Disclaimer : My name’s not Aaron Spelling, so I don’t own them. But I really, really, really like to write about them.

Sisters In Spirit
by Freaky Fan

Part 1

“I was one of you once.” She wore a wistful expression as she looked out at the sea of faces before her. “Young. Full of energy. My whole life ahead of me. An incredible family behind me.” Her throat tightened on the word family. She tried to swallow her unshed tears as she continued. “I could have done something with my life. Become someone.”

She paused, giving herself a moment. What she was about to do wouldn’t be easy. But it had to be done.

“I agreed to meet a friend at her sorority house. It was just supposed to be a quick visit. A way to unwind a little after an extremely long week of studying. I almost turned around and left without so much as a hello when I saw there was a party going on. But then this little voice piped up in the back of my mind that said, ‘Go ahead. You deserve to have some fun.’ You know the voice I‘m talking about. It‘s the same one that tells you it‘s all right to stay up half the night goofing off with your friends because you can always catch a nap in the back of one of your classes the next day.”

That got a chuckle out of her audience.

“I got a little drunk.” She shook her head. “No, I take that back. I got totally hammered. I could have stayed in my friend’s room that night, but I got a little too friendly with a guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer too. So I decided to go home. Took my friends keys and got behind the wheel.”

She nodded toward the back of the room, knowing now was the perfect time to spring it on them. Pictures of a demolished car taken from several different angles suddenly appeared on the screen behind her, drawing various ohs and ahs. She glanced at them before going on.

“I shouldn’t have been walking, let alone driving. But I came away with only a concussion and some bumps and bruises.”

She felt rather than saw the images behind her change. There was no turning around this time. She didn’t need to see them to know what everyone else was looking at.

“The other person wasn’t so lucky. I, uh….” Her tears threatened again. “I ran a red light and pushed her into a utility pole. She was trapped inside the car for over an hour while rescue workers tried to cut her out. She made it to the hospital….” She licked her lips, not wanting to break down. She didn’t deserve that luxury. “But died later that night.”

There were several whispered reactions from the crowd. She was glad for the distraction. Glad to have a moment to try and collect her thoughts. But then the light from the projector flickered again and a new image appeared behind her. One she knew she couldn’t look at without breaking down. She concentrated on her shoes to try and avoid the urge to turn around.

“That’s….” Her voice cracked. “That’s Prue. My big sister.” Tears filled her eyes. “The one who kissed away my boo boos when I was little. Who held me in her arms when a boy broke my heart. Who always told me the truth whether I wanted to hear it or not. Who loved me with an intensity only sisters can know.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “Prue was the mother I never had. Ours died when we were little and our grandmother raised us. Or should I say, she was the adult in the house. Prue was the strongest influence on my life. I wanted to be just like her. I would never have admitted that to her, but I did. All I ever wanted was for her to be proud of me.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “It’s funny. You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

A heavy silence enveloped the room. It was as if all the people before her were holding their breath at the same time.

“She was my victim that night. It would have been bad enough to hurt a stranger, but I hurt Prue. I killed my own sister.”

That opened the floodgates. Everyone seemed to have something to say to someone else. She let them go for a few minutes before she started talking again.

“Which brings me to why I’m here.” She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “You’ve all been in my shoes. Each and every one of you has gotten drunk and decided you were still all right to drive. Well I’ve got news for you. Even one drink can effect your reaction time. Your ability to correctly judge a situation. I know you think you’re tough, but it’s true. And what I’m about to say is cliché, but even truer. Drinking and driving DO NOT MIX. I knew that. That’s why I called Prue to come and pick me up that night. Not that I remembered it a few minutes later when I took my friend’s car for a spin.”

She looked out at them again. “I hope what happened to me will serve as a wake-up call to at least one of you. If it did, then coming here was well worth the effort. If it didn’t, I feel sorry for you. And I hope it doesn’t take a loss like the one I suffered to make you realize that you’re not invincible.”

With that she walked away. Back to the relative safety of the backstage area.

“You did great, Halliwell.”

She tried to concentrate on what the female inspector was saying, but her eyes were drawn back out on stage. To the now collage of pictures behind the broad shouldered policeman talking to the kids. To the picture of a radiantly smiling Prue. One someone had snapped at P3 when the three of them were enjoying a few and far between sister moment.

“I knew picking you to be a speaker in our alcohol awareness program was a good idea.”

She couldn’t get over the glow around her sister. The aura of health and vitality. The way her eyes sparkled.

“I think you might have reached a few of them.”

To say she missed her would have been the understatement of the century. It was more like an ache. One that would never go away no matter what she did.

“You keep this up and you could be out on parole soon.”

The idea didn’t even interest her. After all, it wasn’t like she had anything to go home too. Prue was gone and Piper was…. Well, Piper was Piper. She came to visit every once in a while, but there was a distance there. A closeness they would never regain. The thought of losing both her sisters made her heart feel like a stone in her chest.

“Can I go back now?”

The inspector stopped midsentence, obviously shocked at her words. “Sure.” She motioned to one of the uniformed cops milling around. “Take Miss Halliwell back to her cell.”

She barely felt the handcuffs snap around her wrists or noticed the walk to the cruiser. She was too busy thinking about what she had had…. And what she had lost.

