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.


Secrets Revealed

The tiny little version of his older brother stood just inside the doorway. His face smeared with soot, also soiling the oversized pink sweater he had on. Prue’s favorite pullover hung beyond his fingertips and came way past his knees. If she was not so furious, she would have thought it cute. He too, had a ball cap on his head, which shaded his features, but not enough to hide the drops of water beginning to hang off of his long eyelashes.

“He’s scared. Can he come over to me?” Wyatt asked. His confident voice belying his inward fears.

“Sure.” Was Piper’s simple reply.

“Come ‘ere, Kid. It’s ok.” The big brother coaxing the little one to himself.

“Great, this is just great. Now, we have TWO little rug-rats breaking and entering.” Prue hadn’t meant her thoughts to become words, but that was Prue… ‘speak now, think later.”

“Hey, he’s justa kid. So, you better shut- up ’fore I hafta clock ya one.” Wyatt was very defensive of his young charge and wouldn’t hesitate to defend him or himself, for that matter. He had been doing it for long enough; too long.

“HA!” Was Piper’s response. “Guess he told you, Prue.” Her smirk was met with Prue’s glare, but she couldn’t help admiring the tyke for sticking up for his brother.

“So tell me, how old is this little guy?” Piper asked, the little boy who had yet to take his eyes off of her. She was pretty and kind, not like the ‘other’ one.

“Free. I‘m a big boy.” Came the soft reply. Chris held up three dirty little fingers, just like Wyatt had taught him.

“Well, Chris, I don’t suppose you like chocolate chip cookies, seeing as you are so big and all.” Piper grinned at the genuine smile that played across the tiny face of the now relaxing boy.

“Meybe, juss one.” He was starting to calm, as the woman that looked so much like his mommy was being so nice.

“Whatdaya say, Chris?” Wyatt, gently prodded.

“Pwease.”

“You got it, but not before we give those hands of yours a good scrubbing.” Piper was in her element, but she wasn’t ready for the reaction she got as she lifted her hand to take his.

The little boy flinched and buried his face into his brother’s shoulder. Wyatt instantly wrapped his arms around Chris protecting him from the blow, he was sure was about to come.

“Don’tcha dare hit him. If ya try, ya hafta go frough me first.” Wyatt was now on his feet, moving Chris behind his back, he aimed his fists right in the direction of Piper’s mid section.

“Hey, Kid, what your tone.” Prue was now on her feet ready to grab the small ball of anger. She wasn’t counting on Wyatt’s little reinforcement.

“Don’t ya huwt my sister. Weave her awone!!” Chris was on
the chair in a flash, and equally quick at launching himself into the air and onto Prue’s back. His cap falling off in the process; revealing ginger-colored shoulder length hair.

“Did you just say, Sister?… Piper reacted quickly as well and pulled the cap off of Wyatt. Golden brown curls tumbled from their pile.


The smallest of the two, whose arms were now clinging around Prue’s neck, simply said, From over Prue’s shoulder…

“Uh Oh… Busted!”

“Busted is right, mister… I mean missy. But right now it’s late, so we will ALL have a little chat in the morning. Let’s get you sorted and into bed.” Prue was now the parental voice filling the ever-changing air of the Manor.

“We don’t gotta. We don’t have a bedtime.” The sassy older one bit back. Hands on his…her hips and attitude all over her face.

“My house, my rules, so suck it up and deal with it!” Prue said in a tone, that left no leeway for arguing.

“Fine, but I don’t gotta like it!” Came the tiny voice as she turned and marched up the stairs.

Prue just rolled her eyes and swung the still clinging kid on her back, to the floor. “You too, li’l Lara Croft.”

“Huh, my name’s not Wara, it’s Chwis.” Came the overly calm child’s response.

“Some how, I doubt that. Now go and join your sister; we’ll be up in a minute.” Came the soft voice of Piper. Regardless of their deception and unorthodox arrival, she was falling in love with these two ragamuffins.

The smallest, then took off Prue’s pink sweater and handed it back. “Sowwy, I gotted it diwty, but dat attic is really mussy…”

“… You’ve been staying in the attic? But we can’t…” Before Prue could finish, the little girl was gone.

“How?”

“I don’t know, Prue, but I have a feeling her big sis, might. Come on.” Piper grabbed Prue’s hand and headed to the third level of their inherited home.

