sympathy for the devil

Blair did not need to be asked twice. She did not bother replying, just took off running as fast as she could go.

"Run, run, run...," she whispered. Piper watched as she made the smart choice, fighting off her every instinct to go running after her. Let her live to fight another day. Piper was sure their paths would cross again.

Of course she meant it. Willow had the urge to embrace the vampire before her, to tell her that it didn't matter what she had done, that despite it all, Willow saw good in her. Maybe at a different time though. Instead, she simply nodded, and agreed. "Yes. Even for you. Why not?"

"Some souls cannot be saved," she whispered back, without really meaning to. At least, not Piper's. She remembered that spell, the one that turned them all human for the day, clearer than she'd admit. Her mind had been so clear then, only her own voice there to guide her. She knew there was only one way to save herself then, to sever the chord between her and her maker. But now, it was too late.

The crease in Cece's brow relaxed, her gaze drifting to the side as she let that name roll around in her mind. 'Charlie'. Her favourite person in the whole world, once upon a time. This woman had known Charlie? Cece never did find out what had become of her beloved brother after her apparent death. She was captured by the Bad Place before she even had a chance to look for him. "You knew my brother?"

'Charlie', how much power his name held for them both... Piper soon realised that she didn't know that he was still alive. How could she? She didn't know what he had become. And even now, Piper couldn't hold both of their hands and reunite them. At least, not how she would like. The expression on her face soften, and she held her hand out for her to take, if she wanted. "Know."

Cece canted her head to the side, watching the other vampire's approach. She was starting to become convinced that this town had no humans living in it; it was all very odd. "You really mean that, don't you?" There was something in her eyes–in the way she was looking at her–but she couldn't quite place what it was. She seemed... trustworthy? Like she actually cared about how Cece would perceive her, but she was so sure she had never seen this woman before. Why would she have any interest in her? "But I've heard that before." The words came out in almost a whisper. "How can you be so sure when you don't even know me?"

Piper closed her eyes at her words, feeling them twist in her heart. She could only begin to imagine how she had come to be here, what she must have endured along the way. How long had they stolen her for? When she opened her eyes again, she nodded. Of course, she meant it. "I believe I know a part of you," she answered softly, her hand pressed over her own heart. If the eyes weren't enough, the pull Piper felt towards her was real and true. "Charlie."

Charlie stood at the entrance, preparing himself for his meeting with Piper. It always took a lot out of him, trying desperately not to look in her direction. All it would take was one glance from the corner of his eye and he would lose all control- he would want to tear her apart. Hiding his thoughts from her was the easier endeavour. Charlie had always been a very private person, so learning that she could read minds meant that he quickly developed techniques to regulate his internal monologue. A lot had happened since their last meeting though, and this could prove to be more difficult than normal.

A soft smile graced her lips as he thought of sitting across from her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. She pressed her fingertips to that very spot, now. It was only pretend, but it was the best they could do. Her heart ached to be so close to him and yet so very far. Piper knew that if she could just touch him again, look into his eyes and remind him of where he belonged, everything would be better. She knew that their bond was stronger than anything that could try and tear them apart. Sometimes, she hated being patient. "I've missed you too, my love."

Will laughed as he turned to watch her whoosh off after their victim, his hair whipping against his face in the breeze she had created. Magnificent. If his heart could beat, it would be racing for her. He didn't run after her, though every fibre of his being wanted to. Instead, he took a leisurely stroll in a ninety-degree angle from their starting point, knowing that Piper would lead them back to him. What a perfect game for a beautiful evening!

Piper grinned while her eyes locked with William's, momentarily forgetting all about the poor, sweet, human between them. They could have been the only two left in this world, and she would be perfectly content. "Such a shame," she whispered, fangs protruding before she gently brushed the hair back from her neck. "Goodnight, doctor."

Stephanie's eyes narrowed as she tried to piece together what Piper was telling her and, more importantly, why she was telling her. God, she really didn't have the brain capacity to keep up with her thought process and she was about to make a sarcastic remark about how academia wasn't a strength of hers, when something triggered in the back of her mind. Silly girl. How many times had her parents called her that when she had told them she could sense the emotions of others? Was Piper trying to tell her that she was the same? Could she sense emotions too? "I-... No, I don't-..." Stephanie wanted to leave this conversation and get as far away from her as possible, but after all these years, was it possible that there was another vampire like her?

