Fractured Mirth

part 22

"Paige?" The voice was weak, slightly slurred from the unconscious state, as Piper Halliwell fought to sit herself in an upright position, her fingers dragging up fists full of dirt, as she choked out a cough, groaning as she gently placed a hand to the side of her head.

"Thank God," her sister whispered. "I thought we lost you. You weren't even-"

"How long have I been out?"

"Quite awhile," Paige Matthews noted quietly, her eyes widening. "I almost thought they were going to find us, you know...maybe torture us half to death or something? But nope- walked right by. Almost like...well, I guess we aren't really that big of a concern, since it looks like he wanted Rachel right from the beginning of this whole thing."

"Rachel?" she threw back, entirely confused. "We're not by any chance talking years with that time frame, are we?"

Her lips nearly creasing into a smile, she shook her head. "Nah, I just heard them talking back there. My best guess? Is they're probably going to kill us anyway, and save her for the big finale. But then again, I suppose they've also gotta get by Phoebe and Cole first, and that's gonna be a chore in itself to manage."

"You've got a point there."

"Are you hurt?"

"Just sore," she added, wincing.

"They're going to track us sooner or later. They have to. Personally, I know I'm hoping for sooner, because I'm not exactly ready to end my life as a brittle bag of bones in the ground."

"You think they know where we are?"

"They have to," she sided. "This is our sister we're talking about, remember?"

"The ever resourceful Phoebe, who stills spends the better part of her life in San Francisco looking for a job. Yep, she's dependable, alright."

"Piper, she'll come through. She always does. Just...have faith."

"Faith?" she retorted mildly. "If it's any consolation to you, I really don't think faith is what got us in here in the first place. More like an impending sense of doom."

"Or maybe our inability to fight back?" Paige returned with a single rise of her shoulders.

"Like we even knew they were going to come for us," she protested.

"So let's try a deal."

"A deal?"

"You know...you do this, I do that? Both of us make out great in the end?"

"And you obviously haven't learned a damn thing about being a Charmed One, have you? Newsflash, Paige. You give a guy like that what he wants, and he'll-"

"And as I also learned, each demon...man....whatever, happens to have a weakness. No matter how big or small."

"So, what? You think that by making him an offer he can't refuse, it'll lead us straight to this weakness?"

"What's so bad about it?"

"Keep dreaming. It does't work like that."

"Look, I may not have been with you guys for the journey like Prue was, but I-"

"You know nothing about Prue," Piper whispered, quickly cutting her off, as she calmly laid her head against the stone that now supported her back.

Paige looked at her, immediately regretting it, her lips silently blowing out a breath of air, as she crossed her arms lightly over her chest. Pulling her legs closer to her for comfort, she lowered her head into her arms, her eyes a clean mask of confusion, as she fought to steady the ground she knew still divided her on some level with the new family she'd found, and come to know, never doing nearly enough to make up for their shattered past. But like it or not, whether Piper was willing to admit it or not, she needed her help. "Yeah, and while I can't ever measure up to her, I still know- I still realize that she was someone who put everyone else first. I mean, she had to, right? To make sure her younger sisters were always safe. To make sure the Power of Three was safe. It was her job and she embraced it."

"But she didn't always," Piper noted, more to herself. "Before we knew- before phoebe opened that attic door and let us in on our destinies? We were just a couple of normal women with normal lives. There wasn't anything unique about us. Phoebe was out of work, she'd just moved back from New York, Prue was at her wit's end with hwr, and I was always the sister who was caught in the middle. I tried not to be, but I guess I had to defend them both, you know? I kind of felt like that was my job, more so than being a witch, or a chef...or...or running P3. It was like I had to play mediator to get them to respect each other, if we expected to pull together and defeat the next new batch of evil that was thrown our way."

"And I never want to take her place," she protested. "You know me better than that."

"I do," Piper sided, nodding. "I do, and it isn't making it any easier to see us through this thing."

