The Anticipated Arrival: The Return of Prue Halliwell
Annette Fox
October 2009
Chapter 1: The Crystal Crash
Piper Halliwell started to scrub Paige's mess, again. She scraped the dried purple splotches on the cabinet glass and the ginger-incased blender. Seven pots of all sizes filled the white porcelain sink behind the island with fourteen different cooking utensils—some intact, others in pieces. Last night, the youngest Charmed One came by and spent all night on a morning sickness cure. After several hefty popping sounds, Piper dragged herself out of bed and trudged into the kitchen. A three-month pregnant Paige smiled as she filled the lavender liquid into a clear vial, "Morning, Sis."
"Morning, Sis." Piper couldn't believe Paige's upbeat mood and her own aggravation. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Couldn't sleep. It's either burp orb bubbles or barfing up pea soup. I can't take it! So, I glimpsed through the Book of Shadows for a cure. I thought you or Phoebes must have written one in there."
Piper crossed her arms as she shook her head. "No, I didn't. There really isn't a Wiccan way to get rid of pregnancy symptoms."
"Not exactly true," holding the purple bottle, "I have created a potion that should elevate my side effects, so I can work."
"Personal gain…"
"No, I think it is protecting us from the outside in case something witchy comes, you know. Well, I gotta go. I have a doctor's appointment and meet Henry for lunch later on today."
"Wait a minute, sister! You mean you're not going to clean this mess up?" Paige shrugged. This made Piper even more irritated. "You could have made this potion at your OWN house!"
"I'll help you clean up…later." Piper knew that was never going to happen. Piper hated a mess, especially in her kitchen. "Besides," Piper knew her sister was adlibbing the next excuse, "all the potion materials are here and I…get see you…and kids."
Piper started to tap her foot, "Paige….."
"Yes…." Paige over exaggerated her smile trying to "wine and dine" her eldest sister. Piper tried to calm herself down, and she really didn't want to start a fight before Paige went to the doctor. That's all she needed a sister with toxemia and an early delivery. Been there. Done that.
"I'll clean this, but you owe me." Paige smiled one of those smiles and left the back door, leaving Piper the horrendous mess. It was a phrase the three of them used when a sister had to clean up a Wiccan problem or any other problem they dealt with. Piper had wished she had the Disney magic to enchant her broom and bucket and clean the kitchen without any trouble. Hey, it worked for Cinderella and Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.
After the kitchen catastrophe had been diverted, Piper plucked several fresh crimson roses and day lilies from the back herb and flower garden. Filling Mom's Waterford crystal bowl with water, Piper removed many of the pedals of each to float and perfume the living room. She carried the bowl on the coffee table behind the sofa. To the left of the sofa, her three young children were playing. Seven-year-old Wyatt was playing Matchboxes with five and half-year old Chris. Her six-month year old daughter, Melinda, lay on a blanket playing with teething ring.
She glanced at her beautiful kids. They were the next generation of Charmed Ones. As much as she and Leo would love to bind their powers just like Grams did to protect herself and her sisters, they knew they had to learn about their magical heritage and their abilities as soon as possible—in order to protect themselves as well as others who will need their help.
As she returned to the kitchen, Piper chuckled to herself. If anyone had asked her eleven years ago what her future would be, the 1998 Piper would have responded that she would have been married to Jeremy, have had a couple of kids, and would have been an executive chef at a San Francisco Five-Star restaurant. She didn't know Jeremy was a villainous demon, and then she would marry an angel. She would have children-powerful children, and be the owner of a successful nightclub, P3. She often wondered what that life would have been like—normal, no powers, and no Charmed destiny.
Her retired whitelighter husband, Leo, returned to Magic School to teach Charmed Ones History as well as mentor young whitelighters. Even though he didn't have his powers anymore, he still had the knowledge and experience to assist the Magical World. With Leo, she gave birth to one of the powerful beings in this world, and she had the important responsibility of teaching Wyatt the balancing act of family, magic, and normality. She still believed even after twelve years, a normal life could be obtained. They were human and should experience everything a human should—good and bad.
Unfortunately alike to Piper, Wyatt would have to deal with tragedy. She hoped Wyatt would never have to experience what she and Phoebe did when they lost Prue. The endless hours of blaming magic blurred with insomnia-filled nights. Chris and little Melinda were his responsibility, but they needed to believe they were there to protect Wyatt also. Piper could not have thought what life would have been without Paige taking Prue's spot in the Power of Three.
Piper had to admit Paige wasn't Prue. As much as Piper tried to tell Paige she hadn't need to compare herself to her eldest sister, Paige always had felt in a shadow of someone she couldn't live up to. In fact, Paige had vanquished the Source (three times), Zankou, and Billie and Christy with Piper and Phoebe. It was her witch/whitelighter powers that had saved the day not as much Prue's powers of telekinesis.
With that thought still drifting in her mind, a crash bellowed from the living room with shattering glass as an ending chord. With the demon-hunting down to a minimum, she deduced the boys had pulled off the doily with the crystal bowl.
Stomping in, Piper shrieked, "What have you..." but as she surveyed the wreckage, it wasn't "boys being boys". It was the sight of a de... "Wyatt, take your brother and sister to the playroom upstairs, NOW." Wyatt knew his mother's tone. With that, he picked up little Prue, held on Chris's hand, and orbed to the playroom, formerly Phoebe's room.
Piper went into vanquishing mode once Wyatt transported his siblings to the playroom. The solid oak table had been turned over, and she observed a pair of shoes, dark mid-length hair. Piper stepped over the broken crystal and glared at the face. "LEO! PHOEBE! PAIGE! EMERGENCY! NOW!"
