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

Exacting Revenge
by Freaky Fan

Part 1

Phoebe looked down the street for what seemed like the millionth time and sighed. This was just great. The one time she needed her freakishly punctual sister to be on time, she was late. A flutter of worry ran through her. What if something had happened? What if Rion was out there right now in desperate need of help and no one knew it? She had thought it herself…. Her sister was NEVER late.

She told herself to stop being ridiculous. There was a first time for everything. Rion would come roaring around the corner any second now with some lame excuse about why she was late. She would give her an earful about being so irresponsible and the two of them would go back to spending as little time together as possible. It was a system that seemed to work for them.

An all too familiar feeling of guilt settled over her, making her wrap her arms around herself to ward off the chill it brought with it. The fact that she had effectively cut one of her sisters out of her life ate at her constantly. But then images of Cole dying would remind her of why she had done it in the first place and the part of her that was still grieving would tell her she was doing the right thing. And as long as Rion was willing to go along with the arrangement and Piper and Prue were none the wiser, who was she to say anything?

The sound of a revving engine brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up just in time to see Rion turn onto Prescott. All signs of worry disappeared as she watched her sister zoom into the driveway next door on her newest toy. She barely waited for her to come to a stop before storming across the lawn.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

“What do you mean where have I been?” Rion’s muffled voice became clearer as she pulled her helmet off.

“You’re late!” Phoebe pointed at the non-existent watch on her wrist.
“What?” Rion looked at her own watch. “Five minutes? You’re giving me shit for five minutes?” She shook her head. “You need a hobby.”
“Not if it involves becoming a Hell’s Angel like you.”
“I’m not a Hell’s Angel! I….” Rion sighed. “Know what? I’m not going to argue with you.”
Phoebe looked smug. “Because you know I’m right.”
“No, because Prue is watching us.”

Phoebe started to look toward the Manor but Rion stopped her by growling.

“Don’t look! If we want a snowball’s chance in hell of her and Piper actually leaving the girls with us for the weekend we need to make this as convincing as possible. So smile….” Rion took her own advice. “And let’s get this over with.”

Phoebe followed Rion toward the Manor, barely catching a glimpse of Prue as she hurried away from the window. Rion was right. She needed to calm down if they were going to pull this off.

At first she had thought Rion was crazy when she told her her plan. After all, how were they supposed to convince their big sisters they needed a couples weekend alone with Seth and Leo? She had every intention of writing it off as a lost cause until she saw how much work Rion was putting into it. Talking to the Elders to make sure Leo got the time off. Finding other doctors to cover Seth’s shifts at the hospital and clinic. Getting another photographer to take Prue’s assignments. Lining up a reliable work schedule at P3. Henpecking Andy about being around in case anything happened. And still it wasn’t until she really paid attention to what was happening around the Manor that she realized just what Rion was seeing. Tricia was hitting her terrible twos a couple of months early. Melinda still wasn’t sleeping through the night. Her sisters saw her brothers-in-law for sporadic moments here and there. It all added up to her agreeing that the four of them needed some time alone.

“Here we go.”

She let Rion lead the way into the Manor.

“Ant Ion!” Tricia came tearing up to them as soon as they opened the front door. “Hi!!”
“Hey yourself, Little P.” Rion scooped her up. “Have you been a good little midget today?”

Phoebe walked past them into the living room. Tricia loved everyone she met, but she seemed to love her aunt Rion a little more. Not that she could complain. She had the same thing with Melinda.

“Hi, baby.” Her heart melted when her niece looked up at her from her bassinet. Melinda’s tiny green eyes lit up as she grinned. “Yes.” Phoebe picked her up. “There’s Aunt Phoebe’s little angel.”

“The gang’s finally all here.” Piper looked up at them from her position next to Prue on the couch.
“Yep.” Rion grinned. “Which means you can finally blow this Popsicle stand.”
“Unless the pow wow on the front lawn is something we should be worried about.” Prue spoke up.
“Of course it wasn’t.” Rion made a face at Tricia. “That was just some last minute little sister scheming, wasn’t it Little P?”

She was smooth, Phoebe had to give her that.

“Oh, is that all?” Piper’s voice dripped with sarcasm but her expression was serious as she looked back and forth between them. “All kidding aside. Things are good between you two?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Phoebe decided to join in.
“So you two are ready to be mommies for the weekend?” Prue eyed them too.
“Most definitely.” Rion smiled as Tricia nodded with her.

“All right.” Piper sighed as she stood. “Come on, Prue. Let’s get our men and our luggage and get out of here.”
“Hey, aren’t our men the same thing as our luggage?”
Piper smacked Prue on the arm. “Very funny!”

Phoebe waited until their voices has disappeared upstairs to turn to Rion.

“Are we really ready for this?”
“I am.”
“So the plan still stands?”
Rion nodded again. “I keep the girls tonight. You keep them tomorrow. We’re both here on Sunday when everyone gets back and no one knows we didn’t actually spend any time bonding.”

Phoebe sighed again as Rion turned away to play with Tricia. She hated deceiving her Prue and Piper like this, but it was the only way to get them to go. She just hoped the uneasy feeling she had didn’t mean trouble was brewing.

*************

She watched as they said their goodbyes. Hugging and kissing and whispering things in each others ears. It was enough to make her want to puke all over the nice white rug at her feet. But then she remembered that not having all of them around would make what she intended to do that much easier.

She let the curtain fall from her hand as the vehicle pulled out of the driveway. She had no idea who the fourth one was, but it didn’t really matter. No one was going to stand in her way when it came to getting her revenge.

She ventured further into the house, telling herself now wasn’t the time. Things would keep until tomorrow. She would know when the time came to strike.

And when it did, the women across the street wouldn’t know what hit them.

“Are you sure you won’t need any help?”

Phoebe rolled her eyes. “Yes, Rion. For the third time, I’m sure I don’t need your help.”
“OK.” Rion raised her hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture. “There was no ulterior motive involved, you know. I was just trying to be nice.”
“And I appreciate it, but I think I can handle taking the girls to the park by myself.” Phoebe tightened her grip on Melinda’s car seat with one hand and reached for Tricia with the other. “Come on, sweetie.”

The trip across the lawn wasn’t as easy as she hoped she would make it look. Tricia was doing her new favorite thing, watching her feet as her little legs went up and down. The furrows on her tiny brow were adorable, but she was too busy watching how she was walking to actually pay attention to where she was going. Then there was the car seat. It kept swinging away from her body and coming back, smacking her in the leg. Melinda was as happy as a kid on a roller coaster but she was going to have a killer bruise by the time they actually got to the car.

“Ant Feebe?”

She looked down into her niece’s blue, blue eyes. “Yes, sweetie?”
“Midder Gummy?”

To anyone else it would have sounded like gibberish, but to anyone who knew Tricia it was clear as a bell. Like any toddler, she had a favorite toy. A bright blue bear with a floppy body and a mischievous grin stitched on his face that her daddy had given her a couple of days after she was born. For the longest time he was plain old bear, but then Tricia got addicted to reruns of the Gummy Bears on Disney. No matter where she was or what she was doing, she would take off running as soon as she heard the theme song playing. Hence the new name for her bear, Mister Gummy.

“He’s right here in the….” Phoebe frowned.
“Looking for this?”

She turned when she heard Rion’s voice. Her sister was standing a few feet behind her, one eyebrow cocked as she held up the diaper bag like a the prize catch of the day.

“You might want to remember this.”
“Ya think?”

Rion jogged to catch up with them. “Look, why don’t you at least let me help you load them in the Jeep? I mean, four hands are way better than two when you’re dealing with these squirmers.”
Phoebe rolled her eyes again. “Fine.”
“Sweet.”

Rion grabbed the car seat from her and started toward the Jeep. Tricia let out a gruff “Hey” and pulled away from Phoebe to run after them. Phoebe tried to feel annoyed, but the lopsided grin Rion flashed as she pretended to run from Tricia made her shake her head in amusement instead. She didn’t want to give in so easily, but Rion really was just trying to help. And truth be known, she was starting to wonder if maybe she shouldn’t take her sister up on her offer to go with them. Taking a toddler and a newborn to the park by herself was good in theory but looking more and more improbable by the second.

That and the thought of spending some time with Rion didn’t seem so horrible for some reason today. Maybe it was the not talking to her. Or the having no idea what was going on in her sister’s life. Or the fact that Rion would keep an easily distracted Tricia busy. Her stubborn side told her to go with the last one if she actually decided to ask her sister to go. She couldn’t let go of everything they had been through all at once, could she?

“Oh come on you stupid piece of….” Rion cut herself off and looked at Tricia as her niece giggled. “Laugh it up munchkin.” She looked down at Melinda, who was gurgling out her won version of a giggle. “Not you too Mighty Mouse.”

“Having problems?”
Rion gave Phoebe a sidelong glance. “You could say that. I can’t this thing to….”

Phoebe nudged her sister out of the way, taking control of the carrier and turning it around as she did, quickly snapping it into place in the base of the car seat.

“Hmmm.” Rion looked bemused. “So that’s how that darned thing works. Guess you just have to be smarter than the contraption.”
Phoebe gave her a sly look. “You said it, not me.”

An uneasy silence fell between them.

“Well….” Rion raised her eyebrows. “I guess I should get back to the house. Have a couple of stinky diapers to get rid of courtesy of Ms. Indy here.”
“Indy?”
“Yeah.” Rion ran her hand over the baby’s head. “Seems to fit somehow. We already have a Little P and now we have an Indy.” She swallowed hard as she backed out of the Jeep. “You three have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Phoebe watched her shut Tricia’s door and start back toward her house. She stood there, her stubborn side battling her sisterly side. She finally opened her mouth, convinced a “Yeah, see you tomorrow” would come out.

“Hey Rion.” She was shocked at the sound of her own voice.

Rion turned, obviously surprised too. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Phoebe shrugged. “Like you said before…. I could use some help with the squirmers.”
Rion narrowed her eyes. “Are you pulling my leg in the hopes that I’ll say yes and you can tell me to get lost and then laugh about it?”
“No.” Phoebe grinned. “I think it would be nice to spend some time alone. We can hang with the girls. Maybe talk a little.”
Rion returned her grin. “Sounds good to me.” She looked toward her house. “But I have to lock up first.” She started running backward across the lawn. “I’ll be right back.” She stumbled over her own feet, somehow keeping her balance to avoid falling. “Don’t leave without me!!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Phoebe shook her head again as she started around the Jeep. If there had been any double left in her head about asking Rion to come along they just flew out the window. Maybe it was time to….

“Hello, Phoebe.”

