Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or anything remotely official.



Her head was pounding. When people spoke of hammering and drilling she thought they spoke of metaphors. She had no idea a migraine felt like this. With her brain bashing around inside her skull, she walked up the steps of the manor a half an hour late, and not very happy. Traffic was a nightmare, making her fume. She always allowed for traffic, but today was made worse by the rain. Mr. Immortal didn't help when his bright and shiny sports car hydroplaned into the median, backing up traffic for miles. What a day. She just wanted to get inside, get changed, and relax before the duties that lay before her. Prue had informed her the night before that she'd told her boss the annual photography show for the 415 staff could be held at the manor because "it was a prime location, with its size and all". She could still remember Prue's pleading eyes and vows to help out, which prompted her to say yes at all. She stepped through the door, noticing no one was home yet. A bad sign. She put her coat on the coatrack and threw her newspaper away. It wasn't worth reading after being used as an umbrella.

"Prue? Phoebe?" Her husband orbed in and out at all hours and wasn't consistent enough to be always be there. So, she assumed one of her sisters would be there, at least. Negative. She sighed deeply, feeling the strain of being the middle child. The most dependable. The one people rely on. Sometimes she would forfeit all that just to have some time to relax for a change, and not have to worry about fixing everyone's problems. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy having two sisters. Since Phoebe moved back home, she was glad to have the bond between the three. At times, it was hard, though, having to be there for everyone. If running a club by herself wasn't bad enough, she had the power of three and demons to worry about, and it wasn't like evil took a day off. She gathered that the silence meant no one was home, and it'd be up to her to fix dinner and get ready for the gallery. She'd be having a talk with her older sister. As soon as she started on dinner. Massaging her temples, she made her way to the cabinet to get out the spaghetti when she felt a churn in her stomache. This was not good. She couldn't be getting sick. She had too much to worry about. She forced the queasy feeling down for the time being, hoping it would not return. She slowly started the water boiling and chopped up some onions, garlic, and tomatoes to go into the sauce. Sure, it would be easy to just buy sauce, but the chef in her wouldn't allow that. That was like Julia not cooking with "a little bit of wine". Wrong, just wrong. Hearing the door open, she peered out of the kitchen to see who was coming. After seeing no one, she wandered out to investigate. If Prue was trying to skirt out of her duties, she'd be hearing from her middle sister.

"Prue? Did you forget you were supposed to help me with the_whoa!" She grabbed the dining room table to support herself, as the room swayed. Definitely not good, nor would it go away. Something was not right. She took deep breaths, hoping she would make it in time. She didn't want to have to mop the floor, too. Deciding her stomach wouldn't allow her to take her time gingerly, she made a mad dash to the bathroom. Not seeing the floor was wet in front of her, she slipped on the water and went down. Hard. Feeling too weak to get up, she layed there. She knew she should get around to tending to dinner and food for the photo thingy, but she just couldn't muster the urge to get up just yet. Hoping for a brief respite from the swirling room around her, she closed her eyes and willed the pain to go away once and for all. At least her stomach wasn't making anymore lurching efforts to dislodge anything inside. Why didn't she take something sooner?
~ ~ ~
"Piper? Piper?" The world around her swayed and churned. She could faintly hear someone speaking, but she couldn't answer. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't decipher if she even understood the language being spoken. She struggled to come out of the fog, letting her heavy eyelids slowly open. The light pierced through her eyes to her brain. So this is what a migraine feels like. The lights really shouldn't be that bright. She should call the government and tell them. It's just not safe for people to be around lights that bright. Ooh and the sounds! What decible is that, anyway? That is not safe for humans. Oh, that sound was the blood going through the contracting and expanding of the blood vessels in her head. Mental note: never get a migraine again. She winced, and closed her eyes, hoping the pain would subside. Nope. It was still there. She slowly opened her eyes once more, squinting as the light penetrated through her brain once again.

"Oh Go_oh tell me I'm not in Kansas. It's a dream. I don't wanna be in Kansas. They chew on grass and wear flannel and live on farms. I hate hay." She was a mumbling mess. She had no idea what she was saying. She felt a hand on her forehead. She wished the hand would stay. It was so cool. The hand abruptly went away and she heard someone chuckling under their breath.

"That's not funny. Wait, what's not funny? I don't get this joke." She thought about laying on the floor some more but thought against that. She had this nagging feeling she should be doing some_oh the dinner and the food! She struggled to sit up. Hands came out from nowhere and grabbed onto her. She batted them away before realizing they were there to help. She let them guide her up to a sitting position. That's when it happened. The reason she made a mad dash to the bathroom in the first place. Instinctively the hands holding her up were no longer there. She felt herself falling backwards back onto the hard floor. Piper-0. Floor-2.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Why did I do that? I'm so sorry, Piper!" The words were beginning to sound familiar. What happened? It came back to her. She'd bumped her head. Apparently the arms that were supposed to hold her up were those of Prue.