Within a matter of seconds, Leo flew in from the front yard, Paige orbed in, and Coop held a bib-covered, milk-encrusted daughter in one hand, and Phoebe holding the other hand. Phoebe's face crinkled like a raisin. "What is it? What's the emergency? I was just nursing, and..." Before Phoebe could finish her sentence, she saw the face and the blood drained from her own. "Is that..?"
Piper nodded slowly, "Prue."
Chapter 2: The mirror
Prue's gashes and scratches kept Paige busy healing for several minutes while Piper and Phoebe cleaned up the mess. Common thoughts went through all their minds. This wasn't an older Prue. She was from the past-what past they didn't know. What they did know was Prue didn't know what her fate would be. A myriad of thoughts swirled around the scene: Should we tell her what happened to her? Would it affect our present?
Prue had time travelled, and Piper especially hated time travel. When Phoebe and Paige went back to Piper's wedding, a warlock had crushed her cake's centerpiece; it was a foreshadowing of difficulties to come for Leo and her.
Once Prue was healed, Leo and Coop helped her onto the couch. She was still somewhat unconscious. Phoebe and Coop exchanged looks. Coop grabbed his daughter and carried her home, so Phoebe and her sisters could deal with the situation at hand.
"What's happening?" Prue rubbed her head as she lay on the couch. "Where am I?"
"You're home, honey," Phoebe reassured her.
She sat up confused. "Phoebe, we weren't home. We were in the alley with those four guys in the suits. You know, the three of us were doing a spell, and we threw that potion, remember?"
Phoebe and Piper knew where Prue came from. The four suits were the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—War, Strife, Death, and Famine. They were ready to serve the Source to bring the Apocalypse to Earth and destroy it. It was thought War and Prue were trapped in a realm between good and evil, but in actually, came to the future, their present.
Piper eased next to her. "What else do you remember?"
"I remember a white light opening, and one of the suits—a guy with a red tie-grabbed me. We fell through the ground, and I went through that wall," pointing to the staircase, "I guess I landed here." Piper recalled after losing Prue, seeing a whitish transparent bubble going through the walls. It must have been when Prue was zapped into the future. "Wherever this may be or…when."
Piper and Phoebe bookended Prue on the couch, while Paige and Leo planted themselves on the parallel loveseat. "You're in the future…It's 2009."
Prue began to giggle."Is Phoebe going to be burnt on the stake, again?" In Prue's present, She, Piper, and Phoebe just returned from a 2009 when witches were burnt at the stake.
In Prue's defense, she was joking, but Piper and Phoebe knew more was to come. "No one's burning at the stake. We're fine. Phoebe and I are living pretty…normal… lives."
Prue focused on Piper and Phoebe more closely. "You both look different than that world. Piper, your hair's straight and…" Prue saw Piper's wedding ring. "Are you married to Leo?" Piper nodded. "Well, at least that didn't come true." She spoke of Piper's and Leo's 2009 separation. Piper thought, If only, you knew. "Do you have a daughter, little Melinda?"
Piper nodded again, but she didn't want to mislead her older sister. This was not the way she was going to shock her with the news.
"And Phoebe, you're beautiful. Are you married? Have kids?" Phoebe nodded also. Then Prue gazed at Leo. "I knew it would happen. I know it has been hard for the two of you…and" Prue stopped at the new face in the living room. "Who are you?"
"I'm Paige…"
"Prue, this is Paige. Mom and her whitelighter, Sam, had a child. Paige is our sister." Piper tried to deal with Paige's presence as best as she could.
"Well, welcome to the family. I'm Prue. I'm so glad to know there's another charmed one. So, what are your powers?"
Paige stammered, "I..I can orb and heal as a whitelighter and move objects with my mind."
"Hey, just like me. " Prue dismissed any connection. "So, where am I? Did I turn out to be a blonde, again? I wasn't fond of the whole blonde thing. SO, if I'm in my future, I should be in my future body." She jumped up and darted toward the mirror.
"Prue, wait!" Phoebe and Piper shouted.
At the mirror, in her Japanese black coat with red and gold trim, black top, and flowered skirt, Prue's face crinkled, "Wait a minute, I look like I did this evening when I went to P3. I don't look any different. Is there something wrong with this mirror?"
Phoebe and Piper inhaled deeply. Piper blurted, "Prue, the mirror's fine, but…there is something wrong."
… …
Piper and Phoebe clutched both of Prue's hands and guided her to the couch.
"Prue…so, um," Piper had to have a powwow with her sisters and Leo. "Do you… want to …meet your nephews and niece?"
Prue was perplexed. She thought Piper and Phoebe wanted to tell her something. "What's the wrong thing you mentioned?"
Phoebe took the lead. "We want you..to meet your extended family, so we..Piper, Leo and Me can get you back to your time." Phoebe thought that was the best way of buying some time. "Wyatt! Bring your brother and sister." Within seconds, an orb with the Halliwell siblings came down from the playroom.
"Wyatt, Chris, Melinda, I want you to see your Aunt Prue." Both Wyatt and Chris gave strange looks to their mother. "Can you play with Auntie Prue, while Mommy and Daddy, Aunt Phoebe and Paige can go to the kitchen to talk?"
Wyatt in his insight agreed and showed Prue a fire truck, while Chris stacked his blocks. Little Melinda was asleep in the swing. The four adults bee-lined to the kitchen, knowing they only had a few moments.
When in the kitchen, Piper began to pace. "What the hell to we do now? She's here, when she's not supposed to. She has NO clue about the future. NO clue of what happens to her!" Pregnant Paige plunked herself in a chair, while Phoebe angled herself against the counter.
"Calm down, Piper." Leo held her hand. "There must be a reason she's here." Piper hated the whitelighter/Elder talk he gave her; he was usually right.
