Chapter 2: Dad?
A cemetery is a holy place. A place that deceased loved ones may describe as their home. Brave soldiers, loving grandmothers, sick children, and many other human beings, good and bad, young and old, black and white, all rest united in a sanctuary called a cemetery. This certain cemetery held a certain mother within its warm soil, a sweet loving innocent mother of three little girls. Though Patty Halliwell's ancient lifeless body has been lurking under the brown cemetery sand, her spirit has always been circling her original home, the Halliwell manor.
Prue sat quietly next to her mother's grave. Though she's come to visit her more than a million times ever since she passed away, this time felt different. This time Prue felt guilty, and she had a pretty good idea where that feeling was coming from. How could she accept her mother's killer back in her life? How could she even think she could?
Prue's tears didn't ask for her permission before they started burning their way down her face, and along her quivering lips. She was in so much pain, and all she wanted was to talk to her mother. A mother she had missed for twenty painful years, a mother taken away from her when she was only six years old, a mother taken away from her by a cold-blooded killer, her father. Prue's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a hand reached for her right shoulder, a hand she recognized and loved. "Mom?" Prue said nervously as she turned around.
"It's just me." Piper said as she offered her hand to Prue in an attempt to help her stand up. "I thought I'd find you here. Are you okay?"
"Not really, Piper. I mean, how can I be? How could any of us be okay with what's going on? And Phoebe's attitude is not helping either."
Piper held Prue's left arm as they walked on the wet green grass. Piper wanted to find the perfect words to say to her big sister, but this time she knew there were no right words to make Prue feel better. This was the first time that Piper had felt completely helpless and scared. Even with her big protective sister by her side, she still didn't feel safe. "You know how Phoebe is, Prue. She thinks everyone is good on the inside and that people deserve second chances. She doesn't understand it the way we do. She didn't really know mom or Victor for that matter, she never will."
"And that's a bad thing?" Prue mocks sarcastically. The best thing that ever happened to Phoebe is that she didn't know Victor that well. I think she's the luckiest one out of us."
"Prue! Don't be too hard on her. She's hurting as much as we are." Piper pulled Prue's hand and walked her to the car. "Come on, let's go home."
Prue got in the passenger's seat of her car and handed her car keys to Piper. As Piper twisted the key to start the car, Prue's cellular phone started ringing. "Aren't you going to answer that? It might be Phoebe." Piper asked while stirring the car wheel.
"I don't think I can talk to her right now. Why don't you answer?" Suggested Prue while turning her head away from Piper and staring out the window. Though Prue was in the car with Piper, she didn't really hear what she was saying. She did hear Piper's distant sound, but she couldn't make out who it was she was talking to. As Piper hung up the phone, Prue turned her head to face her, though she didn't really care about the identity of the caller. "Is Phoebe okay?" asked Prue.
"That was not Phoebe, actually. It was Andy." Piper announced as she took a U-turn and changed the way she was heading.
"What are you doing? Home's in that direction." Complained Prue, as she pointed to the car's opposite direction.
"I know. We're not going home. Andy has something to say to us."
"Did he say what he wanted to talk to us about? Piper, is Phoebe okay?"
"Phoebe's fine. We'll know when we get there." Piper's voice sounded worried. Though Prue sensed that something was wrong, she couldn't help but feel safe upon hearing Andy's name. Prue and Andy had a rough road since high school, but their love and respect for each other helped them get through whatever came their way. Whenever Prue would get depressed over her mother's death, or angry at her father's betrayal, Andy would be by her side to support her. And this time wasn't any different.
Andy walked towards Phoebe, handed her a fresh cup of coffee, and sat down next to her. After exchanging a nervous smile, Andy started to explain the prisoner release process to Phoebe. He wasn't very proud of the fact that he was marrying a soon-to-be ex-prisoner's daughter, but all he cared about was Prue. He knew what she went through because of this, and how hard she cried herself to sleep every night. His love for Prue was so strong that he was willing to risk his reputation and his job to be with her. "In short, this is all you need to know for now. Mr. Bennett will be released tomorrow morning, and you can meet his parole officer then."
Phoebe was a nervous wreck. She was about to take a decision that would change her life forever. She knew her sisters would disapprove without a doubt, and she might even lose them, but she didn't care. Having her father back in her life was worth all the risk. But Andy couldn't deny the look he saw on Phoebe's face; Behind that strong independent young woman, hid a scared helpless little girl. He was more than sure that Phoebe was banking on him to convince Prue and Piper to support her decision, and Andy had no idea how to do that. Suddenly all of Andy's thoughts went poof upon seeing Prue walk towards him angrily.
"So let me get this straight. You went behind my back and talked to my fiancé about Victor's release, even after I specifically made it clear I wanted nothing to do with Victor." Shouted Prue, as if she was ready to attack Phoebe.
Piper ran across Prue and stood between her and Phoebe. Piper was always the one to separate her two sisters whenever they would get into arguments, but she was also the one to always bring them back together. But this time was different. Prue wasn't herself at all. Andy grabbed Prue's arm and backed her away from Phoebe. This wasn't the first time Andy had experienced a battle between the Halliwell sisters, especially between Prue and Phoebe. Ever since they were little girls, they never got along, except with Piper's extra super medaling. But the anger in Prue's eyes actually scared Andy this time and he knew from the look he exchanged with Piper that it scared her as well.