She froze when she heard the voice. Her eyes got big as its owner made herself apparent.

“Don’t look so shocked. You couldn’t possibly have thought I wouldn’t be back some day.”

“I….” Phoebe was almost too shocked to speak. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing much.” The woman shrugged as she walked toward Phoebe. “Just a little revenge.”

Phoebe jumped as the woman lunged at her, a stunned gasp escaping her as something slid into the flesh of her stomach. She felt rather than saw the woman twist her hand as pain screamed through her body.

“Oops.” The woman stepped back, looking at the now bloody knife in her hand. “Did I do that?”

Phoebe’s leg gave way, spilling her to the ungiving surface of the driveway. The keys to the Jeep sliding from her nearly numb fingers as her hands instinctively went to her wound.

“Now how did you know I was looking for these?” The woman smiled as she picked up the keys, hesitating for a moment as she leaned over Phoebe. “I would say I was sorry things had to be this way, but I wouldn’t mean it. You and your sisters…. You gave me no choice.” She whirled the key ring on her finger as she stood up. “No choice at all.”

Phoebe tried to get up but her body wouldn’t cooperate. All she could do was watch as the woman climbed into the Jeep and started the engine.
Rion was all smiles as she hurried through the front door of the house. She grabbed her keys off the hallway table and started to head back out when she noticed the light at the top of the stairs was on. She wanted nothing more than to forget about it and leave, but she couldn’t.

She growled as she thundered up the stairs and flipped the switch into the off position. Damn her senseless conversations with Piper anyway. Just the other night they had both commented on how TV families always left every light on in the house when they were going out. So of course now it was her mission in life to end senseless energy waste by turning of every unused light she came across.

She clinched her jaw as she made her way back downstairs. She couldn’t keep Phoebe waiting. A trip to the park might not have seemed like much to someone else, but to her it was like being given the goose who laid the golden egg. It was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to finally start to reconnect.

The annoying voice of her conscience started belittling her again, telling her she should be kicking herself for letting things get so out of control to begin with. Her baby sister had experienced a pain she knew all too well and she wasn’t there for her. Didn’t hold her when she cried. Didn’t spend long, sleepless nights just being with her in front of the TV. But she knew Phoebe too well. Especially angry Phoebe. She had calmed her down enough to know the best way to get back in her good graces was to give her time to cool off. She just hoped she hadn’t given her too long.

She looked up sharply when she heard the Jeep’s engine come to life. Great, a quick trip into the house to lock up had taken so long Phoebe was getting impatient. She clutched the keys in her hand a little tighter as she hurried out the front door, pulling it closed behind her and giving it a an experimental tap with her hip to make sure it was locked. Once she was sure she had achieved what she originally intended to do, she practically sprinted down the porch stairs.

She was halfway across the yard when the Jeep barreled out of the driveway, the tires squealing as it lurched into gear and sped away. Her heart sank as she watched it go. How could she have been stupid enough to think Phoebe would just forget about everything and let her back in? It was never that simple when you put someone through hell.

“Rion….”

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the voice as she turned and started back toward her house. When was she ever going to learn to stop setting herself up like that? Nothing in life was ever simple.

“Rion!”

She frowned when she heard her name and turned around. At first she thought she was seeing things. After all, how could Phoebe be laying in the driveway and driving the Jeep at the same time? Then she saw the blood covering the front of her sister’s shirt and the pained expression on her face.

“Oh my God! Phoebe!!” She ran to her sister’s side. “What….”

“There’s no time for that.” Phoebe winced. “She took the girls.”
Rion frowned. “Who took the girls?” She started to put her hand over her sister’s wound.
“I said there’s no time for that!” Phoebe knocked her sister’s hand away.
“What?” Rion’s frown deepened.
“I said you have to go after them!”
“But….”
“We don’t have time for this, Rion! She’s getting away! Now get your ass on that Harley and go save our nieces!!”

Rion started to say something but was silenced by her sister’s determined gaze.

“It’s not that bad. Really.” Phoebe gave her sister’s arm what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “You can heal me when you get back with the girls.”

Rion shook her head. She couldn’t make this kind of decision. Leave her sister bleeding in the driveway and save her nieces or heal her sister and run the risk of never seeing the girls again.

“Rion, go! Get moving!!”

The sound of Phoebe’s voice spurred her into action. She climbed to her feet and ran toward the Harley, sparing her sister a yelled, “I love you” before kicking the beast to life and taking off.

*************

“I love you too.”

Phoebe closed her eyes, knowing her response was lost on her sister as she started the motorcycle and took off like a bat out of hell. Not that her voice was exactly the strongest right now anyway.

She lifted her hand from her wound, clinching her jaw at the sight of all the blood covering it. Lying to Rion probably wasn’t the smartest thing she could have done. A couple of minutes and she would have been good as new and able to hop on the Harley with her sister. But two minutes could be the difference between Rion getting the girls back and losing them.

She gave in to the pain and laid on her side as darkness closed in around her. If it took sacrificing herself to save her nieces, she was more than willing to do it.

*************

Rion’s knuckles were white as she gripped the handlebars, the machine beneath her screaming along a road parallel to Prescott. She had spotted the Jeep and was going to try and intercept it. She wasn’t quite sure what she would do once she did, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

She tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but her eyes kept wondering to the bloody handprint Phoebe had left on her arm. How could she have left her like that? Phoebe was hardly in any shape to stop her. All she had to do was heal her and then go after the girls. Instead she had let Phoebe intimidate her again. If anything happened to her sister….

She shoved the thought away. Nothing was going to happen to Phoebe. It couldn’t. Letting your brother-in-law down was one thing. Letting your sister down was a whole different ball game. She couldn’t image what Prue and Piper would think of her if something happened to Phoebe.

A strange sensation fell over her, making her swerve dangerously close to a parked car on the side of the road. She managed to keep the bike upright, but the feeling didn’t go away. If anything it intensified. It felt like someone had punched her in the gut, making it hard to breath.

A familiar presence joined the sensation, making her realize what was going on. She was connected to Phoebe. The pain she was feeling was her sister’s. She gripped the handlebars even tighter, if that was possible. Phoebe had lied to her. The wound was far from nothing. It was fatal.

The thought made her breath catch in her throat. Even if she turned around now she would be too late. Phoebe was already slipping away. And all because she hadn’t listened to her instincts and healed her before she left!

She gasped as an icy chill swept over her. At first she thought it was Phoebe crossing over, but her sister’s presence was still there. The new awareness mixed with her sister’s pain, making her break out in a cold sweat. She shook her head, trying to clear her senses. That’s when she noticed the soft blue glow coming from under her hands. She had no idea what was going on, but it was making it harder and harder for her to keep the motorcycle under control.

That’s why she didn’t even see the car coming. She looked up when she heard the horn and cursed under her breath as she braced herself for impact.

It was an odd feeling. Almost like floating. Only she knew this wasn’t a good thing. The light as a feather sensation meant she was losing the battle. Pretty soon she wouldn’t feel anything at all.

At least that’s how it usually worked. Not that she was an expert at the whole dying thing. She had come close on more occasions than she cared to admit, but there was always someone there to pull her back from the brink. Leo with his healing powers. Her sisters with their loving words. Not this time. No, this time she was destined to be alone when she crossed over. The most she could hope for was that her mother or Grams would be waiting for her on the other side.

She shivered as a strange sensation washed over her. One that told her she wasn’t alone anymore.

Rion. She could practically feel her sister’s anxiety as her welcomed presence wrapped around her. It wasn’t until she felt the pain in her stomach start to ease that her better senses returned and she realized what was going on. Instead of finding the girls, her sister had come back to heal her.

“Damn it, Rion.” She tried to sound stern but her voice was still gruff with agony. “I thought….”

She trailed off as she opened her eyes and found no one leaning over her. She flinched as she looked around, confusion clouding her thoughts when she saw she was still alone. Her hands went to her wound again, the blood flow decreasing slowly but surely.

She pushed herself into a semi sitting position, hissing as the movement sent a twinge of pain through her. Nothing compared to what she should have been feeling. What the hell was going on? One second she was preparing herself to go to that big Manor in the sky and the next she was halfway healed.

“Rion? Phoebe?”

She jumped when she heard the annoyed voice, shooting a glare in Leo’s direction as he orbed in a few feet away, his back to her.

“This had better be good. Piper and I are trying for a little brother or sister for Melinda you….” The sight of his sister-in-law made his voice die in his throat as he turned around. “What happened?!”

Phoebe winced. “You scared the crap out of me, that’s what happened!”
“Phoebe….” Leo gave her a look of his own. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I had to sneak into the bathroom to keep Piper from realizing the Elders were calling. Now what the hell is going on?!” He moved the hand holding her wound and replaced it with his own.

“That won’t do any good.” Phoebe sighed. “It wasn’t a demon.”
Leo frowned. “It wasn’t?”
Phoebe shook her head. “No, it was Abbey.”
“Abbey?” Leo’s frown deepened. “Why does that name sound so familiar?”
“Long story short, she was the freak of the week that stalked Prue a few years ago. Almost killed her in the kitchen. Ringing any bells?”
“Yes. But she’s locked up.”
“Not anymore apparently. She showed up here out of the blue, skewered me with her meat cleaver and….”

Phoebe swallowed hard, wondering how Leo would react to what she was about to tell him.

Leo raised his eyebrows. “And what?” He suddenly looked around. “Where are Rion and the girls?”
“Abbey, uh…. She took the girls Leo.”
“What do you mean she took the girls?”
“Just what I said. I had the girls loaded in the Jeep for a trip to the park when she stabbed me and took the keys. Rion is chasing them right now.”

“OK.” Leo ran his hand through his hair, obviously trying not to panic too badly. “Some woman has my daughter and niece and my sister-in-law is going after them on a motorcycle?” He closed his eyes. “At least she healed you before she went.”
“That’s just it, Leo. She didn’t.” Phoebe continued before he could say anything. “I wouldn’t let her. I knew if she didn’t go after the girls Abbey would disappear with them.”
“Then how….”

Phoebe looked down at her still healing stomach. “I’m not….”

The world tilted on its axis as a fresh wave of pain washed over her. It took her a moment to realize it wasn’t her own. She was still connected to her sister.

“Leo….”
“I feel it.” Leo gripped one of her hands in his own and orbed.

*************

Abbey looked nervously in the rearview mirror, glad to see there was no one following her. Now if she could only get the little one to stop wailing all would be right with the world. At least her own little slice of paradise anyway.

Her eyes stuck on the older child, who was glaring at her with the same intense blue eyes of her tormentor. No…. She shook her head. Not her tormentor, the object of her affection. The one she had fallen in love with the moment she saw her. The one she still so desperately wanted to be.

