Disclaimer: Story mine, characters not. The song, ‘sonny’ belongs to New Found Glory
I’m sorry
i heard about the bad news today
a crowd of people around you
telling you it's ok
and everything happens for a reason
when you lose a part of yourself to somebody you know
it takes a lot to let go
every breath that you remember
pictures fade away, but memory's forever
an empty chair at all the tables
and always seeing you when all my days boil down
but its better where you're going anyway
I'm sorry
i heard about the bad news today
it's really hard to get through
tough times and long days
but it really just depends on the season
for now we'll say good bye
we know it's not the last time
i lost the best part of my day
but its better where you're going anyway
The now youngest and oldest Halliwell shared the same pain expression. It was amazing how a chance song on the radio could speak their feelings and their experiences so truly.
The oldest looked at her sister’s sullen face and let out a choked laugh.
“What are we like?”
Paige looked up at Piper’s face, it was a mix of so many emotions she couldn’t pick one out.
“It still hurts, doesn’t it?” She said looking at her hands.
Piper turned the engine off as they got up the driveway.
“Yeah, a lot. It still hurts as much as it did when I... when I saw her lying there. I just learned to deal with it.”
Paige nodded in complete understanding.
“Come on, let’s get inside.” Piper said as she got out and locked the car.
Piper put her arm around Paige’s shoulders as they walked up the stairs to the door.
As they got in there was a crash from upstairs. They immediately dumped their bags and ran to the attic.
Phoebe had just been thrown into the wall by a very manic demon.
Piper through up her hands to blow him up but all he did was stumble.
He stared at Piper with red eyes, making her his new target. Phoebe was out cold on the floor.
Piper and Paige stepped up trying to hit the demon with whatever they could but it wasn’t long before he had Piper on the floor beside Phoebe, unconscious.
Paige was left alone in the attic, about to face off with one pissed demon. Orbing out was not an option, she would not leave her sisters here with a demon.
She saw it, a sparkle out of the corner of her eye, the house athame! The demon followed her glance to the athame.
They both looked at each other then dived for it.
The athame skidded across the floor as Paige and the demon fought against each other to reach it.
Unfortunately the demon got it in his grasp and turned to use it on Paige. She fought with all her strength to keep the tip away from her but knew she had failed when she felt it enter her abdomen.
The demon got up and made his way towards a helpless Piper and Phoebe. He felt it. A sudden prick through his chest. Before he could comprehend what happened the flames engulfed him.
Paige collapsed to her knee’s still holding her wound. She tried waking her sisters in vain. She called Leo to be met with no response. She did the only thing she could and put a hand over each sister, summoning her power. She knew she could heal people without Leo’s help now but she wasn’t sure if she would survive long enough to heal them both.
Just as both began to stir, Paige fell back trying everything she could just to breath . Everything was tightening. Her heart, lungs, vision.
The brilliant white light appeared, she knew then she was gone. At least she had helped her sisters one last time. At least she hoped she did.
The lights subsided to show a beautiful face, but she looked troubled. Why would someone in heaven look so worried?
She felt warmth seeping into her. Maybe this is what the rest of eternity would feel like. As the warmth grew things became clearer. But she had to be dead... or delusional. What she was seeing couldn’t be real. She was still in the attic, there were know white clouds all around.
She looked around more and saw Leo and her sisters slowly coming too. She looked back to the source of warmth and once again saw that face.
3 words fought in her head. “Oh god” And “Prue.” She could feel a certain trembling. She lay still and watched as Piper walked towards the woman, who she knew as the protective big sister.
Piper’s jaw was practically on the floor as she slowly reached out and poked Prue’s shoulder. She melted into sob’s as the firmness of a real body was felt.
Prue immediately grabbed Piper, pulling her in a tight embrace. She opened out an arm for an equally distressed Phoebe.
Paige watched as her sisters... her 3 sisters seemed to melt into one. She then got enough sense back to feel she was crying. As hard as she tried to suck it up she couldn’t. She’d never felt so overwhelmed in years.
One thought finally pulled itself out of the mess, “where do I fit in?” She would have got up, left, but she couldn’t gain enough control of her limbs to stand.
‘Where do I fit in?’ It taunted her over and over and over...