She tried to concentrate on the book in her hands as one woman after the other walked past her open cell door. Tried not to think about where it was they were going. But somehow the finer points of finding out who killed the worthless, womanizing schmuck of a main character in some whodunit didn’t compare to the wide smiles and excited chatter of those passing her by. She tossed the book aside and laid down on her bunk, hands behind her head. Visitors day. A time for friends and family to come and spend some precious time with whoever it was they knew in the slammer. A little bit of sunshine in an otherwise bleak place.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the dramatic flare her thoughts were taking. It wasn’t like she was in solitary confinement where she was lucky to see another living soul as the guards slipped her moldy bread and stale water to keep her barely holding on. As a matter of fact, she had made a lot of friends in the past three months. Not to mention the fact she had more freedom than most since becoming a trustee. But it was no luxury hotel either. Her bunk was lumpy, her pillow was flat, the woman in the next cell snored like a buzz saw and the food left a hell of a lot to be desired. Especially after being spoiled by Piper her whole life.

Thinking her sisters name brought the familiar feeling of tears to the back of her throat. She tried not to think of Piper too often. It had been nearly two months since her last visit. Two long months of wondering if her sister was all right. Plus thinking of Piper always made her think of Prue. And she couldn’t ever think of her oldest sister without breaking down. She rolled onto her side, hugging her almost nonexistent pillow to her chest and let her tears start to fall.

“Hey Halliwell.”

She jumped when she heard the guard’s voice.

“You have a visitor.”

It took her a second to realize what the woman had said. As soon as she did she sat up, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. Maybe it was Piper. Her excitement quickly faded as a voice in the back of her head told her to keep on dreaming. It was probably Leo or Darryl. The two of them made it a point to come and see her whenever they could. Or maybe it was Victor. He had managed to come and see her once. She tried not to let her shoulders slump as she followed her fellow inmates toward the recreational room. At least she had a visitor. She knew a lot of women who didn’t have anyone.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see her at first, standing off to one side, watching as children and husbands ran to meet their wives and mothers. As one old friend smiled at another. Once she did see her she knew there would be no such reunion for them.

“Hey, Piper.”
“Phoebe.” Piper nodded as she walked up to her.
“Wanna go sit down?”
“Yeah. That would be nice.”

She looked sideways at her sister as they searched for an empty table. The dark circles under Piper’s eyes hinted at the same long, sleepless nights she suffered through. And her body had a skeletal look to it under her clothes. She couldn’t help but notice Piper was wearing Prue’s favorite leather jacket.

“Looks like a full house.”
“Usually is.” She realized how bitter she sounded and quickly changed the subject. “How about if we snag the window seat?”
Piper shrugged. “Wherever.”

Her sister’s indifference probably would have shocked her if she wasn’t so glad to see her in the first place. Piper could have slapped her around for the whole jail to see and she would have taken it as long as it meant another minute with her sister. And it only got worse as they sat down in the cramped window seat, their shoulders barely touching. She longed to hold her sister’s hand. Or better yet, rest her head on Piper’s shoulder so she could run her fingers through her hair like she had when they were younger. But she knew none of that would happen. Not yet. So she was content to feel the warmth of her sister’s arm against her own.

“So, uh….” Piper continued to look around the room. “How have you been?”
“Pretty good. And you?”
“All right I guess.”

Small talk. They hadn’t seen each other for nearly two months and all she got was small talk? She told herself not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Small talk was better than no talk at all.

“How’s Leo? It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen him.”
“He’s fine. Been extra busy with a new charge who doesn’t seem to know the difference between an athame and a butter knife.” Piper realized what she had said and looked around suspiciously.
“It’s all right. They’re all too caught up in their own conversations to listen in on ours.”
“Yeah, well I’ve learned you can never be too cautious.”
“How goes the….” Phoebe motioned with her hand. “You know.”
“LOTS of activity. Seems like everyone and their brother wants to take a shot at me now that I’m alone.”
The words stung her more than she would have cared to admit. “I might be in here, but you’re not alone, Piper. You never will be as long as I’m around.”

An uneasy silence fell between them. One that she knew would drive Piper away if she let it linger for too long.

“I started a new program this week. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. I get to go around to different schools and talk about alcohol awareness.”
“I know. Darryl came by the house to pick up some pictures.”

She didn’t miss the hint of a quiver in Piper’s voice.

“You, uh….” She swallowed hard. “You picked some really good ones. Of Prue, I mean.”
“Don’t say her name.”
“I just meant seeing her might help some people to….”
“Don’t try to rationalize it to me, Phoebe. It’ll never make sense. And if you think going around to college campuses talking about what happened is going to help anyone, you’re wrong. You can talk until you’re blue in the face to a drunk and not one word is going to sink in.”
“Pi….”
“And nothing you do is ever going to make what you did go away. Nothing. So preach responsible drinking to kids like the ones you were partying with that night. Tell them what a mistake you made. What a mess your life has become. Just don’t try and get any sympathy from me because I’m not giving any away.”

She was silent for a moment, blown away by her sister’s diatribe.

“I wasn’t fishing for sympathy, Piper. I was just trying to say thank you. For helping me out.”
“I didn’t give Darryl those pictures for you, Phoebe. I gave them to him for Prue. So people wouldn’t forget her. Wouldn’t forget what a stupid, senseless act took her away from me.”

