web hosting short URLs photo sharing

Voices II ó Piperís Nightmare (part 1)

It is a sunny morning like there often are in San Francisco. The kind of morning when you tell yourself that everythingís going to be all right, that itís going to be a wonderful day. Unfortunately, that will not be the case today.

It is still early and everything is calm and quiet in the Halliwell manor. Everyone is still asleep, recovering from the last two days. Two days during which Phoebe and Prue were abducted by their apparently crazy new neighbor, Lucy. She wanted to kill them but failed. Then she killed herself in their bathroom. And no one knows what, exactly, pushed the woman to commit those actions. Phoebe and Prue both agreed that no one would ever know. They were wrong. They will soon understand why.

Suddenly, a scream cuts through the air in the house, waking up Prue and Phoebe who rush to Piperís room, recognizing her voice. What they discover leaves them without a word.

It was really Piper who screamed. Sheís lying in her bed, stirring, apparently tortured by a nightmare. Leo is next to her, looking worried, and is trying to wake her up. Because she is still sleeping. Piper Halliwell screamed in her sleep. Leo finally takes her in his arms, whispering to her to wake up, that itís just a nightmare and that everything is okay. Piper wakes up jumping and tries to free herself from Leoís embrace.

"Let me go!" she screams pushing back his hands. "Let me go!"

"Piper, itís okay, itís over." Leo tries to comfort her.

"No! Let me go!" she screams again. "Go away!"

She frees herself from his arms and moves away from him, shaking. It is only at that moment that Piper finally realizes sheís really awake and that sheís not in danger. She starts crying.

"Oh, Leo, Iím sorry." she says. "IÖ I donít know why IÖ"

"Itís okay, Piper." Leo says getting closer to her and taking her gently in his arms. "Itís over now. Everythingís okay."

Piper huddles against her boyfriend, trying to stop her body from shaking.

Phoebe and Prue, who observed the whole scene from the doorstep in silence, unsure what to do, come in the bedroom.

"Piper, honey, are you all right?" Phoebe asks, worried.

Piper nods, still unable to talk.

"Is there something we can do for you?" Prue asks.

This time, itís Leo who answers.

"A cup of coffee sounds good, Prue."

"Okay. Weíll be waiting for you downstairs, then." Prue says as she gets out with Phoebe.

Left alone with Piper, Leo does his best to comfort her while trying to push back his own fears and worries. Because this isnít the first time since last night that Piper wakes up from a nightmare. Apparently always the same. Except that each time, Piper is a little more terrorized. Every time, he asked her to tell him her nightmare. And each time, all Piper was able to tell him was that Prue, Phoebe and him were dead. This time though, Leo has the feeling that Piper remembers more.

When Piper finally stops shaking, Leo, still holding her close to him, asks her "You wanna talk about it?"

"No." Piper answers. "I canít, Leo. Not yet."

"Okay." Leo does. "When youíre ready then, Piper."

"Promise."

They stay in bed for a few more minutes then they get up to go join Prue and Phoebe in the kitchen.

When they walk in front of the bathroom, Piper stops. She looks inside and is overcome by shivers as she remembers the voice she heard there yesterday, the one that told her that her dream wasnít one and that she wonít be able to resist.

Leo sees her turn pale and wonders what is going on.

"Piper, what is it?" he asks her.

Without answering, Piper catches his hand and grips it strongly.

"Piper?" Leo says, more and more worried.

Piper still doesnít answer him. That voice, she realizes, she also hears it in her nightmare. Leo, whoís beginning to get scared for her, puts his other hand on Piperís arm and says "Piper, look at me."

This time, the young woman hears him and at last takes her eyes off of the bathroom. What Leo reads in her eyes doesnít reassure him.

"What is it?" he asks again.

"IÖ IÖ" Piper hesitates.

"You what?" Leo softly encourages her.

"I donít want to go in there." she lets out in a breath. "I donít know why, but I donít want to."

"Okay, we wonít go there, then." Leo reassures her, unsure of what just happened.

Maybe Piper is simply traumatized because sheís the one who discovered Lucyís body in there. Although he doubts that thatís the problem. Piper looked terrified not traumatized or sad. It doesnít make sense.

Piper and Leo go downstairs to the kitchen. Prue is waiting there for them with two cups of coffee in her hands.

"Are you feeling better now, Piper?" she asks her sister.

"Yes. Thanks, Prue." Piper answers as she takes the cup of coffee her sisterís giving her.

Everyone sits down at the table.

"You know what you really need, Piper?" Phoebe asks.

"What?" Piper asks in return.

"A nice big breakfast!" Phoebe answers, getting up. "Iíll cook you some eggs and baconÖ"

"No!" Piper and Prue shout together.

"Thanks a lot, Pheebs" Piper says "but Iíll take care of it myself."

"But, PiperÖ" Phoebe starts.

"Donít take it too personal, Phoebe." Prue chips in. "But I donít think Piper wants you to intoxicate Leo and her."

"Hey!" Phoebe reacts while pretending to hit her big sister. "Iím not that bad!"

She looks at Piper and Leo for support. Piper contents herself to take out the dishes while pretending she didnít hear a thing. As for Leo, he tries not to laugh and shrugs, not wanting to incur Phoebeís wrath or to contradict Prue and Piper.

Phoebe finally gives up and lets Piper make breakfast. "Anyway" she thinks "itíll help get her mind off of her nightmare."

Prue, her, decides to give a hand to Piper. She is still a little upset by what she saw in her sisterís room. Actually, itís not as much the fact that Piper had a nightmare that bothers her as her reaction when she woke up and pushed back Leo. Prue has never seen Piper like that before. But everything seems to be back to normal now and she tells herself itís not important.

As for Leo, he watches Piper bustling about in the kitchen, talking to her sisters. She seems to be back to her old self and there is no more sign of fear in her. Leo would like to think itís a sign that itís over but his instinct tells him otherwise. Still, he chooses not to talk about it right now and pushes back his worries to enjoy breakfast with the girls. Thereíll be plenty of time to address this later.

The rest of the morning goes on without any real problem. At ten oíclock, Darryl Morris stops by with a few other cops to make sure everybodyís all right and to see if anyone thought of details he or she couldíve forgotten yesterday in their depositions. After obtaining their answers they leave and the morning goes back to being normal.

At lunchtime, Piper decides to make sandwiches and some salad. Phoebe proposes her help and Piper accepts it, saying that, anyway, it would be difficult for her little sister to spoil sandwiches. Leo also offers his help to Piper, who asks him to set the table while sheís making the salad and Phoebeís making the sandwiches. He accepts and starts to put the dishes on the table.

Suddenly, Prue comes up from the basement where she was developing photos and collides with Leo. He drops the glass he was holding and it breaks on the floor. Hearing the noise, Piper jumps and quickly turns around, holding her knife like a weapon.

"Whatís happening?" she almost yells.

"Itís okay, Piper." Prue answers. "Leo dropped the glass when I bumped into him."

"What?!" Piper does in a voice where Leo detects fear. "What did you do to him?"

"Piper, I just bumped into him." Prue answers, not understanding why her sister is asking her that question.

"Are you all right, Piper?" Leo asks his girlfriend, whoís still holding her knife defensively.

Piper doesnít answer Leo. She just stares at him, then at Prue. In her head, she hears a voice asking her if sheís sure she can believe them. She tries to ignore the voice by telling herself that Prue and Leo would never lie to her.

