Part 1
They watched as the two caskets were lowered into the ground together. The day was quiet but dreary. People began to head back to the respective cars but the four remained.

Her sister gripped the hand in hers tighter. They were gone. She glanced up at her sister next to her. She was six years older and was one of the strongest people she knew. Prue could face anyone that came up against her. She was smart, clever, and admired. Her eldest sister, however, wasn’t strong but she wasn’t weak. She had just graduated from college and she was now the guardian of the family. Phoebe was too young to understand. The only thing she knew was that something special lie in each of those caskets were going into the ground.

Paige pulled her younger sister to her. She could see that Prue was trying to stay cool but she was losing her battle. She planted a small kiss on Prue’s head and whispered into her ear.

“Let’s get out of here,” Paige said.

Paige took Piper’s hand and Prue lifted Phoebe into her arms. The four headed toward the car. Paige watched Prue buckle Phoebe up. As she did, Paige couldn’t help but know that her days would never be the same. She had to change her life. She was going to take it one day at a time.

Prue go into the front seat and looked over at her sister as they drove off. Nothing would ever be the same.



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Two days earlier
Paige - 21
Prue - 18
piper - 12
phoebe 4

“I’m home!” Paige called as she dropped her stuff in the doorway. “Mom? Dad?”

Her mother suddenly came rushing in from the kitchen. She pulled her eldest daughter into a hug.

“Hello, my darling,” she said as she hugged her daughter. s

“Hey, Mom,” where is everybody.

Her mother pulled away and picked up a suitcase.

“Your father is picking up Phoebe. Prue and Piper should be home any time now,” her mother said as they made their up the stairs. “How was Italy?”

“Beautiful. Mom, you would have loved it,” Paige said as they reached her room.

She and Prue had shared a room since the beginning of time. They were the closest of close. Even before Piper and Phoebe came into the picture and they had separate rooms. Prue would always come into Paige’s room and fall asleep with her. When Paige went off to college, their mother had told Paige how Prue had to beg Piper to let her sleep with her. Prue couldn’t sleep alone for the longest time. It had just been Paige and Prue for a long time. They were nine and seven when Piper came into the family. Phoebe didn’t surprise the family until both of them were in their teens.

“Paige!” Prue yelled from the foyer as she came rushing through the door.

Paige ran out of her room much to her mother’s amusement. She ran to see her sister. They collided in the hallway. They hugged each other with such joy. Piper smiled from the top of the stairs. In a way she was jealous of her sisters. they were so close. She wanted a sister to be that close to. She turned to see her father come in with Phoebe sleeping in his arms. Phoebe’s four, she thought, nope, no way am I going to have a good close relationship with her.

Paige screamed joyfully.

“You’re three weeks from graduation! You’re almost nineteen.” Paige said as the two jumped up and down as if they were four years old.

“I know!” Prue said excitedly. “That’s like two years away from a legal drinking age!”

“Prudence,” her mother warned from the doorway.

“I’m so happy to have you back!” Paige screamed.

Just then Victor rounded the corner. Patty saw her sleeping daughter immediately.

“Paige, sweetheart, I’m happy to have you back too,” Victor said with a laugh.

He shifted Phoebe’s weight on her shoulder and wrapped his other arm around Piper. He gave her a soft kiss knowing that she was looking wistfully as Paige and Prue’s reunion. Paige gave a sheepish grin.

“Hi, Daddy,” Paige said. She looked at her youngest sister. “Sorry, I’ll try to keep my voice down.”

“Paige, it’s Phoebe. She wakes up when she wants no matter what is going on around her,” Piper said with wit.

“Hey, kiddo,” Paige said seeing piper for the first time.

She picked Piper up into her arms and swung her back and fourth. Victor laughed at Piper’s off-guard face. Phoebe stirred in Victor’s arms.

“Hey sleepy head,” patty whispered as she took Phoebe into her arms. She turned to Victor. “How long was she out?”

Victor chuckled. “Her soccer coach said she feel asleep during a water break. I guess she missed her nap at school today.”

“Well, she slept by herself last night,” Patty replied. Phoebe usually sleeps with her sisters.

“She did?” Victor said surprised. Proudly her looked down at Phoebe. “She slept by herself?”

“Yeah, Piper was at my mother’s house. Phoebe always has a hard time falling asleep.”

“Did she go see Prue?”

“No, I don’t think so.’’

“I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t ask you how your day was,” Victor said sweetly.

Patty smiled.

“It was good,” she replied.

She kissed Victor passionately with Phoebe asleep on her hip. It was then that she became aware that the hallway had become quiet. She and Victor looked up to see their three older daughters looked at them.

Paige, Prue, and Piper watched their parents murmur. They were cute together. Paige had always found it amazing that they still loved each other after all these years.

“Mom, let me take Phoebe. I’ll go put her down,” Prue said as she reached over for Phoebe.

“Actually, I want try to wake her up. I want her to eat with us tonight or else she’ll wake up hungry at about 12:30 tomorrow morning,” Patty says with a laugh.

Victor eyes her and they head into their room. Paige shakes her head with a laugh. Piper looked after her parents in disgust.

“Ewwww.”

“What?” Paige asks with amusement.

“Just what we need another sister,” Piper said.

Paige lifts her sister onto her back and they skipped down stairs.




Prue sat Phoebe gently on her bed. Phoebe’s eyes opened groggily. Prue gave a smile.

“Hey sweetie,” she said quietly.

She took Phoebe cleats off. She looked back up to see that her sister had slumped back over and was sound asleep. Prue stood Phoebe on the floor and gently she took her hand. Phoebe walked with Prue but her eyes remained closed. Phoebe was exhausted.

She made her way down the hall with Phoebe’s hand in hers. Phoebe’s walking became a little too unstable for Prue to trust that she was safe of the stairs so she picked Phoebe up. Prue entered the kitchen to find her other sisters cooking dinner. Prue let go of Phoebe’s hand knowing that standing up and walking around usually helped Phoebe wake up.

“What are you doing?” Prue asked as she put her hands in her back pockets.

“We’re fending for ourselves.”

“Mom and Dad are going out tonight,” Piper told Prue.

“They are?” Prue asked as Paige put a cucumber chunk into Prue’s mouth.

“Yeah, remember they have that end of the year benefit thingy.”

Prue nodded with her mouth full. She glanced over to see that Phoebe was now lying in the laundry basket full of towels sound asleep. Paige cooed in delight. Piper burst out laughing.

“That is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen,” Paige laughed.

Prue grabbed her camera from the counter and snapped a picture.



“We’ll be back around eleven. Call the banquet hall uptown if you need anything,” Patty said about a half an hour later.


The girls were all lying on the couch. Phoebe was sitting on Prue’s hip. She had her thumb in her mouth and she was still tired. Patty placed a kiss on each of the girls’ headed.

“Bye, girls I love you.”

“Bye, sweethearts,” Victors called as he closed the door behind them.

Little did they know that that what the night that was change their lives. The night that would try their lives and their relationships like no other ordeal they had ever endured. That was the night that the good old days ended.


part 2

Prue laid curled up next to her sister. She had loved Paige all of her life. Paige was everything she wanted to be. She had to admit that they were so different, but that’s what she loved about Paige. She was her big sister. Prue wondered what it would be like if she was the oldest. She always laughed at the thought. She couldn’t imagine being the not having a big sister. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted. The phone was ringing.

She looked at the clock. It was past 11:30. Why would someone call this late. Prue laid still through another ring hoping Paige would get up and get it. She didn’t. She stayed still. Prue rolled her eyes. She reached over to the coffee table and picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is Jack there?” a perky voice asked at the other end.

“uh, no wrong number,” Prue said irritated and hung up.

Just as she got comfortable back on the couch. The phone rang again. Screw it she thought. She wasn’t going to get up. She let the phone ring. The answering machine beeped. She perked her ears up wondering what the girl would say.

“Hello, this is Nancy down at San Francisco Memorial. I hate to leave a message, but I need a . . . Paige Halliwell to come down. There has been an accident involving your parents.”

Prue shot up in hopes of catching the nurse before she hung up. She missed her. Prue looked over at her sister who was now sitting up looking back at her. What now?

Prue called Andy and had him come and stay with at the house with the girls who were sound asleep in their bed despite all the commotion, Prue gripped onto her sister’s arm as they came into the emergency room.

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“They died instantly,” Paige told Prue as they sat in the waiting room after they received the news, “that’s what we’re going to tell them.”

“What?” Prue said unsure of what she had just heard. “Why?”

“Because they shouldn’t know what happened. They were hit and they died. They weren’t suffering.”

Paige stood and began to pace. Tears were rolling freely down her face. Though she was the oldest and the rock of her sisters, she wasn’t the strongest emotionally. That person was Prue. Prue sat in the corner holding her tears trying to grasp the situation. Paige pulled Prue to her chest and soothed her.

Finally, they were able to strengthen themselves enough to go down the hall to the room that their parents were in. The accident had happened about fifteen minutes after Patty and Victor had left the house. A truck driver feel asleep at the wheel and smashed his eighteen wheeler into the back of their car. The doctors had told them that they had done everything they could for their father. He was going to die within the night. His chest had been crushed and every breath was unbearable. He had been brought in immediately at 7:30pm. It took three long hours and forty-five minutes for him to die. The doctor thought he might want his girls with him, but Victor refused.

“I’m dying, Doc,” he had said. “My . . . girls . . .don’t . . . need . . . to . . .see . . . me like this. I don’t want them to have to live their lives knowing that they saw me take my last breath. No, I do this . . . alone.”

A nurse had sat with him and held his hand until he died. The nurse watched as the girls came into the now silent room to see their dead father lying on the stretcher. It was then she knew that he had been right. They didn’t need to see him die, seeing him dead was hard enough. Knowing what had happened was barely bearable.

Patty had been even less lucky. She was pinned in the car. It took them hours to get to her. She was conscious the entire time. The pain was expected to be horrible. When they removed the head of the truck that lay in her chest, she died immediately.

The girls lost it as they saw their father with his hand on his chest. His fingers were held in an “I-Love-You” in sign language. Prue crumbled to the ground and Paige held her tight and rocked her. The girls weren’t thinking about tomorrow or what they were going to tell Piper or Phoebe. Prue wasn’t thinking that her mother will never see her graduate. Paige wasn’t thinking about the impending responsibility that was about to put itself on her shoulders. Neither one of them was thinking about the sister that they were holding in their arms. All they were thinking was that their father was never going to wake up. To see his body made his death official. He was gone.

The nurse, Kate, stood outside the doors watching the sisters crumble. The sound of their sobs echoed through her head. All she thought was that they didn’t know the details of their mother’s fate. She looked at the two doctors and few nurses that stood next to her.

"Their mother died instantly,” Kate said quietly, “that’s what we’re going to tell them.”
Paige stroked a piece of hair from Prue’s face. It had taken her a only a few minutes before Prue feel asleep. Prue’s room was right across from their sisters’. Paige placed a kiss on Prue’s forehead and tucked the quilt close to her younger sister’s body.

Paige grabbed a pillow and sat be herself in the middle of the hallway glancing from the two sets of beds in Piper and Phoebe’s room to Prue in her room. Paige pulled her knees up to her chest. How was she going to make it through tomorrow? This was her last thought before her body gave in and she feel asleep in the hallway between her sisters.

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Her eyes fluttered open. She was scared. She ran out of her room toward her parents room. However, she didn’t get further than the hall. Phoebe saw her sister in the middle of the floor. She ran back to her room and took her comforter off of her bed. it was small, but Phoebe tucked it up to her sister’s chin. She placed a sloppy kiss on her sister’s forehead and ran to her mother’s room.

She began to cry when she found it empty. Where was Mommy and Daddy? She checked under the bed just in case. Finally, she crawled into the big bed. Her sobs became muffled as she laid down on her parents’ big bed. Soon her body gave back into sleep.


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Piper woke up suddenly. She had the most horrifying dream. she couldn’t remember very much about it, but only that she was scared. She started towards Prue’s room, but she saw Paige. She slipped under her the comforter that covered her sister and curled up against her back. Sleep soon became her.