"What do we do, Leo? She's not here anymore. If we tell her the truth, she'll freak! Let alone screw up the future…our present! We know what can happen when the past gets screwed up! THIS is a major screw up!"
"Let's look at this in a couple of ways. One, this has already happened, so whatever we do, will be the right decision. Two, we have to protect her from the Horseman who was sent here too. We know both will contact us in the past." Neither convinced Piper. Leo softened his voice, "Third, all these years, all of you wanted to talk to Prue and be with her. Here's your chance." Piper grumbled; he was right. Damn.
Phoebe chimed in, "Piper, we have to. We can't lie to her. We have to tell her the truth-no matter what the cost is."
Piper plopped herself in a chair. "What about you?" and stared at Paige. Paige, the half sister slash whitelighter, was stunned-her older sister asking her opinion about her eldest sister.
"I guess, the best way to protect her, is to tell her, no matter how painful it will be. Maybe there's a magical cure…I don't know."
Piper placed her head in her hands. "All these years, I've prayed to see Prue and talk to her, and when I get my wish, I have to tell her, she's dead…great."
Chapter 3: The revelation
Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo returned from the kitchen. Prue was setting up dominos with Chris and Wyatt. Leo picked up his daughter, while Phoebe and Paige helped clean up the toys. Phoebe called out, "Coop!"
Coop appeared with no child this time. "Hi."
Phoebe grabbed little Prue and gave her to Coop. "Can you take the baby and the boys to our house while we talk to Prue?" Coop nodded, and he and Piper's children disappeared.
Prue still sat on the blanket. "Piper, they're beautiful. I always knew you would be a wonderful mother. They're amazing."
"Thank you. Prue…we need to talk."
Prue stood up and straighten her skirt. "What's up?"
"The four of us were talking. We know the dangers of affecting the past by telling the future, but we feel…you need to know what's going on."
"This doesn't sound good." Prue slowly descended to the couch. Piper and Phoebe again sat next to Prue each holding on her hands. "What's wrong?"
Piper cleared her voice, "A lot has happened in the past eleven years. We all have grown as sisters and witches, and we have conquered the worse of the worst, but with the good, there comes the bad…and,"
Piper began to falter. Phoebe continued, "You know the guys with the suits. They are called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Source sent them to end the world, and War came with you."
"War?"
"War, Death, Famine, and Strife…that was the reason everything went crazy. Strife caused the accident, the one Piper and Leo chased after. We followed them to an alley, and we tried the potion and the spell for the Demon of Anarchy, but it wasn't the correct demon."
"Are you guys in trouble? I have to get back there to help."
"At this time, we are working with them without knowing who they really are."
"I have to try to contact them, I mean you, I mean.."
Piper interjected, "We know what you mean. We don't know what or how to return you back there, but that's not the real issue."
"Why?"
"We have to protect you from War. He is after you, and we need to protect you, so you don't get hurt."
"I can protect myself. We're Charmed…nothing can happen to us." Piper began to tear up. "What's wrong, Piper?"
Phoebe continued, "We fought a lot of evil. The Source sent countless demons and warlocks after us. He sent an evil Triad to bring us down. When that failed, he sent one of the biggest henchmen after us. Beltazor was a demon who even divided our family, and you were the one who saw him for what he was."
Phoebe was more comfortable talking about Cole now. She wondered often what would have happened if she hadn't fell in love with Cole. Could that have saved Prue's life? But after that thought, she knew also all the good Cole did. He was the epitome of a tragic Greek character—good heart, evil choices.
Leo then took the lead, "Even after he was foiled, The Source sent his personal assassin after you and your sisters. Shax attacked Piper and you, and you and she vanquished him; however, you were caught by a television crew…and were exposed."
"What happened? How did we fix the problem?"
Piper then had the nerve to speak.
"We didn't. When we were exposed, crazy people crowded the house—fanatics. One person had a shotgun and shot me. I died in the hospital…but Phoebe made a deal with The Source, so Tempest would revert time before Shax was vanquished.
"When time reverted, Phoebe was trapped in the Underworld when Shax attacked us here—trying to save an innocent, and threw us through that wall…Leo came as fast as he could…"
Leo knelt on his knees next to Prue and held her hand. "I placed my hands on both of you, and Piper healed quickly, but you wouldn't heal…I tried for hours, but you wouldn't wake up…"
Leo's voice quivered at the thought. He remembered how Piper and Phoebe held each other and cried, begged Leo to try again and again, but finally Leo had to admit to them that she was gone. What Leo never told Piper and Phoebe was he had seen the Angel of Death had taken Prue to the afterlife. Piper and Phoebe's grief clouded the image of the Angel picking up Prue's hand and carrying her to Grams and their mother, Patty. When he saw Patty and Penny, they nodded, but smiled at Prue—not knowing what was to come.
"Are you saying I died…I'm dead!" All of them through tears told her through their emotions. Prue stood up, "You're lying! All of you! You're not my family…I went through a portal—not of my future—but a wicked future. You're evil."
"Prue…" They all started to talk, but Prue began to creep up the stairs.
"I'm not listening to you…I'm going to find how to get myself back home WITHOUT YOU!" Prue sprinted up the stairs.
Piper grimaced, "Well, that…sucked."
Chapter 4: The chance meeting
Paige waited at the end of the staircase after Prue denied this reality and sprinted up the stairs. She felt the same way when she found out she was a witch for the first time—confused, disjointed, and bewildered all in the same breath. Now, by age, Paige was older than Prue, but still felt a little inferior to her reputation.
After fifteen minutes or so, Paige wandered in the kitchen. There, Piper and Leo talked as she was baking cookies.
"You have a distraught sister upstairs and you're baking…"
"When I'm stressed, I cook. It's either potions or sauces. It doesn't matter."
