Disclaimer: I don’t own any Charmed characters. Just the story’s plot although technically it really belongs to Spelling Entertainment as well.

They had been in training for two months and had completed the Power of Three spell. Price, Phoebe, and Piper Halliwell were tired but ready for battle. Price had turned out to be quite physically fit and powerful. Training her powers had proven more difficult. Price had the ability to read feelings. She was not an empath however for she did not feel what her intended target was feeling. She merely knew what they were feeling. So if an opponent were scared or over confident she would know. She still confused feelings from time to time. Phoebe had a theory that she had only told Piper. She believed that due to Price’s past her own feelings mixed with those of her intended target making them more difficult to define.

Price looked up at the ceiling and tried to understand what her feelings were for the morning. Her stomach growled making her laugh.

“I guess hunger is the feeling of the morning.”

As she stood and stretched out of the bed she walked to the picture that sat atop her dresser. It was the same picture she had carried with her throughout the last five years. She let her finger trace the outline of Prue’s face.

“Don’t worry big sister. I’m trying my best to look out for them. But it’s not easy, you know, they are way too independent for their own good. They constantly worry about me, but I’m worried about them too, especially…”

There was a loud knock on the door followed by Phoebe bounding in like a schoolgirl.

“Who were you talking too Price?”

Price blushed and pulled on her bathrobe.

“Myself, what’s new?”

Phoebe smiled and looked at her sister. Price had been living with them for two and a half months and she was still body-conscious. Phoebe and Piper walked around constantly in a half-dressed state yet Price was always covered. Phoebe could understand it, but she wished Price could see how beautiful she was. Especially now that she had gained a little weight.

“Hey listen. Piper and I were thinking about heading out to the park today. It’s going to be a beautiful day. We’re going to pack a lunch maybe the Frisbee…”

“Sounds like fun. Count me in. I have to go interview for a job at 10 this morning but I’ll be back after that.”

“Ugh…a job? You must be their sister.”

Phoebe threw Price a smile over her shoulder as she left the room. Price couldn’t help but smile back. She was scared that the happiness she felt wouldn’t last forever and that something was going to go wrong soon.

She suddenly had a sense of feeling that made her do a double take toward the door. She knew her readings had been off in the previous weeks, but she knew that loud and clear she was picking up on the feeling of fear and it wasn’t her own.

Phoebe hugged Piper as she was headed out the door.

“And where are you going this morning?”

“Well, Piper I thought I would go down and help with the clean up from last night’s crowd.”

“You? Help clean broken bottles and sticky floors?”

“Yes, me. I thought it would help pass a little time between now and lunch. We are still on for the park right?”

“Of course. Did you ask Price?”

“Yep, she’s in.”

Phoebe was about to leave but stopped and hugged Piper again. She felt so happy and yet so sad. Things were right for the first time in months, but they still felt very wrong without Prue being with them. A small warm tear escaped Phoebe’s eyes and Piper wiped it away.

“It’s okay Phoebe, I miss her too. But you know what?”

Phoebe shook her head no and looked into Piper’s loving stare.

“It’s okay to be happy. And you know that it’s okay to love Price with all of our heart. “

Phoebe gave Piper a slight smile and as she shut the door to Prue’s BMW SUV she let the rest of the tears go. Piper had decided that Phoebe should keep the BMW and use it. Prue would have wanted that. She looked at the small silver necklace with the heart pendant that hung from the rearview mirror. It was Prue’s necklace. Phoebe touched it and started the car. She looked at the necklace again. “Don’t worry Prue, I already do love her more than I ever thought possible.”

Price finished her breakfast and watched with keen interest, Piper hurriedly washing dishes and sweeping the kitchen floor. Price averted her eyes when she realized Piper had caught her staring.

“Okay Price, what are you staring at? Did Phoebe put a kick me sign on my back?”

Price laughed thinking about the time a few weeks earlier when they had been training. Piper had become tired and cranky and more than anything, bossy. Phoebe was no longer interested in orders. She had decided to have fun and made the sign for Piper. Price looked at Piper and admired the warmth and life in her eyes. She knew she could trust Piper with her entire life.

“Piper, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, anything.”

“Do you think Phoebe’s okay?”

“Why? Did you get a feeling?”

“Don’t look at me like that, Piper. I know my power has been quite wonky…”

“Hey wonky is my word.”

Price smiled again but continued, “It’s been wonky but this morning Phoebe came to my room to ask me about going to the park and she seemed very happy but there was this intense feeling I read in her. She’s afraid of something.”

Piper looked thoughtfully at Price. She nodded and bit her lip.

“Honestly, Price, I think she’s afraid to let herself love you as much as she already does.”

“Why would she be afraid of that?”

“She’s afraid of hurting the memory of Prue, and more than that I think she’s afraid of losing you. Phoebe’s biggest fear has always been to lose a sister, and now that that fear has become a reality to her, she’s a bit lost you know?”

Price nodded in understanding and then held Piper’s hand squeezing it gently before leaving. Piper smiled at the sound of the old pickup noisily cranking in the background.

“Looking for a job and making noise. What a perfect combination of Prue and Pheebs.”

Piper smiled to herself and whistled along as she finished cleaning the kitchen. She grabbed her things and headed out the door to get the food needed for the picnic with her sisters. She so looked forward to spending the day with them.

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

They watched the last Halliwell leave the manor and then approached cautiously. The two men silently picked the lock on the door and entered. They quickly made their way up the stairs to where the three sisters slept each night unaware they were being watched.

“Do you know which is her room?”

“Of course I do Trogg. I do my job, unlike you.”

“Greer, what was I supposed to do? They were always together.”

“Yes well we have to get her when she’s alone or else the power of three will be too powerful for us.”