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Piper rested her chin on her knees. She tried to take in the ingormation Paige was telling her. She didn’t understand. She had seen them the yesterday. They couldn’t be gone. Piper knew about death, but she had never experienced it.

“Honey,” Paige said quietly.

Paige reached out to her sister but Piper pulled away. Piper stood up.

“Can I go over to Rachel’s house?” Piper asked.

Paige was somewhat taken by surprise. The young girl looked at her sister. She had just told her that their parents were dead. Paige shook it off and looked at her waiting sister.

“Sure,” Paige said quietly. “I’ll call them to let them know you’re on your way.”

“Thanks, Paige.”

An awkward silence fell upon them. Piper kissed her sister on the cheek and ran down the steps to her bike. Paige watched as she road away. Parenthood, she thought.

“Shit,” she said quietly after a moment of thought. “How the hell am I going to do this?”

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Prue checked the lit on Phoebe’s sippy cup and set a glass of juice in front of Phoebe. Phoebe tried to take it with one hand.

“Pheebs, two hands,” Prue reminded.

Phoebe gave a little annoyed sigh but sandwiched the cup between her hands.

“Thank you,” Phoebe said politely.

Prue gave a wistful smile. Her parents were set on keeping Phoebe’s manors on key. She would have to follow through with that.

“You’re welcome, Phoebe,” Prue said as she poured a cup of coffee.

“What are we doing today? Am I going to daycare?” Phoebe asked with toast in her mouth.

“Chew, honey,” Prue said as she finished cleaning up. She paused. “Actually, no. You’re not going to school.”

Phoebe looked up at her sister. Prue starred back at her. Even at four, Phoebe could read people. She knew when something was wrong.

“Why?”

Prue took a deep breath and approached the table. She looked at her sister as she took her in her lap.

“Mommy and Daddy won’t be coming back,” Prue said gently.

She stared into her sister’s eyes. They were confused and lost.

“Where did they go?” Phoebe’s voice trembled as her eyes filled with tears.
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Paige looked at Prue. Phoebe had just fallen asleep while she was playing. Piper was out at a friend’s house.

“So what happened?” Paige asked as she and Prue picked up the living room.

Prue stopped at looked at Paige.

“Well, I told her that they were dead,” Prue said. “She got of my lap and ran into the backyard and started to dig in the ground. Of course I followed her. I asked her what she was doing. She said she was looking for Mom and Dad.”

Prue blinked back tears.

“She remembered when Piper’s fish died. The only thing she knew about death was that it was buried in our backyard, so to speak. All of our pets, you know. But then she said ÔI have to tell Mommy goodbye. If I don’t, she’ll think I forgot her.’ Paige I had to explain to her that they weren’t coming back . . . that”

Paige shook her head.

“Well, what did you say, Prue?” Paige asked somewhat irritated as she threw some of Phoebe’s toys into the toy box in the corner

Prue was somewhat taken back. She turned around from the messy coffee table and looked at her older sister.

“I told her that they went to heaven and that we were going to bury them just like we did Gerald the fish and . . .”

“Prue!” Paige yelled as she started throwing the toys harder. “She’s four. There’s only so much detail we can go into.”

Prue stood up ready to defend herself.

“God! Stop looking over my shoulder. It’s like your waiting for me to mess up or something. I thought we decided that you were going to tell Piper and I was going to tell Phoebe! Not I was going to tell Phoebe and you were going to correct me. What is your problem, Paige?” Prue yelled as she looked at her older sister. Her voice rose. “We have funeral to go to. We have to clean up this god damn house before the stupid reception.”

“You know what my problem is?” Paige yelled back. “We can’t make this easier on us, but we can make it easier on them. You’re not making it easier for them.. You talk to Phoebe like she’s sixteen.”

Prue’s eyes narrowed.

“I do not! I talk to her like she’s a human being which is more than you do,” Prue shot back.

Suddenly Phoebe’s cry echoed through the baby monitor. Prue and Paige looked up the stairs simultaneously.

“You know what?” Paige said sternly but quietly. “ I’ll go to Phoebe. You finish up down here and then go get Piper. Just . . . we’ll argue when the day is over.”

As Paige climbed the stairs and Prue continued to straighten up the house, neither of them had realized that that argument was just the beginning. The two never really argued, they fought but they didn’t argue. It was just beginning.

part 4

Three hours later the car pulled up in front of the Manor. Prue got out of the passenger seat. She opens the back to get Phoebe. She takes Phoebe’s hand and helps her get down. As the two climb the steps, Paige gets out. Piper remains unmoved.

“ Hey, you getting out?” Paige asked gently.

“No,” Piper said quietly. “I think I’m just going to stay here.”

Paige sighed and opened the other back seat door and got into the car. An awkward silence settle on them. She finally pulled her sister’s head to her shoulder.

“you know the crazy people are going to pull up anytime. So if you want to hide from them I would go hide in my closet,” Paige said seriously.

“That’s a good plan,” Piper said quietly.

“Want to sneak in the back door?” Paige asked with a little smirk.

“No, most people will be in the kitchen anyway,” Piper said seriously.

“Come inside will you?” Paige said. She could hear the desperation in her voice. “You can go upstairs but at least don’t sit out here by yourself. Go do something with Phoebe’’

“I don’t want to do anything with Phoebe,” Piper said with her teeth clinched.

“What?” Paige was a little taken back. “Why?”

“Paige, you’ve been in Europe, you don’t know what a pain she is.”

Paige laughed.

“Prue and I had you. I think we have an idea.”

“No, you don’t. I was a quiet kid. Phoebe is just so Phoebe . . . She’s such a baby. I just. . I hate her sometimes .. . I don’t like being a big sister,” Piper said angrily.

Paige was now concerned. Piper was always so caring. She was right; she was the quiet one. However, Piper seemed to always put everyone before herself.

“Piper,” Paige said gently and sternly. “ Phoebe, needs you right now. You need to be there for her. Help her understand.”

Piper finally looked at Paige for the first time.

“Yeah?” Piper asked sarcastically. “Who will be there for me?”

Before a dumbfounded Paige, could answer, Piper slammed the door in her face and ran up the steps. Paige was shocked. She couldn’t believe that Piper was talking to her like this. piper never talked like this. Had she really missed that much? She had only been gone six months, she assured herself. Just six months.

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Prue sat phoebe on the couch and sat next to her as she tried to prepare her mind for a wave on sympathy that was to come through the front doors. She glanced down at Phoebe.

“You okay?”

Phoebe didn’t reply. She barely responded.


Prue was suddenly bombarded by her father’s parents. Prue was immediately distracted from Phoebe who remained on the couch. Prue couldn’t keep up as the number of people who cascaded through the doors of the manor. A few hours after Paige finally came in to join the Ôfestivities,’ she caught sight of an group of old women folding around Phoebe. They were trying to hold her and comfort her. Prue excused herself and went over.

“Hello,” Prue greeted the women politely. She turned to Phoebe and instinctively took her into her arms and placed her gently on her hip. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Prudence, dearest,” one of the elder women began annoyed. “Phoebe has not said a word to us. We think her manners need strong improvement.”

Prue tried her best to put a tolerable smile on her face.

“Well, she has had a tough day,” Prue said quietly.

“I understand that, Prudence. However, the excuse remains insoluble.”

Prue’s fury reared up in her eyes. Two things held her back. One of which was a small trembling body in her right arm and the other was the hand on her shoulder. She turned at was her mother’s best friend Aidah.

“Ladies, hello,” Aidah said with a wink. “ Prue, I did as your mother had begged me to do.”

“And what was that, dear?” asked one of the women.

“Well, I went down that new mini mart and I bought that amazing plant that rids of weeds.”

“Nothing rids of weeds, dear.”

“Well, this surely does. I went right down there and bought it.”

The women nodded and tried their best not to look interested. The Manor thereafter cleared out quickly. Aidah winked at Prue as she walked out.

“Works every time.”

With that Prue closed the door behind her. She caught Phoebe sitting on Paige’s hip. There was something that was different in her young eyes. They were no longer youthful and naive. It wasn’t as if she saw a ghost, but it was if she saw something. This something shocked her. She caught a glance of the mail table as she walked towards her sisters. The acceptance letter from NYU lay opened on top of the mail.

“Hey sweetie,” Prue said as she took Phoebe. She looked at Paige. “ Where’s Piper?”

“Somewhere upstairs I think,” Paige said as she began to carry the dishes into the kitchen.

Prue followed Paige with Phoebe’s little hand in hers.

“ What do you mean?” Prue asked fiercely.

Paige saw Phoebe next to Prue. Paige took her and told her to go to the front living room.

“Hey, at least she came in the house,” Paige yelled quietly to Prue as they began to clean up.

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Piper sat distantly on the window sill. She saw the Bay Mirror on the sidewalk from her window. She opened her door and started for the stairs. She saw the paper instead on Prue’s bed. She took it and crept back into her room.

She took a deep breath before she opened it. Finally after twenty minutes of staring at the back of the paper she opened to the obituaries. However, before she could reach the for it the front page caught her eye. A car was completely mauled. She saw a soccer sticker on the back window. It was her parents’ car. She suddenly found herself enthralled with the story. The story that she had not been meant to read.

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“Phoebe, what do you want for dinner?” Paige asked as she finished the dishes. Phoebe didn’t answer. “Phoebe, honey, what do you want for dinner?”

Phoebe remained silent.

“Prue!” Paige called out.

Prue came running in the room with clean unfolded laundry on her arm.

“What?”

“Has Phoebe said anything since we got back?”

Prue thought about it.

“No.” Prue knelt down to Phoebe. “Phoebe, say something.”

Phoebe’s eyes responded to Prue’s voice, but she didn’t speak. Paige picked up the phone.

“Hey, Aidah, it’s Paige.”

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Phoebe isn’t talking,” Paige’s voice was panicked. “ I don’t know what to do and being a well child psychologist . .I. . . perhaps you could just tell me that this was just a thing all four year olds do. . .and’’

“What? Paige honey calm down,” Aidah said calmly. “Put her on,” Paige handed the phone to Phoebe. “Honey, it’s Aidah. Tell me what’s wrong sweetie.”

No response.

“Put Paige back on,” Aidah told her gently. Phoebe gave her the phone. “I think it’s post dramatic stress. Take her to the doctor’s tomorrow, but I think you’re just going to have to wade this one out. You Halliwell girls always come at your own time.”

Paige thanked Aidah and hung up. Paige slammed her hands down. She regretted it when she saw Phoebe jump. Paige picked her up and hugged.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Paige said.

As she cradled Phoebe’s head, she saw the letter from her art adviser, Kate. She had been offered an apprenticeship in Paris. however, the little body in her arms was holding her back.

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Later that night Paige sat on her cellphone in her room and Prue sat on the couch with the house phone.

“Hello, yes this Prudence Halliwell . . . . yes . . . I was wondering if I could transfer . .. . Yes . . NYU . . . .I’m sure I want to go your school. . . . .Reason? . . . Yes . . .I know NYU is a great school. . . . I want to go to USF. . . . .Now, can you tell me about your part-time enrollment fees.”

Meanwhile, Paige was talking on the phone also.

“Kate, it’s Paige Halliwell. . . . .Yeah . .. I know. . . .but I think I have to pass. . . . I know. . . .it’s a chance of lifetime . . . . I know, I have to stay here. . . .I can’t leave my family. . . I two little girls to raise. . . . .I know Paris has great school systems. . . I need to stay here . . . I don’t think I’m giving up my career. . . . Opening an art studio would be great, but I can’t afford it. You know that . . . especially now. . . Do you have any job recommendations? . . .”


Prue walked down the stairs with Phoebe behind her.

"You better get going or you're going to be late," Paige said as she came into the foyer looking for her keys.

"Where are you going?" Prue asked curiously.

"To find a job," Paige said. She kissed Phoebe on the forehead. "Have fun sweetie."

She glanced at Piper who stood alone on the stair.

"I love you," Paige said. "Be careful home alone. Don’t light the house on fire."

"I won’t," Piper said without a smile.

It was if Piper was mad at her. She shook it off and headed out. Prue looked at her sister.