Staring at my shadow i see the world around me
Never felt as if my existence reflects these walls so proudly
Intentions of the past defined so quickly
It's hard to change myself never mind all of the people around me
I try to push it to the side
Never put the blame on anybody's head but mine
I'm still searching for my pride
I'll keep searching but there's so many places for it to hide
I try
I've tried so hard to change for you
Glenn entered the manor in search of the woman he loved. He’d had a hard night at work and just wanted to be with Paige. He was lucky enough to find a good job at a punk club, something he really loved. After checking downstairs he headed to her but was disturbed by sniffing and occasional sobs. He went up the stairs to the attic.
He stood beside Leo, who didn’t even acknowledge his coming in. He saw Piper and Phoebe and another woman in each others arms crying, then Paige. She was on the floor near them sobbing her heart out, instinct took over as he put his arms around her.
Paige pulled herself up and ran from the attic, she couldn’t deal with this. If she left now then there would be no hurtful words said to her. Prue was back so they didn’t need her, the last year and a half she spent changing herself to cope with sisterly life and being a witch but that would all be over, they’d want to go back to how it was: without Paige.
Glenn stood up to follow her but felt someone hand on his shoulder, he turned around to see the mystery woman, he realised then who it was. She gave him a ‘I need to do this’ look and walked passed him.
Prue found Paige in what used to be her room. She was hysterically tearing her clothes out of the wardrobe. Prue didn’t now how to react or how Paige would either so she just went for it.
She stepped right up to Paige and put her hands on Paige’s shoulders. Paige just kept trying to take all of her clothes out. Prue wrapped her arms around Paige’s neck and bear hugged her. She let out a relieved breath when Paige melted down to sobs.
She lowered them to the floor but still kept her hold on Paige. “You’re not going anywhere.” Prue whispered into her ear.
Paige had her sobbing down to light hiccups as she pulled away and looked at Prue, “I have to go.” She said shakily.
Prue could feel her heart tear. “Why? Why can’t you stay?” She asked moving a stray piece of hair from Paige’s face.
“Cause, they don’t need me anymore. They...they have you back and I’ll be forgotten.” Paige said looking at the floor.
“How can you think that?” Prue asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice.
“You’re...You’re Prue. I’m just the fill in charmed one.” A small sob escaped.
Prue pulled Paige in and hugged her, “They would never think like that! They don’t I know they don’t, and neither do I. I’ve been watching all of you. Learning about you since the moment mom told me. You are my baby sister, and I will not be turning you away just because I’m here! Piper and Phoebe, they love you like the great sister you are, and you know that deep down so trust yourself.”
Paige buried her head in Prue shoulder as she slowly let Prue’s words sink in. She was more than a replacement, she was a sister.
Prue and Paige appeared in the attic doorway, Prue with her arm protectively around a tense Paige. Piper and Phoebe looked up from the sofa, they both looked as upset as the youngest Halliwell.
“Guys, we need to talk about something...” Prue started
“Like why your back.” Stated a hoarse Piper.
Prue nodded, “yeah.”
She directed Paige to the sofa, sitting her in between Piper and Phoebe. She then sat down on the floor across from them, pulling her knee’s to her chest.
“The demon who attacked, he was part of an ancient cult. Not as strong as a demon, no powers but powerful in spell casting. The elder’s got word it was the perfect time for them to come together, so they sent me down to help you. They gave me the ability to heal and to orb as well. With all four of us together, they think we can defeat them.”
“Why are they such a threat?” Phoebe asked.
“They are the brotherhood of the Apocalypse.”
“Like the four horsemen?” Piper asked.
“Well, close. They bring the same thing...”
“The End.” They all said together.
Well I started all alone
And I watched you grow
And now please don't take this away from me
You rise then you fall
Sometimes it seems like you're not there at all
But that's the way it should be
Well
Take me for example
And erase your opinions about me
Only time will tell
Where will you be
Where have you gone
Two years of my life
Now it's all gone
Prue looked up from the BOS to her sisters. Piper and Phoebe had fallen asleep, searching for information on the brotherhood of the apocalypse.
She hadn’t realised just how much she missed them, watching them at these quiet times. She couldn’t stop thinking about how much she had missed with them over the last year and a ½, then there was the last 25 and a ½ years she had missed with Paige.