She shoved away memories of where she had been, giving in to the child’s gaze instead. None of that mattered anymore. It was just another bitter page in a past she no longer had to recognize as her own. She had everything she wanted right there in one perfect little package. The opportunity to finally become exactly what she was meant to be. Prue Halliwell.

A flash out of the corner of her eye made her look up just in time to see the motorcycle streak into her path. She laid on the horn and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. She was going way too fast to stop in time.

So she did the only thing she could, she gripped the steering wheel and prayed for the best.

*************

The impact wasn’t as bad as she thought. It was the aftermath that hurt like a bitch.

The vehicle hit her front tire, throwing her to the right. Her knee took the brunt of the punishment as the motorcycle pitched out of control beneath her. She let go of the handlebars, hoping to roll away from the bike, but fate had other plans for her. The asphalt of the road tore at her clothes as her already throbbing leg stuck beneath the bike. She somehow managed to see that the front tire was tangled badly with the front of the vehicle. She was in for a bumpy ride.

The sound of fresh metal on metal was like fingernails on a chalkboard as the back of the bike skimmed a parked car along the side of the road, increasing the pressure on her leg as the motorcycle shifted violently. The fresh agony barely had a chance to set in before the vehicle hit another parked car, throwing them both to the left.

The violence of the collision freed the bike, leaving it to slide away. She caught her first good look at the vehicle, her heart stopping when she realized it was Piper’s Jeep. A look of absolute terror fell over her features as it careened into a telephone pole.

She was so wrapped up in what was happening with her nieces that she didn’t see just how close the motorcycle was getting to the curb. Her head bounced off the unforgiving concrete, mercifully throwing her into the void of unconsciousness before her leg gave a sickening snap as the bike finally came to a stop.
Phoebe’s heart stopped as her senses drank in the scene before her. The blaring horn. The groaning of the telephone pole as it fought to support the weight of the vehicle now wrapped around it. The motionless body hanging out the open driver’s side door. The patch of heavy black tire tracks mapping out the vehicle’s helter skelter journey. The path of silver and blue shavings leading to a twisted piece of metal next to the curb. The way the sun glinted off the gold in the familiar Harley Davidson emblem, identifying the wasted metal as the remains of a motorcycle. The soft breeze gently caressing the tattered clothes of the prone body against the curb.

It looked like some sort of disaster drill they would make you watch in school. Or a cop chase gone wrong scene in an action flick. She fully expected to hear a booming “Cut!” as a director swooped into view on one of those camera cranes. That would be the mobile cameramen’s cue to come out of hiding as special effects techs scurried around, helping the actors up before starting to the process of cleaning up what they had so painstakingly put together.

“NO!!”

The sound of Leo’s anguished voice brought her out of her thoughts, taking with it the fantasy world her mind had tried to create to help her cope with something it didn’t want to believe was real.

“Melinda!!”

Her heart broke when she looked up to see Leo running toward the Jeep. Her youngest niece had been strapped in on the side now buckled around the telephone pole. She ignored the pain that shot through her stomach as she stood, intent on doing everything she could to help her brother-in-law. She had only taken a few steps when a gasping sound drew her attention back to the curb.

“Rion.”

She whispered the name to herself as she hurried toward the noise. She tried to prepare herself for the worst but tears still blurred her vision as she looked down at her sister. Rion was covered in blood. It was soaking through the clothes on her right side, leaking from her nose. And then there was her right leg. Her knee was four times its normal size, the bones below it obviously broken, leaving her leg jutted out at an odd angle.

“Oh God.” The words slipped from her lips as she knelt next to her sister, oblivious to her own pain. “Rion?” Her hand shook as she reached for her sisters neck. “Please….” She said a silent prayer as her fingers neared her sister’s flesh.

“Phoebe….”

She bit back a scream as her sister’s eyes flew open.

“Have to….” Rion gasped. “Help….Phoebe….”
“No sweetie, you don’t.” Phoebe tried to keep the tremor out of his voice. “I’m right here. Right beside you.”

“Melinda?!! Tricia?!!”

Phoebe reluctantly looked toward the Jeep when she heard Leo. He was pulling on the driver’s side back door. It was pretty clear there wasn’t a chance in hell he would actually get it open, but he was still trying. Dread washed over her when his yelling was followed by silence. Neither of the girls had made a sound since they got there.

“Have to….help….” Rion groaned the words as she tried to sit up.
“No.” Phoebe held up one hand to stop her but didn‘t touch her, too afraid she would cause her more pain then she was already in. “What you have to do is lay still until your powers have a chance to kick in.”
“But the….girls….” Even in her weakened state Rion was determined. “Need my….help….”
“Leo’s with them. He’s got it all under control.” Phoebe swallowed hard, trying to sound convincing. “They’ll be fine.”
“Have to….help….”

Phoebe’s heart broke as her sister shut her eyes, her brow twisting into a mask of pain. “Shhh.” She put her hand on her sister’s cold, clammy cheek. “Just lay still and….”

Her voice trailed off when she noticed the soft blue light playing across her wound. She quickly moved her hand in the hopes that breaking physical contact with her sister would make it disappear. But the opposite happened. The light grew in intensity until her wound was completely healed.

“What the…?!”

She looked up when she heard Leo again. He had given up pulling on the door to watch the blue light glimmering in the back seat of the Jeep.

“Holy shit.” Phoebe stared at the Jeep in awe. “Rion, how are you doing that?”

The light suddenly grew in intensity, forcing Leo to back pedal as he raised his hands to shield his eyes. The sweet sound of both Tricia and Melinda crying filled the air as the light disappeared. Leo locked eyes with Phoebe for a second before going back to the Jeep to try and calm the girls. The look told the youngest Halliwell one thing…. He didn’t know what was going on any more than she did.

Phoebe jumped as Rion suddenly gasped. All she could do was watch as her sister’s hands balled into fists and her back arched. The whimper of pain that ripped from Rion’s throat broke her heart.

“Rion?” She gestured helplessly with her hands. “What the hell is going on?!”

“It’s her powers.”

Phoebe shrieked when she heard the voice in her ear. She was shocked to find Andy standing over her.

“What….” Phoebe shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “What do you mean?”
Andy squatted next to her. “Look.”

She followed the direction of his point to see blue light fading from around Abbey. The woman opened her eyes and looked around in confusion for a minute before scrambling to her feet. Leo was too caught up in talking to the girls to even notice her moving, let alone her running away. Phoebe instinctively started after her, but Andy’s hand on her shoulder kept her where she was.

“The Elders think Rion’s powers are growing, but she can’t control them. They want you to bind them.”
All thoughts of Abbey slipped away as she turned to look at him. “What?!”
“It’s the only way to help her right now.”
“Help her?! She’s hurt Andy! If her powers are bound she could….” Phoebe clinched her jaw, unable to say what she was thinking. “It’s not right.”

“Look at her, Phoebe.” Andy’s voice was intense. “She’s healed you, the girls and that woman in the span of what, five minutes, without touching any of you. But have her powers worked on her?”

Phoebe looked down at Rion. Her sister was still rigid, her skin a thousand shades paler than it had been just a few minutes before. She was so still, eyes squeezed shut in pain.

“She’s getting weaker Phoebe but it doesn’t seem to be affecting her powers. They’re in permanent on mode. The Elders are afraid if something isn’t done to stop them, it’ll kill her.”

“So….” Phoebe closed her eyes, wishing the queasy feeling that had taken up residence in her stomach would leave her alone. “They want me to bind her powers?”
“Yes. That way only you can unbind them.” Andy sighed. “They’re trying to avoid another incident like what happened with Catherine. They figure if They let you do it then….”
“I get the point Andy.” Phoebe interrupted him. “I just….” She shook her head as fresh tears filled her eyes. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“I know it’s not easy, Phoebe.” Andy squeezed her shoulder. “But it has to be done.”

Phoebe swallowed hard, knowing he was right. The words of a spell filled her mind, spilling from her lips before she even realized she was saying them.

“Ancient spirits, I call on thee
Come together, hear my plea.
In this place and in this hour
Take away this Warren’s power.”

Rion gasped, her body tensing even more for a moment before finally relaxing. Air left her lungs in a slow exhale as her head lulled to one side.

“I’m sorry.” Phoebe bent down, pressing her forehead against her sister’s. “I’m so sorry.”

Andy looked up when he heard sirens. “Phoebe, you and Leo need to go.”
“No.”
“You can’t be here when they get here. How are you going to explain it?”
“I don’t know!” Phoebe looked up at him angrily. “I’ll come up with something, but I’m NOT leaving her!!”

“Andy’s right, Phoebe. We need to go.”

Phoebe glared at Leo, who at some point had come over to join them. “How can you say that? She just saved your daughter!”
“I’m well aware of that, Phoebe, but things are bad enough right now without you trying to come up with a convincing lie to tell the police.” Leo looked down at her sympathetically. “We’ll go back to the Manor and I’ll take you to the hospital just as soon as I go get Piper and Prue.”
“And I’ll stay with her, Phoebe.” Andy squeezed her shoulder again. “I promise.”
“Come on.” Leo offered her his hand.

Phoebe looked down at Rion again, tears streaming from her eyes. “I love you.” She placed a gentle kiss on her sister’s cheek before taking Leo’s hand.

Leo shared a ‘hope we did the right thing’ look with Andy as he orbed.

“So this woman was laying in wait for you?”
“Yes.”
“And hit you with something when you came back to the house to make sure the door was locked?”
“Yes.”
“But she didn’t knock you out?”
“No.”
“She DID manage to get the keys to your sister’s vehicle away from you?”
“I was stunned.”
“Then how do you know this Abbey Campbell is the one who hit you?”
“Because she talked to me. You don’t forget the voice of the woman who tries to kill your big sister.”
“All right. So you were stunned enough to have the keys taken from you but not too stunned to call out for your other sister? Miss Matthews?”
“I think it was more of a reflex. Concern for my nieces gave me the strength to yell for Rion.”
“And instead of calling the police, Miss Matthews decided it would be better to hop on her motorcycle and chase the subject herself?”
“I really can’t tell you what Rion was thinking.”
“Right. I just have one more question for you Miss Halliwell….”

Phoebe tried not to squirm as the inspector looked over his glasses at her.

“Why didn’t you call the police? When you came back to your senses?”
“I already told you, Matt…. I mean Inspector Duncan had shown up by the time I got my bearings bad.”
“Ah, yes. Inspector Duncan.”