Phoebe, whoís still standing next to Piper, gazes at her sister. The sight in front of her is worrying. Piper is there, almost threatening Prue and Leo with her knife, eyes wide open and full of fear. It almost seems like sheís in a trance. Unable to take more, Phoebe reaches out and puts her hand on Piperís shoulder.

Piper quickly turns around toward Phoebe as if sheíd just been attacked. Taken by surprise, Phoebe gives out a little scream and takes a step back.

"Piper!" Leo says at the same time, hoping to bring her back to reality.

Hearing Leo shouting her name, Piper gets out of her trance. She lowers the knife and drops it on the counter as if it was a poisonous snake.

"Oh my God! IÖ Iím sorry." she says turning to Prue and Leo.

"Are you okay, Piper?" Prue asks her sister.

"IÖ I donít know." Piper, who seems about to cry, answers.

Leo comes closer and takes her in his arms. Piper clings to him and starts to cry on his shoulder. Long minutes go by. No one dares to speak. Prue and Phoebe pick up the glass debris in silence, exchanging a look from time to time. Something is wrong. Theyíre both sure of that.

When Piper stops crying, Leo convinces her to go sit on the couch. Prue and Phoebe follow them.

"Piper, what happened?" Phoebe finally asks. "That wasnít like you."

"I donít know, Pheebs." Piper answers. "I feltÖ I felt likeÖ like I wasÖ"

"Like you were what?" Leo softly encourages her.

"Like I was stuck in my nightmare." Piper answers in a small voice. "I felt like it was becoming realÖ"

There is a moment of silence during which Phoebe, Prue and Leo exchange a look. Itís obvious for all three of them what nightmare Piperís talking about. Leo, who had put his arm around Piper, tightens his grip on her a little while Prue takes her hand and Phoebe sits closer to her.

"Piper" Leo says after a few minutes "maybe you should tell us about your nightmare."

Piper nods and starts her explanations.

"In my dream, I see you die, all of you. Sometimes, I see.. demons or warlocks killing youÖ ButÖ every timeÖ every time there are demons who take your places. TheyÖ they pretend theyíre you and then, theyÖ they try toÖ they try toÖ kill me."

"Oh, PiperÖ" Prue does pressing her sisterís hand.

She looks at Leo and Phoebe. At least, this explains a few things like why Piper was scared of Leo this morning or why she was scared of them earlier. But it doesnít explain why she felt like she was living her nightmare.

"Piper, what made you believe you were in your nightmare?" she asks her.

"I donít know. I think itís -- " Piper starts before stopping.

"You think itís what?" Leo asks, reading in her eyes that she has something to add but doesnít dare.

"Nothing." she answers a little too quickly. "I donít know."

Leo looks at her for a few seconds. "Sheís lying." he thinks watching her look the other way so he wonít be able to read in her eyes. "Why? What are you hiding from me, Piper? What scares you so much you donít want to talk about it?" Leo is dying to ask her these questions. But he doesnít. He is afraid, too. Afraid of the answer, yes, but also afraid sheíll lie to him again.

"You really sure you donít know, honey?" Phoebe insists.

"Yes." Piper answers after a few seconds of hesitation. "Maybe Iím just a little tired."

"Okay." Phoebe says, accepting that explanation for now. "In that case, I think you shouldnít go to P3 today."

"ButÖ" Piper protests.

"Phoebeís right." Prue agrees. " You need to rest, Piper."

"No, itís okay. Itís over now." Piper says. "Iím all right."

"PiperÖ" Prue starts.

"Prue, Iím telling you Iím all right." Piper replies.

Prue and Phoebe look at her with an unconvinced look.

"Tell them Iím okay." Piper says turning to Leo.

"Ah, PiperÖ I think your sisters are right." he tells her. "You should stay here and get some rest. It canít hurt you."

"But I have to go open the club." Piper insists.

"I think your staff can survive without you for a day, Piper." Prue replies.

Piper looks at the three of them, then raises her hands in sign of defeat.

"Okay, okay, three against one, I got it." she says. "You win."

She turns to Leo.

"You know" she tells him "Iím starting to understand how you feel when we all pin against you."

Leo smiles at her.

"Try to remember that next time." he tells her.

"Iíll try but I canít make any promises." Piper jokes as she gives Leo a small kiss on the lips.

Then she gets up and goes for the stairs.

"Wait a minute." Phoebe calls after her. "Where are you going?"

"In my room." Piper answers as she turns back to them. "To rest. Thatís what you wanted, right?"

"Okay, have fun." Phoebe answers.

Piper raises her eyes to the ceiling and climbs up the stairs.

Actually, itís not only to rest that Piper is going to her room. Itís also because she wonít have to look her sisters and her boyfriend in the eyes after lying to them. Piper knows she shouldíve told them about the voice but she didnít have the courage. Sheís scared. Sheís scared of what it could mean. Piper Halliwell is scared sheís becoming as crazy as Lucy.

In the living room, Prue, Phoebe and Leo are still sitting on the couch.

"Do you think sheís better?" Prue asks the others.

"Looks like it. For now." Leo answers.

"For now?" Prue asks. "Why do you say that?"

"Prue, you know as well as me that somethingís wrong with Piper."

Prue bites her lip and nods. She knows Leoís right.

"What do you think is happening to her, Leo?" Phoebe asks.

"If I knew, Phoebe." Leo sighs, sitting against the back of the couch. "If only I knew."

Phoebe takes Leoís hand in hers. She knows how much Leo loves Piper and how much all this is tearing him apart. Sheís like to do something to relieve him but she knows that he wonít be until Piperís better. The best she can do is help him to find out what is going on.

"Hey." she does, searching for his eyes. "Donít worry, Leo. Weíll find out, youíll see."

Leo looks at her and tries to smile but his heart is not in it. He has a bad feeling things are going to get worse before they get better.

Meanwhile, in her room, Piper tries to sleep. But she canít ; sheís afraid sheíll have an other nightmare. The young witch gets up and goes to look at herself in the mirror. She picks up a hair brush and proceeds to brush her long dark hair.

"Why do you think they pushed you to stay here?" the voice sheís starting to hate asks her. "Why?"

Piper keeps brushing her hair, trying to ignore the voice, telling herself itís only her imagination.

"You think itís because they worry about you?" another voice asks. "Wrong."

"Itís not them, Piper." a third voice tells her. "Itís the demons who took their places."

"They donít want you to go out because they want to kill you." the first voice continues.

"No!" Piper says. "You donít exist. Youíre only a figment of my imagination."

"You know weíre right." the second voice tells her. "Think about it. Would Leo really let you go upstairs alone after what happened?"

Piper closes her eyes.

"Why did Phoebe insist to know if you really didnít know why you did that?" the third one asks. "Because she knows youíre on to them."

"You must kill them, Piper." the first voice goes on. "You must kill them before they kill you."

"No! Shut up!" Piper says. "Leave me alone!"

"They killed Prue and Phoebe. They killed Leo. Theyíll kill you."

"No." Piper says. "Prue, Phoebe and Leo would never hurt me."

The voices keep going on. Piper keeps telling them theyíre wrong but the voices continue, untiringly repeating the same thing. So much so Piper almost believes them.

Suddenly, unable to take it anymore, Piper throws her hairbrush on the mirror, screaming "NO!"

In the living room, Prue, Phoebe and Leo hear Piperís scream and the sound of shattering glass. All three of them jump up and run to Piperís room, fearing something happened to her. Itís Leo who reaches the room first. The sight he discovers breaks his heart.