They entered a bedroom. Trogg touched a picture of a beautiful woman he had never seen before. Greer slapped it out of his hands.

“Who is she?”

“That was the fallen Halliwell. Prue.”

“But now there’s a new third?”

“Yes, must you ask so many questions? Let us find what we’re looking for and get out of here. Later we can use it to our advantage to take the one we need without being stopped by the others.”

“But why this one,” Trogg asked as he pointed into her bedroom.

“Because she’s the most vulnerable.”

“Then it shall be done.”

With that Trogg and Greer tore apart her bedroom in search of what they needed to destroy the new power of three. Finally Greer raised his hands in triumph. He showed Trogg what he held in his hands. Trogg stared in confusion and wonder at what Greer held. In his large deadly hands, Greer held a small crystal. A small green crystal.

“And how are we going to lure her away with that?”

“Trogg do you not listen at all? This is the Mimic crystal. We’re taking this and that picture of the fallen Prue Halliwell and we’re going to convince her that her sister is back and that she needs to come alone to save her.”

Trogg looked at Greer still confused, still lost.

“Trogg, hello, do you get it yet? The Prue she’ll be coming to see is only a mimic, not real, it’s a trick.”

“Oh, yeah, I get it Greer…then what will we do when she gets there?”

“Idiot…we kill her.”

Price sat in the picnic waiting for her two sisters. She allowed the sun to warm her face as the air chilled her still thin frame. She watched as children played around her. She smiled at them as they giggled and chased one another. For the first time in her life, Price felt like she was where she belonged. She knew it to be true when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her in a bear hug. She hugged Phoebe back and then heard the familiar sound of shopping bags.

“I got something for you Price.”

“For me? Let me see, let me see.”

Price loved the role of baby sister. She felt cared for and loved and able to love all at the same time. She knew there was a reasonable explanation that her power was taking longer than she expected for it to work properly. She was feeling more feelings than she had ever felt. There were more feelings for her to read. Love, trust, protectiveness, they were all new to her. Price reached out her hand and closed her eyes. She felt a light object in her hand and she swore it felt like velvet. She opened her eyes and in the palm of her hand was a small red velvet box.

“What is this Phoebe?”

“Okay, see that’s a box, you open it and there’s something inside.”

Price rolled her eyes and smiled. If she had to say one thing that was taking her awhile to get used to it was Phoebe’s playful sarcasm. She popped open the velvet box and inside was a chain that she knew used to hang on the rearview mirror of the BMW.

“Phoebe, I can’t, it’s Prue’s.”

“I know but Price I want you to know that I realize you aren’t taking her place. You are a part of the Halliwell’s that was missing long before Prue was gone. You aren’t filling her void, you are filling the void that was made when they gave you a…”

“Away? It’s okay, Phoebe. That doesn’t matter to me you know. I’m sure they had their reasons.”

“None of which could possibly be reasonable enough to send you off to fend for yourself as a baby.”

“Crap happens. Now, let’s get back to this necklace business. Why do you think I should have this?”

“Because you don’t have memories of Prue. Except that time she came to see you. We have our whole lives with her. I think you should have this. It’s kind of symbolic you know. You have a piece of her heart and all.”

“Thank you Phoebe.”

“Oh but wait…that’s not all. I know it’s cold out here but I stopped by the store on my way from P3 and guess what I got for you?”

Phoebe pulled a freeze pop out of the bag and waved it in front of Price’s face.

“How do you remember these things?”

“Because I listen to you, that’s how I remember.”

“It’s cold out here though.”

“It’s okay, I’ll eat one with you and that way we’ll both look like idiots.”

“Hey you got any purple ones?”

Price and Phoebe looked up from the ground to see Piper standing above them hand outstretched waiting for the freeze pop. Phoebe looked at Price and smiled. Price knew that Phoebe was about to be devious.

Phoebe picked up a purple freeze pop and began to hand it to Piper. When Piper reached down to get it, Phoebe pulled Piper onto the ground between Price and herself. Then she and Piper wrestled until Piper was screaming with laughter. Price laughed and watched as she ate her Popsicle. Suddenly she could pick up on a feeling. But it came from neither Piper, nor Phoebe. It wasn’t love or happiness. “It’s anger,” she thought. The feeling jumbled with her own anxious feeling. It quickly became clear to Price that the feeling she was reading was greed. Someone nearby was greedy for power.

“Price? Honey, are you okay?”

“Well she’s obviously not okay Phoebe look at her she’s shaking.”

“Maybe she’s cold from the Popsicle.”

“Phoebe! She’s not even hearing what we’re saying.”

“I hear you guys I’m just trying to focus on this reading.”

“Oh thank God.”

“Piper, you have to stop panicking every time Price gets a reading.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s in my nature to panic. We know this to be true.”

Phoebe couldn’t argue but instead she and Piper began to follow Price as she stood and began walking toward the trees.

“What is she doing Piper?”

“I don’t know, Phoebe, you’re the psychic.”

Suddenly Price stopped and turned back toward her sisters. They looked at her waiting for the outcome of the reading and for an explanation of to where she was walking.

“Okay can I answer you so you two can stop talking through each other to ask me a question? I was walking toward the reading?”

“What?”

Price had to smile at Phoebe and Piper’s simultaneous utter of confusion.

“I’ve discovered recently that these readings as we like to call them act as a sort of radar. I was picking up on greed so I got up to see if it got stronger.”

“Did it?”

“No, it didn’t, Piper. It sort of vanished.”

“That’s odd.”

The three sisters packed their food and decided to continue their picnic in the safety of the manor. They knew they were strong as the power of three but Price was still their weakest link for she had not been fully brought up to speed.