"Prue? What happened? Why did you let go? Uh...I feel like I'm gonna'...oh, I guess I already did. Eww..." She hated that feeling. She hadn't done that since she was a kid. She felt so, like a kid again. The hands...Prue's hands, returned to help her sit up once more. The pounding in her head was there with a vengeance.

"I am so sorry! I guess it was just instinct. I am such an idiot!" Wanting to put an end to her older sister's torment, she opened her eyes. She was having a conversation with her eyes closed. She'd have to remember to apologize for that later. That's hardly proper conversation etiquette.
"Honey, can you get up? Here, I'll help you." She desperately wanted to stay on the floor. It wasn't comfortable by any means, but it meant she didn't have to move. Oh well. She sighed before letting Prue help her to stand. The room went around her like a carousel. She didn't feel like being in a carousel. She wanted to be on her bed, asleep. She felt herself being guided out of the room as the two made their way to the nearest couch. She didn't think she could do the stairs anyway.

"Okay you lay down. I'll be right back. Just sit...or...lay tight, okay?" She closed her eyes once again as her sister went into the other room. It seemed like hours since she'd been home. How long had she been on the floor until Prue showed up? How long was she still on the floor after her encounter with the floor again? She didn't feel like opening her eyes to look at the clock. She tried to slow her breathing, thinking it would help her head to get in rhythm. It had a mind of its own and that wouldn't be happening. It was getting old. She wanted to feel normal and now.

"Piper? Are you asleep?" Yeah right. Like she could sleep with all the pounding going on.

"Uh..no, but I wish I was." Oh what she wouldn't give for...that. Like a miracle out of the sky, two tablets and a glass of water appeared in her hand.

"Okay, it says take two of these and I'm sorry but they don't come in liquid form. And, I could chop them up but I don't think that's a good idea. And you'd have to drink more water just to make sure you got all of it down. So, I guess, take these and hope they don't find themselves back up again?" Anything for the parade to go away. She downewd the pills and cringed inwardly. When her stomach's contents stayed put, she sighed and relaxed.

"Piper. Don't go to sleep just yet. I called for Leo but he's busy or something. You know how he is..well, of course you do, he's your..well anyway...you might want to change. Here's an icepack for the back of your head and a waschcloth for your forehead. I'll be right back with some pyjamas." What seemed like seconds later, she returned with the aforementioned clothing.

"I have to get up again? Uh...can't I just...say a spell or something? Oh..dirty clothes I have on disappear..make the new ones..what?" Seeing the stern look her sister gave her, she opted to just take the clothes and find a way to change, herself.

"Piper, no personal gain. For all we know, you could end up feeling worse. Here, I'll help you." She let Prue help her out of her dirty apparel and into her clean pj's. Once she was settled, she felt herself getting drowsy. As if she hadn't slept enough..or...something. Whatever that was called when you're not conscious.

"I called Phoebe and she'll be home in a little bit. A friend of a friend was with her and told her that if your pupils are equal and a bunch of other mumbo jumbo, then I'd only have to wake you every hour and if you didn't wake up then to take you in. Besides, Leo can't heal you anyway. It was sort of self-inflicted."

Oh for Pete's sake. Can't a girl get a break? "Oh, great. Fine, but where were you? I called for you and I didn't see you come in to help me like you promised." She waited for an answer.

"I was here. I came home and put my stuff up, as usual, and then I remembered, 'I should take my shoes off before tracking water all over the floor', so...I did and then I heard you call my name and I was going to answer but then I saw you fall and the rest you know...or...you don't." Oh yeah, she knew all too well.

"Yeah, that part is clear as day. Well, I guess I could have been more careful. Although, I wasn't too concerned at the time. I was trying to make it to the bathroom before, well...you know." Eww...she had the most horrible taste in her mouth.

"I'm sorry honey. I wish I could have helped you. But the important thing is I'm here now. The photo show is being held elsewhere. So, if there's anything you need, holler. I'll be in the kitchen. Get some rest, okay? I"ll wake you in an hour." She slowly nodded, closed her eyes, and let the sleep take her away to a place where pain didn't exist.

Disclaimer: I don't own charmed or anything remotely official.