Her sister’s words were like a slap to the face, bringing tears to her eyes. “You’re not the only one who lost her, you know.”
“That’s funny, because it feels like I am.” Piper stood and started to storm away in one fluid motion.

She watched her go, her heart breaking. She nodded at one of the guards, letting her know she was going back to her cell. She could feel the tears collecting behind her eyes but told herself not to give in to them until she was alone.

“Saw your sister leaving, Halliwell.”
“Yeah, she was crying.”
“I’d cry too if I had a sister that looked like Halliwell.”

She rolled her eyes. “Funny, Marla. You and your lapdogs should take your show on the road.” She suddenly found her path blocked.
“Who you calling a lapdog?”
“Back off, Sophie.”
“Or what?” Another pushed her from behind.
“Today really isn’t the day, Jeanette.”
“Aw….” Marla stepped in close, putting them almost nose to nose. “What’s the matter? Does widdle Phoebe wanna be awone?”
Phoebe ground her teeth. “Don’t push me, Marla.”
“Eeeeewwwww!” Marla held her arms wide. “That almost sounded like a threat. Oh, wait….” She shook her head. “I forgot. You’re not dangerous unless you’re drunk.” She grinned over her shoulder at her friends. “Or your name is Prue.”

Hearing her oldest sister’s name was all it took. She slammed the heel of her hand into Marla’s face hard enough to break the woman’s nose. It got the reaction she wanted as Marla stumbled away from her, Sophie and Jeanette reaching out to keep her from falling.

“Just leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone.”
Marla glared at her. “Get her!!”

Sophie moved surprisingly fast, catching her by the arm and twisting it behind her back as Jeanette joined them, the two of her holding her in place. Marla sneered as she wiped at some of the blood gushing from her nose.

“You just made a big mistake, Halliwell.” She gave her a left hook in the stomach. “Scratch that. A HUGE mistake.” Right cross to the cheek. “I think you’re gonna see your big sister again a lot sooner than you thought.”

Everything she had been holding inside came out as a flood of rage as she kicked Marla in the face before head butting Sophie. She used the woman’s momentum as she fell to swing her into Jeanette, sending them both to the floor. She stood there, breathing hard as she glared down at them, daring one of them to get up.

“Like I said, you leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone.”

She walked away, knowing none of them would come after her. Just like she knew they would never tell anyone what had happened. Fresh tears stung her eyes. Prue would have been so disappointed in her.

*************

It was a strange sound that woke her. At first she thought Sophie in the next cell over was having another bad dream. But then she felt the presence of someone next to her and realized it was coming from her own. She rolled over quickly, shocked to find Leo sitting on the edge of her bunk.

“Leo?”

He didn’t answer her. He didn’t even look at her. He just sat there. But then she saw it. The shaking of his shoulders as he cried.

“Oh, God, Leo. What is it? What happened?!”
“It’s….” His voice was barely audible. “It’s Piper…..”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What about Piper?” She barely gave him time not to respond before gripping his arm. “Leo, what about Piper?!”
“She’s…. She’s dead, Phoebe.” He looked at her, his face streaked with tears. “Piper is dead.”

The words no sooner left his mouth than his face contorted in pain and he fell to his knees next to the bunk.

“Leo?!”

She didn’t even have a chance to reach for him before he orbed out. Not one of his normal orbs either. More like the time the Elders forcibly removed him from the Manor when he and Piper first tried to get married. She looked at the spot where he had been as his words finally sank in. It couldn’t be true. There had to be some mistake. She couldn’t have lost another sister.

Piper couldn’t be dead.

She paced her cell like a caged lion, the constant back and forth motion adding fuel to the fire of questions raging through her mind. Had Leo really been there the night before? Or was his visit a figment of her overactive imagination brought on by her sister’s visit? If he wasn’t there, why would she dream something like that about Piper? If he was, what had happened to her sister? Was she hurt? Had Leo spoken the truth? Was Piper….

Phoebe tucked her hair behind her ear with a shaky hand, not allowing herself to finish the thought. There was no way she had lost another sister.

“Come on, Halliwell.”

She jumped when she heard the familiar sound of her cell door sliding open.

“Your turn with the shrink.”

She reluctantly stepped out of the cell and started the long trek down the corridor, the guard shadowing her. Part of her sentencing was a weekly visit with a less than helpful psychiatrist who did nothing but stare at her breasts the whole time they were together. She had always despised having to sit with him for an hour, but how was she supposed to think of something to say when she was so worried about Piper? What she needed was for Leo or Darryl or anyone else to come tell her everything was all right. That her sister was at the Manor, fuming in true Piper style over their visit the day before. Was that too much to ask for?

“What’s up with you today, Halliwell? Normally you’re a chatty Cathy.”

She didn’t trust her voice enough to answer as they came to the door leading to the jail’s offices. The buzzing sound that indicated the door was unlocked grated on her nerves as the guard reached out and turned the handle. She could do this. The visit was mandatory, after all. She just wouldn’t think about Piper while she was in there. She would save that for when she was back in the relative privacy of her own cell.

“Hey Hansen!”