"Too bad she's not here to distract them with astral projection," she murmured thoughtfully.

"Yeah, and because you're not exactly an expert yet on the whole powers movement yourself, it kind of looks like we're sunk."

"You could blow them up," she suggested then. "Make a hell of a show."

"I could," she sided. "But something tells me blowing up this big bad, is just going to make him really cranky all over again- if not crankier. It's a long shot."

"So why don't they have anyone guarding us?"

"He's probably invested a good amount of time in mind control. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? He's probably had forever to perfect it."

"Probably," she reasoned, sighing heavily.

"On your feet!" a crisp voice snapped, as a figure suddenly entered the room, his boots creaking over dry gravel with careless approach, as he came to an abrupt halt directly in front of them. His wide arms crossed plainly across his chest, he easily shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a long frown creasing his thin lips, his head completely shaved, a goatee residing upon his chin. His tall frame was clothed in a silk black robe, hood withdrawn, a small rope slung around its center. "Looks like we're going to be taking a little ride, witches."

"Yeah, well, my mom says I'm not supposed to get in the car with strangers," Paige quipped, bravely lifting her face to the extent of his height, "so it tragically looks like you're out of luck."

"You'd be wise to cooperate. He doesn't want any trouble. I don't want any trouble."

"He? He who? Is this like some little secret club where we've gotta guess whodunit, demon-style?"

"Up!" he shouted, as he decidedly reached down himself, yanking her arm high above her head, as he pulled her toward him, reaching down with the other for Piper, who winced in unbearable pain from his monster-like grip. "One more to complete the center, and his plan will be complete."

"Plan?" Piper squeaked, as she felt his hand snag in her hair, tightening his hold on her.

"He must have the strength to prepare for her. He needs her. You will help him get there."

"Yeah, and you need a reality check," Paige offered smoothly, as she forcefully gritted her teeth from the impact of his flesh digging into hers, feeling his fingernails seep down to the bone. "I stopped giving charity to that whole pity act a long time ago, so you can just put it on my 'I'm gonna kick your ass instead' tab."

"You'd be wise to watch what you say," he cautioned. "Your sentencing could be far worse."

"Alright, that's it, buddy. I've just about had enough of you."

"Piper-" Paige started.

But her sister wasn't listening. Coming down on his foot, she stomped on it roughly with her own, the jab throwing him off balance for only a moment, his arm flying up, as his large fingers released her, tossing her carelessly to the ground. Drawing in a deep breath, she placed her hands in front of her, silently muttering a soft prayer to herself, as she let him have it full force, his entire body catching on fire, coated in deep trenches of living flame. He ran about wildly, falling to the ground, trying to roll it off, trying hard to rid himself with the smoke he'd been plagued with, as it foguht to consume him. A sharp jolt of rage escaped out of his mouth as he exploded into a million pieces, a brief sprinkle of dust floating about in the wake of his remains. Paige could only look on with great admiration, as Piper held out a single hand to her, groaning as she lifted her to her feet. "Hmph, he was human," she muttered, smiling. "Well, what can you do? I don't care if our guy knows where the hell we are anymore. I want out of here," she sided. "We need to scry for Phoebe. If we find her location, we can get to her much faster than she'll probably find us. Agreed?"

"I like the whole tough chick approach," Paige added, cleanly applauding her. "Very nice. I honestly didn't see it coming."

"You're only saying that because I let you sit this one out," she challenged, a smile creeping up over the edges. "Part of my...unpredictability."

"I'll say. You really wailed on him."

"I did, didn't I?" she concluded, finally letting out the short laugh she'd been holding in. "It felt good."

"Just wish you would've woken up long before this, so we could've already been up and out of this dump."

"But you didn't leave me, Paige. And that's probably as high a respect as any. So if you ever want to second guess our relationship again? Try putting just a teensy weensy little bit of trust in me, okay? I'm not as dumb as I look."

"Who said anything about dumb?"

"Oh, I know you too well."