Piper is kneeling on the ground, her head burrowed in her hands, crying bitterly. Shattered pieces of the mirror are scattered all around her, obviously broken by the hairbrush.

Quietly, Leo goes near Piper and takes her in his arms.

"Leo, please help me." she cries.

"How, Piper? How can I help you? Tell me, please." Leo urges her, almost crying too.

"Make them stop. Please make them stop."

"Stop who? How, Piper?"

"Make them shut up, Leo. Oh God, make them shut up."

"Who, Piper, who?" Leo asks her again, crying, despaired to see the woman he loves in such pain.

"The voices. Please make the voices shut up, Leo."

End part 1

Voices II ó Piperís Nightmare (part 2)

Sitting on her bed, Piper tries to stop shaking. Leo is sitting next to her and sheís huddled against him. She hasnít let go of him since he took her in his arms during her attack. For Piper, Leo is her anchor. Itís his presence that shut up the voices, for now. But Piper is still trembling because she knows the voices will come back. And she isnít sure sheíll be able to resist them for long.

Leo does his best to comfort her, but heís also distressed. He suspected Piper wasnít all right during the incident in the kitchen. But he never imagined this. When Piper asked him to make the voices shut up, he felt his heart go cold. He now understands what Piper was afraid of and he canít help being afraid too.

Prue and Phoebe are also sitting in the room, hand in hand, tears brimming their eyes. They too cannot believe what is happening. They try to understand how Lucyís apparent insanity could transmit itself to their sister. They witnessed firsthand what the voices made Lucy do. On no account do they want Piper to suffer the same fate.

Itís Prue who breaks the silence when Piper seems to have regain control of herself.

"Are-are you better, Piper?"

"No, Prue." Piper answers. "Iím not better. Iím going crazy!"

"Piper, donít say that." Leo reacts. "Youíre not crazy."

"Yes, I am, Leo." Piper replies. "Iím as crazy as Lucy was."

"No, I wonít believe it." Phoebe says. "Youíre not crazy, Piper. Itís something else."

"Iím hearing voices telling me Iíve got to kill you." Piper replies to her sister. "Thatís not crazy enough for you?!"

"Piper, stop it!" Leo exclaims. "Phoebeís right. I donít know whatís going on but Iíll find out, I swear."

"Weíll find out." Prue adds.

"Yeah." Phoebe agrees. "Trust us."

Piper looks at Prue, Phoebe and Leo. She can read in their eyes the love and the concern they have for her. She can also read their assurance and determination to find a solution to their situation. Thatís what convinces her theyíre right.

"You really think Iím not crazy?" she asks.

"Piper, insanity isnít like a bad cold, you canít pass it on from one person to another just like that." Phoebe explains. "If the same thing as Lucy is happening to you, then thereís a good chance itís something else."

"I didnít follow any psychology classes" Prue says "but I think Phoebeís right. We just have to find out what it is."

"And how do we do that?" Piper asks.

"Well, we have the Book of Shadows and weíve got Leo. That should be enough for now." Phoebe answers.

"I think I heard that somewhere beforeÖ" Piper does while giving a small smile.

"Yeah, well, I was right then too, right?" Phoebe reacts, happy to at least have made her sister smile.

"More or less." Piper answers. "What do we do now?"

"We find out whatís happening to you, Piper." Leo answers, holding her a little tighter.

Prue stands up and claps her hands with a determined look.

"Okay, hereís what weíre gonna do." she declares. "Phoebe, you go get the Book and meet us downstairs with it and weíll look in it. Piper, youíll have to tell us exactly what the voices sound like so weíll know exactly what weíre looking for." She looks at Piper and adds "You think youíll be able to do that?"

"Yes." Piper answers. "Anything to get rid of them."

"Okay." Prue goes on. "Meanwhile, Leo, you should go up there and see if your bosses wouldnít have a little idea of whatís going on."

"Yeah, sure." Leo accepts, willing to do anything to free Piper of the voices.

Piper isnít sure she wants Leo to leave right now but she doesnít say anything for fear of worrying him even more.

"Okay, letís go." Phoebe says as she gets up and goes to the attic to get the Book of Shadows while the others go downstairs.

A few seconds later, Phoebe joins them in the parlor, Book of Shadows in hand, and sits down in front of Piper, next to Prue. Without waiting, she opens the book and start flipping the pages.

At the same moment, Prue looks at Leo, sitting next to Piper, and tells him "Leo, maybe you should go see them right away to gain time."

The whitelighter nods, then gives a small kiss to Piper.

"Iíll be back in no time, Piper." he reassures her as he starts orbing.

Suddenly overcome by fear, Piper clutches Leoís hand.

"No!" she exclaims.

Leo stops orbing, worried, believing Piper is once again prey to the voices.

"Whatís wrong?" he asks her.

"Donít go, Leo, please." Piper asks him. "Stay with me."

"Piper, he has to go see them to ó" Prue starts.

"I know, Prue." Piper says, still holding Leoís hand to keep him from disappearing. She knows that common sense dictates she should let him go, if only to put all the chances on her side. But Piper couldnít care less about common sense right now. Especially since her instinct tells her that if she lets Leo leave, the voices could come back.

"I know you should go, Leo." Piper goes on, turning to him. "But I donít want you to. I need you to stay here, with me. I need you."

"PiperÖ" Leo does.

He reaches out with his hand and tenderly strokes his belovedís cheek. She is scared. She doesnít have to say it in words, he knows. He gently pulls her against him and hugs her.

"All right, Piper, Iíll stay." he finally accepts, kissing her on the temple. "Iíll stay here while you guys look in the Book and try to find out what this is."

"And what if we canít find it?" Phoebe asks, raising her eyes from the book.

"Weíll find it, Phoebe." Leo asserts.

"But what happens if we donít?" Prue wants to know.

"I donít think thatíll happen. But if it does, Iíll go see them. All right?"

The girls all nod and Phoebe and Prue both lean over the Book of Shadows.

After a while, Phoebe realizes that Prue and her will loose a lot of time searching blindly like this, without really knowing what theyíre looking for exactly. She decides to ask Piper more details on the voices.

"Piper, could you describe the voices to us a little?" she asks her sister.

"I can try." Piper answers. "There are three of them, actually. They sound likeÖ likeÖ" Piper shakes her head, unable to find words to describe the voices. "I donít know. Like normal voices, I guess."

"Thereís really nothing else that struck you about them?" Prue inquires.

"No, not really." Piper answers. "No, wait." she adds. "There may be something else."

"What?" Phoebe asks.

"I donít know if itís really important, though." Piper says.

"If it struck you, then it must be, Piper." Leo tells her. "What is it?"

"Well, they always spoke one after another, never at the same time." Piper explains. "It was as if each one completed what the other said."

"Okay, if I understand correctly, what weíre looking for is three voices who talk in your head in turn." Prue says, in a voice betraying her feeling that itís not much to go by.

This detail isnít lost on Piper, who feels discouraged. Sheíd like to give them more details but she doesnít have anymore to give. She feels like theyíll never find where the voices come from. As those thoughts cross Piperís mind, the little courage her sisters and Leo have given her earlier starts to melt and, slowly, fear and despair start creeping back in her.

Prue and Phoebe are too absorbed in their search in the Book of Shadows to notice the change happening in their sister. For Leo, however, that change doesnít go unnoticed. He sees it in Piperís eyes, of course, but also in the rest of her being. Piper curls up a little more on herself, she holds him tighter. He knows that the little information she could give them is the cause of this uneasiness. And the more Prue and Phoebe turn the bookís pages without finding anything, the more Piperís spirit drops. Leo feels his own spirit drop at the same time; he hates seeing Piper like that. He has to do something, if only to give back hope to his girlfriend. "Thereís got to be something I can ask her to help in the search." he thinks.

