Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction. The song belongs If I Saw You in Heaven to Eric Clapton
WARNING:: Make sure before you read this. You have a box of Kleenex, or tissue, what ever your word of choice is. You have been warned
Knight to Remember missing scene
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Piper sat on the couch, knowing what she had to do, and she only had a few days to do it in. She hadn't said anything to Phoebe about it since that day at Paige's apartment. She wasn't sure how her younger sister would take it. Even to her it seemed too soon. They both knew the rules and she was the first to break them a few weeks ago when she made the changes to P3. But this was bigger; much bigger.
Taking in a deep breath she got up and started for the stairs, towards a task she didn't really want to do for one main reason: It finalized Prue's death.
Pausing a moment outside the door she stepped back not really sure of what to do, but she knew she had to, as she closed her eyes and reached the door handle.
She had been in the room a few days ago, but somehow now seemed different. Knowing what she had to do made it seem more final. Taking in a deep breath she made her way across the room, running her hand gently across the top of the dresser as she took in everything she could. Reaching her sisters stereo she pushed the on button as the song cleared the speakers she sat and started to think about days gone by and that maybe this was wrong.
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
She wasn't even sure where to begin. She starred down at the empty boxes, her mind going numb. How do you gather up your big sisters belonging and store them forever? Knowing this was it. She wasn't coming back.
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Phoebe sat in her room with her stereo softly playing. She wasn't even listening to it till the one song came on. She starred over at the meld of plastic and metal, as her mind drifted away.
She recalled Piper and her talking in the kitchen, both knowing that Paige moving in was the best chance they had to survive. Some how the consequences to her seemed to high, to great.
When had they even really talked about this? It seemed to her, Piper had brought it up out of the blue one morning. She remembered her feelings as the words slammed into her. She wasn't ready to let go yet. This was Prue, her big sister, the only mother she knew. And now Piper was asking her to let it all go.
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
Phoebe looked over at the picture on the bedside table before taking in a deep breath and spinning her legs around to reach the floor. She had heard Piper walking up the stairs and knew where she had gone. She closed her eyes briefly as she stood up. She knew she couldn't let Piper face this alone, this was something they both had to face and deal with together. Something that both had to do.
She made her way to her own door and down the hall, to Prue's room. She remembered when Prue's was across from her. The memories of a child coming back, as she saw her tiny form making her way across the hall and hesitantly stepped into the room across from hers. Once again a bad dream had a woken her, as she looked for the comfort of her big sister, her mother.
She saw the door slightly ajar she placed her hand on the door handle. She wasn't sure if this was something she could do or not. It just seemed so final to her. She closed her eyes once more and pushed aside her own tears as she slowly pushed open the door.
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven
Piper had one box full and closed up before she started another. She hadn't even heard the door open behind her.
Phoebe stood a moment or two, "Need an hand Pipe?" her voice quiet and unsure.
Piper looked up and met Phoebes eyes. She saw the turmoil boiling inside her baby sister, the fight taking place to just be there.
"If you are up to it." Piper didn't budge from Phoebes eyes. She knew inside Phoebe was fighting the same battle she was, though maybe a little bit different.
Piper knew they each had their own special connection with Prue. To her she was friend and confidant. To Phoebe she was a mother, the mother she never had.
I'll find my way
Through night and day,
'Cause I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven.
Phoebe made her way into the room slowly. She half expected Prue to yell at her to get out. To her, for most of her life, Prue's room was out of bounds. Even though now it was a different room, didn't make the threat any less real.
At first she wasn't really sure what to do or where to put what. She knew Piper probably had a system for everything, and that was something she didn't wanna disturb. She found herself in front of the closet as she instinctively reached for the shoebox on the top shelf.
She pulled out one letter and read it to herself, as she soon found herself reading another and another. Each one with her name on the bottom. She pulled out drawings and more letters. Each one she had forced herself to open and look at or read. Though each one was bringing a fresh tear to her eyes.
Piper looked up and saw the expression on Phoebes face. She knew somewhere deep inside what Phoebe was going though. Yet she wasn't sure as to how deep the wound went.
Time can bring you down,
Time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart,
Have you begging please, begging please.
Phoebe held the drawing in her hand and read the words beside it. "I remember giving her this."
Piper slid over on the floor and looked at the paper in Phoebes hand. "Oh, so do I. When you broke her music box that Mum had given her."
"Yeah. She was so mad at me, I thought she was gonna kill me. So I sat in our room and did what I always did when I was little and we fought. I wrote her a little letter and drew her a picture of a music box and said that I would get her one just like it."
"I remember seeing her the next day. She pulled me in her room and showed me, she wasn't as mad anymore. She knew you were just looking at it, seeing something of Mums. She was almost crying at your letter. You were what? Seven then?"
