Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction.
Prue 12
Piper 10
Phoebe 7Everyone looked down the lists. She found her name and then she searched for her sisters, she hoped they would all be together. Her heart skipped a beat when she found one. Same team, ya. But as she reached the bottom of the list she didn't see the other. She moved through the crowd to the next list. Scanning it quickly it wasn't there either. She moved to the next one and made her way down. There it was. How could they be on different teams? They always kept siblings on the same team.
She read again and saw who was where. How could this happen? They were sisters, they couldn't be against each other. Could they? Other siblings in the past had been on the same team. Why weren't they?
She stepped back from the crowd though knowing that she couldn't change the outcome. How would this work? What would happen in the end?
"Phoebe."
Phoebe spun around at the sound of her name been called from the other end of the hallway. "Hi. Nancy."
"Hey what's wrong with you. I thought you would be pumped at the start of the games."
"I was. Until I saw the teams."
"I saw that. What are you gonna do?"
"I don't know. They kept us together last year. I'm worried how Piper will take it."
"She'll be ok. You'll see. Prue won't let anything happen to her. And I know neither will you."
"I guess. So where are you?"
"Yellow. Same as you."
"Cool." Phoebe smiled. Her friend Nancy and her had always been on the same teams for the past three years.
"We lost Ben though."
"What? No way?"
"Yup he got turned into a blue team guy."
"Ok that sucks. He's like one of the best players in our grade." Phoebe said as her mind turned to the lists again, her sister was on blue team.
"Yeah well at least we kept you. I bet it comes down to yellow and blue again."
"Well it probably will, the teams haven't changed in three years except any new students. And some shuffling to balance out."
"Like your sister?"
"Yeah, well that could prove interesting." Phoebe thought about playing the games on the opposite side of her sister.
--- ----
Phoebe ran up the steps to the Manor that she shared with her sisters and Grams. She dropped her bag and ran to the back of the Manor finding her Grams standing as she usually did near the stove. "Hey Grams." Phoebe wrapped her arms around her waist hugging her tight.
"Woo. Hello my darling. How was your day?
Phoebe pulled away from her Grams and sat on the kitchen stool. "Not bad I guess."
Grams could sense something that was not right with the usual jubilant youngest granddaughter. "Phoebe. What's wrong?"
"She's bummed out because we are not all on the same teams for the years intramural sports." Prue placed her bag on the chair before giving her Grams a hug and a kiss.
"I am not."
"You are. I saw Nancy when I was in the parking lot."
"I'm glad we aren't. Hanging out with you two at school would be worse then at home." Phoebe countered as she jumped down from the stool and headed for the stairs to the second floor.
"Prudence. Why must you tease her like that?"
"She deserves it. Ok, I have homework and Andy and I are going out to a movie tonight. Dinner at 530?"
"As always. Now go tell Phoebe your sorry"
Prue was about to protest but decided that she would just lose the argument with her grandmother. Picking up her bag she headed up stairs and went to her room, she was unloading her pack before turning to a sound at her door. "Hey Pipe."
"Hi." Piper stepped into Prues room and sat on her bed.
"Not you too?"
"What?"
"Phoebe is bummed out because of the teams that were posted today."
"Oh. No I don't really care about that stuff you know that Prue."
"I know. So what is it?"
"I'm kinda worried about Phoebe. She was really looking forward to all of us being together. After all this is your last one before high school."
"I'll talk to her Pipe. It'll be ok. I won't let anything happen to either one of you."
"Well in case you forgot one of us is on the other team. Not to mention the enemy when it comes to yellow and blue."
"We'll be ok Piper. Now go help Grams. I need a little heart to heart with our sister."
--- ----
Phoebe lay on her bed as she looked up at a picture of her with her sisters and their mother.
Prue stood at the entrance to her sister's room and looked over at the far bed and saw Phoebe looking the other way. But she also knew what she was looking at. "Hey kiddo." Prue sat on the edge of the bed as she placed her hand on Phoebes hip. "Phoebe look I'm sorry about downstairs. I know you wanted us all on the same team this year, but it'll all work out."
"No it wont Prue. It's your last year. This was the year that we all won it. Damn blue team anyway, they win it every year. And we said this year we would kick their asses."
"Phoebe."
"What? We did. But now it won't be the same. You're gonna be one of them."
"Phoebe I'll still be your sister. I'm not the enemy here. I won't let anything happen to you or Piper."
"Promise?"
"Promise. Now come on. Lets go Help Grams with dinner." Prue stood up and started for the bedroom door. But as she got closer she felt herself falling forward, though she caught herself as she leaned towards Pipers bed.
"I love you."
Prue reached around and hugged her sister. "Ditto Phoebs."
Several months later:
"Piper this cant be happening."
"Phoebe it is. It does every year. Its us and them."
"She lied to me you know."
"What are you talking about?"
"Prue. She said she wouldn't let anything happen to us. It was her that got me in dodge ball. I was the only one left and their guys were dropping like flies. I was kicking their asses."
"Phoebe."
"Well I was. You know I'm unstoppable in that game. But she knew just what to do to get me out."
"Phoebe she didn't do it on purposes, it's just the heat of the game. Look we made it to the final round. Us and them. Now go out there and kick some blue butt."