"Piper, what is it like when the voices talk to you?" he asks her, at last.

Piper looks at him without understanding.

"What do you mean?" she asks him.

"What does it feel like?"

The young woman keeps silent for a few seconds, thinking about it before answering.

"At first, it just felt like there was someone else with me in the room who was whispering in my ear." she answers.

"And after?" he asks.

"Now, it feels more like the voices are in my head. You know, like when you talk to yourself in your mind. Except that I know itís not my voice. And the more they talk, the more I believe them. Like they were hypnotizing me or something."

"Like they were breaking through your barriers, little by little?" Leo asks her.

"Yes, exactly." Piper answers, surprised he guessed it. "Why, it rings a bell?"

"Honestly, Iím not sure, Piper." Leo tells her. "Iíve got the feeling I already heard about it, but Iím not sure when or why. Maybe another whitelighter had to face this."

"Or maybe you just heard crazy people describing how they feel, once." Piper darkly remarks while looking at her feet.

Not wanting to hear more of the young womanís unusual pessimism, Leo raises Piperís chin so she has no other choice but to look him in the eyes.

"Piper, stop it." he firmly tells her. "Youíre not crazy and you know it. Stop putting a negative spin on everything."

"Putting a negative spin on everything?!" Piper reacts. "God, Leo! I hear voices telling to kill you and you want me to think positively?! Thatís stupid."

Prue raises her head as she hears Piperís words, wondering what couldíve happened to make her react like that.

Leo, himself, canít believe it. He knows Piper has a tendency to overreact but never to this point. And calling him stupidÖ It just isnít like her.

"Iím not asking you to act like everythingís fine, Piper." he says. "Iím just asking you not to see things worse than they really are."

Piper gives Leo a scowling look without saying a word. However, itís obvious sheís about to reply something to him. Leo, like Prue, notices her attitude and knows Piper is also about to let her anger explode.

"I understand how you feel, Piper." he tells her. "But?"

"No." Piper cuts him. "You donít understand, Leo. You donít understand at all!" She pushes his hand away. "None of you understand!"

Leo, seeing that Piper is starting to lose her temper, tries to get closer to her. He reaches out his hand once again to touch her arm. Bad call. As his hand touches Piperís arm she pushes him back again, hastily getting up and screaming "Leave me alone! Donít touch me, Leo!".

Piperís scream makes Phoebe, who, until now, has concentrated on the Book of Shadows while ignoring Piper and Leoís discussion, thinking Piper was only overreacting once again, raises her head. She isnít sure itís just that anymore.

"Calm down, Piper." Prue says, opening her mouth for the first time since the beginning of the fight.

"Iíll calm down if I want to, Prue!" Piper replies sharply. "And mind your own business."

Prue opens her mouth but, unable to find words to calm down her sister, she closes it without a word.

"Piper, weíre only trying to help you." Leo tries to calm her, getting up.

"Yeah, well, I donít want your help, okay?" Piper utters, looking at him.

"Come on, PiperÖ" Phoebe tries to convince her.

"No. You canít help me, anyway. No one can." Piper announces.

"Thatís not true, Piper. We can help you. You just have to give us more time." Leo tells her as he takes a step in her direction.

But Piper also rejects this attempt and steps back one step, away from Leo who stops, unsure what he should do now.

Prue and Phoebe are open-mouthed. None of them knows what to do and they stand there, helpless, watching their sister with concern.

"Stop kidding yourself, Leo Wyatt." Piper spits out. "You canít help me: you donít even know whatís happening."

The reply is like a cold shower for Leo. The words were delivered with a cold voice and the look that accompanies them is icy. Leo feels a shiver down his back. Piper didnít utter those words. Not his Piper. Itís not possible. The voices must be back, he realizes, and theyíre the ones who are making Piper act like this.

Prue, who just had the same thought and reached the same conclusion, feels bad for Leo. He definitely doesnít deserve to hear this, she thinks.

"Piper, youíre not being fair." Prue reproaches her sister.

"Thatís right, go on, defend him." Piper replies. "It doesnít really surprise me."

Prue looks at her sister, surprised, not expecting that kind of answer at all. She gives a look at Phoebe, whoís as surprised as she is.

"Wait a second, Piper." the youngest Halliwell sister says. "Leo and Prue are only worried about you. You donít have the right to-"

"Thatís it, why donít you just all gang up against me." Piper reacts. "Thatís what youíve been waiting for from the start, right?"

"What?" Phoebe says, confused.

"I know who you are." Piper goes on. "I know what you want. And youíre not getting it!"

Leo, whoís pulled himself back together, takes advantage of the fact that Piperís attention is focused on her sisters to quickly get close to her and grip her arms.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Piper screams, struggling.

Seeing her like this is tearing him apart but Leo knows he canít let her go if he wants to help her.

"Get a hold of yourself, Piper!" he exclaims. "Itís not you whoís talking, itís the voices. You have to take back control of yourself before you do something youíll regret."

"Let me go!" Piper yells, hysterical, still trying to get out of his grip.

"Get a hold of yourself, Piper!" Leo repeats. "Please, youíre stronger than them."

"No!" Piper screams as she frees one of her arms.

She tries to push Leo back but he resists. He tries to catch Piperís hand. Sheís quicker than him and, crazy with rage and fear, Piper clubs him on the jaw. Taken by surprise, Leo looses his balance and sweeps Piper in his fall. Prue and Phoebe have only time to scream before Piper and Leo hit the ground, Leoís head banging against a piece of furniture while Piper falls on him.

Before her sisters have time to react, Piper quickly gets up, stepping back a few steps and brings her hand to her mouth, eyes wide open, horrified.

"Oh, Leo." she breathes out, unable to believe what she just did.

Phoebe then rushes to Leo, whoís unconscious, while Prue goes to Piper. She seems back to her old self.

"Piper, are you all right?" Prue asks, searching for Piperís eyes, still fixated on Leo.

"Prue, what did I do?" she asks, near tears.

Prue takes her in her arms, trying to comfort her. Piper lets her, then she looks at Phoebe, kneeling next to Leo.

"Phoebe. LeoÖ" Piper starts, unable to finish her sentence.

"I think heís waking up." Phoebe answers as she sees his body move.

Indeed, Leo is now conscious and sits up slowly, bringing his hand to his head, grimacing in pain.

"Phoebe" he says noticing the young woman kneeling near him "is Piper-"

"Sheís all right." Phoebe reassures him pointing to her two sisters.

Piper watches Leo get up, relieved she hasnít badly hurt her boyfriend.

"Leo, Iím so sorry." she says, running to him, tears in her eyes. "I didnít want toÖ"

"I know." Leo comforts her, holding her close to him, happy to have back the Piper he knows and loves. "Itís okay. The important thing is youíve gained back control, Piper."

"All those horrible things I said and didÖ" Piper goes on.

"Shh. Itís not important, Piper. Thereís nothing you could do. The voices made you do that."
 
 

For a few minutes, Leo, Prue and Phoebe apply themselves to reassure Piper that theyíre not mad at her. In spite of that, Piper canít chase the incident from her mind. The voices were almost stronger than her. It was only when she saw Leo unconscious that she regained control. Next time, she might not be so lucky.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" Piper suddenly lets out, exasperated and discouraged.