Phoebe felt funny as soon as she touched the knob on the front door of the manor. Her world melted into black and white shards of memories future. She saw Prue standing over her telling her to hang on. She saw Price and Prue helping Piper off the ground. And then the vision snapped away like the slamming of a door. She felt Price’s hand on her back and Piper’s on her arm. She wanted nothing more than to be inside the manor. She swung open the door and fell into the foyer.

Price looked on as Piper helped Phoebe up and to the couch. She had seen Phoebe have premonitions before but had never seen her this affected by them. She got Phoebe some water as Piper made her comfortable on the couch.

“Phoebe, tell us what you saw.”

“You aren’t going to believe me.”

“Try us. You don’t think after what we’ve been through that we won’t believe a premonition you have?”

Phoebe looked from her older to her younger sister. She nodded her head, took a deep breath and began

“Prue’s alive.”

“Phoebe…don’t do this please.”

“Piper, I’m not crazy. I’m telling you what I saw in my premonition.”

“Okay, Phoebe but that doesn’t mean that it was really her. It could have been a shape shifter pretending to be her or something. Price help me here.”

“Maybe you’re right Piper but from what you guys have told me about shape shifters and demons, why would someone pretending to be Prue be helping us out of danger.”

Phoebe nodded and looked at Piper for some sign of belief. There was none or if there was Piper wasn’t showing it. But Price could read Piper’s feelings. And the feeling she was reading loud and clear was hope.

“Maybe there’s something in the book of shadows about loved ones not really being gone, something.”

“Price is right, Piper. Is it going to hurt to check?”

Piper threw her hands up in frustration. She didn’t want to believe but somewhere inside her heart pounded with the hope that Prue was somewhere out there living and breathing.

“Phoebe, you were with me the day we buried her. She was in her casket. You saw her. She was dead. She had on her favorite blue suit. A red rose in her hand.”

Phoebe remained silent as a tear rolled quickly down her cheek. She waited for Piper to lead them up the stairs. Piper, giving in to hope and prayer, took her little sisters' hands and walked slowly up the stairs. At the top she glanced toward Phoebe’s room. There she noticed the beginning of a trail of wreckage. She heard Phoebe gasp beside her. And run toward the bedroom fists up.

“Who in the world would do this to my room?”

“Someone who was looking for something obviously.”

“Thanks Piper for that wonderful insight. I have nothing to hide.”

“Well, someone thinks you do Phoebe or else your room wouldn’t be like this.”

“Maybe it has something to do with Phoebe’s premonition.”

Phoebe and Piper stopped rifling through the disheveled room and looked at the youngest Halliwell.

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, Piper, let’s think about this. Whoever turned her room upside down had to come in from somewhere, why not the front door? So they left residue on the door and Phoebe had a premonition when she touched the knob. It makes sense, right?”

Piper nodded in agreement and Phoebe continued to look through the mess. She spotted, just barely visible under the overturned mattresses, several crystals she had not seen before.

“Price, Piper. Did you guys leave these here or have you ever seen them before?”

Piper bent down and picked up a pink crystal. She cocked an eyebrow and turned thoughtfully toward her sisters.

“What it is, Piper?”

“These were Prue’s, Phoebe.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“The morning she…died…she had these and she was writing something. It was just before you had your premonition about the doctor, or when you were supposed to have a premonition about the doctor. Ugh…that whole resetting of time thing…”

“Yeah, I know what you mean though. SO that morning she had these crystals?”

“Right. I asked her what they were for and she said…what was it…I want to quote her…oh yeah! She said, ‘Piper, these four babies here represent our lives.’ It made me nervous and I asked her what she meant and she said, ‘the pink is a vision crystal, the blue is a time crystal, the green is a motion crystal and the yellow is the missing piece to our puzzle. They are all mimic crystals.’ I thought she was kidding or at least drunk and I had just gotten up so I didn’t really pay that much attention although I had planned on asking her about it later but then…”

Price had been quiet while listening to the account of that morning. And suddenly she noticed what had seemed so wrong.

“Phoebe, Piper…there are only three!”

Piper and Phoebe looked at the suddenly excited Price. Piper looked at Phoebe and shrugged.

“What’s three, Price, us? We know that honey.”

“No, no, no, Piper look at the crystals. You said there were four that morning. There are only three here now. Look. The green one is missing. Maybe that's what they came for.”

“She’s right Piper. I think that’s what they came for, but who on earth would want a mimic crystal and what is it?”

The three sisters looked at one another and knew who to call, “LEO!!!!”

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

The two dark shadows hovered over a large black kettle in a cave and recited the spell from the black leather-bound book. The leader, Greer held the green crystal in his hand as they chanted. Trogg watched curiously as a light began to form in front of them. As they continued to chant the light grew brighter and slowly a figure appeared before them. Greer held up the comparison picture and smiled an evilly wicked grin.

“She’s perfect, absolutely perfect”

“Wow Greer, she looks just like the picture.”

“That’s the point Trogg. Now we can lure the vulnerable one to us and take her out.”

“What a great plan Greer, great plan. So how did you find out about the Mimic crystal anyway?”

“There’s a legend among the underworld Trogg. That there would be four in one generation that would have the greatest power of any witch. I just happened to know that the Power of Three was missing someone. They weren’t the power of three at all but the whole time they were the Four Powers of the Worlds.”


From further in the cave the hooded figure watched and listened as Greer and Trogg completed their spell. The mystery guest knew that the time would come soon enough when all would be revealed and good would be at its greatest.

Leo looked unsure as the girls explained to him everything they knew.

“I can’t imagine that it’s possible. Even the elders believe the Four Powers to be a myth. You are the Power of Three.”

“Are we Leo? Why not the Four Powers? There are after all four of us.”

“Were…Phoebe…there were four of you, now there’s three.”