After she got over the initial shock of being dead, Penny and Patty had to tell her about Paige. They mainly told her so she knew the power of three was still there but Prue, of all the sisters. Was the one who’d take something like that hard. She had taken a long time to forgive her mother for keeping it from them. But since then she’d done everything in her power to watch over Paige and learn about her.
Paige closed yet another book and looked up to see Prue staring at her. Her unblinking eyes let Paige know she was lost in thought. “Prue?” She said quietly.
Prue slowly realised Paige had said something, “yeah?” She said coming out of her daze.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Just thinking about things. Thinking about you and how much you’ve done, how unfair it is I never met you before today.”
Paige nodded as she looked at the floor. Prue’s eyes were still too intense for her. “Are you staying? Or is this just some reconnaissance work for the elders?”
“I really wish I knew. I don’t want to go back but... what choice do I have?”
“I don’t know if they can go through losing you again, I don’t know how much they changed but I do know how much they were hurting. I used to feel it, like waves of hurt.”
Prue swallowed hard, “Piper, she was the sweet mediator. Pheebs and I used to be at each others throat all the time but she always found some way to make it better. She acted different with you at the beginning, didn’t she? I hated seeing her act like that. I would expect that from me but not Piper. She should have been the one to assure you how welcome you were and that being our sister meant so much. Piper is the shoulder to cry on, she can make it all seem ok but at that time, she was just so scared to love you incase you left.” Prue’s voice wavered.
“I watched it all and I just wanted to give you some hope that she’d be ok with you once she got over my death but I couldn’t. When Cole took you, i think it sunk in just how much you meant to her. She was truly terrified from the second you were taken to the second you woke up.”
Paige held back her tears, “She had to much to deal with, I was just another burden but she made it up. I know now and that’s what matters.”
Prue shuffled to Paige and hugged her, “You’re strong, Paige. There’s no doubt you’re a Halliwell.”
Paige tightened her grip on Prue. She couldn’t make any words come out. At that moment she felt anything but strong.
are you going to live your life wondering
standing in the back, looking around? are you going to waste your time thinking
how you've grown up
how you missed out?
things are never going be the way you want
where's it going to get you acting serious?
things are never going to be quite what you want
even at twenty five you got to start sometime
Piper and Paige sat in P3 making small talk. They had been informed by Leo that they needed the charmed ones as sacrifices for the apocalyptic ceremony, and thought it best to get out of the manor - that’s the first place they’d look. Phoebe had gone to the wicca store to try and get more information on the brotherhood.
Paige was lost in thought’s of Glenn and whether she’d see him again. She had sent him across the bay to see his friends and warned him not to come back until she called him. It wasn’t easy but they had agreed.
Piper couldn’t help but feel slightly happy. Prue was back, her big sister was back and it instantly took away the pressure and the sadness. Now all she had to worry about was staying alive long enough to enjoy having Prue back.
“Ever feel like printing BAIT on your forehead?”
Piper laughed, “Yeah, I think if they put a UV light near us we’d have sitting duck written.”
“It’s good to see you so happy, Pipe.”
Piper smiled, “Let’s just hope this works out so I can stay happy. And don’t call me Pipe.” she said sticking her tongue out at Paige.
“Not gonna happen. I like calling you that too much.”
“Hey, do as your big sister says. No calling me Pipe. Master or oh great sister - yes but Pipe - No.” She joked.
Paige laughed, “like I’m ever gonna say that!”
Piper got a hurt look on her face, “oh, so you don’t think I’m a good sister?”
“Aww! Of course I do, Pippy!”
Piper struggled to keep her pout, “that’s it.” She said getting up and walking to the next booth, crossing her arms in a huff.
Paige let out a genuine laugh and dumped herself in Piper’s lap. She threw her arms around Piper and bear hugged her. “You are the bestest big sis in the whole wide world!” She said in a baby voice.
Piper laughed, “that’s more like it, squirt! Hey, I like that. Your squirt if I’m pipe.”
Paige groaned, “you drive a hard bargain, Pipe.”
“I know, Squirt.”
Paige got off Piper and sat down next to Piper. “You are gonna stick to that aren’t you?”
“Damn right I am.”