“I’ll be back around 2 okay? We’ll have lunch or something.”

“Yeah, okay,” Piper said.

"Bye Piper. Phoebe say bye to Piper."

Phoebe remained silent. She just looked at her sister. Prue was starting to lose hope. She buckled Phoebe in and they drove down town to the office. She waited in the waiting room only for a few minutes before they were called in.

"Hello, Prudence," the woman said with a smile.

"Hi, how are you?"

"Good and you?"

"Alright."

"So what seems to be the problem, Phoebe?" Dr. Kane asked Phoebe after she set her on the examining table.

Phoebe didn’t respond. Dr. Kane was a little taken a back. Phoebe was the most active of the Halliwells.

"Phoebe?" No response. "Prue?"

"She won’t talk."

"Does she have any physical injuries?"

"No. I mean she cries at night after a nightmare but she won’t talk to us. Not a word."

"What do you think is causing it?" Dr. Kane asked.

Prue looked at her. She was sure she had sent a card to the doctors’ office. They had to know. Prue took a deep breath.

"My parents dies three days ago." It had been the first time she had had to tell anyone.

"Oh, Prue." Dr. Kane’s heart went out to the girls. "Do you have an insurance policy"

"Shit, no, We are . . . were on my parents’."

"Are you still going to NYU?" her voice was gentle.

"No, I can’t Not only do I not know if we can afford it, but I can’t leave them here."

She took a deep breath.

"Do you have job?" she asked gently.

"No, but I need one part-time. I was going to look tomorrow."

"How would you like to work here?” Dr. Kale asked. “We have an opening as a secretary."

The doctor’s office was a small family practice with no more than four other doctors. Dr. Kale had started it by herself. Prue looked at her in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she said with a smile. "Hours will probably be every day but Sunday in the morning. We have another secretary who will take the afternoons. I can put you on the insurance. It can cover all of you girls and . .. "

Prue ran over and envelope Dr. Kale in a hug. She was almost in tears.

"You have no idea how much you’ve helped us," Prue said just above a whisper.

Prue pulled back and wiped her tears.

"When do you want me to start?"

"How about next Monday?" Prue nodded. "So about Phoebe."

"There seems to be nothing wrong with her physically, It is all in her head. She’ll come around. Go about your daily lives. Don’t act differently."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~::~~~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Piper sat quietly in the waiting room filed with chaos and confusion. Finally, a female doctor notice her and came over to her.

"Honey, are you okay? Are you waiting for someone?" she asked.

"Actually, I just wanted to ask someone a few questions," she said quietly. "I’m Piper Halliwell. My father was brought here last night."

The woman knew immediately who the man was. He had been the talk of the ER for the last few days. She gave her head a nod and sat down.


:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~::~~~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Paige walked from her second "We’ll call you" interview. As she did she passed by and office titled Belland and Sons. She bit her lip and took a risk. Why not? she thought. As she opened the door and a little bell rang. She asked the secretary if she could go in and say hi.

She knocked lightly on the door. A faint Ôcome-in’ was heard.

"Hey Glenn."

"Paige," he hugged her tightly.

He was dressed in a suit. Glenn used to hate suits.

"So you’re a financial officer."

"What can I say, it makes my father proud. He motioned for her to take a seat. " I thought you were in Europe studying art."

“ I was,” Paige said as she played with her hands. “ I came home to get ready for my internship back in Paris. I can’t go though. . . . My parents died."

"Oh, god, Paige," Glenn said sympathetically. "I"

"I have to raise my sisters.:

“We have responsibilities,” Glenn said seriously.

Paige always wondered what would have happened if she and him were still as free spirited as the were when they were younger. They wanted to see the world. They had promised they were. Paige was the only one that kept the promise. She had only been to Europe though.

“ I know. . . .sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I was an only child.”
Glenn laughed

“ I can’t imagine. Your sisters have been around too long”

Another silence feel on them.

“Glenn, I was wondering if you could give me some financial advice.”

“Paige, I’ve always given you advice for free.”

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~::~~~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~


Piper walked through the manor door. She was still quite shell shocked about what the nurse just told her. Just as she shut the door behind her she saw Paige and Prue standing in front of her. Their faces were furious.

“Where the hell were you, Piper?” Paige asked angrily.

“Paige,” Prue said trying to calm her sister. “Piper, where were you?”

“No where,” Piper said as she walked toward the stairs.

“Excuse me?” Prue asked.

“No where.”

“Piper, get down here,” Paige said sternly. “You’re twelve years old. You can’t go wandering around by yourself. Don’t lie to us.”

“Look who’s talking, You told me they didn’t feel any pain. They didn’t quickly. Mom was pinned in the car for hours. She was awake for it too . . . and Daddy . . .” Piper shot back as she stomped up the stairs.

Prue put her hand over her mouth. She didn’t know about her mother.

“Shit, the newspaper,” Prue mumbled.

“What?” Paige asked irritated.

“She probably wen to the hospital . .. after she read the newspaper.”

“ I thought you were going to take care of that, Prue!” Paige yelled at her sister.

Prue didn’t say anything but sit on the bottom step and put her head in her hands. Paige stomped over the phone and called the hospital. One of the doctors had talked to Piper and withheld information about their mother. Angrily, Paige had her put on the phone.

“How could you?” she yelled. “What right did you have?”

“What right did you have keeping it from her?”

“That’s none of your damn business.” Paige’s voice lowered. “Why didn’t you tell me about my mother?”

“The same reason you didn’t tell your sister about your father,” the woman said gently.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~::~~~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Piper stomped into her room to find Phoebe laying on her bed facing the wall. her body was shaking with little sobs. Piper didn’t like her sister when she was first born. She had been the baby for eight years before Phoebe. Phoebe was the baby now. She hated having to take of her sometimes. Piper knew it was her duty as a big sister, but at that moment she didn’t want to know why Phoebe was crying. She wanted to instead crawl into her bed and cry and have a big sister comfort her.

However, piper couldn’t walk away from Phoebe. She never could. She crawled next to Phoebe. She wiped her tears and laid down next to her.

“You’re okay. It’s okay,” Piper soothed even though she knew it wasn’t okay. finally, Phoebe stopped crying. “Phoebe we need to try to stick together as a family. You need to stop this.”

Phoebe looked up at her sister.

“I don’t know, but they might split us up if you don’t start talking.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know where they are.”

Piper hugged her little sister. Tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

“I don’t either.”


Prue sat on the bottom of the stair steps. Paige had just hung up the phone. She came over to Prue and sat next to her.

“What did they say?” Prue asked quietly.

Piper took her sister into her arms and placed a kiss on her head.

“Nothing,” Paige said quietly. “Everything alright.”

Silence feel upon them.

“I got a job,” Prue finally said as she broke the silence.

Paige looked down at her younger sister.

“What?” Paige asked surprised. She was the eldest. She was supposed to be taking care of the family not Prue. “Why?”

“Because I need one,” Prue said as she sat up avoiding her older sister’s eyes. “I’m not going to NYU.”

“Prue,” Paige said gently realizing what her younger sister was doing. “You can’t do that.”

“Paige, I can’t leave,” Prue said getting angry.

“Yes, you can,” Paige said. “ Prue, you think you need to take care of this family. You don’t.”

Prue looked at her sister. Paige was taking her place, reassuring her. A part of her, felt comforted by it. She felt as if she was eight again and Paige was taking care of her. However, that feeling was too far under her pride. She shook her head.

“No, Paige I do,” Prue said.

“Prue, you’re barely old enough to buy cigarettes. Not you’re smoking because if you did . . .”

“I know.”

A silence feel upon them. Where do they go from here? As if saved by the bell, the door bell rang. Paige answered it up.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Paige, is Prue here?”

Paige gave a little smirk. She had watched the friendship between her sister and Andy go from hair tugging to flirting punching to teenage making out and finally into a promising couple. She handed the phone to Prue.

“Hey, baby,” Prue said as Paige climbed the stairs.

Prue kissed her boyfriend. She stared up at him. Her eyes were saddened. But it was more than her parents’ deaths and Andy knew it.

“What is it?”

“Other than my parents dead,” Prue said with an intend of sarcasim but none came out.

Andy stroked her hair.

“No, I meant . . . you.”

“Nothing, I’m cool.” Prue leaned herself against Andy’s chest. “I’m just glad you’re here.”


The next morning, Paige opened the door to see Piper’s arms were draped over Phoebe’s little body. She grabbed Prue’s camera off of the hall table and snapped a picture. The two sleeping figures stirred and opened their eyes to see Paige looming over her. Phoebe began to tremble. Paige reached out for her but she pulled away.

Paige shifted uncomfortably. For a moment silence fell on the room. Phoebe stood up and walked out of the room Paige bit her lip as Phoebe left. She was being rejected by a four year old. She looked a Piper and gave a weak smile. Suddenly, Piper tears started rolling down her face. Paige said down next to Piper and pulled her to her.

“Piper,” Paige said soothingly.

With the sound of Paige’s voice Piper’s tears grew into sobs.

“They’re not coming back,” Piper managed to get out between sobs.

Paige rubbed her sister’s back and rocked her back and forth.

“Shhhhh, it’s going to be okay,” Paige said quietly.

“No, it’s not,” Piper said as she looked up at her big sister.

“You don’t know anything about raising us. We’re going to turn in to convicts.”

Paige didn’t know if she should laugh or feel insulted.

“Piper, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I didn’t say anything bad will happen,” Piper said as she sobs subsided. “I just think the people who we were going to be if Mom and Dad were alive are going to be so different from who the people we’re going to grow up to be now that they’re dead.”

She’s twelve, Paige told herself. Just twelve.

“I know, honey,” Paige said as she looked down at her sister. “ I---’’

“Oh, MY GOD!” Prue’s voice screamed from down stairs.

Paige took Piper’s hand and they flew down the stairs. They found Phoebe standing at the foot of the stairs and Andy and Prue partially naked on the couch.

“Shit,” Prue said to herself as she saw Paige come down the stairs.

“Damn it,” Paige said as she saw her sister.

TBC??

Part 7

Paige immediately grabbed Phoebe and covered her eyes. She turned Piper around and told the two of them to go into the kitchen. Piper looked up and Paige before she led Phoebe away.

“Prue’s legal now. Technically she can have sex,” Piper said to her now even more shocked sister.

“Piper!” both Prue and Paige scolded.

When Piper and Phoebe were out of the room, Paige looked furiously as her sister.

“What are you doing?”

“Listen, Paige, we’re sorry,” Andy began.

“Andrew, shut up. I wasn’t talking to you,” Paige said. “Prue, I know you have sex. Okay? WE talk about it. In the house is bad enough, but not even behind closed doors! Prue!”

“Paige,” Prue said hushed. “I’m sorry. Keep your voice down. They’re in the other room.”

“ This isn’t like you why are you being so reckless?”

“Me reckless?” Prue asked fiercely.

Paige and Prue both stopped themselves. They held back. They didn’t want to start another fight. Fights were becoming more regular between the two.

“You know what? Phoebe needs to go to daycare. I’m late for graduation rehearsal.” Prue said.

Paige then realized something. She approached Prue and took her hand in hers.

“It’ll still be a good day, honey.”

“No, it won’t. Not without them there,” Prue said quietly. Paige wiped Prue’s tears. Finally, Prue spoke. “Do you think Phoebe should really go to daycare?”

“We’re supposed to go about our regular lives.”

“Fine,” Prue said. “Phoebe? Come on sweetie.”

Piper came in with Phoebe on her hip. She handed phoebe to Prue.

“Bye, honey,” Prue said as she kissed Piper on the cheek. “Have a good day. You don’t have to go to school if you don’t want to.”

Paige sent a flashed a glare at Prue. Didn’t Prue just hear what she just said. Normal lives. However, Paige knew now she couldn’t tell Piper she had to go to school. It had to look as if she and Prue were a good team. Paige gave a smile to a questioning Piper was also surprised that she didn’t have to go to school.

Prue gave a smile and walked with Phoebe out the door. Andy had his hands in his pockets looking awkward. Piper and Paige looked at him; both of them wearing the same look, an arched eye brow and a cocked smile.