"I donít know, Piper." Prue answers her. "But I think weíd better hurry to find the answer to that before the voices come back again."

"Prueís right." Phoebe agrees. "Which is why you should go see your bosses right now, Leo. Otherwise, Iím afraid we wonít have enough time."

Leo doesnít answer right away. He is torn between two choices: go find the answer to Piperís problem and feel like heís abandoning her or stay here with her to support her but risk never finding the answer. Finally, logic prevails.

"Okay. Iíll go see them. And I swear Iíll make it as quick as possible, Piper." he says looking her in the eyes.

"I know." Piper answers as she hugs him.

Then Leo steps back and orbs out.

"Well, what about us? What do we do now?" Piper asks after a long silence.

"Phoebe and Iíll keep looking in the book." Prue answers. "You never knowÖ"

Piper nods while her sisters immerse themselves back in the Book of Shadows. She feels helpless but doesnít see what more she could do to help her sisters. Plus, she doesnít want to get too close to them, afraid the voicesíll come back and make her hurt them.

After ten minutes, Piper is tired of sitting there with nothing to do. She gets up and asks her sisters "Iím gonna get a drink in the kitchen. You want something?"

Phoebe and Prue shake their head and Piper goes to the kitchen. She just set foot in the room when she hears the voices again. "No" she thinks "you wonít get me this time. I know what you want and you wonít get it."

Piper goes to the cupboard and gets a glass that she fills with water. During all this time, she forces herself to concentrate on her task so she wonít hear the voices. It seems to work until she sees the knife she left on the counter earlier. Before she has time to realize what sheís doing, she grabs it. "No." Piper thinks again. "Put it down. Put it down on the counter." But she canít obey her own mindís order.

In the parlor, Prueís starting to think Piperís been gone for a long time.

"You think we should check up on her?" Prue asks Phoebe.

"Iím sure sheís all right, Prue." Phoebe answers her. "That said, Iím still gonna go see her because now Iím thirsty. Keep looking in the Book."

As she enters the kitchen, Phoebe immediately sees Piper standing next to the counter, knife in hand.

"Piper?" she says, confused.

"PhoebeÖ" Piper reacts as she turns toward her.

Immediately, Phoebe notices her sisterís struggling against something invisible. No doubt the voices. She takes a step toward her, hoping to help her.

"Donít come closer, Phoebe." Piper tells her. "Please."

"Come on, Piper." Phoebe answers. "You-"

"No! Donít come near me." Piper repeats, raising her voice and pointing her knife at her sister. "I donít want to hurt you."

"Okay, Piper." Phoebe softly says. "Just put down the knife."

"Go away, Phoebe." Piper says between her teeth. "Go away before they make me kill you."

"Piper, youíre not gonna kill me: youíre stronger than them."

"You donít understand, Phoebe. Theyíre winning."

"No, I donít believe it." Phoebe answers walking the remainder of the space that separates her from Piper.

She tries to take the knife from Piperís hand but her sister cuts the air in front of her with it to warn her off.

"I donít want to Phoebe. I donít want to." Piper says, near tears.

"PiperÖ"

Phoebe doesnít know what to do. She realizes Piper has only marginal control of herself and that itís fading away every second. And she is armed.

Suddenly, Piper tenses and attacks, striking with her knife toward Phoebe. But she expected it (after all, Piper *did* attack Leo sooner) and kicks Piperís hand, making her drop the knife. Piper tries to go to the knife but Phoebe is quicker and jumps on her sister, making her fall on the ground.

Piper twists under her sisterís weight and screams "No!".

She struggles and tries to hit her sister. Prue, alarmed by the strange noises coming from the kitchen comes in running. She stops dead in her tracks as she sees her sisters.

"Phoebe? Piper?" she asks, unable to think of anything else to say.

Phoebe doesnít answer, concentrated as she is on Piper, whoís stopped fighting a little.

"No." she says. "Leave me alone. Go away. Leave me alone."

Tears well up in Piperís eyes and thatís when Phoebe realizes her sisterís not talking to her.

"Help me, Phoebe." Piper goes on. "Make them shut up. I canít take more."

Phoebe gets off of Piper and the latter sits up. Then Phoebe takes Piper in her arms and presses her against herself, crying with her. Prue watches her sisters rock together and goes to join them when she sees a blue light she knows well from the corner of her eye. Leo is back.

"Whatís happened, Prue?" he asks her as he gets closer.

"Iím not sure." Prue answers. "I think she had another attack."

Leo nods and goes to the others.

"PiperÖ" he says, kneeling besides her.

She raises her head and sees him. She lets go of Phoebe and hugs Leo. He closes his arms around her and rocks her, just like Phoebe did before him.

"Iím sorry, Piper." he says, eyes filled with water. "Iím so sorry."

For long minutes, Leo and Piper rock each other in silence while Prue and Phoebe watch them, holding hands, near tears too. Finally Piper has no more tears to cry and she progressively calms down. Thatís when Prue dares to ask "Leo, what did your bosses tell you?"

"They told me to look up the Trion in the Book of Shadows." Leo answers, still holding Piper close to him. "Thatís what the voices are called."

"Okay." Prue does. "And Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He gives her a small smile, meaning he couldnít have done otherwise. He would give anything to make Piper well.

"Letís go look in the book." Piper says, now that she has calmed down.

"Piper, are you sure you want to-?" Phoebe starts to ask her.

"Oh yeah. And I want us to go right now."

Everyone goes to the parlor where Prue left the book. She takes it and quickly turns the pages.

"Letís seeÖ" she mutters. "TrionÖ TrionÖ TrionÖ Ah! Got it!" she announces as she finds the right page.

"What does it say?" Phoebe inquires.

"Trion. Apparently, theyíre inseparable demons who enter their victimís mind and make them gradually loose control using their greatest fears."

"That must be why theyíre trying to make believe we're dead and weíve been replaced by demons to Piper." Leo concludes.

"Yeah." Phoebe agrees. "Does it say how they enter their victims?"

"Yes. Actually, their victimís always the first person who finds the body of the previous victim. They leave the first one in his or her last breath and their new victim unknowingly inhales them."

"And thatís exactly what happened to me." Piper says. "Iím the one who found Lucy in the bathroom. And now that I think about it, I felt a strange shiver when I got close to her."

"That had to be them." Leo says.

"Does it say how we can vanquish them?" Phoebe wants to know.

"Huh, wait a second." Prue answers scanning the page. "Yep, thereís a spell to vanquish them. But we can only use it when theyíre the most vulnerable and thatís-"

The young woman interrupts herself, unable to believe what she just read.

"And thatís when, Prue?" Piper asks.

Prue clears her throat and finally answers.

"Thatís just before they take a new host."

"Okay, how do we do that?" Piper asks.

Leo looks at Prue. He understands what she means.

"Piper" he says looking at her "what Prue means is that you canít vanquish them as long as theyíre in you."

"And they canít get out as long as Iím alive?" Piper asks.

"No." Leo sadly answers. "If you want to vanquish them, youíll have to die, Piper."

End part 2

Voices II ó Piperís Nightmare (part 3)

"No! Itís out of the question!" Prue yells angrily as she enters the living room almost running.

She canít believe the only way to save Piper from those damned voices is to kill her.

"Prue" Phoebe calls entering the room after her, "at least let me finish."

Prue turns around to face her youngest sister, still mad.

"I donít care what the end of what you were saying is, Phoebe!" she exclaims. "Weíre not gonna kill Piper!"