“You know, Pipe, you’re a big bag of fun today, considering it’s the apocalypse and all.”
Piper thought about it a second, “yeah, I guess I am. It’s just with Prue back, everything seems right. Apart from these creepy dudes trying to kill us.”
Ironically (cough) 3 of the brotherhood shimmered into the dance floor of P3.
Piper stood Infront of Paige subconsciously. She tried blowing them up knowing in the back of her mind it wouldn’t work.
Behind Piper, Paige was summoning 2 knife’s from the kitchen. “Piper, here!.” She said giving one to Piper and heading for the first demon.
Piper followed Paige lead going for another.
Neither of them noticed as the other one went towards the bar and soaked it in alcohol.
Paige still struggled with demon #1. She orbed out of the way as he dived for her. She orbed back in and stabbed him in the back, moments later he burst into flames.
Piper meanwhile was not doing so well. Demon # 2 was proving too strong for Piper as he took a lucky shot and managed to knock her out. HE grinned evilly as he picked up the knife and raised it above his head.
Paige saw the situation and ran at Demon #2. She knocked him away from Piper first then quickly stabbed him with her knife.
She was about to check on Piper when she smelt something, smoke. She looked over towards the bar to see it completely alight. Demon #3 was too busy trying make the fire spread to notice Paige looking at him.
She stalked towards him quietly hoping to make it quick but he saw her coming at him just in time to dodge her attack. Paige pulled herself off the floor and waited for him to make his move.
Demon #3 leaped at Paige and knocked her down again. She dropped the knife as he began to strangle her. Paige begin to Panic as she tried to get the air back into her lungs. She kicked out with all her strength and managed to kick him away.
Demon #3 was now beyond pissed as he jumped at Paige again. He didn’t even see what was coming as Paige quickly held the knife up and caught him right in the heart. He screamed in agony as he disappeared.
Paige looked about, the whole bar area was in flames and she was too close. She got up ready to find Piper when all the bottles made quite an explosion and sent her flying through the air. She landed roughly on the hard floor, unconscious.
Piper cleared the fogginess of her mind to find the fogginess of her club. She sat up trying to ignore the pain in her head.
She couldn’t help but gasp as she saw her beautiful club burning. The entire bar and anything surrounding was engulfed with flames.
She was at the foot of the stairs and almost made a break for them when she realised Paige could be in their somewhere. She began checking along the far wall hoping she wasn’t far in.
She was terrified when she couldn’t find her baby sister. There was no response when she called for her but she couldn’t leave. Not without checking everywhere.
She carefully ventured nearer the bar. She couldn’t see anything and found it hard to breath as the smoke got unbearably thick. Just as she was about to turn about she felt something at her feet. Kneeling down she felt around her and found what could only be Paige.
Piper got a grip on Paige and pulled her to the safest corner of the club she could find. There was no way she would be able to carry Paige up the stairs.
“Paige?! Can you hear me?” The silence that came back as her made her feel sick. She took a closer look at Paige. She was deadly still and bleeding from a tiny little Knicks.
Her nightmare was confirmed when she felt no pulse. This was too much like the nightmares she had. She had been here once before and she didn’t feel any comfort in that.
Piper began CPR on Paige while praying that it’d work. She knew she couldn’t go on much longer. With each breath she gave to Paige she found harder to get back in the ever thickening smoke.
She let tears of relief fall as Paige sucked in a deep breath. Piper carefully rolled her on her side as Paige coughed.
“Honey, we have to get out of here, can you get up?” She was met with more coughing. She moved to her last hope.
“PRUE! LEO!” She screamed as loud as she could. Blue orbs appeared at her side and slowly formed a shocked Prue who barely looked around before orbing them all outside.
Piper tried to catch her breath again as she tried to clear the smoke from her lungs. Paige was still coughing and Piper now realised she was pretty much out of it.
Prue put both her hands over Paige and summoned her healing power. How could the elders not have said something sooner? P3 was practically burnt down with 2 of her sisters inside. After Paige she healed the nasty gash on Piper’s head and the smoke inhalation.
Paige pulled herself up and sat looking at both her sisters’ who threw themself’s at her in a group hug.
“That was too damn close, Squirt.” Piper whispered.
I sat and stared at the sky.
I knew I'd find myself there again.
