Her Name is Charlie

Phoebe POV. AU. Set anywhere between the first three seasons with Prue.

Disclaimer: I don't own the right to any Charmed character, location, etc. mentioned in this story. The characters, locations, etc. that does not belong to Charmed/Aaron Spelling, etc...belong to me. (Full disclaimer in my profile)

A/N: Yea, I guess I'm back again..lol… My second attempt at a fic. I'm not sure how long this one will be or what direction this story will go. This is another situation I've thought about. Though I had it pictured a little differently than I'm writing it, it's somewhat similar. Maybe it will work out how I pictured it. If not, maybe I'll write a different fic with a similar concept. I'm not sure yet. Hopefully, you all will like it.

This fic is more of a Phoebe-centric one. I felt bad about not including her that much in my last fic, so hopefully, this will make up for it.

Still a little nervous about posting it, even after all of the great reviews I got for my very first fic, but I'll give this one a try. Please keep in mind that I haven't watched Charmed in awhile, so the characters may be a bit OOC (unintentionally, of course). If it gets too bad, let me know, and I'll take it down. I don't want to butcher the characters' personalities from the show. I don't like when it's done in other fics and I'd hate to do it in mine. Also, there will most likely be no magic in this fic (or very little, if any). I'm pretty bad at writing it into the story, at least in-depth situations, but I hope you won't mind too much.

Constructive criticism, always welcome. Apologies for any and all spelling, grammatical, etc, mistakes that may occur.

Oookay… here we go…

I have a secret.

It's hard to believe that after everything my sisters and I have been through, everything we've gone through together, I can still keep secrets from them. I didn't mean to hide this from them, but I didn't know how to tell share it.

I went to New York as an immature child in their eyes. I was Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest of three daughters, the screw-up of the bunch. I was always the one getting in trouble, causing unnecessary stress for Grams every time the police knocked on our door, holding my arm tightly so that I could not get away.

I remember the first time I caused great disappointment to Grams, Prue and Piper. I was probably about thirteen or fourteen, in my last year of middle school. I'm not sure if this is true for everyone, but middle school was a time in my life where things were introduced to me – things such as drinking, partying, relationships, sex and drugs. And though I never participated in the latter, I was a willing participant in all of the former on that short list. It was a trying, exploratory time for me, and the beginning of where I'd lost my credibility as a good girl, my trust from Grams and my respect from Prue.

Prue and Piper wanted to go to the movies that evening, the evening I'd been given my infamous immaturity label. All of their friends were talking about this movie, and Prue and Piper felt left out because they had not seen it. They'd convinced Grams to see it with them, though Grams was never one to sit inside a movie theater. It was a rare occasion when Grams actually consented to such an action, and when she did agree to sit amongst a bunch of strangers with her feet sticking to the floor and her hand dripping with over-buttered popcorn, she did it because it meant she wanted to spend time with us. She was willing to subject herself to the 'hideousness of it all,' as she would sometimes say, just to spend some time with her granddaughters.

I saw this moment as a golden opportunity. I had been trying for weeks to convince my grandmother that I was old enough to sit home alone sans babysitter. I'd try to convince her every time she went out, and every time, I was rejected. But the more I had experienced life in middle school, the more adult I felt. And the more adult I felt, even at thirteen, the more I sternly felt it was unnecessary for me to be tagged along everywhere they went when I didn't want to go. I didn't want to see the movie; I didn't want to go to the mall. I just wanted to stay home, alone, for no particular reason.

Finally, I'd managed to convince Grams of this, and she relented. She, Prue and Piper went on their way after she left me with a set of rules and instructions thicker than my science book. Then, they were off to see the movie and possibly pick up something for dinner on the way home.

I was ecstatic.

Freedom. Finally.

The first thing I did when they left was blast my music. Loud, booming music filled just about every room in the Manor, and I was so happy to finally be able to do it without Grams screaming at me to turn it down. Another thing that excited me was the fact that a few of my friends had also been trying to convince their parents to let them stay home alone, that thirteen years-of-age did not mean they were babies. Every attempt on their part had failed miserably, yet Phoebe Halliwell had managed to make it happen. I felt a rush of exhilaration, and immediately picked up the phone to call a few friends. As I had imagined, they were happy for me, a little jealous, but happy nonetheless. They kept telling me how lucky I was and how, if Grams had been my mother instead of my grandmother, I wouldn't have succeeded. Though that comment should have made me mad, I felt… lucky that my situation was a bit different from theirs, that I resided with my grandmother instead of my parents and that fact is the reason why I was successful in my attempts to gain freedom.

The night wore on, and I had just turned off the loud music in order to watch a little television. Just as I'd settled down with a bowl of popcorn, there was a knock at the door.

