"You can not POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS!"

"Yes we are. There will be no room for discussion. She will be the only one to realize what has happened. The other three will have no idea as to what has transpired over the last 10-15 years."

"This isn't right. How is it even fair?"

"The magic is set. There is no turning back."

Everyone seemed to cast eyes on the next, knowing that they were right. The magic of the Charmed Ones was strong and even on their own, a simple spell would be irreversible by even them.

"If anything. And I mean ANYTHING happens to any of them. You will wish you had stopped this." Storming from the room they all hoped for the best. Or the existence of the Charmed Ones could very well be at stake.


Phoebe rolled over and looked at her clock, "Augh!" Pulling the covers back over her face she rolled back the other way.

"Phoebe get up, I need a hand with your sister."

Phoebe pushed back the covers, "14yrs old and I can't even sleep in."

"And you won't make it to 15 if you don't hurry up. Make sure your sister is up and take her to school. I have to take Piper to her eye appointment." Grams' voice came from down the hall.

"Prue ready for school, are you kidding?"

"Phoebe stop fooling around and get at it. I don't know why you insist on pushing me. You are supposed to be setting an example to your younger sisters."

It was then that Phoebe walked into Prue's room to find her sister sitting on the bed wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Come on Prue hurry up, we'll be late….Again."

Prue lazily moved around her room and picked out what she was going to wear that day. "Take me to the park after school?"

"I have practise kiddo, sorry." She wanted one day to herself and the days she had soccer where those days. Phoebe left the room and made her own way down stairs. "Hey Pipe."

"Hi Phoebe."

"Lucky you, missing school this morning." Phoebe grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and took down another one for Prue.

"I guess."

Phoebe turned to her 11yr old sister. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Phoebe knew her little sister. "Doesn't look like nothing to me. School?" Piper always had a hard time making friend in School unlike Prue and herself. She had her sports and Prue was starting to take Cheerleading and was a natural.

"I just don't fit in anywhere."

"You will sweetie. And if anyone gives you a hard time you let me know. I'll watch out for you. Always have haven't I?"

"Yes."

"Ok then. Now hurry up and get ready for Grams." Piper placed her bowl in the sink and gave Phoebe a quick hug, "Thanx sis."

"You're welcome sweetie."

It was then Prue walked in looking more then a little tired. "Told you not to stay up late last night." Phoebe said to her sister as she set her bowl on the table

"Shut up. You're not my mother." Prue snapped at her oldest sister.

Phoebe was about to boil over when Grams walked in the kitchen, "Prue you don't tell people to shut up, especially your sisters." Turning to Phoebe, "I need you to pick up your sisters after school, I have to go to Aunt Gail's and I don't know how long I'll be."

"Grams no, not today. I have a soccer practise."

"Then take them with you. But you don't really have a choice." Something had come up and she didn't want her granddaughters to be separated. Seemed demons were making new bounds to try and find them.

"Fine. Not like I ever have a choice to live my own life." She grabbed her bag and started for the door, "Come on Prue or your walking by yourself."


"Phoebe wait up!"

Phoebe turned around to see her best friend walking towards her, 'Hey Marcy."

"What's up?"

"I have to go pick up Piper and Prue.. Again

"Practise?"

"I'll be there, can you let the coach know I'll be a few minutes late."

"Sure, but you know she's gonna give you a lecture and make you run extra laps.

"Don't a have a choice. I gotta run or I'll be later." Phoebe ran towards the elementary school her sisters attended.

When she got to the school yard she saw Piper sitting on the flower bench outside waiting for her. "Hey you. How was school?"

"Not bad, Can you help me tonight with some stuff?"

"If I can get through mine sure. Come on lets go find that kid sister of ours."

Phoebe made her way into the school. She recalled not that long ago when she was attending that same school.

"Phoebe."

Turning to the voice she recognized, "Mrs. Douglas hi."

"You looking for Prue?"

"She was supposed to meet me in the front of the school."

"Come on. She had a.. well an accident during gym class."

Phoebe looked worried "What kind of accident?"

The older lady looked down at the young lady beside her, she had taught her not that long ago, always so cheerful and always worried about her younger sisters. "Seems she got into a fight with someone on the cheerleading squad."

"WHAT!" Phoebe was fuming, usually it was herself that got into the fights and Grams yelling at her how irresponsible it was and how she was setting a bad example to her sisters.

"She hasn't said anything about it, but she is most likely going to have a nice black eye by tonight."

"This is just great." Phoebe knew now she was going to miss her soccer practise, her coach would be furious ad probably pull her from the game tomorrow

Phoebe walked in the office and saw her little sister sitting in a chair her head down and looking more then upset. Even from there Phoebe could see the darkness starting around her sisters eye. "Prue?" She wanted to yell at her but knew it was not the place. "Come on lets get you home with some ice on that."

Prue took Phoebe outstretched hand and walked beside her sister quietly.

Piper didn't say anything when she saw Prue with Phoebe, but even she could tell something was wrong,

"Lets go, Piper we're going home."

"Thought you had a practise?"

"Not anymore I don't. Come on."


Making their way up the steps to the old Victorian Manor Prue made a run for the stairs and up to her room.