“Maybe you should go to graduation rehearsal, Andy,” Piper said obviously.

“Right,” And said as he found his jacket.

As he neared the door, Piper called out after him.

“Your fly is unzipped.”

“Thanks, Piper.”

Sheepishly Andy left. Paige stared down at Piper.

“I think you and I need to have a talk.”

“About what?”

“About how the hell you know so much about sex,” Paige said.

“I grew up with you two and Mom and Daddy had Phoebe only four years ago.”

Paige rolled her eyes as she lead Piper in to the kitchen.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

“Shit,” Prue mumbled to herself as she stopped at another red light.

She was so late. Phoebe sat silently in her seat. Finally, the light changed. Prue was nearing another. It turned red. She took a deep breath. She couldn’t stop for this one. She took a brief glance as she ran through it. The last thing she heard was Phoebe’s voice. Perhaps that was what distracted her. But was it Phoebe’s voice or something else.

“Truck,,” Phoebe said.

part 8

Paige looked at Piper. She arched her eyebrow.

“The bus,” Paige siad questioningly. “You learned about sex on the bus.”

“Yeah, there were these high schoolers in the back when I was in third grade and---’’

Piper began picking up the kitchen.

“That’s it. No more bus. You’re not riding the bus, Phoebe is certainly not riding the bus---Grab me that empty juice box, will ya?No bus.”

“Paige, it could be worse.”

Paige’s eye bulged. She whipped around from the sink.

“Worse?”

“Ya, they could smoking weed from a bong,” Piper siad matter-of-factly as if she was describing the weather.

“You know what a bong is?”

“Hello?”

“Hello, it a . . . Paige Matthews there?”

“Hold on, may I ask who is calling?”

“Yes, this is George from San Francisco Memorial.”

Piper’s face fell. It had been a day since they had buried her parents. What happened now? Paige noticed her sister’s silence. She looked over her shoulder. Piper’s face had fallen.

“Piper?”

“It’s . . .It’s for you.”

Paige took the phone.

“Hello?”

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Prue sat with her head in her hands. She now understood how fast things could go wrong. The truck had swerve out of the way. If it hadn’t instead of a few cuts and bruises, it would have slammed into Phoebe’s side. She would have been dead. Suddenly a rithmic clicking pulled Prue out of her thoughts. They were heals. Paige’s heals. She was afraid to look up and see her. She didn’t want to.

She knew Paige was going to kill her. She was going yell and scream. There was going to be tears. Prue prepared herself for the worst.

“You okay, sweetie?” Paige asked surprisingly gently.

Prue looked at her sister for a moment. She didn’t respond. Her sister was supposed to be mad. Finally Prue regained herself.

“I’m fine . . .I just . . I have to get some stitches.”

“Good,” Paige said. “About the okay part not the stitches.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Piper said as she gripped onto Prue’s free arm.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re glad. Are you okay?” Prue asked gently.

“I’m good.”

“Where’s Phoebe?”

“They’re . . . um . . .double checking her arm . . . to make sure it’s not broken.” Prue’s voice was ashamed and quiet.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” said the desk nurse who suddenly appeared in the doorway. “I need you to fill out some papers.”

Paige nodded. She gave Prue one last look before she headed out. Prue couldn’t ready it very well. Was it worry? . . or was it fear?
:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

“Why are waiting rooms so uncomfortable?” Piper asked. “I mean think about it. It’s bad enough that you’re in a hospital but . . .to wait uncomfortably, ick.”

Paige gave a weak smile. Piper knew she was worried.


Paige looked at Piper.

“You wanna know something?” Paige said as she wrapped her arm around Piper. “I’m kinda jealous you and Prue. I mean I’ve gone for a long time. And you a bond. Prue’s such a good sister. She’s a good maternal figure. . . . .Sometimes I think I wasn’t supposed to be the oldest.”

“You’re just saying that because you have to be the oldest now,” Piper said as a matter-of-factly voice. “ Prue’s just Prue. She’s not perfect. She’s just Prue. And you’re just you. You’re a good big sister. Trust me. You’re the one big sistering me”

Paige felt comforted by her sister’s words, but at the same time was somewhat shocked considering she was twelve and had barely reached puberty. Wisdom is in the eyes, not the age, their mother had always said. Piper spoke up again, before Paige could get her Big-sister speech.

“I used to be jealous of you and Prue. You guys had this thing. You knew everything abut each other. You would hours on the phone with her and only like ten minutes with everyone else. You knew everything. Now you always fight. There’s something different about you guys. Why?”

“I don’t know. Mom and Dad’s death has changed us I guess,” Paige said.

To be honest, Paige didn’t know either.

“Halliwell?”

Paige looked up to see Phoebe being held in a nurses arms and Prue at her side. Paige enveloped Phoebe in a hug. Phoebe still didn’t respond.

“The doctor would like to speak with you for a moment, Ms. Halliwell.”

Paige nodded and gave Phoebe to Prue and followed the nurse down the hall to the doctor.

“Hello, I’m Dr. St. James. I have looked over your history and your parents died a few days ago, right?”

“Yes,” Paige shifted uncomfortably.

“ I have a child pschologist that I strongly recommend for Phoebe. I think that it is very important for you to take Phoebe to her.”

“I can’t afford that right now,” Paige said sheepishly. “ I know she needs to though. I will send her to one as soon as I can find a job.”

“Really,” the doctor gave a grin. His wife needed a assistant in her gallery badly. “What do you do, Miss . . .”

“Call me Paige.”

“Paige.”

“I studied art for the last year in Italy, but I will take any job I can find and I’’

“That’s perfect,” the doctor exclaimed.

“Excuse me,” Paige couldn’t believe a job was falling in her lap so conveinently.

“My wife had an art gallery in the city and she needs an assistant and she hasn’t been able to find a single person and . . .Okay yeah I know it’s a little weird, but could you think about it,” he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a card. “Here’s her card. Stop by for an interview.”

“Okay . . .” Paige said still hesitant. “Do you always do this to your patients’ families?”

“No, . . .,” he said sheepishly ashe became aware of how unprofessional he must look. “The paint on your pants tipped me off. I’m sorry . . . physically your sisters are in very good condition. They’re lucky. The policeman is interviewed Prue about an half hour ago. I just need you to come back in a few weeks and we’ll take out those stitches for Prue.”

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Paige finally returned to the waiting room.

“Let’s go.”

“What did he say?” Piper asked as they walked down the hall.

“I think I might have a job . . .”

“This has been a really weird couple days,” Piper replied

Part 9

The house was silent. The table was silent. The girls pushed their food around their plates. Piper looked at her sisters. she may have been grieving. She may have been mourning. However, Piper was smart. She was twelve, but she was smart. She knew when to take advantage of a situation.

“Do I have to go to school tomorrow?” Piper asked.

“Yes,” Paige replied.

“No,” Prue replied.

Both of her sisters answered both at the same time after which they both glared at each other of the other’s response. Paige was the first to speak after glaring her younger sister down.

“I’ll let you know, but plan on it kiddo, “ Paige said as she took a bit of her rice.

“Paige,” Piper said after a few minutes.

““Yeah?”

“Phoebe’s asleep on the table.” Her voice was monotone as if she was asking for the butter.

Paige and Prue both looked up to Phoebe’s head rest beside her plate. Piper saw her sisters needed to talk. Just as both of them stood from their seat Piper interveined.

“I’ll put her to bed,” Piper said as she gathered Phoebe in her arms.

Paige placed a kiss on Piper’s forehead before she headed upstairs. Piper saw that her sister was different. The Paige she saw wasn’t the same Paige who jumped up in down with a fit of giggles like a little girl with Prue. Something was different, it was just no one could explain it.

Prue and Paige settled back down in their chairs. A defining silence feel upon the room.

“Um . . . I start my job tomorrow,” Paige said finally.

“That’s great,” Prue replied trying her best to show her support for her sister.

“He thinks we should put Phoebe in theropy,” Paige said more suggesting it to her sister than anything else.

This immediately got Prue’s attenion. She looked at her sister and shook her head.

“No way,” Prue said sternly as she picked up Phoebe’s plate and headed to the kitchen.

Paige grabbed Piper’s things and followed after Prue somewhat surprised by her sister’s reaction.

“Why not?” Paige asked trying not to get defensive.

“Because . . . Paige, I don’t need an excuse she’s not going !”

Prue stomped back into the dinning room and continued to pick up cups.

“What is your problem?” Paige asked as she followed after her sister with the unemptied serving bowl. “Don’t you want Phoebe to get better? This---’’

Prue slammed down the dishes in her hand and turned to look at her sister.

“Phoebe can get better here with people who care about her and love her!” Prue yelled. Her voice echoed through the Manor.


/////////////////

Piper closed the door behind her and headed back downstairs. Her footsteps stopped when she heard yelling. She sat at the top of the stairs and perked her ears up.

/////////////////

“This might help her, Prue!” Paige yelled as she filled the sink with hot water and headed back into the dinning room to clean up the crumbs. Prue followed to stack the place mats. “Why are you fighting this?”

“She’s not going to some therapist because I remember how they ripped you apart. They aren’t ripping Phoebe apart!” Prue’s voice was defining and fury-filled.

Paige stopped and looked at her sister. Piper was confused. Paige, her fun-loving until recently free-spirited older sister, was in therapy? Paige went to her sister gently.

“Prue, he didn’t rip you apart. He helped me.”

“Paige, he didn’t help you,” Prue said looked at her sister. “He just forced you to say it out loud. How does it help? You don’t even talk about it now.”

“Why would I Prue. It was years ago. Plus it’s not a conversation starter,” paige said still trying to be gentle.

“It was five years ago. You were raped, Paige. The therapy didn’t help you. It didn’t Ôheal your wounds’ you just said it out loud,” Prue voice had changed.

Their roles were back where they used to be. Prue was the young sibling and Paige was the older.

“But saying it out loud, Prue, helped me talk to Mom,” Paige said remembering. “ And talking to Mom helped me heal. It helped me move on. That’s all I want for Phoebe.”

“She’s four, Paige,” Prue returned to being a grown up. “She’s not going.”

Paige had had it. She had reached her sister in most ways she knew how, but now she had to break out.

“I’m the guardian, Prue, not you. I’m the one who tells Paige whether or not to go to school. If I think Phoebe can be helped, she going,” Paige’s voice was stern.

Prue shook her head and looked at her sister. She stepped closer and looked straight into her eyes.

“Keep telling yourself that you’re the authority figure,” Prue said shaking her head. “ I have a speech to write.”

Prue ran up the stairs. She wasn’t going to break until she reached the top. Her world had crashed. However, as she reached the top of the stairs there was Piper. Piper’s face had gone pale. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She knitted her eye brows together and looked up at Prue.

“Paige was raped?” Piper asked.

The innocence in Piper’s voice broke Prue’s heart. She sat next to Piper and pulled her toward her chest.

“Yeah, five years ago. She was sixteen.”

“I don’t remember,” piper said as she snuffled.

“Honey, you were seven. years old,” Prue said gently.

Piper felt so defeated; she felt so alone. TO be honest, everyone did. Paige, Prue, and Piper. People around her were keeping so much from her. Did they think she couldn’t handle it? She could. She understood.

“Don’t, Prue,” Piper said as she stood up. “Don’t try to make things up to make it better. Just telll me the truth from now on. Don’t make it easier to handle. I’ve lost too much; I can handle the bad stuff.”

With that Piper walked into her room, only to remember Phoebe was sleeping. Piper wouldn’t turn around though. She would rather be with a sleeping sister than an awake sister.




The Next afternoon

“ . . . and I can tell you that this class is beyond a doubt one of the most rambuncious, intelliegent, smart-ass group of kids and we’re glad to have had them.”

The audience of over three thousand applauded. The speaker smiled at sat down. Another woman stepped up to the podeum.

“Now, we I first met this girl she was she was the social ellite of this class. She has served as class president, head of the cheerleading squad, she has been on high honors for the last four years. Please welcome this year’s valley victorian, Prudence Halliwell.”

