Disclaimer: Don't own, wish I did. I'd be rich.
Penny Halliwell folded the letter and put it in the envelope with a sigh. On the front was written, 'To my Granddaughters Prue, Piper and Phoebe.' She hoped that she was doing the right thing. But even if she was wrong, this was family and family came first.
"Mother, are you sure about this? The girls wont understand why they were never told. And what if they get punished for this?"
Penny looked at the ghost of her daughter and smiled. "You know how I feel about this Patty. Even if they lose their powers for this it's the right thing to do." Then her usual confidence came through. "Besides, the Elders are big believers in free will and they have no right to interfere. Trust me my darling. The girls may not understand right away but they will soon."
Patty smiled at her mother which then turned to concern when Penny doubled over.
"Mom are you alright?"
Penny straightened with a grimace rubbing her heart. She knew she didn't have much time left. She just needed enough to complete this last task. Just put the letter with her will so the girls didn't have to worry about it's contents until after the funeral.
"Leo. Leo" Leo wasn't technically her Whitelighter. Never had been, although they had been friends for many years. He had, however, become her unofficial Whitelighter after Patty had died and Penny had refused to work with her own. Sam may have been responsible for Patty, but Natalie had known her her entire life. She should have been watching and helping.
A stream of blue and white lights cut off Penny's thoughts. The lights faded after a second to reveal a good-looking young man with dark blonde hair and green eyes. He turned to Penny with a smile.
"Penny, what can I do for you?"
Penny smile back in response. Leo had been so good to her for so many years. With Leo she felt safe and always knew she could just be herself. She could be vulnerable with him. Something she refused to be with anyone else.
"Leo, I just wanted to thankyou for everything. Promise me you'll always look after my girls. And not just as their Whitelighter, but as their friend. With everything that they're going to go through they're going to need all the friends they can get."
Leo laughed quietly. "Penny you know you don't have to ask." Then he looked up, focusing on something only he could hear. "I'm sorry Penny I have to go." He looked at her sadly for a moment before stepping forward to hug her tightly. "I'm going to miss you."
Penny held on for a second longer before pushing him away. "Just don't you forget me to soon." She wasn't all that concerned that he would. They had been to close for to long.
Leo laughed again. "I don't think anyone who has ever met you could forget you. You're just far to memorable for your own good." Then he vanished into the blue and white lights as quickly as he'd come.
Penny looked around the attic after Leo left and spotted the Book Of Shadows on the stand a few feet away. Raising her arm and pointing two fingers at the Book, she used her power of telekinesis to lift the Book into the air and placed it into a trunk closing the lid. Lowering her arm she turned to her daughter. Picking up one of the candles that helped to bring Patty to her she said "It wont be much longer. Good night my darling."
Patty smiled with a touch of sadness. "Goodnight Mom. I'll see you soon."
Penny blew out the candle and Patty vanished in a swirl of golden lights.
Holding the letter tightly in her hand, Penny took a last look around. She would never see the attic again as a living being. The thought saddened her. So much had happened in this room. But that was the past now. There wasn't much more of the future. She couldn't waste any time.
Leaving the attic she closed the door and used her power to lock it. The girls weren't ready for what lay in wait for them there. In time they would find their way in. But for now they had other things to focus on.
Walking to the stairs she felt another pain in her chest. 'Not yet' she thought. 'I need a little bit longer.' But just as the pain began to fade another hit stronger then ever. Doubling over she lost her balance and fell down the stairs.
As Penny's body came to a stop at the bottom her own spirit formed as see-through as her daughter had been just a minute before. Next to her formed a man dressed completely in black. He held out his hand to her. "It's time." Footsteps sounded along the hall.
Penny watched sadly as her second granddaughter Piper found her body.
"Prue! Phoebe!" Piper shouted in a panic.
Penny could do nothing to help. Instead she took the outstretched hand of the Angel of Death and knew no more.
Prue came running up to Piper's side. "Grams! Grams!" She tried to wake her grandmother but it was to late. Together the sisters started crying. Piper held Penny to her tightly. Her Grams had always been there. When their father left, when their mother died. It had been Grams that looked after them, raised them from small children to the women they are now. Piper had only a few memories of her mother. Phoebe had none. Grams was the only one they really knew. Except Prue. But even for the eldest sister it was like losing their mother all over again.
"What's that?" Prue was looking at Penny's hand. In it was a crumpled envelope. Prue carefully removed it from Penny's grip. When she saw what was written on it she cried even harder.
"We need to make some calls. Grams had everything planned. All we have to do is get it started." That was Prue, ever practical no matter the situation.
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Two hours later Penny had been removed to the funeral home. Phoebe had returned home just as the ambulance left. Now all three sisters sat in the kitchen staring at the envelope on the table.
"Should we open it now or do we wait? I mean- what do we do?" Phoebe asked.
"We might as well open it now" said Prue and picked up the letter. Carefully unfolding it she took a deep breath. Then she started to read the letter aloud.