Phoebe glared at Leo’s insensitivity and made sure he felt her eyes peering through him. She paced the floor as Piper sat on the couch Leo stood at the mantle and Price curious to the wonders of the netherworlds stood at the doorway, listening.

“Leo go to THEM and ask what would happen if someone used a mimic crystal. Please.”

“But Piper…there’s no such…”

“Leo, please just do it, for us, please.”

Leo shrugged defenseless against the three sisters and orbed out of the room. Piper stood and walked toward the stairs.

“Piper, where are you going?”

“Phoebe, there has to be something about all of this in the Book of Shadows.”

Phoebe nodded, “Right behind you.”

Price followed suit and the three entered the attic together. Price read a feeling immediately.

“Price, what is it?”

“I’m picking up on…what is that? It seems like…joy.”

“Joy?” Piper and Phoebe asked in unison.

“Yeah, definitely joy, like a relieved, about time, kind of joy.”

They looked at Price, perplexed. Without warning the pages of the book began to turn, scaring Price. She jumped behind Phoebe and Phoebe laughed.

“That’s right. You haven’t been here for one of Gram’s tricks yet.”

Price relaxed when she realized her sisters were laughing at her. As long as they were unafraid she too would be unafraid.

“So, what does she want?”

“She’s just letting us know what’s up.”

The sisters walked to the book arm in arm and began to read a newly scripted page about the crystals and the Four Powers. Piper began to read aloud.

“It says that the crystals are the symbols of the Four Powers, each crystal holding the life likeness of each of the four. Time, vision, motion and feeling. They were also known as mimic crystals because they could be used to reproduce the likeness of whichever witch it represented.”

“So does that mean if the green one is missing then someone is trying to use it to recreate Prue?”

“Yeah, that’s my understanding too. So Phoebe, Prue isn’t alive, just being mimicked to draw one of us or all of near to danger.”

Phoebe shook her head and crossed her arms.

“Piper I’m telling you what I saw. Prue is alive. I just know it.”

“Regardless we have to get the crystal back because if someone manages to collect all four they could create some serious Hell on earth.”

Price walked to the window and looked out. She thought for a moment about the crystals.

“Hey you guys, wouldn’t a demon or whatever took the crystal need a spell to recreate the mimic Prue?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Who would have such a spell?”

Phoebe and Piper shrugged. They had no idea where to get the crystal. Price read more feelings and felt hopes dashed in Piper and tangible stubbornness in Phoebe. She knew that Phoebe wasn’t about to let go of Prue and for some reason she wanted to believe in her.

***********************
The hooded figure, known but never seen in the underworld, watched the finishing of the mimic process and then left quietly, sneaking into the recesses of the caves that ran beneath San Francisco. With the help of a few old friends underground, the person called X knew once again that life was about to get better. Slipping through the crevices in the rocks X met up with the demon that had become an acquaintance, not necessarily a friend. Together they shimmered into the world below. X took about asking questions and soon came to stand in front of the man that would change it all. The half man, half demon known here as Belthazor, there as Cole.

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

“Are you serious Leo? They knew the whole time and never told us? Why?”

“I don’t know Piper. I asked them about the legend and myth and they informed me that it wasn’t just myth. The mimic crystals are real and so are the Four Powers of the Worlds.”

“So, what you’re telling us Leo is that we are indeed the four powers. Do they know where Prue is?”

“Phoebe…don’t get your hopes up please. They said they would know if Prue were alive. She would have made some sort of contact by now. You would know it.”

“I do know it, Leo. You and Piper cannot tell me that Prue isn’t alive. I saw her in that premonition. She’s alive.”

“Maybe you saw her recreation but not her Phoebe, there’s no way.”

“Leo, please don’t take this hope away from me, please. Piper may have given up but I refuse to let my sister truly be gone. I refuse. She’s alive and I have every intention on finding her. “

Price had been quiet as usual, listening closely to the interaction. She stayed in the background refusing to get into a debate. Price felt what she had needed to feel. And after hearing what Leo had told them she was ready to battle for Prue.

“Okay, I can’t listen to this anymore,” Price spoke clearly and calmly. “I’m with Phoebe on this. Leo, you said THEY told you that there was a demon, Greer, that has like the dark sides version of the Book of Shadows, right?”

Leo nodded. Piper looked at Price with interest and exhaustion. Piper wanted to believe there was a way for Prue to be alive, but when she lost Prue, she had lost not just her sister, but her best friend as well.

“Okay, so then it’s logical to assume that in this book of evil there is a spell that could possibly activate the mimic crystal. Right? So wouldn’t it be the next step to say we should be tracking this Greer demon and get the crystal back?”

“Price is right, Piper. Even if you don’t believe that Prue is alive you have to believe that we must get that crystal back so that we can safely guard the other three. Right?”

“Yes, Phoebe, I can agree with that.”

“Wait I wasn’t done.”

Piper, Phoebe and Leo looked at Price. They hadn’t known her to be outspoken in the least. But now she was streaming with ideas. Price felt their eyes on her waiting for a plan.

“Okay, following the crystal logic…Prue had the crystals, right? So what if somehow she knew what was going to go down the day she was killed. I don’t know how, but what if somehow she knew she was going to be a target that day and knew that death would be inevitable. What if she knew this and used the crystal to mimic herself? Then the mimic Prue was the one you couldn’t revive and the mimic Prue was the one you buried. After that the real Prue couldn’t come out of hiding because she needed to maintain absolute anonymity in order to bring down someone in the underworld.”

Phoebe and Piper couldn’t believe the theory that came out of Price’s mouth. It was far-fetched and unbelievable, but at some level it worked. Piper swallowed hard. She knew what she had to do.

“Phoebe, Price, you come with me. Leo, check with the Elders and see if that theory washes.”