"So, Julia Child, what are we going to do with Prue?"
Piper placed her hands on her hips. "I don't know what I would do if I went into the future and found out I died way before my time." Piper then stopped. She realized she did know. When Chris had came to the future, he had told his grandfather and her that she would die young. Victor tried to reassure that the future had been changed, because Chris had come to the present. After digesting this, she sighed," What do you think, Leo?"
At that time, the oven timer went off, and Piper took her gloves and took out a sheet of cookies. "There's one person who I think who would do a great job at this."
As Leo grabbed a cookie, Paige and Piper gave each incredulous looks. "Who?"
"Paige."
"Prue doesn't know her. Why is she the best choice?"
"She needs someone to comfort her and won't confuse her. I think with Paige's experience being a whitelighter, it would be good for her. Besides, Paige has met everyone in this family—except PRUE. They need to meet and talk."
Her selfishness wanted to help Prue—the part of her that waited eleven years. Her husband was right, and Piper agreed silently. She scooped four cookies and poured a glass of milk. "Here. They're her favorite." So, Piper was thinking of Prue. She used the one way everyone could be comforted—food.
Paige slowly walked up the stairs with the cookies and milk. Every step she took she feared her sister's reaction to her. In fact, a part of her would have loved to stop right there on the stairs, but Leo was right. She had to talk to her eldest sister, in some way.
When Paige entered the attic, Prue sat with the Book of Shadows on a nearby couch. Her dark brown hair was sweat and tear- saturated, and her brown beaded necklace hung near her nose.
"I…I…brought you some cookies."
Prue looked up and through bloodshot eyes, she whispered, "I'm not hungry."
Paige placed the cookies and the milk on a nearby table. She crept up to Prue's side. Prue was reading her own entry in the Book. Magically, the Book of Shadows would record the events of the Halliwell line: all the demons that were vanquished, spells, potions, and family history. Every time they would think to add to the book, the Book would do it by itself.
Paige had been on that entry many a time. In fact, it was the one resource that recorded information without a sister's bias. In the past years, she had read about her mother, her grandmother, and the other Halliwells in the family tree. It was the Cliff Notes of being Charmed.
"May I have a seat?" Paige did not want to intrude. Prue had all right to be mad and not want to talk to anyone—let alone a stranger. Paige prepared herself for a rejection if Prue would say no.
"Sure." Prue scooted over, and Paige sat waiting. "This is the future, isn't it?" Paige nodded. "I'm dying young, just like Mom. It's Paige, right?" When Paige smiled, Prue sighed, "Mom loved the letter P, didn't she?"
"I didn't meet Mom until I found out I had sisters. It was strange seeing her as a ghost."
"I'd bet we look all strange as ghosts. I must visit like Grams and Mom do, right?"
Paige put her head down. "Piper and Phoebe haven't seen you since you died. We never had met."
"Why not? That doesn't sound like me at all!"
"After the funeral, Grams told Piper that we couldn't see you for awhile. We had to live without you and go on with own lives."
"But it's been ten years! I don't get it."
"Me neither, so, um.." Paige wanted Prue to lead the conversation.
"I looked up the Four Horsemen in the Book. Piper and Phoebe are definitely in danger. Do you have an idea how I could contact them in the past?"
Chris had used a triquetra to go to the past, but it would be risky. Paige stood up and scanned the attic. "How about this?" She picked up the Charmed Spirit Board.
"The Spirit Board was one of the first indications that we were witches. It may actually work." Prue closed her eyes and concentrated. Using her telekinesis powers, she moved the pointer to the number 4, then slid over to H, then O, and…
A crimson tornado of wind and fire came and pulled Prue, Paige, and the Spirit Board into three different directions.
Through the explosion, a piece of wood was lodged into Prue's leg. "What the HELL was that?" Prue yelled and then fainted.
The Book of Shadows had lain right next to Paige. The Four Horsemen page was open. "Oh, just WAR."
Chapter 5: Tough-skinned sisters
Piper and Leo appeared within seconds of the attack. The attic was trashed from the Horseman's entrance. Paige was next to Prue's side healing her leg. Prue was still unconscious.
"Is she all right?" Piper stood above Paige.
"A small wound. She's fine."
"We need to get Phoebe. COOP! Bring Phoebe, please."
A glowing heart appeared with Coop and Phoebe. "What happened?"
"The Horseman attacked Prue and Paige."
"Are you guys okay?"
Paige held Prue as she regain consciousness. "We're fine. Ouch…" Paige stood up and offered her hand to her sister. "I've known you for three hours, and you've saved me twice. Thanks, Paige."
Paige was in awe of her sister. She thought she would never hear a compliment from Prue. It was more a dream or a wish—something that flabbergasted Paige.
"So, you two would like to fill us in?" Piper seemed annoyed.
"We were looking at the Book of Shadows and saw the Horsemen entry, and…"
Prue continued, "Paige had this great idea to use the Spirit Board to contact you and Phoebe in the past. I was able to get the number 4 and H and O, but I'm not sure if you got the message…"
"We did," Phoebe interrupted her sisters' explanation.
"Really?"
"During this time, I was talking strategy with one of the Horsemen, Strife, and I saw the Spirit Board move. From your clues, Leo was able to investigate and find out what you were trying to spell out. What I saw was the board suddenly pushed away, and the connection was lost."
"That must have been when War came and stopped the transmission," Paige began to connect the dots. "But it worked…you should be on your way home." Piper, Phoebe, and Leo didn't respond. This was unlike any of them. "Guys? This is good, right?"
