Black Balloon
Summary: Prue/Andy fluffy songfic. Set just days before "Deja Vu All Over Again". Probably a one-shot fic, but I might add one more chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Prue or Andy or any other part of the show. You'd think this would go without saying, wouldn't you? Oh, and also, the song in this fic is "Black Balloon" by the wonderful Goo Goo Dolls. I don't own that, either, unfortunately.
Baby's black balloon makes her fly
Andy sat at his desk, staring at a picture of himself and Prue when they were kids in high school. They were sitting on a park bench, smiling and happy, with balloons visible in the background.
I almost fell into that hole in your life
That picture reminded him of a simpler time. Ever since Prue had come back into his life, things had been anything but simple. She was anything but simple. Still, he loved her. He knew that no matter what happened, he always would.
And you're not thinking about tomorrow
He couldn't help worrying about the future. Not only was Prue in constant danger, but being close to her meant risking his own life, as well. Andy wanted to be close to her. He wanted that more than anything. Besides, it's not like his own life was perfectly safe. He was a cop, danger comes with the territory. Either way, he had no way of knowing if he'd be alive from one day to the next, aside from a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that said he didn't have much time. With this in mind, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pad and pen. He was going to write Prue a letter, so that even if something happened and he never got to tell her, she'd always know how he felt.
'Cause you were the same as me
Dear Prue, he began, but then stopped short. How could he possibly tell her what she meant to him? How could he tell her that he was a part of him, that her soul was somehow fused with his?
But on your knees
Andy thought for a minute, wrestling with words and phrases that just seemed wrong. Finally, he decided to just give in to his feeling and let the words flow. Dear Prue, he started again, in his very best penmanship.
A thousand other boys could never reach you
A thousand other boys could never reach you. You were so cool, so distant, so perfect. Every boy in high school wanted to be with you, but you never so much as glanced at any of them.
How could I have been the one?
How could I have been the one? The one you turned to, the one you let your guard down for, the one you chose? I thanked God every day just for letting me be near you. I still do.
I saw the world spin beneath you
I saw you through life-altering, earth-shattering times. I saw you break down, when you wouldn't in front of anyone else. I was the only person who ever saw you cry.
And scatter like ice from the spoon
But no matter what kind of hell you went through, I always saw you come out on the other side. I was always there to help you pick up the pieces, and I always will be. Andy almost crossed this part out. How could he promise he'd be there always, when his chosen career path had him staring down death every day? In the end, he decided to leave it in. A part of him would be with her forever.
There was your world
Sometimes, you'd shut me out and retreat into your own little world, but even then, I was always right there, waiting for you to come back to me.
Coming down, the world turned over
Your world has crashed so many times, with your parents' divorce, your mother's death, having to raise your sisters, and now this whole witch thing, but through it all, you've stayed strong.
And angels fall without you there
You manage to support everyone, to be there for us all without a thought about yourself. I don't think you realize how important you are to us, to me. Even angels would fall without you there.
And I go on as you get colder
Your first instinct has always been to protect the people you love. That's why you'd shut me out when we were kids and you were hurting, and that's why you shut me out now that you've discovered who you and your sisters really are. You don't have to do that, Prue. Once you'd confide in me; we can go back to that. I want us to go back to that.
Or are you someone's prayer?
Whether you were confiding in me or shutting me out, I always knew you were Heaven-sent. You must have been; there's no other explanation for you beauty, your grace, your ability to touch people's lives. Even when we were apart, I never forgot you, and there was a part of me that was with you even then.
You know the lies they always told you
Your whole life, people tried to make you be things you're not, and you'd go along with it to please them. You tried to be everything that everybody else wanted, but you don't have to anymore. For me, you already are all those things and more.
And the love you never knew
I know you've always felt so alone. After your dad left, and your mom died, you were afraid that anyone else you loved would leave, too. It scares you to so much as say the words "I love you" out loud, and I know it scares you to hear it, but I do love you.
There were some things they never showed you
I might not have always shown you how much I care, but I do. You have to know that, Prue.
That swallowed the light from the sun
You've been through so many hard times. I've been there for you through most of them, and I'll be there for the times ahead, whether in person or in spirit.
Inside your room
Whenever you're feeling alone, or like you need to be strong for everyone but yourself, remember that I'm with you always.
Coming down the world turned over
At this point, Andy paused, dropping his pen. He still wasn't sure how to make her understand the way she'd turned his world upside-down.
And angels fall without you there
He needed her to know that he would fall without her, that she was the thing that kept him going.
And I go on as you get colder
She'd been so distant lately, trying to protect him from the part of her life he couldn't share - the demonic attacks, the witchcraft, her and her sisters' mutual destiny. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before she became a witch, as impossible as he knew it to be. He just wanted her to open up to him again, to feel like she could tell him anything. He certainly felt as if she could.
And there's no time left for losing
Andy stared at the paper, and decisively picked up the pen. This could, for all he knew, be the last words from him that Prue will ever see. He had to make her understand how he felt, he just had to. With that in mind, he resumed writing.
When you stand, they fall
You posess and amazing strength, moreso than anyone I've ever met. It's that strength that will help you succeed where others fail. I always knew you were special, Charmed or no. God knows you were always strong for me, when I needed you the most.
Coming down, the world turned over
My life would have been completely different without you in it. You changed my world in ways I can't even imagine, and I love you for it.
And angels fall without you there
I can't explain the effect you've had on me. I feel like I wouldn't be complete without you. You must be an angel.
And I go on as you get colder
The only thing I'm sure of is this: I can go on forever, as long as I have you. You are part of me.
All because I'm
I am who I am because of you.
Coming down, the years turned over
You have helped shaped my life, from the time we were kids, to high school, right up until now. Even after all these years, I'm still in love with you. That's the one thing that won't change, not ever.
And angels fall without you there
Andy's eyes fell once more upon the picture; specifically, on the image of sixteen-year-old Prue, sitting half on his lap, her black hair falling in waves across her back, her blue-green eyes twinkling. She was beautiful, angelic, even then. He smiled, then looked back down on the paper.
And I'll go on now to lead you home
Wherever you are, for me, it's home. You are the one place where I feel totally and completely happy.
All because I'm
It's because of you that I'm here today, with you, right now.
All because I'm
Wherever you are when you read this letter, whatever you're doing at the time, just stop and close your eyes and know that I'm there with you.
And I'll become
I'll always be with you, and I'll become
What you became to me
...everything that you became to me.
Andy signed the letter, and put it in an envelope. He scribbled Prue's name on it, and placed it back in the drawer with the pad and pen, confident that if something happened to him, somebody would find it and give it to her. Just knowing that the letter was there for Prue to read was slightly reassuring to Andy, although it did nothing to help him suppress the feeling that something bad was looming just around the corner. Shaking his head, Andy got up, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the station.