Bitter Destruction

Prince of Madness - Thank you for reviewing almost all of my stories! :) I really appreciate all of your input. This chapter doesn't have really any "goodness" but it's a good chapter, nonetheless. Gotta get through some confessions first. ;)



Denver - Thank you, dear, for reviewing again! :D



Sarah - Thank you, too, darling for your (for me, at least) first review! Please write more if you get the chance! :) And we'll have to see if your hope comes true...



Thanks again, you three! And now the story. Enjoy!



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"What's going on?!" I heard Phoebe exclaim to Prue after forcing the door open.



Prue said words that I couldn't make out. His words were still echoing in my mind, haunting me. 'Please get out,' I pled repeatedly to myself.



"Please get out," I whispered through my tears, my hands clasping my blouse together to hide my chest.



"Sweetie," Phoebe murmured, coming toward me. "What's going on?"



Her hand came closer and closer. "Phoebe, wait!" Prue shouted.



I flinched away from her and willed myself not to blast her away with fire. "Don't, please!" I wailed.



Her hand touched my arm, and she jerked backward, as though it were a sharp, electric shock, and gasped loudly as her body trembled like a tide. Through my glossed-over eyes, I could see Phoebe's body shake wildly and her eyes clamp down tight.



Just as quickly as it happened, she snapped open her eyelids to reveal tears. Her hand let go of my arm and cupped her mouth to keep herself from screaming.



Cole came in through the door then, asking, "What is it?" Then he saw me cradled on the floor and Phoebe about to break down. "Phoebe! What?!"



"The S-S-Source," she muffled through her crying.



Prue looked at me, her eyes stained with hurt and confusion.



Cole grabbed Phoebe by the arms and made her stare into his icy blue eyes. "What about him?" he urged.



A sob escaped her throat as she looked at me, her eyes tortured. "He-he raped her..."



Cole's gaze caught mine, and he clenched his jaw in anger and frustration. "Damn it," he cursed to himself.



"Cole," Prue acknowledged without looking away from me, her voice raw and raspy. "Could you please..."



He nodded slowly, pulling Phoebe along with him as she wept. "I'm sorry, Delilah..." she whispered countless times until Prue closed the door behind them.



The burning within ceased then, but the heartache and worthlessness overtook me. The Charmed One that remained in the room faced away from me, her hand still on the doorknob. I waited for her to speak. To yell. To scream at me for betraying her.



I sniffled and whimpered out, "Prue... please don't ha-hate me."



Her body shook like it had when we were in the park, like a wave washed over her form. "Delilah." She barely spoke when she said my name. Her dark hair swayed to the side while she turned to see me, her beautiful green eyes glazed over with tears. The sadness that scorched her tone made my own eyes tear up again. "I don't," she said very softly and inched toward me, her composure showing defeat.



"You don't what?" I choked.



"I don't hate you," she said, kneeling down next to me and stroked my cheek. I flinched away, not wanting to feel anyone's touch, but gave in and leaned myself into her small embrace. "You should've stopped me..." she murmured.



"What?"



She swallowed hard. "Just before this happened. When we were kissing... and then..." Prue sniffled and wiped her eyes, smearing her make-up. "I shouldn't have."



I shook my head. "Prue, no, don't think like that. I th-thought I could, but I-I--" The words stopped and my throat clogged with air and moisture, disabling me.



Prue pulled me into her arms and we cried together, her head over mine, her hands on my back rubbing gently, her chest shaking against mine, giving me warmth and protection. I heard her whisper countless times that she was sorry, terribly sorry, and I sobbed harder, wishing she could've been there before to stop him.



Our embrace ended when Prue went to the bathroom to get me some water, though I'm sure she left because she had to calm herself down. When she left the room, I pulled myself off the floor, my left hand never leaving my stomach as I did so. Feeling even more disgusting than usual in the clothes I'd been wearing, I took them off quickly and slipped on a loose t-shirt and baggy bottoms, and then I climbed into Prue's bed, covering my body with the blanket.



The Halliwell came in again within seconds. She'd changed into a different outfit as well, consisting of a white tanktop and black shorts, and had put her dark hair into a messy ponytail. Her face was less wet from tears and smudged make-up. When our eyes met, she tried to smile and held out the glass filled with clear fluid.



I attempted to smile back but it was pointless; my eyes only watered. Gratefully, I took the water and drank quickly, focusing on drinking and not letting the tears fall. "Thank you," I breathed when I stopped taking the water down my throat.



The ends of Prue's mouth curved sympathetically and she took the glass from my hands, setting it onto the bedside table.



"I wanted to tell you," I blurted softly, looking away from her and to the comforter instead. "I really did."



"I understand, Delilah," Prue answered, her voice full of emotion. "You don't have to explain or tell me--"



"I want to," I said quickly, meeting her stare. "I... I need to."



"No, Delilah, you don't..."