Rule number twenty-one of Grams' list stated 'no opening the door for strangers.' After asking who it was behind the door, I realized it was Todd, the cute guy that sat behind me in English class. Definitely not a stranger.

Immediately, my mind remember rule thirty-three – 'no company allowed - girls, boys or otherwise.' I didn't quite understand what 'otherwise' meant, but I figured that Todd was not a boy. He was a really cute guy, almost two years older than me… a man, my thirteen-year-old mind supplied, so it was perfectly fine for him to come in for a few short minutes… because he wasn't a boy, but a man.

Long story short, Todd came in, said a friend of mine called and told him it was alright to stop by. One of my friends knew I had the biggest crush on him, and decided that my night of freedom was the perfect night for Todd and me to get acquainted with each other. He came in and produced a few wine coolers. We sat down together, talked a little, watched TV and ate popcorn. I was a little nervous, but started to relax after awhile.

The night continued and we were finally at a point where we were comfortable enough to sit next to each other, touch a little, make-out some… basically fool around while joking. After a bit, I decided to take him up to my room so that we could be comfortable, but we made it as far as the stairs. We became really invested into out making-out, things quickly progressing and spirally out of control. Eventually, one thing led to another, and just as he was about to go all the way, joining our bodies in more ways than one, the door to the Manor opened…

And there stood Prue, Piper… and Grams…

Mortified does not begin to tell you how I felt at that moment. Todd jumped up, quickly situating himself before running out the door, and I quickly pulled my skirt to cover myself before hiding my face behind my hands. Pathetically, I sat on the stairs, listening to Piper's quiet sobs that were just a little bit louder than the heavy breathing coming from Prue and Grams. The smell of Chinese food wafted around me, turning my stomach as I sat stonily on the stair, hiding behind my hands, waiting for Grams to rip me apart.

"Prudence, Piper, go upstairs and get ready for dinner," Grams said with measured calmness. I uncovered my face as Prue and Piper passed my, moving over slightly so that they did not trip over me as they ascended. I stood up and followed Grams as she wandered into the room to turn off the television. My face felt hot, and I became extremely lightheaded as she lifted two bottles of wine coolers from the table, studying them for a moment before settling her eyes on me. But instead of letting me have it, she simply said "Straighten this up and then get ready for dinner."

Her attitude completely threw me off. I expected her to punish me severely, send me off to a convent, demand that I give her the number to Todd's house so that she could tell his parents what she'd walk in on. But she simply passed me the alcoholic beverages on her way upstairs, leaving me to rid another piece of damning evidence that I was, in fact, as immature as she'd always thought I was.

That was the night I'd lost my trust and respect from Grams and my sisters, and gained my label as 'the reckless Halliwell.'

Things had gotten progressively worse from there. I'd spent a lot of time, after that night, trying desperately to prove myself to everyone, to show everyone that I wasn't a bad person. No, I was not the most innocent girl anymore; I had had my fair share of drinks at parties, smoked cigarettes a few times, and lost my virginity a long time before Todd decided to notice me, but that didn't mean that I was some horrible monster. I was just testing the waters, trying to find myself, trying to fit in where I could because it was such an awkward time. I just wanted to be my own person, and not Prue and Piper's baby sister, and the youngest granddaughter of Penny Halliwell. I wanted to express my individuality the only way I knew how. And the more I felt guilty for doing that, the more I fought to regain what I'd lost with my family, the more resentful I was of them for making me feel like I'd done some monumentally horrible thing. And the more I felt resentful, the more I acted out… negatively.

By the time Grams passed, I had already had a firm grip on the 'badass' persona I had unintentionally created for myself. Prue and I were barely on speaking terms. Piper was tense and shy, trying so hard to be the peacemaker. I just needed to go away, be in a place where, when walking down the street, everyone didn't automatically assume I'm the bad girl.

I wanted a fresh beginning.

So, I left.

I went to New York. I successfully recreated myself. I gained the independence I so craved, and learned how to deal with it maturely and responsibly. I worked hard, made a positive name for myself. I changed.

When I left New York to return home, I took with me something I wanted to share with my sisters. I wanted to share it as soon as I set foot in the Manor. I wanted to tell them how much I've changed, show them how much I've grown, share with them something I cherished more than I'd ever thought I would.

The tension, though, between the three of us remained. I felt it as soon as I opened the door to the Manor on that rainy night. I felt it with every breath I took and every look I received, every word exchanged between my sisters and I.

That is why, to this day, I still have a secret.

And her name is Charlie.

A/N: Short, but more to come. Keep going?

Oh, and there won't be an annoying A/N at the beginning and end of every part.

I'm not really sure about this story, so in a few days (maybe less), I may take it down anyway. (unless people really think it's alright.)

Johannah