“Where are we going Piper?”

“We’re going to dig up our sister, Phoebe.”

“What? You’re going to exhume Prue’s body?”

“If Price is right Phoebe then the mimic Prue is in that grave and if that’s so then the mimic Prue would have vanished by now, returned to the magical atmosphere or whatever. We dig, we discover, now let’s go.”

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

X walked with Belthazor through the dark shadows of Hell. Belthazor laughed at the presence of such a fiend. He knew X was in deep and would only be able to come out of the underworld alive with his help. There were so many things he could ask for in return but he decided to wait until the last possible moment to play his cards. He guided the hooded figure into the chambers that Trogg and Greer occupied. X had been watching them for months and was now ready to put the plan into action.

“Where are they right now?”

“What’s wrong? Do you think I’ll double cross you?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time Belthazor. Will they be gone long enough for me to destroy the mimic?”

“How long do you need?”

“Two hours.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

Belthazor left X to begin the plan. With careful precision X extracted the crystal from it’s place in the middle of the chamber. X watched as an exact version of the picture that hung on the wall stepped close and then gasped. X hated it for the mimic, for the mimic never knew that it wasn’t real. The mimic began to fade and reached out for help. X took her hand and held on feeling the pain that was released. A mirror hung on the wall. X walked to it after watching the mimic girl fade away and vanish completely. In the reflection a thin pale hand reached out of the shroud and touched the hood pushing it back. She smiled at her reflection and pushed back her long black hair. Prue Halliwell was on the path to home.

“Okay, you know what, it’s bad enough Piper that you think we should dig up the grave of our sister, but do we have to be out here in this cemetery at midnight?”

“Phoebe, as if we haven’t been in scarier places.”

Price listened to the two interact and began to realize that the comic relief was necessary. Piper and Phoebe had a certain dynamic. Price worked the shovel into the cool ground and stomped on it with her foot. It dug another few inches into the ground. She worked it back out with a small pile of dirt and tossed it to the side. It was then that she realized she was the only one digging. She stopped and looked up at Piper and Phoebe.

“Hi. I know I’m the freshman sister and all, but I could use a little hand here you know.”

Phoebe clapped her hands together jokingly. Price and Piper both rolled their eyes laughing. She handed Phoebe the shovel and climbed out of the two-foot hole.

“Well, at least we only have another four feet. So I’ve dug two, Phoebe can take the next two and Piper you can work the last shift.”

“Hey, who put you in charge little sister.”

Price smiled as Piper patted her on the head. Phoebe smirked from the grave. She knew what they would find when they got to the casket. She hoped for it anyway. She dug for another hour and finally it was Piper’s turn to dig.

Price read the emotions in the air. From Phoebe she sensed that ever-present hope and stubbornness. She also sensed a bit of fear and apprehension. Piper’s hope was rising steadily as she dug quickly. Price read the uncertainty that Piper held in the back of her mind. Price watched Piper as she dug. She realized that her sister, although small in frame and build, was extremely strong. Price thought of the irony that went along with feeling so safe in such a dark and deathly place.

“I’m there.”

Price snapped into the present as she heard the unmistakable sound of metal touching wood. She saw the paleness of Piper’s face and the trembling of Phoebe’s hands. For the first time Price understood her own feelings. She was nervous and scared. She didn’t want to see her oldest sister lying in the casket. That scared her more than anything. But she was nervous that if Prue were alive and undercover somewhere then she could be in the ultimate danger.

“Okay, Phoebe help me here. We have to lift the lid.”

Piper looked at Phoebe and breathed in the smell of damp earth, musky and rich. She swallowed hard as Phoebe took the opposite end of the casket. Together they lifted it as Price looked on.

The three sisters gasped. The casket was empty. Phoebe yelled crazily and ecstatically into the chilly October air.

“Prue! I knew you weren’t gone I knew it!”

Phoebe rushed into Piper’s arms and together they cried for the happy possibility that their sister was alive and able to come home. Price watched with a heart filled with love. She knew that when they found Prue it was going to be the best day of their lives. She felt hands wrap around each of hers.

“Hey Price, what do you say we go find our big sister?”

“I like that idea Phoebe, I really do.”

The girls headed back to the manor where Leo awaited with some interesting news.

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

Prue sat in the darkened chamber that the Mimic Prue had occupied. She waited for the return of Trogg and Greer. Her mind flashed with the memories of the months that she had been away from her sisters. Things had been dark and dreary but the hope of one day rejoining her sisters kept her alive and made her fight for the cause at hand. She had enlisted Cole’s help only after finding out that his cause was the same as hers. She remembered the day that she had found Cole. He had been so surprised that she was alive. He had heard through the underworld ring that Shax had killed her. She never explained to Cole how she had escaped death, just that she had. She found out through Cole that Phoebe had vowed never to see him again because she believed the catastrophe with Shax had been her fault, that if she had been there instead of with Cole then Prue would still be alive.

Prue hated to think that her baby sister was blaming herself for something that never happened. She wondered if Prue and Piper were okay without her, if they were beginning to move on with their lives. She hoped that when she returned to them that they would forgive her for not telling them that she was okay. She thought about her room in the manor. She wondered if they had changed it at all. She hoped that they had. She didn’t want them to suffer in sadness. She slowly pulled a faded and torn picture out of her pants pocket. The same clothes she had been wearing all those months ago were now ragged and torn, but still kept her warm and clothed.

She touched the face on the picture. A young girl unaware of the presence of the camera sat in the grass of the park. Prue thought about Price Halliwell and allowed a tear to escape. She knew that the first thing she would do when she returned was to find Price and bring her home. She thought about the horrible conditions Price had been living in when she had first met her. She had known that day that Price had been through hell in her life. It was something sisters knew about each other. She wanted nothing more than to hold her youngest sister and to have Piper and Phoebe with her as well. But first, first she had to finish what she started. Prue Halliwell was going to bring down the Source.