Once inside the doorway of the dusty garret, the scene simply broke both sister’s hearts. A make-shift bed was made of filthy old sofa cushions - small old blanket was the only covering. On top was two tiny forms… one fast asleep, wrapped protectively in the arms of her protector. The older one’s eyes were fearfully staring at the duo in the doorway; all bravado of earlier lost in the huge brown eyes of a this brave six-year-old.

“We’ll be gone by morn’ and I’ll find a way to pay ya back, just please let us stay the night… please.”


“NO!” Piper said, a little too loudly, causing the sleeping child to flinch yet not wake up.

“NO? Piper, what… we can’t…”

“That’s not what I meant… Yes, you can stay, but no, don’t leave in the morning. So, we have a deal? You stay the night, and I’ll make you guys some breakfast, OK?”

“Ok… thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we have a lot to discuss, missy.”

“You ain’t kiddin’.” Came the soft, sleep-filled voice.

“What did you say?” Piper tried to ask, but her older sister pulled her back into the hallway. Prue’s heart was softly breaking and she didn’t even know why.

“Shh, she’s asleep. It can wait… Let them rest. We’ll let tomorrow can fill in the blanks.”

She woke to the smell of something delicious… food, real food. Something she and her baby sister hadn’t had much of. She lay there quietly enjoying the mouth-watering aroma. She didn’t want to wake the little bundle wrapped in her protective care. She had, had a rough night and this morning’s interrogation was sure to add to her ever-present uneasiness.

She was rustled from her concern by the tiny voice of her sister…. “Am I dreaming?”

“Nope, you’re not dreamin’; the nice one is fixin’ us some brekfist.”

“She’s pretty, isn’t she… Looks a lot like mommy.”

The older one didn’t say anything, at first. Her memories and her kid sister’s fantasies were two different accounts. But she placated her sister, so as she would not to have to endure the awful nightmares that she has had to live with.

“Yeah, I guess. Come on, before Dragon Breath eats all the good stuff… speaking of breath, yours stinks…”

“And you kick.” Said the toddler, letting out a long breath into her sister’s already scrunched up face.

“OK, EWW! Come here, you…” The big one pounced like a cat, baring her claws, and unmercifully began to tickle the ribs of her best friend.

Prue could hear the laughter all the way into her room. It was such an infectious sound that it’s echo tugged at her lips as it reminder her of when she and Piper were little. “Must be a tickle war going on up there.” She laughed as she headed to make sure Double and Trouble were ready to feast on what was sure to be a Piper-Gone-Wild breakfast.

Once Prue got the two hellions to wash up, amid fiery glares, tongue protrusions, name calling and one sly smile, the three trooped into the kitchen.

“Morn’, you three. Ready for some pancakes?”

The glazy eyes and the near loud stomach growls, told Piper what she already knew. Like a mother hen, she clucked over these two malnourished chicks until she was satisfied they had received all four basic food groups and were filled to contentment. The older one seemed to have a hollow leg, but the other gave her big sister a run for her money.

Piper’s observations were interrupted by a loud and long burp.

“What do you say?” Came the tiny voice, as it tried to teach the other one some manners.

“Excuse me.” Prue apologized, her face blushing to her roots.

Both girls just giggled, Piper joining with them.

Soon after the dishes were stacked and the food put away, the time the little ones were dreading had come.

In the living room sat two small figures on the couch. One’s legs dangling over the cushions edge, the other’s feet making it half the length of the sofa before stopping. Each had a number of emotions rotating in their eyes; it reminded Prue of a Vegas slot machine. As she and Piper sat on the coffee table across from them Prue went back to her early morning conversation with Andy. She asked him to look into any missing children in the area and briefed him on their current houseguests. He said he would look into it, but that he would need more to go on, before he could be of any real help. Prue, in truth, already knew this, but was anxious just to hear his voice, the baritone that always calmed her when she faced difficult situations, like this one. She was returned to their living room by the sound of Piper’s voice.

“So you wanna tell us what this is all about?”

Two set of eyes stared back; one pair hopeful, the other intense, both desperate…



“We wond way from home.” The smallest offered from her frantic need for stability. “We’s hopin’ ta find a new one.”

