Disclaimer: I lay no claim to any of the Charmed characters, quotes, or overt references that may appear in my stories. They are the sole property of Spelling Television. I write for my own satisfaction and for the enjoyment of those who choose to read them.

A/N: This is the first in a possible series of stories based on some personal experiences I had growing up as a kid. Hope you enjoy.


The Wonder Years - I Can Do Anything Better Than You Can

Anything you can do, I can do better.
I can do anything better than you…
“No you can’t.”
“Yes, I can!”
“No, you can’t no you can’t!!”
“Yes, I can, yes, I can, yes I CAN!!!”


“How much longer?” Asked the impatient girl in the back of the car, for like the twentieth time in the last ten minutes.

“Shut up, you big baby.” Her big sister said, as she pushed the baseball cap down over Phoebe Halliwell’s face.

“MOM!!”

“Enough, both of you!” Patti turned around and gave them ‘the look’, one each of them knew better than to turn into an action… it was never pretty.

“Baby!” Prue mumbled, pushing the little girl in the middle of the back seat. This caused Phoebe to fall into her other sister, who was sleeping, causing her to wake up. Piper glared at each of her sisters as she knew their routine by heart.

“Am not!” Phoebe said, then stuck her tongue out for emphasis. She always insisted on having to have the last word.

Piper just rolled her eyes. Phoebe was small for her age and despised anyone calling her baby. Prue was well aware of this fact and while she would clobber anyone who’d have the nerve to call her youngest sibling the ‘B’ word, she considered it her earned privilege, as eldest, to give Phoebe a hard time.

Victor pulled into the parking lot of a MacDonalds. His brother’s farm was only about another half hour away, but by the look on Patti’s face, they needed a break or the trip would continue with only two daughters instead of three. He grinned into the rearview mirror and gave his oldest angel a wink. This one small and seemingly insignificant gesture, never failed to melt the ice was forming around her heart.

With full bellies, empty bladders, and time to cool off, the remainder of their short journey went off without further bloodshed. It also helped the Piper was now sitting in the middle, keeping Riff and Raff in neutral corners.

All three children were quiet as their father turned onto the dirt road. None of them had been out of the city and the beauty of nature and the ‘roughing it’ aspect filled them with excitement.


“Daddy?”

“Yes, princess.”

“Are there any horses on Uncle Vince’s farm?”

“No, Piper. This used to be an active farm many years ago. Uncle V bought it strictly as a vacation property.”

“So there’s nothing to do there?” Phoebe jumped in, panicked that their week long stay would be a total bore. But, we ALL know anything involving Phoebe Halliwell is NEVER boring.

“Oh, there’s all sorts of things to do.” Patti said, as she recalled her conversation with her sister-in-law. There are dirt bikes and sand dunes. And we are not too far from a big lake. Aunt Donna said there is a salt block not too far from the house and we can go in the back yard and watch the deer. There’s also a big bonfire pit there where we can…”

“Roast hotdogs, and marshmallows and make somores and sing camp songs and tell ghost stories and….”

“Duct tape little sister’s rambling mouths.”

“MOM!”

“Prue! Keep that up and I’ll be the one duct taping and it won’t be Phoebe’s mouth being sealed.”

“Yes Maam.” Prue said, while giving the evil eye to the gloating motor mouth.

Victor grabbed his wife’s hand attempting to calm her. Patti always turned to mush whenever her husband offered her his affection.

The girls were exploring outside while Victor and Patti relaxed on the veranda; cherishing the down time that allowed them just themselves. The moments were rare and precious.

Prue spotted a two huge pine trees and informed her tagalong sister that she was going to climb the bigger of the two.

“I betcha I can climb higher than you can.” Phoebe boasted, trying her best to mimic the sister she inwardly wanted to be like.

“Puhleeze, get real.” Prue said as her track shoe’s sole, bit into the rich bark of the fir.

“I can too, watch me.” Phoebe shot back as she handed a nervous Piper the flowers she had picked earlier for their mother.

“Pheebs, I don’t know, that is a really big tree.”

“Don’t worry Pipe, she won’t even get passed the first row of branches, if she even gets that far.” Prue knew exactly what she was doing, goading her sister into a situation where Phoebe would lose. For some odd reason this gave Prue a feeling of security. She knew Phoebe was, of her two sisters, her biggest competition. Knocking her down to size was just the part of being the oldest.

“I CAN too, beetle butt, and when I do, I will make sure to tell each and every friend, including Missy Carlson that I beat you at a tree climbing race.”

This comment earned Phoebe the desired affect. Prue looked horrified. If Missy knew that she was even at a farm for a week, much less climbing trees, like a monkey, Prue would find herself the laughing stock of her entire sixth grade class. Prue knew more than ever she just had to win.

Piper bit her nails as each sister climbed higher and higher into the stratosphere.

Ten, twenty, thirty feet. Both sisters were each getting nervous but both being equally stubborn. Phoebe was the first to fold. She’d rather be able to see her sister gloat as to be laid up in a hospital for weeks. Slowly Phoebe began her descent, furious with herself for being such a chicken little.

Piper let out the breath she was holding as she saw her little sister pack it in and start to climb down. That breath was instantly sucked back in as she saw what was about to happen next.

Phoebe was carefully finding the big, thick braches to securely place her tiny feet on. As she reached the halfway mark of her earthly return, she glanced down and saw a huge limb that would be her next stepping stone. Unfortunately she misjudged her footing and chose a mere twig to let her foot land upon.