"Yeah, but you'd still just go and rub it in, anyway. Just like you're doing now as a matter of fact."

"I do not rub stuff in," she insisted.

"Oh, yes, you do."

"Either way, orbing was not going to save us, so it's best you didn't even try it."

"And you could have easily frozen him as soon as he found us."

"I was waiting."

"Waiting," Paige mused tiredly, throwing her a look. "Right. Sure. So that's what you're calling it."

"Paige, do me a favor."

"What's tha-"

"Shut up," Piper advised. "And please, for the love of God, let me make all the decisions that involve a life threatening situation from this point on."

"See? Told you. It's 'new witch' envy."

"What the hell is that?" she prompted.

"How exactly were you planning on helping take care of that guy if you were still unconscious? Or do you have mind control too?"

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

___________

"Ready to go camping?"

Phoebe Halliwell merely shot her companion a mild glare, as she hefted the large backpack onto her tiny frame, hooking a water bottle in the small compartment that remained vacant on it to her left, as she tied her hair into a loose assortment with a thin rubberband. "Funny, John. Because I read that back in the day, the men used to carry all the baggage. And just for the record, you can take that however you want." She nearly smiled then, decidedly holding herself back, as she mockingly placed a few fingers upon her jawline. "Face it. I guess times really change when you're guiding the helpless."

"Yeah, and this has to look as real as possible, okay?"

"I'll give you real," she muttered, through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, could you speak louder and into my good ear?" he prompted, placing a hand behind his ear, as he focued it in her direction. "I seem to have lost my hearing in the quest to actually save some lives today." Calmly, he shifted his weight, throwing a pack of his own across his shoulders, reaching into the trunk of the rental for a baseball cap, as he shifted it easily upon his head.

"Do you have any idea how heavy this thing is? I could fall over, and nobody would even know it. You'd both leave me for the bears to chow down on, and I'd die a horrible and unnatural death."

Bailey Malone readjusted the weapon he'd safely secured to his own bag, throwing her an amused grin, as he titled his cowboy hat at a slight angle upon his head, heaving a prolonged sigh. "C'mon, kids. It's time to go exploring the woods beyond. Be wary of large, dangerous objects, and remember that snakes do bite."

"Wait, snakes?" she hissed. "Are you seriously telling me that there are snakes out there?"

"The wilderness has its perks," John added slyly, as he roled up the sleeves to his long sleeve t-shirt, giving his hiking boots another random check to make sure the laces were safely in place. "Not that I'd ever want anything bad to happen to you..."

"Yeah, keep talking," she countered. "I'll just be laughing my ass off when that snake finds you first."

"How far are the camp grounds?" he returned, ignoring her.

"About another two miles," Bailey sided. "I'd save your energy."

"He's probably used all of that on Rachel already," Phoebe quipped, chuckling to herself, as she shot John a casual wink.

"What Rachel and I have, is not going to be discussed here, or now," he pointed out. "It's strictly up to us to see where it goes, okay?"

"Yeah, and if it's all the same to you, I'm sure she's still holding her own yet."

"It's comforting, but it doesn't stop me from worrying," he said quietly. "Still, I know she knows how to handle herself in these kinds of- we'll see through this."

She nodded. "I guess it probably sounds a lot easier than it is though, huh?"

"We didn't get anything from that museum," he told her. "Odds are, they probably stayed behind for nothing. That guide wasn't talking. Given the criteria we had, it still doesn't make any sense. Then again, what does anymore, right? I mean, this guy's still going to be out there, and he's still going to try to take a swipe at us, and make the world a better place for himself because he thinks he can."

"But how does it feel to know you've been tracking someone who was only a minor player? It doesn't-"

"Yeah, it doesn't change the facts, but it distorts them a little, where Robertson was concerned."

"Right," she concluded, glancing briefly around her, as she gave her pack one last check upon her back, slowly taking a deep breath. "But Robertson was still an observer all on his own. He saw things."