"My Darling Girls,
I'm so sorry that I had to leave you already. Believe me it wasn't my idea. There was so much that I wanted to do and see before this. Like seeing you all become wives and mothers. Sadly that wasn't meant to be. You know that I love you more than anything in this world. No matter the disagreements that have occurred between us and what is to come never forget that.
I know that you will be angry with what I have to tell you and I don't blame you for it. At the time we thought that we were doing the right thing. All these years later I still think that to an extent. And now that I have worried you so completely I will tell you what I am talking about. There is now easy way to say this so here goes-
You have another sister. Her name is Paige. She was born on August 2nd 1977. She has a different father to you girls. He was someone your mother cared for greatly. They had known each other for some years before getting involved. She was loved greatly by your mother and her father but they couldn't keep her. Your Mother and I didn't tell you for reasons that I can't go into right now. I understand that this is greatly confusing and that you will be angry but Paige is still family. Don't be mad at her as she has no idea who her family is. The reasons for your Mother giving her up may still exist or they may not. Only time will tell. If you choose to get in touch with her the information is in this letter. She doesn't know that I've kept an eye on her over the years. I'm sorry that we never told you but we thought we were doing the right thing.
What you decide on next is entirely up to you.
Remember always that you are loved, not just by me but by your Mother as well.
Blessed Be, My Darlings.
Grams."
The sisters stared at each other in shock after Prue put the letter down. Whatever they had been expecting this was not it. Phoebe was the first to speak.
"We have another sister? Why- Why wouldn't they have told us? Why did they give her up? What could have been so bad that they sent her away? And who is her Father? Prue, you remember Mom the most. Any clues?"
"None. I mean it was so long ago and I would only have been 6 almost 7 years old. And I don't understand why Mom gave her up either. But she loved us all so much there had to of been a good reason. Right?" She looked to Piper almost desperately.
"I don't know. Maybe. But if Grams thought the reason still might exist it had to be big. I have no idea what it could be though. But more importantly- Do we find her? Do we tell her we're her family? She may not even know that she's adopted. And how would we explain why she was given up and not us? And we don't even know who her Father is. What could we tell her?"
Phoebe had picked up the letter and was reading it again.
"Grams is right about one thing Piper. Well two things actually. First Paige is family. Now that we know about her do you honestly think we can just walk away and pretend that we don't know anything?"
Prue and Piper both nodded in agreement. Then Piper asked "What's the other thing Grams was right about?
"Oh you know, just that I'm pretty dammed mad that we were never told! I just don't get how she never told us about Paige and then leaves it until after she dies so that we can't even yell at her!" Phoebe stoped suddenly as she realised that yes Grams was dead and would never be coming back. She tried to fight back the tears with little success. Piper stood and walked around to her little sister and hugged her as she too started crying again.
"Look on the bright side. At least you wont be the youngest anymore and Prue will have someone else to boss around." Phoebe laughed at that while Prue tried to look angry but ended up laughing instead.
"She's right Phoebs. But there is one other thing we haven't considered. What if Paige doesn't want to know us? For all we know she's got a great life going for her and doesn't want to change anything." Piper and Phoebe paused as they thought about Prue's concerns.
"But we have to try guys" Phoebe stated. "It's Paige's choice if she want's to know us or not. But she can't make that choice if she isn't given all the information. Great life or no."
Prue and Piper nodded in agreement.
"Alright, we tell her then. Grams left all the details in the letter. Where do we find her?" asked Piper.
Prue took the letter out of Phoebe's hand ignoring her loud "Hey!" Turning to the last piece of paper she found what she wanted. "San Francisco University. She's staying in the main dorms."
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The next morning all three sisters were up early. To early for Phoebe's liking but she couldn't sleep. She walked into the kitchen where Prue and Piper already sat and headed straight for the coffee.
"Couldn't sleep either huh?" asked Piper.
"No. I kept thinking about Grams and Paige. We're going to have to go through Grams things now don't we? And there's the funeral. I was wondering when are we going to talk to Paige? Do we do it straight away or wait for after the funeral?"
Prue answered first. "Grams already had everything organised about the funeral. You know how much she liked to control everything."
"You come by it honestly. Good to know." Phoebe laughed while Prue ignored Piper's interruption.
"There are some calls we should make. Like to Aunt Gail. Let her know about Grams ourselves. The funeral wont be for another four days. Think we can wait that long?"
Prue looked at her sisters waiting for their response. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other before Phoebe answered.
"I for one can't wait that long. Besides, at least it will give us something to do. And maybe Paige will want to attend as well. She may not have known Grams, but Grams was still her grandmother. Again, Paige's choice."
Prue and Piper nodded.
"Right, so we make the calls and then go and meet Paige. Meet here ready to go in two hours?" Prue asked. Piper and Phoebe agreed and everyone left to get ready for the day ahead.