“Yours.” Came the older ones voice, stronger, but filled with just as much need as the toddler.

“And why did you need to leave your other home…”

“Wasn’t much of a home. ‘Sides, we hadta.”

“Why? Did you break and enter that one, too?” Prue asked with a hint of irritation, yet Piper could tell she was softening.

“NO, Prue-DENSE! We didn’t!”

“Why you little…”

“Prue! She’s just a kid, chill, would you?”

“Why did you feel you had to leave home; weren’t your mommy and daddy nice to you?”

“Don’t got a mommy and daddy no more.” The little one said, a tiny tear streaming down her cheek.

“Well, that ain’t all bad, kiddo. We still got each other, right?” Her sibling stated, putting her own small arm around her tiny sister.

“Where do… did, you live? Don’t you have any relatives that you could stay with?” Prue asked, but this time her voice was much softer and she was now sitting on the couch next to the smallest, who slipped her tiny hand into Prue’s bigger one.

“Well, up ’til 10 sleeps ago, we lived in L.A., but we lived on the streets until we ’borrowed’ your attic.”

Both Halliwell sisters hearts shattered, no child should be left to fend for themselves, much less on the streets. Each could tell that the older trespasser was not lying… the pain in her eyes spoke volumes.

“How in the world did you two get all the way from L.A. to San Francisco by yourselves?” Prue was now mindlessly playing with the matted hair of the tiny girl who had crawled into her lap.

“Snuck on ta busses, mostly, rest of the time, we walked. You see, I had ta get my sister a good place to say, she deserves better that what we were dealt.”

“Like Prue said, what about your relatives, couldn’t they take you in”

“That’s kinda why we came to you.”

“OK, I am still very confused. Why don’t we back up and start with your names, your real names.” Piper asked, she was beyond shocked to hear what the duo’s spokesperson said next.

“I’m Phoebe and this is my widdle sis, Paige… we’re your sisters.”


“I’m Phoebe and this is my widdle sis, Paige… we’re your sisters.”

A pin could have been heard dropping on a pillow, the room was now beyond quite. Everybody was holding their breath.

“Ok, Kid, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but there is NO way you could possibly be related to us… It’s just not possible!”

“IZ too! Patty’s our mommy and Victor’s… well, Victor!”

“So, you got their names right, big deal….”

“PRUE!” Piper sternly spoke. She was finding it hard to believe too, but these two children could hardly think up something so off the wall, and what could their possible motive be. “Let’s hear them out, OK? Please.” Prue could never stay mad at Piper for long, and she had to admit her curiosity was getting the better of her judgment.

“Fine! Start from the beginning.”

“Fine! I will.”

“Well Prue, she has your cheeky attitude, they must be related.” Her big sister was about to say something, not so nice, but Paige let out the cutest giggle and a smile that instantly melted Prue’s irritation.

“Phoebe, it is Phoebe, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Maam.”

“Please, call me Piper.”

“OK, Piper.”

“Why is it that you think we are your sisters?”

“ ‘Cause Mommy told us… just afore she died.” It was the first time a hint of visible pain was seen in the little, big girl. Her eyes momentarily filled with tears and then, so much like Prue, she sucked them back in - never letting one drop fall.

“Paige, would you go to the attic and get my rucksack, please?”

The little girl hopped off Prue’s lap and ran up the stairs.

Awkward silence filled the room as they waited for Paige’s return.


“How’d you get the attic door open, anyway? We’ve been here two years and have yet to get it to budge.” Prue inquired, both curious and attempting to get the older one to open up.

Phoebe proudly answered, “I picked the lock.”

“Why am I not surprised.”

Phoebe gave her ‘big sister’ a scowl, but was kept from saying anything by the return of her littlest sister.

“Here, Pheebs.”

“Thanks, Paigey.” Phoebe smiled and ruffled Paige’s unruly hair. Phoebe then began to rummage through the backpack holding all her worldly possessions. Soon she produced a small manila envelope.

“OK here it is. Mommy gave me this and told me to give it to you in case she, she…” Once again, the tears briefly came and went.

“I see.” Piper said as she took the wrinkled packet from the child’s hands. Slowly she pulled the papers out - the contents were about to open old wounds and reveal dark and hidden secrets unlike they had ever experienced. Scars upon scars that only time and love would ever be able to heal.