Charmed by Love 2--The Choice (Completed 8/16)

[mcharmed21]

Thank you so very much, all of you!!! I'd give you all a hug, but you can't do emoticons in italics!!! Especially you, Holly--good to see that you are truly reading this!! I'm going to my sister's cabin this weekend, right after work tomorrow, so this will be my last update until Sunday. For that reason, and because I'm so happy that you think I'm doing a good job with this eppi, I'm going to give you an extra-long update!!!

“Why?” you wanted to know.

“Why not?” I asked. “He can heal you.”<br>
You shook your head firmly. “No. He’s out of our lives. He’s not even our whitelighter anymore. Besides, with Dan in my life...”<br>
“But if Leo knew you were sick--” I cajoled.

“No,” you declared firmly, “and that’s final. No demon or warlock did this to me. Just let the doctors do their magic.”<br>
I looked at you, concern still in my eyes. “I just wanted you to get well soon,” and I rested my head on your tummy.

You smiled, rubbing my hair. “I know, and I will. Now you get outta here. Prue, go to Bucklands; Phoebe, go to wherever it is you go to, and someone please call Dan, so he doesn’t worry.”<br>
We nodded, not happy, but accepting. “Okay. Bye. Love you.”<br>
You smiled, “Love you, too!” and we left.


A short while later, I was walking into the Manor with Dan. We walked into the living room.

“Is she gonna be okay?” he wanted to know.

“You know, that’s what’s so frustrating,” I told him. “They won’t tell us anything. D*mn doctors.”<br>
“Can I see her?” he asked. “Where is she?”<br>
“San Francisco Memorial,” I replied.

He hugged me, as he assured me, "Nothing’s gonna happen to her, okay? Piper’s strong and healthy, and she’s a fighter.”<br>
I grinned, much relieved. “You’ve noticed, too, have you?” and he grinned, too.

Just then the phone rang. I motioned Dan to wait. I answered the phone and it was Prue. “Yeah, Phoebs, the hospital just called. They need for us to get down there right away.”<br>
“Why?” I asked. “What happened?”<br>
What she told me sent Dan & me running to his car and him driving to the hospital as quickly as he safely could. Soon we were running down the corridor to your room, where Prue was standing at the doorway, fear in her eyes, something I wasn’t used to seeing in our big sister’s eyes.

“Prue, what’s going on?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “All they said was that her condition has worsened.”<br>
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

Dan was the one who answered. “We’re not gonna leave until we find out.”<br>
Just then Dr. Williamson walked up. When we asked him what was happening, he replied, “Unfortunately, your sister’s immune system isn’t as strong as we thought it would be, and antibiotics are having no effect on the disease.”<br>
I stared at him in shock. “So what do we…what do you do now?”<br>
He shrugged. “Well, there’s nothing more we can do.”<br>
Prue stared at him in shock, refusing to believe what he was saying. “What do you mean by that? What are you saying?”<br>
Again he shrugged. “Well, either Piper pulls out of the coma on her own or I’m afraid your sister’s not going to survive,” and I began to cry, my heart already beginning to break.

Not Prue. She had a very determined look on her face. “C’mon, Phoebe, let’s go.” Then she turned to Dan. “Can you stay with her? We’ll be back soon.”

Tears were already in his eyes, but he nodded as he sat next to you and took your hand, trying to will you to come back to him.

Prue had something else in mind. Soon we were back at the Manor in the attic, walking towards the Book of Shadows.

“Okay, we can’t let Piper die,” Prue declared, as she began flipping pages.

“No, we can’t,” I agreed. “But, Prue, this isn’t a demon or a warlock that we’re up against.”<br>
She nodded, still flipping pages. “All right, there are spells in here to vanquish demons, to vanquish warlocks, to vanquish every evil thing you can think of. So there’s gotta be a spell in here to vanquish a lousy bug.”<br>
I was still playing devil’s advocate. “Okay, but even if there is a spell, how do we get passed the personal gain issue, the consequences?”<br>
Prue couldn’t believe I was even considering that. “What consequences? The Power of Three remains unbroken; innocents are saved. I don’t really see a downside to that, do you?”<br>
I didn’t want to, but I knew I had to keep playing devil’s advocate. “Prue, if good witches could really vanquish diseases, do you think there’d be one sick person in the world?”<br>
She turned to look at me, determination in her eyes. “We have to save Piper.”<br>
I nodded. “I agree. All I am saying is before we resort to the Book of Shadows, maybe we should call Leo.”<br>
“No,” and Prue shook her head. “She told us not to.”<br>
I shrugged. “So, let her be pissed at us; at least, she’ll be alive.”<br>
Prue considered it, but then pointed out another problem. “We don’t even know how to contact him. He’s always just sorta been around.”<br>
So we started calling and calling and calling Leo’s name. Just when we were about to declare it hopeless, Leo orbed in, startling the tar out of us.

