Bitter Destruction

Prince of Madness - :D Don't worry about it. The more reviews the better! ;) Thank you very much, good sir, for the critique. I'm glad you're looking forward to the upcoming events. I am, too! ;) Thank you so much for everything!



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"Fifteen weeks?!" Piper and I cried in unison. That wasn't possible. That was not possible.



"Y-yes, fifteen weeks," Dr. Keeton said softly, looking me directly in the eyes. Oh my god. He was serious. Absolutely serious.



Oh no.



"How do you know?" Piper asked sternly. I couldn't hear what the doctor replied, however. I stared at his lips flop and dance while he peered at Piper. The thoughts in my head were way too loud, drowning out Dr. Keeton's background noise. The conception happened six weeks ago. Six weeks ago. Not... fifteen... That's nearly four months of pregnancy! There was no way that I was already along that far. The baby could not be that ready. It can't be that strong already. It can't be.



My hands rubbed my stomach out of habit, caressing the muck coating. The sticky gooeyness brought me back into the room. Piper's voice was louder, and Dr. Keeton's mouth was closed, his eyes slightly narrowed. I looked up at Piper, her body hovering over the bed. Her cheeks were a reddish shade; her arms were shaking. She seemed like she was going to throw fire at him this time. "Piper," I whispered up at her, "freeze him."



She glanced down at me then back up at the older man. Her hands raised and she flicked her wrists. Then something exploded.



Gasping, I jumped up in the bed, the white paper sounding like an avalanche. "What the hell?!" I yelled, staring at Piper. Her eyes and mouth were wide open. "Piper?!"



Piper didn't speak. Couldn't speak, probably.



Using all the adrenaline that was rushing through my body, I pushed myself forward and noticed that the doctor had fallen to the floor. The ultrasound machine had also fallen, and some parts were releasing smoke into the air. Waving my hand inside the grey mist, I coughed out, "I said... to freeze him!"



Again, Piper stood frozen in place.



"Piper!"



"I... tried to... What happened?" the Charmed One mumbled, averting her eyes to her pointing hands.



I rolled off of the bed, folded my shirt back over my abdomen, and walked over to Dr. Keeton. His eyes were closed, but his chest moved forward and back. 'Alive, thank goodness,' my mind moaned. The machine made a whirring noise and continued to emit fumes. The screen had gone black, and part of me wished that it'd come back on and show the baby. Then maybe the fifteen weeks proposal would make sense...



"Piper, we have to get out of here," I said, cautiously watching her hands. Now I realized how Phoebe, Cole, and Prue felt about my hands and my share of sudden, wonky powers. "We can't let someone see this. We'll get in big trouble!"



The Charmed One's head moved slowly up and down in agreement, but she wasn't moving her feet with me. "He's..." Her eyes were desperate.



"Fine," I answered hastily. "He's fine. Now let's go!"



I tugged at her forearm and that finally got her going. We rushed to the door, briskly opened it, I peered around, then we walked quickly down the hall. A nurse passed us and smiled. I smiled back but Piper gave her a fearful, she's-gonna-figure-it-out-and-we'll-die look. Thankfully, the nurse had turned her focus away from us and didn't think twice about Piper's freakish look. "Snap out of it," I hissed to the sister.



"What if she goes in there?!" Piper whisper-shrieked.



I held onto Piper's shoulders and glanced over one. The nurse was at the way end of the hall, curving her body around a corner, and disappearing from sight. "It's fine," I whispered to Piper, but kept my eyes in the same place.



"You're sure?" Switching to her face, I nodded. "We have to call Leo," Piper said, her voice wavering.



"Leo?" I asked, checking around to see if anyone was near. "Why?"



"He-he'll use the powder," she tried to explain.



"Powder? Wh--" A different nurse walked around Piper and I. Blushing, I pushed Piper next to the right side of the wall. "Well, call for him!" I snapped, peering around again. Piper attempted to lift up her hands, but I wouldn't allow her with my weight pressing on her shoulders. "Keep your arms down," I warned her, "for both of our safeties."