The guard with her put her hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving as another guard jogged up to them. They held a hastily whispered conversation.

“Right.” Hansen nodded. “Thanks, Jones.” She gripped Phoebe’s upper arm. “Change of plan. Seems you have a visitor.”

The words rang through her senses as she let herself be lead toward one of the small conference rooms normally used for strategy meetings with lawyers. Maybe it was Piper coming to say she was sorry about the day before. But that wouldn’t be right. The jail had a strict no visits except on visitors day policy. Why would they make an exception just for her? Which meant it could be only one of two people who could see her whenever they pleased. Her lawyer, or Darryl.

She swallowed hard as they came to a stop outside one of the conference rooms, hoping against hope it was her lawyer. He was an overpaid schmuck who had a knack for cutting deals so he wouldn’t have to actually argue a case, but a pointless visit from him would be preferable to the alternative. Darryl never showed up out of the blue to see her. He knew he could, but he saw it as an abuse of his power as an inspector. Him coming could only mean one thing…. Bad news.

Her heart fell to her feet when the guard opened the door to reveal Darryl sitting in the cheap plastic chair on one side of the table that dominated the room. He jumped to his feet when he saw her.

“She’s all yours, Inspector Morris. Just give a yell when you’re through.” The guard gave Phoebe a playful shove. “Behave yourself, Halliwell.”

Darryl waited until the door was shut to speak. “Phoebe, I….” He closed his eyes. “I came here to tell you something.”
“What is it Darryl?” She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. A silent chant of, ‘don’t let it be about Piper’ started in the back of her mind.
“It’s Piper.”

Her stomach turned when she heard her sister’s name.

“She, uh….” Darryl shook his head. “There’s not going to be an easy way to tell you this, so I’m just going to spit it out.” He sighed. “Piper was killed by a demon last night.”
“No….”

Her voice was little more than a whisper as her knees gave way beneath her. Darryl hurried toward her, catching her before she could hit the floor. He held her up with one hand and pulled the chair he had been sitting in toward them with the other. He sat her down as he continued.

“I’m sorry, Phoebe. I really am. I can’t even begin to tell you how much she meant to me.”
“Are you….” She fought the tears choking her. “Are you sure it was her?”
“Yeah, Pheebs. I’m sure.” Darryl swallowed hard. “I was, uh…. I was there.” He nodded as if to confirm what he was saying was the truth.
“What happened?”

Darryl stared walking around the room as he spoke.

“I stopped by the Manor to check on her. I knew she was coming to see you and I wanted to find out if things went better than the last time. She had barely let me in the door when a demon appeared out of nowhere. He threw me into the wall and hit Leo with some kind of energy ball. Piper tried to fight him, but….” He shrugged. “It was like her concentration was off or something. Next thing I knew the demon had an athame in his hand and stabbed her. She managed to blow him up before she collapsed.”

Phoebe’s tears streamed down her cheeks as she visualized the whole thing.

“Leo tried to heal her, but it was too late. She was….” Darryl got misty eyed. “She was gone.”

Her mind shut him out as it went into panic mode. This couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t have lost both of her sisters! That was it…. She was dreaming. Any minute now she would wake up in her cell, the intensity of her dream fresh in her mind. She closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up. But the drone of Darryl’s voice told her that she wasn’t asleep. She was very much awake.

“Leo orbed out just before the police arrived. I have absolutely no idea where he is.”

His words barely registered with her. Piper was dead. The only family she had left was gone. She would never see the Piper smile again. The one so radiant it could light up an entire room. Or feel the love that poured from her sister like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Most of all, she would never get a chance to try and heal the rift losing Prue had caused between them.

Thinking her oldest sister’s name brought fresh tears to her eyes. The pain of losing her was still so fresh in her heart. And now she had to deal with losing Piper too? How was she supposed to do it?

“I still don’t understand what happened.” Darryl kept talking. “She had taken on a lot stronger demons in the past few months without any trouble.”

Her chest suddenly constricted. What was it Darryl had said before? Something about Piper being distracted as she fought the demon? Of course she was distracted! One day she had two loving sisters persuading her to go away for a romantic evening with the guy of her dreams and the next she was planning a funeral and trying to find a lawyer they could actually afford. Not to mention suddenly having the power of three all to herself as the lone charmed one. All of which was her fault.

A chill ran down her spine. First Prue and now Piper. She had killed both of her sisters. One directly, one indirectly. Not that it really mattered. It was still her fault. Guilt shredded her heart as her exhausted body finally gave up and she slumped sideways out of the chair, unconscious long before she hit the floor.

Darryl had a pained expression on his face as he ran his fingers ever so gently through her hair, hoping for some kind of response. But Phoebe stayed lost to the world. She looked so little, laying there in that hospital bed, paler than pale. He wanted to make everything right again. Give her her sisters back. Her life back. But he couldn’t do any of that. All he could do was try and be there for her as she went through hell.