Applause range out in the stadium as Prue came to the microphone. She looked out into the audience. She stared for a moment at her notes. Finally, after a defining pause she began.

Paige sat bracing herself in the audience. She was nervous for her sister. Prue was a wonderful public speaker, but nevertheless Prue was scared about this speech. Finally, Paige let out a breath when Prue began to speak.

“ I have two speeches prepared. I wrote one about a week ago . . . the other I wrote last night. I honestly don’t think I don’t think I’m going to read either one of them. For those who know me, they know I’m a perfectionist. I need to have everything perfect. I’ve worked so hard to get to this day. Graduation. It’s a big step. I never thought about what would happen if . . . . .

“ We try to plan in advance. We try to make thing the way we want. I realize now that we only really have choice from day to day. We need to live day to day, because you never know when that phone is going to ring and change forever.

“I thought I was in some sort of way invinisible until now. Obviously, I’m not. As to you all, my fellow classmates, the advice that I can give you is so simple. Don’t let go of what you have. We’ll want to escape and go away, but life is short don’t forget who you’re leaving behind.

“As for the future, think about, but don’t dwell on it. We plan with the deal that we’re dealt, but we never know what new cards are going to be added. Hold on for what you have . . . I know how fast it can be taken away and let me tell you, nothing can prepare you for it. Think about your lives and really see how much you truly cheerish. Grow up but never let go of what you have now. . . .Thank you.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Everyone knew the Halliwells and especially the new tragedy that had just occurred. No one knew what to say. Finally, there was a small clapping in the middle. Prue followed to see who it was. It was Phoebe. Prue let out a little sob not because the audience seemed to rise and clap, but because now she knew her sister heard her.

“Ladies and Gentlemen your graduates!”
part 10

Two weeks later

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” she said to herself under her breath.

Paige unbuckled Phoebe from her car seat, took her hand and led her toward the building. Prue turned in her seat.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in?” Prue asked her sister with comforting eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure, Prue,” Piper said quietly.

“I’m locking the doors behind me. Don’t get out of this car,” Prue said sternly.

Prue opened her door and with a breath of dread, she followed her sisters. Piper sat in the car. She stared out the window. She didn’t want to go in. It wasn’t that she was scared. She just didn’t. She had lied to her sisters. Phoebe did talk . . .but just to her.

Lately Paige and Prue’s tolorance of each other had grown then. If either one of them thought about it. They didn’t understand how their relationship had crumbled so fast.

Prue opened the door and saw Phoebe standing quietly beside Paige. Paige was talking to the woman at the window and Phoebe’s head was still about six inches away from the counter. She turned and saw Prue. Prue could see something different in Phoebe’s eyes. It was as if she was sorry.

Prue gathered Phoebe up in her arms. To her surprise, Phoebe responded. She held on tightly. Prue rubbed her back and took a seat in the waiting room as Paige continued to talk to the woman at the desk.

“It’s okay, honey,” Prue said softly as she rocked her sister in her arms.

Paige looked over to see Prue rocking Phoebe. She wanted to be rocking Phoebe. She didn’t want to fill out these papers. The woman handed her a clipboard full of forms and Paige headed towards her sisters. Prue looked at her sister.

“Here, let me fill those out,” Prue said.

Paige knew her sister didn’t know how to apologize and this was a truce offering. She gave a weak smile and handed the papers to Prue as Phoebe was handed to her. Phoebe latched onto her. Paige hated to admit it and she wouldn’t admit it, out load. She knew this wasn’t the best thing for Phoebe. What Phoebe needed was their mother, however everyone knew that that couldn’t happen.

“Halliwell?” A voice rang out into the waiting room.

Paige and Prue looked up and woman signaled for Phoebe. Paige gave a glance at Prue. Prue gave a little nod indicated for them to go ahead and she would finish the forms. Paige didn’t want to say it but she needed Prue to be with her. She would have never held that back before. With Phoebe’s arms and legs wrapped around her, Paige neared the office.

“I don’t want to go,” a little voice whispered into her ear.

Paige stopped. She didn’t pulled her sister away to look at her. She was too shocked. She felt Phoebe shaking in her arms.

“Please,” Phoebe’s little voice trembled.

Paige turned and looked back at Prue who sat in the chair stil filling out forms. Paige looked apologetically at the shrink.

“ I don’t think this is going to work out,” Paige said. “I’m sorry we wasted your time.”

The woman looked at her, gave a smile and nodded.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said.

“Thank you, Paige,” Phoebe snuffled.




Prue opened the door of the car. Piper knitted her eyebrows as she saw her sister sit next to her. Paige and Phoebe were nowhere in sight.

“You knew didn’t you?” Prue asked slightly irritated.

“Knew what?” Piper asked.

“You knew that she would talk today right when she got in there.”

Piper looked up at her sister.

“Of course she would,” Piper said as-a-matter-of-factly. “I told her to.”

“You what?”

“She talks to me. She’s four. Prue, you and Pagie both knew that Phoebe wasn’t talking because of some psychological damage. She just didn’t want to talk. She was scared and frankly didn’t have much to say.”

Prue was surprised.

“What did you tell her?”

“That she was going to talk to a stranger and that it would cost more than any Barbie dream house in the world.”

Prue laughed. Silence feel on them again. A month ago they were just sisters. They were stil sisters but so much had changed in their relationship.

“How ya doin’?” Prue asked.

Piper shrugged.

“I don’t know. Most of the time I forget. It’s like they’re away or something, but they’re not. Doesn’t that scare you?”

Prue looked down at her sister.

“Yeah, it does.” Prue was going to say something but didn’t.

“You can talk to me, Prue. It’s not like I won’t understand where you’re coming from.” Piper’s words seemed to echo throughout the car.

“What scares me the most is knowing that someone could have done it better. . . .raising you and Phoebe I mean. I’m are just next in line.”

Piper looked up at her sister.

“Prue, you’re not supposed to raise us. Paige is. She’s oldest. Plus you have school.”

Prue looked down at her sister. She had to tell Piper sooner or later.

“I know, but I’m not going to school.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t.”

“No, it’s only because you think you can’t.”

“Piper-’’

“No. You’re just giving up because it’s easy.”

“No I’m not,” Prue tried to keep her voice calm.

“Yes, you are.”

“Paige can’t take care of you by herself.”

“She took care of you,” Piper’s words made Prue stop. Paige had. “Why don’t you think she can take care of us?”

“because she can’t, Piper, It’s different with guys than it was with me,” Prue said sternly.

“How?” Piper questioned.

“Because I’m supposed to take care of you! Not her! She doesn’t know how!”

Piper gave a small smirk.

“So that’s why you’re staying. You’re not staying because there you don’t think she can’t do it. You’re staying because you think she adandoned you.”

Prue looked at her sister in shock.

“That’s not true.”

“Bull shit,” Piper said.

“Piper!”

“That’s bull, Prue you know I’m right.”


“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Prue asked as she gathered her stuff around her room.

“ Prue, they’re my sisters. I do have some idea of what to do to watch them for a freakin’ afternoon.”

“But I mean’’

Paige put her hands on her sister’s shoulders.

“Go to this interview,” she said sternly with a smile as if things were what they used to be. “What changed your mind anyway?”

“I’m not changing my mind I’m just seeing if I can get into this part-time photography program’’ Prue began as she searched for her keys.

“ At Berkeley.”

“Yeah, at Berkeley.” Paige followed Prue toward the door. “ Don’t forget, Piper has a Ð’’

“ Cooking class at 2pm and Phoebe has a playdate with Tucker down the street. I know Prue I have sisters of my own ya know? I’m picking Piper up and you’re picking up Phoebe. I got it really.”

Prue smiled. Maybe Piper was right, Paige could handle this. She’s twelve, Prue reminded her self with a shake of her head as she ran to the car. She’s just twelve.

Paige rolled her eyes. She was eldest. Prue was acting crazy. Ever since their parents died it was as if Prue was the head of the family. Paige climbed the stairs to her sisters’ room. Piper lay on her bed reading and Phoebe was building a fort in the closet. Things hadn’t changed much. Phoebe still didn’t like to talk a lot. However, she did talk. however, she talked more to Paige than to Prue. Paige couldn’t help but be proud. She knew her sister envied that.

“Hey, you guys was to do something?” Paige asked.

Piper glanced over at Phoebe. She pulled her ear.

“ No?” Paige said after she saw Phoebe’s sign for no. “ Why?”

“Phoebe tell Paige what you want,” Piper said as she sat up on her bunk.

Phoebe walked to Paige.

“Can we get a turtle?”

“ A turtle?”

“ Yeah, a turtle,” Phoebe said seriously.

“Do you think you can take care of it?” Paige asked looking at her sister trying to supress her grin toward a very serious four-year old. Phoebe nodded.

“ She thinks she can clean it and . . . feed it . . . and . . .um . . .well . .. all the other turtle parent stuff,” Piper cut in.

Paige looked at her sister. She began picking up some dirty clothes on the floor.

“Honey, not a turtle. You’re too little. Turtles can carry diseases,” Paige said as she bent to look in to her sister’s eyes.

“ I promise I won’t get sick,” Phoebe begged.

Piage paused. She thought about saying yes, but Phoebe’s ability to take care of a pet was slim.

“No, Phoebe,” Paige said sligtly stern. “ No turtle. What about a fish?”

“Fish, carry germs to,” Piper retorted making it obviously she had put the idea into her sister’s head. Why can’t they be normal and want a cat or a dog? “Plus, not all turtles have diseases. Most are very kid friendly.”

“Well, they bite,” Paige said.

“Not all of them. Plus they’re like children they only bite people they don’t like,” Piper siad.

“And where did you learn all of this?” Paige asked.

“ the Library.”

“Well, then. . .” Paige retorted. “No turtle.”

Paige turned toward the closet and started picking up the dirty clothes. Phoebe looked up at Piper gave an edging nod.

“Paige?”

“What Phoebe?”

“Can we get a lizard?”

“No, lizards.”

There was another moment of silence.

“Paige?”

“What Phoebe?” Paige asked her back still facing Phoebe.

“Can we get a frog?”

“No,” Paige turned around to face the girls. “What is with the amphibians?”

“It’s the first group in the animal book. Mammals don’t come until later anyway,” Piper said with a grumble realizing she wasn’t getting a pet.

“You want to go see a movie or something?”

Phoebe’s eyes perked up. Paige gave a small grin. She still had it.




After the movie, Paige pulled up to the curb and let Piper out. Paige rolled down the window as piper got out.

“Make sure you thank Katie’s mom for having you I’ll come pick you up at her house around 7 o’clock.”

“Fine,” Piper said.

Paige watched as her sister went into the building. She loved her sister but she was such a smartass. Paige put the car into gear and looked in her rear view mirror back at Phoebe. She gave a smile as she saw her eyelids get heavy and her head bob in and out of sleep.

She pulled up in front of Kellner Street. Grabbing Phoebe’s back with all of the pack up clothes, blanket and other four year stuff she swung it over her shoulder as she got Phoebe out of the car. Taking Phoebe’s hand, Paige led her up the steps.

“ Paige!” greeted a warm hearted woman. She looked down at Phoebe. “Hello baby, Gavin and Tucker are in the playroom. You can go up if you want.”

Phoebe looked up at Paige before she went inside. Paige knelt down in front of her.

“You have fun okay?” Phoebe gave a little smile. “ Prue will pick you up at 4 okay?”

Phoebe nodded and heading up the stairs. Paige came into the foyer. She gave an awkward smile at Tucker’s mother, Jackie. Jackie and her mother had been good friends. Paige never really met her.

“Don’t be offended if Phoebe doesn’t respond. She talks just . . .not all the time.”

“ I know, honey,” Jackie said with a smile. “ She was a little like that with her mom. Your mother called it ÔPhoebes’ thinking days.’ Don’t worry.”

“ She’s a little tired too, so’’ Paige started.

“Paige, sweetheart, I’ve watched all of you Halliwell’s. I can handle this one.” Paige backed off. “ It’s that her back-up bag?”

“Yes, it has extra clothes, a snack, and’’

“A blanket, and stuffed animal. I know, Paige. Your mother had one with you. Go, get out of here.”