"Thatís not what I was gonna suggest either." Phoebe replies.

Prue stares at her, confused.

At the same moment, Leo and Piper also enter the living room. Everyone is slightly demoralized by the turn of events.

A few minutes ago, Leo asserted that the only way for Piper to get rid of the voices is to die. Of course, the sisters didnít accept that, no more so than Leo himself, in fact. Once the initial shock was overcome, all four of them tried to find other options, without any success.

A few seconds ago, Phoebe ended up saying "Apparently, we have no choice. To get the voices out of Piper, weíll have to-" And thatís when Prue rushed out of the parlor, yelling.

"What do you mean, Phoebe?" Prue asks.

"If youíd let me finish, youíd know." Phoebe replies, a little angry at her sister.

"Tell us now, Phoebe." Leo intervenes, not wanting to waste time in worthless disputes.

"Right." Phoebe accepts, forgetting her anger. "What I was saying was that we could make the voices believe Piperís dying."

Phoebe is aware that what she just said is dangerously close to insanity, but since itís the only possible option (short of killing Piper, which she refuses to even consider), she says it anyway. Prue, Piper and Leo keep silent, contemplating Phoebeís suggestion.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Prue finally asks.

"I donít know." Phoebe honestly answers. "I didnít think of that. Maybe we could use the same thing we used when we got rid of that ghostÖ"

"Which one?" Prue sarcastically asks.

"The one when Piper was in Hawaii." Phoebe answers. "We could make her drink that then revive her like Andy did for you."

"Seems like a good plan." Prue agrees.

Leo doesnít agree. At first, he hesitates to share his opinion with the girls, knowing what it will imply for Piper. But he is a whitelighter and it is his duty to let the Charmed Ones know when theyíre wrong.

"No." he says. "It wonít work."

"And whyís that, Leo?" Phoebe wants to know.

"Because itís in their victimís last breath that the voices get out." Leo explains. "And to let out his or her last breath, their victim has to die."

Prue canít understand why Leo wants so much to make them see that they donít have any choice but to let Piper die. He should be the first to vote against her death is he loves Piper as much as he says he does.

"Why are you so intent to throw away all the ideas we come up with, Leo?" she asks him, a little mad.

"Maybe because itís his job and heís right." Piper answers, opening her mouth for the first time since she understood how to get rid of the voices.

Piper feels their eyes converge on her, She feels their concern and their opposition to her death. Even Leo is opposed to it. She knows it. She knows him well enough to know. But they must face the facts, she tells herself.

"What are you saying, Piper?" Prue asks, afraid of knowing exactly what her sister means.

Piper keeps her mouth shut but stares at her sisters and Leo with an eloquent look. There is only one solution to her problem and she knows it.

"No, Piper. YouÖ No, we canít do that." Phoebe obstinately says.

"We canít kill you, Piper. ItísÖ We canít." Prue adds.

"Prue, you read it yourself and you heard Leo: itís the only way to vanquish them." Piper counters.

"No." Phoebe refuses. "Thereís gotta be another way. Iím sure that if we look hard enough in the Book of Shadows, weíll find something."

"No. We wonít find anything, Phoebe." Piper says.

"Come on, Piper." Prue does. "Iím sure Phoebeís right."

"Damn it, guys!" Piper exclaims. "Donít you think that if there were another way to do this itíd be written on the same page?"

During all this time, Leo keeps quiet. If he doesnít join the discussion, itís because he isnít sure where he stands. Part of him refuses to let Piper die and wants to find another solution. But another part of him knows that Piper is right and that there is no other way out than death for the one he loves.

Suddenly, Phoebe growls while raising her hands to the sky, discouraged by Piperís attitude, and turns to Leo.

"Leo, would you make Piper understand that her death is not an option?"

Surprised by the question, Leo doesnít know what to say. He looks at Phoebe, then at Prue and, finally, at Piper. She crosses her arms and stares him in the eyes. "Tell the truth, Leo." he can read in her eyes. He slowly takes his eyes away and looks at Prue and Phoebe once again. He hesitates again, unable to repeat what he said earlier, that sentence to Piperís death.

"I canít." he almost whispers.

Prue averts her eyes from Leo and stares at Piper.

"I wonít do it, Piper." she says. "I wonít kill you. You canít make us do it."

"I know." Piper answers in a trembling voice. "I had no intention to ask you to. Iíll do it myself."

"No!" Phoebe and Prue let out simultaneously while Leo closes his eyes to keep from crying.

"Thereís gotta be a way to keep you alive!" Phoebe exclaims.

"Yeah, we donít vanquish the voices and I spend the rest of my life hearing them!" Piper retorts, starting to lose her temper.

"At least youíll be alive!" Prue lets out.

"Yeah, so they can make me kill you!" Piper yells, running up the stairs, intending to lock herself up in her room.

Leo moves to follow her but Prue stops him, saying "Whatís wrong with you?!"

Sheís angry, thatís obvious. And Leo can understand her.

"PrueÖ" he starts.

"Why didnít you say anything? You couldíve given us a hand!"

"No, I couldnít have, Prue." Leo tries to explain. "And she knew it."

"You couldíve tried to convince her that as long as sheís alive, we still have a chance to find a way to save her *and* vanquish the Trion." Phoebe tells him.

"Phoebe, even if we look for years, we wonít find anything." Leo answers.

"So youíre giving up? Thatís it?" an incredulous Prue says. "And here I thought youíd do anything to save her because you love herÖ"

Leo is aware that Prue and Phoebeís anger is only aimed at him because they feel helpless. But Prueís last words hurt him. Hurt it a lot.

"God, Prue! Donít you think if I had any hope of finding another way, Iíd do everything in my power to save her?!" Leo yells. "I love her, Prue! More than anything! I donít want to lose her nowÖ"

The last words were whispered in a trembling voice. Leo stares at Prue and Phoebe, eyes filled up with tears, then turns away and climbs the stairs. This time, Prue and Phoebe donít say anything. Theyíre aware they hurt Leo and they feel bad about it.

In her room, Piper is laying on her bed and cries. She doesnít hear the fight between her sisters and her boyfriend, no more than she hears Leo open the door of her room and close it behind him. He stands next to the door for a moment then he slowly steps closer to the bed.

Piper finally senses his presence and raises her head to look at him. Silently, Leo climbs on the bed and lies down next to her, taking her in his arms. Piper cuddles next to him and cries on his shirt. After a while, she raises her head again and realizes Leoís crying too.

"I donít want to lose you, Piper." he whispers in her ear.

Piper closes her eyes, remembering another time when he told her those words, in that place between life and death where he ended up healing her. He gave her back her life and had given up immortality for her. Leo got his wings back but Piper never forgot he clipped them for her. If Leo has no solution to offer, if even him canít save her, then no one can.

"Itís not fair, Leo." she finally says to her guardian angel. "We were just starting to be happy."

"I know, Piper." Leo tells her, holding her more tightly.

There is a long silence during which Piper and Leo calm down a little.

"If Iím going to die nowÖ" Piper starts.

"PiperÖ"

"No, let me finish, Leo. If it happens today, at least, weíve had all these times together."

"Donít speak like that, Piper."

"Leo, itís the truth. Unless you found another solutionÖ"

Leo doesnít need to answer, Piper knows there doesnít exist another solution. He simply pushes a strand of hair from Piperís face then lets his hand slide to her cheek. Tenderly, he brings her face to his and kisses her.

"Weíll have to convince your sisters." he says when their kiss ends.