“She’ll be all right, Inspector.”
“Are you sure about that?” He glanced up at the young female doctor who took care of the inmates at the jail as she walked back into Phoebe’s cubicle. “She doesn’t look all right to me.”
“She’s exhausted and overly emotional. No big surprise considering you just told her her sister is dead. I mean it’s been, what, four months since she killed her other sister in that accident?”
“Just a little over three.” His voice was little more than a whisper as he looked down at Phoebe again.
“Look, why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ve got her heavily sedated. You can be back here by the time she wakes up in the morning.” She saw the stubbornness in Darryl’s eyes and sighed. “There’s nothing you can do for her now. And I promise to keep a close eye on her. I’ll call if anything happens. I promise.”
Darryl sighed. “All right. But you better call.” He leaned over, giving Phoebe a kiss on the cheek. “You hold on, Phoebe. I know it hurts, but I’ll help you through this.”

He followed the doctor out of the room, wishing there was something more he could do.

*************

She had her arms wrapped around her legs, rocking ever so slightly as she tried to mold her body into the tiniest ball imaginable. The smaller she was, the harder it would be to hurt her. She was in enough pain right now to last her a lifetime.

“Phoebe.”

And it would last a lifetime. That was for sure. Every time she heard her sisters’ names or saw their pictures or even thought about them, the same ache would fill her heart.

“Phoebe, look at me.”

The one that made her want to join her sisters in the afterlife. It sounded crazy, even to her, but it seemed like the only way out. The only way to get away from the guilt consuming her.

“Phoebe Marie Halliwell, look at me!!”

She finally glanced up, shocked beyond belief to see who was crouched down next to her. “No.” She shut her eyes and shook her head, wishing the image away.

“It’s all right, Phoebe. Don’t be afraid.”

She flinched as a hand fell on her shoulder. But then she realized that she was actually being touched and relaxed enough to look up again. Into the blue eyes she never thought she would see again.

“Prue?” Her voice was that of a lost little girl.
“Yeah, Pheebs.” Prue grinned as she nodded. “It’s me.”
“Oh my God!!” Phoebe threw her arms around her sister’s neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You’re….” She pulled back, putting both hands on her sister’s cheeks. “You’re real.”
“I sure am.”
She wrapped her arms around her sister again. “I….” Her voice faltered. “I don’t understand.”
“I think I can explain.”

Prue broke the embrace and stood up, pulling her sister with her.

“I was sent here to help you make things right.”
Phoebe frowned. “How?”
“By giving you this.” Prue held out a piece of paper.
“What is it?” She reluctantly let go of her sister’s hand to unfold the paper. Her frown deepened when she saw what it was. “A spell?” She read it more carefully. “A reversal of time spell?”
Prue nodded again. “To bring Piper back.”

Her sister’s answer caught her completely off guard. She couldn’t even find her voice to respond.

“It wasn’t her time, Phoebe. Believe it or not, she’s one Warren that is meant to grow old and gray.”
“I….” Her hand shook as she looked down at the spell. “I still don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong, I want to bring Piper back. But….” She looked her sister in the eye. “Why her and not you?”
Prue sighed. “I knew you were going to ask me that question.” She tucked Phoebe’s hair behind her ear. “I asked the same question when I woke up with Mom and Grams leaning over me. Why me? Why did I have to leave you and Piper? ”

Phoebe leaned into her sister’s hand as it lingered on her cheek.

“And then Mom explained something to me. We all have something we are meant to accomplish in our lifetime. I always thought mine was to be a Charmed One. To rid the world of evil. And that was part of it. A big part of it. But overall, I was meant to keep you and Piper safe. The two of you can more than take care of yourselves now, so….” Prue shrugged. “My time was up.”
“But we still need you, Prue. You’re our big sister. You’ve been there for both of us since the day we were born. How is it fair to take you away?”
“No one ever said life was fair, Phoebe. And believe me, I didn’t want to go. But fate is fate.”
“So my fate was to kill my own sister?”

Prue flinched at the harshness in her sister’s voice. “No. You weren’t meant to have that premonition, let alone try to stop it.”
“But I did.” Tears filled Phoebe’s eyes again. “And look at what I did. I….” She choked on a sob. “I killed you, Prue. How can you even stand to look at me?”
“Because I know deep down in your heart, you felt you were doing the right thing.” Prue spoke as she wrapped her arms around her sister. “You saw me in danger and wanted to stop it from happening. I could kick your ass for getting behind the wheel of a car when you were drunk, but your intentions were good.”
Phoebe put her head on her sister’s shoulder. “Haven’t you ever heard that the road to hell is paved with good intentions?”
“Oh, Phoebe.” Prue tightened her grip. “You’re not going to hell, sweetie. Quite the contrary. You’re meant to do some pretty incredible things in your lifetime.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”

They stood like that for a long time, neither one of them saying a word. Feeling the safety her sister’s arms had always provided took away some of the shock of seeing her again, leaving Phoebe to finally start thinking more clearly. About the spell in her hand and what she could do with it.

“Oh no you don’t, little sister.”
Phoebe frowned. “What?”
Prue held her at arm’s length. “I know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
“You can read my thoughts?!”
“No.” Prue grinned. “I just know you. And as tempting as it may seem, you can’t work your own magic on that spell and bring me back too. It’s only meant for Piper.”
“Yeah, but….”
Prue put her finger over her sister’s mouth. “No buts about it, Phoebe. Piper is coming back. I’m not.”