She shook her head. "We need to go into a room. He orbs in."



"Oh, damn it," I cursed quietly. My eyes darted to a room labelled CLOSET. "There," I pointed out, and we moved together into the dark room. "Now do it."



With the door shut completely, Piper called out her husband's name. Three times. Five times. After the seventh call, a gather of white and blue sparks formed just outside the hold between Piper and me. "Finally," Piper whispered angrily to him.



"What's the problem?" Leo asked, his tone almost rude.



"What's wrong?" Piper asked, alarmed by his voice.



Leo sighed. "I'm not supposed to be here. I was with the Elders. Now what is it?"



"The Elders? What--"



"Piper!" I interrupted her then looked to Leo. "Leo, Piper's powers messed up and she nearly blew up the doctor during the appointment. Piper said you'll use the powder?"



"'Nearly blew up the doctor'?" Leo questioned, gawking at Piper. "Your powers changed?"



Piper frowned. "I don't know! Just help Dr. Keeton!"



Leo's eyes were filled with questions and worries, but he knew that he had to go "use the powder". He asked us the room number, but neither of us could remember. "Okay, I'll figure it out. Go home," he told us, "and don't try to freeze anything. I'll be there later."



Leo and Piper shared a soft kiss and then he left the closet. "Oh, what's wrong with me?" Piper whined to the ceiling.



"You heard what he said," I replied. "Let's get to the manor and figure it out." I released her shoulders slowly and peered out the door. It was clear. "Let's go," I whispered to Piper and we bolted.



We reached Piper's car in a hurry, slamming the doors behind us. "Call Prue," Piper breathed, her body up against her seat. I could smell the sweat radiating off her skin; I wanted to vomit. "Get my purse."



I bent over, inhaling and exhaling deeply to keep from retching, and picked up Piper's heavy bag. Pushing away various items, I scrambled to find her cell phone. "Here," I said in acknowledgement. I flipped open the equipment but had no idea what to do next. "Uh... help."



Letting out a breath, Piper squeaked, "Press number three then talk. It will ring after that."



Nodding, I did as I was told. I pressed the unfolded rectangle along my cheek, the top part at my ear. It rang twice before a soft "hello" sounded from inside the speaker. "Prue," I said, sounding relieved, and I was. It was amazing to hear her voice again, especially after last night when I thought she was angry with me.



"Delilah," Prue said, her tone a little louder. "How was it?"



"I saw the baby, Prue," I replied joyfully. "It was beautiful. Really."



I could hear her smile in her voice as she said, "I knew it would be."



"Yeah," I whispered. Then I glanced over at Piper, her face awfully pale. "Oh!" I cried, "And Piper almost blew up the doctor!"



"What?!" Prue whisper-screamed. "What do you mean?!"



"Her-her powers. I told her to fr-freeze him and she did. I mean, she tried to, but... there was an explosion!"



It was quiet for a while, and I thought maybe something happened to the connection or Prue hung up on me. "Prue?" I asked in worry, clutching the phone to my ear. I could hear her distantly talking. Not to me, though. "Prue?" I asked again, very confused.



She cleared her throat then started whispering again, "I'm on my way home. Is Piper driving?"



I looked at the middle Halliwell sister again. She looked just as freaked as before. "She isn't... yet," I clarified. I leaned closer to Piper. "Are you okay to drive, Piper?"



I saw muscles bounce in her throat as she swallowed uneasily. "Y-yeah," she said gently. "I think so."



Taking a gulp, myself, I replied, "She's going to," to Prue on the phone.



"Okay, I'll meet you there. I love you."



My heart crept up into my esophagus. "Love you, too," I breathed. I shut the phone and melted back into the seat. Just hearing her say those words brought every little feeling back. Every touch, every kiss, every caress. Every time she said she'd be there for me; every time she said she loved me. It felt so good.