“Whoa, it worked!” I cried.

Prue didn’t worry about that; she was too concerned about you. “All right, Leo, look, Piper is very--.

He nodded. “Very sick, I know. That’s why I could hear you calling. I’ve been nearby, watching.”<br>
That got me mad. “Wait! You’ve been watching her this whole time, and you haven’t healed her?!”<br>
There was hurt and fear in his eyes and in his voice as he told us, “I can’t. Piper’s illness has nothing to do with a demon--it’s a consequence from her using illegal fruit. The Elders know about Piper, too, and They won’t let me interfere. I’m not even supposed to be here right now.”<br>
Prue glared at him. “Leo, you can’t just let Piper die.”<br>
He glared back. “Don’t you think I would do something about it if I could?”<br>
“But you love her,” I pointed out, my heart aching for him, almost as much as it was aching for me and Prue.

Absolute agony etched lines into his face and tears filled his eyes as he nodded. “Yes, I do. I do and I always will. But I’m not her whitelighter any more. And besides, even if I could help her, my powers probably wouldn’t even work because she wasn’t fighting evil.”<br>
Just then we heard that annoying chime. “I have to go," he told us. "They know I’m here. I’m sorry, so very sorry. Tell Piper I love her,” and he orbed out, but not before I saw the tear rolling down his cheek.

[mcharmed21]

I turned to Prue. “Screw the consequences!” and we both began searching the Book of Shadows.

Soon we were walking down the corridor towards your room.

“Do you really think the awakening spell’s gonna work?” I asked.

“It better,” Prue declared, then went into general-mode. “All right, Look, I’ll get Piper’s blood. Are you sure that you can get a poppet?”<br>
I grinned. “Positive. I’ll meet you in her room.” and she nodded.

So it was back to the nurse’s station, this time to find the room number for a certain young patient. When I walked into his room, he was playing with the Ninja.

“Hey, Nathan,” I cried. “Remember me?”<br>
“Phoebe!” he cried. “I was hoping you’d come back.”<br>
“Really?” I asked. “Why?”<br>
He grinned. “You were right. The wizard did it. I feel great. Just like I used to.”<br>
I smiled. “The power of positive thinking.”<br>
He shook his head. “The power of magic. The doctors are letting me go home in a couple of days.”<br>
I was sincerely thrilled for him. “Oh, that’s great, Nathan; I’m so happy for you. You know, I was wondering if you would let me borrow the wizard for a while. My sister could use a little magic right about now.”<br>
He nodded, as he handed the Ninja to me. “She can keep him. I don’t need him anymore.”<br>
I thanked him, then hurried back to your room. As I came near the door, I heard Dan say, “It just looks like she’s sleeping, but I can’t wake her up.”<br>
As I walked in, I saw a nurse put a small vial full of your blood on a tray and then leave. A moment later, I watched as the vial floated over to Prue, who put it in her pocket. She put a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “She’ll wake up, I promise.”<br>
“Hey,” I cried, letting you two know I was there. “I was gonna bring back some sodas, but the machine down the hall was busted, and I didn’t know where to find another one.”<br>
And as I hoped, Dan said, “I’ll find one.”<br>
I played Ms. Innocent. “Really? You don’t mind?”<br>
He smiled. “No, it’s no trouble. I’ll be back in a minute,” and he left.

I showed Prue the Ninja. “I got him. Let’s do this,” and I put the Ninja on your tummy. Prue took out the vial and let a drop of your blood drip on the Ninja. We touched both you and the Ninja and started saying the spell:

"Troubled blood which sleeps unease,
Remove the cause of this disease."

Suddenly Dr. Williamson began opening the door.

“Prue!” I cried.

She nodded and used her power to shut the door. She kept her hand held out to keep the door closed. Even while Dr. Williamson kept trying to open the door, Prue told me, “Keep chanting!”<br>
I nodded and we finished the spell:

"Sleep eternal never more,
And shift this source of illness borne,
To this poppet whom none shall mourn."

But you just laid there. Tears began forming in my eyes, as pain assaulted my heart. “Prue, it’s not working!”

[mcharmed21]

You're both right, as usual!! But if the Elders were merciful and understanding, we'd never have to worry about the girls, coz the Elders would always let them or their loved ones live. Where's the drama in that??? And what would've happened to Prue when Shannen left?? Anyway, we've still got plenty of drama going on in *this* eppi!! Here's Part Eighty-One!!

But suddenly, you sprang up into a sitting position, and I hugged you for dear life.

“Come on, open the door! “ Dr. Williamson was still trying to get into the door. Prue put down her arm and the door swung open. “Who’s blocking the damn door?” he demanded.

