Disclaimer: I don't own charmed :(
Note: Flashbacks are written in italics
Chapter 1: Where are we going?
Looking out of the car window, Pheobe said "Wow this could be in a movie..." as she lost herself once again in her daydreams, staring off into the grand mountains that flashed by her face. Her older sisters Piper and Prue ignored her, as they usually do. "Don't you guys think that this could potentially be in a movie?" she asked once again. But once again, her sisters ignored her. Pheobe had dreams off going to hollywood one day, becoming this famous, pampered star, maybe gain a few stalkers or two.
Prue paid for the car, but Piper was driving it, manoeveuring it through the dangerous mountain paths, and across the deserted highways. Of course, if you could even call it a car. Pheobe though it was a pile of junk. A two hundred and fifty dollar box on wheels. It groaned each time they went up hill and the brakes screeched each time they went down hill. 'It would be amazing if it could even get us halfway to where we're going.' she thought.
"Guys where exactly are we going?" she wondered outloud. She didn't really expect an answer from her sisters, and again, she never got one. Suddenly Prue spoke to her for the first time since they had left Prescot Street.
"We're going away" she replied shortly
"Well thank you for stating this obvious--"
"We're going away from your father" Prue cut her younger sister off sharply
There was another few seconds of silence before anyone spoke again
"You know...he's your father too..." Pheobe added softly. As soon as those words left her mouth, she wished they hadn't
"He's dead to me the day he walked out on us" Prue snapped, blinking back tears. She glanced out the window and watched the sky grow dark, rain clouds, she thought, before losing herself within the depths of her own mind.
"Daddy! Daddy!" a ten year old Prue ran up to her father's outstreched arms.
"Hey! How's my baby girl?" he said, setting down his heavy briefcase.
"Grams had a little accident in the livingroom today!"
"What happened?" his tone was suddenly dark and stern.
"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me what happened, but look!" Little Prue said, pointing to the mess left in the living room. The glass flower vase that Victor had given Patty the anniversary before their divorce laid shattered in pieces on the flower, a dark patch surronded it on the carpet where the water had spilted. The couch was ruined, patches of soot covered the once luxurious sofa. Family portaits had fallen and laid shattered on the floor as well.
"Penny..." he started, but stopped himself. "Prue, take your sisters upstairs"
"But Papa---"
"NOW!" he yelled. He put her down outside and shut the door.
"THIS HAPPENED AGAIN! THAT'S TWICE IN THREE WEEKS! HOW CAN YOU LET YOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS LIVE LIKE THIS?" Prue heard her dad shout at Grams. She ran upstairs as fast as her legs would carry her, skipping two steps at a time.
"Piper! Piper!" she cried bursting into her younger sister's room.
"What?" she said looking up from her book.
"Dad and Grams again!" Prue cried breathlessly. Piper threw down her book and ran out the door following her older sister. The two girls ran downstairs and hid on the stair case, watching the closed door with frightened, tearful eyes.
"THAT WAS HOW PATTY DIED! THE GIRLS HAVE NO MOTHER NOW DO YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE NO GRAMS EITHER? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"
"Of course not Victor, but this is their destiny, this is who they are, who they're meant to be!" She equally as loud
"I'm scared Prue" Piper whispered, her tears now streaming down her face.
"It's ok Pepper...It's just another arguement like always...everything is gonna be fine..." she said, but deep inside Prue knew that this was it. This was the final straw.
"FINE! I CAN'T BE AROUND THEM LIKE THIS YOU'RE PUTTING MY GIRL'S LIVES AND YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Victor said opening the door to the living room. He grabbed his briefcase and walked out the front door.
"Daddy?" Prue cried. But he never came back.
"Prue? Prue!" Piper said shaking her out of her dreams.
"Yea?" she said prying her eyes away from the scenery and turned to face her nineteen-year-old sister.
"We're almost out of gas" Piper stated softly, nodding her head towards the dashboard.
"Keep driving we're almost there"
"But--"
"Just keep driving!" she snapped.
"Why are we even going to where we're going?" Pheobe asked
"Why do we have to move?" Pheobe whined. Piper turned her head also, looking to Prue for answers
"We're not moving" she replied simply, recieving confused glances from her younger siblings. "Just think of it as a vacation...a very long vacation."
"Where are we going?"
"Um...well...Mom's Dad left us a place somewhere up north, it's a little cottage thingy."