"Six." Phoebe replied as she folded up the piece of paper and placed it back in the box next to all the other letters she had written. Each one holding a meaning to a piece in Prue's and hers life.
Beyond the door,
There's peace I'm sure,
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven.
The sun had long since set as Piper sat on the end of the bed looking at the few boxes her and Phoebe had managed to pack up. She held Prue's diary in her hand just letting it sit there. Inside where her sisters memories. Things she kept to herself. She wasn't even sure when she had cracked open the small book but she found herself reading Prue's thoughts and feelings.
"Did you know she cried when Billy Nordstrom broke my heart?" Piper spoke quietly. It was almost as if she was afraid Prue would walk in and find her reading her journal. "She cried because she couldn't protect me."
Phoebe looked up and saw what Piper was reading. She wasn't sure she wanted to read anything in it or even if it was right to. These were Prue's thoughts of everything. She knew there was probably more then one chapter in there on her.
"She was always the strong one for us, but when she was alone I guess she was a different Prue." Phoebe didn't move from her place on the floor as she leaned back against the dresser.
Piper flipped past a few more pages, "I don't know what to do. Every time Phoebe and I make a step forward we seem to take another four or five back. All I want is for her to be safe, but she insists she is fine, but I know other wise. I know the people she is hanging out with, but I can't get her to see them. See the mess they are making of their lives and the mess they will make of hers. Andy told he saw some of them taking drugs and Phoebe was there. I just pray she didn't take any, but when I asked her about it, she once again got defensive with me and we both just blew up. Help me Mum, I need for her to get back on track, back to the little sister I knew last year."
Piper looked up at Phoebe who remained emotionless.
"We fought so hard over that. She wouldn't believe me that I didn't take any drugs." Phoebe starred at one place on the bed as she recalled the memory playing in her mind.
Piper looked back down, "I know she isn't doing the drugs all I want is for her to get away from them, before the pressure is to much. Even with that, I trust her, that she knows the right thing to do."
Phoebe sat now as the tear ran down her face. It wasn't the first that day and she knew they still had a few more things to get through. She couldn't believe that inside Prue did believe her. "Why didn't she tell me?"
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
Piper came back in the room for another box. They had sorted out what was to go to charity, and what was going into the attic for them to keep and pass on to their children. Something of their Aunt Prue's.
She saw Phoebe now sitting on the bed not really doing anything.
"I was gonna give Leo a call and have him move some of the heavier things out."
"I'll get Cole to give him a hand." She replied with no emotion. She had cried over everything they touched. Every time they opened a drawer or picked up a book, something reminded her of Prue.
"I'll give Pastor Williams and maybe Brendan a call. See what their churches can use." Piper said as she looked for another box to take out of the room. Clothes, books, picture she had on the wall.
"Good idea. Prue would have liked that."
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.I
Phoebe had long moved out of Prue's room, as had Piper. They had cleared everything out of the room in preparation for Paige to start moving in the next day or two.
"It's still so unreal. I still expect her to walk in the door and give us what for, for cleaning out her room." Phoebe spoke with sadness.
"Yeah me to. I was waiting for it when I was reading her diary." Piper placed an arm around Phoebe.
They both seemed to watch the sparks from the fire each realizing the finality of what they had just done.
Piper reached in her pocket and looked down briefly at the charm in her hand, as she ran her thumb over each letter slowly.
"I think you should have this." Piper moved her hand and held it open for Phoebe to see.
Phoebe looked at Pipers open hand and once again felt the tears welling up, but this time they flowed freer then before. Inside Pipers hand was Prue's necklace barring her name. Each letter curved in precise writing.
"I can't."
"Yes you can. She would want you to have it."
"Piper no. Mum gave her that." Phoebe cried, as she knew what that one piece of gold meant to Prue.
"All the more reason she would want you to have it. Phoebe she loved you with everything she had. You know it and if you don't believe me, one day read it in her own hand writing in her diary. And as this was from Mum, all the more reason she would want you to have it. This way you can always carry both of them with you."
Phoebe just starred down at the necklace. She was afraid to even take it. It once again symbolized to her that everything was final.
Piper reached around and placed the necklace around Phoebes neck closing the catch at the back. Once done she reached her arms around her sister and pulled her back to her. Her hands to Phoebes front as they both took in the finality of it all.
Phoebe reached one hand to Piper and the other to the necklace Piper had just placed around her neck. Her tears flowed as they had most of the day as she leaned back into Pipers hug. She knew Piper was crying as well, but just being there for each other was all they needed at tat moment.
"I love you." Three words from two, though spoken as one, as they each recalled their own memories of the sister they had and loved. And the memories they would hold until they all met again.