I wonder how else to cope with the air.
The air that brings me this luck.
I'm unlucky...that's just me.
Seems what used to be has changed.
I feel it coming again,
I feel it coming with the wind.
I feel it coming again,
I feel it breaking with the waves.
“Everyone ready?” Leo asked.
He got 4 nods.
“Ok, remember you three say the spell and me and Prue will try and watch your back.”
Again 4 nods. The sisters were all silently psyching themself up for the face off. Leo kicked open the door to the warehouse and let each of them through before following them in.
Prue stood infront of her 3 sisters, “say the spell!” she ordered.
4 of the demons turned away from their ceremony and smirked at the gatecrashers. They each pulled out a gun and aimed.
“I know I was gone a year but when did you losers start using gun’s?” Prue asked sarcastically.
“Well, we heard simple things like guns are what will kill you straight away, witches.”
“A Bullet can’t hurt me.”
The demon smirked, “Maybe not but it can harm your precious charges.”
One of the demons off to the side fired at Piper who was quickly shoved out of the way by Prue. Phoebe and Paige through themself’s to the floor.
Prue checked Piper over having a scary flashback to her last day on earth. She was visibly relieved to see Piper was fine.
“Prue!” She looked towards Phoebe’s panicked voice to see Phoebe leaning over Paige. She looked closer and saw Phoebe’s bloodied hands.
Her and Piper hurried to the 2 youngest. Phoebe was trying in vain to stop the blood flow from Paige’s wound. Prue didn’t even think before she called up her healing power for the third time that day. She was beginning to wonder how Leo had kept it together for so long.
She was overwhelmed by how close she came to losing Paige that time but slowly her power began to have effects as Paige slowly opened her eyes. “You are far too injury-prone.” She told Paige as she helped her up.
“Not my fault these evil ASSHOLES have a thing for trying to hurt us.” She said making no effort to hide how pissed off she was.
Prue stepped back slightly. She could see a bit of them all in Paige.
“I’ve had enough of you Demons and Darklighters and freaking Sources! You can all kiss my wiccan ass! What is with the always fatally wounding me?! Can you not just cease to be cause we’re gonna vanquish you all anyway! Your evil lil brains can’t seem to process that but over the last 5 years my sisters and I have managed to kill everyone JACKASS that thinks they can rule the world! So get the hint!”
She summoned all their guns and then turned around and began to read the spell with her sisters.
After chanting it 3 times over she watched every member of the brotherhood explode.(BAM!)
“Super pissed Paige to the rescue!” Phoebe joked.
Paige didn’t laugh. “We need evil repellant.” She said seriously.
Leo came over and wrapped his arms around Piper, “Let’s get home.”
Prue put her arm around Phoebe and Paige as they orbed to the manor.
Paige sat side by side with Prue and Piper and Phoebe beside Prue. They were still letting the adrenaline drain.
“You ok, squirt?” Piper asked knowing Paige was more than pissed off about earlier.
“Yeah, I could just do without being shot, impaled and tortured.”
“We should write a spell for that.”
“It’s not funny, Piper. One of these times i won’t be so lucky.”
“Don’t you dare think like that...”
“Why? It’s...”
Prue cut her off, “because I will not let you die. I have the power now and I’m not going anywhere! I’m your personal healer from now on.”
Paige looked at Prue, “You’re staying?”
“Prue nodded, “They just told me.”
Piper and Phoebe gave each other the yay look but let Paige have her moment.
Paige hugged Prue.
“I’m pleased too.” She said happily.
Paige slowly pulled away, “they almost took you away from me again. I want to know you and they almost took that away from me!” She said, her voice thick with emotion.
Prue wiped the tear that ran down Paige’s face away. “There is nothing you can do to get rid of me now so don’t worry about that. Death isn’t a barrier anymore. But you not going anywhere, Paige, none of us are.”
Paige sniffed, “Promise?”
Prue kissed Paige’s head, “Always.”
I'm sick of smiling
And so is my jaw
Can't you see my front is crumbling down
I'm sick of being someone I'm not
Please get me out of this slump
I'm sick of clapping
When I know I can do it better for myself
I'm sick of waiting
Sick of all these words that will never matter
Piper was safely snuggled into Prue. She’d been in the same position hundreds of times in her life but it felt the first time in an era she felt so safe.
