Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction

Have you ever read or even heard of the book Jacob Two Two and the Hooded Fang...? great story written by a Canadian author. Well that story insprired this fic... Google it. and read it if you have children. Its GREAT!!

Nightmares or Reality

She had not slept in what felt like weeks, but yet it was only three days, for she was afraid of the same nightmare. It came every night and haunted her every the day. What did it mean she did not know, but she knew that one day she would, and when that day came she would wish it never had.

Again, as she had many nights before, she walked quietly down the steps to not wake her sisters. Putting on the kettle she made a cup of tea. It was something that her grandmother had taught her when she couldn't sleep. Making her way to the solarium she sat with her tea as her mind drifted to younger, carefree days. When her sisters and her had no worries. They had no demons to deal with whether in real life or in their dreams

She had managed to keep her sleepless nights away from her sisters thus far, but for how much longer she did not know. Piper was usually at the club till late and Prue was either on a late photoshoot or an early one, hence she was in bed early. Leaving Phoebe to figure out her nightmare alone. Right now though she didn't mind, she didn't want to worry them. They had their own lives to live and she did not want to bother them with a silly little nightmare.

Piper walked up to the Manor after she closed P3 for another night. She noticed the light on towards the back of the house and was wondering who could be up at that hour. Secretly she hoped it was Leo waiting up, though she doubted it as he was with a new charge lately and somehow she had a feeling that it was one of her sisters, and most likely Phoebe. She knew that something had been keeping her baby sister awake at nights, and she intended to find out that night.

Phoebe sat in the solarium flipping through pictures of their past. She hoped that somewhere would give her the answers she needed.

"Phoebe?" Piper walked into the solarium and made her way towards her youngest sister, "What are you doing up at this hour? Don't you have classes tomorrow?"

"Hey Piper." Phoebe looked uo at her sister, "Yeah I do. I just couldn't sleep."

"Oh? You want to talk about it?" Piper asked as she sat in beside her sister

"No. I'll work it out. Thanx though." Phoebe looked back to the album in front of her

"Phoebe." Piper started. "You can't keep things from Prue and I. We're here for you and you have to start realizing that."

"I do Piper, but right now it's ok. If it gets any worse I'll let you two know, I promise."

"Phoebe." Piper looked at her sister unconvinced

"Piper I'm fine, really. Now go to bed." Phoebe said a bit harsher then she intended. It was just that now she wanted to deal with this on her own. For she had a feeling that she was meant to.

"Phoebe."

"Piper I'm fine really. It's just a little insomnia. It'll pass in a few days, it always does."

"Ok, but you know that you can come to us if anything is wrong right?""

"Yes I do. Now go to bed." Phoebe said as she kissed Piper on the cheek. "Do me a favour?" she looked at Piper with hope.

"Depends." Piper answered having a feeling she knew what Phoebe was going to ask her.

"Don't tell Prue yet about this. I need to figure things out first." she added in quickly before PIper could say anything.

"Phoebe." Piper said in disappointment

"Please."

Piper looked at Phoebe with her own version of the Mother look. "Ok, but you had better tell her by Friday night, or I will."

Phoebe gauged her big sisters look and she knew she meant it. She had two days to tell Prue or Piper would. "Ok. Deal." She agreed. "Now will you go to bed?"

"I will if you come with me."

"Won't that cramp Leo's style." She said with a cocky grin.

"No." Piper told he,r as she hit Phoebe playfully. "Come on you. Leo is away for the next week, and you need some sleep." She grabbed Phoebes arm and pulled her towards the stairs.

"Piper."

"Phoebe. Shhh, don't argue with me, that is final. Now come on." Piper said pulling her sister behind her

A few minutes later Phoebe snuggled close to her sister, hoping that her nightmare would not return. She knew that in the arms of her sister she would be soon fast asleep. Both her sisters had this knack of getting her to fall asleep quickly. They always had.

As the night crept by, the nightmare haunted her mind once again. She tossed and turned trying to avoid it from her sleep, but she could not. It was there and she could not get rid of it that easily.

What she saw scared her even more. It was the site of small children crying in the night, and in the day. Praying that someone would come and save them and soon. They did not know how much more they could endure. Some where sick and frail and others trudged along.

As she tossed trying to get away from her nightmare she saw something that she never even thought was possible. There, in the corner of a child's hell she saw something that she was not expecting: herself tucked away in the corner of the prison. What seemed like a prison for children. The only thing was; she too was but a child of only five.

Waking, Piper took hold of Phoebe trying to get her to calm down. All she got in return was more tossing and kicking from her sister, as she tried to break free.

"No. No please, I'll be good. Please not that." Phoebe whispered out, as Piper looked on helpless

"Phoebe. Phoebe wake up."

Suddenly Phoebe awoke with a start. "NOOO!!" she screamed out as Piper went to her.

At the touch, Phoebe recoiled and leaped off the bed. Crunching down into the corner she pulled her knees up to her chest and starred at a spot on the floor, rocking herself back and forth.

Down the hall, at the sound of her sisters' scream, Prue leaped out of bed and down the hall to her sisters room. To her surprise she was not there. Turning she went to Pipers room but the site before her not only shocked her but scared her. As she saw Piper gently talking to Phoebe who was curled up in a ball sitting in the corner. "Piper?"

"I don't know Prue."

Bending down to Phoebe on the floor Prue reached out to her. Only to have her recoil back even further to the wall. "Phoebe sweetie. What is it?" Prue asked not daring to move again.

The only thing she got in reply was her sister rocking and repeating the same thing over and over. "No. I'll be good. Pwease don't hit me."

Prue and Piper shared a look of concern.

"What's going on Prue?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out."