"There's nothing wrong with seeking out connection with someone who can understand, Stephanie. Even if you want to run instead," she said softly. There were few things she would deny her clan - her family of her own making - but this, she wouldn't have wished on another like her. It had happened, now, though. And she didn't deny her influence over Jace, how he had hoped to follow in her footsteps as a maker. It was why she couldn't leave her be. "It takes out all the magic from you, but leaves you with the pain. Turns it up and up, and up until you can't stand it anymore," she explained, her eyes briefly closing. "And then you survive. Even though you weren't supposed to. Because people like you and me, we were never supposed to live like this."

Again, his brow furrowed. What the hell was she getting at? "You're asking me what I want?" She was toying with him, she had to be. In all his life, he couldn't recall a time when someone had actually asked him what he wanted. Why would Piper care? No one else did. Noah was about to say something along those lines, but there was something in the way she was looking at him that made him hesitate. "I don't know." A lie. He knew exactly what he wanted; power. He wanted to stop grasping for threads of approval from people that didn't matter. He wanted to not be afraid anymore. But how lame it would be to confess that to her.

Piper appreciated his reaction and, most of all, his suspicion. If he were anyone else, after curfew (of course), this might have already ended very differently. She was under no illusions of her reputation in this town. The monsters were out of the shadows, and there would be no putting them back now. "I'm asking you what you want," she repeated, while his thoughts ran through his head. Self-depreciating. Afraid. She watched with curiosity to see how he would answer aloud and was left disappointed. "Well, everyone wants something," she countered, titling her head. "And if you did know, then you could take it. Who's going to stop you?"

Willow was no going to force another being to do anything that they didn't want to do. However, there still was a sense of disappointment when Piper didn't take her up on the offer for non-living human blood. "It's your choice," Willow said. "If you change your mind, please, let me know."

"You really mean that, don't you?" she asked in a small voice. It was just... fascinating. Piper could understand it, the pull that Willow Evermore must have had over others. The same way Piper would follow Edward over a cliff, she was sure Willow could inspire the same. "Even for me."

Oh no. No, no, no. Blair did not like that smile at all. Blair's hand went to the pocket where she kept a vial of holy water. Yep, there it was. "I-I think I have some educated guesses."

Piper held her gaze for longer than was comfortable, a smile pulling on her lips. "Do you want to run now?"

Cece wandered through the town square, each step deliberately taken, as though the very ground she walked on could give way at any moment. Her hands hovered at her sides, upturned as if by puppet strings, as the wind danced through her outstretched fingers. She was free. When they reached Havensdale and forced their way through the strange barrier, the Vandevieres had offered to let her stay with them, but they had their own plans and Cece had gone too long without having a little fun.

Piper had once been held captive by 'The Institute'. Even after enough time had passed - even though she had her bloody revenge - she could still feel the ghosts of their hands around her neck. She could still smell the chemicals that had made the room overly sterile, and she could still hear the screams. Their screams, her screams. She had found that it left a mark. On her, it wasn't as obvious as her Charlie's - their parting gift more evident in his head than in hers. But it was there. And now, she could swear that she felt that same sense of relief that she'd felt after escaping.

Piper's hands on hers were caring, her eyes understanding, and Faith's chest shook with louder, ragged sobs. It broke her, the notion that a monster could show her such warmth. She wanted to be known by her, and that made her feel like a monster too. Her head lowered while her hands remained in place, her nails digging into Piper's neck not through a will to harm but a desperate attempt to hold herself together. Her demons weren't Piper's to command. She was not going to be William, nor Charlie. Did Piper see something of them in her? Her tears of desperation soon mixed with anger and revulsion at the idea that she could ever become one of them.

For a moment, Piper thought that she had her. That this could be their time, now. Faith's nails bit into her skin, and Piper longed to offer her the closeness she desired. They had been kept apart for so long now, Piper could hardly bear another second without her. She could change everything tonight. Piper almost bared her fangs when she realised that Faith wasn't ready. She felt like a monster. Faith didn't understand why she was so special to Piper. She wasn't ready to embrace all that she could be. To embrace the darkest parts of herself, to know unyielding freedom and power.