Prue grinned. “What’s up, Doc?”<br>
But he didn’t hear her; he was staring at you in shock. “When did this happen? Miss Halliwell, are you feeling all right?”<br>
While he was distracted by your “miraculous recovery”, I quickly put the Ninja into a bin marked “Infectious materials,” figuring it would shortly be destroyed. If I had only known...

Just then Dan and two other nurses came in. Dan stared at you, crying your name, unable to believe his eyes.

You saw the cans of soda in his hands. “Are those for me?” you asked and he ran over to you and hugged you tight.

“You’re okay!” he cried.

You grinned. “Yes, I am okay.”<br>
Dr. Williamson had been taking some test. “This doesn’t make any sense. Fever’s gone, vitals are normal. I’ve never seen anything like it. The infection’s gone too.”<br>
You grinned. “So can I go home now?”<br>
He turned to the nurses. “Draw some blood. I want to run comparatives.”<br>
They nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”<br>
“Um, then can I go home?” you asked. “Because no offense, but I hate hospitals!” and Prue, Dan & I laughed as we climbed on the bed and laid all over you, as you complained, “Get off me!” and we just laughed.


Later, we gathered at P3. There was no one in there except Prue, Piper,Dan, a bartender and me. Music was playing, and you called out to turn it up, so Prue did. Then you walked over to the bartender, smiling at him. “All right, you can go home. I’ll clean up.”<br>
He nodded, and after he told you how good it was to have you back, he left.

I felt the same way and had to do something about it, so I ran over to Dan who was sitting down. “Dance with me, Dan,” I asked..

He shook his head, “It’s almost two in the morning.”<br>
I laughed, and pulled him out of the chair. “”So what? Come on, you’re young,” I cajoled.

But he wasn’t buying. “Stop the music!” he cried. “Stop that music!”<br>
So I walked over to Prue, where we tried to find a better batch of music, while Dan put his arm around you.

You looked at him. “Somebody need a nap?” you asked.

“You know what?” he asked. “That’s not fair. You’ve been asleep for almost twenty-four hours “<br>
You smiled gratefully, tenderly, at him. “And I know you’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours by my side. I can’t tell you how much that means to me, being there for me. Hangin’ tough.”<br>
He smiled, “It wasn’t that tough,” and you two exchanged a tender kiss..

Then you smiled at him, “Now go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”<br>
He nodded and got up and left. You stood and walked over to us two, where we were playing a jubliant game of patty-cake, anything to let out our joyous feelings. You watched us for a few minutes, then put your hands on your hips, and demanded, “Okay, spill.”<br>
That stopped our clapping. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

“You guys cast a spell, didn’t you?” you accused.

Prue batted her eyes at you, trying to look as innocent as possible, “Who, us?”<br>
You grinned. “Yeah, you. Not that I’m not grateful to be cured, because I am, but what about that little personal-gain problem?”<br>
I shrugged. “Okay, but don’t you think we would have seen any consequences by now? It’s been hours.”<br>
Prue nodded. “Yeah, maybe saving a protector of the innocent isn’t really personal gain.”<br>
You weren’t totally convinced. “Maybe. Like I said, I’m not complaining; I’m just glad you didn’t call Leo. Strange, though, with all the demons we’ve faced, this bug, this thing, was the scariest of them all.”<br>
Prue shuddered at the memory. “Yeah, you don’t have to convince us,” and I nodded, too.

You smiled, “I love you guys.”<br>
We smiled back, “We love you, too,” and we shared a group hug.

While still hugging, Prue told you, “Hey, just don’t ever scare us like that again.”<br>
You smiled, lying your head on her shoulder, “Don’t worry; I won’t.”

[mcharmed21]

A/N Thanks, pThReE!! Actually, I'm the opposite of you--I think they've forgotten about the personal gain issue in S6 (S5, too), and I miss it, coz it's what probably helped turn Wyattt--showing him the power you can have and use when you don't have to worry about the consequences! Just for you, here's Part Eighty-Two!

Suddenly Prue stepped away, “Oh, oh! Oh, God, I almost forgot. I have to get that Monet authenticated by tomorrow!”<br>
“At this hour?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Why not? I’m wide awake,” and off she went.

You looked around the club. “I guess I should clean up.”<br>
I agreed, so you started cleaning up, while I stood there, still dancing to the music. Then I stopped as I noticed something. You were moving very quickly, darting from place to place as you cleaned. Even as you did, you moved faster & faster.

“Uh, Piper?” I asked. Then I yelled out, “Piper!”

You stopped in front of me. “What?” you wanted to know.

“Uh, I think I found a consequence.” But I didn’t think it should be a problem; actually I thought it might be a kinda neat new power for you.