"I know. But I also know Prue and Phoebe. They know we donít have a choice. Give them a little time and theyíll convince themselves."

"What about you? Are you really sure you want this?"

"Of course not. What I want is for everything to go back the way it was before. But thatís impossible. And since I donít want to risk hurting those I loveÖ"

Piperís voice trails off. There is another silence in which Piper and Leo are lost in their thoughts.

"Leo, can I ask you something?" Piper says.

"Anything, Piper." he answers.

"Stay with me tonight. If this is really the last night of my life, I want to spend it with the man I love. With you."

"I had no intention to go anywhere, Piper. Thereís nowhere else Iíd rather be tonight."

Piper gives him a small smile and kisses him, putting all her heart and all the love she feels for him in it. Leo kisses her back and, tenderly, he brings Piperís body on top of his, intending not to let her out of his arms until tomorrow morning.

In the kitchen, Prue is sitting at the table, staring at her now mild cup of coffee.

After Leo followed Piper, Phoebe and her stood a while in front of the stairs without knowing what they should do. Then they went back together to the parlor where the Book of Shadows still was. Prue got closer to it and looked at it for a moment. Leoís words were still ringing in her head. It reminded her of not so long ago, when her sisters had to choose between saving her and saving the world. Of course, the stakes were a little different today but the heart of the problem was the same.

Prue then realized sheíd known what decision to make from the beginning. Sighing, she closed the book and took it in her hands to bring it back to the attic.

"What are you doing, Prue?" Phoebe asked.

"Iíll go put the Book back in itís place, Phoebe." Prue answered. "We donít need it anymore, I know the spell to vanquish the Trion by heart."

Phoebe opened her mouth to reply, but she knew her big sister was right. She took the book from Prueís hands without a word and went upstairs. Prue didnít follow her. They both needed some time alone. Instead, she went to get a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

She still hasnít touched it. All Prue can do is think. She tries to understand how she could let such a thing happen to Piper. She keeps going over the events of the last three days in her mind, searching for a way she couldíve avoided all this.

After a while, Prue starts to doubt sheís made the right decision. Didnít she just sentence to death her own sister by choosing not to look in the Book of Shadows anymore? Maybe she and Phoebe couldíve found something. Maybe she shouldíve forced Leo to go see his bosses so they could give him another solution. MaybeÖ MaybeÖ

And the waltz of reproaches and regrets goes on in her mind as her cup of coffee gets colder.

Sitting in a corner of the attic, Phoebe cries. She cries for the life of her sister. She also cries because sheís angry. Angry at Prue because she convinced her. Angry at Leo because he is right, as always. Angry at Piper because she chose to die. Angry at the Book of Shadows because it doesnít help them. Angry against fate that keeps hurting Piper. But most of all, angry at herself because in spite of her powers, in spite of all her knowledge in witchcraft, she cannot save her sister. For the first time in two years, Phoebe regrets that she and her sisters are witches. If they werenít, maybe Piper wouldnít have to die now.

Tonight, Phoebe Halliwell, eternal optimistic, able to see the bright side of every situation, able to hope against all odds, cannot find one single reason to smile. Piper will soon die and thereís nothing she can do about it. Worse, sheíll have to help her do it.

And Phoebe keeps crying, hidden in a corner of the attic.

Much later in the night, Piper slowly wakes up. The first thing her senses register is Leoís body close to hers and his arms around her. Piper smiles sadly. Usually, this sensation is all she needs to feel safe, shielded from the world. Nothing could happen to her as long as she was in Leoís arms. But not this time. Because this time, evil doesnít come from outside, it comes from within herself.

She finally opens her eyes and gazes at her angel sleeping by her side. God, she loves him. And, most wonderful of all, he loves her back. How many women can say the same? Piper knows she is lucky. And thatís what makes what is to come tomorrow morning even more difficult. There are so many things sheíd like to tell him, so many things sheíd like to do with him. But itís too late now.

Slowly, so she wonít wake Leo, Piper gets out of his embrace. She needs to get up, to take a walk downstairs. She pushes back the sheet that mostly covered her body and goes to the dresser, looking for the bottom of her pajamas, which she puts on. She starts looking for the top that goes with it in her drawer when she sees the T-shirt Leo was wearing under his shirt. She closes the drawer, smiling, and picks it up.

Wearing Leoís T-shirt to sleep or when she wakes up in the morning has become a habit since they got back together. And so it seems only natural to her to spend the reminder of her last night with it, remembering all the memories that come with this simple gesture.

Before exiting the room, she kisses softly Leo on the cheek. Then she goes to the bathroom. After that, she goes down to the kitchen and finds Prue there, asleep on the table in front of a cold coffee mug. Piper watches tenderly her big sister before taking the cup and emptying it in the sink. Then, deciding to make toasts for herself, she takes the utensils sheíll need. Thatís when the voices come back once again, trying to push Piper to take her knife and stab Prue in her sleep. Fighting against the Trion, Piper rushes out of the kitchen to stop herself from hurting Prue.

At the same moment, in Piperís bedroom, Leo slowly wakes up, hesitating between going back to sleep or fully waking up, until he realizes Piperís missing. He completely wakes up and looks around the room, searching for his girlfriend. Noting her absence, he gets out of bed to try to find her. He puts on his pants and finds his shirt, but thereís no trace of his T-shirt. He smiles. Once again, Piper stole it. Leo puts on his shirt without his T-shirt and gets out of the room.

Seeing the bathroom door closed, he tells himself thatís where Piper went and knocks at the door.

"Piper?" he says in a low voice so he wonít wake Prue and Phoebe.

"Go away, Leo." Piper answers him. "Theyíre here again."

"Open the door, Piper." Leo asks, worried.

"No, I donít want to kill you."

Suddenly, Leo remembers Lucy killed herself in that same bathroom. "No, not like this!" he thinks. If Piper has to die, he doesnít want it to be like this, alone in the bathroom, terrified of hurting those she loves.

"Prue! Phoebe!" he screams at the top of his lungs.

Without waiting for an answer, Leo orbs in the bathroom and discovers Piper sitting near the bathtub, holding a razor near her wrist, apparently unable to cut it. Seeing the blue light that comes with his arrival, Piper says "Leo, no. Go away."

"No, Piper. Not like this." Leo says as he gets closer to her and gently removes the razor from the young womanís hand.

"You donít understand, Leo." Piper softly protests. "They want me to kill you."

"PiperÖ" Leo says, taking her in his arms.

At the same moment, he hears someone try to open the door, then banging on it. He then hears Prueís panicked voice.

"Leo? Piper? Whatís going on?"

"Itís okay, Prue." Leo answers to calm her. "Sheís all right."

However, he doesnít make any move to open the door. Making sure Piper is really all right is his only priority for now.

"I almost did it, Leo." Piper cries. "I almost killed Prue in the kitchen."

"But you didnít. Thatís a good sign."

"I canít keep doing this, Leo. I canít fight them anymore. I donít have the strength."

"I know, Piper, I know." Leo tells her.

"It has to end now."

On the other side of the door, Prue and Phoebe, worried, are waiting for Leo and Piper to open the door. When opens at last to let the couple out, theyíre holding hands and Piper has a determined look on her face.

"Go get the spell, guys." Piper orders, looking at her sisters.

They look back at her, refusing to obey at first. Then, remembering she has no choice, Prue tells Piper "We donít need the book, Piper. We know the spell by heart." Phoebe nods before saying "Are you sure you want this?"