Prue was tracing little patterns on her back as they sat in comfort.
“You done so well.” Prue said quietly.
Piper swallowed hard, she knew this conversation would come up eventually.
“I didn’t. You saw how I was.”
“I watched it all and you did do well. You kept this family together like you always do and you kept them all safe.”
“But I didn’t. It took practically losing Paige for me to realise what she really meant, and how much she had done for us in so little time. I kept everyone at a distance. And let them both be hurt by Cole.” She said ashamed.
Prue tilted Piper’s head so she could look her in the eyes, “you done the best you could, and you managed to keep them all here. You moulded yourself into the oldest sister and you done damn well. If that’d been me, I couldn’t have done it. I would have hid in a dark corner and never have come out.”
Piper struggled to keep control of her emotions, “I wanted to, I wanted it all to go away. They took you away and expected me to deal with so much. I just wanted you to take charge again and tell me everything would be ok.” Here voice wavered towards the end as she broke down in her protectors arms.
“It will be ok, I swear you don’t have to worry about anything. I love you so much and I’m proud of you.” She said holding Piper tight as she gently rocked her in another calming motion.
She felt it, complete disorientation and dizziness as her body turned into blue orbs she let out a surprised yelp.
Piper looked up to see a shocked Prue disappear. She was given a flashback of Leo being torn away from their wedding. She started to panic as she looked around the room for Prue. Nothing. She ran as fast as she could upstairs and barged into Paige’s room.
She grabbed Paige by the shoulders and shook her violently.
“Piper! What the hell!” She said as she moved away from Piper. Glenn had woken up too and stared at Piper like she’d grown horn’s.
Paige let her mind wake up and then took in Piper’s tear stained face. “Honey, what’s wrong? Is everyone ok?” She asked calmly.
“You have to orb me to the elders. NOW!”
“Piper, calm down and tell me what happened. I don’t even know if i can orb ‘up there’” Paige said trying to stay calm.
“There isn’t time. I know you can orb up there. Please just do it. I can’t go through it again.” Piper begged as tears ran down her cheeks again.
Paige looked at Glenn, “Don’t leave this room.” She said seriously, then she took Piper’s hand and concentrated on the elders.
When people die.
They take a piece of us with them.
And holes in clouds are minutes passing.
Rescind this line and sever all ties.
Skyline unfolds into explanation.
The silent line of sky-lit eyes show.
Death up there shine more brightly than lives down here.
Try and live.
Paige and Piper stood on what looked like a cloud. It took about 5 seconds for Piper to drag Paige towards a big area.
“What is the meaning of this rule breaking?” A powerful elder asked.
“Cut the high and mighty bullshit! How dare you! What gives you the right to sit up here, on your robed asses and decide how to ruin our lives! We risk our safety everyday and all you can do is be judgmental, harsh bastards!” Piper screamed at them.
Paige put her arms round Piper and eased her to floor. She now knew why Piper was sobbing hysterically: they had taken Prue back.
She quickly kissed Piper’s head and got up to face the elders.
“Be gone from here.” One of the Elders ordered.
“You get to hell! Every word she said is true, except no one seems to want to tell you that. How dare you medell in our lives like this! You can’t just give back the people we love and then tear them away from us! We’re the ones in the thick of it everyday. With the demons and the sources and all goddamn mighty evil! It’s about time you did something for us and I really thought you had but you just had to go and take her away again didn’t you!? Do you really think we’re going to go home and risk our necks for you?! This is the last straw, you can take you’re good vs. Evil crap and stick it up your angelic asses!” Paige shouted at them, then she turned her attention to her still very distressed sister.
One of the Elder’s cleared his throat. “When you’re quite done with the obscenities. We did not reclaim your sister. We simply called her and got no response so we orbed her here ourselfs. She is getting her powers back, not being sentenced to the spirit side.” He said with the authority still clear.
Paige looked up at him with her face red. “Can you bring her here please.”
“I’m here. What happened?” Prue said as she kneeled next to Piper, who instantly latched onto her.
“Piper woke me up and told me to orb up here. She was really upset so I did. I thought a demon had killed one of you. We thought that they had taken you back for good and kinda gave them what for.” She said nervously.