Phoebe looked around at the team they had. One last game. She was the youngest player on the team selected by the captains. Object; find the hidden treasure and bring it back to home base without getting caught by the other team. If you lost the flag attached to you had to leave the game. It was a game of speed, cunning and stealth.
"Halliwell come on. We got a final to win."
"Go on. You'll do great." Piper hugged her as she took in a deep breath and walked over to the rest of her team.
Phoebe looked across to the blue team that was assembled. She saw Prue laughing with her friends but then stopped as she turned and noticed that Phoebe was looking at her. They locked eyes a moment before Prue looked away.
"Ok teams. Play fair and have fun. The first team to find the treasure and brings it back home here. Is the winner of this years games. Now may the best team win." The teacher threw down the flag as yellow team ran towards the woods. They all knew that blue team would follow five minutes later. But they also knew that both teams already had people in the woods. The ones now were the decoys so the others could find the treasure and get it back home.
Piper paced the outside of the gym. How long had it been?
"They are both fine Piper. Prue won't let Phoebe get hurt."
"I know. But this is the longest this has ever taken."
"Yeah but that is what makes it exciting." Nancy laughed
"If you say so, I just hope it isn't one of them that finds it. After a few of the games Phoebe has been pretty mad at Prue."
"Yeah, but if its Phoebe it would be payback."
"True." Piper had to laugh as she looked again out to the woods.
--- ----
"There isn't that many left out there." one teacher said as they looked out to the playing field
"There are at least five blue players left."
"And only two yellow."
"If the last two yellow are caught then blue wins by default."
The students listened as the teachers talked amongst themselves. How could yellow win with only two left?
--- ----
"Ok Halliwell we know where it is we just need to get it before they do."
"Ok you know Tom I'm all for that but there is just two of us left."
"We don't know that."
"Have you seen anyone else from our team lately?"
"Ok look I'm going to high school next year and I intend on winning this thing. Come on I have an idea." He pulled her from the ground as they made their way to a clump of trees.
"Tom you can't take out that many by yourself."
"I can. You're small and fast Halliwell. You run in there and grab that thing. They will come after you. I can take out at least three of them. Maybe four.
"So what you think they are just waiting for us?"
"They get us they win by default. Now the thing they don't know is who's out here. The smallest and fastest."
"And the strongest and the biggest. Ok. But if one of the five is Prue. She's mine."
Tom looked down at Phoebe and could see the determination in her eyes. "Deal. Your sister is yours. Now get going." He said as she took cover on the only path out of the clump of trees and back to the school.
Phoebe lay perfectly still as they walked by her.
"Look all we have to do is wait for them to grab it. There is only like two left. We get them and we win. We don't even have to go for the treasure."
"Why don't we just grab it now. Even with two of them we've got this thing in the bag."
"Yeah lets just do it. We've been out for like four hours already."
There was a uneasy silence over the group before anyone said anything. Before they made their final plan.
"Anyone know whose left out there."
"I heard Prues sister was one."
"No way she lasted this long." Prue said from behind them.
"Look Prue if she is, you take her out. She's your sister."
"No way. I can't do that. She's my little sister."
"All the more reason for you to do it. Otherwise she will blame you for not protecting her.
"Ok you guys obviously don't have sisters but ok, I'll do it." Prue said though not sure what she would do if it came to that.
Phoebe felt the hot tear on her cheek. Her own sister was gonna go for her flag.
"Not if I take you out first Prue." She said quietly to herself as she moved with speed and stillness along the ground. She saw her target, but she also saw them.
She waited for the moment when it was all clear. But before she could make her move Prue had the object in her hand and was running for the main base. There was no way she was going to let Prue win this thing for her team. Jumping up from her hiding spot she ran after her sister.
"GET HER!" someone, yelled as they took off after Phoebe who was closing in on Prue.
She didn't look back. She knew they were all after her as she ran like she never had before.
She heard the curses and the sound of bodies hitting the ground but she didn't dare look back.
"Someone's coming!" Nancy yelled as she pointed towards the woods.
Everyone stood up and watched as the small figure got bigger.
"Its Prue!" Another voice yelled as the blue team started to cheer her on.
But Piper soon spotted the figure closing in on her. "Phoebe." She said quietly. "Phoebe! Come on Phoebs!" She yelled as soon everyone on the team also did.
Though suddenly everything seemed to slow down as Phoebe flew forward landing hard to the ground.
"PHOEBE!" Piper called out and started for her sister but felt the hand holding her back.
Phoebe felt the hit as she fell forward. But she as she lay there a second ticked by and then another. As she tried to push herself up. Before falling back down
Prue turned around and saw Phoebe fall back to the ground. Was she hurt? But she heard the cry of her team yelling at her to run. It was just the two of them, as the rest of her team was flagless thanks to Tom. But he too had lost his flag. It was sister against sister. Prue took a step towards Phoebe who tried again to get up but fell back down. She looked up at Prue with tears in her eyes.
Prue looked from her sister to her team. She didn't know which way to go. But she turned and ran for the finish line. As everyone crowded around her she looked past them to her sister. Piper was with her as she and the rest of their team helped her up. She knew that Phoebe would be mad at her. But it was just a game.
It was just a game, right?