Phoebe felt bad for dragging Matt into it, but he didn’t seem to mind. He met the older man’s eyes with a steady gaze.

“And what were you doing on Prescott Street, Inspector?”
“I was checking on Phoebe and Rion.”
“So you know Miss Halliwell and Miss Matthews?”
“We’ve been over this a thousand times, Tucker!”
“Humor me, Duncan.”
Matt sighed. “Fine. Yes, I know the sisters.”
“How?”
“Rion is my best friend. I promised Piper and Prue I would keep a close eye on her and Phoebe while they were out of town for the weekend. I was on my way to the house when the stolen vehicle call came across.”
“And you found what when you got here?”
“I found Phoebe on the front steps, dazed. She was just coming out of it when the call came across about the accident.”
“And that’s when you took it upon yourself to remove her from the scene of the crime?”

Matt close his eyes, exasperated. “Her sister and nieces were on their way to the hospital. What was I supposed to do?”
“You could have waited until I questioned her.”
“So she could be at home with you or one of the other guys breathing down her throat when she should be here for her sister? I don’t think so.”

Inspector Tucker glared at him. “You! Me! Over there! Now!”

Phoebe dropped her head in her hands as they walked away. This was ridiculous. Matt had been waiting for her and Leo when they got back to the Manor, freaking out over the stolen vehicle call. Apparently old lady Crenshaw had seen Abbey get in the Jeep and speed away and did what she thought was her civic duty by calling the police. Leo filled Matt in on what was happening while she changed her clothes so she could get to the hospital. Matt, of course, came along. They had barely gotten settled in the waiting room when Inspector Tucker showed up. Matt managed to sneak away and call Leo, telling him it would be best for him, Seth, Piper and Prue to drive back rather than orb. And then he jumped right in, helping her concoct a story Tucker would believe.

Two hours later they were still in the same room, Inspector Tucker asking the same questions over and over again as they waited for word on Rion. The girls were being kept overnight for observation, but she knew they were all right. Rion, on the other hand, was still being examined. At least that’s what they were told every time they asked the nurse at the desk if she had heard anything yet.

Phoebe looked over at Matt, shocked to find him standing practically nose to nose with Tucker. She was glad he was there. Really glad. She probably would have pulled her hair out by now if he wasn’t there. But she didn’t want him to lose his job. Rion wouldn’t want that either. He loved being a cop.

“Phoebe?”

Her head snapped up when she heard the familiar voice. Part of the emotional weight on her soul lifted as she watched Piper and Prue walking toward her. She was off the couch and in their arms in no time.

“I am SO glad to see you!”
Prue held her tight. “It’s all right, sweetie. We’re here now.”
“Yeah.” Piper rubbed her back.

“And who might you people be?”

Piper frowned as she turned to face the inspector. “We’re the sisters. Who the hell are you?”

Matt started toward them. “This is Inspector Tucker. He’s with missing persons.”
“Missing persons?” Seth frowned. “Is someone missing?”
“No.” Tucker shook his head. “But someone supposedly tried to kidnap your daughter.”

“Supposedly?” Prue frowned as she pulled away from Phoebe, keeping her arm around her baby sister’s shoulders. “Are you saying you don’t believe someone tried to kidnap my daughter?”

“Not at all.” Tucker looked perplexed. “I’m just trying to get to the bottom of what happened.”

“Yeah.” Matt clinched his jaw. “By asking the same questions for two hours now.”

“Two hours?” Piper’s frown deepened. “You’ve been questioning our sister for two hours now?”
“I….” Tucker adjusted his tie, ill at ease. “Yes, but….”
“Has she been uncooperative?”
“No…..”
Piper interrupted him. “Done anything to make you suspicious?”
“No….”
“Are you planning on charging her with anything?”
“No, but….”
“Then I suggest you take what information she’s given you and leave us alone for a while before I take your trusty dusty little notebook and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Tucker was stunned into momentary silence as he looked back and forth between all three sisters. “Right.” He straightened his tie again. “Don’t leave the city, Miss Halliwell. I may have more questions for you.”

Prue tightened her grip on her sister. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Phoebe expected to breath a sigh of relief as he left the room, but none came. If anything him leaving made things worse. Now she had to tell her sisters all about what happened.

“Phoebe….”

“It was Abbey.” The words tumbled from her mouth as Piper said her name. “She stabbed me, took the keys to the Jeep and stole the girls. Rion chased her on her motorcycle and they wrecked. Rion’s powers went wonky and healed everyone but her.” She shook her head. “And they won’t tell us a damned thing here. They just keep giving us the run around and….”

“Phoebe.” Prue interrupted her. “Leo told us all that on the drive back, honey. I think Piper was going to ask you how you were holding up.”

“Oh.” Phoebe felt her emotions starting to slip. “I….” She didn’t bother to try and stop the tears that filled her eyes. “I’ll be better when I know something about Rion.”

“So will we, sweetie.” Piper drew her into another hug. “So will we.”

She shut her eyes as Prue joined the embrace. She never felt safer than she did when she was in her sisters arms. But try as she might, she couldn’t bring herself to give in to that safety. Because an important part of her safety net was missing. Rion was missing.

Her sister was somewhere in the hospital having who knew what done to her by strangers. No one to hold her hand. No familiar voice to pull her out of unconsciousness. Completely alone.

She let her tears fall, knowing nothing would ever be right in the world again until she knew what was happening with Rion.

Victor stopped in his tracks as he came through the automatic doors. To someone else the barrage of crying kids and impatient adults before him might have seemed chaotic, but as a native San Franciscan he knew it was just another Saturday in the emergency room. People with everything from a hangnail to broken bones vying for to be the next one to take the trip through the double doors leading into the heart of the hospital.

He jumped as the doors to his right hissed open. Instinct told him to step back as a team of paramedics came rushing in, a gurney between them. He tried not to look at the patient but found his eyes drawn to her as they passed. Young girl, no more than sixteen, bandages covering wounds on both her wrists. She had barely gone by when a couple came running in, the woman clinging to the man as they hurried after the gurney.

His chest tightened as a nurse came around the admissions desk, obviously telling the couple they couldn’t go any further. The woman wore her emotions on her sleeve, tears streaming down her cheeks as the double doors slid shut behind the paramedics. The man held her close, his face expressionless. But his eyes told his story. One of a father devastated at the idea of his daughter being hurt.

Victor held the man’s gaze for a moment, knowing exactly how he felt. They might have been there under different circumstances, but they were both there for their little girls. He looked away from the man and started toward the desk, determined to find out where his own daughters were.

“Matthews family?”

He looked up when he heard the name. A middle aged man and a younger woman, both in lab coats, stood just outside a nearby doorway.

“That’s us!”

Victor’s heart broke when he heard Phoebe’s response. It wasn’t fair that she should be going through something like this. Not so soon after Cole.

“How’s our sister?!”

The desperate look on her face was even worse as she emerged from the room and advanced on the pair standing there. Things had to be bad for her to look like that. Leo hadn’t left any details when he called. Just a general ‘get to the hospital’ message. He hurried toward the group as Prue and Piper joined Phoebe, anxious to know what was going on with Rion.

“You are the family of Orion Matthews?”
“Yes.” Prue’s voice held a strength her worried eyes didn’t mirror. “She’s our sister.”
The man nodded. “I’m Doctor Finch, I’ve been treating your sister since she was brought in.” He gestured at the woman next to him. “This is….”
“Doctor Hanson.” The woman finished for him. “I’ll be taking over your sister’s care.”

“What….” Prue cleared her throat. “What kind of doctor are you?”
Doctor Hanson met her gaze. “I’m a neurosurgeon. Please….” She held up one slender hand when she heard Piper gasp. “Don’t be too alarmed. It’s standard procedure for the ER to call someone from our department when people with injuries like your sister’s are brought in.”

“What exactly are her injuries?” Matt spoke up from behind the sisters.

“Perhaps we should go somewhere a bit more private to discuss Ms. Matthews condition.” Doctor Finch them a look before turning on his heal and starting down the corridor, Doctor Hanson right behind him.

Victor fell into step next to Matt as everyone followed them.

“Hey.”
“Hey.” Victor returned Matt’s greeting. “I got here as soon as I could.”
“You didn’t miss much. A lot of sitting around, waiting for someone to tell us something.”
Victor looked at his daughters’ backs. “I should have been here.”
Matt gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
Victor dismissed the words with a sigh. “Where are Seth and Leo?”
“With the girls. A nurse came down from pediatrics a little while ago, said they were getting fussy. They volunteered to handle it so Piper and Prue could wait for word on Rion.”
“Are they….”
“They’re both fine.” Matt interrupted him. “The doctors want to keep them overnight as a precaution, but they’re fine.”

Doctor Finch opening a door and motioning for them to go inside ended their conversation as quickly as it had started. Prue, Piper and Phoebe sat in chairs at a small table as the doctors sat across from them. Matt and Victor stood behind the girls.

“Please.” Prue spoke again. “Tell us how our sister is.”

“She’s extremely lucky to be alive.” Doctor Finch shook his head. “Maybe if she had been wearing a helmet….”
“Not now, Larry.” Doctor Hanson shot him a look. “We both know there were extenuating circumstances in this case. Save the helmet lecture for another time.”

Victor resisted the urge to chuckle. He could tell he was going to like Doctor Hanson. She had the same spunk as his daughters.

“Very well.” Doctor Finch tried not to look too uncomfortable as he continued. “Your sister is in guarded condition. Most of the damage from the accident was contained to her right side. Severe road rash on her leg, side, back and arm. Torn ligaments in her ankle and knee. Broken tibia and fibula.”

“But it’s the blow she took to the head that has us concerned.” Doctor Hanson ignored the look her colleague gave her as she interrupted him again. “It didn’t cause any skull fractures, but there is some swelling.”

A little of the color drained from Phoebe’s face. “Swelling?”

“Yes.” Doctor Hanson nodded. “When you sister hit her head, it jostled her brain.”

“Oh God!” Piper put her hand over her mouth. “She has brain damage?!”

“No, no, no.” Doctor Hanson was quick to answer. “That’s not it at all. At least not the kind of brain damage I’m sure you’re thinking of. We’ve had a bit of trouble keeping her vital signs stable, that’s why we want to keep her in the Neuro ICU for a couple of days. To monitor her condition. But she’s already responding to the medication we’re giving her to reduce the swelling.”

Matt nodded. “So what you’re saying is it’s bad, but not that bad?”

“Not quite.” Doctor Hanson furrowed her brow. “Head injuries are never something to be dismissed quickly. But as long as she continues to respond to the meds, I think she’ll make a full recovery.”