Meanwhile, Prue was at her office, checking out the painting, when Jack walked in. Much later, when we wanted to understand why she did what she ended up doing, she told us how Jack walked in, greeting her and then asking how you were doing.

She grinned. “Fully recovered.”<br>
“What?” he asked, as he grinned hugely. “That’s great.”<br>
Prue nodded. “Yeah, I just came in early to confirm a few suspicions.”<br>
“Whoa,” cried Jack. “Wait, back up. Piper’s okay?”<br>
She nodded. “Yes, she’s home; she’s healthy; everything’s back to normal.” Then she took a deep breath, “Jack, we’ve got to talk seriously.”<br>
He nodded. “Okay, shoot.”<br>
She pointed at the painting. “We can’t keep on fooling ourselves. This thing isn’t real. I know that it looks perfect from the outside, and it makes sense to just ignore the truth and pretend that there’s nothing wrong, but I can’t do that.”<br>
That frustrated Jack: “Look, Prue, come on, I know we’ve had our difficulties and maybe our relationship isn’t everything you hoped for--”<br>
She interrupted him. “Jack, I’m talking about the painting. It’s not real. I mean, yeah, it’s from his school, but Monet didn’t paint it. One of his students did.”<br>
“Are you sure?” he asked.

She nodded. “Positive.”<br>
He shrugged. “So, what?”<br>
She looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. “So, what?” she asked in shock.

He nodded. “Prue, if someone wants to believe in something that may not be altogether true, but it’s true enough for them, then what’s the harm in letting it be?”<br>
We both gasped when she told us about that. Prue nodded. “I couldn’t believe he was the same guy I’d gotten to know!! When I called out hisname in shock, he continued...”<br>
What she told us he said was, “Prue, the world is made up of almost-perfect. It’s nothing but near misses and necessary compromises. In this case, I think we got a little bit of both. That’s okay, I know how you feel. I’m just asking you not to look so close. Nothing bears up under that kind of scrutiny.”<br>
Both you & I gasped again, especially when she told us what he answered when she asked, “Are you talking about the Monet?” because he nodded, giving her his lopsided grin. “Yeah, that, too. Just trust me. Go with it. Everything’s gonna be fine.”<br>
But it wasn’t fine at P3. Suddenly some men dressed in white decontamination suits with “CDC” written on the suits in large black letter came marching down the steps. One of them walked right up to you and me.

“Piper Halliwell?” he asked.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” you demanded.

“I’m Dr. Seiger from the Center for Disease Control. We have a court order to take you and your sister into custody and to quarantine your club until further notice.” We stared at him in shock, unable to believe what we had just heard.

[mcharmed21]

Before we knew what had hit us, we found ourselves locked in a room in the isolation ward of San Francisco General. Once we came out of the shock, I began pounding on the door. “Hello?” I cried. “Remember us?”<br>
After awhile, a voice came over the intercom. Looking to the side, we saw a window, with a nurse watching us. She was the one talking. “I’m sorry, we can’t hear you. What is it you want?”<br>
What did she think? “We wanna get the hell outta here!” I cried. “That’s what we want!”<br>
The nurse put on that professional voice guaranteed to drive patients crazy. “Dr. Williamson will be right in to discuss the situation.”<br>
“Discuss what?” you cried. “I feel fine.”<br>
“Dr. Williamson will be right in,” and we heard the click which meant the intercom was no longer turned on.

“This is ridiculous!” I cried. “Why won’t they tell us anything?”<br>
You glared at the window. “They’re lucky they’re in the other room or I’d freeze their butts!”<br>
Just then the door opened and in walked Prue, dressed in a white hospital gown, just like us.

“Oh, Prue!” I cried. “Thank God!”<br>
You weren’t as happy, not when you saw her attire. “You’re obviously not here to get us out.”<br>
She shook her head. “When I got home, someone from the CDC was waiting for me, and they took like a quart of blood.”<br>
I nodded. “Ditto.”<br>
“Well, they might as well have taken all of mine,” you cried. “Prue, they’ve shut down the club! They’ll ruin it! I’ll lose everything!”<br>
“No, you won’t,” I soothed. “Once this whole thing gets straightened out...”<br>
“I have a feeling it’s not gonna be that easy,” Prue told us. “Look, I overheard some doctors talking. There’s others here that are infected with the disease.”<br>
Huh? “But I thought that it wasn’t contagious,” I protested.

Prue nodded. “Yeah, so did I.” Then she spot the intercom. “So, can they hear us?” You shook your head, so she asked, “Did either of you sleep, by any chance?”<br>
“Sleep?” I cried. “Piper was bouncing off the walls all last night.”<br>
“It’s gotta be a consequence of the awakening spell you guys cast,” you pointed out.

“I have a bad feeling that’s not the only consequence,” Prue warned.

