something wicca this way comes

“You have a terrible shadow over you, New Orleans. If this prophecy is fulfilled, five shall fall. One by FRIEND. One by FOE. One by FAMILY. One by FATE and One by a FAULT in the design.”

— Where there is fear, there is failure. Where there is hope, there is light

“I’m fine.” It was a conditioned response and Davina prattled it off without even a second thought. But this was Piper, and she had trusted the older witch before with more than just some offhanded comment that shrugged off her very real concern. “I mean, it’s not worth getting all worried about. My nightmares are back,” she admitted, not knowing whether or not Piper had any idea that she had been plagued with nightmares about the Harvest for months after it happened. “But I’m not using so much magic where I can be found, so it’s..” Okay? “Under control.”

Listening and watching Piper continue to worry about her sisters, all the while fighting with them…It was something Davina was so new to. And while she knew that she probably wouldn’t ever fully understand the dynamic that had been essentially robbed from not only herself but the Halliwell sisters, she had begun to understand that just because you fought with the people you considered family didn’t mean they loved you any less. The sixteen year old didn’t know anything really about the other sisters, and certainly not enough to comfort Piper in any meaningful way. “Maybe they just need to process a bit first? I don’t know, but I mean…” Was it better to be hopeful that they’d eventually go to Piper when they needed to? “This family thing is hard, isn’t it?”

Piper didn’t buy the ‘I’m fine’ act; it was more of a reflex than a response, one she knew too well. She was glad Davina responded to her knowing look with a more detailed answer. She remembered the younger witch briefly mentioning nightmares a while back, but that conversation had ended abruptly and, admittedly, she’d forgotten about it. She couldn’t place a finger on the true meaning behind under control, but she trusted that Davina would tell her if something truly was up. “I don’t think I need to repeat myself, but I’m always here to help. I know I seem like I have a lot going on right now, but you’re never a burden to me.”

It was nice to see Davina curious about the sibling dynamic between the Halliwell sisters. It was something she’d missed out on for so many years, and by the looks of what was happening right now, it probably wasn’t something she was in a mighty rush to join. This corruption and collapse of the sisters’ relationships had seemed a long time coming, but Piper couldn’t help but wish it had come at a better time - if there was even a ‘good’ time for it. “Yeah, I’m going to step off for the time being.” She nodded in response. “It’s just tricky with us. We’re not like other sisters who can fight and all that matters is that they make up at one point. When we fight...” She started, drawing in a breath. “When we fight our powers all suffer. When we’re not connecting, our powers aren’t either. So basically, if someone were to come after me right now, or any one of them, there’s no telling how long we could hold them off. And that’s pretty terrifying.” She admitted, shrugging. She was grateful for Davina’s attempt at lightening the conversation, and she gave a little chuckle. “The hardest.”

It wasn’t pretty by any means, and it was never going to be. Trying to destroy a relationship with a person who you held so dear just so they didn’t have to watch you walk straight into your own demise.

It was going to be easier this way.

“Maybe if you payed more attention you wouldn’t have to ask me, Piper.” She hissed right back at her sister. “I’m delusional? If you hadn’t noticed Davina doesn’t really want to come live with us right now. So while you’re trying to play house you might as well pull Marcel in with her because starting tomorrow you can use my room as a guest room.” It was eating her alive, the guilt that bubbled up from the part of her previous self that was still in there - trying to take every word back that now hung in the air.

“Your family is already here, Piper. You just didn’t bother to look hard enough and now you’re going to lose all of them.” With that she stood and walked straight past her older sister, letting the door swing open she only momentarily paused in the doorway - a white knuckled grip on the frame.

“I’m gonna go pack.”

The thing about fighting with those closest to you that makes it so horrific is that they know exactly what to say to rip your heart out, all the way down to the tiniest strings. And that’s exactly what Phoebe had decided to do today. It was as if she’d come here with the sole intent of exposing what she knew were Piper’s deepest fears and then, in a trick of the devil himself, turning them against her to try to make her believe that everything was her fault. 

“Your family is already here, Piper. You just didn’t bother to look hard enough and now you’re going to lose all of them.” That one did it. It was everything she feared and more. All her life, she’d been so careful and so watchful. She’d felt like she’d literally done everything necessary to ensure that she always knew where everyone was and had always been sensitive to her sisters’ emotional states. But time had taken a big toll on all of them... could it be that she’d lost her empathetic compass as well? Gotten so lost within her own thoughts and worries that she’d blinded herself to the woes of her sisters?

It was all she could do to try not to scream. She bit her tongue as she watched Phoebe leave the room, sucking in a slow, shaky breath as her heart threatened to leap out from under her ribcage and bleed out on the ground at her feet, as if mocking the mess she’d made of it all.

It might have been the first time anyone had told her she managed to keep her emotions under control and the sixteen year old wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “Only with a lot of effort,” she confessed with a small shrug. She still followed her heart much more often than her head, and Marcel had taken more than one beating against a wall due to one her nightmares or temper tantrums…But it was a work in progress. The calmer she was, the easier all of her power was to manage. But there was no denying the effect that Piper’s praise had on the young girl. She relaxed even more in her chair, her lips tugged upwards in a small content smile instead of the forced polite one. “Maybe you could just wait and let them come to you?” Davina didn’t know the first thing about sisters, or having them, but she knew out of experience that she didn’t like to go to anyone when something was wrong until she felt ready to speak.

