebe interrupted Piper as she looked to her oldest sister for guidance. “Tell her she’s not allowed to go!”
Prue continued to rub her sister’s back. “Calm down, Pheebs.” She planted her blue stare on Rion. “Do we get some kind of explanation before you go?”

“I just….” Rion hesitated, hating the look of betrayal on Phoebe’s face. “I just can’t live here anymore. Everywhere I look…. Everything I see…. It all reminds me of Darryl.”

“You’re bound to miss him, Rion.” Leo went into Whitelighter mode. “It’s part of the grieving process.”

“This goes beyond that, Leo. Way beyond.” Rion’s eyes traveled to the empty chair across from her. “I can picture him right now, digging into that pile of biscuits, comparing them to the ones his mother used to make. Someone would make some comment about how much he was eating and he’s flash that goofy grin of his. Probably adding something about having to eat for stamina so he could keep up with me.”

She blinked back tears. “I keep expecting him to walk through the front door any second. And when he doesn’t I expect him to be in the next room I walk into. But he never is. Just like every time I go to sleep praying that I’ll wake up in his arms and he’ll tell me it was all just a nightmare, it never happens.”

Piper put her arm around her little sister, pulling her to her. “It’s all right, baby.” Her sad eyes took in everyone else around the table as she held Rion close. “I think we should support her on this.”
Phoebe swallowed hard. “But….”
“She would do the same for us if the tables were turned.” Piper cut her off. “I don’t like this any more than the rest of you, but we have to keep in mind what’s best for Rion. And obviously being here isn’t it right now.”

“Good morning every….” Victor’s voice faltered as he walked into the room, taking in the scene before him. “….body.” His eyes instantly went to Rion. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “The front door was open.”
“It’s all right, Dad.” Prue tried to reassure him.
“Yeah.” Phoebe nodded. “Rion was just telling us that she was going to move out.”

“I….” Rion pushed herself away from Piper. “I can’t do this right now.” She looked at her sisters with tear stained cheeks as she pushed herself away from the table. “I’m sorry.” With that she bolted from the room.

“Damn it!” Piper glared at her sisters. “You couldn’t have been a little more understanding?!”

Victor watched Rion’s retreating form. “Can someone fill me in on what’s going on?”
“This place reminds her too much of Darryl and she wants to move out.” Cole spoke up as he mopped orange juice off his shirt. “Frankly I’m surprised she didn’t say something sooner.” He felt Phoebe looking at him and frowned. “What?”

“I’m going to go talk to her.” Prue started to push her chair back.
“Like hell you are.” Piper stood up. “I’m….”
“No.” Victor looked back and forth between the two of them. “I’ll go. The rest of you need to stay here and talk about this.”

He didn’t wait to see if any of the girls would protest, he just turned and started in the direction of where he thought Rion would go. Sure enough the French doors in the solarium were wide open, letting in a gentle breeze. He approached them slowly, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have let one of the girls handle this. But one look at Rion sitting on one of the deck chairs with her head in her hands gave him all the motivation he needed to step out onto the patio.

“Rion?”

His heart skipped a beat when she looked up at him with red, puffy eyes. He might still be new to the whole being a real father thing, but seeing her like that tore at his soul.

“I don’t really feel like talking right now, Dad.”
“I know you don’t.” He walked over to her. “But I have something to say that I think will help.”
Rion rolled her eyes as he sat down next to her. “If it goes something like, ‘It’s all right to miss Darryl,’ I’ve already heard it a million times.”
“No, nothing like that. I came here to tell you girls that my mother’s estate is finally out of probate.”
Rion frowned. “So?”
“So that means you can finally have what she left you in her will.”
“Again, I’m gonna have to do with…. So?”
“She left you the house, Rion. Well, she left it to all four of you, but….”

“You mean that house?” Rion pointed.
“That would be the one.” Victor looked at the Victorian next door. “I thought about asking if I could move in there myself. To be closer to you girls and Tricia. But I travel a lot and it’s an awfully big house for just one person.” He shrugged. “Maybe you could get one of your sisters to move with you.”
Rion looked confused. “Move with me?”
“Yes.” Victor nodded. “It makes perfect sense to me. You’re looking for a place to go and that house is just sitting there, empty. And the Manor is getting a little crowded what with the four of you and the guys and Tricia and the little one on the way.”
Rion grinned. “You’re a pretty smart guy.”
“Don’t tell anyone.” Victor grinned too. “You might ruin my reputation.”

Rion threw her arms around him as she looked at what was soon to be her new home. Her father had come through for her in a way he would never fully understand. Not only would she be getting out of the Manor, she would still be just a few feet away. He was right, though, when he said it was an awfully big place to live in all by yourself.

She was just going to have to convince one of her sisters to come with her.
Rion held Victor’s hand as they walked back into the dining room, trying hard to hide the smile that wouldn’t leave her face. She didn’t want her sisters to think she was having some sort of breakdown. Crying like a baby one minute, smiling like a mad woman the next.

“Rion….” Phoebe was the first to spot her as they came back into the room. “I….” She sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, Pheebs.”
“But….”
“Really, Pheebs. It’s all right.”

“No it’s not.” Prue joined Phoebe in looking at their sister. “We should have listened to you instead of getting upset. We were thinking of ourselves instead of you and that’s not fair.”

Rion looked to Piper, who shrugged.

“Don’t look at me. They came up with that all on their own. I didn’t have to read them the riot act or anything.”

Phoebe grabbed Rion’s free hand. “And if you think moving out is the right thing to do, then we’ll stand behind you one hundred and ten percent. I’ll even help you hit the classifieds if you’ll let me. I’m a pro at finding a good deal.”

Rion grinned. “Thanks, Phoebe. You too Prue. But I don’t think hitting the classifieds will be necessary.” She squeezed Victor’s hand. “Dad had a solution.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “He did?”

Victor chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised, Piper. And no, I’m not turning into a psychic like you, Phoebe. I just so happened to show up in the right place at the right time.”
Prue narrowed her eyes. “Meaning?”
“Meaning I came here today to tell you that your grandmother’s estate came out of probate yesterday. So I can finally give you your inheritance.” He fished a set of keys out of his pocket.
Phoebe frowned. “A locker at the bus station?”
“Opps.” Victor blushed when he realized he had the wrong keys. “Those are to my briefcase.” He pulled another set out. “These are for you.”
Piper cocked her head. “Margaret had a Mercedes?”
“No.” Rion took the keys. “But she did have a house. One right next door to this one. One that’s been empty since she….” She hesitated. “Since she crossed over.”
Victor nodded. “One that would be perfect for someone looking for a place.”

Piper half grinned. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Rion wa