Just then Dr. Williamson walked in. He smiled at us. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”<br>
“What, no mask?” I asked, slightly sarcastically.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t need it. None of us do. How ever the disease is being spread, it’s not airborne. I just ruled that out.”<br>
You smiled. “Great! Then we’re free to go!”<br>
He shook his head again. “Afraid not.”<br>
“You can’t keep us here!” I protested.

“Actually, I can, by law,” he replied. “Not just because your sister circumvented it by opening the case of uninspected fruit, but because she‘s carrying a rare disease that has every possibility of spreading to epidemic proportions.”<br>
“I thought that you said it wasn’t contagious,” Prue protested.

He shrugged. “Arroyo fever isn’t supposed to be contagious.”<br>
“Well, then maybe you misdiagnosed it,” I suggested-pushing-towards-accusing.

He shook his head firmly. “I didn’t, and aside from the fact that I have no idea how this disease is being spread, there’s another little mystery that’s concerning me.” He turned to stare at you. “Your recovery makes no clinical sense. Your blood has no antibodies which means your immune system has never fought it off. By all medical standards, you should be dead by now, Miss Halliwell.”<br>
“What’s the matter, Doctor?” you asked. “You don’t believe in miracles?”<br>
“Not the kind that don’t leave traces, no,” he retorted. “I’ve got six people infected, and there’s nothing I can do to save them unless I figure out how it is that you survived. I‘m gonna run a series of tests on all three of your bloodwork. Even DNA sampling. Maybe it’s a genetic marker, I don’t know. But I’m gonna find out, and you’re not leaving until I do,” and he marched out the door. And although he was later to do just that with nearly-deadly consequences, that's not going to be part of this story, partially because it's not something I want to remind you of.

We stood there staring at each other for a few minutes, and then I giggled, saying, “Well, his bedside manners sure could us a little work.”<br>
“Six people?” you cried, shock and pain in your voice. “How’s that possible?”<br>
“When we did the spell, we must have awakened everything in the room, including the disease,” Prue deduced.

Something scared me. “So, do you think there’s anything different about our blood because we’re witches?”<br>
“I don’t know,” Prue admitted, “but our first priority is to figure out how to help save these people.”<br>
“Yeah,” I agreed, “but even if we can find a spell to save them, how do we prevent it from spreading to other people?”<br>
You had already figured it out. “You have to reverse the spell.”<br>
I shook my head firmly. “No, Piper, we can’t reverse the spell because…” and I couldn’t even say it, so Prue said it for me. “You could go back into a coma; you could die."

[mcharmed21]

Thanks, Aurora; it's one of my favorite eppis, too! What does it say about us when it seems like all of our favorite eppis are the sad ones???!! And by us, I mean everyone who's been replying, since that seems to be the concensus! Or did you answer my question, Aurora? These sad ones are the ones with the most drama! Anyway, just for you, Aurora, to show how happy I am that you're still reading this, here's Part Eighty-Four!

You smiled. “I’m not gonna die. Just reverse the spell and call Leo so he can heal me.”<br>
“Leo?” I cried. “I thought you didn’t want us to call Leo.”<br>
“Well, yeah,” you admitted. “That’s when I thought I was sick, not dying.”<br>
Prue looked at me, then told you, “Piper, um, we already talked to Leo; he’s not allowed to help.”<br>
I looked up. “They won’t let him.”<br>
“Oh,” you said, deflated. “Great.. Well, thanks for doing something I specifically asked you not to do.”<br>
“Piper!” I cried indignantly. “You just said---”<br>
“Phoebe, give it a rest,” ordered Prue. “Um, look, Piper, we don’t know the reversal spell-anyway.”<br>
I grabbed onto that. “Yeah, and they won’t let us outta here to get it.”<br>
But you weren’t letting us off the hook that easily. “Prue can get it.”<br>
“No, I can’t,” she protested. When you glared at her, she admitted, “Okay, I can not just astral project on command. I can’t control it like that.”<br>
That didn’t convince you either. “You can learn to control it, just like you learned to control your other power. Just concentrate.”<br>
Prue shook her head firmly, crossing her arms in front of her chest in defiance. “Piper, I can’t, and I won’t.”<br>
“Prue, you have to try!” you insisted. “We can’t let anybody else die!”<br>
And just like when I convinced you guys to let me die in the future, we knew that you were correct now. As protectors of the innocent, we couldn’t let another innocent die because of something we did. And when we later found out that the Ninja was found in Nathan's room--on his bed!--we knew you were right, no matter how much it hurt to admit at the time!!!

So Prue shut her eyes and did her best to astral project. Soon she was standing stock-still, her eyes closed, her face pale, and we knew she had succeeded.

Suddenly a voice came over the intercom. “What’s wrong with her?” the nurse asked.