Piper loudly exhaled, taking me out of the lovey-dovey state. "Okay," she said, more to herself, I think, and shifted the car into drive. We didn't talk during the ride home, but that didn't bother me. I wanted to stay on this high as long as possible. Who knew if last night would happen again this night.



By the time we got back to the manor, Prue wasn't home. That was a little disappointing, but I knew she was well on her way. Piper and I got out of her jeep and made our way into the house. We walked through the front doors and heard a voice in the kitchen. "Phoebe?" I asked Piper as she set down her purse very slowly, barely flexing her fingers.



With a sigh of impatience, Piper said, "Let's hope so," and I smirked a little behind Piper's back. I realized that it wouldn't be kind of me to laugh at Piper when she was in such a confused, irritable state, but it was a little amusing to see her sarcastic remarks and her fumbles with her hands. Also, this Prue-loves-me-and-I-love-it high was making me really chipper.



It was Phoebe in the kitchen. She was on the phone, talking with great enthusiasm. "Okay, thanks! Bye-bye," Phoebe ended, pushing a button on the phone. With her back to us, unaware of our presence, the youngest Halliwell sister started to hop up and down, squealing with excitement. Piper glanced at me, looking very confused. I seconded the look but couldn't help smiling at the dancing woman before us. Finally, Phoebe realized we were there when she bounced around. "Oh, hey!" she cried, her grin stretching like a rubberband.



"Why are you so cheery?" Piper inquired, most likely jealous of her sister's thrill.



The blonde rubbed her hands together, preparing to tell us a story. "Well, since I'll be graduating from college soon, I've been looking for jobs, and I came across how The Bay Mirror is looking for an advice columnist. So I sent a few e-mails, made a few phone calls, and..." You could tell that this would be where the drum-roll sounded. "After graduation, of course," she furthered, "I'm going for an interview!" She squealed again. "I'm so excited!"



"We can tell," I said, my smile growing thanks to her radiating joy. "Congratulations."



She giggled. "Thanks. How did the appointment go?"



That brought down the curve in my lips. "Not so well," I said briefly.



Her eyes were immediately worried. "What happened?"



The front door opened and closed then. "Delilah? Piper?" Prue called, her purse banging on the floor or the table. Her heels clacked on the wooden floor as she jogged toward the kitchen. "There you ar--"



I turned around and kissed her. It just happened. I just had this urge to push myself against her, feel her body along mine. Her soft lips were warm. God, I needed to have her now. I pressed my hands to her cheeks, pushing my lips closely into hers. Prue kissed me back with affection, feeling the pressure and urgency that I forced upon her.



We held the lock for a long time, and, even when it ended, I was longing for more. "Mmm..." I moaned as I pulled back, staring dreamily into her eyes. My insides felt slick like honey.



Prue stood there for a moment, expressionless, but then she smirked. "Hey," she said, baring her white teeth.



I smiled in response. "I'm not sorry about that," I said, knowing that Prue probably expected me to say sorry, like I always did when I uncontrollably do something, but I hadn't this time. My urge was apparent and eager. I wanted her.



"I'm not either," Prue replied softly, her eyes reflecting the lust I felt. "But my sisters are here."



Prue motioned them by turning her head in their direction. I followed her stare to watch Piper and Phoebe, who stood there, trying not to watch the romantic entangling of their older sister and me. I laughed and began to blush. "Oops."



"What blew up?" Prue asked casually to Piper.



Phoebe's mouth dropped. "Blew up?!" she echoed, looking at me. "That's what happened?!"



"Oh, no, it wasn't me this time," I replied, shaking my head. I lifted a finger to point at the middle sister, whose head already hung in shame.



"Piper? You blew something up?"



She lifted her head to speak, "Delilah told me to freeze the doctor, and I tried, but when I..." She almost did the action with her hands but stopped herself. That could've caused another bomb to set off. "You know, flicked my hands," she continued, keeping her hands at her hips, "there was an explosion instead of a freeze."