All the hope drained from Phoebe’s face. “But I want you both. NEED you both.” She looked at her sister sadly. “I don’t think I can live without you, Prue.”
“Yes you can. And you will. I know things haven’t been the greatest between you and Piper, but that will change. Piper is still Piper. She could never stay mad at one of us for too long.”
“But I took you away from her. That’s a lot to be mad about.”
“Yes, it is. I’m not saying it will be easy, Phoebe. All I’m saying is it will happen.” Prue put her hand on Phoebe’s cheek again. “I have to go.”

Phoebe felt an all too familiar tightening in her chest at her sister’s words.

“No!”
Prue ran her fingers through her sister’s hair. “I have to, sweetie. It’s time for you to wake up and bring our Piper back. Can you do that for me?”
Phoebe blinked back tears as she nodded. “Yeah.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she drew her sister into a crushing hug. “I miss you so much.”
“And I miss you.” Prue returned her hug. “But we’ll always be a part of each other, Phoebe. We’re sisters. Even death can’t take that bond away from us.”
Tears streamed down Phoebe’s cheeks. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Prue pulled away from her. “Now go. Save Piper.” She pointed at her sister. “And remember what I said about that spell. I’d hate to have to kick your ass for not listening to me.”

Her tears blinded her as she watched her sister slowly fade from view, the look of love in her eyes almost more than she could take. That was how she woke up in the infirmary. Tears on her cheeks and the memory of Prue’s arms around her.

She rationalized not saying the spell right away by telling herself there were too many people around. One doctor, a nurse and another inmate with a bad case of food poisoning was hardly a mob, but what if one of them heard her, took the spell and called the guys with the pretty white straightjackets to come haul her away? Of course if they heard her, it would mean she was already saying the spell. And since the spell wasn’t very long, she would more than likely have it completed by the time they got to her. Time would reset and no one would even remember that she had been in the infirmary, let alone what she was saying while she was there.

No, Prue was the real reason she couldn’t say the spell. Seeing her big sister again had reminded her of what she was missing. The sound of her voice. The twinkle of love in her eyes. The safety of being in her arms. It was true what they said. You never knew what you had until it was gone. And now that she had had another taste of having her sister with her, she wanted more. Needed more. But she couldn’t have it. According to Prue the spell was only supposed to bring Piper back.

‘Since when have you ever listened to Prue?’

She frowned when she heard the voice in the back of her head.

‘You’ve got the spell right there in your hand, stupid. Just change the words and get them both back.’

She looked down at the piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand. Could it really be that easy?

‘Of course it can. You want your life back, right? The one you had before the accident?’

She continued to stare at the paper.

‘This isn’t just about you, Phoebe. Do you really think Piper wants to be the lone Charmed One? Or that Prue wants to be stuck in the great beyond? It’s about them too. Do it for all three of you. Hell, do it for the world. Because without the power of three to balance the scales, evil will gain the upper hand.’

Her hand shook as she unfolded the paper and read the spell again. It would be so simple to change a few of the words. To turn back time by three months instead of merely a day or two. Before she realized what she was doing she started to speak.

“Hands of time I call you back.
Three months past, when my world went black.
Return to me the ones I've lost.
Turn back the clock to my time of loss.”

A rush of wind struck her, throwing her back against the super thin bed pillows. She closed her eyes, her scream lost in the intensity of the blast as it whipped around her. After what seemed like an eternity it ended, leaving her a stunned lump. She laid completely still, afraid to open her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. She had cast many a spell in her time as a witch and never gotten results like that. Never felt such raw power.

“Oh, sorry.”

Her eyes snapped open when she heard the voice and she found herself staring at a guy and a girl standing in the doorway, their hands roaming over each others bodies as the girl nibbled on the guy’s ear.

The guy grinned sheepishly. “We didn’t know anyone was in here.” He looked down at the girl in his arms. “Looks like the old lady on campus can’t hold her booze.”
“Shut up.” The girl kissed him on the lips. “Give me a minute, OK?”
“But….”
“Just go wait in Sasha’s room. I’ll be there in a sec.” The girl crossed over to the bed as the boy left. “You all right, Pheebs?”

A frown flitted across her brow as she searched for the girl‘s name. “Ellen?”
“Yeah.” The blonde grinned. “I think Josh is right. You’ve had a bit too much tonight. Why don’t you crash here? I’m sure Kelly won‘t mind.”
“Okay.” Phoebe nodded, trying to figure out what was going on.
“I told you five jello shots was four too many.” Connie giggled as she walked back over to the door. “I’ll come check on you in a little while.”

Phoebe bolted upright as the door shut again, her head spinning in protest at the quick motion as she tried to take in everything at once. The stuffed animals on the bed next to her. The posters on the walls. Her clothes. The din of voices outside the door. She was back at the sorority house. The spell had worked! Which meant she could still save Prue.

Her hand shook as she grabbed the phone laying on the bed next to her and dialed Prue’s cell number. “Come on, Prue. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.”
“Hello?”
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard her sister’s voice. “Prue?”
“Phoebe? Why are you whispering?”
“I….” Tears filled her eyes. “I….”
“Know what, don’t answer that question. We can talk about it once you’re in the car. Because I know you listened to what I said earlier about being outside when I get there.”
“No!” Phoebe suddenly found her voice. “Prue, don’t come here!”
“What?”
“Don’t come here! Don’t come anywhere near campus! Just….”
“You’re not making any sense, Phoebe. I’m almost there!”
A knot of fear formed in her stomach. “Turn around!!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Prue, you don’t understand, I had a….”