Piper’s lips curled up to one side slightly, as she extended a small, comforting smile Davina’s way. Had she overestimated how much the younger witch was dealing with everything? As much as she thought she’d been keeping it all together, maybe she’d been too blinded by her own issues to see that Davina was actually struggling with it all, as well. “How are you doing? Like really doing.” She asked with a concerned look.

Then, at the brunette’s next question, she nodded her head gently as her gaze fell to her intertwined fingers that rested on the kitchen table. All this time, literally since ever, she’d been the forceful one. Where Prue was the quiet yet strong and unfaltering leader, Piper was the one with all the questions. The one who, more often than not, ended up jumping into situations alongside whoever it was that was in a tough spot, as if she harboured some need to fix everything. And that had worked for a while, but where was it getting her these days? Absolutely butt-fuck nowhere. “It’s just always been us, y’know? We haven’t had anyone else for years. It’s so hard to let go when I just know they’re in pain. Everyone says I’m the emotional one but that’s just because I’m the only one who shows it.”

If Piper’s newest nickname for her caused Davina any discomfort she was quick to hide it. If her mentor was able to mash both of her identities into one, accepting the fact that she was Davina Claire, and still could somehow be her youngest sister without constantly comparing her to what she had once been…Then the sixteen year old could be okay with it. She would have to be, because it was more than she could have ever expected from Piper. “That bad, huh?” She couldn’t assume to really know any of the other Halliwells apart from her. Prue made her feel uneasy, Phoebe hadn’t been around despite their one good encounter, and Paige…She had never met. “Well you know me,” the young witch decided to tease instead, keep things light, “I always stay out of trouble.”

Piper rolled her eyes and puffed out a breath. “Yeah. Right. We all know you’re about as good at staying out of trouble’s way as I am. You are good at keeping your cool though, that which I surely am not.” She pointed out, eyes widening before she chuckled. Davina had proven time and time again that she could keep her emotions in check when needed, and that would ultimately be her strongest trait. The resilience of the Halliwell line matched with an emotional intelligence was something anyone would envy. “But yeah, that bad. I had a huge blowout with Phoebe earlier, so there’s strike two of three. Next thing I know Prue will be storming away from me too.” She continued, sighing. “Times like these are when I’m pretty envious that you’ve missed out on all the drama - it sucks ass.”

“Hey, no, I get it.” Davina shrugged with a smile as she dropped into one of the available seats at the table. If ever there was a time for everyone to be lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out what step to take next, this was it. But Piper’s next words surprised her, and Davina couldn’t hide it from her features as she paused. Was that what she had done? Waltzed into the manor without even thinking about it? “I just had a feeling, but at least the coffee is from the Brew and not some competitor, right?”

She’d had a feeling? Like, a feeling that Piper was way in over her head? Whoa. For some reason, every time they had a moment like this is still took her by surprise - as if the ancestors were sending small messages to prove that they were, in fact, sisters after all. There was nothing more comforting than that right now, especially when she felt like every other sister was slipping out of her reach. Giving a small chuckle, she raised a brow. “You did good, little sis.” Then, taking a deep breath, she looked up towards the ceiling, not really to anything in particular. “Kinda funny how you’ve been gone for so many years, yet you seem to be the only one I can get a handle on these days. Ironic.”

Matt took a deep breath and stared at his feet. “I guess saying sorry isn’t really gonna work, right?” He looked up again and he bit his own lip. “I’ve actually considered not coming back at all, but I guess I’ve discovered I like my friends a little more than I like my own life.”

Her brows creased as she watched him, concerned. “Let’s be real though, it’s no secret that you love your boss the most.” She winked, trying to lighten the mood before moving closer to him and placing one gentle hand on his shoulder. “No apology needed, it’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay and I’ll kill you if you leave again with no warning, but I’ll give you this one. Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Um, nevermind.” Davina laughed as she slid the mug of hot coffee that she had just gotten for herself in the direction of the older witch. “Here, have this. For some reason I get the feeling you need it way more than I do.”

Shooting her a sympathetic look, she caught the mug between her hands. “Yeah, sorry. Retreated there for a sec.” She said, clearing her throat before taking a sip of the coffee. “Glad to see you’re finally comfortable letting yourself into the manor. Bout time.” She teased.

Phoebe quickly mirrored Piper’s facial expression, everything that was going on building up inside of her as it surely was doing to her older sister.

She tried to take in what she was saying, trying to hold herself together but whatever darkness was trying to swallow her whole was only advancing even quicker. “You know what, Piper. I’m getting really tired of this all being about you! Maybe if you didn’t constantly feel obligated to be in everyone’s shit you wouldn’t have this problem. Get your nose out of everyone’s business and I think you’ll have a much better time.” She wasn’t sure where it had come from but once it was out she didn’t feel anything. Normally she would have felt some form of regret, but instead she was numb. Totally and entirely numb.

Initially, in a most Piper-like way, she scoffed at Phoebe’s words with an infamous eye roll, as if they were the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. But it was the look In her little sister’s eyes that got her. A look that was so dark, so cold, so not Phoebe.

“What the fuck has gotten into you, Phoebe?” She snapped, throwing her a look of disbelief. “Listen, dude. If you think acting like this is the solution to the problem, you’re delusional. There’s something going on with you, even if you won’t admit it to yourself. All I know is I’ve always had your back, and through most of it all, I’ve always felt like you’ve had mine. But this?” She remarked, her brows creasing both in disgust and concern at her younger sister’s newfound darkness. “This is something else. And I can promise you it’s not the way we get our family back, if you think this is some sort of game, but as you’ve so clearly pointed out I will do my best to stay out of it this time. You’re on your damn own.”