The three of them looked at each other—not knowing who was going to tell both of them the dilemma after Leo found out who the four suited demons were. Leo, the former whitelighter, felt as though he had the responsibility. "Paige, Prue, when I found out who they really were, your sisters had a difficult decision to make. If they cooperated with the three remaining Horsemen and bring War and Prue back, they were risking the end of the world."
Phoebe had to explain further, "As we were in the alley with the Horsemen, I shook one of their hands, and I saw the end—a mushroom cloud of destruction and death. I told Piper we had to stop our chant, because…"
Prue finished, "The world was more important than me."
Piper was next, "As the deadline went past, the three Horsemen were beginning to be destroyed by the Source and the same time, War came from the portal and he too was affected. It was at this time, we finished the chant to bring you home."
Prue was shaking. This was the second time Piper, Phoebe, and Leo had seen Prue upset because of the choice they had made. "You know…You made the right decision. The world was and is more important than me. I just feel as though I'm some pawn piece. Maybe I should just stay here."
"You can't, Prue. You have to return. You have to go back to the life you need to live," Phoebe tried to reason with Prue.
"Why? I'm dead. Kill me now before this Shax guy kills me." Prue was being sarcastic, but Phoebe and Piper were not amused.
"Prue, you can't! You have to be there for us. Without you, we are sitting ducks!" Piper was mad. "You have to go back and be a bridesmaid for my wedding. You have to try to stop Phoebe from falling in love with a demon. You have to be there to help us with our new powers! Do you see a common theme?"
"Piper, I…"
"I'm not the Piper you know. Since you've been gone, I've grown a tough skin…to protect this family from every demon, warlock, and evil creature known to man! I will not be pushed around not by you or anyone else. My job is to make sure the family is safe—the entire family! I have to make sure my sons and my daughter have a life to live. Without you going back, they won't exist. The Source will kill us quicker than any demon assassin will.
"I don't want you to go. I have dreamt of what I would say to you if I had one more moment of time with you, but I have to think about all of my sisters. Without you leaving, we wouldn't have known Paige. Paige has been a lifesaver for all of us. There are things—with her abilities and talents—we couldn't have done. She is the reason we are in this room. We need to find a way to get you back as soon as possible, so we don't wreck what good we have now!" Paige was stunned—first Prue and now Piper.
Paige wasn't the only one stunned; Prue was in shock. She had never heard Piper be so adamant about anything. She wasn't sure how to respond to Piper's rant. "So what do we do now?"
Phoebe felt she should cut the tension between her two eldest sisters. "Why don't we re-create the potion from the past? Now, that we know the timeline, we may be able to plan it perfectly with the events in the past."
Prue breathed in, "Do you know what ingredients are in it?"
The Book was in Paige's grasp. "I know I used most of these ingredients today when I made the morning sickness remedy, but I know I used the last of the lavender and flax seed."
Phoebe began to pace; she was in full-witch mode. "Piper, I'll go to get the ingredients, while you start the potion. It takes at least an hour for the potion to boil. Paige, watch Prue." Phoebe grabbed the crystals and placed them around the attic.
"Why? I want to help."
"Prue, I know you do, but we can't risk War coming and hurting you. Paige can heal you or orb you out if you are in danger. Besides, this is the perfect time the two of you can catch up." Phoebe had always found a way to see the silver lining.
Piper and Phoebe left with Leo following. Prue was struck dumb; both of her younger sisters had told her off, and her baby sister was babysitting her! "Piper and Phoebe have turned into bad asses!"
Paige smiled, "Naw, this is a good day."
Chapter 6: Catching up
Prue reclined on the attic sofa and began to nibble on the cookies Paige had brought her. She had nothing else to do. She wasn't sure how to deal with the idea that she wasn't in charge. She had never been in this position before. She felt like an innocent—waiting to be saved by The Charmed Ones.
Paige picked up the attic to past time. Piper was the neat freak, not her, but waiting wasn't her pastime either. She then felt her stomach churned, gas filled up, and BURP! White orbs scattered the attic stopping Prue in mid-swallow. "Was…was that you?"
"Yep..that was me…a gift from the magical stork…"
"Is this normal?"
"Not sure…for me, it has been…but when it was Piper, she burped orbs, she blew up flowers and fireworks instead of demons! Wyatt even switched Piper's and Leo's powers for a day to teach them a lesson." Prue's jaw dropped wider and wider. "And Phoebe, her premonitions would be the size of television screens-everyone saw the premonition. Try explaining that one! She even levitated to the ceiling while she was sleeping. Coop fell out of the bed!"
"Amazing…all because of pregnancy? Wow."
"You wouldn't belie-Wait, I have an idea." Paige opened her hands, "Family album." In a moment of seconds, a five-inch family album materialized.
Prue was impressed. "Nice trick, Sis."
"That's how my…our power works in me. Let me show you what to look forward to." Prue and Paige sat on the couch again as if they knew each other longer than three hours.
Paige opened the album. "Some of these pictures you'll know, while some will be in your future. " Paige flipped pages of Prue, Piper, and Phoebe as children.
"I know this picture. Piper, Phoebe, and me…we went to the past to see Mom. Phoebe never really got to know Mom, and she got to spend time with her. She thought about telling Mom about her death, but decided not to. She took this picture of Piper, Mom, and me while Mom was pregnant with Phoebe. I'm surprised it stayed in the album."
"That would have been one time I would have loved to go to the past. I wish I knew Mom better."
"I only knew her a short while too." Paige flipped more pages. "Wait, is that Piper's wedding?"
"Yeah, Phoebe and I accidentally attended the wedding time travelling—what a mess that was!"
"Piper's so beautiful. Why is it so dark?"
Paige didn't answer. She didn't want to tell her that she ruined the wedding for a period of time. She flipped over more pages, "These are Wyatt's baby pictures."