*********************
Leo waited for the girls. The Elders had been holding back and now he was upset. He couldn’t wait to tell Piper, Phoebe and Price what he had discovered. They were going to be so happy and surprised. He heard them opening the front door. He rushed into the foyer to meet them.

“Girls! Guess what I found out!”

Piper couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Leo! Prue’s alive!”

Leo’s smile faded. He never got to surprise them with anything. He couldn’t believe that they knew before he did.

“Well, don’t look so sad Leo. It’s a good thing that she’s alive. As a matter of fact we, me and Price that is, are going out tonight to the clubs, to celebrate and to do a little snooping around the San Francisco human underworld. Piper is going to stay here and work on a locating potion.”

“That’s right. Leo, why do you look so funny.”

“Huh? Oh, I had the same news and I wanted to surprise you guys, but once again you beat me to it.”

“Aww…honey that’s so sweet. But her body wasn’t in the coffin, so sorry we know…wait a minute, if you know then that means that the Elders knew the whole time?”

Leo nodded in confirmation.

“Why in the hell would they keep something like that from Piper and Phoebe?”

For another time that evening the others looked at Price in surprise. She was really beginning to find her ground.

“I know, Price it’s upsetting. Your theory not only washes but it’s dead on.”

“Oh Leo please don’t use the word dead we were just in a cemetery.”

“Sorry Phoebe. But there’s more to it than her being undercover to bring down a demon.”

“Well please Leo don’t pause for dramatic effect, continue.”

“She’s trying to take out the Source.”

“WHAT!?!?” The three sisters exclaimed in unison.

Leo took a step back and watched the faces of the girls turn from anger to confusion to dread to panic and then to fear.

“She can’t take the Source on by herself, she will be killed, for real this time.”

“I know that Piper but the Elders needed her. They said that by you thinking she was dead you wouldn’t come looking for her and therefore wouldn’t blow her cover.”

“That’s great Leo, did the Elders stop to think what thinking she was dead would do to us? Why do they feel they can do that? When will the assignment be over?”

“Yeah, Leo, when can Prue come home?”

Price wanted nothing more than to have another sister. She felt so blessed that she had two sisters as it was and she wanted another that would complete her world. They would after all be the Four Powers of the Worlds. She watched with disappointment as Leo looked to the ground.

“She can’t come home until the assignment is over, until the job is done.”

“Well, where is she now?” Piper wanted to know immediately where she could find her big sister.

“She’s in the Underworld disguising herself as…well…as herself.”

“Leo, English please.” Phoebe hated when Leo talked doubletalk.

“Well, she has dissolved the mimic that the demons, Greer and Trogg have created and taken its place. She’s closer than ever now.”

“How is she closer than ever when Greer and Trogg are just basic demons?” Price was confused.

“Because Greer and Trogg aren’t your basic demons.”

“What are they then?” Leo’s face made Piper nervous.

“They’re the sons of the Source.”

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

Prue had waited long enough for Trogg and Greer to come back. She stayed perfectly still as the mimic-Prue would have done waiting for instructions. The Source’s sons had other things on their minds. She overheard them talking.

“Trogg, what do you think we should wear on our night of victory?”

“Black always looks good Greer.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Greer? Where are we going anyway?”

“We my dear brother are going dancing.”

“Oh good I love dancing.”

“No you idiot, we’re not really dancing. We’re going to scope out the clubs for one of her sisters. I hear they’re there a lot. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Lucky? Are we picking up some chicks?”

Greer slapped Trogg on the back of the head and together they left, quarreling about who was the smartest son. Prue laughed despite herself.

“The Source must be so proud to have offspring so brilliant.”

She shook her head in amazement as she decided to find clothes to wear and follow the Source’s spawn to the clubs. She doubted that they would run into her sisters but just in case she wanted to be there to make sure they didn’t get hurt. Prue knew that no matter how stupid Greer and Trogg were, their powers were incredible.

Prue stopped by an old apartment building in the darkest part of San Francisco. She used the key to open her apartment. The place was dark and dusty because she was rarely, if ever, there, as being undercover caused her to truly be undercover. She opened the closet door and extracted a pair of black form-fitting pants and a black tank top. She pulled a black hooded jacket on, laced up her boots and caught the closest cab she could find.

Inside, the walls and the people pulsed with the bass vibrations from Nine Inch Nails’ song, ‘Deep.’ Prue let the music sink in and let the lights and people invade her vision. She had missed crowds and people. She had missed everything, the taste of pizza and Pepsi together. The smell of Piper’s perfume and the shine of Phoebe’s smile. She missed it so much. She leaned her hands against the bar and checked out the people getting their drinks. Then she saw her. Like an angel flying down from a night star, she saw her standing under the neon lights of the bar. Prue gasped with doubt, with joy, with sadness. She was close enough to touch her, to reach out and touch her long hair and hold her close the way she had done a million times. Her little sister was three feet from her and all she had to do was reach out and hold her.

Phoebe surveyed the room looking for Price. She had gone to get drinks while Price stayed on the floor looking around. A chill crept up Phoebe’s spine as she waited at the bar. She knew then that she was being watched. Another feeling struck her as she turned to look at the room again. Something familiar. Something close. Phoebe rested her hand on the bar and was pulled into the black and white world of premonitions. Prue at the bar, a seat not far from hers, dressed in black with a hood pulled up on her head to shade her face. Phoebe came out of the premonition and that’s when she realized it. Someone was touching her shoulder.

Phoebe turned slowly to come face to face with Price.

“Phoebe? Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“Prue’s here.”

“What?”

