Disclaimer- Charmed and all related characters belong to Aaron Spelling and Connie Burge, those great people… anyway, don't sue me please, this is what comes from sitting at home during winter break when everyone else is out skiing in Switzerland on back in the States. Oh yeah, Ashley, Prue (Turner), Peter, Victoria, Samantha, Sara, and William belong to me. Melinda was already created by the show.
Phoebe stepped over a broken lamp and walked silently down the hall, stepping where she knew there were no creaks. She reached the first door in the hall and turned the handle gently, peering in on her youngest child, Ashley who was sleeping peacefully with her teddy bear beside her.
"Ash, wake up sweetie," Phoebe whispered. The girl opened her eyes and looked at her mother questioningly.
" We're going on a trip, so get dressed OK?" Ashley nodded and Phoebe shut the door again, heading silently to the next room. The twins, Prue and Peter, shared this. Peter woke up as soon as the door opened.
" He did it again, didn't he?" he asked, climbing the ladder of the bunk bed and laying a hand on his sister's shoulder. " Prue, we're leaving."
" Again? OK." Knowing they would be ready, Phoebe shut the door and went to the last room, that of her middle child, Vicky.
" Victoria," she whispered, coming into the room and shaking her daughter gently.
" We're leaving? Dad did it again? Why does this always happen?" she asked, getting out of bed and walking over to her dresser.
" I'm not sure honey," Phoebe said. It was tearing her apart inside to think of what her children were going through.
" Go help Ashley, I'm OK. I'll meet you in her room in five minutes," Victoria whispered. Phoebe nodded and stood up. She retraced her steps down the hall to Ashley's room and entered silently.
" Mommy?" Ashley asked, stuffing some clothes into her backpack.
" What sweetie?" Phoebe said as she knelt next to her daughter and helped pack some clothes.
" Why do we have to leave now? There's only…" she paused and looked at her Advent calendar. " Ten days until Christmas!"
" I know you're upset but we can't stay here. We'll go to San Francisco and spend Christmas with Aunt Piper, Uncle Leo, Aunt Paige, and all your cousins! How does that sound?" Phoebe asked. This was the first time she had actually considered leaving Los Angeles.
" Really? OK," Ashley said. The door opened and Phoebe jumped but realized it was only Vicky and the dog, Sandy.
" I'm ready, I checked on Dad, he's still out cold on the bed. Should I get Prue and Peter?" she asked, putting her bag on the floor.
" No need, we're here," Prue said quietly, entering the room with Peter not far behind.
" Alright, now we're going to go downstairs and head to the main road. We'll get a cab to the airport and I'll call Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo from there," Phoebe explained.
" Traveling buddies as always?" Peter suggested. Phoebe just nodded.
" Ash, come with me sweetie," she said. She opened the door and the two headed silently down the hall to the bedroom where Cole was sleeping.
" Can you freeze him for me?" Phoebe asked, cringing as she did. She knew how hard it was to use your powers on someone you loved. Ashley just nodded though and held up her hands. The room froze. Phoebe walked into the room and packed a few things, scribbling a note to Cole, walking out, and shutting the door. The rest of her children were gathered at the foot of the stairs. They headed in the chosen direction in silence and eventually they arrived at the airport. Phoebe went straight to the information desk and asked when the next flight to San Francisco was.
" At 2:30 tomorrow afternoon ma'am," the woman told her.
" I'd like to book five tickets, one adult and four children. Oh, and a spot for my dog," she ordered. The woman nodded and typed something into the computer.
" OK, here are your tickets," the lady said handing over the tickets. Phoebe walked away and motioned for her children to join her.
" Our flight is tomorrow, right now we'll go to a hotel and spend the night, OK?" Phoebe asked. Four heads nodded sleepily. She led the way to the hotel, which was conveniently located in the airport. She got the only room available for a reasonable price and headed in the direction the clerk had indicated.
" This is it mom," Peter said, stopping at the door they had just passed.
" Oh, right." Phoebe blushed as she inserted the key and held the door open while the kids trooped in.
" Prue can you help Ashley get ready? I need to get changed myself and make a phone call." Prue nodded and sat Ashley on the bed, taking her bag and going through it, looking for some pajamas. Peter took the bathroom since he was the only guy and Victoria stood opposite Prue, giving Phoebe the other side of the tiny two-bedroom room. Phoebe picked up the phone and read the directions to make an outside call. She then dialed Piper's number.