“Can we see her?” Piper’s voice was little more than a whisper.

“Of course.” Doctor Hanson pushed herself away from the table. “I think she’s been asking for one of you.”

Prue looked shocked. “She’s conscious?”
“In and out. But whenever she comes around, she keeps asking where Phoebe is.”
Piper looked hopeful. “That’s a good thing, right?”
Doctor Hanson smiled. “Yes, it is. If you’ll follow me I’ll take you to her.” She nodded at Doctor Finch. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

Victor and Matt both took a step back as the good doctor stood and stalked out of the room, mumbling something about hotshot young doctor’s under his breath as he went.

“Don’t mind him.” Doctor Hanson’s rolled her eyes. “He’s a good doctor, but he hates to feel he’s been shown up by anyone. Especially a woman.”

The short walk to the elevator and ride up a few floors was silent, everyone caught up in their own thoughts.

“She’s right down here.” Doctor Hanson spoke in a hushed tone as she lead down the corridor, stopping outside one of the rooms. “Now I have to warn you, there are a lot of machines and she doesn’t look the greatest, but she’s been through a lot today. You can all go in for a few minutes, but then I’m going to have to limit your visits to one at a time. She needs all the rest she can get.”

Everyone stayed where they were as she pushed the door open. Prue finally took the lead, pulling Piper and Phoebe behind her. Victor was hot on their heels with Matt right behind him. They all stopped just inside the door, shocked at the sight before them. Rion looked like a child afloat in a sea of gauze and monitors. Not to mention the angry looking bruise that started just below her eye and disappeared into her hair line. They all jumped as she groaned.

“Ph…. Phoebe?”

“I….” The youngest Halliwell shook her head when she heard her name. “I can’t do this.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at her sister. “I just can’t.”

With that she turned and sprinted out of the room.

Phoebe laid in the same position she had been in all night, curled in a tight little ball, her teddy bear clutched to her chest. The remote for the TV/VCR combo on the dresser laid inches from her left hand, not that she needed it. She had stopped the tape a long time ago. Paused it at just the right time to capture the perfect image.

She remembered the day well. A pregnant Piper had Leo helping her with inventory at the club, Seth was off running errands with Tricia, Prue was on a photo shoot and Rion was set to do some work on the house next door. She had intended to spend the whole day lazing around with Cole. But he took one look at Rion and knew she was having one of her bad days. Of all of her sisters, he could pick up on Rion’s moods the quickest. Probably because they were so much alike in a lot of ways. So instead of being alone at the Manor, they had gone over to help Rion clean out gutters. It wasn’t long before Cole started a water fight that quickly escalated into an all out war. Prue came home and got most of it on tape before the three of them ganged up on her.

That’s what she was staring at. She and Rion in the lead, Cole right behind them, menacing looks on all their faces as they advanced on the eldest Halliwell. That’s what life was supposed to be like. Spontaneous and carefree. They spent so much time fulfilling their destiny as witches that they forgot to stop and smell the roses often enough. Fate had tried to teach her that that was no way to live, but she obviously hadn’t learned her lesson. She took it for granted that Cole would always be there. And now that he was gone she was pushing Rion away.

“Phoebe?”

The gentle touch on her shoulder drew her out of her thoughts. She quickly pulled away from it.

“Go away.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You’ve been alone long enough. It’s time we had a little talk.”
“Don’t try to play the father figure, Victor.” She growled the words as she looked up at him. “You’ve never fit the part.”

“You know, usually that would scare me off,” Victor sat on the edge of the bed. “But not today. Not after everything this family has gone through lately.” He looked his daughter in the eye. “I know you’re hurting, Phoebe, but your sisters need you right now. Especially Rion.”
“She’s got Piper and Prue.”
“But she wants you.”
“How would you know?”
“Believe it or not, I do have ONE daughter who talks to me. She even came to stay with me for a few days.”

Phoebe frowned. “She did?”
Victor nodded. “Right after Cole…. Right after what happened up there, you needed your space and she needed hers.”
“So she came to you?”
“Showed up on my doorstep in the middle of the night.” Victor got a faraway look in his eyes. “You know, your mother referred to you two as twins from the day you were born. I never got what she meant. Not until recently. Sure you two are the same age, went through the same growing pains together, have always been inseparable. But you’ve also got the same stubborn side. You needed to talk to her and she needed to talk to you but neither one of you was willing to swallow your pride and take the first step. So instead of bridging the gap between you, you let it get bigger and bigger until neither of you knew how to make things the way they used to be.”

“I know.” Phoebe nodded, tears filling her eyes. “And it’s all my fault.”
“Oh no you don’t.” Victor shook his head. “There will be no finger pointing in this conversation.”
“But it was.” Phoebe pushed herself into an upright position. “I’m the one who blamed her for Cole. I’m the one who pushed her away.”
“First of all, she blamed herself for Cole more than anyone else ever could. And she let you push her away.”
“Are you saying this was her fault?”

Victor couldn’t help but halfheartedly grin at the defensive tone his daughter suddenly adopted. “Not at all. You were both at fault. And until you both realize that, things are never going to get better.”
“I think we did. Realize it I mean.” Phoebe looked at her hands. “We lied to Piper and Prue. We told them things were fine between us so they would go away for the weekend. We had it all planned out. She would keep the girls one night and I would keep them the next. Then we would both be at the Manor when they came home. But something changed between us. We had just started to talk again when….”
Victor rubbed her back. “When what?”
“When Abbey had to show up.” Phoebe clinched her jaw. “I know we would have worked things out. I know we would have talked or argued or whatever it was we need to do to make it right between us again.”
“And you still can.”
“But I almost couldn’t. That doctor was right yesterday. Rion could have died. I thought….” Her brimming tears started to fall. “I thought she was dead when I first saw her. And then, at the hospital, when she said my name….” She shook her head. “I was relieved and terrified all at the same time. I thanked God she was alive and…. And petrified that she would hate me.”

Victor wrapped his arms around her as the floodgates finally opened and she started to sob.

“Oh, Phoebe. There’s one thing I’ve always been sure of in this life. And that’s that you and your sisters share a bond like none I’ve seen. You might fight and say hurtful things, but in the end…. In the end you know they’ll always be there for you.”
“And I’ll always be there for them.”
Victor nodded. “Exactly.”

Phoebe pushed away from him, wiping at the tears on her cheeks as she stood up.

“Where are you going?”
“To freshen up a bit. I can’t show up at the hospital looking like the wreck of the Hesperus.”

Victor grinned as she walked out of the room. “That’s my girl.”

*************

“Hey.” Piper laid her hand lightly on Prue’s shoulder as she came into the room.
“Hey yourself.” Prue spoke as she stretched in the chair she was sitting in.
“Sorry it took so long. Melinda….”
“No explanations necessary.”

Piper looked past her at the all too still form of their little sister. “How is she?”
“About the same.” Prue closed the magazine she had been pretending to read. “She goes for another CT scan in about fifteen minutes.”
“What?” Piper looked shocked. “Why?”
“She’s had a pretty fierce headache all day. Dr. Hanson doesn’t think it’s anything to be worried about, but she said it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Damned straight it is!”

“Piper?”

The middle Halliwell made a pained face as she moved closer to the bed. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“You didn’t.” Rion looked up at her through heavy lidded eyes. “The tap dancing corp in my head covered that.”
Prue joined Piper. “Still have your headache?”
Rion sighed. “You could say that.” She bit back a groan as she suddenly squeezed her eyes shut.

“That’s what Dr. Hanson calls nothing?” Piper sounded exasperated. “I’m going to get the nurse to give her something.”
“No!” Rion opened her eyes again, grabbing her sister’s hand before she could hit the call button on the rail of the bed. “Don’t.”
“Rion….”
“I did battle with a Jeep and a curb, Piper. I’m lucky a little headache and a bum leg are all I have to worry about.”
“But there are things they can give you to….”
“No.” Rion cut her off. “The stuff they give me knocks me for a loop. I’d rather be in pain then out cold.”

“What did I tell you?” Prue gently ran her hand over Rion’s head. “She’s stubborn as a mule.”
“I know.” Piper shook her head. “What are we gonna do with you?”
Rion grinned. “Love me.”
“Always, baby.” Piper squeezed her hand. “Always.”


Piper wrinkled her nose as she held the styrofoam cup close to her face. “This smells funky.”

Prue discretely spit the liquid she had just tipped into her mouth back into her own cup. “You think it smells funny, you should taste it.”

“Ew!” Piper held the cup away from her. “I swear something just moved in there!”

Prue snatched the cup away from her, taking the three steps it took to cross the lounge and throw them away. “Yeah, well that’s what we get for trying coffee out of a vending machine.”
“That wasn’t coffee.” Piper looked at the trash can her sister had used like she expected one of the cups to be crawling out after them. “A poor excuse for a vanquishing potion maybe, but not coffee.”

Silence fell between them. One in which Piper kept looking anxiously at the door and Prue checked her watch a half dozen times.

“Well that took what, all of a minute?” Piper sighed as she flopped down on the couch next to the vending machine.
“More like a minute and a half.” Prue sat down next to her. “But who’s counting?”
Piper looked toward the door again. “What’s taking so long?”
“They’ve only been gone fifteen minutes, Piper. Dr. Hanson said it would take about half an hour, remember?”
“I know…. I just,” Piper shrugged. “I think we should have gone with her.”

Prue put her arm around her sister. “And done what? Paced around outside the lab door? It’s not like they would let us go in with her.”
“True.” Piper sighed. “But I can’t shake the feeling we should be there.”

Another silence fell between them. One in which Prue tightened her grip on Piper and Piper cuddled tighter against Prue’s side.

“What if they find something?”
“Piper….”
“We have to face the possibility. Prue. It’s not exactly something I want to think about either. But you have to admit, our family doesn’t exactly have the best of luck when it comes to this sort of thing.”
“Hey.” Prue pulled her a little closer. “Let’s stick to positive thoughts until we have something to worry about, all right?” She waited a few moments for her sister to answer. “All right?”
“Yeah.” Piper nodded as she laid her head on Prue’s shoulder. “But I still think we should have gone with her.”

*************

Doctor Hanson pointed at the screen as images from the scan began to appear. “What do you make of that?”

She held her breath as her colleague, Dr. Northrup, took a half step closer to the screen. He was the epitome of a neurologist. Short, tubby, with tiny little spectacles that he always looked over to read or make a diagnosis. He was the head of their department. One of the top men in the neurology field. He was also the only one she trusted to consult on her cases.

“Oh yes.” Doctor Northrup nodded. “I see what you’re talking about.”
“And?”
“And I would have to agree. There is definitely a slight hemorrhage.”