"The doctor," Prue said. "How's he?"



"He should be okay," I assured. "We got ahold of Leo and he was going to help him."



"And use the memory dust for our protection," Piper added.



The two other sisters relaxed a little. "How was everything else?" Prue asked, turning to face me.



"Well..." I started with hesitation. "Dr. Keeton showed us an ultrasound of the baby--" I stopped. That damn demon alarm was blaring in my head again. "A demon's here," I warned them, glancing at the doorway.



Phoebe groaned behind me, "Again? I thought they were over this stuff."



"Psh, yeah right," Prue commented, following my lead into the front hallway.



"Quiet!" I shushed to them. We walked through the dining area into the foyer and peeked into the living room. "He's here somewhere," I murmured, my eyes traveling all over, the ringing still sounding against my eardrums.



"Yeah, right he--"



We all spun around, gasping and yelping. Piper had shrieked and lifted her hands, making a loud booming noise come from across the room. She'd blown up one of the picture frames hanging on the wall near the staircase. The demon had just managed to dodge the thunderous bullet.



"Damn it. Piper missed him," Prue mumbled aloud as we all realized the demon was Cole.



"Prue, that's not funny!" Phoebe cried, running over to her boyfriend in haste. "Are you alright, Cole?" she questioned, pulling him to his feet.



"What the hell was that?!" Cole yelled, rubbing his hand on the side of his neck.



"Piper has a new power, it appears," I answered, nodding my head to a shocked Piper, "and you're the second person she almost blew up."



"Second?" the half-demon asked, his eyes filled with puzzlement.



"The doctor was the first."



"Cole, I'm so sorry!" Piper finally squeaked, her terrified eyes starting to water.



"Oh, honey, he's fine," Prue assured her, rubbing her shoulders with her hands. A tiny spark of envy teased my chest. "Why don't you go upstairs and try to relax, okay? And don't make any snappy hand-movements."



Piper nodded, her mouth a small frown, and plodded past Cole and Phoebe to the upper level of the manor. "Poor Piper," Phoebe murmured. "She must feel awful."



Prue watched her sister trudge out of sight and nodded. "It sucks dealing with a new power, but she'll be fine."



I inched closer to the Charmed One, craving her attention. "I know how that feels," I mumbled beside her, thinking about my sudden bursts of flames.



"What else happened at the hospital?" Cole inquired to me.



"Oh, yeah, I'll try again," I said, restarting my appointment story that I couldn't tell earlier thanks to Cole's arrival. "We saw the ultrasound and the baby looks normal. Which is really good. It's beautiful, actually." My hands had latched themselves over my belly like a shield. "But there's a major issue, one that Cole was curious about last night."



Prue, much to my pleasure, Phoebe and Cole all seemed to lean closer in, ready to hear the important detail.



"The doctor said that I've been pregnant already for fifteen weeks," I confessed.



"Oh no," Cole groaned, his hand grabbing a fistful of his dark hair.



"That... can't be right," Prue murmured then bit down on her lips.



Phoebe looked absolutely lost. "How? The conception happened the day The Source was vanquished. That was--"



"About six weeks ago," I completed her sentence.



"Yeah. So how can it be?" Then she gasped. "Is it really another demon's and not your father's?"



I knew she was trying to make me feel better by saying that my father's rape wasn't the act that produced my evil child. I understood that. But the way she blantantly stated that another demon may have screwed me instead and left his dirty semen inside of me made me feel sick and angry. It wasn't as pleasing as she may have thought it'd be.



"No, it's definitely The Source's," I muttered, shaking off the sudden agitation.



"It was my tonic theory," Cole peeped, now itching his scalp. "The Seer is somehow feeding your baby something to make it grow and get stronger, and, therefore, get older."



Prue shook her head. "How could she be doing that? She hasn't been here, has she?"



"I don't think she has to be here to do it," Cole replied. "She just has to put the tonic someplace where you'll unknowingly get it inside you."