Phoebe looked past Price down the bar and into the crowd. The strobe lights hindered her view but she managed to see a woman with long dark hair dressed in black pushing quickly toward the back exits. Phoebe grabbed Price’s hand and together they chased after the woman. They fought through the crowd and rushed into the alley behind the club.

“Oh I hate alleys.” Phoebe shivered as she and Price looked for the direction the woman went.

Price began to pick up on a feeling. She trembled as her heart beat unsteadily. There was a feeling she’d read before, one that was all too familiar, and frightening. She read the feeling of anger mixed with lust.

Two men stepped out of the shadows of the alley. Phoebe jumped with fright. Price froze with panic. She knew exactly what the men wanted. She could see in their eyes that they were high on something. She could tell that Phoebe was picking up on the same thing. They were both without an active power and, although their martial arts skills were incredible, they weren’t sure they were matches for the two men feeling like super humans. And the battle began. The man with the blonde hair grabbed Price and held her around the waist while the other man, a brunette, easily knocked Phoebe to the ground. Phoebe, stunned from the blow to the cheek, stumbled to her knees only to be pushed back down again.

“Leave her alone! Phoebe!” Price stretched out her arm and hand to try to help Phoebe up but the man with his arms wrapped roughly around her jerked her backwards.

“Aww…come on little cutie, we’re just going to have a little fun with her!”

Phoebe wrestled with the man who was now on top of her. She hit his face and scratched his neck. Clawing desperately for a way out. Price tried to fight the tears so she would not show weakness to the attackers. She closed her eyes as the man struggling with Phoebe pulled out a knife and as the man that held her began to kiss her neck. She heard a noise and opened her eyes.

Phoebe watched as a foot smacked her attacker in the nose. The kick had come from her left. The man was sent flying across the alley into a brick wall. The man who was holding Price was thrown as well. Both were unconscious in a matter of milliseconds. Phoebe rolled to her left and began to get up looking at their savior. The emotions were almost unbearable as she locked eyes with blue. The blue eyes of her oldest sister stared back, glistening with tears.

Prue wasn’t sure if she should reach out and hug Phoebe or if Phoebe would be too shocked for that. But something in Phoebe’s eyes told Prue that her little sister already knew everything.

“I love you, Phoebe and I have missed you so much.”

Price watched the scene unfold as Prue took Phoebe into her arms and held onto her as she sobbed. Seconds seemed like hours to Price as she watched the reunion take place. Tears from both sisters. Looks of relief and love exchanged. Smiles of overwhelming joy. All the light in the world beamed from Prue to Phoebe and then was reflected back to Prue.

Phoebe was so happy and overjoyed that she had her oldest sister’s arms around her again that she forgot about the incident that had occurred. It was almost as though the time that Prue had been gone had faded away and Prue had never left. Of course Phoebe had never stopped believing that Prue was alive. Then she remembered Price was standing in the alley with them.

Phoebe pulled back from Prue.

“What is it Phoebe? What’s wrong?”

She followed Phoebe’s gaze and realized that she was smiling at the girl she was with. Prue thought it was just a college friend, but as she took a second look she realized that every secret was now at the surface. She swallowed hard as she slowly stood and approached the thin, beautiful girl. She knew she was only seven years older than her youngest sister but she felt looking at her tiny frame that she was walking toward the scared young girl she had met only once, she had no idea that Price Halliwell was now a full-fledged power witch and sister.

Price kept her hands steady as she reached her right hand out to shake Prue’s hand. She flinched when Prue didn’t raise her hand to meet the greeting. And her heart melted when instead Prue reached her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Prue’s hugs, Price thought to herself, feel like Phoebe’s. Price allowed herself to cry. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they would be a family whole in numbers, full in heart.

Phoebe joined them in a group hug with the cell phone attached to her ear. She waited until Piper answered the phone.

“Piper, it’s Phoebe. Have Leo orb you into the alley behind Rusted. Yeah that’s the place. Hurry though. It’s an emergency.”

Piper hung up the phone with Prue and called for Leo. He came into the kitchen with concern on his face.

“What is it Piper, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know but you have to orb me to the alley behind Rusted right now. Phoebe called and I could tell that she was crying. She said it was an emergency.”

Leo nodded understanding the panic he saw in Piper’s eyes; another loss in her heart would kill her.

They orbed into the alley to see Phoebe and Price talking excitedly. Piper rushed to them and hugged them tightly.

“Thank God you’re alright I was so worried when you said it was an emergency. But apparently you’re fine so what’s the big idea?”

Phoebe looked at Piper and smiled, then she and Price left her in the shadow they had been standing in and they joined Leo. Piper turned to watch them walk away.

“What in the Hell is going on with you two?”

“It’s called dramatic effect Piper.”

“For what?”

Piper was beginning to get irritated.

“Turn around Piper and look.”

Piper turned around and was staring into Prue’s eyes. Her heart skipped several beats and the tears did not fall automatically. She wanted nothing more than to believe that Prue was alive and real and that it was really her standing in front of her, but the disappointment would be too overwhelming if it was a trick, a hallucination. Then the hallucination spoke.

“Piper? It’s okay, I’m real.”

Piper slowly lifter her hand to Prue’s cheek, touching her and feeling that she was a solid person, not a hallucination, not a trick.

“Is it really you?”

Prue nodded and Piper felt her arms around her. She fell into Prue’s embrace. And finally the tears fell, one by one, soldiers of strength fading away down her cheek. She held on more tightly than she ever had. She felt Price and Phoebe standing beside them. Together, the four of them, the sisters, were finally whole, finally together, and finally ready to save the world.

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

They watched the Four Powers from outside of the manor, black vans shadowed in the night. There were three vans loaded with the black-clothed men carrying assault rifles, carrying various weapons, carrying death.