“I’ll be in on the road I’m picking up something for a new exhibit. So there will be no one to call. Prue, will pick Phoebe up at about 6:30.”

“Goodbye, Paige,” Jackie said with a smile.

Paige gave a sheepish grin and walked out the door.



A few hours later

Paige dropped off the exhibit at the gallery. She had been stuck in traffic. She had been flipped off. She had gotten lost. She sped over to Katie’s house. As she pulled up, Piper came running out. She looked at her watch. She wasn’t late. She looked at Piper. Something was wrong.

Paige got out and met her sisters at the steps’ landing. Piper looked at Paige.

“Where’s Prue?”

“At home with Phoebe,” Paige said calmly as she walked her sister back up the steps.

“No, she’s not. She never picked Phoebe up. Jackie has been calling. She doesn’t mind taking care of Phoebe but she’s worried about Prue.”

“Prue’s not home?”

“That’s what I just said Paige.”



Part 12

Prue walked through the front door of the Manor. The clock struck 8 o’clock. She tiredly started for the stairs.

“Where the hell were you?” asked a calm voice from the parlor.

Prue jumped and turned to see Paige sitting on the couch her head in her hands,

“I went to Berkely I told you.”

“Damn it, Prue! I thought you were in a ditch!” Paige’s voice raised

“I’m fine, Paige. I’m sorry. Andy met me for dinner. I know I should have called. Are Phoebe and Pip upstairs?” Prue asked casually not realizing there was any real problem.

“We’re you supposed to be somewhere at, I don’t know, 6:30?”

Prue placed her hand over her mouth. Phoebe. She started for the stairs.

“Phoebe, seeing that you didn’t show up, decided to go looking for you. Prue! Do you realize what could have happened?” Paige yelled.

“ Paige! I’m sorry about forgetting her, but Jackie was watching her not me. It’s Jackie’s fault she tired to wander off!”

“No, it’s yours Prue! She was trying to find you!”

“Paige, this is ridiculous! It was a mistake.”

By now both of their tempers were raging. Though they didn’t realize it every word could be heard from the top of the stairs . . . where Piper was sitting.


Paige looked at her sister.

“I love them.”

Prue shook her head.

“No you don’t,” Prue said fiercely. “You think you love them. If you love them give them the childhood that they deserve. Let them be with me.”

“Prue you’re my sister and I love you. I fight you over this.”

“Paige, you lost Piper.”

“ I didn’t lose Piper.” Paige’s anger was starting to flare.

“Yes, you did. You know where she was. That’s losing.”

“Well, you know what? At least I didn’t almost kill Phoebe,” Paige said harshly.

Prue stepped back slightly. The family had never mentioned the incident when Phoebe’s life was almost lost. It had been years. Phoebe was a toddler and had been in Prue’s car with her. Prue ran a red light and because she was late for her own practice. Phoebe was in the hospital on life support for weeks. Prue had never been able to forgive herself. Her family never blamed her out loud but she knew the did underneath no matter how much they tried to dissuade her.

Paige saw her younger sisters eyes fill up with tears. She regretted her words immediately. She was about to apologize when Prue’s teary eyes looked up at her. fiercely.

“Stop hiding behind your insecurity, Paige! You’re just a young, pathetic twenty-something who hides behind her free spirited persona so people won’t see that the only people who can touch you without having you flinch are your sisters.”

Paige’s hand suddenly came up from her side and slapped Prue across the face. Prue recovered quickly.

“Way to go, Paige. Which one of my sisters are you going to hit next?”

“Our sisters.”

“Not anymore. I’ve had it. I’m fight you for them. I won’t raise them with you. I’ll raise them alone.”

Prue turned to walk away. Paige had had it. She had fought with Prue over everything. She wasn’t going to lose this battle though. She wasn’t going to lose her sisters.

“You know what, Prue?” Paige said sharply. “At least I love them, that’s much more than what you can do. You only want them because you feel it’s your duty. You don’t want them because they love them.”

Prue stomped back to her sister.

“Why do you think I’m fighting for them?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Paige yelled. “You’re nineteen years old. You don’t need to be tied down to them.”

“Well you’re not that much older.”

“I’m twenty-one.” Paige’s voice finally grew gentle. “Why do you want them so badly, Prue it’s not like you’ll never see them.”

“Because I know you can’t do it.”

“God, is this what this is about? You think I’m doing it wrong?”

“As a matter of fact you are?”

“Fine, I’ll see you in court.”

Piper got up quickly and practically ran to her room. She leaned against her door as it closed. Her sisters hated each other. She had to fix this. She would fix it.



As Piper slid to the floor, Prue came to the top of the stairs Did that really just happen? Prue looked at her little sisters’ room. Was this her life now? Prue shook her head. She wasn’t going back on her word. She walked into her room and closed the door behind her.

Paige sat with her head in her hands. What was she doing? This was Prue. This was her Prue. She was too young to remember Prue when their mother was pregnant. She doesn’t remember Prue’s baby years. However, she had this memory, like a dream in the back of her mind. She remembered her father carrying her down a long, big hallway. She came into a room win a big window. There was Prue. This was all she remembered.

Now it was nineteen years later. She knew it was wrong. She knew she had to back out and she knew that Prue knew that she herself had to back out. However, neither of them would. She grabbed her cell phone. A man at the other end picked up.

“Does your brother still do pro-bono work?”




The next day Prue sat writing a report. She noticed that the house was quiet. Paige was at work, but Prue knew she was really meeting with a lawyer. The girls were home. Prue pulled open the window’s curtain. Piper was sitting on the steps. She held Phoebe’s hand in hers. However, Prue noticed there was a suitcase sitting next to them.


Piper sat nervously. Was she doing the right thing? A dark van pulled up in fron to of the house. An older man got out. Immediately Piper got a chill. He haa his hands in his pockets.

“Hello, little girls. Can you run in and get Piper for me?” he asked.

“I’m Piper.”

“You’re Piper?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re so young.” The man shook his head. “Is this Phoebe?”

“Yes, you promised you’re going to treat her okay?” Piper asked desparately.

“Hey!” Prue ran down the steps. “What’s going on?”

Piper turned. Oh no, Prue.

“Hi can I help you?”

“I’m just picking up the kid.”

“Excuse me. No, you’re not.” Prue was confused.

“Yes, I am,” he said. “ I paid for her.”

“Oh you did, did you?” asked a new voice.

The three turned to see and older man about in his forties.

“Yeah, I did,” said the older man with irritation. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“Actually I do. Lt. Trudeau San Francisco PD.”

Lt. Trudeau cuffed him.

“ Hey! Hey! This isn’t fair!”

“Imagine how I feel, I was just stopping by for some apple pie. Now I won’t be able to have any.”

Prue watched as Andy’s father gave Piper a stern look. He winked a Prue and headed back to his police car. Prue turned to Piper. Shaking her head she picked Phoebe up and put her into her arms and grabbed Piper’s arm roughly.

“Phoebe, sweetie can you go to your room and turn the music on?”

Phoebe made her way up the stairs.

“Piper! What the hell?” Prue screamed after the music started. “Why were you selling Phoebe? What were you thinking?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Piper! Do you have any idea what could have happened?” Prue began to pace. “Piper, do you have any idea how close Phoebe was to . . . . .God! What were you thinking.”

“I was thinking she would be better off. I didn’t know, Prue. It’s just Phoebe needs a good home and she didn’t was to go to an orphanage. So I called people in the phone book.”

“Piper,” Prue said gently, “we’ll be okay.”

“No we won’t. You and Paige will split us up. Phoebe deserves a normal childhood. If we give her to a nice home now she won’t remember any of this.”

Prue’s heart broke.

“And what do you deserve.”

“I’m twelve. I’ve living a good life.”

Prue let out a laugh.

“Honey, you can’t sell your sister. Family doesn’t work like that. Things will get hard I’m not going to lie to you. But I will do my best to make sure you and Phoebe will have a normal childhood.”

“We’ll never be normal.”

“I know, but don’t give up on this family. Let’s stick together okay? Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, now, you do know you are in so much troble for selling Phoebe, right?”

“Yeah, how much? Maybe we can make a deal.”




“Piper what?” Paige asked as she poured coffee into her cup.

“She tried to sell Phoebe,” Prue said quietly. Paige shook her head and sat down across from her. “Maybe we should go about as if we aren’t fighting. I mean we’re still fighting for them right?”

Paige didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know about legally, but Prue, we have to figure something out. WE have to find some common ground. We have two little girls to raise. Honestly, I don’t to court, I know you don’t either. Help me out here. Let’s give them the childhood they deserve.”

Paige’s voice was soft.

\ “I miss you, Paige,” Prue said after a long moment of silence. “What’s happened to us?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. We’re fighting over something that shouldn’t be fought over. Piper’s selling Phoebe to some pervert. Phoebe has practically cut herself off from the world and you gave up your college scholarship.”

“What do we do?”

“I think we should first get on the same team,” Paige said quietly.

Paige parked her car and ran up the steps to the manor As she opened the front door, she was immediately ran into a small dog. the barking and Phoebe’s giggles an screams echoed through the Manor. Paige had had a fairly rough day. now there was a dog in her house.

Paige glanced down at Phoebe. her anger melted away when she saw Phoebe cuddle up with the puppy on the floor. Prue then came into view. Paige gave a cheeky smile.

"Can I talk to you in the kitchen please?"

Paige led the way to the kitchen. She and Prue had been fairly functional sense Piper had tried to sell Phoebe. Things were getting back to normal. She turned to look at her sister who stood innocently looking back at her as if she hadn’t done anything.

"You bought her a dog?" Paige said with a bit of a laugh.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" prue asked putting her hands on her hips as started to empty the dishwasher,

"You think now you can buy her happiness?" paige asked as she picked up the dirty dinner plates from the table.

"Hey, what do we have to lose? It’s makes her happy doesn’t it?" Prue asked

"Prue, Phoebe’s five," paige staid quietly. "She don’t even know when to feed herself."

"But when she does, she can feed herself," Prue said with a laugh.

Paige arched an eyebrow at her sister.

"Prue, we can’t let her be responsible for another life when she can’t even responsible for herself."

"it’s not like she’s raising this dog by herself."

"Are we talking about Phoebe or us?"

"Paige, why do this?"

Paige slammed the dishwasher door shut. She looked at her younger sister. She didn’t know what to say. She always knew what to say. Prue stared at her sister. in reality all she wanted to do was curl up in bed with her sister. She wanted to get lost in sleep. She didn’t want to deal with anything.

When Paige didn’t answer, Prue stormed out of the room. As she reached the top of the stairs she saw Piper’s room was open. Piper watched her wal by from her bed. With determination, Piper followed her sister to her room.

"What’s up?" Piper asked.

"honey, not right now, can you come back later? We got a puppy."

"I know. Okay, I’ll leave you alone, but can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, anything," Prue said gently.

"You and paige need to stop fighting. I don’t know what your problems are but you both need to get over whatever your problems are. You have set a good example for Phoebe."

In any situation, Prue would just nod, but tonight Prue was angry. She needed to yell. She held it in. Piper went on.

"We hear you fighting you know. Mom and Dad never fought."

"Yes, they did, Piper!" Prue ignored Piper’s shocked look and continued to yell.

"It was just me and Paige for a long time. Do you know why? Because Dad didn’t live with us! he walked out! No he was kicked out. Mom kicked him out! They fought. Paige and I are doing our best. Do you think we wanted this Piper? Do you think we wanted to raise you and Phoebe?"

Piper’s head had been hung throughout Prue’s entire rampage. At this comment, however, she looked up. Prue immediately regretted everyword when she saw piper’s tear stained face.

"Piper’’

"I know you and Paige don’t want to do this. Phoebe would be better in foster care. We’re sorry we’re such a burden."

Piper ran out of the room. Prue sat on her bed defeated.


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Piper sobbed on her pillow. She wanted her mother. She rolled over. From where she was lying she could see the desk in the hallway with all the family pictures. Suddenly she had an idea.