“Damn it!” Doctor Hanson swore as she hung her head. “I was really hoping I was wrong.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, my dear. The swelling made it impossible to see until now. And it doesn’t look that bad.”
“I know. I just wish I had caught it sooner.”
“It’s not the end of the world. Get her started on the right meds and she’ll be good as new in a few days.” Doctor Northrup patted her on the back. “Call me if you need anything else.”

Doctor Hanson watched him go, wishing she could be so cavalier when it came to diagnosing a patient. The one time she had said as much to him he just chuckled and told her when she was as old as him, it would come naturally. Until then she would just have to settle for becoming emotionally attached to each and every patient she treated.

“You.” She called out to an orderly going by as she stepped out of the office.
“Yes doctor?”
“I need you take a patient back to the neurological ICU. They should be just about done with her in there.”
“Yes doctor.”

The look on the woman’s face was lost on Doctor Hanson as she started down the hall in search of Miss Matthews’ sisters.

*************

Phoebe looked at herself in the mirror. She still didn’t look her best, but it was going to have to do. She was more than a little anxious to get to the hospital. To start making up for lost time with Rion. She knew she would have some explaining to do, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

“An Phe?”

She jumped when she heard the little voice behind her. She turned to find Tricia looking up at her, her crystal blue eyes sad as she looked up at her.

“Hey pumpkin.” Phoebe picked her up. “What’s with the long face?”
“An Ion?”

Phoebe’s heart skipped a beat. Tricia frowned and asked again.

“An Ion?”

“She’s, uh….” Phoebe swallowed hard, trying to get her brain to work. How did you explain to a toddler that her favorite playmate wouldn’t be coming home for a while. “Aunt Rion’s at daddy’s work sweetheart.”
“Owey?”
“Yeah.” Phoebe nodded sadly. “She has an owey. But some of your daddy’s doctor friends are taking good care of her.”
“Home?”
“Hopefully she’ll be home soon.”
“Ant An Ion now!”
“I know, baby.” Phoebe held her close. “I want her here now too.”

Tricia squirmed out of the embrace. “An Ion.”

Phoebe frowned as her niece held the stuffed rabbit in her chubby little hands out to her. She recognized it as one Rion had gotten her for her first easter. The vibrant blue of its fur matched Tricia’s eyes to a tee.

“You want me to take your rabbit to Aunt Rion?”
Tricia nodded. “An Ion.”
Phoebe put her niece down. “All right, sweetie.” She reached for the bunny. “I’ll….”

The instant her hand touched the animal her world went black and white. The hospital. Rion on a gurney. Another person coming into view as the gurney stopped moving, ripping the IVs out of Rion’s hand before shoving her into the back of an ambulance. The person turning, a twisted smile on their face as they….

Phoebe gasped as the person’s face became visible for a split second before the vision ended and she found herself looking at a confused Tricia. She scooped her niece up and ran downstairs.

“Dad! We have to go! NOW!!”

Doctor Hanson paused just outside the door leading into the lounge. She could see the sisters from there. Side by side on the couch, the eldest with her arm around the other. The love they shared an ever present aura around them.

This was, by far, the worst part of her job. Walking up to an unsuspecting family and telling them there was something wrong with one of their loved ones. Sure in this case the damage wasn’t too severe, but that didn’t make it any easier. Wouldn’t make it any simpler for the sisters to hear.

“Doctor Hanson.”

She looked up when she heard her name. The younger of the two sisters had her fixed in an intense brown gaze. There was no turning back now. She walked into the room.

“Miss Halliwell.” She nodded at the eldest. “Miss Halliwell.” She tried not to look at the younger one. Those eyes were almost more than she could stand.

“Please, call me Prue. And this is Piper.”
“All right.” Doctor Hanson gave the eldest and appreciative glance. “Prue and Piper. We have the results of your sister’s scan.”
Piper sat up a little straighter. “And?”
“And we found something.”

It was like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Prue gripped Piper’s hand as Piper’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘something?’” Prue fixed her with a bluer version of her sister’s gaze.
“The scan showed a slight hemorrhage in the right side of your sister’s brain.”
“A slight hemorrhage?” Piper frowned. “What the hell is that?”
Prue gripped her sister’s hand tighter. “Piper….”
“What?!” Piper gave her a look. “All I want to know is how there can be a ‘slight’ hemorrhage. I mean, is there one or isn’t here? You can have a slight case of the flu or a slight leak in the air pressure of a tire, but how can you have a slight hemorrhage in your brain?”

“Perhaps slight wasn’t the word I was looking for.” Doctor Hanson was quick to try and alleviate the hysteria she could see building in Piper. “All I meant was the bleeding is minor and localized.”
“Oh, well that sounds SO much better.” Piper rolled her eyes as she mumbled. “Minor and localized….”
“Piper, that’s enough!”
“Don’t you ‘Piper’ me, Prue! I told you we should have gone with her!” Piper shot up off the couch. “I told you!”

Prue watched her sister stalk across the room to the one window the lounge had before returning her attention to the doctor. “Please, finish what you were saying.”

Doctor Hanson spared Piper a gaze before continuing. “As I said, there is some bleeding occurring in your sister’s brain.”
“Is that what caused her headache?”
“Yes.” Doctor Hanson nodded. “It’s not near any of the parts of the brain that control major bodily functions, but it has intensified the headache she already had from the swelling.”

“And why wasn’t it detected before?” Piper spoke up again, sounding a little more calm.
“The swelling obscured it from our view.”
Prue nodded, obviously trying to process everything she was hearing. “So what do we do now?”

“There are two ways this can play out.” Doctor Hanson fell into more familiar territory. “The path we want to take is medication. The hemorrhage is minor enough that we should be able to stop it by adding a few more meds to the ones we are already giving your sister for the swelling.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
Doctor Hanson pursed her lips. “Then we would have to take a more aggressive approach.”
Piper walked up behind the couch. “Meaning?”
“Surgery to locate the bleeder and tie it off.”

“Oh God.” Piper gripped Prue’s shoulder.

“But as I said, the meds should take care of the problem. Believe me, surgery is not something I rush into with any of my patients.”

“Can we, uh….” Prue put her hand over the one Piper had on her shoulder. “Can we see her?”

“Of course.” Doctor Hanson nodded. “She should be back in her room by now. I’ll walk you there.” She started out of the room, knowing the sisters would be right behind her.

“Doctor Hanson.”

She turned to look at Piper.

“I’m sorry for the way I reacted. It’s just…. That’s my little sister your talking about.”
“I understand, Piper. I would react the same way if it were a member of my family. But your sister is in the best possible hands here. We’ll do everything we can for her.”

Doctor Hanson turned back around as Prue pulled Piper to her side again. Yes, this was by far the worst part of her job.

*************

Phoebe was out of the car and sprinting through the hospital doors before Victor could bring the car to a complete stop. She heard her father yelling for her but kept going, knowing time was of the essence. She bypassed the line at the elevator and took the stairs instead. Two at a time all the way to the ICU floor.

“Can I help you….”

She breezed past the nurse at the ICU desk, sidestepping a gurney another nurse was pushing as she hurried toward the room Rion had been in the night before. She skidded to a halt outside the door she was looking for, her heat hammering in her chest when she found it empty.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” The nurse from the desk spoke as she walked up to her. “But can I help you with something?”
“Rion. Rion Matthews.” Phoebe gestured toward the empty room. “She was the patient in here last night. Where is she?!”
“Doctor Hanson ordered another scan for her this afternoon.”
“Another scan?” Phoebe frowned.
“Yes.” The nurse nodded. “She should be back any time now.”
“This scan. Where do they do them?”
“By x-ray. Down a floor and….”
“Thanks.”

Phoebe took off again before the nurse could finish. She was almost to the stairs when she spotted her sisters and Doctor Hanson walking down the hall. She went to them instead.

“Prue. Piper.” She gripped both her sisters hands. “Where’s Rion?”

Doctor Hanson frowned. “She should be back in her room by now.”
Phoebe clinched her jaw. “Well she’s not.”
“I’ll call down to the lab.” Doctor Hanson started toward the phone nearby on the wall. “See what’s taking so long.”

“Phoebe.” Prue whispered to her sister as the doctor walked away. “What is it? What’s the matter?”
“I had a premonition.” Phoebe’s brown eyes shown with tears. “It was Abbey. And she had Rion.”
“Abbey?” Prue’s eyes got big. “Are you sure it was her?”
“Same woman who stabbed me and stole my nieces? Yeah.” Phoebe nodded. “I’m sure it was her.”
“Damn it.” Piper shook her head. “I KNEW we should have gone with Rion!”
Prue swallowed hard. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions until….”

“Well that’s strange.” Doctor Hanson frowned as she hung up. “The technician said the orderly left with Miss Matthews almost fifteen minutes ago. They should have been here by now.”

The color drained from all three of the sisters faces as the truth set in. Abbey had Rion. And they had absolutely no idea where to start looking for her.
Phoebe sat on the couch between Prue and Piper, wishing the feel of her sisters hands in her own would offer some sort of relief from the overwhelming sense of panic she was feeling. But it didn’t. If anything it made things worse. Served as a reminder that she was one sister short.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to come to the hospital, apologize to Rion and try to make up for all the stupid things she had done. Instead she was sitting in Doctor Hanson’s office, anxiously waiting for the security guards and police officers to finish their third floor by floor search of the hospital. Not that it would help. She already knew where Rion was.

“I still don’t understand what has you so convinced that Abbey Campbell had anything to do with your sister’s disappearance.”

She clinched her jaw as Inspector Tucker spoke. The man grated on her last nerve. She instinctively started to get up to smack him but felt Piper’s ‘I’ll handle this one’ grip on her arm.

“Let’s see.” Piper narrowed her eyes. “Who was it that tried to kill Prue? Abbey. Who was it that knocked Phoebe on the head and tried to steal our daughters? Abbey. Who was it that stopped her? Rion. Do you see a motive there, Inspector?”

Tucker sighed. “Just because Miss Campbell’s fingerprints were found in your Jeep, Miss Halliwell, does not mean that she came back here and had anything to do with your sister’s disappearance.”

“Open your eyes, Inspector!” Prue growled the words. “Rion couldn’t exactly get up and walk out of here by herself!”

“Everyone needs to calm down.” Doctor Hanson got up from behind her desk. “The Halliwells are understandably upset, Inspector Tucker. Their sister is missing. And whether this Abbey Campbell person had anything to do with it or not, Miss Matthews needs to be found. Her condition….” She hesitated, not wanting to upset the sisters any more than they already were. “She shouldn’t be out of the hospital.”