“Nothing!” I cried. “She’s fine!” and you muttered, “Hurry, Prue!”<br>
A minute later, Prue came back to herself. As always, it took her a bit to reoientate herself. “Whoa!” she cried.

“Did you see it?” you asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, Piper, I don’t--”<br>
But you interrupted her, broaching no arguments. “Prue, we’ve already discussed this. For some reason, there’s no magical out for me, but there is for the others. Please.”

Our big sister looked at you for a long time, then sighed and looked at me, quoting the spell for me. “What was awakened from its sleep, must once again slumber deep."”<br>
I nodded and we both put our hands on your shoulders, as we chanted the spell three times.

As soon as we finished, you collapsed on the floor.

“Prue, Prue!” I screamed. “Get help!”<br>

[mcharmed21]

A/N: Despite the fact that one of my favorite parts, Part Eighty-Four didn't get any responses (pout!), I want to post one of my other favorite parts (although I love the following one, Part Eighty-Six, more!) now, because I won't be able to post again until Sunday. FYI, I will admit that this part isn't exactly like I wrote it last summer. Having gone through what Phoebe & Prue are going through, I had to let Phoebe experience when I lost my beloved mom last March. I won't say I hope you enjoy this part--I'd wonder about you if you do!--but I do hope I did a good job writing it!

Prue banged on the door, yelling for help, and soon Dr. Williamson and some other doctors came running in.

“Help me get her on the bed!” ordered Dr. WIlliamson, so they picked you up and put you on the bed. “You girls wanna tell me what the hell is going on? Get her on the monitor. Miss Halliwell, Miss Halliwell? Can you hear me? Assist in respiration. Starting CPR.”<br>
And as they started working on you, Prue and I started to cry, weeping hysterically, as I realized what it was like for you two to watch *me* die, knowing that you could’ve done something to save me, but for the sake of the greater good, you couldn’t and wouldn’t. Only unlike then, the Elders had already told Leo that you couldn’t be saved. We truly thought we were losing you, Piper; we truly thought we were losing you for good, and my heart was absolutely breaking, just like I know Prue’s was.

Suddenly Dan came running into the door.

“Who is he?” demanded one of the nurse.

“Damn it. I’m family!” he cried, and we nodded, so he ran to the bed and took your hand, tears already falling down his cheeks.

“How did you find out?” I managed to ask, realizing that you would’ve wanted us to call--that we should’ve.

“It was on TV,” he managed to tell us, tears still rolling down his face. “They said an outbreak had occurred in the hospital, but they’d contained it. When the reporter asked how they knew it was contained, they said they had identified the initial carrier, and that they had brought her and anyone she may have affected down in the isolation ward. Then they said they had quarantined a club called P3 as a precautionary method, and I knew they had to be talking about you guys. So I came as quickly as I could.”<br>
Now he really began weeping. “But it looks like I’m too late!” and that got us crying harder, too, as we hugged him and each other tightly, trying to find some comfort, trying to offer comfort, but unable to do either.

During all of this, the doctor was still using CPR on you. “She’s not responding to CPR,” he announced. “Come on, Miss Halliwell.”<br>
But suddenly there was a loud, schrill "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep," as your monitor went flatline. You were dead, Piper, you were truly dead!! Now Prue & I were keening, our cries as shrill as the monitor, both of us in total shock. As I keened, I was unable to feel my own arms or legs, hearing what the doctors and nurses were saying as if I was underwater, and Prue later told me that she felt the same way and had felt the same sensation as she watched me burn. I truly thought that I was in the midst of dying myself, and found myself happy that I would soon be with you and Mom and Grams, not wanting to stay in this world if it didn’t include you!

“Give me the paddles,” ordered Dr. Williamson, not giving up.

The nurse nodded, as she rubbed them together. "Charging.”<br>
She handed them to the doctor and he put them on your chest. “Clear!” he cried and WHUMPH your body jerked, but that was it; you were still flatline, still dead, and both Prue & I screamed in our despair and horror. Dan dropped to the chair next to you, grabbing your hand, still thinking he could will you to come back, while I prayed that he could, while in my mind I was d*mning the Elders who wouldn’t let Leo heal you!

“No response. I’m not getting anything,” the nurse told Dr. Willamson, and now we stopped crying, just stood there, our arms wrapped around each other, staring at you in complete shock, totally unable to accept the fact that this was truly happening, that we were honestly losing a sister, the way we lost Mom and Grams.

“Again!” ordered Dr. Willaimson, still refusing to give up.

So again the nurse rubbed the paddles together. “Charging.”<br>
So again they tried it, but again there was no response.

The nurse looked up at the clock. “Time of death, 9:40am,” and I screamed in disbelief, as the nurse began to cover your face with the sheet.