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The clock struck midnight. Phoeb had her arm wrapped around her new dog and Piper slept soundly on her bunk. The door creaked open. A figure went quietly to Piper’s bunk. The figure stroked piper’s hair slowly. Piper stirred awake.

"Hey."

"Hey," she whispered back.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean the things I said I was just angry."

"It’s okay," Piper said tiredly.

"You want to come sleep in my bed like you used to before . . ."

Piper smiled in the darkness. The sisters used to sleep together every night before their parents dies. Even when Paige was home They all used to cram into her bed every night.

"We should bring Phoebe. She gets scared when she’s by herself."

Prue smiled, but at the same time she saw things through Piper’s eyes. Piper used to hate Phoebe, now piper thought she had to care for her at all times. Piper thought Phoebe was her responsibility.

"Sure."

Piper curled up next to Prue. The night was quiet.

"Prue?"

"Yeah, Pip?"

"Do you ever miss how things used to be?"

Prue hesitated. finally she answered.

"Yeah, I do."

"With you and Paige?"

"With everything."

Somewhere between the comment and the next the conversation was no longer a little sister to a big sister. They were now equal. Prue felt as if she was talking to Paige. A new bond was now forming. Piper was no longer just a little sister. She was a sister.

"You miss Mom and Dad," Piper said quietly.

"Yeah, I do. I know we all do." Prue paused. "The thing that scares me most is the fact that I don’t think that I’ll be able to do this. I don’t think I can raise you right."

"Prue, I already grew up."

"You’re twelve."

"I know, but I understand things different now."

Prue took her role back as being the elder sister.

"Pip, promise me something. Just because Mom and Dad aren’t here, don’t mean you have to be grown up. You still have a lot of life live. Don’t think you have to do everything."

"Same goes for you."

Prue held Piper close and stroked Phoebe’s hair. They were safe with each other.

The doorbell echoed through the Manor. Phoebe ran to answer it with the puppy and then Paige on her tale. Paige reached the door as Phoebe opened it. There stood a woman in a suit. She was tall and beautiful . Phoebe cowered back just as Paige pulled her into her arms.

"Hello, I’m Miss Danikan your social worker."

Paige’s heart fell. Suddenly another car pulled up and an older woman ran up the steps.

"And you know me," she said breathlessly.

Phoebe’s face lit up.

"Grams!"

part 15


Grams looked at her girls. Phoebe was curled up in her arms . Phoebe knew Grams and she was the closet thing she had to her mother. Paige and Prue loved their grandmother, there was no doubt about that. However, their Grams hated their father. She had been in Europe when their parents died. She called but they hadn’t seen her.

Grams arriving with a social worker only meant one thing. Changes.

"Hi Grams," Prue said as she pulled her grandmother into a hug.

Paige also hugged her grandmother. She had a feeling why her grandmother was here but she didn’t know was she wanted. She didn’t know what her grandmother wanted. She knew one thing though about her grandmother. According to Grams, Grams was never wrong. no one coul do it better than Grams., especially when it came to her grandchildren.

"Can I get you two anything?" Paige asked politely as she led them into the living room.

The living room had jackets and backpacks piled around. Blankets lay unfolded. Prue and Paige immediately saw Grams’s disapproval.

"No, dear, we’re find."

"What brings you by?" prue finally asked.

"A check up actually. It’s been month since your parents’ death." Had it really been that long? "We need to see how Paige is handling the guardianship."

"I’m handling it fine. Prue is helping out. She and I both have jobs."

"Phoebe, sweetheart, wh ydon’t you and the dog go upstairs and find Piper?"

Phoebe nodded at her grandmother and ran up the stairs. Grams turned her attention to the girls.

"So that means neither one of you is in school." Both of the girls looked down. Their grandmother always made then feel ten years-old again.

"No, we aren’t. Paige actually had an internship in Europe. Anyway, we couldn’t do that and raise the girls."

"You didn’t think someone else in the family would raise the girls."

"There is no one else," Prue spit out. sh lowered her voice and corrected, "Except for you."

"Grams, what we’re trying to say is that raising the girls is hard, but we’re doing pretty well," paige said as she gave her sister s warning look.

"Oh, really Paige," Grams said with a sly smile. "I don’t you girls can raise these girls."

"What are you suggesting?" Paige asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"I here for your sisters’ benefit. we need to see if this is working. if it isn’t we need to find them other arrangements," Mrs. Danikan said gently.

"You mean with Grams?" Prue said.

"Perhaps." Mrs. Danikan replied. "Whatever is best for the girls. When piper called your grandmother-’’

"Piper what?" Paige aid.

"Not now, Prue," Paige said. "Mrs. Danikan, do you honestly think that it will tak e only a month for us to get settled? We have made a significant adjustment, but don’t you think an overall inspection of my guardianship is a little early. We need more than a month."

"Paige, we are not examining you position as a guardian now, we’re just letting you now your options. Your grandmother has volunteered to become guardian for the girls. It doesn’t not meant that you will never see them. It just means some of the weight will be off of your shoulders. You girls should think about it."

"Prudence, we have talked to the dean at NYU about your situation. She is willing to allow you to still attend."

"Thank you, Grams, but I don’t know."

"Darlings, I love you all four of you. Don’t look at me as a bad guy. I just.. . . .Your sisters still have a lot of growing up to do. Do you want to be responsible for that when you yourselves are barely adults? It’s your decission, but if you in anyway cannot do this, I will be the next guardian. It’s not like I’m a stranger and you won’t see them. . . .Anyway. Think about it."

paige closed the door behind Mrs. Danikan and Grams. She glanced up the stairs. She looked over at Prue who stood leaning against the doorway.

"Well, we can’t start our morning without a round of social worker and Grams at ten o’clock," prue said with an arch of her eyebrow.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ :~:~:~:~:~:~:

"I can’t believe you, Piper!"

"How could you?"

Shouts echoed through the Manor as the elder halliwells paced in front of Piper, who sat meekly on the couch.

"Piper, we were stressed out enough that we didn’t need you running around behind our backs."

"I am so diappointed!"

"Why didn’t you come to us?"

Paige and Prue finally turned to look at Piper. The saw the tears cascading down her cheeks. Remorsefully, they continued.

"What did you say?’ Prue asked gently with her hands on her hips.

"Nothing, just that maybe we would be better off with Grams so you guys could have your fun . . .Phoebe and I are such a burden---"

Paige sat next to her sister. She put her hand on her shoulder.

"Piper , you and Phoebe are many things, but far from a burden."

"Wouldn’t you guys be happier if you were doing what you want?"

The girls didn’t know what to say. If they said yes, Piper would be hurt if they said no, they knew Piper would see the lie in their faces. The silence was sliced when the phone rang. As Prue went to answer it, Paige glanced up at Grandfather clock Noon. She put her hand on Piper’s shoulder and walked to the foot of the stairs.

"Phoebe!" No answer. "Phoebe? Sweetheart, you want some lunch?"

Still no answer. Paige looked over a Prue.

"Oh, hi Andy---’’

As if on queue, Piper walked into the parlor to where her sisters were standing.

"Why’s the front door open?"

The sisters all stared at the open front door. They had been downstairs the whole time, there was no way . . .

"Oh God."

"Phoebe!"

The Manor was silent.
Part 16

Paige raced out the door. Where was she? She couldn’t have gone far. Questions began to circle her mind. She almost forgot her other sisters behind her. She turned to face them. She grabbed Piper’s hand and put it into Prue’s.

“Do not let her out of your site,” Paige said. “I’m going this way you go that way.”

Before either one of them could say anything, Paige went sprinting in one direction. Prue looked down at a worried Piper. Tightening her hand in hers, she gave a weak smile. Then she began to shout and lead Piper in the opposite direction.

“Phoebe!?”

Hours past. Their calls went unanswered. Defeated the headed back to the Manor. When Prue and Piper walked up blue lights lit the street. The policemen were halted in front of the house. Prue quickened her pace pulling Piper along with her. As they rounded the corner, on the steps was Phoebe. She was on Grams’s hip.

Grams looked sternly at the girls. Prue looked over at Paige. She yearned for guidance and reassurance. Instead, however, she saw defeat and despare. Paige took Prue’s hand and they walked up the steps. A policeman approached them.

“Piper, you’re going to have to come with us,” he said gently.

Piper gripped onto Prue.

“No, I want to stay here,” she said, determined.

“Piper, it’s for your own safety,” he proded.

“Excuse me?” Paige said pushing both Prue and Piper behind her. “I can keep them safe.”

“Under there particular circumstances, Paige, I think that may prove otherwise,” Grams said with irritability. “Officer, you may go now. I can sort this out.”

“Alright, Ms. Halliwell,” the officer replied as he signaled for the policemen to head back to the station.

“Inside, now,” Grams said sternly.

Prue and Piper moved swiftly; Paige, however, held back. She glared at her Grandmother, but eventually with a shake of her head, proceeded inside. Grams shut the door behind her as Phoebe scrambled down and into Paige’s arms.

“No, Piper, darling, take Phoebe upstairs and start packing please. You’ll be coming home with me,” Grams said.

“But, Grams”

“Piper.”

Piper knew that voice. She reluctantly picked Phoebe up and carried her up the stairs. Prue looked over at Paige, still looking for some miniscule amount of hope. Paige gave a small smile when she saw her younger sister looking at her. She took Prue’s hand and brought her into the living room.

“I came back because I forgot my coat, only to find Phoebe sitting at the dinning room table. I called for you. No one answered,” Grams said calmly. However, her voice grew. “You left her by herself?!”

“We saw the door open, we panicked,” Prue said apologetically.

“Did you check to see if she was still in the house?” Grams yelled.

“Hey! Grams, stop yelling at her,” Paige yelled.

“Don’t talk to me in that tone,” Grams said sternly. “Do you know what oculd have happened to her. Just this morning I came by to check up on you . . . and what do you do? You leave her alone?”

“We were stressed out because of the visit from you,” Paige shot back.

“Oh yeah? Well, let me tell you something little girls, parenting is stressful!” Grams gave a deep breath. “And you two honestly can’t handle it. you now what Paige I should be taking Prue, too. She’s a reck, look at her.”

Paige glanced over at her sister.

“Grams, I’m still in the room,” Prue said quietly.

“Paige, she’s so skinny, and look how tired she is,” Grams said as she sat on the other side of Prue.

Prue nor Grams saw the look on Paige’s face as Grams talked. Paige hadn’t noticed it. Prue had always been her baby. In worrying about the other two, how could she have forgotten about Prue?

“Grams! Stop! Paige and I have been doing the best we could,” prue said desperately.

“Well, darling, your best might not be good enough,” Grams said gently, much different than she had been with Paige.

Grams placed a kiss on Prue’s forehead. She stood and looked at the two girls.

“I’m sorry. I’m taking them home with me.”

Before anyone could say anything, Piper ran down the stairs.

“No! I want to stay with them, please Grams. They’ve taken good care of me. they have helped me through this past month. Isn’t it too soon,” Piper said through her tears.

Paige immediately stood to take Piper into her arms. As Piper sobbed for the last piece of her world was falling apart. She felt Grams’s hands on her waist.

“Come on, sweetheart.”

Piper gripped tighter.

“No!”

“Piper, let go, honey.”

ÔNo!”

Paige was now crying quietly as she held onto her sister.

“Piper, let go now! Go get in the car.”

Piper was pried off of Paige. Grams took Phoebe’s hand, wich now lay confused as did the rest of her at the bottom of the stairs. Phoebe didn’t know what was happening. She was still waiting for mommy and Daddy to walk through the door. Paige took a hold of Phoebe’s hand as Grams pulled in out. She watched as Prue stood in the doorway.

“I love you,” Prue called out.

The door stood open as the two watched the younger two be put into the car and drive away from them.

part17

Prue came back from the door. She saw Paige from the corner of her eye. She avoided her though. She didn’t want to see her.

“Prue,” Paige called after her, as Prue passed her.

Paige tried to grab her arm, but Prue ripped it from her grasp. She started up the stairs, but suddenly turned to face her. Her eyes were pooling.

“ You know what? I can’t live here. . . I can’t go past their room every morning on my way to mine . . .It’s-it’s-it’s . . .”