"We have a grandfather?" Piper asked with eyes wide open.
"Yea, apparently we do. Trust me, I was equally as shocked when I found out."
"Well, why can't we just tell them no thank you to cottage and just stay here?" Pheobe persisted
"BECAUSE VICTOR'S BACK AND THE STUPID FREAKING COURTS GAVE HIM RIGHTS TO THE HOUSE NOW THAT HE'S BACK" Prue wanted to so desperately shout those words at her sisters. She needed to express her hate for him. Instead, she forced a smile and said "Because I think we need a change of scenery, don't you?" she asked, walking towards the car and setting the last of their belongings in the trunk.
"Is this it?" Piper said, slowly pulling the car into the driveway of a deserted, run down cottage.
"I guess so."
"Ew...I'm not going in that, it looks haunted." Pheobe said. But she followed her sisters out of the car.
"Not really, with a coat of paint it'll look as good as new." Prue said optimistically.
"It's a dump" Piper objected.
The three girls cautiously walked up to the front of the cottage. The steps creaked slightly, threatening to break any minute.
"Try opening it." Piper suggested. Prue took out the numerous keys they had recieved in the mail.
"Please sign here, Ms Halliwell."
"What is it?" Prue asked as she quickly scribbled her signature.
"Beats me" the delivery boy shrugged.
"Thanks" Prue said as she shut the door. She held the package up to her ear and shook it. "Sounds like keys" she muttered to herself. She quickly tore open the box and out fell a dozen keys and a smaller manila envelope. She tore that one open and quickly scanned the letter.
Dear Ms. Halliwell
We regret to inform you that your Grandfather, Arthur Halliwell has recently passed away. Stated in his will, it was his wishes to leave to yours and your sister's inheirtance rights to his fortune and Cottage. Enclosed are the keys to his estate.
"It's stuck" Prue said as she shoved a random key into the keyhole.
"Try wriggling it" Piper suggested.
"No it's the wrong key" Prue said as she tried another one. She began fidgeting with it.
"Move over! Lemme try" Pheobe said pushing her sisters out of the way. She started wriggling it.
"Pheobe don't force it" Piper cried
"Ok Pheobe it's the wrong key" Prue snapped shoving her aside.
"Don't push me!" Pheobe cried, angry at her sister for her blunt attitude. She tried to pry Prue's fingers from the key. But her grip was tight
"Stop it Pheobe!"
"Guys! The key's gonna---"
SNAP!
"--break...the key's gonna break" Piper stated.
"Great! Thanks to you we have half a key stuck in the hole" Prue said stomping down the steps. "How do you expect us to get in now Freebie?"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Pheobe threatened.
"Ohhh I'm so scared" Prue mocked.
"Guys stop it!" Piper screamed. "We'll just have to find another way in." she said walking around to the back of the cottage. "Oh WOW! Guys you have to take a look at this!" Piper cried in amazement. For miles, all the three sisters could see was lake, water, and more water. Peaceful water, water that made the three bickering sisters silent. In the middle of it, there were geeses and swans floating gracefully on the surface. Surrounding the lake was a thick forrest. To one side, they noticed a smaller house. "I guess that would be his boat house" Piper pointed. Across the water they could see other cottages on the other side, their lights lit, cozy and inviting, unlike theirs. It was the only one on the lake that looked abandoned.
"Our grandfather owned a lake?" Pheobe asked in amazement
"Looks like it. Or part of one at least" Piper said, acknowledging the other cottages.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Pheobe cried
"What?...No...No no no no...Pheobe" Prue began
"LET'S GO SWIMMING!" she cried, taking off for the dock.
"Get your ass back here right now!" Prue screamed
Pheobe muttered to herself. She hated it when Prue acted more like their mother than their sister. "Why can't I go swimming?" she asked
"Because I said so! Now are you gonna come back here yourself or am I gonna have to go down there and get you?" Prue asked. Pheobe sighed and stomped her way back to her two older sisters. "I hate you" she spat.
Prue ignored her latest comment. "We're sleeping in the car tonight." she stated.
"Why?" Pheobe asked, throwing her a dirty look.
"Do I have to remind you that you're the one who broke the key."
"It was one key that didn't even work anyways." she countered
"Well! Unless you can find a way to get us in, we are sleeping in the car."
AN: So how do you like it? I have no idea where this story is going, just a random idea that popped into my head. But please review anyways. Thanks :)