A Call and A Text

JP with Trustno1 and Cindy

On Alyssa's phone; it begins ringing. Alyssa sees the name "Piper Halliwell Wyatt." "Alyssa.. Prue……….." Piper's voice broke ever so slightly, though she tried to cover it, a shaky exhale quickly masking the slip. "I just... I needed to talk to you myself. She’s... she’s gone. She’s really gone this time, back to the afterlife. And I thought… I thought you’d want to hear it from me.” After waiting, Piper kept going, her words spilling out in waves she could barely hold back.

“I know you and Prue were close. She mentioned it, you know? In the little time we had together again. Said you had this strange connection, like the two of you just got each other in a way that’s hard to explain. She respected you… trusted you. That’s rare for Prue,” Piper added, her voice softening, a small, broken smile evident in her tone

Alyssa was surprised, she hadn't expected a call and given she already knew that Prue was gone wasn't sure what to say. "Umm....yes... I'm sorry for your loss and....thank you for calling and letting me know. " They were apparently closer than Alyssa had suspected. "I felt close to her as well," then it spilled out. "But I knew... she, Prue, came to me. Her spirit did and told me."

"What else did she tell you?" asked Piper.

"Just that she was gone. That it might be awhile before we talk to each other again." Alyssa paused. "I think she's looking out for me."

She paused, and Alyssa heard her take a shaky breath. Piper's words came slower, as if she was fighting through the weight of each one. “It’s... it’s just me and my husband Leo now. I’m trying to rebuild this life. For the kids. For him. Leo, he’s... he’s the only constant that makes sense. I hold onto him, onto them, because if I don’t…” Her voice faded, leaving only silence before she continued with a fragile steadiness.

Alyssa was really bad at this kind of stuff, and worse she didn't know Piper all that well. However she was wondering what happened with Phoebe, but it felt like she shouldn't ask. There was a silence before Alyssa quietly said, "I know we're not friends but ....you can contact me, if you need to." The hacker just knew, first hand, that depression, the feeling of being lonely even in a crowded room, can run deep and cut into the soul. Yes, Alyssa had her own things to deal with but it felt very wrong to not offer that proverbial hand.

“And Phoebe… it’s over. Whatever was left of that bond between us died the day Prue left the first time, and I can’t—no, I won’t—put myself through that again. We’re done. I know she and Prue had unresolved things, issues that lingered like ghosts. And somehow, it’s as if all the pain and anger they had… it’s come between me and Phoebe. It’s just... it’s better this way, I think. Maybe it's how it was always meant to be.”

Alyssa could hear the fatigue in Piper’s voice, the sorrow beneath her forced calm, her deep breaths between sentences an attempt to steady herself.
NEW
[12:07 PM]
“I keep thinking about Paige… she’s still out there somewhere. New York, somewhere close to where you are, maybe near your headquarters.” Piper’s voice grew softer, laced with worry. “She’s... she's headstrong, impulsive, and that city is like a siren call for trouble. I’m scared for her, Alyssa. I’m scared for all of us.”

For a moment, Piper's voice grew distant, as if she were talking more to herself than to Alyssa. “I’m terrified for this world. It feels like... like something big is coming, something I can't shake. Like there's some storm gathering in the distance, and no matter what we do, it’s going to break over all of us.” Another pause. “And we’ll see you again. Your team. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but… I can feel it. Prue wants us to stick together.” Her voice softened, a slight tremor betraying her efforts to stay composed. "Thanks for listening, Alyssa. Just... thank you." With that, Piper ended the call, leaving Alyssa alone with the echo of grief.

"Who was that Alyssa? How long should it take for the others to get here?" asked Sartre.

Alyssa was quiet for a moment, "It was Piper." She said nothing else about the call, for the minute. "I'd guess they'd be here soon." Her voice had grown quiet, her mind still contemplating on Piper's call.

"What did she say?" asked Sartre.

Alyssa shook her head, and pulled some items out of the box, as she sorted. "At first she wanted to let me know about Prue being gone. She talked about Prue and mentioned the bond between her and me." The hacker paused again. "She sounded so ... upset - lost. Said she only has Leo and the kids now, and that she goes on for them. Piper went on to talk about how she just knew we'd see each other again." Alyssa had separated the earplugs and such out from the visual equipment and was now piecing things together. The woman knew the equipment well enough to not really think about it. "Piper knows something big is coming, world changing. She said she could feel it. You know, I wanted to tell her, she was probably right and what was going on but, obviously, that would kind of break the whole secrecy thing. I just think it would be good if she were working with us."

"We'll see her again, I'm not sure she's ready to be recruited into the secret societies yet. I remember back at their shop, she and Phoebe mentioned another Halliwell was in New York? That's close to The Labyrinth, our headquarters."

"Yes, Paige. Piper mentioned her as well, and that she was in New York. " Alyssa replied. "Piper knew that it was close to our headquarters, but I'm not sure how she knew that."

"Perhaps Paige told her."

"Well, then who told Paige?" It's not much of a secret if others know where it is, and Alyssa knew she didn't say anything. "I suppose it doesn't matter at this point."

"I've never spoken to Paige. Perhaps it was Geary. Paige would be a prime candidate for Team Blue membership." Peter explained.

This arrives on Alyssa's phone "From: Kiersten Geary
To: Alyssa Wilson
Subject: Cute that you think you're ready for this

Text:

Hey, Rookie Hacktress. Heard you’re still figuring out the difference between a hard line and a hard truth, but don’t worry, we all start somewhere. Just not all of us get a Charmed One possibly lurking around in our backyard. Yeah, you heard right. Paige Halliwell, witchy prodigy, and the kind of cosmic fallout we generally try to keep on a different continent, might be sniffing around NYC. Why? Oh, the usual Illuminati cocktail—mystery, mayhem, and a twist of the supernatural.

Now, don’t go glamorizing her visit. She’s not here for brunch at the Waldorf, capiche? I don’t want you running off thinking you're Buffy just because you got a security badge. If you get a whiff of Halliwell’s “magic in the big city,” you’ll need more than your keyboard-wizarding to keep your skin intact. So keep your eyes open, your mouth shut, and your ego in check.

P.S. Don’t break anything important. We’ve got a reputation to uphold. Ciao Ciao. K.G.

Alyssa shook her head, and could help but laugh slightly at the message on her phone. "Well, apparently Kiersten Geary cares or at least doesn't want me dead, maybe she's worried about all the equipment I have." That last part was more of a joke than anything. She showed the text to Peter.

"That's Geary alright. Have you ever met her?"

"No, I've not had the....pleasure." If that was the right word, but it was the best word Alyssa had. "I've only communicated with her through text."

"Lucky you." While we wait on the others, I haven't made out with you today Alyssa." he smirked. "It's fun just talking to you."

Alyssa put down the equipment and moved closer to Peter, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Will that do, for now?" The hacker grinned.

"For now......" he said. "If we are in need of backup. I have someone we can call." said Sartre