Prue was more than glad to be back at the manor. As Piper made a midnight dinner, Price and Phoebe set the table, Leo orbed to the Elders to fill them in on the status of Prue’s mission and Prue took the best shower she had in months. After drying off, Prue slipped into some of her old jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt Piper had gotten for her from a box of her things. Prue was glad they hadn’t completely moved her out of the manor. She was glad that instead they had packed all of her things and moved the boxes into the basement.

She instinctively opened the door to her bedroom and was taken back by the differences. Price’s things, only a few months worth, were now occupying the space that had been Prue’s. She felt awkward as she stood in front of a dresser and looked at the picture of she, Piper and Phoebe standing on the manor stairs. She thought about the time that she had visited Price.

Prue had felt happy that she had located their missing sister, and although the ghost of Grams had warned her not to go, that it was too soon, she had gone anyway. She had wanted to see her baby sister for herself. To see the truths that had been hidden from her, from her to her sisters. To prove that the baby she held once long, long ago had not been some dream, some strange Wiccan dream. An old bear, ragged and stitched, sat on the carefully made bed. Prue picked it up and sat down. She traced the outline of a single stitch and began to cry. She couldn’t stop the flow of tears.

Price stopped outside of her bedroom door and peeked through the opening. Prue was sitting on her bed crying. She was holding the bear that Price had been given at the orphanage long ago. It was the one thing that Walter James had not taken from Price. The one thing she held on to growing up. And now her oldest sister, who had been assumed dead, held on to the bear as though it would somehow reverse everything, time lost, memories not shared, love faded.

Price slowly moved into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed next to Prue. She said nothing at first listening to the audible crying. She wanted nothing more than to move her hand into Prue’s and comfort her but she wasn’t sure if she was the reason Prue was crying, if perhaps Prue thought that Price had somehow tried to replace her. Price cleared her throat trying to find her voice.

“Prue. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to take your place. If you want the room back…”

Prue quickly looked up into Price’s brown eyes. She blinked away some tears and continued to stare. Price tried to read the feeling coming from Prue, she picked up on definite sadness, but she read no anger in Prue, and she read no malcontent.

“Is that what you think Price? That I don’t want you here? That you were just a stand-in for me in my absence?”

Price shrugged. Prue’s face was contorted in confusion and sorrow.

“I just thought that coming in here and seeing my things…”

Price felt Prue’s hand wrap tightly, but comfortably around hers. Prue smiled through her tears, and her voice resonated the softness of her smile.

“Price. I’ll tell you exactly why I’m crying, and it has nothing to do with you living in this room, although you really could use some more stuff, it looks so dreary in here.”

Price laughed and smiled. Prue realized for the first time that Price had the most amazing smile. It was very much like Phoebe’s. Prue touched Price’s face and felt Price stiffen. Prue stopped smiling when she realized that Price had too.

“That’s why I’m crying, Price. Because you shouldn’t be afraid of the touch of a sister’s hand. Because you shouldn’t have been brought up in such horrible circumstances.”

“Phoebe told you?”

Prue nodded and turned so she could look face to face at her baby sister. She saw the fear and the shame that rose in Price’s face, and saw that her hands and lips trembled.

“Price, don’t think for a second that any of that stuff makes me not love you. Please don’t think that. I hate that you went through it. You should never have went through it and sometimes I feel like it’s my fault.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I knew about you the entire time. I held you when you were just born. I was the one that gave you this bear.”

Prue held up the ragged brown teddy bear. Price reached her thin hand to the bear and slowly took it from Prue, looking at it amazed.

“You gave me this bear?”

“Yes. I was seven years old and Grams told me that we were going to see my new baby sister. I didn’t really recall anything about our mom being pregnant, but she had been. With you. So on the way to the room I asked Grams to stop by the gift store and I bought you this bear.”

“So you were happy?”

“That you were born? Oh God yes, Price. I love my sisters with all my heart and soul, that includes you. That will never, and has never changed. I was sitting here crying thinking about the time that we’ve all lost together. Because of this damn so-called mission, because of the mistake Grams and Mom made when it came to giving you away. I will never forgive them for that time lost. It’s not a forgivable thing.”

“I forgave them Prue, and it’s me they gave away. I think you should find it in your heart to forgive them and mostly to forgive yourself. I know you somehow blame yourself for everything that’s happened so far. But you can’t. Not everything is in your control.”

“A few months of being a Halliwell and already you have us all pegged.”

Price smiled and it opened Prue’s heart. She grabbed her youngest sister into a close hug and was happy when Price didn’t tense. They were finally sisters.

Dinner went smoothly with Piper and Phoebe filling Prue in on the events of the previous months. Prue told them about her undercover work and told them how much she had missed them.

“Look at the three of you.” Prue sat at the table staring at her three sisters. They had been drinking wine and celebrating with one another. Leo had conferred with the Elders and they had told Leo to give the girls a night to catch up so they kept him in the heavens. Prue raised her glass of wine.

“I want to make a toast, and a pact. Raise your glasses. Okay, now. I want to first make a toast to us. The four of us being together at last. And I want to make a pact that we never give up on each other. That we always stay together heart to heart soul to soul. That we believe in one another, help one another and unconditionally love one another.”

“I’ll raise my glass to that.” Phoebe raised her glass as did her sisters, and at that precious moment the world turned to chaos. The lights flickered and then went out, the windows were shattered and the doors burst open. Bullets splayed across the manor, whizzing past the sisters, stifling their frightened screams. They tried to take cover, they tried to hide, but the inevitable truth won out in the end. The men that carried death, also carried out the Halliwell they had come for. Leaving behind the wreckage they had created. Leaving behind three sisters, wounded, dying, trying to stop fate.

THE END