Prue was shocked, “I was ignoring their call because we were having a moment and they thought something was wrong so they orbed me up here.”
“Well, I think we might have pissed them off.”
“Don’t worry about them, they’re always pissed off. Let’s go home.” She said as she orbed Piper and Paige orbed herself. Neither one so much as looked at the elders.
Phoebe saw the familiar blue orbs and went into the living room, “Where the hell were you?! Why didn’t someone wake me?!” She asked before they even had time to shake off the fuzziness.
“Pheebs, calm down. We’ve had enough drama. It was just a big misunderstanding.” Prue said.
Phoebe finally took in the state of her sisters. Prue was comforting a distraught Piper and Paige looking completely ashamed.
“A little misunderstanding!? Whats wrong with Piper?”
“She just got a fright. She’ll be fine once she calms down.” Prue assured her again.
Phoebe was about to push on further when Glenn came running down the stair’s. He went straight to Paige and kissed her. “Are you ok? What happened?”
Paige nodded and wrapped her arm’s around his waist. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a misunderstanding. All the elder’s doing as usual.”
“Why is Piper in such a state? Is Leo ok?” He asked worried for his new family.
“He’s fine. Piper thought he Elder’s had taken Prue back for good. Turns out they just wanted to give her powers back.”
He gave Paige a sympathetic smile. “I’ll give you guys some room. I’ll in bed the bedroom if you need me.”
“Thanks baby, love you.”
Glenn kissed Paige, “Love you too.”
Paige turned back to Prue and Phoebe trying to console Piper.
“Honey, just calm down. You’re going to make yourself sick.” Prue said as she rubbed Piper’s back.
She was in for a long night.
I wake up
Something more than what I'm supposed to be
Something more than I have meant to show.
How was i supposed to know
That I’ve wanted, and I've waited.
And I can be the one
To show you that life's not simple enough.
And I can be the one
To tell you I've held this back for too long.
Phoebe rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found she couldn’t move due to two of her sisters sprawled over her. She realised there was someone missing. Looking around she saw who she was looking for: Prue.
She smiled and carefully shifted off the sofa.
Prue got up and took Phoebe’s hand and lead her to the steps outside the manor.
“It’s just like you to be up first.” Phoebe said.
“Yeah well, some things never change. Including you.”
Phoebe frowned, “what do you mean?”
“I’ve watched you for a year and I could see all sides. You may look like you’ve changed and I guess in some ways you have but underneath you’re still the same free spirit and vulnerable little sister. You didn’t want Piper to see how much you were hurting but you couldn’t hide that from me.” Prue said as she put her arm over Phoebe’s shoulder’s.
“I...I don’t know. It hurt so much Prue. Then when Paige came along I had to keep Piper from killing her and herself. I never realised how hard it must have been on Piper growing up. It’s no wonder what she done after living with us for 16 years. I barely had to keep the peace for more than 4 months and she done it for 26 years.”
Prue pulled Phoebe close, “That was in Piper’s nature but you done pretty well for your first time. Infact you done really well. You know she probably would have killed Paige for taking the BOS if you hadn’t of been there.” Prue said light heartedly.
Phoebe smiled at the thought of Piper’s face. “Yeah, she was so pissed... but not at Paige, not really.”
Prue sighed, “Yeah, well, I guess I had that coming. I didn’t choose to die Pheebs. I would have done anything to have everything back to how it was when I first got there but once I learned about Paige I realised that if I hadn’t of died then Paige might not be in our lives. I wouldn’t want that.”
“Me either. But we’re all together now. That’s what I’ve wanted for so long. It just all feels so surreal, like I’ll wake up tomorrow and you’ll be gone.” Phoebe said sadly.
“I’m not going anywhere Pheebs. I’m not dying till we’re all old and grey and the elders no that. Plus, I think they’l do everything they can to keep us out until they have too.”
Phoebe laughed, “yeah, they must hate us more than ever after last night. Did Paige really say all that?”
“Yeah, you should have seen their faces, Pheebs. It would have been funny if the circumstances were different.”
“I haven’t seen Piper that upset before. She’s so terrified that one of us will leave her.”
“We’ll just have to make sure none of us do.”
Phoebe sighed, “say it.”
“Say what?” Prue asked confused.