Prue fell to the floor.

“We lost, Paige. We lost Mom. . . We lost Daddy . . . and now we-we-we- lost them.”

Paige watched as her sister melted. She had failed. She finally regained herself and went to Prue. Enveloping her in her arms, Paige tried to hold Prue. Prue fought and pushed Paige away. However, when she did, Paige stared at her in grief. She paused for a moment as Prue’s sobs echoed through the walls of the Manor.

Prue let the tears fall. She let the tears fall for her parents the lives they would never be able to finish. She sobbed for the lives that would never be for Piper and Phoebe. She sobbed for the life that she never had a chance to live because of all the people how were now gone. She didn’t feel any arms around her, mostly because her feeling were not focused on her surroundings, but only her grief. But she felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her for the second time. This time she didn’t fight it. She held onto it. She wanted this embrace to last forever. She wanted this moment to last forever. This moment was safe. She cried, she sobbed for the knowledge that that moment would end.

Paige rocked her sister. How had things become like this? How did things get to be this way? Then Paige realized something as she held her sobbing sister. She never did have any control about where she was to end up. She was never going to end up where she was planning. Why had she bothered things so definitely with a life that was in a world where things could change in only in a matter of seconds. It was then that she realized what she wanted.

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Piper stared out the backseat window. Her hand was against the window as they dorve away from the Manor. Everything that was in that Manor was what she needed. She never understood it before. She thought she would be okay with out her big sisters. She didn’t think that she needed them. She knew that wanted a different life, and she had been okay with that. Now as she watched the Manor get further away. She knew that she needed to be in that house. She needed to be in there with her sisters.

She felt a hand slip into hers. She looked down to see Phoebe’s hand in hers. Phoebe was on the verge of tears. She didn’t understand. All she knew that she was left alone, she got scared and then Grams was there telling her she needed to go with her. What was happening?

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“Hello girls,” Mrs. Danikan said as they sat down. “What can I do for you?”

“ I want to get my sisters back,” Paige said as she glanced at her sister. “We want our sisters back.”

“I know that, girls,” Mrs. Danikan said. “But based on the last incident, I’m reconsidering your ability to raise them.”

“I know and we are so sorry.”

“We will be more careful.”

“Girls, I hear you,” Mrs. Danikan said sympathetically, “I’ll do my best but I can’t make any promises. You can still see the girls when they’re with your grandmother. I would think it would be easier if they were with your Grandmother. Wouldn’t it give you back your lives?”

“My sisters are my life,” Paige said pleadingly.

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Early the next morning, Mrs. Danikan walked into her office only to find someone already in there. When she saw who it was she wasn’t surprised. The Halliwell case was one that took more of her heart than any other one.

“Honey, it’s early, why aren’t you home with your sister?” she asked as she sat at her desk.

“I just wanted to talk to you. I didn’t say much last time and I just wanted to tell you a few things.”

“Go ahead.”

“Paige, knows what she’s doing. She does. She has always taken care of me and my sisters. It’s been really hard these last few months, which is expected I guess . . . but I need to be with all of my sisters. My grandmother is not what we need. She cares for us she loves us, I know she lost a daughter but we lost our parents, and can’t we mourn together? Isn’t it enough that we made it through the last few months? Why do you have to check up on us? this stuff happens to regular families without check up and critizim, why us?”

“Piper-’’

“No, you don’t understand. I can’t be happy with Grams. I need my sisters. I can’t be without them. I need to live in the house I’ve always lived in. If I don’t . . . they’ll go away faster. The memories are fading, Paige and Prue can give me that.”

Mrs. Danikan looked at the twelve year old.

part 18

Prue sat against her head board not wanting to let go. She didn’’t want to move. She didn’t want to remember what was happening. She had lost her parents. She had lost her sisters. She had lost her dreams. She didn’t know where she was going to go.

The ringing echo the doorbell echoed through the Manor. Prue heard Paige run past her room and down the stairs to answer. She heard the muffled voices at the door.

“Prue!” Paige suddenly yelled up. “Can you come down here?”

“Please,” she heard her grandmother’s voice add.

As Prue madeher way down the stairs, she saw her sisters in the parlor. Piper was sitting next to Phoebe. They waited so patiently. How did things come to this? How did they find themselves in the middle?

“Hi, Grams,” Prue said quietly, but politely.

“Hello, darling,” Grams said with a warm smile.

“What do you want?” Paige asked coldly as Prue slipped her hand in her own to try to calm her down.

“The girls need to get the rest of their things.” Grams turned her attention to the two younger Halliwells sitting on the couch. “Pipe, dear, take Phoebe upstairs and start packing up your things.”

Piper shared a look with Paige and Prue. Paige looked at her with sympathy and longing. All Paige wanted to do was have them stay in the house. Piper looked at Prue. She couldn’t find anything she once saw was there. Her sisters weren’t the fun loving ones she used to envy. Now they were sad. Perhaps, this move was for the best.

As Piper took phoebe’s hand and went upstairs, Grams turned her attention back the the older girls. Leading them to thedinning room table, she began to talk.

“Girls, this is fo the best. You may not realize it now, but it is.”

“Grams, you can’t take them away.”

“Girls, I live a few miles away. They aren’t being taken away. You can still see them, but this way, you can have your lives,” Grams’s voice was gentle. “Paige, you can go to Italy. Prudence, you can go to college. You can see the girls as much as you want, but they aren’t your sole responsibility.”

Paige stood up. She began to pace.

“You’re right, Grams, this isn’t the life I planned. I’m not sure if this is even the life I wanted, but it’ll always be the life that I will choose. I want my sisters raised in this house, with the people that knew our parents best.”

“You don’t think I knew my own daughter?” Grams asked her voice raising.

“You didn’t! You hated Daddy,” Paige yelled. “He loved us. He was a good man, but you never saw that.”

“Paige!”

“What she’s trying the say, Grams, is that we want the girls here. So they have the most normal childhood they can,” Prue said wrapping her arm around Paige to calm her down.

“Look what you’ve done, Paige,” Grams yelled. “Prue’s still a child and with this situation do you not think that’ll rob her of everything she had ahead of her? She will never have the normal college experience like you did! If you get the girls, what do you think will happen to Prue?”

This hit home for Paige. She knew what she would be sacrificing, but she never really thought what Prue would. Grams was right Prue was still a child. In Paige’s eyes, Prue would always be her little sister, the one she needed to protect. She glanced over at her.

“Grams, I’m still here!” Prue said angrily. “I may not have the college experience I was expecting, but life is unpredictable. I want Piper and Phoebe here. I want us to stick together. Even if that means giving up on my dreams.”

“I don’t want you to give up on your dreams.”

The three of them turned to the stairs. Piper stood at the bottom staring at only Prue. Prue had always been her rock. She always had an empty space in her bed. And though they weren’t as close as Paige and Prue, she had always looked up to Prue had always been her favorite.

“Honey, go back upstairs,” Grams said gently.

“Why? I can hear you just as well up there,” Piper said. She went over to Prue. “I don’t want you to give up. I want to be with you, but I don’t want you to give up everything you have. You’re still only nineteen.”

Paige sat on the other side of Prue.

“Prue, baby, you always thought you had to be the rock of the family. I want you to know that you don’t have to. We’ll be okay.”

“See, girls? This is exactly what I don’t want for you!” Grams said. Her voice became less harsh. “I want you to continue living out with lives. You don’t need the burden of children.”

Prue stood up.

“They’re not a burden! Piper is my sister. Phoebe is my sister. Don’t you ever call them a burden!”

“Piper, baby, can you go upstairs and take care of Phoebe for me,” Paige said was a smile. She winked at Piper.

Piper looked at her Grams one last time.

“I want to be here Grams.”

Then she began to climb the stairs. As the three older women turned back to each other ot start another conversation, they stopped when the head voices.

“Phoebe, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in your room.” piper’s voice stopped. “Phoebe what’s wrong? Phoebe?”

Paige ran toward the stairs faster than anyone there. Phoebe was sitting at the top stair. Their hearts set in with guilt, though at fivev Phoebe understood yelling. What child didn’t understand anger?As Paige made her way closer to Phoebe, she noticed Phoebw as having a hard time breathing. Her face was turning blue. Her chest was heaving. Paige quickly scooped Phoebe up and ran her into the nearest bedroom so to be out of reach of the daunting, steep Manor stairs.

“Honey, shhhhh it’s okay.”

“What’s going on? Why can’t she breath?” Grams asked.

“She’s having an asthma attack,” Paige answered as she tried to sooth her sister.

“Where’s her medicine?” Grams asked.

“She doesn’t have any,” Paige yelled. “We didn’t know she had asthma.”

“Then how do you’’

“Because piper had it when she was little,” Prue realized.

“Phoebe, sweetie, you need to look at me. You’re going to be okay. You’re having a hard time breathing. Remember when you took swimming lessons with Daddy and you breathed through your nose. You need to do that.”

Phoebe’s tearstained, slightly blue face shook her head and began to cry more.

“No, honey, you need to work with me here. Shhhhh, it’s okay. Breathe, Phoebe. Come on.”

The three of them watched as Paige calmed Phoebe down. Prue had called an ambulance it was on its way. Finally, Phoebe’s breathing came.

“There we go. Look you’re getting color back into your face. You’re okay. Shhhh.”

The doorbell rang and paramedics came in. Hooking Phoebe up to a Nebulizer. After about a half hour and after they instructed the family how to use it, the paramedics left. Paige watched from the door frame as Phoebe watched Elmo with her Nebulizer hooked up to her. The breathing mask was gently huffing asthma medicine into her. Though it helped safe Phoebe’s life, it was heartbreaking. Piper was on the Neb. when she was little. Though it was simply just a constant inhaler. It always broke her heart when her mother or father had to put Piper on it. She would cry and cry; she hated the “huffer” as she called it.

“You did well,” Grams said behind her.

“Thanks.”

“What do you think triggered it?”

“iFor Piper it was panic attacks. When she was upset and stuff. Mom thinks . . thought Phoebe had asthma too when she fell off her bike once she cried so hard. She couldn’t breath. She never got around to making an appointment. She was going to do that when she got back to work on Monday.”

Paige’s tears fell down her cheeks. Grams looked at her granddaughter.

“If this is what you want’’

“It is.”

“Alright.” Grams said as she picked up her coat. “Just a few conditions. We will all have dinner together on Thursdays. Prue will go to college. I will make sure of it. And whenever you need anything you call, you hear?”

“Yes, Grams.”

“Girls, I’m leaving!” She walked into the living room and kissed phoebe on the head. “You’re going to stay with your sisters. You aren’t going to live with me.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Grams, where are you going?”

“Piper, dear, I’m going home.”

“Without us?”

Grams smiled.

“Yes, without you.”

Piper ran up to her and hugged her.

“Thanks!”

Things were hard for a little while, but not as hard as they could have been. Grams was over most of the time. She would help cook and babysit. Prue was accepted to Berkeley. She lived on campus, but she called every night. Paige stayed at her job. Eventually, the gallery became hers. Overall dreams came true.

Over the years, Grams became older and moved in with them. Though the house was even more chaotic, it was somewat nice to have her always under the roof. However, when Andy moved in the house crowded.

Thirteen years later

Everyone sat around the table. Thursday nights were always the same no matter how many years went by. Though, the feelings never changed, the table did get bigger.

“ Phoebe how does it feel?” Andy asked from his place next to Prue.

“How does what feel?”

“To be out of high school.”

“it’s great.” Phoebe replied with a laugh. “I can’t wait to get out of this house.”

“Thanks, Pheebs.” Paige said as her husband, Glenn squeezed her hand with a smile under the table.

“Where’s Piper?” Grams asked as she set the last dish on the table.

“I’m right here.” Piper said as she came through the door . . . followed by a man.

“Everyone, I would like you to meet Leo . . .



And so the story continues. It doesn’t end. There are so many things that happen in our lives that we cannot predict. Sometimes they make life better, sometimes they make life worse. But whatever the answer be . . . one cannot give up. No matter what the hand one is dealt, one should never fold.

THE END