The sound of breaking branches, rustling pine needles and Piper’s screams drew the attention of mom, dad, and Prue.

Victor was under the tree in a flash; arms open, running back and forth, trying to gauge where his tumbling, baby girl was going to make her landing. Had the situation not been so serious Piper and Patti would have found Victor’s acrobatics quite hilarious.

Prue had an advantage, as she was peering down on her falling sister. She saw Phoebe’s flailing arms and rotating body straighten and head right for the gigantic bough that was about to receive a visitor. Prue closed her eyes as she watched her dare devil sister abruptly rest on the limb… horsey style.

Phoebe just stared at the big pines trunk. Her painfully unexpected landing, leaving her temporarily stunned.

“Ouch.” Piper said after watching her sister come to a screeching halt.

“Vic…” Patti called as she saw him carrying the child in her direction.

“She’s fine, love. Just a few bumps and scratches, right kiddo?”

“NO!” Phoebe cried, as she reached for her mother to make things all right again.

Patti couldn’t help noticing how her husband’s hands trembled as the transfer was made. Both realizing how close they came to losing the child they never thought they’d have. HOURS LATER:

Phoebe was lying in the big feather bed in the master bedroom. She was sore, but mostly hurting from embarrassment. She had so wanted to beat her sister. She just wanted Prue to know that she, may be small, but she was not going to ever let that be a hindrance to her in anything she vowed to do.

The soft knocking caused the little eight year old to turn her head. Prue stood in the shadows, shuffling her feet and, looking unsure.

“Can I come in?” The big sister asked.

“Yeah, I guess.” Phoebe answered, trying to maintain her tough girl image, when all she wanted was a cuddle from her hero.

“Are you still sore?” Prue knew it was a dumb question, but her ability to keep it altogether was on hiatus. Prue was still shaking at the thought of losing the sister that wore on her last nerve.

“Whatdaya think?” Phoebe said, though, not harshly.

“Lame question, eh?” Prue said as she sat down on the side of the bed.

“Yeah, pretty lame.” Her kid sister responded as she shifted and tried to readjust her pillows.

“Here, let me.”

“Thanks, Prue.” Phoebe’s voice was soft and her eyes holding her sisters.

“I’m sorry, I should have made you stay on the ground.” Prue was wracked with guilt over the whole horrid event.

“Like you could of, Prue. It was my fault, not yours. When are you going to stop taking the whole world on your shoulders?” Phoebe said with wisdom beyond her years. This caused Prue to quirk an eyebrow.

“You’ve been eavesdropping again, haven’t you?

“What ME, listen in on you and mom having a heart to heart? I’m hurt.” Phoebe mocked as Prue drew her into her protective niche.

“I was so scared.”

“I know, so was I… especially that landing. OUCH.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever walk the same again.” Phoebe, took in a jagged breath.

Prue knew from experience that, that wasn’t all that was bothering her baby sister.

“What is it? You can tell me.”

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.”

“Pinkie swear.” Phoebe said, holding out her small finger.

“Pinkie swear. Now come on, spill.” Prue said, pulling her sister’s chin up so she could read her eyes.

“Well, its just, well, umm… the way I stopped was umm, kinda, uhh, you know, personal. I’m scared I won’t ever be able to have kids now. Will I? Will I be able to have kids?” Her voice cracked and Prue’s heart broke. She knew how much her sister adored children and imagined what a wonderful mother she would make.

“I don’t know, it’s too soon to tell, but even if you can’t you could always adopt. I do know this for sure, no matter what happens Phoebe Marie Halliwell, will one day be a mother and a great one to be sure.”

“Really, honest, Prue? You think I’d make a good Mommy?”

“Yes, baby. Of that I have no doubt.”

“Thanks, Prue and congratulation.” Phoebe said gingerly hugging her sister and then extending her hand.

“You are welcome and congratulations for what?”

“For winning the tree climbing contest, fair and square.”

“How bout a draw?”

“But, you won, Prue, you climbed the highest.”

“Yes, yes, that is true, but you fell the farthest.”

“This is true, now I KNOW you can’t fall as far as I can.”

“Yes, I could. If I wanted to.” Prue said, teasing her sister… well, sort of.

“No you couldn’t I…” Phoebe was interrupted by their middle sister entering the room, always in her perfect timing.


Piper had been listened outside the door, knowing that the two would patch things up… right before another row would start.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.”

“Mom and Dad are trying to figure out what to do tomorrow and wanted to know if you two would like to go horseback riding?”

“NO!!” Both sisters said at once. Piper giggled and said, that’s what she tried to tell them, but….

“Parents just don’t understand.”

Victor and Patti stood at the bottom of the stairs as the sound of Will Smith’s popular song began to float down from the old farm houses second floor.

“You were right, Patti, the horse back riding suggestion was brilliant. Have I told you how beautiful you look when you are right?”

“No, though that should be a daily occurrence, Vic, cuz you know I am ALWAYS right… And another thin…” Patti never had a chance to finish, not that she cared. Victor’s sweet lips were saying all there needed to be said.

Both parent’s ignored their audience’s giggles, as they proceeded to share their open affection for one another.



TWENTY YEARS LATER:

“She’s beautiful, sweetie.” Prue said, as Phoebe held the small bundle of pink in her arms. Taking her fingers and running them over the soft downy head, The big sister reaffirming to her little sister, her prediction all those years ago… “Absolutely beautiful, just like her mother.”

The End