The sound of metal on metal and breaking glass made her hold the phone away from her ear.

“Oh God! Oh no!” She put the phone back to her ear. “Prue? Prue?!!” Silence was all she heard. “Damn it Prue, answer me!!” The line went dead. “Shit!!” Her hand shook again as she redialed the number.
“The cellular customer you are trying to reach is either unavailable or out of the calling area. Please….”

She growled as she threw the phone across the room and jumped up off the bed. The keys to Kelly’s car beckoned to her from the desk but she knew better than to pick them up. She started to reach for the jacket she had worn but stopped just short of touching it. What if she saw Prue in the hospital again? What if she saw her….

She never finished the thought as she turned and literally sprinted out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house. There was no way in hell she was going to fail this time. She stopped on the sidewalk long enough to get her bearings before taking off again in the direction of the intersection from her premonition.

*************

Darryl pushed through the crowd of people, flashing his badge as he neared the yellow police tape. He almost turned back around when he saw who was bound to be in charge but started toward him instead. Something told him he needed to be here.

“What have you got Conlen?”
The man looked up at him. “Nothing for homicide or robbery to be worried about.”
“Actually I was just driving by when I saw all the lights.” Darryl tried to keep the annoyance from his voice. “Thought maybe you could use a hand.”
“Thanks but no thanks. Just a not so simple fender bender involving some wasted college kids and an unlucky woman.” He looked up again as an ambulance’s sirens suddenly came to life. “That’s her leaving. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some drunk kids to talk to.”

Darryl shook his head as the man walked away. It was hard to believe that he had actually counted him as a friend at one point in his life.

“You have to let me through!”

He frowned when he heard the all too familiar voice.

“That’s my sister’s car! Now let me THROUGH!!”

Her words were lost on him as he hurried toward her. “Phoebe?”
She looked up when she heard him. “Darryl? Tell him to let me through! I have to get to Prue!!”
“Take it easy.” He touched the officer on the shoulder, letting him know he was taking over the situation. “Now what do you mean you have to get to Prue?”
“I was talking to her on her cell when it happened!” Phoebe struggled to get away from him too. “Now let go of me so I can get to my sister!!”
Darryl made a face. “Phoebe, you’re drunk.”
“So!”
“So are you sure you….”
“That’s her car right there, Darryl! Now LET ME THROUGH!!”
His heart skipped a beat when he recognized one of the cars as Prue’s. “She’s not here.”
Phoebe stopped struggling. “What?!”
“They already took her away in an ambulance.”
“Oh God! Was she all right?! Darryl, was Prue OK?!”
“I….” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I just got here.”
“I….” Phoebe looked around, lost. “I have to get to the hospital!”
Darryl grabbed her arm as she started to move away from him. “Come on. I’ll take you.”

*************

She stared out the window as Darryl cut in and out of traffic, his siren wailing. She had never sobered up so fast in her entire life. Funny what the thought of your sister being in an accident could do to you.

“I’ll call Leo when we get to the hospital. Let him and Piper know what‘s going on.” Darryl looked over at her, hoping for a response.

She didn’t answer as he whipped the car into the hospital parking lot. This was it. The moment of truth. She threw open the door and jumped out of the car before he had a chance to come to a full stop.

“Phoebe!”

She ignored him as she ran through the emergency room door and went straight to the nurse’s station. “Prue Halliwell?”
The nurse gave her a blank stare. “Excuse me?”
“My sister was in an accident.” She fought hard not to yell at the woman. “Her name is Prue Halliwell.”
“Oh.” The nurse halfheartedly shuffled through some paperwork on her desk. “I don’t see anything on her. If you go have a seat in the waiting room I’ll….”

She walked away before the nurse could finish. Of course there was no word on her sister yet. That would be too easy. She skirted around the desk, waiting until someone else stepped up to occupy the woman’s attention to run through the automatic doors leading to the actually emergency room.

“Clear!!”

Her blood froze when she heard the words. She hurried toward the small trauma room that was practically buzzing with activity, stopping in the doorway in time to see the young doctor from her premonition shake his head, dropping the paddles in his hands back on to the crash cart.

“That’s it. We lost her.”

She forced herself to look at the figure on the table. All she could make out was a patch of raven hair, which was more than enough to make her legs give way.

Hot tears flooded down her cheeks as she crumpled to the floor. She had failed.

Prue was dead.

Memories flitted through her mind as she sat there, completely unnoticed by those who had tried to save her sister. Prue carrying her back to the Manor after she fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm. Prue skipping a date with Andy to stay home with her on a Saturday night after her boyfriend dumped her to go out with her best friend. Prue catcalling as she accepted her high school diploma. Prue making a mess at the pharmacy right after they got their powers. Prue protecting her. Prue loving her. Prue…. Prue…. Prue….

Her head spun, threatening to make her pass out as she closed her eyes and leaned back against the doorframe. This was all her fault. If she had listened to Prue and only used the spell to bring back Piper, her sister wouldn’t be going though all this again. She would already be safe with their mom and Grams. Instead she was laying on a gurney surrounded by strangers.