" Hello?" Piper's sleepy voice asked.
" Piper-" Phoebe stopped. She couldn't speak. The horror of what was happening hit her for the first time.
" Oh my God, Phoebe! Did Cole hit you?" Piper asked.
" No, not this time. He threw a lamp at me instead," Phoebe said carefully. She saw Victoria's back tense and Prue's head snap up.
" Oh Phoebe, that's horrible! Where are you? Are you safe? Are the kids OK?" Piper's stream of questions almost made Phoebe smile. Almost.
" We're all fine Piper, we're in a hotel in the airport and I booked us on a flight to San Francisco for tomorrow," Phoebe explained.
" You'll come and stay with us at the manor. The kids will love it, it'll be great to have everyone together for Christmas!" Piper rushed.
" Yeah. It'll be really fun, we're looking forward to it. Our flight should arrive at 3:00 tomorrow; see you then? Oh, and we're flying American," Phoebe added. They exchanged farewells and hung up.
" Mom, there's only two beds," Ashley pointed out.
" I know. Vicky and Prue, you can share that bed and Ash you can sleep with me, and Peter," she turned to her son who had just emerged form the bathroom. " You can sleep on the floor." Peter nodded and Phoebe helped him get some blankets out of the closet and set him up with a pillow in the corner.
" Come here Sandy," Peter said, patting the space beside him. The golden retrievers lumbered over and lie down beside the boy.
" Good night everyone, I love you all," Phoebe said, yawning and crawling into bed, spooning the small body of Ashley. There was a scattered reply and then silence as everyone in the room fell into a deep sleep.
In the morning, Phoebe hurried to get everyone ready to leave and they left their room for a quick breakfast split between McDonalds and Burger King.
" Mommy, Vicky stole a French toast stick!" Ashley whined.
" Vick, you know better! Give her a piece of your hash brown," Phoebe ordered through a mouthful of a sausage and egg sandwich. Victoria complied with a look of contempt and avoided Ashley for the rest of the meal. Prue and Peter were talking about politics for no particular reason and completely ignored their siblings as if it was below them to associate with someone younger.
" Mom, I'm sitting next to you on the plane," Vicky said when they were walking back to the room.
" OK," Phoebe said but was covered by the voice of Ashley.
" Are not, you know I always sit by Mommy on the plane!"
" Stop being such a stupid baby all the time!" Victoria cried as she stormed off in the opposite direction.
" Take them back to the room Peter," Phoebe ordered, throwing the keys at him and racing after Vicky. She found her sitting on a bench outside the Disney Store.
" Victoria," Phoebe said, sitting next to her.
" She gets all the attention! It's not fair, she's already 6 and you all still act like she's 3!" Vicky yelled.
" I know it's hard being the middle child, and I know it doesn't seem like a big deal that your only 2 years older but that's a big difference. Look at it this way, would you want me to let her go to sleep over when you only had your first one last year? Or how about if she could go to PG movies with her friends alone?"
" No, but what does that have to do with this?" Vicky asked, calming down.
" You're saying I treat Ash like she's too young and I should treat her older but she's not old enough to be treated like I treat you. You see what I'm saying?" Vicky nodded.
" I looked like a baby back there didn't I?" she asked, smiling a little.
" Well, a bit but no one says you have to act like a grown up," Phoebe replied.
" OK, let's go back to the room now," Vicky said, standing up. Phoebe followed suit and they headed back to the hotel. When they arrived, Vicky apologized profusely and offered to let Ashley reclaim her seat. Ashley declined however saying that she would rather sit next to Vicky since the seating arrangement was three seats across the aisle from the two seats the twins would share. When all that was sorted out, it was time to head to the gate. They boarded the plane with no problem and it left on time. They landed at the airport in San Francisco to a welcoming party of Piper's entire family minus Leo and the new baby William. They squeezed into Piper's minivan and a cab. Phoebe went in the cab with Ashley and Sara, who were both six, and Vicky and Samantha who were eight. Piper took Melinda, Peter, and Prue in her van with the dog. They arrived at the house to find Leo and Paige plus Kit and William although Will was asleep upstairs. When the sleeping arrangements were taken care of, the settled in the dining room for a delicious meal and conversation. Once the kids had all gone to bed except for Melinda and the twins who had retired to their room for conversation, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, and Leo sat in the living room.