"Yes, Prue. Please," I trembled, biting my lip.



After a moment or two, Prue nodded with uncertainty, and then got onto the bed, sitting cross-legged directly across from me.



Taking a very deep breath, I pulled myself upward into a sitting position and tugged my hands out from under the shield of fabric, placing them upon the opening between my spread legs. "A-After Jarrod had shimmered me out of the manor," I began shakily, not glimpsing away from my clamped hands. "We started to argue and I heard... his voice."



I glanced up at Prue, curious to know if she understood the emphasism I used on his. She was still watching intently, her jaw clenched slightly.



Looking back down, I continued, "He ordered Jarrod to leave, which he did, and then he looked at me. And..." I paused, remembering the scene as if it had happened minutes ago, "I used my power to talk to you. To say--"



"'Prue, please save me'?" Prue asked, her jaw tightening and tears cluttering her green irises.



I nodded, picking at my hand's flesh with my fingernails. "But Prue--"



"It's fine," she said rapidly, trying to hide the snappiness to her response. "Keep going," she added, her voice much softer and less terse.



"He kept talking, saying he was proud that I'd gotten to you, but disappointed, all the same, because I'd fallen for you, as well. He revealed to me that Jarrod had been watching me the entire time. And he asked me if I was now eager to turn good, and I told him I was. He mocked me, telling me that I had false strength just because I was with the Charmed Ones, that you didn't love me, but I told him that you did."



"Do," Prue countered, her mouth arching into a tiny smile.



I sniffled. "Yeah." 'I hope you still will,' I thought anxiously.



"He sent small energy balls at me, just to knock me back, and I screamed at him to just do it, to just kill me." I felt the bed quiver as Prue winced. "He told me he had bigger plans for me, and climbed on top of me." My tears were trickling down my cheeks now. "He revealed to me that if I would've done my job and seduced you, brought you to the Underworld, then he would've raped you and have you give him an heir."



"I almost wish--"



"No!" I snapped quickly before she could finish. "You don't! Take it back, Prue, please. Don't say that," I begged through a sob.



"Okay, okay, okay, shh..." she hushed, "I'm sorry."



I swallowed roughly and tried to finish. "But because you weren't there, he decided that I would do. He said something in a weird language and, suddenly, my clothes vanished. He-he-he pushed into me... hard, and it was so... p-painful," I whispered, my eyes closed tight.



"I-I-I wished he would st-stop. It h-hurt so much, Prue."



I heard Prue cry and saw her hand creep toward mine, but I pulled away. "No, Prue, I can't let you see it," I told her, remembering that if she touched me while I recalled a memory, she would be able to see it as well.



"Delilah..."



"Prue, no, please." She nodded in defeat and let me continue. "He st-stopped thrusting and tasted me, claiming that I t-tasted like m-my mother." My stomach churned in disgust. "Then he asked about w-what it is that you do that I enjoy so much. If it's when you kissed m-my neck. He started to kiss mine. Then he asked about... my ch-chest." My breathing quickened. The skin where I was scratching on my hand turned a dark pink. "He started to t-touch it, ki-kiss it, an-and...." I stopped so I could let more tears fall, my heart sinking deeper into abdomen. "I-I-I-I started to think that i-it-it was you, and-and not him doing it... and-and... I c-couldn't stop mys-myself from--" I sobbed helplessly. "I'm so s-sorry, Prue. I didn't m-mean to, I promise."



Prue sobbed openly as well and tried to wrap her arms around me. I pulled away, but then surrendered and collapsed into her arms, both of us weeping heavily. With as much strength as I could, I said through my power I'm so sorry, Prue. Please forgive me.



She hugged me closer and kissed me on the head. Her voice, soft and sniffling, continuously whispered, "I forgive you," and "I'm sorry."



Once the sobbing had shriveled to a quiet crying, I confessed that there was more. "He finished the assault. He spoke in the same weird tongue and put my clothes back on, like nothing had happened. Then Cole and Phoebe came, then Leo, Piper, and you. I never thought I'd be happier to see Cole shimmer in at first," I whispered with a small, bitter laugh. "To watch my father vanquish before my eyes was... relieving."



"I wish it'd never happened, Delilah," Prue said, caressing my cheek. "I knew that as soon as you used your power to say that... we should've gone then."



"But you knew that I lied. About almost everything."



"I knew that something was wrong. And my instincts told me you were in trouble. I should've--"



"It's okay, Prue. Thankfully you're not betrayed by... what I did."



"I'm not," she answered honestly, pulling up one of my hands to kiss it. When she let go, my hand curved over my bulging belly, and Prue noticed. "How is it?"



"What?" I asked, tucking my chin down to my chest, my heart pulsating hastily.



Prue's hand lay on mine and rested gently. Her other lifted my chin so that I held her stare. With the softest, saddest voice I'd ever heard her speak, she replied, "The baby."