"Wyatt? Isn't that Leo's last name?"
"Leo saved Wyatt while merchant traders tried to steal him. Piper thought the name was appropriate. Wyatt has my last name as his middle name—Mathews."
Prue gulped the rest of the milk and closed the album. "So, what's your story?"
"Mom and Sam dropped me off at a local church, and the head nun found a home for me. Don and Mary Mathews raised me as their daughter, but they were killed in an auto accident when I was in high school."
"How horrible. How did you handle being alone?"
"I went to Berkeley on a scholarship, and I majored in social work. When I found Piper and Phoebe, I was working at Social Services."
"Then?"
"After the whole Charmed thing, I couldn't balance my social worker duties and my Wiccan duties, so I quit that job to become a full-time witch. This drove Piper nuts, because at the time she was pregnant, and I was taking the lead in the vanquishing and Piper doesn't like anyone leading, except her."
"And now?" Prue looked at Paige's stomach. "You're pregnant, too?"
"I've been married for the past four years to a wonderful police officer, Henry."
"Police officer? I guess we have other things in common. I was in love with a police officer too, Andy."
"I'm sorry you lost him. For what I heard, he was a great guy. Before Henry, I dated an FBI agent."
"What happened in that relationship?"
"He died too, but because he was helping the Elders, they turned him into a whitelighter. Figures…"
Prue wanted to touch Paige's belly, and Paige sensed it. "Go ahead. Piper and Phoebe…especially Phoebe has been going crazy over my pregnancy."
"So, you know what you're having?"
Paige smiled. "Yes I do. I just came from the doctor and I have more news. Piper and Phoebe do not know yet, just Henry."
"Do tell…"
"I'm having twins…twin girls."
Bubbles of joy filled Prue's heart. "Really?" Prue hugged Paige, and as Prue released Paige, she saw Paige crying. "Paige, what's wrong?"
"I've been waiting all this time to see you and talk to you. I thought I would never get to know you. I know this has been hard for you, but it's one of the best accidents that has ever happened."
Prue grabbed a tissue from a nearby box and dabbed Paige's eyes. "Me, too."
Chapter 7: The Source's deadline
Piper added three sprigs of thyme into the potion and stirred the purple goop. The mixture had evaporated in half already, and it needed time to cool. Pouring the potion into four vials, she placed them inside the freezer to decrease the waiting time.
She wondered if this was the right thing to do—sending Prue back. Maybe keeping her here could save her life, but she knew too that she couldn't live in 1999 without Prue. It was bad enough when Prue died, the grief she felt. Now, she had to place her emotions on the back burner, so she can solve the problem at hand.
From the living room, Phoebe came with a notepad. "So, should we use the same spell as the one in 1999?"
"I don't know. It just appears as though the chant we said then would vanquish, not return. " Piper sat next to Phoebe at the kitchen table. "All I know it has to be a Power of Three Spell." Piper's face fell into her hands.
"Piper, I don't want her to go either. You know that, but…" Phoebe touched Piper's shoulder as Piper began to sob into her hands.
"I know, " she sniffled, "It just seems…as though…we've lost all…this…time…with her…because we have…to save her. We…don't actually save her…we…lose her still. Who knows when we'll see her again? This might be the only time…"
Phoebe cut her off. "Piper, you know better than that. Everything is meant for a reason. Deep in your heart…you know you will see her again. You've done such a great job without her. It's not going to change when she leaves now." Piper and Phoebe hugged trying to ease each other's uncertainty and frustration.
Piper calmed herself down. "So, how about using part of To Call a Lost Witch Spell, or the spell Grams and Mom said in the 70s, or how about summoning a spirit for the return spell…"Phoebe knew how difficult it was for Piper to talk, let alone think. Piper grabbed onto Phoebe's non-writing hand, and they started to write the spell.
As Phoebe and Piper wrote the spell, Prue and Paige decided to set the attic for the send off. Five candles were lit and in a circle. Everything was pushed to the sides of the attic, so nothing would get damaged if something happened.
"Well, that's it. All we have to wait for is the potion and the spell." Paige reclined on the couch. Her pregnant pouch raised high in the air.
"Paige…I can't tell you how much you've helped me. At first, I thought I was in a horrible place, but now, it's…I'm glad this is the future." Prue kneeled and hugged her little sister.
The Book of Shadows began to shake and stir. Never had Paige seen that without some supernatural assistance. "PIPER, PHOEBE, NOW!"
Piper and Phoebe sprinted up the stairs with potions and chant in hand. Piper handed Phoebe and Paige a potion and a copy of the chant. Wind and heat stirred in the middle of the five-candled circle, pulling Prue to the center.
"Throw the potions!" Piper, Phoebe, and Paige tossed the potions in the center. War's body clutched Prue's body. "Say the DAMNED chant!"
"Cross the deep divide and send you through. Blood to blood I summon you. Blood to blood, return to the past. Return what has been moved through time and fast!" The circle opened as Piper and Phoebe remembered, and Prue and War disappeared.
The three of them stood in silence. They waited for what future ramifications Prue's visit had caused. Nothing had changed.
Chapter 8: The Clean-up
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood in disbelief. Hadn't Prue remembered? Piper and Phoebe remembered the future the last time. Why didn't Prue now? Prue remembered before. Did she keep that secret to her death?
Piper spoke everyone's thoughts. "How is it that we sent Prue back and nothing changed?"
From the far corner of the attic, a white light spiraled. Within seconds, two men with white suits appeared.
"The Cleaners?" Piper placed her hands on her hips. "You changed it?"
The tall blonde spoke first. "When Prudence came out of the portal, we erased what had happened in this present."
"Why?" Phoebe was perplexed. "You've never interfered before with the Charmed timeline. Why now?"
