Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge, I just borrow them for my writing addiction and your enjoyment.
As Halloween draws near though I'd share with you a Halloween tale...Boo
Halloweens Past and Present
She lay on her bed sniffing as she reached for yet again another Kleenex.
"Oh man. Why do I always get sick this time every year?" She asked herself. Trying yet again to clear her nasal passages, before breaking into another coughing fit. "Augh! Just shoot me now and get this over with." She cried out as she rolled over exhausted from coughing.
"Who's shooting you and why?"
"I don't care who shoots me. I just want this to be over." She said sniffing again.
"Come on Phoebs, take this it will make you feel better."
"Some how I doubt that Prue." She managed to get out between sniffs.
"Phoebe, you sound worse then this morning. Are you ok?" Prue asked worried
"Yeah, its just that time of year you know that."
"I do but you sound more stuffed then you were earlier." Prue told her as she placed her hand on her sisters' forehead. "And warmer."
"I'll be all right." She said rolling over hoping her sister would forget that she had not taken the medicine. "I just need some sleep. So that I can go down to P3 on Wednesday."
"Well if you don't take this you won't be going anywhere." Prue explained to her. "And don't even think that I've forgotten."
"Well it was worth a try." Phoebe smiled up at her sister as she sat up taking the medicine that Prue had.
"Now get some sleep. Pipers at the club but I'm right down stairs ok?" she said giving her sister a kiss on the forehead as she then made her way to the door.
"Ok." She answered sleepily as she rolled over, "Prue."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome honey. Now get sleep." Prue replied as she quietly closed her sisters' door.
Drifting off to sleep both the youngest and the oldest recalled memories of that same time of year, from years before.
1978:
"Feebee go too?" A three-year-old Phoebe asked
"No sweetie you're too young. Next year you can go with your sisters." Grams said as she picked up her youngest granddaughter. "Besides whose going to help me hand out all that candy?"
"Yeah Phoebs. You gotta stay here and help Grams."
"Me go wit Pwue." She started to cry.
"Oh Phoebs. Don't cry. Piper and I will be back before you know it. We're just gonna go out for a bit with Andy."
"But me wanna go."
"Ok girls off you go now. Let me take care of Phoebe. Have fun and be back before eight."
"We will Grams." Prue said taking Pipers hand in hers as they made there way down the walk to where Andy and his dad were waiting for them. Mr. Trudeau had agreed to take the girls out Tricker-Treating with Andy, so that Grams could stay home and hand out candy to the kids.
---
He watched as the two older sisters left with their friends for a night of Tricker-Treating. He watched as the old woman held the baby in her arms. His eyes turning their true emerald green colour as he watched the family going on with their lives, on with their Halloween. One day, one day you will be mine and my eternal torment will be over.
---
Phoebe was still to young to go out, and it broke Prues heart to see her baby sister sitting in Grams' arms crying out to her to take her too. For Prue this Halloween was extremely hard. For it was the first year without her mother, she had died that February. Now it was just her and her sisters. She always went Tricker-Treating with her Mum, now she would have to be the one to take her sisters.
If Phoebe hadn't been sick a few days ago Prue felt that she probably could have talked Grams in to let them take Phoebe as well. But as luck would have it she had been sick, so Prue and Piper had made a secret pact to pool there candy together and split it three ways.
Getting home the two older sisters immediately went looking for the youngest. Finding her curled up on the couch fast asleep. Prue reached down and gently picked up her baby sister and carried her upstairs to her room. Placing her gently on the bed she kissed her forehead as she pulled the blankets over her sleeping form.
Three years later:
"Grams I'm fine."
"Phoebe you just got over the flu, you're not going." Grams tried to explain to the near crying six year.
"It's not fair. I'm better now." Phoebe responded, though still partially stuffed from being sick a few days before.
"Grams? What if Phoebe bundled all up and as soon as she gets tired Piper and I bring her home?"
"Prudence that is very thoughtful of you but I'm not sure that's a very good idea."
"Oh come on Grams. Every kid should get to go out at Halloween. Besides what if Phoebe makes you a deal?"
"Oh."
Phoebe looked up at her big sister trying to think of what Prue was doing so she could go Tricker-Treating.
"What if after we come back, Phoebe agrees to get into a hot bath right away and she takes some of that medicine?"
"Prue!" Phoebe cried out thinking her sister had gone completely nuts. "I don't want the medicine it's yucky."
"Hmmm. Well that would help ward off the virus again. Ok, but that is the only way I'll let her go."