John shrugged. "He saw assumptions, and maybe even what he wanted to see."

"John...."

"Phoebe, maybe I couldn't save my mother- maybe....maybe I couldn't stop what I still think wasn't the work of any damn accident. But if anything, I can save more women from having their lives come to an end in a way that's far worse than I can even begin to imagine right now." He sighed a moment, his eyes narrowing at the prospect. "But Robbie was right about one thing, I'll give you that. My father means nothing to me. I don't even think I could work hard to deny the fact that he always has. I guess- you know, I guess it's like this puzzle piece that's kind of always been missing, right? The kind that just falls out of place, and one you'll never be able to put back into place? That's him. Right there, that's him in a nutshell for me."

"I never meant to bring that part of your past up. You have to know that-"

"I do," he cut her off, while at the same time trying to reassure himself. "But I can't do my job, unless I have something driving me to the finish. And funny as it sounds, I think Rachel feels the same way."

Bailey merely watched him a short while longer, his mouth set in a tight line, as he quietly took a single step forward. Shading the sun from his line of vision, he simply nodded. "We do what we can to forget, John. But it's never really in us. Not really." He lingered a moment, as he hesitantly reached out to lay a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "But you make up for it with your dedication and your willingness to the team. You're not going to lose her."

"Bailey, I don't-"

"Duane Robertson could have said anything he wanted for a chance at stardom- but instead he chose to focus on you. It's not the why of it, it's the how. Duane saw that connection, and he manipulated it to fit his own means and cause to destroy."

"Because he knew something about Rachel that I didn't."

"He knew what he thought he knew," Bailey deduced. "There's a difference."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Whatever he believed he knew about your life, it was entirely through his eyes alone."

"Media attention," Phoebe mumbled thoughtfully.

"He played us," Bailey interjected. "He could find out anything he wanted, but he couldn't prove it."

"Yeah, and he told me I couldn't prove what I didn't believe," John corrected. "Some theory, huh? Personally, I thought it was all just a load of crap, but who am I kidding? He was dead on about Rachel, Bailey. There's no other way around it."

"Robertson would have sold himself for a chance at recognition," Bailey insisted. "He'd already sold himself to the devil for a chance at fame."

"Yeah, and we both know the devil's fancy is taking human souls, right?"

"Speculation, but in this case...."

"Robbie kept talking about her though. She was everything to him, and yet she was nothing....all at the same time. How is that possible?"

"Unless his boss had a higher power in mind for her," Phoebe reasoned, raising her eyebrows, as she contemplated it. "Probably had a lot more to share, and little time to share it in before our guy got to him."

"Or so you'd think," John surmised.

"Yeah, and women aren't the only ones who sin- men do it all the time and stray from the path."

"At any rate, blaming yourself for this, is only going to cost us more time," Bailey added, his hands settling on his straps. "Phoebe's sisters could use our help right now, and I know a few little girls who might be in need of it as well."

"Just wish I knew if they were getting closer," he said softly, his brow slightly clouding, as he randomly ran a hand across the stubble he wished he didn't have to wear on his face, his blues deepening.

"Faith is highly overrated," Phoebe assured him, smiling. "Maybe it's because we've always had it."

"I'll bet the boy scouts don't have such life threatening decisions to make," he argued, though his lips had since creeped into a grin all his own, decidedly laying a hand to the roof of his cap, as he offered her a nod with it.

"And as scout leader, I'm now telling you to move your ass," Bailey quipped, hearing the humor in his own voice, as he began to lead the way.

"Yep. Still cranky because he can't find that pillow," John mulled over, studying him a moment, as he gestured a brief hand to Phoebe to continue on the trail, the laughter finding its way back into his own voice.

"And if we run into any trouble along the way, John, I'll gladly offer you as a human sacrifice to any hungry bears we come into contact with."

"He's bluffing," he noted, trying to hold his smile. "There aren't any bears out here."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Phoebe noted, a hand falling over her mouth, as she tried not to falter at his expense.

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