The brunette then answered. "In order to balance the weight of good and evil, the memories were erased. We believed Prudence would have had a difficult time dealing with her fate; therefore, in order not to change major events, the memory had to be altered."
Paige finally had broken out of her zone. She had seen Prue wave as she waved. When Prue disappeared, Paige stared at the center of the candled circle without blinking…without saying anything. The cleaners finally snapped her out of her daydream. "You're… saying…Prue doesn't know anything?"
"Nothing."
"Everything we talked about. Everything I told her…she won't remember?"
"No."
Tears swelled up in Paige's eyes, and her fists clenched. "WHY? I was able to talk to Prue for the first time and she talked to me…and it doesn't…it didn't exist! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BUTT IN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO!" Through her tears, Paige grabbed the family album and orbed out of the room.
Piper gritted her teeth. "Way to go, guys. You give SUCH good news…now, get lost."
…
In the San Francisco mausoleum, Paige huddled on the floor above her sister's plaque—PRUDENCE HALLIWELL 1970-2001. Orbs of light turned each page of the album as Paige relaxed on the ice cold cement floor. The more she turned the pages, the heavier the tears flowed. In anger and desperation, she launched the photo album on the other side of the room. Pages fell out—some recent, some very old. She didn't care at this moment about those damned pictures; she wanted her face back into her sister's memories.
A glowing heart appeared from the darkness. Holding Coop's hand, Phoebe and Piper had known where Paige would go. The mausoleum was a place of refuge for each of them in some time of their lives. For Phoebe, she would wait for Cole to return and hide his presence from the Underworld. After turning into a Fury, Piper was orbed there to confront Prue. She had to express to her sister how angry she was—how it wasn't fair for Piper and Phoebe to be alone. Now, it was Paige's turn.
Phoebe kissed Coop on the cheek, and he faded in the dark. For the past four years, Phoebe and Coop's relationship had grown to a degree of symbiosis; they knew each other's feelings without even voicing them. Phoebe had spent many a night in mausoleum, and she wasn't sure how to approach Paige. She knew exactly how Paige felt. She had a small glimpse of her mother in the 70s and wanted to keep her alive long enough to keep a memory. For Paige, it was the opposite—she wanted the memory to keep Paige alive in Prue's heart.
Phoebe and Piper decided to pick up the strewn photo album, piece by piece. This would show Paige that her sisters were there, but they are giving her the space she needed.
"I…I…didn't ruin any of them. Did I?" a puffy-eyed Paige whispered.
"Honey, they're fine…Nothing's ruined," Phoebe reassured her. She carried the album to Paige's side and slid next to her.
"You were lucky…" Paige stared in Phoebe's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Paige grabbed a black and white Polaroid. Phoebe touched it—it was little Prue, little Piper, and a pregnant Patty.
"When you went back to the 70s, you were able to take a picture of Mom. Mom knew you took the picture. Even though Mom died when you were young, she still saw you as an adult woman. Mom saw what you would become."
Piper kneeled next to her sisters and smiled at the photograph. "A wise person told me that everything happens for a reason." Piper winked at Phoebe. "Even after they died, your parents were proud of what you've become, remember? Can't that be true of Prue, too?"
"It isn't the same. I had seventeen years with Mom and Dad, but Prue…"
"Has seen you from that moment we became sisters," Phoebe corrected her as she began to choke up. "I have felt…Prue's presence… in some way… every day. I don't need premonitions or ….powers to tell me that."
"Paige, this was hard for me too," Piper touched Paige's hand. "I thought I was losing precious time with Prue, but I didn't see the whole picture. Today, Prue showed me that I didn't need her as a crutch; I am living a happy life as the eldest living sister. I felt selfish and guilty, because it was you not me that needed every moment with Prue. I'm…sorry."
Paige hugged Piper, comforting her. "I guess I sounded like a spoiled brat when I left, huh?"
Piper wiped her tears. "Nope. It was either you leaving or me slugging the closest Cleaner. I'm glad you made the choice…I don't know if blood comes out of a white suit." Paige giggled and then Piper and Phoebe. Humor always softened the hard times- no blame, no guilt, and no pain. The sisters were there for each other to laugh, to cry, and to celebrate their lives together.
Chapter 9: Paige's picture
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige returned to the Manor via the Coop Express. Coop, Henry, and Leo decided to take all the kids out for ice cream, so their wives could have some alone time. A dramatic event had happened to them, and none of the boys wanted to be there. They would rather deal with pistachio ice cream spills, high-pitch shrills, and toxic diaper changes to interrupting the "inseparable Power of Three."
The Charmed husbands were as tight as the sisters: brothers-in-arm to handle all the drama of a Charmed wife. None of them thought in their wildest dreams that they would end up Darren Stevens of Bewitched; however, unlike the sixties' television show's male lead, the boys knew when to leave, how long, and when to return. Maybe Darren wouldn't had been changed in so many objects, sent to all regions of the Earth, and tormented all those years if he had done it "the Charmed husband way."
After Piper and Phoebe had packed up the diaper bags and kissed their husbands and children goodbye, they climbed the stairs to the attic where Paige finished the attic.
Paige had volunteered to clean the attic. She wanted to give perspective to the day and how she, too, didn't have to compete to be better than anyone, especially Prue. She knew the Prue she talked to was proud of her. It didn't matter if Prue remembered her slight detour in 2009. Well, maybe a little.
As Piper and Phoebe entered the attic entrance, Paige placed the five candles in a box and lifted them to a tall shelf. The attic was as it looked in the morning. Exhausted, Paige lay on the couch and hung her feet on the couch's arms. Phoebe and Piper pulled chairs next to Paige. Phoebe touched Paige's hand, "You okay, honey?"