Phoebe sighed as she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a frozen pack of peas. Wrapping it in a cloth she started out of the kitchen. "Piper start your homework please." she said as she started up the stairs. Bracing herself for a fight of words with her youngest sister.

Easing the door open she saw her little sister in near tears on her bed. "Prue."

"Go away."

"Can't. Its my job, remember."

"You don't care."

"Sure I do, just tell me what happened?" Phoebe sat on the bed and placed the frozen peas on her sisters' eye.

"Sally Monroe punched me."

"Sally? As in Lucy Monroe?"

"Yeah, her younger sister."

Phoebe had a few run in with Lucy when she was younger, but they didn't see much of each other now. "So what happened?"

Prue pushed herself up on her bed, "Cheerleading tryouts at lunch. I got picked as head cheerleader and Sally didn't like it."

"You got picked as head?! Yay!" as much as Phoebe hated constantly watching out for her sisters, she was proud when they did good things.

"Yeah, well, Sally didn't like it She thought she should have been cause she was last year."

"Soooo what? You picked a fight with her?"

"No, she came over in gym and punched me; just like that."

"And you been a Halliwell had to defend your honour and struck back, in time for the teacher to see you hit her first."

"Something like that." Prue leaned against her sisters, "Sorry I made you miss your practise."

"You can make it up to me some how. Keep that ice on your eye, it'll help with the swelling. Do your homework and I'll get some pizza for dinner, not sure when Grams is going to be home."


The next day Phoebe made her way to the field after changing for her soccer game. "Halliwell. Bench."

"What!?"

"You heard me. If you can't make the practices, its not really fair you play is it?" the coach looked over at her star player. As much as she wanted Phoebe to play she couldn't let her, unless she had to.

"But coach I had to pick up my sisters and Prue got into a fight at school. I had to take her home."

"No excuse Halliwell. Besides you're only 14, not really your job is it?"

"I guess not." Phoebe sulked on the bench. It wasn't her job and everytime she found something she liked Grams made her deal with her sisters. "Guess you only wanted to raise one daughter, not three more once Mum was old enough."


Phoebe sat on the couch at home later that night and watched Piper do her homework. She had been thinking too much since her game about what she had to give up. She was waiting for Gram's to come home so she could yell at her. After all it was more her fault then anyone's.

"Phoebe?"

"Not now Prue."

"But I need some help with my history."

"Prue I am not really in the mood just leave me alone."

"But…"

"I said NO. Damn it, why can't you ever listen to me? I was benched today because of you, because I had to take you home the other day I missed practise and because of that the coached benched me. The ONE thing I had for my own, away from you and Piper, I lose because of you so don't come in here and start asking me for something." Phoebe didn't care what she said and to who right then

"Phoebe Marie Halliwell. Apologize to your sister right now." Gram's voice seemed to boom off the walls

"No. Because she isn't the cause of it, you are." Phoebe turned to her Grams and let everything out. "I shouldn't be there picking them up, you should. I shouldn't be here helping them with homework, you should."

"Phoebe." Gram's voice came across with a caution note.

"Yeah I know, stop it or regret it. What you going to do? Ground me? Yeah. Then again you would drop that the minute one of them needed to go somewhere."

"Get up to your room right now. And I don't want to see you till breakfast."

Phoebe got up from the couch, "Fine by me. That way I don't have to worry about taking care of them. You can. After all, you're the guardian NOT me." she turned and quickly went up the stairs to her room.

Penny Halliwell sighed after Phoebe had left the room. She noticed that Prue had also disappeared in Phoebes rant. "Sure glad I waited till tomorrow for their surprise." she said to an empty room.


The next morning was the start of a new weekend. Phoebe stayed in her room as long as she could. Finally making her way down the stairs to the kitchen for some breakfast.

"Morning darling." Grams greeted her oldest Granddaughter

"Morning Grams." She poured her cereal and sat quietly eating it.

Penny moved over and sat next to Phoebe, "Honey I'm sorry about the last few days. And I am sorry if it looks like I am leaving you to raise your sisters. But you know Aunt Gail has been quite sick lately and she doesn't have anyone to help her."

"I know I'm sorry. I love them, I do. It's just sometimes, my life seems to get in their way. Soccer was, is, the only thing I have and it was the one thing you even said I could do with out them."

"I know, but sometimes being the oldest also means making some sacrifices. I spoke to your soccer coach last night."

"You did?" she looked up at her grandmother surprised

"I explained things to her a bit. She apologized for benching you. She didn't understand the whole situation. Phoebe I trust you with your sisters and you are old enough for me to leave for a day or over night and I know they will be ok."

They were interrupted by the doorbell.

"Come on, I think that's for you and your sisters.

As Penny made her way through the Manor she called out for Piper and Prue.

Piper stood on the stair landing with Prue right in front of her. Phoebe had made her way to the door but stood directly between the door and the stairs. Making sure who ever it was had to get past her to get to her sisters.

Grams opened the door and greeted the lady at the door, thanking her very much she followed in behind a young girl. "Phoebe, Piper, Prue. I'd like you to meet Paige. Your sister"