“Understood, doctor. We’re doing everything we can to find her.” Tucker shrugged. “But we don’t have a whole lot to go on.”

“Then maybe you should be out there looking instead of sitting in here acting like we had something to do with our sister disappearing.” Phoebe stood as she spoke. “I’m going home so I can be there when Abbey calls to gloat.”

Piper and Prue both watched her storm out of the room before standing up too.

“Doctor Hanson you’ll….”
“Of course Prue.” She answered before Prue could finish. “The instant I hear anything, you’ll know.”
“Thanks.” Prue gave her a grateful look. “Can we count on the same from you, Inspector?”
Tucker frowned. “Of course.”
“Don’t look so shocked, Inspector.” Piper glared at him. “It was an innocent enough question.”
“Come on, Piper.”

Prue took her by the hand, sparing Doctor Hanson one last glance before walking out of the room. They found Phoebe just outside the door, leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Pheebs?”
She looked up when she heard Piper’s voice. “I’m….” She shook her head. “I’m so scared.”
“We all are, sweetie.” Piper let go of Prue and pulled her little sister into an embrace.

“But we’re going to find her.” Prue put her arms around both of them, holding them close. “I promise.”

*************

Rion furrowed her brow, resisting the urge to groan. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to rejoin the land of the living. Especially if it meant spending time with her sisters. It was the poking and prodding and getting scanned that she could do without. Not to mention the ‘you’re not getting out of here any time soon’ look Doctor Hanson was always giving her.

Everyone said they hated hospitals, but she really meant it. As a kid she had her fair share of trips to the ER, but she never had to stay overnight. She had a feeling her mother’s healing touch had something to do with it, but such was life when you were the daughter of a witch. As a teen she had probably needed hospitalized a few times, but Ruth wouldn’t hear of it. As Janie she had been too boring to do anything the might include getting hurt. But now that she was finally back where she belonged, she was in the hospital all the time. And it couldn’t be for something simple either. No it had to be things like time spent with Bo and her accident with Darryl and now some psycho deciding to steal her nieces and creaming her and her bike in the process. It all added up to her being so sick of staring at hospital ceilings that it wasn’t funny. That’s why she had let herself drift off right after the scan. She knew some orderly would be coming along to take her back to her room.

Sharp movement to the left sent pain screaming through her body, robbing her of all thought for what seemed like an eternity. When her senses finally came back to her, one question dominated her mind…. Since when did hospital rooms move?

Maybe she wasn’t in her room. Maybe she was still on her way back. If so, she had a Mario Andretti in training controlling her gurney. But wouldn’t that entail some noise? People around them, doctors being paged, that sort of thing?

She finally opened her eyes as the squealing sound of tires desperately trying to stay in contact with blacktop announced another sharp movement. She managed to battle her way through this one, eyes narrowed against the fresh pain radiating through her. An ambulance. What the hell would she be doing in an ambulance?

“What’s going on?”

She heard rather than saw someone turn in one of the front seats. Her skin instantly crawled under the weight of their stare.

“Did anyone say you were allowed to wake up?! No! Then go back to sleep!!”

She couldn’t explain how, but she knew the voice belonged to the woman who had tried to take the girls. Great, a major motorcycle wipeout and a joy ride with a raving lunatic all on the same weekend. What more could she possibly ask for?

Her internal voice of reason spoke up from the back of her mind, telling her now was hardly the time to delve into that sort of thing. She was weak as a kitten and trapped in an ambulance with someone who was obviously out of their mind. The glimmer of the thought that maybe she was dreaming had barely had a chance to start to form when another turn sent fresh agony through her right leg. This was no dream.

“Who….” She paused, willing her voice to sound stronger. “Who are you?”
“Shut up!!”
“Oh, come on. You kidnapped me. The least you can do is tell me your name.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything! I’m in charge here!!”
“That’s fine.” She did her best to sound calm. “But I’d like to know who I’m supposed to be taking order from. I mean, what if someone else comes along and tries to tell me what to do? How am I supposed to know who to listen to if I don’t know who you are?”

She sounded like a babbling idiot, but maybe it would work? This woman didn’t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed.

“You’re confusing me!”
“Just tell me your name.”
“It’s Prue! Prue Halliwell! There, now will you shut up?!

Things just kept getting better and better. Not only was her kidnapper a nut job, she was delusional too.

“Where are we going?”
“I told you to shut up!!!!”

They hit the mother of all potholes, jarring her to the core. She was helpless to stop her eyes from rolling back in her head as white hot agony exploded through her skull. It only lasted a moment before oblivion pulled her under.

It hurt. Everywhere. The kind of radiating anguish that made you want to curl up in a little ball in a corner somewhere and pray the world would leave you alone for just a few seconds longer. But instead of the pain driving her further into the darkness, it pushed her toward the surface. She struggled, knowing things would be ten times worse if she actually woke up but whoever was shaking the shit out of her obviously didn’t care.

“I said to WAKE UP!!”

It was the slap that finally thrust her back into consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open as her head snapped to the left. They slammed shut again as a tidal wave of agony threatened to drown her.

“Oh no you don’t.”

The grip tightened on her arms.

“Stop pretending! I saw you open your eyes!!”

The words barely registered with her, but being shaken again did. The logical conclusion that opening her eyes would make it stop somehow managed to make its way into the maelstrom of her thoughts. It took a couple of seconds, but her body finally cooperated.

“That’s better. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to hurt you or anything. Not yet, anyway.”

She blinked, trying to get her vision to clear. When it finally did she almost laughed. Looming over her was one of the most ridiculous things she had ever seen. The woman’s blond hair hung out in clumps from under the stringy black wig on her head. And she was too scrawny for the clothes she was wearing, lacking the curves to fill them out. The fact that they were some of the clothes Prue had packed away after she had Tricia erased her urge to laugh. Vague recollections of the woman calling herself Prue flitted through her mind.

“Do you have any idea how long you were asleep?” The woman paused for a moment. “A day.” She shook her head. “A whole DAY! Can you imagine? I mean, just think of all the things you could do in that time. Watch TV….”

She tuned the babbling out, taking in their surroundings instead. She was on a bed in what had to be some sort of spare bedroom. There was junk laying everywhere, making it look a lot like the attic at the Manor. That was all right with her. It would be easier to find something to use as a weapon.

“Hey!”

Her chin was suddenly caught in a vice like grip and she found herself staring into a pair of intense blue eyes.

“I’m Prue Halliwell! When I talk, people listen!!”

She swallowed hard. Piper and Prue had tiptoed around the subject of this woman at the hospital, but she had heard the whole story from Phoebe a long time ago. How Prue was stalked and almost killed in the kitchen. Abbey! That was her name. Psycho Abbey as Phoebe so lovingly called her.

“That’s better.” Abbey let go of her. “Now I think I deserve some sort of explanation for why you tried to take my daughter and niece. So let’s start with something simple.” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s your name?”

Oh yeah. This chick was definitely gone. For a split second she thought about not answering. But what good would that do her? She was at this woman’s mercy.

“I said….” Abbey grabbed her by the hair. “WHAT’S YOUR NAME?!!”

She flinched under the intensity of Abbey’s voice. She was going to have to play along and hope eventually she would find a way out of this.

“Don’t you recognize me, Prue?” She tried not to stumble over the name. “It’s me. You’re sister, Rion.”

“No.” Abbey let go of her and started pacing. “No, no.” She shook her head violently. “NO!! I only have TWO sisters and YOU’RE not ONE of them!!!” Her eyes suddenly got big. “You’re one of those sickos, aren’t you? The twisted ones who aren’t happy with their own lives so they try to become someone else. The doctors at the hospital tried to warn me about people like you. You’re a wannabe!!”

Maybe playing along wasn’t such a good idea after all. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and managed to avoid the worst of the fist headed in her direction. She took it on the shoulder instead of the chin. But it was her right shoulder, making her suck in a shocked breath as it screamed in protest.

“Just like that pathetic Abbey! Ones who can’t stand the fact that there are people more beautiful then them in this world!”

Her whole body protested as Abbey jumped on the bed and took another swing at her. Somehow she managed to duck it completely.

“And there’s only ONE thing you can do with a wannabe!” Abbey’s eyes shown. “I’m going to have to kill you!!”

She took a swing of her own. It was left handed and didn’t have much behind it, but it did the trick. Abbey was caught off guard, the blow throwing her from the bed, the side of her head made a solid connection with the bedside stand as she went.

She laid completely still, breathing heavily as she saved up her energy for the next attack. After a full minute of silence she pushed herself into a sitting position so she could see what was going on. Abbey was sprawled on the floor, out cold. Now was her chance to escape. And she wasn’t about to let that fact that she had no idea where she was slow her down.

Her breathing was ragged and a fine sheen of sweat covered her features by the time she finally dragged herself off the bed. She put all her weight on her left leg, letting her right one drag painfully behind her as she started toward the door.

“I don’t think so, bitch!!”

Abbey’s voice rang through the room for a split second before she felt something hit her hard in the back. The now crazed lunatic had her on her back and pinned to the floor in no time. She fought against the blackness closing in around her, not wanting to give Abbey the satisfaction of seeing her pass out.

“Thought you were going to get away, huh? Well SURPRISE!! I’m not THAT easy to get rid of!!”

She tried to struggle, but her body just wouldn’t cooperate.

“And now it’s time to finish what I started!” Abbey’s hands wrapped around her throat. “You won’t be a wannabe for long!!”

Memories crashed into her. The underworld. A certain demon coming to see her after her brush with death. The way he held her throat as he…. A surge of strength filled her. She reached for whatever was nearby, her hand closing around a croquet mallet. She didn’t even realize she was using her right arm until Abbey slumped off of her and the mallet slipped from her numb hand.

She crawled through the door and partway down the hall, her head spinning. Her stomach turned violently, causing her to dry heave for a moment before rolling onto her left side, her energy spent. It was then that she saw the painting. The one that graced the wall of the Dunmeyer’s, a family she and Phoebe used to babysit for when they were younger. The family who lived right across the street from the Manor.

She barely had a chance to realize how close she was to her sisters before the pain got to be too much and her eyes started to drift shut. She managed to cry out mentally to them before she slid into the darkness.


Phoebe looked at the crystal in her hand, her usual awe at its sparkling beauty replaced with frustration. As witches they each had their own scrying stone. One that was supposed to be in tune with only them. That’s why she had been so picky about hers. Prue and Piper had chosen ones at the first Wicca store they went to after they became witches, but not her. She wanted hers to be special. To call to her the very first time she saw it. And it had. In the middle of a rundown bookstore when she was looking for some book or other on the power of premonitions. As a result, it never let her down. Not until today.

