Teeny lays no claim on the Charmed One’s, but this story is her’s!

Set after Prue dies but before Charmed Again.

Phoebe sat her knees pulled up to her chest. She didn’t think she could go on. Not only were the Charmed Ones gone, but Prue was gone. God! Prue was gone.

The night was quirt and dark. Leo had just been able to heal her. Then, when she thought her day couldn’t be bad enough, Piper told her Prue was gone. It had been a week since that day. Since that day, she had gone on with her life. She had to. She couldn’t stop.

The sun finally perched itself over the hills. Piper moaned in exhaustion. She looked at her clock. Wow, she chuckled in frustration, two hours, a record high. She looked over at Leo as she sat up. His eyes opened. He pulled her into a hug. Hugs had been received a lot lately.

"I love you, Piper. I will always love you." Piper pulled back. Leo continued. "Why don’t - -’’

"Bye, Piper," Phoebe’s voice yelled from the main floor.

The manor’s old wooden door slammed shut. Piper looked at Leo, telling him to continue. However, Leo looked at her differently.

"I’m worried about her, Piper," he said gently.

Piper stood up surprisingly agitated.

"Damn it, Leo! How do you think we’re supposed to act? Prue’s dead!" Her voice was stern and hard.

As she paused, her face softened and then turned to horror. She covered her mouth as tears began to flow. Leo came over to her from the bed.

"Oh, God," she murmured. "Prue’s dead."

Tears overtook her. Her legs began to crumble. Sobs heaved her body. Leo held her. Gently he rubbed her back. He wanted so badly to heal their pain. But loss is something no one, no thing can heal.

With tears still streaming down her face, Piper’s senses were revived. Still in his arms she looked up at Leo.

"I’m so sorry."

"For what? Grieving? You have nothing to be sorry about." He gave a weak smile. "Weren’t you Halliwell women taught that it’s okay to cry?"

For the first time, Piper gave a weak smile.

"Yes, but it’s easier sad than done."

Together they laid in each others’ arms. They had each other.

After a few hours, Piper untangled herself from Leo. He was sound asleep. She wondered down the hall to Phoebe’s room. It was just about noon and she thought Phoebe might be home, but to be truthful, she was snooping, snooping for clues. She opened her sister’s room like she had many times before. It was fairly clean, save the few boxes lying around in front of her closet. Her mind found this interesting and she approached them. As soon as she saw what they were she stopped. She felt her knees give in. They were filled with old pictures, yearbooks, drawings and many other things one might collect for their childhood.

Piper unconsciously gasped as she saw the pictures. She took out one of the three of them, lying on a blanket. Memories began to flow back as if she was there.

"PHOEBE, get down!" Prue had yelled.

She returned to look at the then thirteen-year-old Piper.

"Babes, I don’t know what to tell you." Prue’s teenage voice still fresh in her mind from that day. "So, he kissed you?"

Piper remembered getting her first kiss from Tim Hilburry and the same Piper reaction was to freak, which she did. The first person she ran to was Prue for help. Piper didn’t really remember the answer. She only remembered one thing about that day. She remembered how Prue’s motherly instincts were constantly awake and needed.

"Phoebe! I said get down! You’re going to fall!"

"Am not!" A then nine-year-old Phoebe yelled back.

As though on queue, Phoebe lost her grip on the tree branch and fell. Prue shook her head as if to make a note to herself that she was once again right. But within a split second, Prue was at Phoebe’s side, giving her little kisses to ease not the pain of the fall but the surprise and terror of it.

Piper smiled at the memory.

"Hey." Her thoughts were interrupted. She turned to look at the woman in the door.

"Hey, Pheebs." She stood up. "I was just . . ."

"That’s okay," she said with a distant tone.

"I’m worried about you, babes," Piper finally said as she watched Phoebe unpack her back. "We all are."

"There’s nothing to be worried about," Phoebe assured her with again another distant tone; she didn’t even look at Piper.

"Phoebe, look at me." Phoebe paused a moment, and finally looked at Piper. But when Piper finally saw her sister, she had no idea what to say. It was scaring her what Phoebe was becoming. Shutting out the world.

"What, Piper?"

"Tell me, what’s wrong." Piper knew that was a pretty obvious question, but she had a feeling that this may get her started.

"God, Piper." Phoebe turned and started to leave the room.

Piper ran after her.

"Phoebe, Jesus! You can’t even cry!" Piper knew these words would be hurtful, but she had to open her up.

Phoebe turned to face Piper. Realizing in the back of her mind exactly what her sister was trying to do. But that remained there in the back of her mind. She clenched her jaw.

"It’s not that I can’t, I just . . . don’t think . . ." Tears began flowing down Phoebe’s cheek. She started again, she voice gentle and small. "I can’t stand to be around anyone right now. I keep thinking, if I just don’t cry, if I just don’t break down, everything will be alright. I will live through this and life will go on, like it never happened. God, Piper! I can’t even say it." She paused again. "I’m afraid, if I start I’ll never be able to stop."

Phoebe’s knees gave in and she fell to the floor. Sobs overcoming her. She brought her arms around her head to cover her face. Piper went to help her, Phoebe just pushed her away. Piper wasn’t going to give up; she couldn’t just stand there and let her sister cry. She took her in her arms. Phoebe struggled, but finally gave it. Sob over took her.

As she held Phoebe, Piper couldn’t help but smile. For she knew, every time she missed Prue, she just had to look at Phoebe. Prue would have held in her emotions. Prue would have fought her when she tried to hold her. Sometimes when you feel lost and confused, your answers, your healing remedy is right in front of you. They were going to get through this. They were going to get through this because they were sisters. A little bit over Prue was in both of them. Along with Grams and Mom. They were going to live on with the love that was left behind.