“I told you so. You were right all along about him, so say it.” She said putting her head in her hands.
“Phoebe, I’m not going to say I told you so. I never trusted him but he was technically your husband. I tried to warn you but they wouldn’t let me. He’s gone now honey, and everyone is ok.” Prue tried to reassure her.
“But there not, Prue and it’s all my fault! Paige still has nightmares and I can’t even go in and help her ‘cause I can’t take the premonitions. I can’t take a little clip and she has to see it all and feel it all again!” she said with the pain in her voice.
“It was not your fault Pheebs. Only his. Paige doesn’t blame you, you know that.” Prue kissed Phoebe’s head then rocked her much like with Piper the night before.
Phoebe cried into Prue’s shoulder and for the first time in a while let it all go.
Phoebe eventually pulled away and sniffed, “I’m sorry, I got your shirt all snot.”
Prue laughed and hugged Phoebe again. “It’s not the first time.”
“It won’t be the last either.” Phoebe finished.
Paige awoke when she heard the manor door close. She sat on the sofa with a still puffy eyed Piper cuddled into her. She couldn’t help but hope things wouldn’t be as crazy today. She knew they had plenty of time but she wanted to get to know Prue better. They’d only met a few days ago.
After a while Piper began to stir. She looked up at Paige and gave her a tired “hey.” then she was reminded of the day before and looked around for Prue.
“Don’t worry she’s outside with Pheebs.” Paige assured her before she could panic.
Piper sat up, “about time they spoke. There’s a lot to speak about.”
Paige nodded, “that there is.”
Piper let her instincts take over as she tucked a piece of hair behind Paige’s ear. “You doing ok, squirt?”
Paige smiled, Piper was actually going to stick to that. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Ok, now the truth.”
“I don’t know. This is all kinda unreal. But I’m glad she’s here. You and Pheebs get her back and I get to know her.”
“Yeah, and I don’t have to be the bossy one anymore. Prue can boss everyone around just fine by herself.” She said trying to lighten things up.
“I’ll tell her you said that. I’m guessing you’d be in big trouble then, Pipe.”
Piper laughed, “just you try it! I’ll make you cook for yourself all week!”
“You wouldn’t do that you care about the kitchen too much.”
“Ok, you’re right but... well I’m older.” She stuck her tongue out.
“I’m taller, so ha!”
Piper frowned, “cheat! It’s not my fault you got the height gene!”
“Yeah, that could be the whole different father thing.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Oh well, not like they made a big impact on our lives anyway. We’re all Halliwell’s.”
“Very true.” Paige agreed.
Piper bit her lip, she was working herself up to just saying what she had to say.
“I’m sorry you felt like you had to leave when Prue appeared.” She blurted out.
Paige didn’t really know what to say, “Don’t be, It’s not like you said anything.”
“That’s the problem. You saved my life and Phoebe’s by almost sacrificing your own and then I got so caught up in seeing Prue we just left you out. I shouldn’t have done that. Prue told me how upset you were, but You know you’re a part of our life’s now and I couldn’t stand life without you?”
Paige nodded not sure of her voice, “I just panicked. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 4 months it’s that you do care. I just... I guess I’m scared that I’d lose you guys, like everyone else.”
Piper pulled Paige in a tight hug. “It won’t happen. You have us all now, 3 big sister’s to look out for you and Leo and Glenn.”
Paige smiled despite the tears, “yeah I do.”
“Love you, squirt.”
“You too, Pipe.”
“Awww! Pheebs look at that. They have nicknames now!” Prue joked. They had caught the end of the conversation.
“They’re so cute, huh Prue? Or should I say Pwoo?”
“Don’t start with that! If I’m Pwoo, your Freebee! And Pippy over there isn’t escaping. Now hat about or baby sis?”
Phoebe pretended to think hard. (KT don’t even think about it. Pick something harder.) “Hmm... What about Big red? She is taller than us and the red hair.”
Prue nodded, “yeah, that should do.” She said with a big grin.
Piper looked at Paige, “Want to get some payback?”
Paige grinned evilly, “hell yeah!”
They both leaped of the sofa and ran into Prue and Phoebe, tickling them viciously.
The four sisters were happy and laughing again. Making up for the lost childhood.