She started out in the attic, knowing that was where her magic was the strongest. When that didn’t work, she moved to the living room. But the quiet presence of her sisters was too much of a distraction, so she moved to the solarium. That’s where she had been for nearly and hour and a half now.

She closed her hand around her crystal, mumbling a plead of “Please work” before letting it dangle over the map she had spread out on the floor. It instantly hit a location. She growled when she saw it had once again landed on Prescott Street. On the Manor to be exact. Just like it had the past twenty times she tried to find Rion.

The urge to throw the crystal across the room was interrupted by the peel of the doorbell. Her scowl became a full fledged frown when she heard a male voice respond to whoever answered the door. If it was Inspector Tucker she was going to have to….

“Just thought I would stop by. You know, give you an update on what I found out at the station.”

She relaxed when she realized it was Matt. All of this was just as hard on him as it was everyone else. Being Rion’s best friend made him an instant part of the family. She put the crystal down, thinking maybe a break was what she and it both needed. And she really wanted to hear what Matt had to say.

“Phoebe.” Piper locked eyes with her as she walked into the living room. “Any luck?”
“Of course not.” Phoebe flopped down in one of the armchairs. “It’s still stuck on Manor mode.”
Matt frowned. “What is?”
“Her scrying crystal.” Prue answered for her sister. “So what did you find out?”

“Not much.” Matt sat down in the chair next to Phoebe’s. “Did any of you keep up with what happened to Abbey after she attacked Prue?”
“I did. The case never went to trial because her family had her plead temporary insanity. Something about being afraid of what would happen to her in a real prison. They worked out a deal with the DA’s office to have her put in a facility closer to them in LA.” Prue felt her sisters staring at her and frowned. “What? She almost killed me. I wanted to make sure she didn’t come back and try the same with either of you.”

Matt nodded. “Her family had her committed to the Ridgemont Psychiatric Hospital. She escaped a week ago.”
“A week?!” Piper looked shocked. “And they were going to warn us when?”
“One of the doctor’s there is supposedly an expert on what makes stalkers tick. He had been having intense sessions with Abbey and thought he was making real headway. So much so that when she escaped he kept it under wraps in the hopes she would realize what she was doing was wrong and come back on her own.”
“That bastard!” Piper’s hands curled into fists in her lap. “If he were here I would freeze a certain part of his anatomy and then blow it up!”
“The state beat you to it.” Matt pursed his lips. “Not only did the powers that be revoke his license, they’re also taking him to trial.”

“Did he give the local authorities anything to go on?” Phoebe’s brown eyes were full of contempt. “Or did he pull that doctor-patient confidentiality bullshit?”
“All he did was warn LAPD that Abbey still thinks she’s Prue.”
“Yeah, sounds like he was making progress with her.” Phoebe’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Prue, ever the voice of reason, spoke again. “What are the police doing now to find Rion?”
Matt sighed. “They’re still searching the hospital and have an APB out on the ambulance she stole, but so far they haven’t found anything.”

“So what you’re saying is we’re all spinning our wheels while Rion is out there with some psycho?” Phoebe shook her head. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to….” She suddenly stopped and looked around the room.

“Phoebe?” Prue watched her, concern etched on her brow. “What is it?”

“Didn’t you hear that?”
Piper gave her baby sister a look. “Hear what?”
“It sounded like….” Phoebe stopped again, standing stalk still. “It is.” Her voice was little more than a shocked whisper. “It’s Rion. I can hear her.” She looked at her sisters. “She’s in my head.”
Prue’s eyes were big as saucers. “And?”
“And she’s not doing so hot.”
“Where is she?” Piper gestured with her hands. “Where is she?!”
“It’s not like I can ask her, Piper!” Phoebe sighed. “I can barely hear her now.”

“Go!” Piper was suddenly on her feet and dragging Phoebe out of her chair. “Try scrying again. Maybe your connection will make it work.”
“That’s worth a try!”

They all four headed back to the solarium, Phoebe in the lead. She was almost back to the map when her world suddenly turned black and white.

Rion crawling, obviously in a lot of pain. Suddenly getting sick. Rolling on her side. Seeing the painting.

“Oh my God!” Phoebe forgot all about the map as she pushed back past her sisters and Matt and ran to the front door.

“Phoebe?”

“She’s at the Dunmeyer’s!” Phoebe threw the comment over her shoulder, not sure which of her sisters had said her name. Not that it really mattered. “She’s right across the damn street!!”

She ran for all she was worth, barely stopping to kick open the front door of the rambling old house running inside.

“Rion?!”

She took the stairs two at a time, knowing her sister had to be somewhere on the second floor. The painting was on the landing at the top of the stairs, overlooking the whole house.

“Phoebe Halliwell, you wait for us!!”

She heard Prue’s warning as she hit the top stair, but never got the chance to answer. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the motionless heap of their missing sister.

“Rion!” She fell to her knees next to her, her heart hammering in her chest. She was so pale. “Come on, sweetie.” She felt for a pulse, letting out breath she didn’t realize she had been holding when she felt the faint throbbing against her fingertips.

“Phoebe?!”

“Up here!” Stood so her sisters could see her.
Prue swallowed hard. “Is Rion….”
Phoebe nodded. “She’s alive, but someone needs to call an ambulance.”

Matt pulled his cell phone from his pocket as Prue and Piper rushed up the stairs to be with their sisters.
Back….

She had tried to memorize the pattern of tile at her feet, but it was a lost cause. A see of beige with the occasional navy blue, fuchsia or dark green square to break up the monotony. Not cheap by any imagination of the word. After all, it had to be durable in a place like this.

And forth….

She avoided her sisters glances as she passed the couch they shared. The concern in their eyes was too much for her right now. Especially considering some of it was directed at her when it shouldn’t have been. She wanted to stop an tell them to cut it out, but she knew her voice wouldn’t work. She had already tried. Twice. So she settled for not acknowledging it instead.

Back….

She felt the weight of Matt’s absence. He had been with her for a while, his stride matching hers in intensity. But a plain clothes cop came to get him, saying Inspector Tucker needed to speak with him.

And forth….

She risked a look at the clock on the wall, resisting the urge to curse. A whooping five minutes had passed since the last time she looked. Five minutes! But that’s how it had been for nearly an hour and a half now. What felt like an eternity was in actuality five or ten minutes. Once she went nearly fifteen without checking.

Back….

The rest of the last day and a half certainly had been a blur. Staying up all night, trying every spell and potion in the Book of Shadows that could remotely have anything to do with finding someone. Scrying. The vision that finally led them to the Dunmeyer house. Being restrained by Matt as a couple of his fellow inspectors drug Abbey away in handcuffs. Watching as the paramedics carefully strapped an extremely pale, all too still Rion to a backboard.

And forth….

She tried to push the images away, but they just kept coming. Matt switching on the siren in his car as he sped after the ambulance. Gripping her sisters hands as they ran into the hospital after the gurney. Doctor Hanson meeting them at the main doors to the emergency room, telling them she would find them as soon as she knew anything.

Back….

The tightening in her chest as she watched her sister disappear into the emergency room. A nurse leading them to a smaller, more private waiting room. Time grinding to a halt as they took turns watching the door for Doctor Hanson to appear.

And forth….

Her step faltered when she saw her standing there, a silly grin on her face. She shook her head, knowing it couldn’t be real. But even as her mind was doubting what she was seeing, the figure came toward her.

“Doctor Hanson!”

She jumped when she heard Piper’s voice. It snapped her out of her daydream, the smiling image of Rion standing before her replaced by Doctor Hanson. She felt her sisters gripping her hands as they came to stand beside her. She returned the favor when she saw the serious look on the doctor’s face.

“Please.” Doctor Hanson motioned toward the couch. “Have a seat.”

“We’re fine where we’re at.” Prue took up her role of spokeswoman. “How’s Rion?”

Doctor Hanson sighed. “I have good news and bad news.”
“Good news.” Piper didn’t hesitate to speak up. “We want the good news first.”
“Piper….”
“Don’t go there, Prue. We want the good news first!”
“All right.” Prue nodded. “We’ll take the good news first.”

“Rion has a few more bumps and bruises, but she didn’t sustain any new injuries during her captivity.”
Prue narrowed her eyes. “Meaning?”
“Meaning she’s in stable condition.”
“Oh, thank God!” Piper pulled her sisters into a hug. One that smacked of renewed hope.

Prue let the moment last for a few moments, obviously wanting what they had just heard to sink in before she looked at Doctor Hanson over her sisters heads.

“And the bad news?”

“Without the proper medications, the swelling in your sister’s brain returned.” Doctor Hanson swallowed hard. “She was in a coma when the paramedics brought her in.”

“What?!” Piper pulled away from her sisters, her mouth open in shock.
Prue gripped her arm. “Let her tell us what’s going on.”

“As I said, without the meds, the swelling went unchecked. Your sister’s body reacted in much the same way as others with similar injuries. We’re giving her massive doses of the same meds in the hopes of reducing it quickly, but for now she’s comatose.”

“How….” Prue’s voice cracked. “How long will the coma last?”
Doctor Hanson pursed her lips. “I wish I could answer that, but some aspects of the brain are still a mystery to us. No two comas have ever been alike. It could last an hour, a day, a month….”
“A year.” Piper finished for her, her voice defeated. “I want to see her.”
“Of course.”

She walked woodenly, letting her sisters pull her along as they followed Doctor Hanson. For the second time in mere days they were taking an elevator ride no family should ever have to experience. A shiver ran down her spine as the doors opened and Doctor Hanson led them toward the neurological ICU.

“I know things seem pretty bleak, but Rion is young and her vital signs are strong.” Doctor Hanson spoke as she stopped outside one of the rooms. “Please don’t give up on her. That’s not what she needs right now. Just love her. Let her know you’re here.” She motioned toward the open doorway to her right. “Stay as long as you like. I’ll be back in a while to check on you.”

Her legs didn’t want to move, but Prue had a tight grip on her hand, leading her into the room. They didn’t make it far before Prue stopped, Piper’s chocked gasp speaking for them all as Rion came into view. She looked like a child laying there with what seemed like a million machines monitoring every aspect of her condition. Only there was no groan to break their revere this time. Just the steadying beeping of the heart monitor.

“Abbey got what she wanted.”

The sound of her own voice shocked her. She pulled away from her sisters, the square set of her shoulders giving away a strength she didn’t feel.

“She got her revenge.”

With that Phoebe Halliwell walked toward her sister’s bed and a very uncertain future.