"Yes. Iím tired of worrying if I might hurt you or not." Piper says. "Like I told Leo, it has to end now."

Without a word, everyone follows Piper to the attic, except Leo, who goes downstairs to the kitchen to get the thing Piper asked him.

In the attic, Piper opens the Book of Shadows to the right page, just in case her sisters donít remember the words when the time comes.

"PiperÖ" Phoebe starts, a lump in her throat.

There are so many things sheíd like to tell her sister and so little time to do so.

"Come here." Piper says, also having a lump in her throat, as she pulls her little sister closer.

Itís all it takes Prue to join her sistersí embrace and all three of them start crying together. Piper tries to comfort her sisters by telling them "At least, Iím not going alone. Iíll bring those damned voices with me."

"What are we gonna do without you, Piper?" a teary Prue asks.

"Youíll be all right, both of you. Youíre strong."

"Not that strong without you." Phoebe replies.

"PhoebeÖ" Piper stops, the lump in her throat making her unable to go on.

She swallows and continues.

"Prue, Phoebe. IÖ I want you to know that if Iíd been able to choose my sisters, Iíd choose you two anyway. Youíre the best sisters anyone could have. I love you."

"Oh, PiperÖ" Phoebe does.

"We love you too." Prue says.

And the three sisters hug each other once again, knowing itís the last time all three of them are together.

Meanwhile, Leo comes back from the kitchen with a knife. Thatís the thing Piper asked him to get. She decided it was probably the quickest way to die. But that doesnít make things any easier for Leo. Entering the attic, he sees the three sisters together. He watches them without a word, waiting for them to finish saying goodbye.

When Piper moves away from her sisters, he gets closer to the three of them. Just before he reaches his girlfriend, Prue stops him by putting her hand on his arm.

"Leo, I want you to know, what I said earlierÖ"

"I know." he says hugging her. "Iím sorry, Prue. For everything."

Phoebe also goes to hug Leo, telling him "Weíre sorry too, Leo."

Then they let Leo join Piper. She watches her boyfriend coming toward her, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Without a word, because the lump in his throat is too big for him to talk, Leo gives her the knife. She takes it and leans down to put it on the floor. Leo crouches with her and takes her in his arms.

"It shouldnít end like this, Piper." he says at last.

"I know, Leo. But I donít have a choice."

"I shouldÖ I should be able to save you." Leo is crying now.

"Not this time, Leo." Piper cries. "Please, donít blame yourself for this."

Leo doesnít answer. He may be a whitelighter and know theyíre doing the right thing, he cannot help refusing Piperís death. He now knows what Sam felt when he lost Patty. He takes Piperís face in his hands, trying to imprint her features in his memory for eternity. Piper tenderly wipes the tears running on Leoís cheeks. She brings her face closer to his and they share a long kiss.

"I love you, Leo." Piper whispers when their lips part.

"I love you too." Leo answers in the same tone.

Then, Piper gives a last look to her sisters, takes the knife and, closing her eyes, plunges it in her heart. Prue and Phoebe cry bitterly as Piper drops the weapon and collapses in Leoís arms.

He is crying too, holding in his arms the woman he loves while life flows out of her with every single drop of blood that stains her T-shirt. Leo feels like someone pierced his heart too. He cannot believe that this is how the story ends. Now that she finally came back to him, now that he knows she loves him and not Dan, he has to lose her again. Piper was his soul mate. And has he watch her die, feeling her breathing getting more and more difficult, Leo knows that a part of him is dying with her. His entire being tells him to use his powers to save her, but he canít.

"Iím sorry, Piper." he whispers to his beloved when he feels the last beats of her heart. "I love you."

Then, he looks at Prue and Phoebe, who are crying together, and tells them "Do it, cast the spell."

Prue and Phoebe nod and, holding hands, they say the spell in the same voice as Piper lets out her last breath. Prue, Phoebe and Leo see a stranger mist rise out of Piper. It takes three human forms for a few seconds before evaporating, screaming.

"I hope it hurts." Prue whispers before kneeling next to Leo.

Phoebe also does and the two sisters cry next to Leo whoís still holding Piperís now lifeless body. In tears, whitelighter looks at the skies in a silent prayer. "Please." he thinks. "Give me the power to save her. She died because of magic, I should have the right." He looks at Piperís face and remembers something she told him just before they got out of the bathroom. "You know, I heard that the brain can live four minutes after respiratory arrest." And what ifÖ?

"What are you doing, Leo?" Phoebe asks between sobs when Leo puts Piper on the floor and places his hands over her wound.

He doesnít answer Phoebe, focusing on Piper instead, knowing he has very little hope of saving her, but a hope still. If only they can let himÖ

Before Prue and Phoebeís surprised eyes, Leoís hands start to glow and Piperís wound heals. Suddenly, the young woman takes a deep breath. With watery eyes, Leo picks her up slightly and calls "Piper? Piper, can you hear me?"

Slowly, the young woman opens her eyes and looks at Leo.

"Leo?" she asks. "Am IÖ Am I dead?"

"No." Leo smiles, hugging her.

"Did it work? Are the Trion vanquished?"

"Yes, Piper." Leo answers. "We did it. Itís over."

Piper smiles at him, relieved. Then Prue and Phoebe jump on her and Leo, happy to have their sister alive and free of the voices.       ***

Epilogue

Under the warm sun of the beginning of the afternoon, Prue, Phoebe, Piper and Leo walk on the beach, carrying a picnic basket and beach bags. Finding the right spot, everyone puts down what he or she was carrying and gets settled.

After the horrible day and night she spent, Piper insisted she needed to get out of the house and have fun. Phoebe suggested a picnic at the beach would make them forget all those horrors.

While they were preparing the picnic, Prue told Leo "Thereís something I donít get, Leo. If Piper was really dead, how did you heal her?"

"When Piper saved me about a year ago, I was dead too." Leo answers.

Seeing the sistersí confused look, he added "There are circumstances when a whitelighter can heal someone who just died."

"And who decides of those circumstances?" Phoebe asked.

" ëThemí. In this case, I think the fact that Piper chose to sacrifice herself to vanquish the demons played in her favor."

"Iím glad it did." Piper added, smiling.

After lunch, Phoebe and Prue decide to go for a swim, leaving Leo an Piper on the towels. Piper watches her sisters, smiling, and laughs when Phoebe starts throwing water at Prue. She turns to Leo and realizes heís holding one of the waterguns Phoebe brought with her.

"Donít even think about it, Leo." she warns him. "Donít you dare."

Leo smiles at her.

"I swear youíre gonna regret it, Leo Wyatt!"

Leo pushes the trigger and a burst of water hits Piper in the face. She lets out a scream and tries to take the weapon from Leoís hands. A chase follows and ends up in the water next to Phoebe and Prue, who laugh their hearts out when Leo is beatenÖ by a wave that makes him fall.

Piper is laughing so much now sheís crying. Leo gets up and puts his arms around her waist, smiling.

"Itís good to see you laugh again, Piper." he tells her.

"Itís good to finally have a reason to laugh, Leo." she answers him. "Thank you for making sure I could laugh again."

"And I intend to do everything I can so you can keep laughing for a long time, Piper."

And with that, the two lovers kiss under the tender eyes of Prue and Phoebe.

It is a sunny afternoon like there are often in San Francisco. The kind of afternoon when you tell yourself that everythingís going to be all right, that itís going to be a wonderful day, full of promises. And the four persons on the beach smile. Piper Halliwell is alive and free.

The End