[mcharmed21]

Thank you, all three of you! I'm glad I was able to write that part well, because it's *such* an important part of the story!! Aurora, I'm glad you picked up on the Phoebe-being-mad-at-the-Elders-for-not-letting-Leo-heal-Piper--it was also very important to the story, and sets up the next part, my favorite part of the entire Charmed by Love 2--The Choice. Here's Part Eighty-Six

“Wait!” Prue cried. “I think she’s responding!” Sure enough, the machine was no longer beeping, but.began going blip, blip, blip as it recorded-- “There’s a heartbeat!” Prue cried triumphantly, as you began coughing.

Dr. Williamson stared at you. “Piper?” he asked, using your first name for the first time. “What the hell? This is incredible!”<br>
You slowly opened your eyes and then breathed out a single word. “Leo.”<br>
Dan, sitting next to you, still holding your hand, heard you. He stared at you in shock and disbelief, all color fading from his face, then dropping your hand, he got up and left, running.

Not Prue and me. We were running to--we were running and jumping on your bed, as we began kissing and hugging you.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

The nurse, checking your vitals, shrugged. “105 over 60. Pulse is strong.”<br>
“I don’t understand,” said the other nurse. “What happened?”<br>
“I don’t know,” Dr. Willamson told them, “but I’m gonna find out,” and after taking some more blood from you, he left, and as I told you earlier, he later *did* find out with almost disastrous consequences, another consequence from our spell, but I don’t want to remind you of that, so it won’t be part of this letter.


Once we were sure we were alone, we had to know what had happened.

Do you remember what you told us, Piper? I don’t think I’ll ever forget, and I hope you never will either.

About the time that they were using CPR on you, Piper, you said you actually felt yourself rise out of your body. You really looked back and saw your body lying on the table, Dr. Williamson still working on you. You saw Prue and me crying and Dan running in. Then you were drawn to look away from us and saw a bright light and, Piper, you said you began floating towards it, away from us, away from life. The light surrounded you, and, Piper, you said you found yourself in a place that was bright and warm and golden. Just about the time when you were starting to feel happy and at peace, Piper, you said you saw someone walking towards you, and you knew immediately who it was, but you couldn’t believe that he was there in that place with you.

“Leo?” you asked.

He nodded. “Hurry, take my hands. We don’t have much time.”<br>
But you had to know. “Am I dead?”<br>
“No, not yet. Not if you take my hands.”<br>
“I don’t understand,” you told him.

“It’s the only way I can heal you.,” he explained. “The only chance I have of Them not finding out. Hurry!”<br>
You stared at him in shock and, Piper, you told us that he told you “I don’t wanna lose you,” and he held his hands above yours, so you took his. And, Piper, you told us that you suddenly started feeling warm and golden, and suddenly Leo began to fade. Next thing you knew, Piper, you told us that you were coughing and opening your eyes, alive once more, something for which I’ll be grateful to Leo Wyatt for the rest of my life--he literally gave you back to us!

[mcharmed21]

Glad you guys liked the way I did that part!! Yes, pThReE, it was a private moment, but I'm glad that Piper told her sisters about it, so now Phoebe can remind her! If *that* wouldn't remind Piper how special she & Leo are together, I'm not sure *what* would!! I'm going to be busy watching the Olympics for the next couple weeks, which is followed by our State Fair, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next (I'll keep reading and replying at work!!), so I decided to give you a treat--an extra-long update, which is also the end of Charmed by Love 2--The Choice. Hope you enjoy it!!

Of course, this miracle had lasting effects on all of us. Prue knew immediately what she had to do, as she later told us.. A short time later, she was back in her office at Bucklands, putting all of her stuff in a box. As she did, Jack walked in.

He stared at her in shock. “Hey, I just heard. Are you out of your mind?”<br>
She kept putting more stuff in the box. “I don’t know, maybe.”<br>
“C’mon, Prue,” he cajoled. “You can’t be serious. You can’t just quit.”<br>
She shrugged. “I already did. I turned in my resignation, and Caldwell accepted it.”<br>
“Why?” he asked. “Just because he doesn’t agree with you about selling the Monet?”<br>
She stopped packing and looked up to look Jack right in the eyes. “It’s not authentic, Jack.”<br>
“You know what?” he asked. “Buyers think it is, and they’ve been thinking that way for over a hundred years.”<br>
“So it’s worth whatever people is willing to pay for it, right?” she asked.

He nodded firmly. “Yeah, right.”<br>
And Prue just as firmly shook her head. “No, it’s wrong. Or at least in my book it is, and that’s the way it used to be here before the takeover. Before everyone cared more about the sell than what they're selling.”<br>
“Including me, right?” he accused.

