Author's Note: Hey everyone, this is a sequel to my story Blessed Be. I don't own any of the original characters, but Brody, Phaedra, Pilar, Priti, Priya, New Prue, Gray, Brody and any new characters are creations of my own imagination. I hope you like this story, and I am still revealing pieces of info about what made Prue leave all those years ago. I'm not sure if that will be resolved in this story or the next, and italicized passages are memories of the past.
"Brody," Prue called as she wheeled her suitcase to her terminal. Tonight was the night all her plans had culminated into action. The past week had opened a flood gate of memories and feelings that for once, Prue had no control over. The ever mindful, dutiful Prue had made a decision.
"Brody," she called again to the boy she had refused to let go. He was only twenty feet away, and finally hearing her call, he turned to look at the girl who had broken his heart not once or twice, or any measurable amount. Every day she didn't trust him with her secret, his heart had a new rip or tear from the suffocating love Brody felt for his girl next door.
"Prue," the young man said with a raspy, low voice. "What are you doing here?"
"Prue? Prue! What are you doing here," Christopher Perry Halliwell asked his cousin.
Since his little sister Melinda had moved out of the manor in only two days after moving in, Chris had spent the past month restoring the ancestral living place for whoever might occupy it next. There was fresh paint on all the walls, new stain on the molding and doors and Chris was officially done with all the big repairs. All that was left to do was to change some of the electric outlet covers. He had been in the middle of doing that when he heard someone come in, and looked up to see his little cousin there.
"I'm so sorry, Chris. I just blanked out for a moment. I'm not use to seeing the manor in such great shape. It's really beautiful; you've done a marvelous job."
"Thanks," Chris said as he wiped his hands off and moved to sit on the sofa. "So, what brings you by?"
"I came over to see if you would mind letting me use the manor to throw Porter's bridal shower," Prue explained. "The hall called me up and cancelled the contract I had with them because a water main burst and they won't be able to repair it by this weekend," she said, ending with a sigh. "This was the only place I could really think of and I think it would be really great to have Porter's shower here. She always said she wanted to get married in this house."
"You don't have to ask me, Prue. This is as much your home as it is mine. Of course you can use it for the shower."
"Thank you so much," she said and leaned down to hug Chris. "How's Gabby doing?"
"Ah, she's fine. A little slow moving around but surgery will do that to anyone." He chortled, "Who would've thought she'd need her tonsils out at 50 years old?"
"Well, I'll bet she's just glad to have that done and over with. How are the kids?"
"Ah, well. Victor is graduating a semester earlier than planned and is taking a study abroad program with the history department to the British Isles to study our Wiccan heritage. Brianna has decided to go to grad school in Boston and Helena is, well, she's being Helena and traveling god knows where for god knows what. That girl of mine is a hell raiser."
"I can see where she gets it from," Prue joked with her cousin. "I do seem to remember growing up on the stories of a certain witch and whitelighter hybrid that traveled back in time to save the future of the entire world and his family."
"Uh," Chris began to groan. "Technically, that wasn't even me. It was alternate time line that hasn't happened for me. I don't even get to remember that other life."
Chris would forever remain bashful and modest in regard to his past life. While he knew he was an extremely powerful witch and was one to be reckoned with, growing up in the shadow of a legend who would never get the chance to be was something that Chris had long ago decided was not a reflection of who he was. Growing up, he had been a bit of a hell raiser; doing what he did best, hunting down the things that go bump in the night.
Having walked to the beat of his own drum, rather than what he felt was expected of him to be the family savior, Chris had spent his teen years in search of who he was in this timeline. He was the only one in the family who didn't see that his search for his self-identity had revealed what everyone else had expected. While he may be leading a different life now, and many of the key events of his past life had not happened and hadn't affected the Chris that the family respected, inside he was still the same Chris that the aunts had known all those years ago. He was just a lot more relaxed and less insecure about where he stood in relation to Wyatt.
Prue was always surprised that her favorite cousin and protector had it in him to be bashful. She was used to him being down right cocky and militant in his Wiccan duties.
As she stood to leave, she gave Chris a kiss on the cheek. "I do remember a few times when you astral projected at night to all those crazy parties your mom forbade you to attend. Give the girl a break. Helena will come around."
"I hope you're right. It's just weird that I have a 26 year old daughter who has no idea what she wants from life, or the fact that my children have yet to form their own power of three."
"They're just late bloomers. Eventually Helena will come home, and Brianna and Vick will be there to help her. She just needs to get all her geese in a row. When she's ready, she'll come home."
"I'm just afraid that they won't ever have the type of bond that I had with Wyatt and Mel."
"Chris, how can she be expected to form that kind of bond to her siblings if she can't even form an attachment to her own identity? I have a feeling that everything will fall into place. You just need to be patient."
Chris stood and walked Prue to the door. "I hope you're right."
"I am. Don't worry so much. You'll get old."
"Thanks," Chris said, bowing his head and crossing his arms. "That just makes me feel warm inside."
"Well, I just don't want to see Gabby leave you for a younger man. I mean, she still looks like she's thirty-five," Prue laughed as her cousin's face became stony.
"Y'know what? Get out of my house," Chris said feigning hurt and anger. "I don't think I want you having your shower here."
"Too late, you already said I could. Don't make me sick Mel on ya!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get going already. I'll drag out all the tables for the shower for you if you'll just stop distracting me already."
Prue held her hands up, offering up a fake peace offering. "Alright, I've got to get back to the gallery anyway to pick up Pearl."
As she walked through the threshold, she turned her head to look about halfway down Prescott street to see the house that she shared with Brody.
She looked at his house again. No, it was their house now. Prue looked at the ring on her finger. Just then, she felt Brody's arms wrap around her waist and his lips press against her cheeks.
"You're not the girl next door anymore, are you?"
"No, I guess I'm not," Prue said before she was scooped up into Brody's arms and she began to giggle as he carried her over the threshold.
"How does it feel to be home," Brody asked his wife. His parents had recently moved to the East Coast and had left Brody the house that he had grown up in.
"It feels right." Prue turned around in Brody's embrace and kissed him. "I've always known where I belong. With you," she said as she looked up into his eyes.