" I'm going to apply for an annulment," Phoebe announced. Everyone looked at her. " I've been thinking about it since we boarded the plane and I think it's for the best. I'm going to move nearby and get a job."
" That's awesome Phoebe!" Leo exclaimed.
" Yeah, really great," Piper and Paige echoed.
" The kids will like it here, don't you think?" Phoebe asked.
" Yeah, of course!" Piper confirmed. So that settled it then, she would apply the next day.
With Christmas fast approaching and the pressing questions about Santa knowing where they were, Phoebe hurried to get her shopping done. With the help of everyone, she managed and was woken up on Christmas morning by her children as always. The living room was nearly overflowing with gifts and it took them about three hours to get through it all. When they had finally had the chance to sit down for coffee, everyone was happy. As everyone shoveled food onto their plates and into their mouths, Phoebe heard the mail slot open and jumped up to see what it was. She opened the envelope addressed to her and pulled out the papers inside. Her request for an annulment had been granted and Cole had been contacted.
" I got it!" Phoebe exclaimed, walking back to the dining room.
" Got what?" Prue asked.
" The annulment papers!" Phoebe explained.
" Annulment papers?" Peter jumped up and ran upstairs closely followed by Prue and Melinda.
" How could you Mom?" Victoria asked. Her eyes filled with tears and Phoebe had the strange sensation that Cole's eyes were staring at her rather than her daughters.
" What's an annulment Mommy?" Ashley asked.
" It's a fancy word that means Mommy and Daddy won't live together anymore and that we'll never see Daddy again," Victoria said evilly.
" Victoria Elizabeth Turner! Go upstairs now!" Phoebe yelled, pointing to the stairs. Vicky stood and ran to her room.
" Is that true Mommy?" Ashley asked shakily.
" No, not at all. Daddy has a lot of problems though, but he loves you. He just needs to sort himself out and if he does that then you can visit him," Phoebe explained.
" But you won't live with Daddy anymore?"
" No, we'll buy a nice house here though and you can come see your cousins whenever you want."
" Phoebe, I think you need to go talk to Vicky," Piper said quietly, gesturing to the window. It was snowing. Phoebe jumped up and sprinted up to the room Vicky shared with Samantha.
" Vicky, stop it now!" Phoebe yelled through the door. Victoria had the power to control the weather but the same rules as with spells and other magic applied to these powers, no use for personal gain.
" No!" Vicky yelled. Phoebe opened the door and walked into the room. Vicky was sitting on the window seat and staring out at the snow she had created.
" Sweetie," Phoebe said hesitantly.
" What? It's not fair! Remember last year at Christmas when we went to Colorado? Daddy took me and Ashley out and taught us to ski, why would he change so fast?"
" Your dad is different but he's been that way for a long time. You know how he had to leave early and he told you it was for business?" Vicky nodded. " Well, I really ordered him to leave because he almost took Ashley and ran away with her."
" Seriously?" Vicky asked. Phoebe nodded.
" He was very drunk and it makes him a different person," Phoebe explained.
" So what are we going to do now?"
" Move here. If your father can pull his act together, you can go and visit him on holidays and write to him and talk to him on the phone," Phoebe explained.
" OK, that sounds good. I like being here around Sammy and everyone else anyway," Victoria said.
" I'm glad, now go downstairs and make it stop snowing before someone gets suspicious." Vicky hopped off the window seat and ran downstairs while Phoebe headed to the room the twins were sharing with Melinda.
" You guys," Phoebe said, knocking on the door.
" We don't want to talk to you, go away!" Peter's voice yelled.
" No. Everyone else has calmed down and is acting mature except for you three! Melinda, your not even my daughter, why are you mad at me?"
" Because I liked Uncle Cole!"
" I know, but he isn't the same anymore!" Phoebe called through the door.
" What do you mean?" Prue asked. Phoebe explained, telling them the same story they had just told Victoria. Finally they opened the door and trooped downstairs. After they had finished helping clean up, they went to play in the remaining snow.
" I think they need a break," Phoebe said, peering out the window.
" Yeah, we all do," Piper replied.
" May I suggest something?" Leo asked. The two sisters nodded. " Rewind time and go to New York for Christmas, the kids would love it."
" Then I'd have to explain everything to them again!" Phoebe cried. Piper smiled and shook her head.
" I can do it so that they remember everything that happened," she said.
" Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!"
TBC, if you want to see what happens in NY, leave me a nice Christmas present by clicking the button below and reviewing my story!!!