"Phoebe what do you say?" Prue asked her baby sister who still had the tear marks on her face from crying.
"I don't wike the medicine Prue."
"I know Phoebs but that's the only way you're gonna get to go with Piper and I." Prue said as she bent down in front of her sister
Phoebe looked at Prue wanting to say yes, but she really didn't like the medicine. To her it seemed like an awfully big decision for a six-year-old to make. But the idea of lots of candy won out in the end. "Ok. But can I still be a witch?" she asked innocently
"If your costume fits over your clothes. Yes you can still be a witch." Grams told her giving her a big hug.
"Yeah!" Phoebe screamed out as she ran upstairs to tell Piper that she could go out with her and Prue that night.
--- ----
"Now Phoebe you listen to your sisters do you understand me?"
"Yes Grams."
"And if you get tired I want you to tell Prue or Mr. Trudeau right away."
"Yes Grams."
"Ok now. You three go have fun. And remember.."
"Yes Grams we know. Be home by eight." Prue finished for her grandmother as she took Phoebes tiny hand in hers and they made their way down the driveway for a night of fun and Tricker treats.
---
Once again he watched as the descendent of Melinda Warren went about their Halloween night. He knew that she was still too young to break the curse. But soon, very soon
Phoebe was having so much fun knocking on doors that she didn't want it to end, she turned at the sound coming from beside her in a bush. She turned when she thought she saw a flash of green watching them, but before she could say anything she tripped over a rock and landed in a big puddle.
"Phoebe, are you ok?"
"I'm fine Mr. Trudeau." She said as she held back her tears. She knew that her night would end if she started to cry. She knew that Prue would take her home thinking she was tired. Yet now all she was, was wet.
"Phoebs are you sure your ok?" Prue asked her sister with concern
'Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit wet."
"Prue maybe we should take her home to get changed."
"No, I don't want to go home. Please let me stay with you Prue. I'm ok weally." Phoebe cried out for she really was having fun with her sisters and Andy.
"Ok, but it's almost eight anyway. Just a few more houses and then we go home. Phoebe has a promise to keep." Prue finally decided.
Half an hour later they were walking up the walkway with Prue piggy backing her baby sister, who had her head resting on her shoulder and was fast asleep.
"Grams were back." Piper called out quietly.
"Piper honey, why are you whispering?" Grams asked as she came to the door and saw Phoebe. "I guess she didn't make it?" she smiled at the sleeping form on Prues back.
"She fell in a puddle. And after that she got tired. I think she was for awhile but didn't want to say anything."
"Well that's our Phoebe. Take her up to her room Prue and get her into her bed. We'll give her her medicine in the morning."
Piper watched as Prue took Phoebe upstairs before she turned to her grandmother. "Grams. Why does Phoebe always get sick at Halloween?"
"I don't know sweetie. But you know what she's like, always on the go. It just seems to catch up to her at this time of year I guess. Now why don't you go put your candy away and get ready for bed."
Present:
Piper walked into the Manor, having left the club early as it was fairly quiet, so she decided to go home and be with her sisters. Both Leo and Cole were off somewhere doing what they both do best, Leo helping a charge and Cole hiding from bounty hunters.
Walking up to the couch she spotted Prue lying on the couch seemingly asleep. Taking the blanket at the back of a chair she gently draped it over her sister.
"Hmm, hey."
"Hi. I thought you were sleeping."
"No, just dozing." she pushed herself up as she looked up at Piper
"Oh. Right." Piper said with a smile
Prue sat up pulling the blanket around her. "I was. I didn't want to sleep in case Phoebe needed anything."
"How she doing?"
"Still hates Grams medicine," Prue laughed
"Well can you blame her. She's had enough of it in her life. Actually I'm surprised it still works, that her body system hasn't built up an immunity to it."
"Yeah well, I think it still works."
Piper sat for a bit before letting Prue in on a thought that she had been having all day. "Prue. Do you ever wonder why it is that Phoebe always gets sick at the same time almost every year?"
"Not really. I just chalk it down to her active life style. And this time of year every one is susceptible to the flu."
"Maybe. I always just thought it was little strange. And now."
"What? You think it's demonic?" Prue looked at her sister not thinking she was actually serious.
"I don't know. It make sense doesn't it?" Piper looked at Prue with hesitation.
Prue thought a moment before answering her sister. It did kinda make sense. But Phoebe didn't get sick every year. "Piper I think you're being paranoid. It's just the flu."
"If you say so Prue. But me, I'm keeping an open mind about this."