"Like..." Phoebe thought out loud, "in food?"



"Maybe," Cole said, looking around for any clues or possibilities. "Or maybe the water."



"Our drinking water?" Prue asked.



I started to think. The night that I told Prue about my assault, Prue had brought me a glass of water. While I was asleep, I dreamed that horrible dream about the baby telling me he was going to kill me, and, when I woke up, there was that stabbing-like feeling inside me. Was that proving that the baby was gaining strength then?



"Oh no!" The youngest Halliwell draped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide at Cole. "What if... non-pregnant people drink water from the tap?"



Cole's brow line straightened in a thick line. "I don't think it affects you, Phoebe. It's meant for Delilah. You're fine."



Her eyes shrunk a smidge, but she kept the hand in place. I didn't blame her for being concerned; I would've been worried if I were in her position, too.



"I think that's it," I murmured, staring into Cole's eyes. "But I can't dehydrate myself."



"We'll buy bottles of it," Prue said beside me.



"Do you think the bath water is contaminated?" I asked Cole.



He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Probably, but I would think it's not as bad as actually swallowing whatever they put in the pipes."



I nodded, letting his honest tone sink into my mind for reassurance. "Good," I whispered to myself, "good." Anything to keep the baby from tearing me up inside.



"I have, uh, some news," Cole announced, raising his hand to his neck and grimacing as he scratched at the side just below his jaw. He must've injured it after Piper's accidental attack.



Phoebe huffed and leaned against the wall, cocking her head to the side. Her joyful expression from earlier had disappeared now thanks to our news.



"I went down to the Underworld this morning to get any other information about Delilah's offspring or about what Leo said about the Elders' suspicions of a new Source. I asked a few scavenger demons, but they didn't have a clue--"



"You just went up to these demons and asked them, 'Hey, do you know anything about a new Source?' and they replied with, 'Uh... nope'?" Phoebe asked. I stifled a giggle just imagining the scene. Cole walking up to scragglers, holding out his hand and casually asking them questions.



Apparently Cole wasn't the slightest bit amused; he let out a heavy sigh. "Phoebe, please," he muttered, his teeth fused together.



"You let them wander off after you questioned them?" Prue inquired him seriously, crossing her arms.



The half-demon shook his head to the sides. "No, I killed them. They could've gone and told The Seer I'd been lurking down there, and I wasn't going to take that risk."



"She may have already known," I murmured, then stared at Prue's chest popping out against her folded arms. Shivering from a sudden chill, I bit my lip and turned away from her beautiful curves.



"Maybe, but I still had to take precautions incase she hadn't been watching," Cole said. "Anyway, I found a more upper-level demon and got some answers out of him. He said that someone is carrying the heir of The Source, and The Seer plans to take the child and raise it."



I let go of my lip and heard myself make a vicious noise deep in my throat. "'Take the child'?!"



"Let me finish," Cole pled, moving his eyes to meet mine. They looked so tired, so willing to give up. I felt the urge to look away, but the sudden fury that coursed through my body held me in place. "While the heir is young, The Seer would take control over the Underworld, and Jarrod would be her right-hand man, most likely next in line for the throne if something were to happen to her or the child."



My skin felt like it was boiling.



"They've already named this new generation as 'The New Era.'" Cole swallowed and cleared his throat. "They're ready for it. I can tell."



"What do you mean?" Prue asked beside me.



His exhausted eyes fell on the Charmed One. "The demons that I saw, besides the scavengers, were large, menacing. The demon that told me those things -- I had to fight him for so long before he was destroyed." I glanced down at his hands and saw the bruises on his swollen knuckles, the scrapes that would become scars on his forearms and neck.



Cole relieved a small exhale, averting his face in my direction. "Delilah, The Seer is ready." His voice was worn and rough. Broken, like his confidence. "And I don't think we can stop her."



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So... Delilah's screwed? Maybe. You'll have to find out later.



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