“Pheebs?”

She was too lost in her own thoughts to hear the voice. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.

“Phoebe?”

What had Prue ever done to deserve something like this? Been a mother to her and Piper growing up? Protected the innocent? Put her life on the line too many times to count? Been the best witch she could be?

“Hey….”

She jumped when she felt the hand on her shoulder. “No!” She lashed out at whoever it was. “Leave me alone!!”
“Whoa! Phoebe, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

She opened her eyes when she heard the voice again, shocked to find herself staring into a pair of all too familiar blue eyes.

“P….” Her voice didn’t want to work. “Prue?” She threw her arms around her sisters neck. “PRUE!”
“Ow!” Prue hissed in pain. “Take it easy, kiddo.”
Phoebe pulled back, giving her sister the once over. She was a little pale and had a bloodstained bandage on her forehead, but she was alive. “But how….” She looked back up at the doctors and nurses who were still milling around their patient. “I thought….”
Prue furrowed her brow. “You thought that was me?”
Phoebe nodded as more tears coursed down her cheeks. “I….” She drew in a shaky breath. “I had a premonition. Right after I called you to come pick me up. I saw…. I saw you having an accident.”
“That’s why you called me again?”

She nodded, about to tell her sister everything when a shadow fell over the two of them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A mean looking man in scrubs glared down at them. “You’re not supposed to be out of bed!!”

Phoebe immediately recognized him as Doctor Hastings, the doctor who had tried to keep her away from Prue after the original accident.

Prue rolled her eyes. “I….”
“No excuses!!” The doctor grabbed the oldest Halliwell by the arm. “You were just in a serious accident, young lady! You could have injuries we don’t even know about yet!”

She wanted nothing more than to deck him for the way he had treated her, but it was kind of funny seeing the shoe on the other foot. Seeing him being mean to Prue instead of her.

“Ow!” Prue hissed in pain again as she was yanked her to her feet. “And you‘ll have a lawsuit on your hands if you don’t stop manhandling me like that! I saw my sister and was worried about her. THAT’S why I came over here!”
“Well your sister can join you in the other trauma room if she would like to. She can keep you company after I strap you to the bed to make sure you stay put until I can give you a clean bill of health.”
“Great. My own personal babysitter.” She looked down at her sister. “Come on, Pheebs.”

“Coming.” Phoebe couldn’t fight the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she climbed to her feet, listening to Prue and the doctor continue to argue as they made their way back across the hall. “Hey Prue.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and listen to the nice man.”

She chuckled at the glare she got, the tension of the past three months of her life melting away in that one classic Prue look. Nothing else mattered in that moment accept the fact that her sister was back. Her Prue was back.

*************

It was a rough couple of days. First it was Prue not wanting to spend the night in the hospital. Then it was Piper running in, hysterical over not being home when Prue needed her. Then it was the two of them ganging up on her, wanting to know all about her premonition. That’s when she decided to spare them the gory details of what she had been through. It was bad enough that she had to remember it all without putting them through it too. Some things just weren’t meant to be shared.

“Prue!”
“What?”
“I told you to stay on the couch!”
“Piper, I’m not helpless.”
“Just humor me and get back to the couch!”

She grinned as she made her way into the living room. Piper had been in super overprotective mode ever since they brought Prue home, not wanting to let her do anything for herself. And it was driving Prue insane.

“Hello sister of mine.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Prue growled as she walked in from the kitchen and sat down on the couch. “I’m about to be one sister short if SOMEONE doesn’t stop babying me!”
“Watch it Prue, or I’ll blow up your favorite coffee cup.”

Phoebe laughed as she sat down next to Prue. “So….” She tucked her sister’s hair behind her ear. “How are you feeling?”
“I’d be better if everyone would stop asking me that.”
“Prue….”
“Oh, all right.” Prue sighed. “I’m still a little sore, but I’ll live.”
“Good to hear.” Phoebe snuggled up to her sister. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“About a bazillion times.” Prue kissed her on top of the head. “But I like hearing it.”

Piper came back into the room. “Like hearing what?”
Prue pulled her down on her other side. “That you’re going to back off and let me move around a little today.”
“We’ll see.”

Phoebe grinned as they all settled in, cuddling. This was the life. Her and her sisters together, sharing a sisterly moment.

“Ow!” She grabbed her arm as Prue suddenly smacked her. “What the hell was that for?!”
“I’m not sure.” Prue grinned. “I just had this overwhelming urge to kick your ass for some reason.”

The words echoed through her mind, reminding her of the ghostly visit she had had from her big sister.

“You call that an ass kicking?” Piper raised her eyebrows. “Now I KNOW I’m not letting you out of my sight today.”
Prue frowned. “Why?”
“Because THAT was NOT a Prue Halliwell ass kicking. Until you can really kick her ass, I’m not letting you up off this couch.”
“But Piper….”

She looked toward the heavens, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Elders were watching them. She knew They probably weren’t very happy with her for doing what she had been told not to do, but they were just going to have to deal with it. She had both of her sisters back and would do anything to keep it that way.

She snuggled against Prue again and listened to her sisters as they bickered, enjoying her own little slice of heaven.