"Prue, honey, why don't you take a seat and I'll explain everything to you?" Ordered Andy, as he helped Prue sit down and gave her a cup of water. "I called Phoebe and asked her to come down here. Mr. Bennett's parole officer is a friend of mine, and I offered to assist her with his case, given the fact that it's personal. I didn't think you'd be okay with talking to a complete stranger about this issue."
"What issue?" Prue replied angrily, while giving Andy a cold look. The sweet, caring, protective sister has now turned into one angry uncontrollable monster. Phoebe couldn't believe that her big sister was about to hit her, in fact she didn't want to believe it. Phoebe pleaded Andy with her eyes to save her from this doomed situation, and convince Prue to accept their father in her life. But Andy knew that this time he was just as powerless as the rest of them were against Prue's unexpected wrath.
"You know what issue we're talking about Prue, or else you wouldn't have gotten all worked up about it." Said Andy. He walked towards Prue, held her hand in his, and put his other hand on her cheek. "Honey, I know that this is a lot for you to take in, especially now that we finally started planning our wedding, but we're going to deal with it together. We're going to get through this together, I promise."
Prue pulled her hand away from Andy's, got off the chair, and walked towards the exit. "If you're going to take their side on this one, then I guess I'm on my own now." The hatred and despair she had for her father were buried inside her for 20 years, but she decided to dig them all up today. Piper and Phoebe never thought of Prue as a person who would hold a grudge, but apparently there's a side to their sister they never knew she had. They wondered if she even knew she had it herself.
Piper was about to follow Prue, but a very confused Andy grabbed her arm in a solid attempt to stop her. "Don't…she needs some time alone to think this through. Prue is a good person and I know she'll come around."
"What if she doesn't?" shouted Phoebe from the pit of her stomach. "Prue is very stubborn, and once she sets her mind, there's no changing it."
Andy nodded his head in agreement. He then rubbed his tired face with his hands and headed towards his desk. Though his mind was occupied with thoughts of Prue, he knew he had to focus on Victor Bennett's case. "First things first. This is Mr. Bennett's file. I think we should focus on that now." Suggested Andy, as he stretched his arm to hand the file over to Piper, but it was Phoebe's hand that intersected and snatched the file.
"He's out on parole." Phoebe said, while eyeing Piper. "Andy explained it all out to me before you and Prue came barging in."
Piper was staring at Phoebe real hard, but her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't even thinking about Prue at that moment, or about her father. All she could think about was her mother, and what she would have done if she were to stand in her shoes. Though Piper loathed her father for the sins he had done in the past, she still wondered, what if? What if she accepted her father in her life again, and showed a little sympathy and forgiveness? What if her father really has become a better man? What if, for the first time in her life, she could actually enjoy having a father in her life? All these thoughts ran through Piper's head at that specific moment. She knew where Prue stands, and she knows Phoebe's opinion about this situation, but where does she stand in all this? She was the middle sister, and she was really in the middle this time.
Piper's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Phoebe's hands. Phoebe didn't realize how hard she was shaking Piper until Piper pushed her back. "Are you listening to me Piper? I need your help, I can't do this alone." Phoebe blurted out as she moved back and pleaded Piper with her eyes. Phoebe knew that Piper could be swayed either way, and she had to try her best to get her on her side. She also knew that Prue would do the same, and that's why she had to move quickly. "Piper, he's our father, we just can't let him live on the streets. Please, listen to what Andy has to say."
Piper stood still for a while, gave Andy and Phoebe a mysterious look, then announced her decision. "I know for a fact that I wouldn't mind him living on the streets."
"Piper…" Phoebe pleaded, but was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.
"Don't Piper me, Phoebe." Piper shouted angrily. "He didn't mind us growing up without parents, did he? He didn't care whether we lived or died. So why should we care where he lives. I want him to feel the pain we felt for 20 years, and it still wouldn't be enough for me to forgive him. You're on your own, Phoebe." Piper didn't even wait to hear Phoebe's reply. She knew that Phoebe would only make up more excuses for him, to gain her sympathy. All Piper did was head out the exit door, angrier than ever.
"It's going to be okay, Pheebs. You're not on your own, you still have me." Andy dried Phoebe's tears, and held her in his arms. He knew he was going to get in big trouble with Prue, but he still chose to take Phoebe's side. "I'll be right there with you when they release him tomorrow, I promise."
Phoebe tossed and turned in her bed that night. It felt as if it took eternity for the sun to shine once again. Phoebe was on her own, and yet she was still determined to let her father back in her life. She knew she had a bumpy road ahead of her, but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of having a real family.
'Prison always seems better than it actually is on television.' Phoebe thought to herself as Andy escorted her to the waiting room. "Just wait here. I'll take care of everything," Andy said before heading to the parole office. Phoebe's heart was racing, her palms were filled with sweat, and her eyes were getting ready to see Victor for the first time.
For a split second, time stopped for Phoebe. The once crowded room now felt empty, the only sound she heard was her heart's, and the only image she saw in front of her was that of a certain middle-aged man, that looked too familiar. Phoebe stood up slowly, and with a genuine smile on her face broke the room's silence. "Dad?"