Paige thought for a moment. "Yeah, I am. This has been an amazing day—exhausting, emotional, and exciting day. I got my wish; I talked to my sis."
Piper nodded, "It was an amazing day. It's taken awhile, but it was worth the wait." Paige rubbed her belly. "You, okay?"
"It's just been a long day."
Phoebe added, "Is that the only thing?"
Paige smiled at her empathic sister, "You already knew the answer, didn't you?" Phoebe grinned. "I'd just wish I knew for sure that Prue…" Her voice faltered.
"That Prue, what?" a voice responded.
Paige jumped into a sitting position. "Did you guys hear that?" Her sisters' wide eyes answered her question.
A rain shower of orbs danced in the center of the attic. An image was created by the orbs. As if the late Gianni Versace had created it for her, Prue was in white gown tailored for Prue's curves.
After a few steps, the translucent body turned solid and the eldest Charmed One looked at her sisters.
Paige was the first to talk. "Is it really you?"
Prue nodded. In the past eleven years, she had aged like everyone else. She didn't look like the 1999 Prue had. Piper and Phoebe stood with tears in their eyes. Prue opened up her arms, and her sisters came to her embrace.
They needed to talk, but the floor wasn't the most comfortable with a pregnant Paige. They went into the living room where the younger Prue had sat just hours before. Paige reclined on the couch while her sisters sat on the other couch.
"You're here…"Phoebe hugged her big sister.
"Not for long. I wasn't able to come down until just now.
Piper finally spoke, "Why now?"
"The younger version of me had to come to this time and see what life was going to be. I had to know what my future would be and what was going to change."
Paige stared in her sister's eyes. "You mean, you…remembered?"
"I must admit that after the portal, I didn't remember, but the moment I died, I remembered everything. Piper, that was the reason Grams had told you to wait. I couldn't change what was supposed to happen years after. Paige needed to talk to me, and Paige needed to know she was never in any competition with me or any of us.
"There were many times, I wanted to come down: before Cole and the Source were vanquished, Zankou, and the return of the Triad." Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were still too shocked to respond; however, tears fell from each of them.
"Guys, I've tried to help you any way I could in the past eleven years. I know it hasn't been easy for any of you, but I have celebrated with you as well as suffer with you. I've been to each wedding and each birth, and I intend to continue doing so."
Piper finally spoke, "So you were there when Wy…"
"Wyatt, Chris, Little Melinda, and Patty," continued Prue. "I am the luckiest aunt ever. Piper, I know you were angry with me, and Paige was right that you could hate me." Prue remembered how difficult it was for Piper to hate her after Piper had changed into a Fury. "Piper, I'm going to tell you something Mom told us before your wedding…You took better care of your sisters better than I could. The Piper you are today has been built of integrity, compassion, and patience. It was you who carried the world on your shoulders to provide your children and sisters to have a normal life."
Piper hugged Prue as she cried. Piper didn't know what to say. Deep inside, she knew all along that Prue was proud of her and what she had become. Everything Piper wanted to ask or talk to Prue about didn't matter at this moment.
"And Miss Phoebe…" Phoebe's glassy eyes had drenched the ends of her bangs. "was I ever wrong to say you lacked vision. Your love for our family saved Paige and destroyed the Source. It was you who would have risked your life for Paige's when she began to learn how to be a witch." The Source had begun to electrocute Phoebe when Paige's deadline of good and evil dwindled down. Paige had chosen to save Phoebe and her new family.
"You befriended Paige—no matter the cost of Piper's rage or Paige's inadequacies at times. Even when you lost your powers, it was your love for Paige that brought your most important gift." Paige had been killed by a demi-demon, and Piper was an angel of death. Phoebe regained her power of premonition when she saw how to bring Paige back.
"And Paige…I wished I knew you before. We probably had bumped into each other several times while at P3—we never knew how it was so significant at that time. We have so many commonalities as well as harsh differences, but as Phoebe said that you're a Halliwell, last name or no.
"I have to go soon…" Prue began to stand, while the girls jumped out of their seats.
"You can't go," Piper pleaded. "There is so much we want to talk to you about. Please stay."
"Now the waiting period is over. I can come down often to spend time with all of you. I will be at the Wiccanning for all the girls when Paige delivers hers." Prue winked at Paige, and Paige grinned. Phoebe and Piper hadn't noticed the hint. "Piper and Phoebes…"
"Yeah," both responded in a questioning voice.
"You might want to warn Dad about me for the next Wiccanning. I really don't want Dad to take a dive…" The four of them giggled at the thought. Their father, Victor, had turned three shades of green when Patty had returned for Piper's wedding.
"And Paige…Check the photo album—I think you missed something." Paige nodded, but still gave a quirky look to make Prue laugh. "I love all of you, and I'll see you later." With that, Prue's figure sparkled and orbed out of the Manor.
The three of them sighed—a sigh that lifted a weight of eleven years. Paige was curious, "Family album." The album shimmered from the attic into her hands in a moment of seconds.
Paige opened up the photo album as her sisters held one edge of the binder. "Piper, Phoebe, what's this?
On the front page was a picture of herself with her three sisters. Prue and Paige were leaning over the living room couch with Piper and Phoebe sitting.
"It looks like you have your picture of your big sister," Phoebe smiled.
"I don't want to hide it here, and it's not fair that you and Phoebe won't see it if it's in a frame somewhere."
Piper touched the picture. "I have an idea…Picture of magic let it be, Enlarge itself, so everyone can see." The picture grew to a twenty by fifteen painting to cover the magical origin.
Phoebe and Paige held hands as Piper removed a picture on the wall and replaced it with the new painting. As Piper was straightening the edges, she whispered, "Prue's finally home."
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