Prue made her way into the kitchen for some towels. She didn't want to leave Piper alone long enough to go to the closet so she used what she had nearest. She started cleaning up the mess when Phoebe arrived home. She started to close the door in the not-so-quiet Phoebes way when she was stopped by Prue. Prue went running over to her and pulled her hand off the doorknob.

"Hello to you, Phoebes. How was your day? Good, I hope." She glared at her sister but she wasn't mad. Smiling, she dropped her umbrella on the floor and moved out of the way so Prue could shut the door nicely.

"Oh, sorry. Piper has a headache and I don't want to make any loud noises." She shut the door and the two walked into the kitchen to talk while Prue made dinner.

"What happened? You didn't give me any details, you just said Piper had fallen and hit her head?" She took her place at the table and watched her sister fix dinner. She should have helped but for some reason she didn't get up.

"Right, so I came home and was putting my stuff away and I realized was tracking water all over the floor so I went back and took my shoes off and then when I turned around Piper was on the floor. She kinda...slipped." She felt bad enough for it and she knew Phoebe would be the person to rub it in.
"Ouch. Prue it's not your fault. It could have happened to anyone. You didn't mean for her to get hurt. How is she, anyway?" She hadn't checked on her and realized she should have.

"Okay, I think I just heard you say it was okay. Is this some alternative universe thingy? Are we on a show or something? Where's the camera?" She looked around the room much to Phoebe's amazement.

"Um..Prue...are you sure it wasn't you who hit your head?" She watched her sister's paranoia grow as she walked around the room. Peering into cabinets, opening up jars and canisters, she was seriously becoming frightening.

"No, I didn't hit my head, but Phoebes, do you reailze that is like the first time in a long time you've said that to me? I half expected someone to come through the door, Toto in hand, and say " we're not in..." She was about to finish when a hand came and slapped itself over her mouth.

"Don't you DARE say it! I hate that movie!" She had jumped up so fast her chair was now lying on the floor. The look on Prue's face was priceless, though. The deer-in-the-headlights look people talk about...it exists. She lauged at her sister's expression and removed her hand.

"Okay, what was that?" She raised her eyebrows at her younger sister.

"Nothing, I just hate that movie is all. I don't like watching farm movies. If I wanted to do that I'd just buy one of those um....visit Kansas booklets or something and this girl does not want to go there anytime soon. Prue, did you know all they do is like....sit around and chew grass and stuff? And their whole wardrobe is flannel. Like, if you opened the closet...uh...I can't even think about it, Prue. I need to sit down." She picked up her chair and on shaky legs sat back down at the table.

"Where are you getting this? Have you been talking to Piper, cause I swear she just..nevermind. Just get some breadsticks out of the freezer." She shook her head and continued watching the sauce pan. It looked thick enough. She thought. She'd never gotten the hang of cooking. Piper was such a good cook. She was good at a lot of things. Cooking, grocery shopping, planning events. That's when it hit her. Piper had become their slave.

"Phoebe, have you noticed Piper doing a lot of things for us lately?" She took in her sister's bewildered expression and watched her go from confused to amazed. She was thinking the same thing.

"Now that you mention it, I guess so. I can't remember the last time I actually helped with dinner or picked up the manor." She thought for a moment.

"You cook. That's rich, Phoebes. When have you ever done anything than what you're doing right now? Unwrapping a package to frozen breadsticks does not constitute helping.

"What? I help. I chop those scallop thingies. Or scallions. Or...oh whatever. I chop things." It wasn't like Prue did anything to help out either.

"Chopping. Yeah, chopping after she's already chopped. You know how Piper is. Diced and cubed are NOT the same thing." They both giggled to themselves before busting out laughing.

"Point taken. I guess I could help out more. You too, you know." She made a mental note to start doing more to help. It wasn't fair to Piper to have to do all the work. Phoebe usually only thought of herself and that wasn't right.

"Yes. Let's finish up dinner and here in about 30 minutes we need to wake her." She put the breadsticks in the oven and sat down at the table.

"We need to do something. She's running around like crazy trying to get stuff done. I didn't even let her say no and she wouldn't have anyway. Piper doesn't like to let people down." She stared down at the table, ashamed of the way they'd been treating their sister.

"Whoa, mark the calendar. Prue has a fault!" She was trying to make Prue feel better and got a slap in return.

"You little...thank you." She gave her sister a brief hug before getting up to tend to the sauce.

"Welcome." She walked out of the room and went to where her sister was sleeping on the couch. She looked so carefree while she was sleeping. Not one worry line on her face. She felt bad for all of the ones she'd given her in the past. She took a seat in the chair and watched her sister sleep, vowing never to let her go unnnoticed again.