She smiled. “Jack. It's not about the painting or Buckland’s new philosophy. I've been thinking about this for a while. A lot has happened to me in the past year and a half. I've seen, I've seen things I never imagined existed and it's changed me. It's made me wanna make changes.”<br>
“So what are you gonna do?” he wanted to know.

She shrugged. “I don't know. Just take some time. Figure it out . Look, I had a little wake-up call, and I realize that life is too short to be wasting my time doing something I really don't wanna be doing.”<br>
“Or being with someone you don't really wanna be with,” he accused.

She smiled. “Jack, you have been great. You've opened me up to so many things, made me feel wanted again.”<br>
He heard the unspoken word and said it out loud, “But...”<br>
She smiled and nodded. “But I need to be alone for a while, no strings,” and kissing his cheek, she grabbed her box and left Buckland’s for good. And to my knowledge, she never saw Jack Sheridan again.


That night, back at P3, you were handing a box of fruit to the bartender. “These haven't been inspected yet,” you told him. “Put them in the back. We're returning them to the supplier.” Once you made sure he was following your orders, you walked back over to Prue & me.

I smirked. “Looks like someone learned her lesson.”<br>
You nodded. “Yeah, the hard way, unfortunately.”<br>
Prue looked around at the crowded club. “Still, the club’s doing okay. Doesn't look like quarantine ruined business too much.”<br>
You smiled wryly. “Thanks to no cover charge and free drinks.” Then you had to ask. “Have you guys seen Dan around?” We both shook our heads, wanting to know why. “No reason, I guess,” you admitted. “I thought he might stop by.”<br>
I had to tell you. “Uh, you know, Piper, Dan heard you call Leo's name when you were coming around at the hospital.”<br>
You stared at us in shock. “He did? But that wasn't me thinking about Leo, that was just...”<br>
I smiled. “Him saving you, I know.”<br>
“Still, how are you gonna explain that to Dan?” Prue wanted to know.

“Well, at least you're alive to try,” I pointed out. “That's what's important.”<br>
Prue nodded. “Yeah, I mean, just because we're witches doesn't mean we're above the laws of nature.”<br>
“Or the Wiccan ones,” I pointed out.

You grinned. “I know, you don't have to tell me twice. I'm not taking anything for granted anymore.”<br>
Prue nodded. “Ditto.”<br>
I grinned at our big sister. “Yeah, Prue, welcome to the ranks of the unemployed. I'm proud of you. I think what you did was very brave.”<br>
She smiled, giving a little bow. “Thank you.” Just then she spotted someone. “Oh, Piper! Leo!” and as you began to walk towards him, I told you, “Tell him thanks for us, too,” and you smiled.

You reached him, only a few feet from us, so we could clearly hear what you two said. You smiled at him, saying, “Hey.”<br>
He smiled back, “Hey,” then he looked concerned. “How are you feeling?” he wanted to know.

“Okay. A little tired,” and that made you grin. “Which is actually a good thing.” Then you turned serious. “Leo, thank you for everything you--”<br>
He interrupted you. “I couldn't let you die, Piper. I thought I could when They first ordered me not to interfere, but I just couldn’t.”<br>
You smiled. “I'm very glad you couldn't.” Then you had to ask. “Did you get in trouble?”<br>
He looked a bit sheepish. “Yeah, actually, a lot. They found out what I did. They clipped my wings.”<br>
“They what?” you cried in shock, as Prue and I gasped, too.

“It's not permanent,” he quickly assured you. “It's more like a suspension...I hope.”<br>
You stared at him, still in shock. “Leo, I-I-I don't know what to say.”<br>
He smiled gently. “You don't have to say anything. You didn't do anything; I did. I guess in the back of my mind, I always hoped someday, somehow you and I would get a second chance.”<br>
“I'm with Dan now,” you reminded him.

He still smiled. “I know. But I also know I love you--the real you--something he can’t, and I believe that deep inside, you still love me, that you will always love me.” Now he became very serious, very determined. “So now that I'm a mortal, I'm gonna fight for you, Piper Halliwell. May the best man win.”<br>

Oh, Piper! Wyatt’s crying, so I gotta go get him. So I’m gonna put this notebook back where I had it before, where I know you’ll eventually find it. But in case you do before I get a chance to finish this, please, Piper, remember this. Even though you were with Dan at the time, I know you already knew in your heart of hearts who the best man for you was--I think even *Dan* knew, which is why he started to be such a meanie towards Leo after this--and I know you know who is still the best man for you now. Please, Piper, don’t let anything or anyone, especially not the Elders, keep you away from the guy who's absolutely the best man for you!



A/N I hope you, my faithful readers, have enjoyed this story enough that you’ll read the last story in my trilogy: Charmed by Love 3--The Rutabaga. Coming soon to a computer near you!